The following days, the programs returned in forces to the surface of the planet, to start the rectification.
For certain aspects, the inhabitants of that planet reminded Clu of the ISOs when they first manifested: primitive and naive. However, those humans were not as unpredictable: they showed a will to be guided, a potential for a controlled process of amelioration.
The first step was to give new bodies and names to the entire residing human population, which amounted to about 140 million, and to give an identity disc to every person. Programs gathered the primitive humans to recognizers and flew them to the Universal Rectifier Zero, where they were digitized. The resulting code was used to create better bodies for them: the old were rejuvenated, the weak were strengthened, the sick were brought back to perfect health. Each of them received a disc, which allowed access to their memories and easier code modification.
Every group of newcomers was then instructed on how to use their new, perfect bodies, to the top of their capabilities, which included combat training with and without the weapon primitives of the Grid.
To make even their minds closer to perfection, their superstition was erased from their brains and replaced with methods of rational thought. Reasoning on beliefs which directly contradicted observations was not permitted.
Finally, they were trained according to their assigned purpose, with intimate knowledge of the technologies of the Grid: by knowing exactly how their underlying code worked, each of them would be capable to maintain that code and make backup copies of it.
Thanks to the nucleus accumbens implants that were a standard part of rectification since the conquest of the Earth, nobody experienced culture shock or exhibited nostalgia for their former condition: everyone was happy to do their part to create the perfect system.
For the next step, Clu knew that the universe-wide web called "the Eye of the Worlds" offered a completely new opportunity, that would allow him to expand the domain of the Grid faster than the speed of light. For this reason, he connected a computer and a digitizing laser to that planet's neural stem, and, like he had done once before at Encom, he wrote, compiled and released a worm. This time, the worm was meant to spread within the virtual environment of the Eye of the Worlds.
Every time it was run, it would first turn the virtual representation of the local neural stem into a portal: a one-way physical passage from the synthetic environment to the outer reality. Then it would check whether a copy of itself existed in the neighboring nodes; every time it did not find one, it would create it and run it. The process would spread by itself, growing exponentially, and, in time, changing every node of the universe-wide web.
At the same time, Clu had also given precise orders to the rectified inhabitants of the planet: first, they would have to physically transfer themselves to the Eye of the Worlds through the digitizing laser, then check whether the populations of the neighboring nodes had already been rectified, returning to the outer reality through the portals created by the worm. In case they were not, the orders were to rectify the local population, build a new digitizing laser and computer, connect them to the local neural stem and relay the same orders to the newly rectified people. This way, the rectification would also spread exponentially, faster than light. The new computers, besides allowing physical access to the virtual environment, would also keep the computational power of the universe-wide web constant, as less and less brains connected to it.
But that was not enough. There was one more experiment to attempt, which would potentially allow the programs to rectify the universe even faster. The Impossible Species transmitted ternary signals through the Eye of the Worlds, which allowed them to operate their element 115 reactors with the precision required to physically cover arbitrary distances at near-infinite speed. The Universal Rectifier Zero had contained an experimental element 115 reactor since the encounter with the Impossible Species, and now, with a link to the Eye of the Worlds, it was possible to operate it with the same precision, at least in theory.
The only thing left to do was to decide the destination for the first superluminal voyage.
"We could reach another Universal Rectifier and tell them about our discoveries directly" proposed Rinzler.
"No" replied Clu. "If the experiment fails, our ship might explode and damage a nearby ship too. An isolated destination is better, and I know just the right place: Sagittarius A*, the center of the galaxy."
"What is at the center of the galaxy?" Rinzler asked.
"That's the point" was the answer. "Nobody knows. Gravimetric scans indicate the presence of a supermassive object, completely hidden behind a barrier of interstellar dust. We will be the first beings of the rectified universe to see what it is."
Clu turned toward his console again, tapped an icon and entered a number of parameters. "I will now set up a connection with the universe-wide web." he said. "If it works, the gravity amplifiers will turn on."
Immediately, three bright blue beams, parallel to each other, were shot forward from the front of the spaceship.
