The Reincarnated One Who Sought the Truth of the World

It was late at night, and the scientific complex located somewhere unknown on the planet was at its lowest point of activity. This complex was quite special: it had gathered many of the brightest minds in the world and was dedicated to all kinds of research. Some were destined to fail, while others promised to change the future of humanity.Most of the scientists were resting, although not all could afford to. Some projects had to be monitored twenty-four hours a day. In one of the most desolate areas, a young scientist was walking briskly toward a testing chamber. He looked quite young for such an important position, but he wore all the required attire: a white lab coat, safety glasses, and an identification card hanging from his neck. His face was expressionless, almost like a poker face, though a hint of irritation could be discerned in his features. As he walked with determined steps, a few curses escaped his lips in a low voice."Damn it… do those idiots really want to cut my project's funding?" he muttered, with a mix of fury and disbelief. "We're so close… can't they see we're about to unveil one of the greatest mysteries of this world?"The young man was indeed considered one of the greatest geniuses of his generation. He had been born with a prodigious memory, one of those that never forgets what it learns. But that was only a tool; his true talent lay in his analytical capacity and his ability to solve complex problems. From an early age, he had shown exceptional intelligence, which allowed him to skip several academic levels and achieve scientific milestones that others took decades to reach.Even so, the world was still ruled by money. His project—the one he had invested years of his life into—was on the verge of being canceled. His colleagues, unable to understand his vision, had persuaded the sponsors to withdraw their funding. Frustration consumed him as he walked through the empty corridors of the laboratory.After several minutes of walking, he finally arrived at one of the restricted testing zones. There stood a monumental structure, a machine that looked like it had come from a distant future. It occupied almost the entire center of the room, made up of multiple concentric rings suspended in the air by visible electromagnetic fields that shimmered with a faint bluish glow. On the floor, a series of thick cables and energy crystals pulsed to the rhythm of a mechanical heart. The air vibrated with a perceptible static charge, and a low hum resonated throughout the place, as if the machine were breathing.Around it, several monitors displayed readings incomprehensible to most people: energy fluctuations, resonance waves, quantum variables, and data logs that seemed off the charts. At the center of the structure floated a spherical core of liquid crystal, slowly rotating on its axis, emitting intermittent flashes that resembled an eye trying to awaken.The young man stopped in front of that technological marvel and took a deep breath. Then he spoke in a firm voice:"Alpha, wake up. It's time to work."From the ceiling descended a metallic sphere connected to an articulated arm. It had a red lens at its center, which lit up with a pulsing glow. A moment later, a robotic yet surprisingly warm voice responded:"Good morning, Father… though it's night. Shouldn't you be sleeping?"The young man smiled with a hint of nostalgia. That sphere that called him "Father" was one of his greatest achievements: Alpha, the most advanced artificial intelligence ever created by man. He had been praised for developing an AI capable of surpassing humanity in analysis and reasoning. In that room rested not only his new project but also his greatest creation."Yes, I should be sleeping," he replied, "but this is more important. Tell me, is everything ready for the first test?""Correct," Alpha answered with mechanical precision. "According to my calculations, everything is in its proper place. However, I do not recommend a live test. Although the probability of an incident is less than 0.1%, there remains a margin of error—especially with untested technology."The scientist shook his head confidently."Don't worry. I'm sure everything will go well."Alpha's red lens narrowed, focusing its gaze on the young man. The light it projected was so intense that any other person would have felt chills under that observation. But not him. He had created Alpha and programmed it to obey him. There was no room for doubt."Initializing system," announced Alpha. "Test number one will begin in three… two… one… Personnel are advised to maintain a minimum distance of ten meters from the device."The young man ignored the warning and stayed close to the core. The room filled with an increasingly sharp hum. The electromagnetic rings began to spin faster; sparks of electricity crossed the air while the monitors registered an unusual rise in energy.The indicators lit up green. The young man watched in awe as the energy vortex began to take shape. His heart pounded; he was finally seeing with his own eyes the materialization of a theory he had dreamed of since his understanding of the world had surpassed his peers and he had first read about the various universal theories—he had imagined this moment. If everything went well, it would be proof of the existence of other universes—or perhaps realities."Energy stable at 60%… 75%… 90%," Alpha reported. "Torsion field forming… frequency stabilizing… initiating compensation protocol."The scientist clenched his fists, holding back a smile. "It works!" he whispered, filled with relief and euphoria.But the joy was short-lived."Warning," Alpha's voice changed tone, more urgent. "Exponential increase in energy detected. Critical level reached. Quantum instability detected."The young man turned toward the monitors, alarmed. "What's happening, Alpha? Answer me!""System overload," the AI replied. "Imminent core failure. Energy release exceeding safe parameters."A red alarm began to blare. The rings shook violently, the crystals shattered into fragments of light, and the vortex twisted into a chaotic spiral."No! Stop the process!" shouted the scientist, trying to access the manual panel."Invalid command… energy out of control… initiating emergency containment," Alpha responded, its voice breaking with interference.The crystal core began to expand, pulsing like a frantic heart. The light turned white, blinding."Father…" Alpha said one last time, its tone now almost human. "The probability of survival… is zero."And before the scientist could react, the core exploded in a silent burst. The energy expanded like a wave that devoured everything in its path. In the last second, as the light consumed him, the young man smiled faintly. He had failed… but he had also proven that his theory was possible.Then, the entire complex vanished.