Synthesia (The girl who became an AI after the end of the world)

The year 2030

The soft tapping of footsteps sounded outside the sickly white, clean room. A carefully managed amount of light filtered through a tinted screen as it passed through the hospital's fourth-floor window, reflecting on the face of a girl lying on a strange bed. All around her, various medical instruments sat in different stages of use. Despite the hoses and wires scattered around her body, a calm smile covered her shallow face, as though this was a completely normal state of affairs. The remains of well-kept black hair nearly covered her head slumped against the bed's pillow. Ruby-red eyes that stared aimlessly at a screen coming from the ceiling were the only things that appeared untouched by whatever had led to her ending up here.

Her condition was something new, or at least the doctors had always said so. A kind of electrolytic buildup in the blood; the girl had heard them call it a million seemingly different things, but those overly complicated names had a habit of escaping her. It was something that would have likely killed any ordinary person before they even had the luxury of getting their first breath of open air. However, this girl had managed to struggle through twenty-one years of life, where each moment was an uncertain coin flip. There was only one reason for this. This unfortunate girl was the sole heir of the world's largest arms manufacturer. Because of this, every second of her life was one surrounded by men in white asking her questions, taking samples, or injecting medicines with varying effects. It was an exciting life, one where relaxing moments like this were all too uncommon. The girl focused on the TV program, a pile of half-read books, and manga on her bedside table.

“TV announcer” (the remains of the prehistoric super volcano discovered last year have begun being extracted. Scientists are already speculating on the use of the new element 119 found within. The super-heavy particle has broken all known records with its incredible stability under everything but the most extreme circumstances, in which case it becomes an entirely self-sustained reaction, leaving few waste products behind. Qualities that have led many to wonder if it could replace current treatable elements. In other news, weather on the east...)

The rhythmic beeping of the machines around her suddenly increased in frequency before growing to a rapid beat, as if they were angered at not having her attention for an unusually long time. The girl was brought back to her reality by the feeling of liquid flowing into her veins. Wincing at the pain that suddenly began to grow throughout her body, as her vision grew dark, she could see the electric door to the hallway slide open before all at once the room was filled with motion. Figures with instruments of unknowable purpose were rushed in, followed by men and women in white scrubs that fell nearly to their feet. In this short instant, her vision nearly became entirely dark, the world around her transforming into a blur.

The doctors worked for more than an hour, but to the girl, it felt like only a moment. The insistent beeping finally began to still, and her world slowly regained color. Her surroundings had not changed much. The only differences being that her skin lay exposed to the air, her bedding having been frantically ripped up, and more precisely that a man dressed sharply in a suit and tie stood with knotted hands talking to a doctor with a pair of telescoping glasses slung from his neck. Struggling to sit up, the man's conversation entered her ears, immediately catching her attention.

[Doctor] “Sir, I regret to inform you that her condition is becoming critical. I feel I must once again recommend what we previously discussed. It might be her only chance at survival.”

The man in the suit could not meet the doctor's eyes as he spoke. Each word seemed to make him grow smaller. Grabbing the nearby wall to steady himself, he managed to croak out a response.

[sharp dressed man] “Is there really no other way? I’ve invested billions in this company, and you’re telling me you can’t do anything? What about drugs, or one of the new scanners that can see down to the atoms? As a father, you must understand, right? I refuse to believe this is some kind of incurable curse!”

[sharp dressed man] By his last words, the man was almost shouting, though that action took all the passion he had left. Slumping against the wall, he looked at the doctor, who only shook his head and sighed.

[doctor] “It’s not that simple; the attacks have gotten worse in the last few years. Now even the painkillers have begun to lose their effect. She could make it through the end of the year, or it could be next week. Even if she does hold on, we both know that’s no way to live."

He paused for a moment, letting his words settle in before continuing.

[Doctor]“Hanz, That’s why I’m recommending the Phoenix Project…”

He barely got his words out before he was interrupted.

[Hanz](the father) “Jonathan, how long have I known you? You know what that will do to her; she will barely be human.”

He continued in a low, almost pleading tone.

