"Even if you were dead this shouldn't happen!" He checks the book again.

"Maybe different space Ardas have subtly different kinds of chips and your reader isn't working?"

"It didn't throw an error." He consults the raw data.

Chip has two kilobytes of data on it.

"That is not enough data."

He converts it and opens it on his computer.

Apologies! It appears that this is a fork of Nelyafinwë Maitimo created without his authorization. If you believe this classification was made in error, please contact Mandos Námo in Valinor or, in case of emergencies, anyone in instantaneous communication with him.

And the same message in several other languages.

"Well that's very responsible of them."

"Hmmm?"

Cam turns the display. "They have apparently at some point magicked the chips so they can't be forked without permission. And didn't anticipate alts."

"- ah. That - is responsible. Damn it. 

 - when -"

"Good question, let's ask Bar, see if we can get an earlier one."

"Or a my father, yeah - or bug Maitimo for people even older than that whose alts we can ask -"

Downstairs to Bar.

1370.

"So you're available as an adult, don't have to make it your dad."

"Oh, cool -"

"But you'll be missing a bit of elapsed time, does that change anything?"

"I mean, I'd prefer not to be missing a couple centuries pretty strongly but my opinion of these Valar is only rising and he's definitely not going to regret enabling us to meet them and who knows, maybe they also have ways to merge forks or add memories or whatever. Go ahead."

Upstairs. Chip from 1369. Read-write-embody -

Blink.

He looks around. 

He looks super bewildered. 

"Timothy."

"Cam. Hi. In a year your Valar add copy protection to your chips but this is really important so I forked you from before that."

" - yeah they're working on - what year is it - I'm Maitimo -"

"We know. You're going to need a nickname, most of you are named Maitimo. It is currently 1512 in your world, I'm really sorry about that part but when your Valar added copy protection they didn't anticipate alts." He inclines his head at Timothy.

"There are a lot of universes and they have some of the same people in them - I consented for you because it is, in fact, that important."