Knowledge

I opened the slab, heart pounding with anticipation. I didn't know what I expected—maybe hidden blueprints or some kind of ancient secret—but what greeted me was a blank page. Just… empty paper.

I frowned, flipped to the next page, hoping for more.

But before I could read anything, a loud THUD echoed from upstairs.

TFR bolted toward the sound. I slammed the slab shut and followed, our feet pounding up the steps.

When we reached the living room, we froze.

A pod—an actual, real pod—sat there like it had fallen from the sky. It was egg-shaped with a tinted window, metallic levers protruding from its sides, and in the center of it all, a glowing orb marked with a single word: CORE.

Two bold letters were printed on the window: MR.

TFR cautiously stepped closer, glancing up to see that the pod had somehow crashed through his bathroom floor—yet, strangely, the ceiling looked perfectly intact.

He dashed upstairs to check things out, but I stayed behind, locked in place.

What was this thing?

The same strange pull I'd felt from the slab tugged at me again. The pod felt like a puzzle. Like knowledge wrapped in metal. Next thing I know, Buzz. Buzz.

Notifications lit up my phone screen. Probably TFR. I didn't care.

I stepped closer and slowly pried open the pod's small front window.

Inside, it was… weirdly cozy.

A blanket. A teddy bear. A nightstand. A sheet of paper that read: SOURCE in bold at the top.

I blinked. That was it?

Nothing exploded. No voice spoke from the pod. Just a warm glow and a faint smell of cinnamon in the air. The whole thing was bizarre.

Buzz.

I finally checked my phone.

TFR100: "bro this thing mustve came out of nowhere cuz the ceiling is ok and the only thing broken is the bathroom floor, this is so weird did it teleport or something? ur smart u should know what this is u bum"

I rolled my eyes and texted back:

Me: "I don't know what caused this. But come look at the pod. It's interesting. Also, we need to finish reading the slab."

He wasn't having it.

TFR100: "oh hell no. you helping me fix this. it's all ur fault idiot."

How is this my fault?

Whatever.

I sat on the edge of the pod's window and reopened the slab, flipping back to the page I had started on.

THE BOOK

Hello. From this point onward, I'll be writing about my adventures in here. The year is 2031. My name is Michael Rich. I live in a place called Choreees. We've just launched "Project UJO." It's groundbreaking. It will change the course of human history.

Project UJO is a new scientific initiative that lets humanity rewrite its own system. Everyone will get new names—abbreviations like "UJO21"—symbolizing uniqueness, efficiency, and control.

God is on humanity's side. Agent Shawn and Tucker are the masterminds behind it. This is the turning point.

Every nation on Earth has united. Over 9.8 million people are here in Choreees for the name-change ceremony. One by one, they step forward to receive a memory-wiping chip. Everyone will forget their past lives. Humanity will begin again.

This is amazing.

SOB442's POV

What… what the hell did I just read?

Names turned into abbreviations?

That's… exactly how our world works now. SOB442. TFR100. All of us. It's true.

I stared at the page, mind spinning, and then—

I laughed.

No—I burst into laughter.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! THIS IS INCREDIBLE!"

All this time, I thought I was alone. That I was the only one asking questions.

But this—this was proof that knowledge exists. That there was once a world before the brain rot. That maybe, just maybe, we could bring it back.

"You can't beat this," I whispered to myself. "Knowledge… is brain fuel."

TFR100's POV

I stared at SOB, sitting on the pod, shaking with laughter like some maniac.

What the hell is wrong with him?

Ever since that pod showed up, he's been acting weird. All hyped up. The pod even smells weird—like cinnamon?

Nah, forget it. I'm gonna go watch YouTube.

SOB442's POV

It felt amazing.

Was this how the great minds of the past felt? That thrill when the pieces start to fit together? When you know something nobody else does?

This… this was the feeling I'd been chasing my whole life.

Knowledge.

Real, powerful knowledge.

I turned to TFR, beaming. "Hey! Don't you get it? This is incredible! Knowledge is amazing! It's everything!"

He stared at me blankly. Right. He still didn't understand half of what I said.

"Please," I said, dropping to my knees. "Let me borrow the slab."

TFR raised an eyebrow, confused as ever.

I sighed. Right again.

He doesn't speak.