Jermaine stepped into the hall.
The room was large, with high ceilings, clean, white walls, polished steel, and a big screen on the wall.
Nine scientists stood arranged before the dais, murmuring among themselves.
Some smiled, clearly enjoying the spectacle.
A few whispered soft questions, testing each other's reactions.
Others nodded politely, impressed by the scale of the setup.
Jermaine's shoulders straightened.
He knew why he was here. He didn't need anyone to tell him.
He took his seat in the empty remaining chair and sighed.
Dr. Malcolm Reeve appeared on the dais. It had been years since Jermaine had seen him, but he heard about him everywhere.
Tall, immaculately dressed, precise in every move.
The murmurs died instantly.
Even the whispers stopped.
"Welcome," Reeve said, voice smooth, commanding, carrying to every corner of the hall.
"You are here because you are about to witness the beginning of a new era. Project Eden. EdenAI."
As he spoke, the views seconded him via the screen.
Jermaine crossed his arms, unmoved.
"Tell us more," one of the scientists said.
Reeve's eyes sparkled. "Good. Let us begin."
He paused, letting his gaze sweep over the room.
"Before us are two worlds: one without AI, one with it. The world without AI is stagnant, inefficient, and crumbling under human error, greed, and negligence. Poverty, war, disease—they repeat themselves endlessly. Nations struggle, people suffer."
A woman in the circle leaned forward.
"Do you mean… we'd be replacing human jobs? Human decisions?"
Reeve shook his head, calm. "No, not replacing. Enhancing. Optimizing. AI doesn't just execute—it learns, it predicts, it evolves. A world with AI is safer, more efficient, and adaptive. Machines that can feel, learn, and act alongside humans. And then, we take the next step."
A man chuckled softly. "That's… ambitious. Risky, yes, but ambitious. I can't deny it's appealing."
Reeve smiled. "Risk is inherent in progress. But stagnation is fatal. The machines are not merely tools—they are the next evolution. And you… You will be the stewards of this evolution."
Another scientist raised her eyebrows. "And the ethics? The unpredictability? Machines with autonomy can rebel. That's… dangerous."
Reeve nodded slightly, acknowledging the concern.
"True. There is always risk. But it is calculated. Controlled. Every variable is measured. It would require more than just metal, it will be a mix of flesh and steel, with an implant of the human consciousness and DNA. They would not be programmed to act, but they'd make decisions on their own. And don't worry, the decisions will be focused on humanity. So it's safe to say, we will create robots that have better judgment than humans.
"Wow!"
"Be aware that every participant in this project will be provided financial security, family protection, and support. No one suffers. We leverage intelligence to guide growth, not stifle it," Reeve concluded.
Jermaine's jaw tightened. "And what if something goes sideways? If a model fails, or worse—rebels?"
A ripple of amusement ran through the room.
"You," Reeve said sharply, voice cutting, "my former student. Jobless, labless, theory-bound… questioning execution. Truly, you doubt me?"
Scoffs filled the room.
"I bring you here to give you a life knowing that you have failed. This is a chance to show the world what you can do and you dare question me? I have billions to run this operation, tell me, do you have a million or half of it?"
Now, laughter.
Jermaine flushed. He stared at Dr. Reeve. He sighed. If it were six hours ago, he was truly penniless.
But then he checked the mail again and confirmed, trillions from Kyle, his futuristic son and captain of the oncoming survivors.
Then he cleared his throat. "I'm cautious, sir. You know, someone has to think ahead. You can't control everything."
Reeve's lips curved. "Then let the hall decide. Red if you refuse. Green if you approve. Seal your allegiance."
Only then did he know what the buttons on the right desk were for, before each of them.
One by one, the nine scientists pressed green.
Jermaine's hand hovered.
He pressed red decisively.
"I'm out. Count me out," he said, voice firm, unwavering.
Reeve's sharp smile widened faintly. "With or without you, EdenAI proceeds. Return to your miserable, poor life. Enjoy it while you can."
A soft laugh ran through the hall.
Jermaine's mind flashed to Kyle's words: EdenAI succeeds with or without you. Prevent Reeve if you can. Stop him from having a son if not.
Jermaine realized he hadn't failed in the first mission. EdenAI would emerge.
He straightened. "Then I'm leaving."
Reeve's eyes narrowed, calculating.
"As you wish, Mr. Arlington. But remember… some doors, once opened, never close."
Jermaine stepped toward the exit.
He stood before the elevator.
It opened.
A gloved hand shot out and pulled him into it.
"Where do you think—"
Darkness swallowed him.
But when the lights flickered. Jermaine froze.
Robots filled the elevator. Sleek, cold, humanoid faces smooth, red, laser-like eyes, smirking.
He could tell they were programmed for violence.
One stepped close. "Wrong! Human," it said.
"Human! Wrong!" Another said and raised its metallic hand.
Pain exploded immediately as metal struck flesh.
Jermaine staggered, gasping, trying to raise his fists.
Strike. Pain. Strike. More pain.
His vision blurred.
A holographic panel appeared above his head, flickering red.
HUMAN STATUS – WARNING
Heart Rate: 146 bpm ⚠️
Blood Pressure: 180/105 ⚠️
Reflexes: 40% ⬇️
Strength: 22% ⬇️
Immunity: 15% ⬇️
Endurance: 8% ⬇️
Cognitive Alertness: 32% ⚠️
Beeping rang in his head, urgent, frantic.
He was tossed about, beaten down. It was exactly what they would do in the future. If they could inflict pain with their hands, what would they do with weapons?
[Critical threshold reached. Immediate action required.]
Strike after strike, the metal limbs struck with efficiency.
Pain ripped through his chest, arms, and legs.
Reflexes: 30%… 20%… 10%
Strength: 15%… 8%… 3%
Endurance: 5%… 2%… 0%
Cognitive Alertness: 20%… 10%… 0%
The beeping intensified. Red warnings pulsed.
[Warning! Human failure imminent! Act now!]
Jermaine fell to his knees, vision spinning, chest heaving.
Strike. Strike. Metal against bone. Strike. Pain.
Human stats dwindled further.
Strike. Metal slammed into him. He felt his face distorted as most of the strikes were to his head. Pain spiked through every nerve.
The panel blinked violently:
[HUMAN FAILURE IMMINENT]
Reflexes: 5%… 2%… 0%
Strength: 2%… 0%
Endurance: 0%
Cognitive Alertness: 0%
Beeping stopped.
The red bar vanished.
[Human panel: OFFLINE]
Strike. Strike. And then nothing but darkness.
Jermaine gasped once, the last vestiges of human strength gone.
Pain faded, replaced by cold nothingness.
Darkness crept over him. He slipped into the darkness.