The Pen Is Mightier

"Explain."

Anseel began his carefully rehearsed speech. "Using the multidimensional drive your people so graciously sold us, my colleagues and I undertook the study of dimensional splitting. Our intention was to catalog what types of events cause the creation of new universes wherein each universe follows a different outcome of the triggering event. During our research, we discovered an inordinate number of splits coming from a single nexus, Earth-prime. Further investigation revealed these splits are so numerous they are thinning and weakening the fabric of the multiverse at the Earth locus. If that fabric tears, it could unravel across dimensions and destroy the multiverse as we know it."

A rumbling issued from the Overlords, and another spoke. "Destruction of Earth will end this threat?"

Anseel nodded. "If you destroy every inhabited instance of the planet."

"How does one world cause such a threat?"

"The inhabitants have a form of entertainment called fictions--imaginary occurrences involving people, places, and creatures that never existed. These are not learning stories, not parables used to explain something or teach a lesson. They are pure fancy. Some re-create history, others create an unlikely future. Many have no basis in any reality or truth. A number of these fictions are widely followed, to the point that they are all but accepted as truth, no matter how fantastic. Such belief creates universes in which these fictions are real. Recently this phenomenon has increased as expanding planetary communications have put more of the inhabitants in touch with one another, allowing them to share even more of these fantastical stories. Experiments have shown that destruction of the people who believe the fictions will result in the destruction of the universes they create. Destruction of all instances of Earth will prevent the creation of new ones. Thus we ask this favor not for ourselves, but for all life across the multiverse."

A long pause ensued. Low reverberations rumbled as the Overlords spoke amongst themselves. After several moments, one of them addressed Anseel, "Your petition is granted. We will begin preparations immediately. Dismissed."

Days later, Anseel received a message that the Denesh fleet had launched. As a tribute to those doomed by his petition, he opened the final file from Earth-prime. He needed to catalog the data, the last of the fictions, before closing the case forever. He scanned through the translated text, reading a bit here, a bit there, to get a sense of what the Overlords would destroy.

As he skimmed the file, something caught his eye. He returned to the beginning of the fiction.

His feathers stiffened in terror, and his heart sped as he read the first line: