Have you heard of mind control techniques? Memory altering devices? They are real, but most have some kind of flaw or the other. For instance, the ‘neuralyser’ in Men In Black is useless until the target looks into the flash of light. However, I have not only developed my own method of altering but also perfected it. It neither leaves gaps in your memories as the other methods do nor any glitches like in The Matrix. Do you want to know how I tested it? But, of course, how would you understand — you were the test subject! Everything you know, have ever thought or felt, your memories — absolutely everything — has been planted in your brain (or modified in some way) by my invention. It uses the most advanced, state-of-the-art technology to weave such an intricate and interconnected web, without implicating itself in any way, unlike in the Eternal Sunshine in the Spotless Mind. There are, however, only two inconveniences.
First, a single individual cannot be targeted. It alters the memory pool of the entire world. It manipulates something similar to the Fluctlight mentioned in Sword Art Online: Alicization, and they came really close to the truth! Basically, the memories of one person are inseparably linked with everyone else’s. Thus, changing only an individual’s memories would leave room for liabilities such as that individual running into people sharing those memories. Second, it can be used only once, and the algorithm has to be reprogrammed every single time. As you can imagine, this would take a mind-boggling amount of computational power to figure out these memory connections and even more power to modify those links. You’ll require the world’s biggest servers! You need a close inside contact — say, someone who works with a “certain big social media company”. Even if you’re not on social media, someone you know is — and that’s enough. It is that powerful. The most beautiful part, as I mentioned earlier, is that the program essentially erases its presence completely. The insider is necessary so that you can program the system to blend back to the original social media system after it has done its job — and that’s why it needs to be reprogrammed every time; it is one-time use.
Do you think I’m lying? What do you think social media outages and maintenance issues are? Major power cuts? Yeah, and sorry for that. You might say something like, “You wouldn’t be able to answer a question about my life. Then, how could you have planted that memory or altered it?” It is not me actually doing anything. See? Even I’m not implicated. The complicated algorithm does all the work. I know how it works, but I’m not going to go through the networked details of everyone on the planet. Now, that’s impossible for a human to do. That’s why computation is the future. So, enjoy “your” life!
How I thought about this: driving through the traffic on my way home. It is amazing how wonderful the ideas that pop into your head when you're trying to de-focus are. Why was I de-focusing? That’s because focusing on the traffic you’re stuck in is probably the worst thing to do if you’re stuck in traffic.
DISCLAIMER: The above narration is purely fictional in nature. It has been entirely made up by an individual who has little to do with computer science. Like, seriously, do you really think one individual, even with powerful computers, could do something this extreme? So, rest easy. You are the way you are.
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Or are you?
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