The Multiverse

Miller's knees went weak. What about his parents? His younger brother? His friends? His career? He felt nauseous and sat on cold, hard floor.

"You must choose your new life, Adam Miller. View this not as a sentence of death but as an opportunity for new life. It is the gateway to fulfillment."

Miller felt ill. The pain in his head was worse than any migraine he'd ever experienced. He lay down on the floor and curled up in a ball.

Miller opened one eye and then the other. Once again, it was utter darkness. As his eyes opened, the light again to gradually fill the room. He felt better. In fact, he felt much better. He stood and looked around. As he turned toward the glass pane, the room began to illuminate as it had—yesterday? Last week? Last month?

"How long was I asleep?" he asked the image of the old man.

"Ten of your hours, Adam Miller. During that time, you were—prepared."

"Prepared? Prepared for what?"

"For transmutation. You no longer experience hunger, thirst, or pain as long as you remain in the Portal. You will not need to sleep again for as long as you are here. How long you are here is a matter of the amount of time it will take to select your ideal universe."

Miller was amazed at how he felt. He felt...strong. Healthy. Energized. Whatever had happened to him, he felt better than he could ever remember.

"How do I go about selecting my new...home?" he asked.

"You must identify all things you wish to have in your chosen universe that are not available to you here."

"Okay, but since there are an infinite number of universes, that implies I can choose all of the things about this universe that I like and they'll still be there. Is that true?"

"Yes. Every variation exists, Adam Miller. All things are possible. Only your ability to imagine them will limit you. Examine your past life carefully. Retain those things most valuable to you. Then imagine your new life with anything and everything you want to have. I will then input your selected criteria and then transmute you to your chosen new world."

The first thing Miller thought of was the law of unintended consequences. If he asked to be wealthy, he could be sent somewhere where wealth is a capitol offense. If he asked to be taller, he might end up in a world where that's not a positive trait. He would have to think through all of these possible repercussions before deciding.

Since there was no measurement of time inside the Portal, Miller had no idea how long he was there. Methuselah showed him how to use what was, at least in his limited understanding, a computer which could record all of this desires while also helping him keep track of those things he didn't want.

At some point, Miller declared himself ready. He had checked, rechecked and then checked again over and over and over all of the parameters he'd input. He laughed out loud when he learned that all he need do was hit the "enter" key when he was fully satisfied.

As he did, the image of Methuselah reappeared saying, "Adam Miller. Your destination has been determined. You may go where you will, but I must inform you that in this world you will be mentally perceived as 37 years of age."

"I understand. I'm 32 years old on this earth but I will be perceived to be 37 there. I am willing to accept that as part of my new reality."

"Very well. Enter the Transmutation Chamber, turn around, and remain perfectly still. When you arrive, you will be in an identical Chamber in your new world. You must place your right hand on the wall where you entered then repeat the chant bearing my name just as you did to gain entrance. I wish you...happiness and the fulfillment of all of your desires, Adam Miller.

Miller entered the Chamber, turned around, and stood completely still. He heard a piercing noise, felt his body tremble, and then...nothing. The Chamber opened and Miller stepped out. His senses told him he was still in the same place even though his brain understood he was not. Absolutely everything was identical. He willed himself to walk to the door where he placed his hand as he had on the outside and repeated the Chant of Methuselah.

A bright light flashed and Miller found himself standing outside. But he wasn't outside of the wall under the Pyramid. He was...exiting a limousine in front of the headquarters building of NanoSoft Technologies, the largest and most profitable company on Earth Prime.

"Mr. Miller! Mr. Miller! Are the rumors true? Have you secretly sold the company? If so, does that mean you'll be bidding this year? People are saying you've sold in order to spend time with your new wife. Can you confirm those rumors? Can you tell us who she is?"

Miller stopped at the top of the steps, turned and said, "To answer your questions, yes, I have sold NanoSoft and yes, I will be bidding for a wife this year. After the death of my beloved Marissa three years ago, I've decided to purchase a replacement. Thank you all!"

