The End

 The damp smell, the trees humming with the breeze, the gray sky slowly blending with the setting night…

 For most, it was an evening like any other, a conclusion of routines ending in another dull day… But for one man, it was all but, as he raced against the wind, his heart violently pounding as the echoes of his pursuers grew ever so closer.

 From the corner of his eye and between the strands of his wild hair, Christopher Lloyd could even see Seattle's skyline flicker in the distance, a beacon of waning hope that shone brightly against the night's rainy and early embrace.

 The world, as vast as it was, seemed apathetic to his plight, the rustling leaves whispering tales of indifference and the looming trees standing stoic, as if observing his distress with dispassionate silence.

 Accompanying his labored breathing was also unending and worsening torment, as each of his strides sent pain lancing through his body, an insidious and cruel reminder of his inevitable doom.

 He had lost everything: his career, colleagues, friends, family… And for what?!

 After all, the entire fabric of his life had been mercilessly ripped apart by his unmatched hubris, a facet of his that had been ceaselessly stoked by his exceptional intellect and talent. Only he, in modern history, had been able to manipulate the U.S. military-industrial complex… Or so he had thought.

 As he struggled to keep moving, memories of a far simpler past then began to occupy his thoughts, as if trying to distract him from his imminent downfall.

 His story had been but a simple one, as his welcome into the world came with the warmth of a loving and caring American family on top of an otherworldly mind. In fact, it wasn't long before his parents noticed his exceptional intelligence, particularly his innate ability to decipher the intricate workings of complex devices. Said talent even led him to the formidable feat of assembling a tiny, mechanical robot at the tender age of 2.

 As he grew up and his curiosity began to expand, they did everything in their power to afford him the best education, knowing he possessed a very rare gift that had to be nurtured. But alas, not everything always went according to plan… In their case, properly navigating the complex world of elite schools proved too daunting and expensive, leaving them with no choice but to place their prodigious son in the public-school system.

 At the time, it was a setback that simply seemed insurmountable, with their only hope being that he'd soar above the masses. Luckily, his brilliance didn't go unnoticed, and he soon found himself transferring to an exclusive educational institute where his potential was finally given flight.

 As the years went by and his achievements mounted, his now insatiable curiosity and thirst for knowledge led to his early graduation at 14 from the legendary MIT, earning him the unique moniker of "Looney Lloyd". Of course, his extraordinary feats inevitably attracted the hawkish gaze of the U.S. military, aerospace titans such as Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and Northrop Grumman, and even foreign powers.

 But as with everything else, the U.S. weren't to be outdone. Upon realizing that they faced stiff competition from rival nations and the private sector, the Department of Defense decided to extend the teenage prodigy a secret contract he couldn't refuse: a promise of complete freedom, a salary making him one of the wealthiest men on Earth, and an unlimited budget to pursue whatever he fancied, a luxury that no private enterprise could ever afford. Their offer had been simply too good to refuse, and thus began a life towards the endless pursuit of innovations and discoveries.

 By his sixteenth birthday, he had already revolutionized major fields of rocketry, firearm engineering and energy transportation. Simply put, not a single science or engineering major seemed out of his ever-growing reach. His meteoric rise also earned him a dual mantle of admiration and envy amongst his peers, with his name quickly becoming an emblem of genius and innovation. Some even ventured to say that his brilliance was the sole reason why the United States were now leading in the emerging tech sector.

 But despite all of this, Christopher was still driven by an insatiable hunger for more. He longed for a discovery, a milestone that would immortalize his name alongside the pantheon of Humanity's greatest minds.

 His relentlessness was what eventually guided him to his crowning achievement at the age of 24: miniaturized nuclear fusion. This was it, the holy grail of his career.

 He had finally managed to harvest the power of a star!

 Of course, the sheer magnitude of his breakthrough was not lost on him, as he knew all too well that he had just unlocked Pandora's box to boundless energy, a discovery potent enough to reshape the world and catapult Humanity into an unprecedented era of prosperity.

 But with this realization came a heavy sense of responsibility.

