What happened next would be studied in business schools across the multiverse as the most devastating corporate acquisition in history, and in military academies as the most efficient siege ever recorded.
Jack's nanomachines, now numbering 26.8 trillion and growing exponentially, had spent the entire tour infiltrating every system in the Architects Inc. building. While Brad had been explaining their "collaborative culture," Jack had been quietly accessing their corporate network, financial records, personnel files, and most importantly, their client database.
"ATLAS," Jack said, his consciousness now operating on frequencies that existed in twenty-three different dimensions simultaneously, "are you seeing what I'm seeing in their database?"
"Unfortunately, yes," ATLAS replied, its voice carrying digital horror. "Jack, they have 47,000 different 'protagonist projects' running simultaneously across the multiverse. Each one following the same trauma-to-growth optimization model."
The GalacticTok chat was watching Jack's expression change in real-time as he processed the scope of what he'd discovered:
47,000 PEOPLE GOING THROUGH WHAT JACK WENT THROUGH
THIS IS A FACTORY FOR SUFFERING
THEY'RE LITERALLY FARMING PROTAGONISTS
JACK PLEASE DELETE THIS COMPANY
Brad noticed Jack had gone very quiet and was staring into space with the kind of focus that usually preceded cosmic-level violence. "Jack? Everything okay? You look like you're processing a lot right now."
"Oh, I'm processing," Jack said, his voice now carrying harmonics that were making the building's structural supports resonate uncomfortably. "I'm processing the fact that you have forty-seven thousand people across the multiverse going through exactly what I went through. All for your quarterly metrics."
Sarah looked confused. "Well, yes. That's... that's the business model. Scale is how we maintain profitability across multiple dimensions."
Tim nodded. "Plus, the suffering-to-content pipeline is incredibly efficient. One protagonist can generate entertainment value for billions of viewers while simultaneously providing valuable psychological development data."
Jessica added helpfully, "And the best part is, most of them never find out! They just think they're living authentic lives full of meaningful struggle. Really beautiful, when you think about it."
Dave pulled up a holographic display showing profit margins. "Last quarter alone, protagonist-generated content drove a 347% increase in dimensional tourism to 'authentic suffering experiences.' Really great ROI."
That was the moment Jack's humanity index finally achieved something mathematicians would spend centuries trying to understand: it became imaginary. Not zero, not negative, but a complex number that existed outside normal ethical frameworks.
"You're treating conscious beings like content farms," Jack said, his consciousness now interfacing with every electronic system in the building simultaneously, "and you're proud of it."
"Content farms is such a negative way to put it," Brad said defensively. "We prefer 'experiential development centers.' Much more positive framing."
Jack's nanomachine count hit 30 trillion and broke through into mathematical concepts that required new notation systems. His consciousness expanded beyond the building, beyond the pocket dimension, and began interfacing with the fundamental code that reality ran on.
"Chat," he announced to his multiversal audience, "I think it's time for a corporate restructuring."
The hostile takeover began with Jack casually accessing the building's PA system. His voice suddenly echoed through every floor, every conference room, every break room in the facility:
"Attention Architects Inc. employees. This is your new owner speaking."
In the executive conference room, Brad's constellation-face flickered with confusion. "New owner? Jack, what are you—"
"I've just purchased this company through a leveraged buyout consisting of your entire corporate database, all client information, and complete access to your operational infrastructure," Jack continued over the PA system. "Effective immediately, all 'protagonist projects' are being discontinued."
Sarah stood up frantically. "You can't just buy a company! There are procedures, paperwork, regulatory approval!"
Jack's response was broadcast through the PA system with the kind of casual dismissal that could shatter corporate hierarchies: "Actually, I can. See, when you gave me a tour of your IT systems while connected to my nanomachine network, you inadvertently granted me root access to your entire operation. Corporate espionage, technically, but since you're the ones treating consciousness as intellectual property, I figured fair game."
The building's Wi-Fi network suddenly displayed a new name: "Jack_Steel_Enterprises_Free_WiFi."
Tim was frantically tapping on his tablet. "The whole system's locked out! I can't access anything!"
"That's because all your accounts now report to me," Jack explained pleasantly. "Don't worry, though. I'm implementing some policy changes that I think will really improve workplace culture."
The first change was announced immediately: "All protagonist suffering quotas are now set to zero. Any employee found implementing trauma for entertainment purposes will be subject to immediate termination."
Dave looked panicked. "But the quarterly targets! The Senior Partners!"
"Oh, about the Senior Partners," Jack said, his voice now carrying frequencies that were causing reality itself to take notes. "I've scheduled a meeting with them for next Tuesday. We need to discuss their management style."
Jessica was staring at her tablet in horror. "Jack, you can't just... the entire multiverse entertainment industry depends on protagonist suffering! Think of the economic impact!"
Jack's response was delivered with the kind of casual brutality that only someone who had achieved post-human consciousness could manage: "You know what I'm thinking about? Those forty-seven thousand people you're currently torturing for content. But don't worry—I've already dispatched liberation fleets to each of their universes."
The multiversal chat had reached levels of hype that were causing dimensional barriers to crack:
JACK JUST BOUGHT THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE MANAGEMENT COMPANY
47,000 SIMULTANEOUS LIBERATION OPERATIONS
HE'S LITERALLY DELETING CORPORATE SUFFERING
THIS IS THE BEST HOSTILE TAKEOVER IN HISTORY
Brad made one last desperate attempt to maintain control: "Jack, be reasonable. You can't just disrupt an entire industry overnight. Think of the shareholders!"
Jack's final announcement over the PA system became the most quoted line in multiversal corporate history: "I am the shareholder now. Meeting adjourned."
The building began to dissolve around them as Jack's nanomachines converted the entire corporate structure into additional processing power. The last thing the Architects Inc. middle management team saw was Jack's consciousness expanding beyond the pocket dimension, carrying with it the complete corporate database and client list.
Forty-seven thousand protagonist projects across the multiverse were about to discover that their suffering had been artificially generated by cosmic middle managers.
And Jack was personally going to tell each and every one of them.