Miller waved and entered the building as reporters continued to shout questions at him. On the elevator ride to the top floor where he worked, he reflected on the final offer for his business. He would be paid $25 billion in cash along with half that amount in stock options in what would be his former company. His net worth wouldn't change because this was simply transferring assets from one form—the company—into another—cash and stocks. He would remain in the top five wealthiest men on Earth Prime but now be out from under the enormous pressure of running the most successful software company in history.

Miller signed off on a number of final documents then left the office for the last time to head home where another, more pressing concern and one of far greater interest to him personally awaited.

When he arrived in his 10,000 square foot penthouse, he headed directly to the media room where from which he would be able to bid in complete anonymity. The huge television screen was alive with activity as he entered the room. He was warmly greeted my his mother, father, and younger brother, Michael. All wished him well.

Miller took a seat. The Purchase was the most-awaited event in America Prime each year and was viewed by virtually every household in the country. Bidding, however, was possible only to those with a net worth of $100 million or more and who had paid the million-dollar entry fee.

Today was the much-anticipated Annual Selection for Adulthood Status or ASAS day. Colloquially, it was known as The Purchase. Every girl in the country dreamed about being selected but only 250 very talented and beautiful girls were chosen each year. All of them would be required to complete three months of rigorous training following selection. The first month would be identical for each of them while the final two months would be specially tailored to the exact specifications of their purchasers.

Miller was known on Earth Prime as kind, generous, and was well respected by all in his personal life. In business, however, he had a reputation as being ruthless, cutthroat, and vicious. His friends and most of the public loved him while his competitors feared him. Miller had the financial resources needed to ensure he could purchase the girl who was most suitable for him. He, like many other wealthy men, had paid handsomely to have each of the 250 selectees carefully screened and evaluated. This year, there were five girls whom he found completely acceptable and one whom he wanted most of all. On Earth Prime, Adam Miller was used to winning and he was determined to purchase the girl of his dreams no matter how high the bidding went.

Depending on who else might want her, the bidding could be enormously high. If he got lucky, he might be the only man of means willing to bid any amount to have her. But because she was such an ideal candidate, it seemed likely that at least one other purchaser would be willing to try and outbid him. Beauty was most definitely in the eye of the beholder and Miller was hoping against hope no one else would find her as beautiful as he did.

During the bidding, the public at large wouldn't know the name of the bidders, but the total amount of the bid could be a strong indication as to their identity. Everyone would be pulling for him to get the 18-year old girl of his dreams who would then be specially trained to be his perfect wife. 'Everyone' included his mom, dad, and brother who were in the media room waiting for him. They were his biggest fans and were dying to know which girl he wanted. Miller knew these weren't the same human beings he loved on Earth, but they were indeed his own family and each of them loved one another dearly.

In this world, being purchased was the highest honor society could bestow on an 18-year old girl and it collectively adored and respected the girls who were chosen. The ASAS served as a means for poor families to become fantastically wealthy overnight as the parents of the purchased girls would receive 25% of the purchase price which could range anywhere from several million to many hundreds of millions of dollars. For the girls, the prestige which came with selection was enormous. The were the darlings of society; they were the girls every girl aspired to become. Following training and graduation, they would be meet their purchaser for the first time and be given to him in a brief marriage ceremony. From that moment on, society conferred adult status on them five years ahead of their peers. They would go from legally being considered children in America Prime to adults with the right to vote, drink, or do anything any adult could legally do. Due to the intense interest of the ASAS to all of society, nearly all of the girls would be recognized in public by face alone, but each would be given a special diamond ring in the wedding ceremony by their husband-purchaser which identified them as full-fledged, purchased wives with adult status.

This immediate increase in social status was significant. On Earth Prime, physical development was identical to that on Earth. However, due to a change in key genetic markers, there was absolutely no mental development during the first five years of life. Therefore, the established legal age for most things was 23, the same age at which young people typically graduated from high school. During high school, children could drive a car at the age of 20 1/2 with a parent and at 21 by themselves. Miller fully understood why he might well be perceived as being five years older—or at least five years more mature on Earth Prime than he was on Earth.

