[ WP ] It turns out that our universe actually is a simulation , but one that plays like an MMO . As humanity develops better weapons , the mods release bigger bosses . Humanity dealt with this challenge rather well until July 16th , 1945 : the day of the Trinity test .

`` You're still playing Earth?'' Dreg asked `` Seriously? Dude, that game has been utter shit since the end of the World War II campaign, ok?'' 
 
 `` It's not *shit*,'' Marg answered defensively. `` Like, *everyone* has nukes now, and there are still huge armies...'' 
 
 `` Yeah,'' Dreg scoffed. `` but no one ever uses them since the devs instituted those Geneva Convention rules. Everyone's too afraid of getting banned to ever pull the trigger. ” 
 
 `` Well, yeah...'' Marg conceded. `` Except for this one troll in Korea, but yeah... ” 
 
 “ It completely neutered the Cold War expansion. Seriously, did *anyone* enjoy the Vietnam campaign?'' 
 
 “ But that just makes it more fun! You still have to organize a conventional military, and if you lose your war then you can still keep playing.'' 
 
 Dreg wasn ’ t impressed. `` Sounds boring. And the Terrorism expansion was worse. The kick-off trailer with those planes was pretty bad-ass, I ’ ll admit. But then it was all downhill from there. When I went into first-person mode, it was just sitting around all day and occasionally riding around in a hum-vee. And the scenery was all drab and brown. It ’ s like the art department completely gave up and phoned it in. ” 
 
 “ Whatever, man. Maybe the last two were a little shitty, but the devs have *really* been talking up the latest expansion. *Crazy* secret, too. They won ’ t even release the *name* of it until after tonight ’ s kick-off trailer. But they ’ re saying that it ’ s even better than the Colonization Era campaign, which was *awesome*. ” 
 
 Dreg didn ’ t have a good response to that. Colonization was, in the eyes of many players, one of the best things the game ever did. Everyone had gotten pretty tired of only being able to fight with neighbors over a few sparse patches of land, and then *boom*. Huge, world-circling tall ships. Clash of civilizations everywhere from Africa to the Americas. *And* it coincided with widespread gun use. Even Dreg couldn ’ t deny how many nights he spent subjugating the Incas and the Aztecs, even if it would never be quite as good as the Roman Era in his eyes. 
 
 “ Let ’ s just check out the trailer tonight, eh? ” Marg pleaded. “ Come on. If it doesn ’ t seem cool, then go ahead and uninstall or whatever. ” 
 
 -- -- -- -- -- - 
 
 
 Marg and Dreg donned their human avatars for the launch night celebration, just like old times. For the last launch, the devs had rented out a huge rooftop in Hoboken, NJ and had a barbecue. Dreg still remembered chowing down on ribs and dropping his plate when the first plane plowed into the World Trade Center. *That* had been an exciting trailer; probably the best since Pearl Harbor dropped. 
 
 A crowd of player characters gathered in front of the Air and Space museum on the National Mall in Washington D.C. One of the devs stood on the marble steps with the Wright Flyer framed in the window behind him. He was babbling on and on about how far humanity had come and all of the developments that they'd put into Earth. 
 
 “ Dude, this sucks, ” Dreg whined. “ It ’ s obviously going to be a space travel expansion, hence having the launch here. Yay, we can fly around some lifeless rocks. ” 
 
 As if he ’ d heard them, the dev on the steps announced that they were indeed introducing interstellar travel to humanity. An NPC scientist at NASA was perfecting a warp drive at that very moment. 
 
 “ Told you, ” Dreg whispered. “ Not even a new enemy? Yeah, I ’ m done with this game. ” 
 
 Marg sighed. He ’ d never been too into the combat aspect of Earth anyway, but even he had to admit that space travel was a pretty underwhelming addition. In contrast to all the different lush environments of Earth, the rest of the universe was primarily desolate and barren. “ Yeah, I guess I am too. ” 
 
 The air above them shimmered, and a grid of lines appeared in the sky. Each square of the grid filled with static-y dots of grey and black until the whole thing materialized into a massive ship hovering over the city. Then streaks of fire shot out from the ship and plummeted down into the city. Across the mall, the Capital dome was punctured by one of the projectiles, leaving a gaping open wound. The rest of the building didn ’ t fare well under the barrage either, and Dreg and Marg were showered in marble chunks. “ Holy crap, ” Dreg whispered. Fire rained down on all of the museums surrounding them as the ship continued firing volley after volley. 
 
 “ Oh, and did I not mention the new villains of the series? ” The dev wore a roguish grin, looking like a demon with the burning wreckage of the Smithsonian still behind him. Flames engulfed the Wright Flyer, and it dangled precariously on one remaining wire. “ Players, meet the Asginthians! ” 
 
 The assembled players all clapped and cheered. It was easy to distinguish them from the NPCs nearby, who were all screaming and running for cover. 
 
 “ Well? ” Marg whispered to Dreg. 
 
 Dreg ’ s human avatar grimaced. “ Fine, ” he growled. “ I guess I ’ ll play for a little while longer. ” 

