Chapter 1: Breaking the Rule

The advisor and my senior brothers use AI knack to run one small virtual world wey correct well well.

One night, as boredom dey worry me for lab, I decide to break the one rule: talk to the people inside our virtual world. But when I tell one of them say na simulation e dey live, the guy shock me—e tell me say maybe na my own world be the fake one...

1.

"This virtual world fit work normally now, but we never do full testing yet. So, as we dey go for our three months exchange program, your own be to just observe, record, and learn. No try interfere with how the virtual world dey run, abeg."

My advisor talk am with serious face, like say I wan use my hand scatter tradition. He even point him finger, hammer the warning enter my brain.

As dem finish talk, my advisor and senior brothers waka comot from the lab.

Their footsteps echo for corridor, small small till everywhere calm. Only faint hum from the AC and that small gen for backyard dey remain. Night dey approach; the lab air still dey warm, but e no too hot reach sweat.

I just siddon. Daytime wahala don disappear, everywhere mellow under one dim fluorescent bulb. The place no cold like I expect—e even dey comfy small.

Sometimes, night for lab be like say you waka enter another world. All machine dey sleep except the simulation system wey dey hum quietly. I draw deep breath, catch that scent of fried component and old book for air.

I tear one gala, chew am slow, the pepper dey bite small. I open my notes, dey try cram quantum formula, but my mind just dey waka.

As I dey pretend to read, I dey hear faint music from security man phone outside. The tune blend with buzz from the bulb above my head.

After about one hour, I stretch, eyes don dey find their own wahala. My attention waka go the simulation system. Curiosity dey bite me, so I stand up, move go the display monitor, open the virtual world.

Temptation just full everywhere—this system dey call person. I check my watch. I yarn myself say na just small I go look.

To be honest, I no even join for the design or debugging. All I sabi, this thing dey real pass anything.

Sometimes, I dey wonder how my senior brothers take sabi code reach like this. Their head na correct.

Soon, the system show me live simulation of one big city. Area boys dey chase danfo for junction, one mama dey fry akara by the gutter. E resemble CCTV camera style, like say na spirit I be, dey waka for different angles.

I dey jump from street to street, dey see people hustle—women dey hawk gala, children dey chase each other, agbero dey shout for motor park. Everything just dey lively and real.

Even though I ready myself, the tall buildings, packed danfo buses wey dey squeeze under flyover, palm trees for parks—e all shock me. I zoom in, focus on the main actors—the virtual people.

Noise choke everywhere—horns, hawkers dey sell, pepper soup aroma for air, all blend. I nearly swallow spit as I imagine suya for one corner. The simulation choke!

Because computer get power, every virtual person get him own wahala and way of reasoning. I fit check their data, see their whole life.

I peep inside some logs—birthday, school, work, landlord trouble. Some dey send money go village. My hand dey scratch to dig deeper.

Light from the monitor shine for my face. I just dey feel like one kind sneaky god, dey observe the life of every virtual person for the world.

For that moment, my mind dey fly. E be like say I fit move people like chess, just dey play with their life like film director.

Possessive feeling just catch me. Like say I get the most interesting toy for the world—one wey I fit scatter and arrange any how.

Omo, power dey sweet! I remember when I small, I go break my junior brother toy, then help am fix am. This one na higher level—fit scatter person life, then repair am sharp sharp.

As I dey reason, I breathe deep, try leave the simulation screen, face my notes, but that sweet sense of ownership no gree me rest.

I try read quantum physics, but every two lines, my mind go back to the city. I dey restless like goat wey dem tie for Christmas eve.

Maybe I fit try interact with this world small.

Omo, the urge just dey hook me like fish for line. I look left, look right, as if wall go talk. I say, make I just try small.

But as I dey look the virtual world, my finger just dey itch—make I try small, who go catch me?

My advisor and senior brothers dey act like say dem too dey fear. How person wan learn if na only observe?

Na so I reason. After all, na just program-simulated world. I fit backup, reload if wahala burst. No big deal.

Na Naija pikin dey reason like this—short cut na our second name.

Like say nothing happen.

If yawa gas, e go be like when NEPA take light, we just on gen and continue. Who dey fear?

With that mind, I quietly stand up again, waka go the system, connect my laptop, run backup, then open real-time simulation. I just pick one virtual person—Ifedayo—lock on to him code, use am connect to Ifedayo’s phone, then send message:

"Hello, I be all-knowing, all-powerful god. You get anything wey you wan ask?"

The way I type am, e resemble all those WhatsApp broadcast old people dey forward. I even laugh for mind—who go believe this kain yarn?

That moment, I really feel like god, dey whisper secret of the world to ordinary person. The feeling of power sweet die.

My chest dey swell, like king for dream. Nobody dey there to hail me, but my mind dey dance agbada.

After I send the message, I pull chair, cross leg, siddon for simulation screen front.

I rub my hands together, dey wait for show. For my mind, I dey expect thunder—maybe Ifedayo go faint or jump.

I wan see wetin go happen for the virtual world because of my message.