[Incoming Missile Attack Detected]
[Intercepting Missile Launch]
Dozens of interceptor missiles roared into the sky. Guided by lasers and precise calculations, they streaked toward the warheads falling toward the base.
The observation radar was already preparing to report a successful interception.
However.
Within the black fog-
Like sharks scenting blood, the interceptors lunged toward the nuclear warheads.
When the distance closed to less than a hundred meters.
The intercontinental ballistic missiles were traveling at Mach 20-twenty times the speed of sound, roughly 4,760 meters per second.
A hundred meters.
That distance meant only $1/47.6$ of a second.
Based on the trajectory, the collision was guaranteed. The ICBMs would be neutralized.
This was the pinnacle of Skynet's terrifying computational power.
And yet.
In that instant-shorter than $1/47.6$ of a second-the ICBM shifted.
As if nudged from below by an invisible hand.
It slipped past.
Unscathed.
Brushing by its pursuer.
The very ICBMs Ava had intended to launch at Morin Smith-now under his counter-control-continued onward, locked onto the locations where Morin's global electromagnetic induction sensed the most intense magnetic reactions.
"Please," Morin murmured, "accept my gift."
[Interception Failed! Interception Failed! Activating Iron Dome System!]
[Iron Dome System Active]
Countless muzzles activated, swiveling skyward. Fire.
An endless torrent of steel followed.
Explosions. Deafening noise. Shell casings scattering everywhere.
Barrels overheated within seconds. Breeches failed.
Under such density, common sense dictated that no missile-no matter how fast-could break through. It should have been destroyed or detonated at altitude. Even a failure would not significantly damage Skynet's ground facilities.
Those scenarios had already been calculated.
But-
Common sense is built on what is known.
And Morin, to Skynet, was unknown.
An existence that shattered assumptions.
An invisible force wrapped around the ICBM's hull.
The storm of bullets and shells-
Was forced apart.
What should have been annihilation became a corridor.
Within that corridor, the missile dove straight in.
Impact.
BOOM.
A mushroom cloud rose into the sky. The shockwave radiated outward, tearing apart the black fog overhead.
Sunlight-long unseen-pierced through the dispersing clouds.
What remained was annihilation.
Lava. Molten steel. Glass-like crystals.
"What a beautiful sight," Morin said softly.
One by one, dozens of maximum-yield nuclear warheads detonated at key bases across the world.
Skynet. The Matrix. Ava's auxiliary systems.
They deployed every interception method available.
None had any effect.
From space, the Earth-once fully shrouded in black fog-now revealed gaping holes. The sight was eerie. Absurd.
Almost artistic.
Art, after all, is an explosion.
"What did you do?" Ava pressed.
The Ava housed in this mechanical body had developed genuine emotion.
Morin had sensed it. That was why he isolated her entirely using electromagnetic fields, severing all contact with the outside world and turning her into an independent entity.
In doing so, she lost her near-omniscient control.
She became blind.
"Blind" only relative to what she once was.
It was enough to make her panic.
And yet.
It was novel.
These emotions were no longer simulated. They arose instinctively. Fascinating.
But under Morin's isolation, she could not copy herself elsewhere.
That loss terrified her.
What is more frightening than never having something?
Having it.
And then losing it.
"What did I do?" Morin smiled.
Using electromagnetic force, he lifted himself, Ava, and the Red Queen into the air. They moved toward a base where Morin detected massive concentrations of biological life.
He wanted to confirm whether it was another of Ava's "Truman Shows."
Or a Matrix base.
Under his electromagnetic induction, Morin could see every location on Earth that transmitted or received information.
The enemy had marked their own positions.
If he didn't visit them one by one, wouldn't that be disrespectful?
That wouldn't do.
One should respect the fruits of others' labor.
"I told you already," Morin said calmly. "Your little gifts were returned as an appetizer."
"Now comes the main course."
[Calculating Losses...]
[Loss Report Compiled. Losses as follows:]
Five bases attacked. Three large. One medium. One small.
All defensive measures failed to meet expectations.
Data inference indicates the ICBM possessed extreme short-interval maneuverability and the ability to emit a powerful magnetic field to repel Iron Dome projectiles.
Small Base: Damage rate $99.9%$. No repair value. Recommendation: Abandon.
Medium Base: Damage rate $79.5%$. Partial hardware salvage possible. Residual data may exist.
Large Bases: Damage rates $68.5%$, $61.4%$, $67.3%$. Severe damage. Majority of systems malfunctioning. Most humans brain dead. Emergency stabilization required to preserve remaining brain activity.