The Purchase was as old as society itself and was the most-anticipated and most-celebrated holiday of the year. School was let out for the week and nearly every person in the country tuned in for the bidding. An annual event, ASAS was held on the Winter Solstice and was open only to those girls who had turned 18 after the last solstice and the day before this year's holiest of holidays. The competition was fierce and the initial selection process was brutal. Each state held its own primary ASAS. It was allocated a certain number of quotas based on its total population. However, it was possible for a state to exceed its quota if a girl was determined to be eligible for national review. This precluded someone from being excluded if she were truly beautiful and desirable in all areas but would be otherwise excluded due to population restraints.

From the moment of the beginning of the maturation process, parents began hoping for and preparing their daughters for the Purchase. Most were excluded early on due to the lack of physical beauty and others due to a lack of intelligence or some other disqualifying feature. Only the brightest, the most pleasant, the most charming, and the most beautiful had any chance of being selected and purchased. Still, every girl dreamed of being one of the Chosen 250 and there was no higher honor than being one of them.

All 250 of the men bidding had already watched a 20-minute video of each of the finalists and knew for whom they would bid. In many cases, it simply wasn't possible to get any of one's top ten choices. The bidding for the most sought-after girls would escalate quickly into the hundreds of millions of dollars. Therefore, one needed to prioritize and bid strategically.

All of the selectees were required to appear wearing five different outfits which were identical.. Each girl was also required to present herself nude so that her body could be thoroughly inspected before the bidding began. This allowed the bidders to compare apples to apples, as it were

Once their physical beauty was demonstrated, their intellect was showcased wherein each of the girls answered the same set of questions on a variety of topics. Finally, they were placed in various social settings so that bidders could gauge their levels of maturity and sophistication. Each girl knew that their performance could mean the difference in millions of dollars for their families which meant that they gave their best efforts at all times.

Armed with this information, the bidders were ready to go to war for the girl they would purchase and marry for a period of two years. If both parties agreed, and the bidder was willing to pay and additional fee, the marriage could be extended one time for an additional two years.

Surrounded by his family, closest friends, Adam Miller was ready to begin the bidding.

As each of the girls was presented for the first round of bidding, all viewers could see the amount bid which was shown on the screen. Also shown was a number assigned to each of the bidders. Miller was assigned #116 but no one outside this room would know the name associated with that number. He knew exactly which girl he wanted and he was ready to spend any amount of money to get her.

"So who is she, Adam?" his younger brother Michael asked him excitedly. "What's her name? What does she look like? What state is she from?"

"Be patient, Mikey. You'll know when you see her. She's absolutely beautiful."

"Yeah, but all of these girls are beautiful, Adam. How can you decide?"

Adam knew that beauty was subjective and he knew exactly what he liked. He wanted a wife who had long, silky dark hair with green eyes, high cheek bones, soft, full lips, perfect teeth, a pleasing voice, a very high level of intelligence, and a calm, demure demeanor. All of the girls were raised to be pleasant. Being disagreeable was an instant disqualifying feature. Only those who were happy, pleasant, charming, and stunningly attractive had any chance at being purchased. In that sense, Michael was right. ALL of the girls were beautiful. But one stood out above them all to Adam Miller.

Her name was Courtney Cunningham from Columbus, Ohio. She'd turned 18 in November and was in her seventh year of education at Columbus-15 Middle School. Her parents were very poor. Her father worked as a school custodian while her mother was unable to work due to serious health problems. The money from her purchase would allow her to receive the treatment they needed and to have everything they ever wanted. They were proud of their little girl beyond belief. And she was beautiful beyond belief.

Courtney was assigned #88. Miller hadn't said much as the first 87 girls were presented. When the 88th was introduced, Miller sat up straight in his chair and prepared to make his first bid.

