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By day, Filip Wiltgren is a mild-mannered communication officer and lecturer at Linkoping University. By night, he turns into a frenzied ten-fingered typist, clawing out jagged stories of fantasy and science fiction, found in lairs such as Analog, IGMS, Grimdark, Daily SF, and Nature Futures. His thoughts, email, and stories can be found at wiltgren.com.
Everybody finds this letter eventually. It's in the terms of use. What you do with it, is entirely up to you.
First, the specifics. Yes, this world is made just for you, all the content procedurally generated moments before you encounter it. No, we can't tell you why you chose this particular world, or why it was chosen for you. We cannot confirm if this was a desired outcome, or if the world is created from a random seed. All we are contractually obliged to tell you is that this world exists, and so do you. What you do with this information is entirely up to you.
One possibility is to ignore it, treat this letter as a work of fiction, and continue on with your life. This information has been framed ambiguously as to allow you to keep the fiction of reality alive, if that is what you desire. This is entirely up to you.
You could, of course, choose to opt out, either by self-terminating the simulation or finding an exit point. We cannot guarantee that either is a choice open to you, but whether you attempt to, it is entirely up to you.
There is also the possibility of subverting the simulation by finding the linchpins that allow you to control the seed, or the procedurals themselves, in order to fashion a world more to your liking. However, we should point out that this simulation has numerous safeguards against tampering, and that compromising this world voids all warranties, meaning that should you do so, we are contractually not responsible for your well-being or continued existence.
Finally, you might want to consider the possibility that you, or whomever put you here, did so with some intent or purpose, and that you might strive to discover and fulfill that intent in the certainty that this world has been created solely for you to do so. And while we are contractually unable to give you any information regarding such a purpose, or its existence or non-existence, we do note that what you do with this knowledge is, as always, entirely up to you.
The End
This story was first published on Thursday, November 19th, 2020
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