The sky was impossibly clear, almost unreal, reflecting the glass towers of Neo-City in the morning sun. Everywhere, people rushed to their destinations, guided by drones, automated vehicles, and digital assistants that made life smooth, predictable, flawless. I had grown up in this world, a world where every problem had an algorithm, and every desire had a device to satisfy it.
I was in the control room of the Global Tech Network, monitoring the AI-driven systems that kept the city alive. Screens flickered with real-time data: traffic flows, energy distribution, communication nodes—all perfectly balanced. My fingers danced over the holographic interface, running simulations for the next upgrade. Everything seemed normal. Too normal.
Then, it started.
A ripple through the system, subtle at first, barely noticeable. Machines hesitated, lights flickered, and a strange hum vibrated through the floor. I frowned, thinking it was a minor glitch. But the hum grew, a low, insistent vibration that set my teeth on edge. One by one, the screens went dark. The drones froze midair. The vehicles stopped abruptly, horns blaring as traffic turned into chaos.
Panic spread faster than any virus. People screamed in the streets, pressing buttons that no longer responded. Automated gates stayed shut. Elevators halted between floors. The world I had known, a world where humanity danced on the edge of perfection, crumbled in silence.
I rushed outside. The city was a frozen sculpture of steel and glass. Cars were abandoned mid-lane. People stumbled, shouting to one another, eyes wide with disbelief. I felt a cold weight in my chest. The systems we had built, relied upon, trusted with our lives—they were gone.
A thought struck me, sharp and terrifying: this was not a temporary failure. This was a collapse. Something had killed the machines. Everything.
I looked at the sky, once clear, now eerily quiet. No planes. No drones. Only the wind. And in that silence, I realized we were no longer masters of our world.
I was alone, yet responsible. Among the few who had survived the initial chaos, someone had to act. Someone had to guide the rest.
And that someone was me.