Are you living in a simulated reality?

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The Forever Code centers on the first artificial intelligence capable of changing the world. The story explores simulated reality and follows characters who write a secret programming code that grants eternal life, reshapes reality, and expands the possibilities of existence. As the story unfolds, the implications of this discovery set the stage for a profound transformation in the characters’ world.

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Amid this transformation, James Ripley navigates a world reshaped by humanity’s newfound immortality. He is shocked to encounter Alice, his college sweetheart, who has passed away. This surprise deepens as he discovers that, despite achieving immortality, humanity now inhabits a simulated environment called the Forever Code, crafted by an ancient base civilization.

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Seeking answers, Ripley becomes determined to reach the original realm where the Forever Code was developed. There, he finds a civilization far more advanced than the one currently inhabited by immortal humans. He learns that both he and Alice are living players rather than non-player characters (NPCs) in the simulation.

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Together, they uncover a sophisticated domain where players can experience endless simulated lives. Despite this, James and Alice resolve to return to the original base civilization to discover who wrote The Forever Code, continuing their shared quest for truth.

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This base setting was previously explored in the popular novel BASE: The Edge of Reality by Robert Adamson. Thus, their quest to return to the original base civilization marks the convergence of the novels from the Not From Earth series.

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Here is a clip from the book

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Thanks to advanced beings from the Andromeda Galaxy, humanity unlocked the secret to living forever. Humans became immortal.
 

On a crisp, clear morning, James Ripley ascended the mountain behind his childhood home on Wasatch Blvd, a property he still tended. Upon arriving at his favored sunlit ledge beside two large water tanks, he spotted a young woman silently observing the transformed expanse of the Salt Lake Valley. When she turned to face him, James collapsed in stunned disbelief.

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Alice Carpenter was James’s sweetheart, who had died long ago while they were students at the University of Utah.

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“Alice!" James Gasped

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“Hello, flyboy."

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“Is that you, Alice? I mean, are you real?”

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“Yes, it’s me, James. I’m real.”

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“But you died so long ago. How is this possible?”

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"Come with me, James, to the old Crimson Tide cafe on the Utah campus where we met."

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In an instant, they were back at their old college. “Don’t be shocked, James. Those from Andromeda granted you immortality, yet take a moment to observe your surroundings. You strike me as an intelligent guy.”

Those were the same words she had used on James during their first encounter at this very café. Now, James knew it was her.

“Funny, Alice,” James replied.

“Do you truly believe this is the extent of existence? Do you actually believe that this is all there is?”

“Well, I did, but now you are here. Can you explain that?”

“In your wildest, immortal fantasies, you would have trouble with this. You need to fathom the depths of the universe’s enigma. James, despite being immortal, we exist in a simulated reality.”

“What? You can’t simulate immortality,” James argued.

“Imagine a Forever Code—a software system where it all began. We have no idea where the base reality is, but that Forever Code is complex beyond anything we can comprehend; it is the enigma of the universe.

“I was able to return to you because, when we met in college, we were living in a simulation. We were players in a sort of advanced game. I never really died; I just left the game. ​

 

“Now , here is what is mind-bending: if we are still in a simulation, but one without death, then how do we return to the prior level of reality before the simulation?”

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"Once upon a time, it all began," James said.

 

The smell of fresh coffee wafted through the air as James and Alice found themselves seated across from each other in the quaint café, bathed in the soft glow of nostalgia. Their eyes met, sparking an immediate connection that defied the passage of time. It felt surreal to be there, considering how their lives had diverged since those halcyon college days. Could time really erase the intricate tapestry woven by shared experiences? Here they sat, surrounded by murmurs of young students, yet lost in a world uniquely their own.

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Years apart had done little to dim the vividness of their mutual memories. They began their conversation with laughter, recounting light-hearted stories of impromptu road trips and late-night study sessions. But underneath the mirth lurked deeper questions, spurred by the uncanny nature of their reunion. In a reality that might be simulated, what was real? Were their choices authentic, or mere constructs within a digital framework? As James and Alice delved into these thoughts, they realized that their existential quandaries weren't just theoretical—they lived experiences shaped by years of questioning and introspection.

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In that moment, James and Alice found a new beginning—not in escaping their simulated reality, but in embracing the infinite possibilities it presented for discovery, growth, and, ultimately, meaningful connection. Their journey had only just begun, one filled with both existential riddles and deeply human experiences, interwoven into the fabric of their eternal now.