Okay, but...

"Okay, but... I want to know why."

"Fair enough." The Overlord paced... in jeans, tennis shoes, and a t-shirt proclaiming that he'd conquered the world, and all he got was that lousy t-shirt. Quite a change from the Ming the Merciless attire from our last meeting. "I want an honest history to survive me. I'm not going to be remembered by future generations as the man that ended war, made colonization of space possible, and crushed corruption in government. I'm the guy that, with god-like powers, conquered the world and told everyone to do things my way."

"Yes, but... why do you want to be remembered that way?"

The Overlord... rolled his eyes. "Look, religious wars have started over the memory of less impressive feats than mine. I don't walk on water, I hover and fly. I don't grand my soldiers the strength to win a battle they've trained for... I give them training and close air support with beams of death. Lightning bolts from above. I... want to avoid being a religious figure after I'm gone."

"You're concerned that your legacy might be... worshipped?" I arched a brow. "A conquerer with low self-esteem?"

A chuckle from the man. "Not exactly. I just practise what I preach... and um, what have I got to compensate for? I can destroy anything. I can command anyone. I can create, slowly, some incredible things. With help."

"The space elevator."

"Yes. The modern world couldn't create the technology to build one without the economy of scale provided by a larger investment in space-based economics. Production, research, mining... but people weren't willing to invest in that sort of hope when it would only benefit a few. We needed it too badly to get to where we could learn to build one."

"So you just waved your hands and wished one up for us?"

"Oh, come on. You must have seen the footage. That was months of backbreaking labor by any standard."

"But that sort of effort isn't what you want to be remembered for?"

"Not really. I hated having to do it. I'm the only one in this world with these abilities. You cannot acquire them here, so far as I know. I want people to know that everything I've done, they can find ways to accomplish. Not easily. Never with ease... but... I had to leave the world better than I found it."

"So, even though you performed a miracle... you want to be remembered for the atrocities?"

"It'd be better. I came at the planet like old testament. I slaughtered those I considered without honor, and condoned further murder. I made mistakes, and I've done what I could to repair them with the time I have..."

"You keep coming back to time, and looking out the window. Is this a bad time?"

"Of course it is. Being in charge is always bad. But... I actually am running out of time. I can't guide this world forever."

"Aren't we all?"

"I don't have years. So, I've been trying to get things in place for my departure."

I blinked. "Sir?"

"Yes, I'm going to leave in the near future, that's why I'm trying to leave a good set of memoirs."

"Well... damn. Is it... cancer... or?"

"What? Oh, no. No. I'm not sick. I... it is complicated. I've done most of what I wanted to do here. And there's some friends I want to catch up with."

"Some friends... not on earth? Aliens?"

"Not exactly. Alternate reality. It's where I acquired my abilities."

I blinked. "You..." Thoughts spun rampant in my head. "You're going to tell the rest of your story?"

"Well, you already had the rest of it done. Fine work, really. Your thesis on my moral philosophy was spot-on. That's why you were hired and given free run of the records."

"Well, the official records. And... I thought I was hired to replace that sycophant you slew on my first day?"

"You have access to everything. Your judgement will be final. He was supposed to be your research assistant, and he tried to cut you out of the job. I agreed to subject his proposed manuscript to the ultimate test... and, well. That didn't work out very well."

"You..." I blinked. "That little shit." I winced.

"Your feelings of guilt over very human opinions are another reason you're here. You keep yourself honest. You didn't like him, his methods, his goals, and he's dead, and you still feel bad when you admit this isn't an entirely bad thing." The Overlord shrugged.

He continued. "The only thing you don't already have my full authorization to look into, is how I acquired this level of ability. Simply because I never told anyone, or wrote it down."

He grinned at me. "I'll show you exactly what it was like." And then the room went dark.