Ricky began to describe the era that accompanied the launch of the Athanasia. The human leaders of that time had decided to move the entire population into hibernating sleeping pods.
These pods were infused with VR neural-link technology, allowing billions of people to live out their lives inside the game while their physical bodies were preserved in high-tech bunkers, shielded from the dying Earth.
However, to sustain such a massive operation, they required a stable, self-replenishing energy source. On top of the game itself, they had fleets of machines and AIs still operating on the surface of Earth.
They were tasked with clearing the atmosphere, processing the toxic oceans, and slowly repairing the wounded planet. Those machines also required a gargantuan power supply. The answer finally came during the initial stress tests of Athanasia.
"Mental Processing Power was the answer," Ricky said, his voice lowering as if revealing a state secret.
