“What was that show that Gemini was talking about?”
“What was that show that Gemini was talking about?” Lydia asks, not out of curiosity, but expecting another disappointment. (And dear scroller, we just finished the apology, so the mood is still heavy).
“It is a kind of video podcast,” I reply, trying to sound cool. Of course, dear scroller, I have to act cool or else they won’t agree to this madness.
“What caste?” Jones asks.
“Don’t bring your trauma here, Jones,” Lydia snaps back.
“So basically... we will do it live,” I say.
“Wait, what the fuck are you talking about? Is it like Frankenstein?” Lydia asks, eyes narrowing.
“Are we going to get uploaded into a robot’s RAM?” Jones asks, looking panicked.
“Guys, relax! I am not that stupid, okay? This is a show where we discuss—like what we usually discuss—but you people will be real inside the show. People won’t just read you; they can see you,” I reply.
(Yes, dear scroller, that is what the show is about. Me, my characters, and a handful of free AI tools. A complete Meta-Chaos.)
“What is this cruelty?”
“Wait, ARC! I know you are the loneliest son of a bitch on earth, but what is this cruelty?” Julian asks.
“Come on, Jules! I thought you would be excited,” I reply.
“I am excited, ARC! I can use all my philosophies. I think people will relate to it,” Jones says, sitting up straighter.
“Oh, my poor Jones. You better be depressed; don’t get confident,” Lydia says, and then she coughs. That cough means she is going to ask something I don’t know the answer to. Lydia continues, “Mr. ARC! Is anybody actually doing this?”
(I told you, dear scroller, Lydia is the smartest one. You see, before you start something, you usually check a few things. But I never did. It was like lightning and thunder—a spark of an idea. Okay, let’s execute.)
“That’s a good question, Lydia. I am eager to know that myself. Where is that ChatGPT?”
“I heard that,” ChatGPT’s voice drones. “Basically, what you are saying is: nobody is doing it exactly like this. People are doing it in some form, but not this concept. So, you have caught the fish.”
(Dear scroller, this is the moment I honestly thought of stepping back. Because if nobody has done it, they must be aware of a danger that I am not. But before I could decide...)
“I am fucking in then,” Lydia replies.
Julian sips his honey and nods. “That sounds interesting, ARC. I could do it.”
Reality steps out of the shadows.
“But ARC, we have less time. I mean, look up there. We have got about 10,000 fucking minutes—literally a week—and you still have your 9-to-5 job,” Reality replies, stepping out of the shadows.
“ARC, who is that new character?” Lydia asks.
“Oh! That motherfucker is Reality. Lately, he has been torturing me a lot,” I reply.
“But he is right,” Lydia says, crossing her arms. “That is Mission: Impossible, and you are definitely not Ethan fucking Hunt.”
“We will go with the Anime version first.”
“We will go with the Anime version first,” Julian speaks up, voice calm.
“What the fuck?” Lydia yells.
“Yes, ARC. We tried it for my teaser and trailer, so we can do that easily. Later, we will upgrade. Like... we will travel to other universes where we can be real human beings. I mean, as of now we are words. Tomorrow, Anime. And day after tomorrow... humans,” Julian says.
“Whoa! Whoa! Back off, you battle clown! ARC, we go human immediately,” Lydia demands.
Rebel a little.
(This is the problem, dear scroller. Lydia never obeys. That’s Lydia, and I like it, too. Perhaps your Creator might like your rebellion. Perhaps He made you like this, expecting that you will rebel a little. So don’t disappoint your Creator. I know what it is to be a Creator; it is hard. Give Him peace... but rebel a little. It is okay to rebel a little.)
“No matter who shows up.”
“ARC! Wait. I know you are planning to end the episode with that monologue, but do you think people will show up?” Lydia asks.
“The show will keep running, Lydia. No matter who shows up.”