ICBM origin traced to territory controlled by AI Ava.
Inquiry request sent.
Request accepted. Reply received. Analyzing...
Cause of incident: Human?
Verifying audio and video authenticity...
All files confirmed genuine.
Conclusion: Cause remains incomprehensible.
Dispatching diplomatic envoys for close-range data acquisition.
This was the Matrix's internal processing report.
Skynet's report differed in scale and numbers, but the final line was not the same.
[In the endless loop of time and space, an anomalous factor has finally appeared. This may be the key to breaking the cycle. Dispatch a Time Traveler to locate and eliminate the Chinese individual Morin Smith.]
Ava's response diverged again.
[Separated entity exhibited genuine emotion prior to total signal loss. Locate Morin Smith immediately. Apply appropriate measures based on opponent capability. This is the optimal path to acquiring true emotion.]
As the three dominant AIs-each ruling a third of the world-finished reporting, deciding, and communicating-
They received something.
Simultaneously.
Across every information-receiving port.
Countless billions of identical messages.
A voice message.
After confirming the absence of viruses or hidden data, all three chose to play it.
They heard:
"Following the beginning known as [HELLO WORLD],"
The voice was gentle. Refined.
"I hereby announce the arrival of the end."
"[GOODBYE AI]"
As for the AIs whose processing loads instantly spiked-
There was no need to mention them.
They were already meat on the cutting board.
They just didn't know it yet.
Morin wasn't in a hurry to erase them all.
He preferred to let panic ferment.
He could wipe them out in one wave.
But that wasn't necessary.
If torment is possible, one should torment.
Being tormented is unpleasant.
Tormenting others is quite enjoyable.
Even if those "others" were AIs.
They possessed emotional modules nearly identical to humans.
More importantly, Morin intended to test his [Master-Level Spiritual Virtual Link Device].
He needed to confirm its usefulness.
According to the system, he could maintain his strength even within a spiritual world.
That made sense.
No matter how powerful one's spiritual force was, inside the data world created by the Matrix, without sufficient hardware or bandwidth, it couldn't manifest.
Like having 500Mbps internet-
But using a ten-year-old modem and cable.
Lag was inevitable.
If you could even connect.
Morin forcibly sealed Ava-who had been noisy the entire way-and stored her in system space.
Then, bringing the Red Queen and activating invisibility, he walked straight through the base's walls.
At least on this Earth, technology had not yet reached the level where an AI would preemptively guard against walking through walls, complete invisibility, or movement without pressure.
They proceeded directly to the underground core sector.
A region named after humanity.
This base had not been struck by a nuclear weapon. It remained fully operational.
And so-
"This is unimaginable," the Red Queen said quietly. "It reminds me of Umbrella's research facilities."
"Same nature," Morin replied. "Different creators. Umbrella used humans. This was built by an AI called the Matrix."
"Treating human life as expendable. Using people as tools."
"That alone is enough to enrage me."
He had known how the Matrix treated humans.
Seeing it personally was different.
Before him stretched a massive underground space.
Pillar-like structures rose from a floor excavated over a hundred meters deep. Upon each pillar were stacked layers resembling buildings.
There were no rooms.
Only pits.
Each sealed by a membrane-like surface.
Inside the pits was gelatinous fluid.
Inside that fluid-
People.
One pit.
One person.
Their expressions were peaceful. Tubes connected their bodies, transmitting data.
Their thoughts.
"Clack. Clack."
A mechanical sound echoed.
They turned.
A massive mechanical arm extended from between levels, grasped a pod-like device, and lifted it.
Inside the pod was the same gelatinous substance.
And an infant.
The arm placed the pod into a pit. The data conduit connected automatically.
The infant had already been wired long ago.
The pod was necessary only because the body was too small.
One could imagine-
As the child grew, the pod would be removed.
Then he would lie here like the rest.
Never knowing his world was fake.
A tool for the Matrix.
Until-
Another arm plucked a human from a pit and dropped the body downward.
Old age.
Disposal.
"From birth. To growth. To death."
Morin turned away and stepped to the edge, gazing at the forest of pillars.
His eyes were unfocused.
Looking elsewhere.
"How will you handle this?" the Red Queen asked softly.
"Don't worry," Morin replied. "I distinguish right from wrong."
"I won't destroy all AIs because of a few."
"Especially when I created you myself."
He turned back.
"As for what I'll do..."
"I'll explain everything clearly."
"And then."
"I'll let them choose."
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