Arthur was stunned as he watched his own personal “A New Hope” play out in front of him, or was another analogy better?

“Congratulations for being accepted into the Defenders of the Universe program.” The hologram continued. “We created the game to test the basic aptitude of individuals on your world. Through this test, we were able to conclude that you along with several others are prime candidates to join the Defenders of the Universe.”

This was unreal, Arthur thought to himself as the hologram continued.

“We at the Defenders of the Universe are here to protect all races and species across the cosmos from threats they may face. In your training, you will learn to become an elite part of our unit. If you so chose to accept this offer, please press your thumbprint again to the top of the offer cube and a recruiter will be with you as soon as possible. With the Defenders, you can make a difference in a way that your entire life on Earth could never hope to achieve.”

With that, the hologram clicked off, and Arthur was left in stunned silence. After a moment he remarked out loud, “What kind of practical joke was this?” He looked at the box again. It had locked up and was unmoving when he tried to open it. Arthur almost pressed his finger to the top again but hesitated. There must be some kind of hidden cameras or someone watching him. Maybe it was a reality TV show? That would be a nice break, he hoped it came with some cash.

He began to look around the room for microphones or cameras until he saw the clock. Already late for work! Arthur quickly forgot about the box and the hologram as he pulled on his uniform and sped out the door.