One bright morning in Jakarta, Joshua arrived at his laboratory at the "Universal Anomaly Foundation." His desk was cluttered with files, state-of-the-art computer equipment, and several mysterious artifacts. He sat in front of the screen, staring at a file titled: First Anomaly UAF.
This file was "UA (Universal Anomaly) 001: Swan Jin" — a rare, mysterious and extraordinary cosmic anomaly.
Turning on the dim laboratory lights, Joshua began entering data into the file format:
Codename: UA 001
Name: Swan Jin
Class: Cosmic Anomaly
Anomaly Rank: A-Tier
Level: 5 (Mysterious, non-linear scale)
Age: Immortal (seems to not age)
Ability: Flight in space-time; feathers emit light like galaxies
Passive: Cosmic rays; Affects local gravity (always active)
Defense: Cosmic energy shield
From countries: — (suddenly appeared in the 5th century AD)
Type: Animals (Cosmic Swan)
Gender: Unknown (appears asymmetrical, uncertain)
Note: Mysterious, galaxy-like feathers that can open windows to intergalactic space.
Joshua stared at the holographic screen before him, reviewing the data he had collected. He had analyzed the cosmic energy graph, the structure of the Swan Jinn's feathers, and the space-time resonance patterns recorded over the past few months. However, one nagging question remained unanswered: why was UA 001—Swan Jinn—classified as Tier A?
Tier A is no ordinary level. In the Universal Anomaly Foundation, Tier A is reserved for beings or phenomena whose existence is at an unimaginable level—beyond the understanding of conventional mathematics, even advanced mathematical theories. They are anomalies that should not be able to interact with the three-dimensional world. Yet Swan Jinn... is still on Earth.
"It doesn't make sense…" Joshua muttered, rubbing his temples. "If it's really Tier A, we shouldn't be able to see it, detect it with any equipment, and it shouldn't even be recorded in this dimension. But… it's here. It's on Earth…"
The laboratory door opened automatically, and footsteps could be heard entering the room. A man in a white coat, with thin glasses and a data pad in his hand, stepped in.
"Still worried about Swan Jin, Joshua?" the voice was calm, but with a hint of amusement.
Joshua turned, slightly annoyed and relieved.
"Ah, Kevin… you're right on time. Explain to me. What exactly made the seniors place it in Tier A? All my data shows it's indeed an extraordinary anomaly, but not enough to qualify for that level!"
Kevin placed the data pad on the table and turned on the hologram projector in the center of the room. A 3D model of UA 001 appeared—a cosmic swan with feathers glowing like a cluster of galaxies.
"The latest hypothesis from the seniors," Kevin began, "states that UA 001's existence isn't actually three-dimensional. What we see here on Earth is merely a compressed projection—a tiny fragment of its existence forced to shrink to fit within our space."
Joshua frowned. "Forced to shrink? You mean… a kind of dimensional compression?"
"Exactly," Kevin nodded. "Imagine a being with the extent of existence equivalent to an infinitely large multidimensional entity. If that existence were compressed into our 3D space, all that would be visible would be a tiny fragment of it. But its true extent… would likely remain the same. It's like trying to fit the ocean into a small bottle—only a tiny bit is visible, but the ocean is still the ocean."
Joshua paused, digesting the analogy. If that were true, then all the data he had analyzed so far was just a superficial glimpse. The detected energies, the feather resonances, even the observed cosmic patterns were merely shadows of something much larger.
"So…" Joshua's voice trailed off, "even though Swan Jin looks like a cosmic swan a few meters across… it might actually span entire layers of reality beyond our imagination."
Kevin smiled faintly.
"That's why the seniors classified it as Tier A. They suspect UA 001 isn't truly infinite. Its existence might transcend the boundaries of space, time, and even mathematical logic itself. We're just lucky that this compressed form hasn't caused the destruction of our dimension."
Joshua stared at the slowly rotating hologram of Swan Jin. For the first time, he felt a pang of trepidation. If Kevin's words were true, then their research so far had merely been observing the shadow of something unreachable.