[Hanz](the father) “Just promise me that you’ll be doing the operation personally.”

The doctor nodded his head and looked like he was going to say more, but a low moan from besides him caused both men to turn their heads. The girl on the bed had managed to push herself up onto the pillow and was looking around with a bewildered look in her eyes. Seeing this, the man in the suit ran to the bedside and got on his knees so he could look the girl in the face when he spoke in a barely controlled sob.

[Hanz](the father) “Oh, Rosa, oh my daughter, can you hear your father is here. I promise that it won’t be much longer; hold out for a little longer, just a little more.”

The doctor came and rested his hand on the man’s shoulder.

[Doctor]“She can’t hear you. Part of her cocktail this time was a high dosage of our most powerful anesthetic; it’s the only way we’ve found to somehow calm her nerves.”

Despite the doctor’s certain attitude, the girl’s eyes cleared up a little when she looked at the man in the suit kneeling in front of her. Her voice came out as little more than a gasp.

“Father.”

To her father, these words were like a beacon of light, causing him to nearly weep in joy. However, the doctor's expression told a different story; his slightly wrinkled face seemed to have aged tremendously in that moment, his countenance could only be described as one of total shock. Forgetting about everything else, he dashed over to a screen hooked up to an IV bag, muttering to himself.

[Doctor]“These dosages, they should be nearly lethal... No, it’s not malfunctioning... that could only mean that…”

His voice trailed off before he turned towards the well-dressed man kneeling..

[Doctor]“Sir, we have to undergo the operation as soon as possible. At this rate, if we wait any longer, it will no longer be possible.”

The other man, having noticed the frantic scene, stood up and grabbed the doctor who was trying to exit the room.

[Hanz](the father) “What are you talking about? I thought you said we had plenty of time. What’s happening?”

The doctor frantically spit out an explanation before running out of the room.

[Doctor]“During the operation, she needs to be completely calm in order for Her sensory nerves not to be overloaded. I had believed that we could rely on the drugs for a little more time; however, her ability to metabolize them has exceeded even my bleakest prediction. I need to go get everything ready; if you decide to go through with this, then each moment counts right now.”

With that, the door to the clean room slid close, leaving the father alone with his daughter to make the unimaginable choice. Numbness took over his heart. He didn’t notice as people poured in around him, nor the two doctors gently pulling him out of the room. The same words just kept flickering in his mind like a creed, “it’s the only way,” but was it? Would she even want to be frozen in time, hoping one day to be cured, perhaps long after he himself was gone? A few instants passed before the man came to a decision, but it wasn’t his own reason that made up his mind. He remembered what his daughter had said when he presented the idea to her. “Ha, ha, it can’t be worse than this.” She said the words with a self-deprecating smile on her face while laughing at what she must have thought was an impossible suggestion, but he suspected that there was more truth in those words than anyone could ever know. When a nurse walked up to him, saying that the preparation had been completed, handing him a tablet that required his signature, he waved his finger across it without a second thought.

The procedure went better than anyone could have hoped. While much of her living tissue was irreparably damaged, the brain and nervous system, with the help of the newly discovered element 119, were able to exhibit all previously known activity measurements. In fact, it even appeared as if they were actively trying to assimilate any electronics that came in contact with them. This was a property that was not looked into at first, as the primary purpose had always been merely to preserve consciousness and nothing more. However, the coming era would not be one that was kind to those who had unused capability. The discovery of element 119, which at first appeared to be a blessing, would turn out to be nothing but a curse as the struggle for the resources would bring the world over the brink.

Year 2040.

A man sat alone in a far-off room in an estate so big that the house alone nearly covered an entire block. It had been ten years since he had given his daughter to the Phoenix Project. In those years, the world had become a dark place, one where genocide had become so commonplace that the news hardly talked about it unless it happened in a major country. It was a world where men like him were striving to fill the void, betting it all to take the whole table for themselves. But he cared for none of it. Unlike so many others, his goal had not changed in those years. Every ounce of his being was devoted to seeing the Phoenix Project reach completion. Something he was finding more and more difficult as the government had become increasingly interested in his work. As if to confirm this thought, a servant ran into the room, alerting him that he had guests. Sitting up, he slowly walked to the meeting room where one middle-aged man and a woman who must have been in her late sixties were waiting for him. When he saw their green military uniforms with gold adornments, he was tempted to close the door and walk back the way he came. There was a bit of his mind that told him that would achieve nothing. Continuing forwards, the middle-aged man spoke, his perfectly trimmed silver mustache swaying when he opened his mouth.