 It was no secret that his ambitions had always been grand, and so when the military urged him to keep this tech hidden, he defied them with unflinching resolve. As bright and as 'selfish' as he had been, he had still always believed in a world free of intellectual boundaries, paired with a global community where knowledge flowed between scholars and researchers. But evidently, the establishment saw things differently. They viewed his work as a priceless asset, a tool to wield in the endless struggle for world dominance.

 And so, when he finally decided to publicly unveil his groundbreaking discovery, they immediately and ruthlessly acted in order to protect the program. From their perspective, the young genius had become a liability, a frayed end that now threatened trillions of dollars. This led to the systematic elimination of his team that, after years of shared struggle and triumph, had become like family. But despite their best efforts, getting rid of them secretly proved impossible…

 When everything came to light, their betrayal rocked Lloyd to his very core, making him finally realize how naive and insignificant he now was in the grand scheme of things. However, he still had one card left to play, as he knew why they hadn't targeted him yet: his research wasn't completely secured.

 Whilst enraged and desperate, he hurriedly returned to his personal lab where he destroyed key components of working prototypes and his thesis, thus setting back the project by decades, if not centuries. He knew that the chain of command wouldn't take this act of defiance lightly, but he was far past caring. All he could do next was flee and brace himself for the repercussions that were sure to come.

 And so here he was, on the run and hunted like prey through the sprawling forests surrounding Seattle, pursued by those he had once trusted. As he continuously sprinted through the vegetation, his mind became a whirlpool of regrets and contemplation. He pondered the relationships he had forsaken, the friendships he had allowed to wither, and the simple pleasures he had denied himself in his relentless quest for greatness. He simply found himself questioning the worth of it all.

 Would he have chosen a different path if given a second chance?

 But his philosophical musing was brutally interrupted by the crack of gunfire and a bullet whizzing past him, although not before furiously tearing through the flesh of his right shoulder. Following the initial shock and the grotesque scene of blood flying in its path, a wave of searing pain then engulfed his body, causing him to stumble and tumble to the damp forest floor, his vision subsequently blurring.

 Was it how it all ended?!

 But in an even crueler twist of fate, a familiar and raspy voice drifted to his ears, its presence sending unimaginable anger coursing through his veins.

"Was running really all you could do? I expected… better from someone so bright."

 The taunt made Christopher immediately look in its direction, only for his eyes to meet those of a man now hovering over him, a SIG Sauer P226 in hand and leveled at his head. It was in fact so close that he could see the moisture on the barrel, the small droplets of water merging together before aimlessly falling on what had become muddy ground. But despite this alarming sight, the young man didn't waver.

 This was, after all, what he had anticipated.

 Whilst fueled by renewed fury and adrenaline repressing the pain from his gushing wound, he began to slyly smirk. The signal was clear: he wouldn't give his counterpart any satisfaction during his last moments.

"Well, General, when you have nothing left, there's really nothing to plan for, is there?"

 The towering man clicked his tongue, annoyed and angered.

"I just don't understand… You were this millennium's genius, the one who was supposed to bring us closer to conquering our world and the stars. But you just had to let your ambition… No, your ego, get in the way of that. You could have even lived a life of unparalleled luxury! But I guess you never really were interested in such things… What a waste."

 During this tirade, Lloyd's gaze held firm, locked with that of his former mentor's. He was painfully aware of the role he had played in this situation, but instead of feeling pitiful, he accepted the impending consequences with a strange sense of resignation and peace. This was how he'd atone for his mistakes, his way of earning the forgiveness of those who had so far paid in his stead.

 As the General prepared to pull the trigger, he closed his eyes and took one final moment to reflect on his life, his achievements and his choices.

"All this talent and genius… Gone. Shameful."

 And with that, the hammer fell, the gun roared, and Christopher's world faded into absolute darkness…

⁂

[System… Initiated.]

[Evaluation… Completed.]

[Recovery of memories and abilities… Achieved.]

[Reboot sequence… Initiated.]

[…]

[Reboot sequence... Successful.]

[Welcome to Arcadia, <Christopher Lloyd>!]