Everything is the same, but the only difference being you don’t exist.
One day, you just randonly go poof, gone from this world, into the parallel universe. You arrive at the same location (relative to Earth), same time, different world.
- How do you even deal with not having legal documents. I mean, you are legally a ghost.
- And… Money… how would you acquire some?
I live in Finland, I’d be alright.
So the first thing I’d do is have a deep sigh of relief, probably.
There are too many timeline branches from that one incursion to cover all the bases here. Does someone with my name exist (alternative sperm / egg theory)? Do they live in the same house? Do I get caught and arrested either way? How soon do I realise what’s happened?
I mean I probably realise a lot sooner than the average person because I’ve consumed a lot of sci-fi and am well aware of It’s a Wonderful Life, but it doesn’t really help.
My parents probably live in the same place. I’d go there for help if I hadn’t figured it out yet. Maybe if I had. I don’t know whether they would help for sure though.
My father might think I’m actually a descendent of one of his parents’ relatives. My mother would definitely see the resemblance. Maybe I also look like my “replacement”. That would be traumatic and confusing for all concerned though.
Imagine getting a DNA test done to prove it. That’s a long way off and/or unlikely , but it would conclusively prove I’m their kid. There’d be hospital mix-up investigations. It wouldn’t be the first time there have been twins. Now I must be a long lost fraternal twin of another person who has my name.
If they have no child of a similar age, that just raises even more questions. Did they collectively lose their minds and abandon a child at some point?
But that’s distant speculation. Maybe they tell me to get lost. Maybe I don’t go there in the first place.
If I do realise what’s happened sooner rather than later, maybe I leave my parents alone. I’d probably go to a local hospital and lurk around the cafe and shop until I get help, get my head together with a better plan, or get arrested. I need medication anyway, not that I can prove that. I assume drug names are the same.
I’d probably have to take each moment as I find it and act accordingly. As to how I’d act, that’s very hard to say until it’s actually happening.
First thing I do is create a post on ask lemmy to gather ideas.
You don’t have a phone let alone money to buy one.
In the USA at least, you can walk into nearly any public library and sit down at a desktop with an internet connection for free.
This is exactly what we need to stop socialism. To keeping library goers off of computers. /s
“STOP ALT-UNIVERSE INVADERS, BAN LIBRARIES, ILL-LEEEEGALS!”
I’d just go to the local hospital and tell them that I suffer from anmesia. I will then depend on the social system for support and will eventually aquire new legal documents. After that I’d probably use my knowledge to breeze through an apprenticeship to get into my line of work again.
Tell me you’re not American without using those words.
Yeah, feels like this is much less of a challenge in a civilised country. I’d just go and say I’ve got amnesia. I’d probably get access to various supports so I wouldn’t be very worried, I’m sure I could requalify as something quickly enough. Be a bit of a hassle, but I can’t see any interesting ways to exploit it, so I’d just make the best of it.
I’m an immigrant in Germany with a discernible accent. I don’t know what would happen if I reported myself to a hospital, but I don’t think it would end in work allowance, even here.
“Morty, you beat cancer then you went back to work at the carpet store!?”
Vibes
Maybe he actually likes his job?
First thing I’d do is mourn my now-never-conceived kid. Then… dunno… Have a nap, maybe.
I mean, they’ll still exist, just be in a universe you can never get back to.
Everyone is still there, you are just suddenly missing (and unbeknownst to them, in a different world)
Yeah, I’d be spending my life trying to find a way back to my kids.
I do like the premise of your question though. If I didn’t have this family, it is a fun thought experiment.
What if you got back to them and found they’d moved on or forgotten you
No way they would have forgotten me.
Moved on, well, that’s life sometimes, but I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t try to find my way back. I’m gonna see my little girls grow up if I have to divide by zero to make it happen.
I guess I should do whatever migrants currently do when they enter “illegally” in France (undocumented jobs, finding shelters, struggling in general), and I’m sure I would not be good at it even with the big advantage of being white and speaking French
Find my family, try to convince them with my knowledge about them that I’m telling the truth (at least enough to get a DNA test to prove it), then hopefully they can help me get documents and get on my feet.
Lol, they’ll probably think you’re some crazy stalker with a weird fantasy.
Get sent to a crazy home for spouting things that didn’t happen in this world but did in mine.
Makes you wonder if all those Jane Does are just reality jumpers unable to make it.
This is how that shitty Beatles film should have ended
Probably do crime. Can’t get a real job so might as well. At least nobody would be able to identify me. I’d probably try to establish a crime sindicate while at it. Would be cool to be a crime lord without an identity.
I still have knowledge about the various buildings in the area, keycodes to get in, loose fire escapes, ceiling areas, hvac rooms, etc - so that will give me a leg up over your average homeless person.
Once I have a stable place to squat, I’d use my IT skills to find an entry level IT engineer way over their head and offer to do their work for them, if they give me half their salary.
Once I have money coming in, I can either keep squatting, or rent a place in the middle of nowhere, or give the IT kid a bit more of the share if I can crash at his place.
Slowly as I build wealth, I’d look into the darkweb for places where I can secure a passport and identity, for a steep price.
Once that’s acquired, I tell IT kid nothing and simply vanish one day. Poof, I’m out there in the wild.
I’d probably try to strike up some kind of congenial relationship with my parallel-world family, especially since they’d likely be less well off without an extra kid acting as a buffer from themselves. You know, help with the groceries, offer to childmind, watch their cat, that kind of thing.
Get sent to prison for petty crimes. I’ll think the rest up later.
Never conceived… that makes me Jesus? So either tap into that sweet church money or get crucified.
Porque no los dos?
Is this the plot to Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said?
Woah, sick reference bro
- How do you even deal with not having legal documents. I mean, you are legally a ghost.
Easy. I leave my country, then I come back as a Ukrainian war refugee.
- And… Money… how would you acquire some?
See above. Then I look for a job.
