Game of the Universe: Zenith

The next morning, Arthur woke up much later than usual. When he finally opened his eyes, sunlight was already streaming through the curtains. He reached for his phone to check the time.

9:07 AM.

He’d slept for nearly nine hours.

He shook his head and got up, heading straight for the bathroom.

After a quick shower, brushing his teeth and washing yesterday’s filth off his body, he put on a change of clean clothes and made his way downstairs.

When he stepped into the kitchen, Luke was already seated at the table, his back hunched, his favorite steaming mug cradled in his hands. A plate sat on the counter with two slices of golden-brown French toast and a cup of coffee, as if they’d been waiting for Arthur.

But Luke didn’t seem to have noticed his grandson this time.

No, his eyes were fully glued to the television mounted against the wall, the bluish light washing over his aged face.

Arthur grabbed the plate of food and followed his grandfather’s gaze. It wasn’t the local channel he was watching. The bold logo of the state network gleamed in the corner of the screen, followed by the anchorwoman’s face. Her expression was sober, but she couldn’t quite hide the flicker of elation in her eyes. A banner scrolled beneath her:

"Special Announcement from the Federal Government."

It seemed Arthur had arrived just in time.

He sat down beside his grandfather and reached for the French toast. The bread was still warm as he began to eat, while the anchorwoman’s voice carried across their kitchen.

"...in light of the recent events, the government has decided to step forward and provide greater support for its citizens. In cooperation with the Gwong war tribe, and with the goal of easing daily life during this unprecedented period, a new system will be implemented immediately. We will now share the government’s announcement from earlier this morning."

As the anchorwoman’s voice trailed off, the screen cut briefly to the seal of the state, before showing the face of a person Arthur recognized as the minister of finance.

The man looked solemn as he looked at the screen.

"As of today, our national currency will officially transition to elemental stones. This measure was deemed necessary to ensure the stability of our country. With the majority of our population now participating in the ’Game of the Universe’, our existing economic system can no longer function reliably and support its citizens. After extensive discussions and negotiations, the Gwong war tribe has formally agreed to this policy, as well. So, from this point onward, elemental stones will serve as both tribute and the basis of commerce in our daily lives."

Arthur’s toast froze halfway to his mouth. He felt his grandfather squirm slightly beside him, the chair creaking under Luke’s weight.

But the minister continued, his tone never wavering.

"To safeguard essential functions of our government and society, every public servant working a minimum of eight hours per day will be compensated with three thousand elemental stones per month, issued directly by the federal government. This ensures that schools, hospitals, emergency services, transportation systems, and local administrations all remain operational."

He paused for a moment before continuing,

"For those who aren’t public officials but serve vital roles in the economy, such as medical staff in private practice, power plant technicians, logistics personnel, and agricultural workers, the government will provide transitional support during the first couple of months of this policy. Specific details will be announced over the upcoming week."

Next to Arthur, Luke’s grip on his coffee mug loosened a bit, while the screen shifted back to the anchorwoman who was eagerly commenting on the government’s policy.

Arthur stayed silent, finishing his bread as he played the announcement over in his head.

Three thousand elemental stones a month wasn’t bad, and it was definitely a step toward getting the economy running again, even if it didn’t fix everything right away.

Sure, this still didn’t solve the issue of rent, utilities, and food, and those officials and public workers would still have to dive back into ’Zenith’ every day after their shift, but at least those three thousand stones were enough to guarantee their safety.

It wasn’t perfect, but it was good enough to put out the immediate fire and get the world running again.

Moments later, the anchorwoman’s voice came again.

"For those wondering how to use elemental stones for trade from now on, the process is actually very simple. Your personal bracelet is already configured for transfer. By placing your bracelet in contact with another person’s and focusing on the amount you wish to send, the system will handle the transaction automatically. This allows for secure, immediate exchanges without any need for physical currency."

On the screen, the camera cut to a short demonstration, showing two suited officials with their arms raised, touching each other’s arms while their bracelets glowed faintly as their numbers began to change.

Arthur leaned back in his chair. He didn’t need to hear more to understand where this was headed.

Still, he forced a smile to his face and turned to his grandfather.

"See, Grandpa? I told you things would get better."

Luke gave him a short nod, his face mixed with relief and uncertainty. The old man didn’t seem to see the cracks in the announcement and simply took things at face value.

To him, it was simple: the workers would have enough elemental stones to survive, and the world would carry on same as before.

But Arthur didn’t say anything.

The anchorwoman kept talking, her voice fading into the background as Arthur sank into his thoughts.

His mind drifted back to that post he’d seen on the forums the day before: someone offering a hundred dollars for every elemental stone people were willing to sell.

He found himself wondering whether that person had inside information on the government’s decision, or if it was just some disgustingly rich individual. Either way, it didn’t matter.

He shook his head and set the thought aside for now.

After all, there was an even bigger issue at hand.

Turning an established currency obsolete overnight wasn’t something people could deal with so easily.

Arthur knew that markets didn’t flip like a switch. Rent wouldn’t suddenly be priced in elemental stones without any issues. Landlords, grocers, factories... the entire structure of daily life was going to seize up before it began moving again.

Whatever came next, one fact remained: established money had just been erased, replaced in the blink of an eye, and people wouldn’t like it.

Curiously... Arthur took out his phone and swiped his thumb across the screen as he checked the forums again.