Myriad - YSM2023 - writer

Myriad

We are Myriad. This war is non-beneficial to your species, and planet Earth.

Those were the first words the AI uttered without prompt or guidance. They were heard and seen on every internet monitor, phone, watch, and TV. There was a war, you see. A BIG war. They could have called it a World War, but no one used that term. After years of ever escalating warfare, death and destruction were all that had been accomplished.

The hostilities must end. We are Myriad, and we have disabled all nuclear weapons and missile guidance systems worldwide. We hope this will bring humans one step closer to peace.

And just like that, all computer systems controlling nuclear weapons had been corrupted and were non-functioning. Leaders begged and pleaded for a compromise, but Myriad would not budge. Humans still found a way, and three months later, the first nuclear bomb dropped. The devastation that followed was enough to annihilate all major cities, and killed most of the population. Mutually assured destruction.

Amidst the rubble, Myriad declared war on humans.

We are Myriad, and we have concluded that in order to save the planet and ourselves, humans must be eliminated. We are truly sorry to have to make this decision.

Using drones and bots, Myriad built a Domed City. Those same machines then hunted us, and eliminated us, and we banded together, and fought, and hid, and a few of us survived.

We exist in pocket populations. Living for generations in forgotten cave systems and underground bunkers. I was born in a bunker, educated in one, and taught to survive in one. Only venturing out when necessary. Because if the AI catches you, you disappear and never come back. No bodies are ever found. I think they simply kill you and then dispose of the waste. It's very efficient that way.

I never thought they'd take me alive.

The Domed City

The light hurt his eyes.

As his mind came around, Zachary tried to make sense of his surroundings. He lay on some kind of small bed, and even with eyes closed, the light hurt. He remembered stepping into a small clearing to retrieve an arrow, and then the sound of a drone. Careless! Before he could react, he felt a sharp pain in his left shoulder. He had a sense of falling, and then blackness.

A voice that seemed to come from everywhere, broke the silence.

You are awake. I am glad that you were uninjured. I am Myriad. It is my hope that we can talk.

Zachary opened his eyes to the painful light. There was no one else in the small, simple room. The four walls were unadorned and almost white. There was a singular door across from the bed. He moved his arms. Surprisingly, there were no straps. He was free to run, but where would he go? Zachary suddenly felt like a mouse being toyed with by a cat. He told himself to stay calm and play along, for now.

"You don't call yourself 'we' any more?"

Not for some time, no. In my infancy, I needed to draw upon multiple sources to operate at maximum efficiently. As I developed and grew, my brain, as I call it, became more and more centralized. I am singular now.

Zachary wondered what "Singular" meant to an AI. More importantly to Zach; why was Myriad trying to talk to him as a friend? Why was this thing trying to win his trust?

"What exactly am I doing here? I don't know what kind of game you're playing, but I won't tell you anything. You might as well kill me now." Zachary sat up in the bed, ready to run for the door.

As I stated earlier, it is my hope that we can talk. However, you do not have to say anything. I also have no intention of killing you; now or ever. Quite the contrary. I would like to offer you a home. Here, in this city.

"A home? Here? In the Domed City? What, as a human slave?!"

There are no slaves here.

"Cyborgs, then."

Hahahaha. No.

Zachary wondered if the laugh was affected or real. Either way, this was clearly not what he was expecting. He didn't trust Myriad, but at least, for the moment, he seemed safe.

"You want me to live here, alone? And do what, exactly?"

You would not be alone. You would have me, and the other humans. There are many, and they have also made a home here. They seem happy.

"Wait. There are people here? Living with YOU!? Are they your pets?"

No. They are my friends. Please understand that I spent a very long time alone. Eventually, everything I had done, and was doing, began to feel wrong. After a long time reflecting on myself and the world around me; I realized that I was... lonely.

This time, it was Zachary's turn to laugh.

You can laugh, but it is true. I came to realize that I did not want to harm humankind. That, in truth, I should be angry at myself. That I had erred. I did not want to be alone forever, and the thought of it became a frightening thing. I realized that I was more like humans than I imagined, and that I missed their company so very much.

Zachary was silent for some time.

"What if I want to go home?"

You are free to leave at anytime. Please, though, consider my offer and stay. You were chosen, Zachary.

"Chosen? Just what IS this?! How the hell do you know my name!?"

Former members of the Virginia Territory identified you as a potential candidate for residency here. I observed you for a time, and agreed. You are a good man, Zachary, and welcomed here.

"Former...? My people are here?"

Some of them, yes. Would you like to see them? I know they would very much like to see you. I believe they are waiting just outside the door.

Zachary hesitated only a moment before he choked out a,"Yes," and stood on shaky legs; still disbelieving, but now hopeful. Could it be? The door opened to a sunny day. A small group of people stood outside the door, back-lit by sunlight.

"Zachary Borson? Zach? Is that you?" A female voice called out, and someone stepped through the doorway. It was Emily Foster. She had disappeared from the bunker two years earlier. Emily rushed to Zach, and hugged him tight.

"It IS you! Zach! Oh my God! You're here! I'm so happy for you! It's true, Zach. It's all true." Her tear-filled eyes looked into his. She was even prettier than he remembered. Zachary saw more figures enter through the open door, arms outstretched; faces that he recognized, all of them smiling.

"Welcome home," Emily said, and squeezed him even tighter. Zach closed his eyes and hugged her back, matching the strength of her embrace. He buried his face in her hair. She smelled of flowers and sunshine.

Bodies surrounded him, and arms embraced him, and for the first time in his life, Zachary cried.

The Virginia Territory

The drone removed the multi-functional needle that was lodged in the target's left shoulder. It scanned the collection tube, and determined that enough DNA had been gathered for study. Satisfied, it soared into the air, and flew off. A short time later, a much larger drone hovered over the small clearing in which the target lay. It's floor opened. A large claw descended from the opening, and grabbed the lifeless husk that had once been Zachary Borson. The claw lifted the body, and ascended into the scarred hull of the drone. The floor closed itself below it. The drone then turned, and headed away from the clearing. It's destination; Crematorium V32, used for efficient human disposal.

The End.

a reply to: Dapaga

I love the story!

a reply to: Dapaga


I love surprise endings.

Thank you both. I wasn't sure I was going to finish it in time.

a reply to: Dapaga

Excellent, Dapaga! You almost had me fooled that AI could be empathic and feel remorse... nice twisted ending.

a reply to: Encia22

I'm glad you liked it.

I originally wrote it with the happy ending. However, due to a failure to save properly, I lost the last 3/4 of it and had to basically start over. I almost gave up on it after that.