The sterile white laboratory hummed with the barely perceptible thrum of contained power. Dr. Elysia Charis, her face etched with the fatigue of years spent chasing a cosmic phantom, stared at the swirling vortex of energy contained within the reinforced chamber. It was a sight that would have made Galileo weep and Einstein rethink his theories – a miniature Big Bang, cradled in the heart of a human-made machine.

Humanity had finally cracked the code of creation. The Singularity Engine, a marvel of engineering and theoretical physics, could replicate the conditions of the universe's birth with terrifying accuracy. With each activation, a new universe bloomed, expanded, and eventually collapsed within the confines of the chamber, its lifespan compressed into a fleeting moment.

At first, it was exhilarating. Scientists giddily tweaked parameters, altering the initial conditions of each simulated universe, hoping to witness the infinite possibilities of existence. But as the experiments continued, a chilling pattern emerged. Each simulation, despite minute variations in its starting point, unfolded in precisely the same way. Galaxies formed in identical configurations, stars ignited and died in predictable sequences, and even the rise and fall of civilizations within those simulated universes followed an eerily predetermined script.

The implications were staggering. If the Big Bang, the very foundation of existence, always led to the same outcome, then free will was an illusion, and the universe was merely a cosmic record player stuck on repeat. The future, no matter how distant, was already written, every thought, every action, every fleeting moment preordained since the dawn of time.

Elysia felt a cold dread creep into her heart. The universe, once a vast canvas of possibilities, now felt like a suffocating cage. What was the point of striving, of dreaming, of loving, if every outcome was predetermined?

News of the discovery spread like wildfire, throwing the world into turmoil. Philosophers grappled with the implications of a predetermined existence, theologians questioned the nature of divine will, and the stock market crashed as investors realized the futility of predicting an already written future.

Some embraced the revelation with nihilistic abandon, indulging in reckless hedonism since consequences seemed meaningless. Others sought solace in spirituality, clinging to the belief that a higher power, despite scripting the universe, still offered meaning and purpose.

Elysia, however, refused to succumb to despair. She spent countless nights in the lab, poring over the data, searching for any deviation, any hint of randomness that could shatter the deterministic prison. She tweaked the engine, pushed it to its limits, even introduced chaotic elements into the simulations, but the outcome remained unchanged. The universe, it seemed, was stubbornly committed to its script.

One evening, as Elysia sat staring at the swirling vortex of a newly birthed universe, a thought struck her. What if the predetermined nature of the universe wasn't a limitation but an invitation? What if, instead of despairing over the lack of choice, humanity embraced the script and sought to understand its deeper meaning?

With renewed determination, Elysia shifted her focus. She began to study the patterns within the simulations, the intricate dance of cause and effect, the rise and fall of civilizations, the birth and death of stars. She saw beauty in the predetermined order, a cosmic symphony playing out across eons.

Perhaps, she realized, free will wasn't about choosing a different path but about understanding the path that was already laid out. Perhaps the meaning of life wasn't in defying fate but in embracing it, in finding joy and purpose within the grand cosmic narrative.

As the Singularity Engine hummed in the background, Elysia felt a sense of peace she hadn't known before. The universe might be predetermined, but within that predetermined script lay an infinite tapestry of beauty and wonder, amplified by the boundless potential for human connection and understanding. That, she realized, was enough.