"But…" Joshua tried to find a loophole. "If its existence is still that large, shouldn't we be able to detect other anomalies? Gravitational fields, dimensional distortions, or even larger temporal anomalies?"
"It's already happening, Joshua," Kevin replied, tapping his data pad. Additional data appeared on the screen. "Local gravitational disturbances in several
Oceanic spots, energy wave patterns that defy physical theory, even the cosmic aurora phenomenon in several parts of the world. All of these correlate with the movement of UA 001. However, because its existence is suppressed, these effects are not strong enough to destroy Earth's stability."
Joshua took a deep breath, staring at the data, which now felt terrifying. He had always thought UA 001 was just a beautiful cosmic anomaly to be studied. But now, he realized that the creature might be an infinite entity simply restraining itself to keep Earth safe.
"Then…" Joshua looked at Kevin, his eyes filled with curiosity and fear, "what would happen if that existential suppression were removed?"
Kevin paused for a moment, then said solemnly, "If that happened… this three-dimensional world would probably collapse. Earth, the solar system, perhaps even our galaxy… would disappear simply because its original existence reclaimed its space."
Silence enveloped the laboratory. Only the sound of machinery and the hum of electricity could be heard. Joshua stared at the screen, trying to imagine the possibilities, and for the first time, he felt small—very small—in the presence of something whose existence even mathematics couldn't define.
But beneath that fear, Joshua also felt an overwhelming scientific excitement. If he could understand, even a tiny part, of UA 001… perhaps humanity could open the door to knowledge previously thought impossible.
A few hours after that conversation, Joshua returned to his desk, trying to organize his thoughts. As he sifted through a stack of files looking for old notes, his gaze fell on a thin black folder with faint writing:
"Three Cardinal Theory – Hypothesis of the Dimensions of the Universe"
Joshua frowned. He had never seen this file before. His trembling hands opened the first page, revealing a strange diagram: three overlapping circles, labeled Mahlo, Extendible, and Reinhardt. Beneath them was written:
"The universe we call three-dimensional is not pure Euclidean space, but a layer of existence governed by three great cardinals." The top is not just empty space—it is the ontological manifestation of the Reinhardt cardinal."
Joshua was stunned. Reinhardt cardinal? He knew the name: an extreme concept in set theory, a large cardinal that breaks the limits of ZFC, bringing infinite consistency power. But what did it mean ontologically?
He read the following note:
Upper Layer (Reinhardt Layer):
Mathematically, this layer can be modeled as an infinite space with an embedding function j:V→V that is not derivable by standard axioms. This space allows the existence of objects that "map onto themselves" without losing their identity, creating an infinite cycle of existence.
Reinhardt Layer Ontology:
Everything that "exists" in the upper layer is not subject to the linearity of time. Existence there is not tied to causality. Objects can both exist and "not yet exist," making this layer a reservoir of possible realities.
Joshua swallowed hard. If this upper layer truly existed, then what they called the "three-dimensional universe" was merely a projection of something larger—something that continued to influence the world invisibly.
In his head, Joshua began connecting the dots: The strangeness of UA 001, the cosmic resonance patterns, even the gravitational distortions they observed, all likely stemmed from that Reinhardt layer. If Mahlo formed the structural foundation and the Extendible connected the spaces between layers, then Reinhardt was the pinnacle—the center of conscious existence.
"This is… crazy," he muttered. But there was a glint of excitement in his eyes.
Ontologically, the Reinhardt cardinal wasn't just a number or a mathematical concept. It was the language of existence itself—a layer of reality where anything was possible. If humans could grasp even a sliver of this layer, perhaps the boundaries of dimensions, time, and even death would be mere illusions.
Joshua closed the file slowly, his breath coming in short bursts. In his mind, a burning question burned:
Was UA 001 merely a "guide" to that Reinhardt layer?
"And if so… are humans ready to gaze upon the pinnacle of their own existence?"