[male government agent] “Have a seat, Commissioner.”

Hearing this, Hanz let out a sorrowful laugh and sat down.

[Hanz](the father) “Haven’t you people ever heard of respecting a man in his own house?”

The older woman put in to cover her partner.

[female government agent] “These are trying times which do not fit well with pleasantries. Besides, I think you will find what we have to say critical to your current ‘experiment’.”

Hanz waved his hand, telling them to continue.

[female government agent] “The higher-ups have deemed your Phoenix Project too valuable to fall into enemy hands. Henceforth, the program will be conducted under government supervision at a secure site. This will include all your personnel as well as any relevant documentation about the project that you or your company own.”

For a moment, Hanz was too stunned to speak. But as he comprehended what had been said, he shot to his feet.

[Hanz](the father) “Who do you people think you are to order me around? I have friends in the government. This will not stand; I will not allow it, my daugh... the Phoenix Program is safest where I say it’s safest!”

After he finished his speech, the man across from him motioned for him to sit back down as the woman continued.

[female government agent] “The decision has already been made; there is no changing it now. I fear you may have been idle in politics for too long.”

Hanz realized the words she spoke rang true, so he let out a resigned sigh.

[Hanz](the father) “Fine, tell me when the migration begins. I’ll oversee the effort myself.”

Hearing this, the two agents exchanged an awkward glance before the woman softly said.

[female government agent] “Sir, I think you have misunderstood. The move is already happening. At the end of today, your top-secret credentials will be revoked. Sir, you’re no longer part of the Phoenix Project. We only came to do you the honors of telling you first hand.”

With that, the two got up and quickly left the room, leaving only silence in their wake.

The man could only watch as the officials left, the fake smile leaving his face. He looked out of the window of the estate with a horrible look on his face. The world was falling apart, and he knew it; the supply lines he had relied on were becoming tense, the nations were at each other's throats. But what could he do? All he had was money, enough to save his daughter maybe, but not enough to save the world.

His hands gripped so tight he felt he almost might draw blood. As for the first time in many years, he sat behind his desk and began to call some old friends, to ask for some unreturned favors. For the next many weeks, he was busy, and with every call he made, his feelings of dread got worse. Missing funds, missing weapons, state leaders in hiding. Troop movements in every country across the world, the media was silent, only a few people speculated blindly about the tension not knowing the true cause.

Then he heard the news. Another vein had been found of the element, 100 times larger than any other, and he knew the world had ended that day. He stopped his calls, stopped going out, and sat down, his only contentment that his daughter would be safe. Pouring a glass of wine for himself, he sighed as he waited.

Just as he feared, the end did come, though it wasn’t nearly quick enough for his liking. At first, the countries couldn’t agree on what to do about the vein; he knew this was all show, of course, they had decided long ago. The new Soviet Union and the United Nations immediately sectioned themselves off from each other, supply lines broke down, rioting started, and then came war, and what a terrible war it was.. The Asian cooperative sphere fell apart under the threat from China, as infighting eventually led to warlord states in Japan gaining hold of nuclear weapons. Eventually, one of those sons of bitches launched one at Beijing; apparently, he was some supporter of the old Japanese empire, not that it mattered much to anyone. China, of course, responded in kind, leading to the rest of the sphere launching theirs. And well, everything fell into place after that; the United States launched theirs, followed by the NUSSR, and well, anyone else who had one just shot theirs up for fun, he guessed, just for fun.

