The Harmonic Convergence was a new-age cultish phenomenon that came and went in 1987. It was supposedly a major event in the Mayan calendar that coincided with a planetary alignment. The convergence was strongest in certain “power centers” of which Mt. Shasta was the most potent. In reality it was just a bunch of drug-addled hippies convincing themselves they’d had a shared experience. It was a perfect scenario for Cloud Cuckoo Land. But there was one catch: The Harmonic Convergence could not be done at any old time. It began on August 16th, 1987 and only lasted two days.
Lacero typed the date into his Time Circuits. He gunned the hoverdrive until he hit 88mph and the usual flash happened with flaming tire tracks left behind him. But this time, something was different.
A moment ago, it had been winter. Now it was much greener, and a large crowd was visible at the base of the mountain. He’d “traveled in time”. He landed the DeLorean at the edge of the crowd and joined them.
At least 100 people, all in 1980’s apparel, sat in a circle and chanted. Had they been real people, he would have been disgusted by the ridiculous display. But these were just NPCs, controlled by the computer, and part of the scenario.
He sat among them and half-heartedly chanted as well.
After a few moments, clouds formed over the chanting circle and the wind picked up. The NPCs cheered as the Harmonic Convergence began. Then, words appeared in the sky and the booming voice of James Halliday read them throughout the heavens:
Lacero laughed. He’d figured out the meaning immediately. At last, he saw a way to make it all happen! Everything he wanted! It could be done!
“I have to say, you tested in the 99th percentile of all candidates,” said the interviewer.
“Thank you,” said Lacero.
“It was one of the shortest hiring discussions we’ve ever had. You scored extremely high on intelligence and determination. Also, your knowledge of Halliday is exemplary. We believe you could be a valuable addition to the IOI family in our Oology Division.”
Lacero nodded. “Sounds great.”
“We’d like to offer you a full-time job.” The interviewer waved his hand and a contract appeared in the air. It flew to Lacero and hovered in front of him. “We’d like an answer within 24 hours. Feel free to review the contract. But I can give you the basics: Free room and board at the real-world IOI headquarters in Columbus, Ohio. Medical, dental, two weeks of vacation per year, the usual stuff. And if you are the one who actually finds the Easter Egg, you’ll get a twenty-five million dollar bonus. Of course, should you find the Egg, all benefits from it become the property of IOI.”
“Understood,” said Lacero. He took a moment to look over the contract. There was a lot of legalese, but it was clear that IOI would get all the GSS stock if he found the Egg, and they would also control any special abilities his avatar got as a result.
It didn’t matter. They’d never get a chance. The Harmonic Convergence made that clear.
You seek solutions to the gates, but know you what reward awaits? It didn’t get much more blatant than that. The clue wasn’t about the Copper Key. It was about the prize itself.
Like Kirk, Scott, and Chekov, too, the genesis is all for you. The names mentioned were, obviously, all characters in Star Trek. While the TV show was from the 1960’s, four of the Star Trek movies came out in the 1980s. Right in Halliday’s wheelhouse.
Within the Star Trek universe, the “Genesis Device” was an invention that could create life on a lifeless world. It would also destroy any life that was there to begin with. So the winner of the Egg would have the power of life and death in OASIS. That was hardly notable. In fact, it was pretty much to be expected.
More important, though, was the mention of Kirk, Scott, and Chekov. It was a reference to a specific scene. In the two movies related to the Genesis Device, there was only one scene where those three characters, and only those three characters, did something together: When they entered the self-destruct codes for the Enterprise in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock.
So there it was. The winner of the Egg would have the power to destroy the entire OASIS. It was Lacero’s dream come true. If he won, he would activate the self-destruct immediately. That would be it. IOI could cry about it later, and they’d probably sue the pants off him. They might even try to kill him out of spite. But it they wouldn’t be able to bring OASIS back.
“I’m sure everything will be in order,” Lacero said, pressing his thumb to the contract to sign.
“Great!” said the interviewer. “Oh, and we’re going to need to know your real name, for legal purposes.”
“Sorrento,” he said. “Nolan Sorrento.”
The interviewer shook his hand. “Welcome aboard, Nolan. Your employee number is IOI-655321. I think you’ll fit right in.”