[ WP ] Arthur C. Clarke said that `` Two possibilities exist : either we are alone in the universe or we are not . Both are equally terrifying . '' What he did n't know is that there is a third possibility ...

Try as he might, Wilford Gollin could simply not go to sleep. It was quite late, but he could n't put down the new book he had been reading. First in a series, it detailed a crazy, quirky fantasy world that all took place in outer space. It was such a strange concept, but addictive to read about. 
 
 The door creaked open. `` Willford?'' Willford's dad poked his head in. 
 
 `` Uh, sorry Dad. I'll go to sleep.'' Willford slowly reached for the lamp, not taking his eyes off the book. 
 `` Actually, I thought we could talk about something.'' The door opened further, and his father walked in, followed by his mother. Now they had Willford's attention. His parents never came into his room together. 
 
 `` Uh, yeah, what's up?'' Willford marked his page and finally looked up at his parents. 
 
 `` Well, son...'' his mother said with a small smile. `` I thought it was time we had'the talk'.'' His dad nodded meaningfully, rubbing his third eye. 
 
 Willford felt his face flush. `` I'm not a little kid, I know about that stuff.'' 
 
 `` Not that talk,'' his father quickly cut in. `` We mean the human talk.'' 
 
 `` Human talk?'' Willford was completely confused now. 
 
 `` We noticed you've been reading those human books lately,'' his mother said. `` What are they about?'' 
 
 `` They're just fantasy. About a world in outer space that's kinda like ours, but also kinda different.'' 
 
 `` Just fantasy, huh?'' Willford's dad gave him a look. `` What do you mean, fantasy?'' 
 
 `` Made up,'' Willford said. `` Like wizards and politicians, none of it's real and that's why it's fun to read. They have all these crazy things- zoos and microwaves, just bizarre.'' 
 
 `` Well, Willford,'' his dad said heavily. `` Those things are n't exactly made up.'' 
 
 `` What are they then?'' 
 
 `` This is kind of hard to explain, so bear with me. Basically, humans were an experiment. The top scientists on our planet came together and randomly assembled data to create simulated beings that were sort of similar to us, but not quite. They gave them free will, a few character traits, and a very dulled ability to feel emotion. Then they stuck them in a giant, heavily controlled environment to see what happened with no intervention.'' 
 
 `` It was a study on how society would work if left to its own devices,'' his mother explained. `` Since everything here is the opposite of that, they wanted data on how it would all play out.'' 
 
 `` And they created their own world,'' his father continued. `` With politics and microwaves and everything that makes that book seem like fantasy. They created their own world.'' 
 
 Willford leaped to his feet. `` So humans are real?!'' 
 
 `` Humans were never real,'' Willford's mom said gently. `` They're still simulated bodies with a fraction of what goes on in our minds, all created for our own science.'' 
 
 Willford sat down slowly, absorbing it all. `` That's crazy.'' There was a moment of comfortable silence. `` Wait! If humans created all these awesome things without help, why does n't the government leave us to our own devices and see what we come up with? If these fake people can build cities and empires, just imagine what we could do!'' 
 
 `` The human world is not all good,'' said his father. `` You see, when uncontrolled and wild, humans also created poverty, and war, and debt. Many of their people lived in misery until the experiment was finally terminated and the data released. That's when those books were written.'' 
 
 `` The data just confirmed the government was right to keep us under such close tabs,'' his mother furthered, waving one of her six arms at a camera watching them through the nearby window. `` Imagine what terrors we could create!'' 
 
 `` Every kid goes through a human phase.'' Willford's dad smiled. `` So the government just wanted us to have this little talk with you, to keep curiosity at bay.'' 
 
 `` Any other questions, you know where to find us.'' Willford's parents rose and carefully made their way out of the room. 
 
 Willford lay back down, head spinning. Five minutes ago he thought humans were not even real, then he found out they were real, but not really. And all those things they had created! 
 
 I could create too, he thought to himself. If I was a human, I could make so much. 
 
 Then he glanced out at the security camera blinking at him. Willford shrugged, picked up his book, and buried himself in the bizarre experiment called humans.
