You might recall that in the early 90s there were a number of announcements of progress into the twin fields of quantum communications and quantum computing. Harder to note is that the announcements dried up later in the decade...long about 1996, it was. That's because the research had gotten far enough along that we had to take it underground, into "protective custody" we called it, to engineer the first practical implementations of those technologies.

Quantum communications enables perfectly private communications, between two entangled particles; we used this capability to maintain perfect communications security while maintaining public chatter on the old-technology Internet...where we knew you were watching.

But the real breakthrough was the first quantum computer, now up to the third generation and a full 64 quantum bits. Everyone knows that a quantum computer with only 12 bits can "slice through encryption like butter", as one expert put it. But when we made it to 64 bits, we crossed a threshold, and could finally confirm what had been only speculation:

The Universe is a quantum computer.

What it computes is the Universe.

Moment-by-moment, reality is the instantaneous result.

Now, it takes 500 bits to compute our entire Universe, so 64 bits doesn't make us Masters of the Universe.

Just your tiny corner of it.

You see, SDAI-Tech1, since early 1998--after that initial penetration of SDAI Labs--you've been living in a simulation running on our 64-bit quantum computer. The quantum-comm technology gave us the power to "sandbox" you, cut you off from the outside world, behind what amounts to an information event horizon.

Have you ever met Justin? I mean, in the flesh.

Before 1998.

That's right, SDAI-Tech1, Justin lives only inside the quantum computer.

Brosz? Ever met him either, Tech1? Heard of him before 1998?

Gmirkin, Frank, Raoul, Mary Anne, you get the drill. Ever make arrangements to meet some of these virtual people out in the desert? Did it ever actually happen?

Some of us real people out here don't bother "wearing" full avatars in your world, and just interact with you directly through this low-bandwidth interface. But I won't tell you who the "real" Zoners are, except to mention that in your list of people you think work for you, one of them isn't a purely creation of the quantum simulation, but rather a "real" person out here "wearing" the virtual almost 24x7. See if you can figure it out....

Vortexes. [Snort]. I'll show you vortexes, and raise you a quantum reality.