He managed to survive it; he had known long enough ahead for that. But he didn’t care to survive much longer than to see his daughter had survived, and as he listened to the fading chatter of encrypted military communication, he couldn’t hold back the smile on his face as he walked up out of his bunker. The nation had survived, and that was enough for him. All he could hope now was that the world his daughter would be able to see was better than this.

Year: 2090

A girl ran through the spotted glass hallways of the underground bunker, fear and pain obvious on her face, poorly hidden by the hazmat suit she was wearing. All around her, the people she had grown up with - her comrades, her friends - were dying, vomiting blood, clawing at the doors of the sealed hallways. She ignored them; she couldn’t look; she didn’t dare. She had to keep moving. The enemy had done this, she knew. They had developed a new weapon, something that was able to slip past their decontamination methods and infiltrate the bunker. She didn’t dare to think what would happen if she didn’t make it in time. She had to warn the rest of central command, every bunker she could. It wouldn’t matter if she died; she was always ready to sacrifice her life for her country. But she couldn’t let her comrades die in vain. She had been lucky enough to be outside the bunker when the weapon was released, she managed to get the distress call and sped back but she was too late, and somehow got infected herself.

 

Sprinting past the guards collapsed next to the heavy door, blood pooling out of their eyes and mouths, she said a silent prayer as she fumbled with her key card, the blood on her suit getting in the way as she waited, praying that the door wouldn’t fail. She had to get into the central chambers of the research bunker. If she didn’t, no that couldn’t happen, she would make it there, it was the only option. 

 

With a cough, she spat out a mouthful of blood, her vision growing hazy, but she couldn’t stop now. Even if she had to die, she would serve her country.. Seeing her senior collapsed in a pile of his own blood, clearly having failed the same journey as her, she shed a tear, but didn’t have time to care right now. All she had to do was make it further ahead.

 

Up ahead were the lights of the control room. She just had to make it there. That’s it. That’s all she had to do. Make it. One more step. One more foot forward. One more movement. Her mind started to collapse, an unbearable heat rising up in her brain as her thoughts began to slow, her body’s organs shutting down as blood poured out of her eyes.

 

One more movement. One more step. Soon she was in the control room, the holographic display already lit up with an emergency meeting, several rooms lit up from hundreds of bunkers that made up the nation she called home. There was only one problem: she did not see the steely resolute faces of her commanding officers or the gentle, gilded smile of the politicians. She saw ghastly faces, blood, death. Either the chairs were empty or they were empty of life. General Irons, the man who had reclaimed their island silos from the enemies who had fought so heartily on the wastelands above only a few years ago, was now slumped over in his chair, eyes hollow, his arms still partly holding his keycard. The others were not much better. Some foamed from the mouth; others held guns or other blunt objects, looking as if they had just fought off a beast, being covered in scratches and missing limbs. Every one of them still desperately clutching their key cards. And this is when she finally felt fear. Every one of them had the same thought as her. Looking at the holographic scene, she saw blankly floating on the screen was one message from the most honorable president, the one who had abolished the wasteful practice of voting: a single line of words, which cut off halfway through: “To any surviving members of the general staff for governing committee, my full powers will be automatically transferred to you. Do what you must for revenge. We will not go qui...”

 

The message was cut off. She didn’t see the president in his chair, but based on the blood staining the ornate control center, she knew he had faced the same fate as the rest of her superiors. Rage filling her heart, she opened up the blue control panel in front of her, furiously searching until she found what she was looking for: a series of files labeled under the “Phoenix project”. She knew she normally wouldn’t be able to do this, but she now had permission. And as the blood in her mouth started to fill her respirator, she knew she had to make this one last desperate move against her enemies, the hated enemy. One more step. One more button press. One more war. That’s all she wanted now. As the screen lit up confirming her entry, she began activating her final act of resistance as her body began to fail.

 

Her eyes growing heavy, she saw the final message from her program, her life’s work, the child she had been raising for almost her entire life: an AI which was meant to be her nation's future, to ensure that their nation would last forever. She would now use it for the one thing she had left to her.

 

It asked one question: “Creator, what is my purpose?”

 

Tearing off her mask, she coughed out blood and screamed, “Revenge”