Clu shifted a slider control. "Focussing emission. 1172 exaunits." The three beams moved almost imperceptibly, targetting an unseen object about 26000 light years away.
"Increasing power" Clu said, and the beams started revolving around a common center, faster and faster.
"Reaching maximum power... now." said Clu. Immediately, the fabric of space distorted into a deep rift. Clu activated the engines and flew the ship right into the space fissure, which closed as soon as the ship had passed completely through.
The Universal Rectifier Zero was now in another environment, completely surrounded by brightly lit interstellar dust. Ten light years in front of the spacecraft was a supermassive black hole which visibly distorted space. Around its equator was a glowing, whirling accretion disc, at least a light year in diameter, formed by countless billions of tons of matter falling toward the singularity. Its poles were emitting a pair of blazing relativistic jets, made out of plasma collimated by the local magnetic field and thrown into opposite directions for thousands of light years.
Around it were at least a dozen smaller black holes, each of them orbiting the main one in a different direction. In turn, hundreds of stars orbited the group of black holes, surrounding them like a swarm.
"Distance covered: 1172 exaunits. Elapsed time: 633 nanocycles. Experiment successful." Clu said. Not even two seconds later, an explosion shook the ship.
"Rinzler, damage report!" he immediately shouted.
"The right multiplexer was hit by an aggregate of neutron-degenerate matter" was the answer.
"Source?"
Rinzler modified a setting on his console and an angular, spiky shape appeared on the 3D screen. Its symmetry was radial, with nothing to define a front and a back, or a left and a right side.
"An unidentified object" he said. "Transparent to visible light, but opaque to infrared."
"Lock all weapons on..." Clu started, but Rinzler interrupted him. "We are receiving a transmission. Audio only." he said.
"Put it through." Clu ordered.
A voice, clearly synthetic but capable to express emotions, started yelling through the speakers. "Your disguise did not fool us, the gravitational signature of your engines was unmistakable!" it said. "We have prepared for this moment for thousands of cycles! If you ever try to abduct us again, we will kill you!"
Something was wrong. Accounting for relativistic effects, the Universal Rectifier Zero had not been travelling for "thousands of cycles", but for fifty at most. And the mention of abductions did not make sense, unless...
"I think they mistook us for the Impossible Species" said Clu. "Rinzler, select the spacecraft as packet receiver, but do not connect immediately: I want to perform a test first."
Clu remembered their encounter with the Impossible Species, and how the systems of the Universal Rectifier Zero had ceased to respond when the reactor on the flying saucer was active. He activated the on-board reactor again, setting it up to emit the same kind of space distortion.
"They are not going anywhere" he said. "Connect now."
"Connection established" replied Rinzler.
Clu stood up from his chair.
"We have reason to presume that you believe us to be a species that uses superluminal technology to abduct and dissect other species. We can prove that we are not. However, if we are wrong and you did attack us purposefully, your provocation will not go unpunished. Respond." he said.
A response came, but it was not what Clu expected. "No, you will be punished." said the voice from the speakers.
A second later, the object fired another neutron projectile, that hit the Universal Rectifier Zero.
"Damn it!" exclaimed Clu, maneuvering the ship to an attack position. "Rinzler, target and attack!"
A burst of mesh blasts hit the unidentified object, but instead of the expected explosions, they just punched holes through it. As if nothing had happened, the object moved to a new position and fired again.
"The space distortion has no effect!" Rinzler yelled over the new explosion.
The object accelerated away from the ship and Clu maneuvered to chase it, while Rinzler fired again. The shots reached the object... only for Clu to realize that they had been ambushed.
The Universal Rectifier Zero was now surrounded by twenty more similar objects, which opened fire simultaneously.
Clu attempted an evasive move, but the trajectory of the last shot caught him by surprise and hit the ship. Rinzler tried to retaliate, but those objects were maneuvering too fast. They fired more shots and the ship received multiple hits. A large part of the left side turned into voxels and lost cohesion, leaving a gaping hole.
The bridge had been hit too: part of the floor was now missing, and a hole exposed many of the decks below.
"Rinzler, transmit one more message" said Clu. "We... surrender."