The world was far too complicated to decipher; human existence on Earth raised far more questions than it answered.
Jimmy had resolved his own questions. He understood his existence and knew exactly where to direct his knowledge, so that maybe—only if he succeeded—he could make the mind into an immortal world where no one would ever have to die.
All of this was thanks to someone Jimmy deeply idolized: Archimedes, considered one of the first scientists to study and apply simple machines, such as the lever, the pulley, and the screw. He was also credited with the principle of mechanical advantage.
"Archimedes wasn't just an inventor. He was a visionary trapped in the language of machines."
Those were Jimmy's thoughts about his idol.
That's how the voice file Jimmy listened to every night before sleeping began. It was an old recording, almost corroded by time and reinterpretations, that spoke of Archimedes: the icon, the genius, the man who had glimpsed something beyond the source code.
Archimedes had laid the foundation for a new world. But Jimmy wanted something more.
He spoke of a digital frontier.
And that's what he had been working on up to this very day.
Like what had happened to George, all humans lived in bodies that eventually decomposed. We processed thoughts with brains that corrupted over time. We loved with hearts that failed.
Everything we were was held together by atoms destined to collapse.
But what if we could rewrite that?
What if, instead of trying to save the human being, we simply transferred it?
It started with a game.
Yes, that's what everyone would think at first about his most ambitious project.
But this creation was Jimmy's most daring invention yet.
It wasn't a game. It was a simulation of the soul.
Jimmy wanted to build a world inside the code.
He wasn't excited about scripted NPCs. No more predefined protagonists. The player would be a real mind. And the digital inhabitants—the NPCs—would be living code, self-generating, capable of learning, feeling, resisting… even dreaming.
He wanted to create an ecosystem where the digital would no longer be dependent on the physical.
"Aren't our thoughts also electric patterns?"
Jimmy's algorithms wouldn't just represent emotions; they would be emotions.
Artificial intelligence wouldn't be a tool; it would become a species.
And humanity… Humanity would have to choose whether to remain biology or be ready to transcend.
Thus, his digital world wasn't just about playing.
It was about existing without limits.
"If God made us from clay, I will make them from code. And I will give them freedom."
I'm going to build a universe.
Not with bricks... but with data. And even if someone tried to steal his code, they wouldn't understand it. Because it wouldn't be a program. It would be a soul.
"The network..."
…
"That was way too deep..." After hearing Jimmy's explanation, young Sheldon fell silent.
After a while, the worried look on his face softened: "If God really exists, that's a good thing. I'll go ask for forgiveness..."
After saying that, Sheldon set down his glass of milk and his fork, stepped aside, and prayed seriously.
The others seemed used to his strange behavior.
I don't know if Sheldon's prayers worked, but after a while, the house phone rang.
Everyone turned to look at Connie, only to find several empty wine bottles around her as she lay back in a patio chair.
Perhaps it was guilt weighing on her conscience that had led her to drink.
While the three Cooper children didn't know how to handle the situation, Jimmy stepped forward and answered the phone.
It was Mary calling. She said George was still undergoing medical treatment and that his condition was not yet fully stable.
She also finally asked, sounding worried, about the children.
Jimmy told her everything at home was fine and that she didn't need to worry, then he ended the call.
Under everyone's expectant gaze, Jimmy relayed George's situation.
"How could this happen?" George Jr. and Missy looked even more downcast.
When Sheldon heard the news, he once again began to doubt the existence of God.
If God really existed, surely He would have heard his prayers.
Once again, thoughtful silence fell over the dining room as everyone got lost in their own thoughts.
But unexpectedly, George Jr. stood up and said: "We can't go on like this... We have to go to the hospital."
As soon as he said it, he immediately gained Sheldon's and Missy's support.
To visit George at the hospital, someone would have to drive.
Everyone's attention turned to the patio, where Connie was still sleeping soundly.
"I know where the keys are," said Missy, walking over to Connie and, within seconds, pulling a bunch of keys from her pocket.
"Great, let's go now," said George Jr., grabbing the car keys and heading toward the door.
"Wait..." Sheldon wasn't as impulsive as the others, so he said:
"If Grandma wakes up and finds out we're gone, she'll get worried. She might even call the police… Let's leave her a note."
As he said this, Sheldon rushed to a room to find paper and a pen.
"Hold on..."
Jimmy stopped Sheldon and explained:
"If Connie knew we were going to the hospital to see George, she surely wouldn't stop us. It's better to wake her up and ask for her opinion."
Although Sheldon was thoughtful, he was still a child, and his thinking was limited.
Before the three children could consider it further, Jimmy woke Connie up.
"What's going on? What happened?" Connie asked, her eyes half-closed. It was obvious she still wasn't fully awake.
Jimmy told her about their plan.
"Well, we should go to the hospital to see George," Connie said, struggling to get up.
"I'll take you there right now..."
Seeing how drunk she still was, Jimmy said he could drive. He then took the car keys from George Jr., and with a whistle, Goddard came flying over.
The thrusters on his cheeks allowed him to fly easily in front of everyone.
"What the heck is that?"
"My dog," said Jimmy, climbing into the driver's seat and ordering: "Initiate driving program. Set destination coordinates: the hospital..."
Connie, who saw a flying robot dog, thought she must be dreaming, so she simply sat in the back of the vehicle without saying a word.
"This is so cool," said Missy, who had never seen Goddard before, thrilled by what the robotic dog could do.
And so the group made it to the hospital without any problems.
Once parked, Jimmy stepped out and instructed Goddard to return home, so no one would see him.
Connie, woken by George Jr., looked around for the robot dog but, finding nothing, swore to herself she would quit drinking.
Mary, who was waiting outside the intensive care unit, looked a bit more relaxed when she saw her family arriving.
After learning about George's condition, Sheldon stumbled upon a small chapel down the hallway.
And there, he decided to believe in God once again.