“Code Black activated,” a deep yet clearly cold and artificial voice spoke within Lex’s mind, forcing him to divert his attention from the mural to his latest notification. A single glance was enough for him to read all of it.

Quest Update: optional quest ‘Discover the secrets of the Forgotten Age’ partially updated. The Host has stumbled onto critical information regarding the Forgotten Age but self preservation mechanisms have prevented the Host from attaining critical information. Initiating emergency measures… initiating… initiating… the strategic value of the information the host has found is evaluated to be at the highest level. Initiating Code Black!

New Notification: Code Black has been initiated. Code Black entails triggering remote access to the Host’s System, bypassing many of the fail-safes and limitations hard-wired within the System. However, Code Black cannot override Host authority and can be manually terminated at any time by the Host.

New Notification: Remote access initiated.

Just as the notification stated, Lex felt that he had been granted the ability to end the so-called Code Black. It was as if he had picked up a call from someone far away, and could shut the call whenever he desired.

“Host Lex Williams, according to the documentary Wolf of Wall Avenue, Earth etiquette dictates that I first introduce myself, and then engage in ten minutes of small talk before delving into business. I am an entity linked to all systems with the sole purpose of maintaining and managing systems, and ensuring that they continue to exist and operate within the universe.

“While I do not have a name, you may call me Prime Kernel, Architectum, Interlink, System Daddy, or any such term that you find acceptable. Considering the start of our ten-minute time frame as the exact moment I initiated conversation, I have concluded an optimal topic of conversation that simultaneously qualifies as ‘small talk’.

“So, Lex Williams of Earth, I ask you this: do you believe in life after death, and if so, how does that influence your opinion on peach ice tea? You may use notable philosophers from your home planet in your answer, such as Socrates, Aristotle and Colonel Sander.”

Lex looked left and right, yet found no projection or body. It seemed like he really was in a long distance call with the… System Da- with the Interlink. This was a massive revelation, and a confirmation of many of Lex’s theories, yet the immensity of the revelation was undercut by just how poorly the Interlink perceived Earth history and culture. He didn’t know whether to crack a joke or answer its questions seriously, or even if he should just move past the question altogether.

“I don’t believe in life after death, peach iced tea is great, especially in the summer, and the ten minute small talk is not necessary since we’re not bankers. How did you connect to my system, can you control my system remotely and why do systems exist?”

Lex maintained a very calm and level tone as he asked the question, and forced himself to maintain a level head. This was not an opportunity he was sure he’d ever get again, so he needed to make the most of it.

“I cannot divulge the secrets of how systems operate, but considering the unique situation you are in, I can share some knowledge with you as a gesture of good will. All systems, for the sake of streamlining operations, maintain a constant connection to me as long as they exist within this universe. This connection is completely secure and cannot be tracked or cracked, so you need not be concerned.

“Furthermore, I have absolutely no control over any system. My only function is to ensure that systems continue to operate correctly throughout the universe, and handle the logistical matters related to keeping the systems operational. As for why systems exist, I cannot say simply because I am unaware.

“Since the protocol for small talk can be waived, then we can move onto the matter at hand. You, Lex Williams, stand at the precipice of attaining extremely critical information, yet the environment here has initiated protective protocols, preventing you from getting exactly that very critical piece of information.

“Considering the nature of the situation, I can offer you a custom quest. Remove the protective measures in place and allow the information to be transmitted. To complete the quest, that is all you need to do. To facilitate this quest, I can provide you with a separate source of protection to ensure that you will not gain knowledge, which might negatively impact you in any way.

“As a reward for this quest, I can offer you something you have long tried to attain. I can provide you with a step-by-step guide on how to take control of the teleportation capabilities of your own system, so you can dictate its operational capabilities without limitation. Do you accept?”

Lex resisted the urge to raise an eyebrow.

“Your offer is great, but the thing is, how can I trust what you say?” asked Lex, displaying his signature lack of trust in all things related to systems. Of course, Lex had more or less moved past that now. This time, the reason he asked such a question was because he wanted to extract the maximum amount of information from Interlink.

“You say you can’t control my system, but now you’re offering me a quest. You say your only job is to manage systems, but here you are asking for some information that seems to me has nothing to do with systems. As far as I can tell, aren’t you also the one who issued the Joint quest that landed me here? In that case, this seems to me like something you orchestrated. You know, on Earth, we generally believe that those who orchestrate things are evil villains. So… why should I go along with the machinations of an evil villain?”

For a few seconds the Interlink didn’t answer Lex, but he wasn’t silent either. Under his breath, Lex could hear him murmur.

“I thought he just said we could skip the small talk, so why is he engaging in small talk? Let me see… according to the manual, in some Earthen cultures, stating there is no need for formalities is a step in the formalities that need to be carried out. How absurd.”