"Ladies and gentlemen, #88 is Courtney Cunningham from Columbus, Ohio. Miss Cunningham is one of the top-rated girls in our selection this year. As such, we will begin the bidding at our highest minimum bid of fifty-million dollars. Gentlemen, the bidding is now open."

Courtney was sitting with her legs crossed smiling at the camera. Each selectee wore the same thing and all of them had their hair styled identically. They wore no makeup as each was presented as a fresh pallet to be painted by their purchaser. Miller noted the initial bid for Courtney was $100 million. Several girls had already been purchased for amounts between five and fifty million. She, along with nine others, was considered a "top-tier" candidate and therefore, able to attract this kind of bidding. Miller knew that very few bidders could compete beyond the $100 million mark so he doubled the initial offer. In just seconds, his bid was topped. The purchase price was now $250 million. Offers of $300 million, $350 million, and $400 million hit before he could bid again. Miller bid half a billion. There were no other bids for 15 seconds. Then he saw an offer of $750 million. Miller was furious. He bid one billion dollars. He was trumped by an offer of $1.5 billion. Miller bid $2 billion. When purchaser #181 bid $2.5 billion, Miller was livid. He raised the price to an unheard of FIVE BILLION DOLLARS! The countdown to the close of bidding was one minute. Still time for him to be outbid.

The emcee said, "Ladies and gentlemen, this is a new all-time high bid! We have an offer of $5 billion for this lovely young lady. We have one minute of bidding time remaining. Who'll raise the price?"

All eyes were on the clock and Miller's hand were on his keypad in case of a last-second bid. The clock wound down from 10, 9, 8...to 3, 2, 1. Time expired and the emcee congratulated bidder number 116.

He stood next to Courtney and said, "Young lady, how does it feel to know you are now most valuable selectee ever purchased in the history of the ASAS?"

Courtney remained calm and said, "I am honored to think that any gentleman would consider me worthy of such a considerable sum. I've been preparing for this all of my life and I must say that this the most thrilling moment I could ever imagine. I only hope that I will prove to be the perfect wife for my purchaser—whoever he may be."

The media room exploded in cheers as did the small gathering in the Cunningham house.

Later that day, 12.5% of the $5 billion would be transferred to their private account immediately and the 12.5% after the wedding ceremony. The rest would be divided among the federal government and the state from which she hailed.

Miller relaxed now that he'd purchased the girl of his dreams. He had just two other things to do. Submit his list of requirement for specialized training and wait.

Chapter 2

The Headmaster stood before the newest class of selectees and said, "Good morning, ladies! You have now been here for thirty days. Congratulations to each of you on having completed your initial training. Let's have a round of applause!"

The entire faculty, staff, and special assistants applauded loudly and cheered for the girls while each of the beautiful young ladies sat straight in their chairs permitting themselves to smile but show no external emotion. They had learned during this first month that composure and self control in such situations were essential. They had all spent a very intense last month learning to sit, speak, and behave as an adult. After all, in just 60 days, they would legally BE adults and treated as such in spite of being just eighteen years old!

While there was no higher honor than to be selected, there was no greater disgrace than for a Purchased Girl to behave like a child. The training was thorough and demanding and every girl took it very seriously. Should she fail, and that was a very rare thing, her parents would lose their advance and she would be returned home to live in shame. That's why only three girls in the last 20 years had failed to complete the entire three-month program.

Like each girl in the room, Courtney spent much of her free time wondering what specifics her future husband would choose for her. What would he want her to wear? How would he style her hair? Would he want her to be athletic to share a life in the outdoors? Would she wear beautiful gowns and appear at formal events with him?Would he permit her or even require her to drink alcohol? Would she be allowed to drive or would he insist she be chauffeured at all times? Would he be young and handsome or older and experienced? That, of course, didn't matter. All of the girls were trained to accept the love of their purchasers, to include their physical appearance, as it was offered. Still, if he were handsome...