> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://server31.gitbook.io/babel-universe-whitepaper/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://server31.gitbook.io/babel-universe-whitepaper/co-create/the-short-story.md). # The Short Story A universe expands from its origin. A collaborative fiction universe expands from a genesis story. The genesis story should have the following traits: * The story needs to be short so it is easy to reach many. * The story needs to set the basics of the universe so the creators can expand it with a shared vision. * The story needs to have a large potential for expansion so it offers creative freedom to the creators. * Bonus. A story made in Web3 should reflect on Web3. It should not be something that can be made anywhere else. The origin of the Babel Universe - [the short story "Babel"](https://mirror.xyz/0xbdBfFB9c2a660E6FDaf49f01519b84F2A0bd2000/JFDtGRlBGhcQlNcfobziREp3rihjL3icuvpiPZPP7nE) - has all these traits. * Short - It is a 15mins read. * It sets the basics of the Babel Universe - A near-future techno-dystopia where everyone uses a brain-computer interface implant while 10,000 people find a “universal language”. * Potential for expansion - There are 100 virtual planets in the story seeking “Heaven” and 10,000 people whose thoughts, emotions, memories, and flaws are interconnected. Each one of them can have a backstory and what they decide to do can change the future of their world. * Moreover, it is a Meta-Story. The “universal language” that connects people’s minds enables everyone’s voice to be heard. This is a metaphor for the essence of Web3 - decentralization.

The Original Short Story “Babel”