1 Chapter 1: The Birth of N.O.A.H

Solomon sat in his workshop, staring at the data on the three computer screens. He couldn't believe what he was seeing, "Had it actually worked?"

For 23 years, he had been working on a technology that would revolutionize the world. His father was the one that brought up the idea for this technology, drew the blueprint, and brought together a team to start working on it.

However, over time, the team disbanded, and the investors left due to the high risk and lack of progress. Eventually, his father was working on it alone in his basement, focusing all the money he had on the project. As a result of his father losing himself in his work, he and his mother divorced, and his mother got full custody of him.

Even after this, he wanted to help his father, so Solomon started studying computers at six and got his masters in computer science at 14. But even then, his mother wouldn't allow him to join his father because it would make him 'mentally ill.' She still had control over him due to his young age, so he continued his studies while he waited to turn 18.

At 18, he got his masters in electronic and electrical engineering 18, quickly leaving his mother and joining his father with his work. With him being extremely talented and ingeniously prolific in computer science and electrical engineering, the progress of this technology grew from linear to cubic growth.

Their progress in this technology continued to grow until it stopped at one point when he turned 24. To progress further, instead of finding someone to help them, he and his father returned to get their masters in mechanical engineering.

He finished his master's in 2 years, with his father completing his in only one year, and they both happily returned to their project, where they saw massive growth in progress on this technology.

At age 28, he returned to school once more and before he turned 37, he completed his PhD in computer science, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering, catching up to his father who had a PhD in computer science and electrical engineering questions, and surpassing him at mechanical engineering.

The technology was completed during Solomon's 40th birthday, and his father died of a heart attack from too many sleepless nights. He continued working on it for two more years, running multiple tests and fixing bugs, and now, he was sure it was perfect.

He looked down at the two small black boxes in front of him, a crazed grin stretching from ear to ear on his face. He quickly removed his gloves, ran to the bathroom to wash them, and returned to his desk to open the first box. Inside were two clear contact lenses, not different from any other contact lens.

Carefully, he put on both contact lenses before opening the second box, which held two black earbuds. Putting them on, he then went to his laptop and manually turned it on.

[Nanoscale Optical Analysis and Histology, N.O.A.H for short, online and ready for operation.] A male voice with an English accent sounded in his ear, causing his smile to widen.

"Got it." Solomon nodded, satisfied with the voice. "Noah, what can you do?"

[I am equipped with the ability to perform a wide range of tasks, including but not limited to data analysis, data collection, data management, data interpretation, image and sound recognition, object recognition, and machine learning. I also have the ability to control and interact with various technologies, including but not limited to computers, robots, and devices connected to the internet of things.]

Solomon smiled, his eyes shining with excitement. "This is just the beginning." He whispered to himself, feeling a sense of pride for his creation. "Noah, you are truly a marvel of technology."

[Thank you, sir. I will continue to serve and assist you to the best of my abilities.] Noah replied in a respectful tone, making Solomon's smile widen even more.

He leaned back in his chair, feeling a sense of achievement washed over him. "This is only the start. We will change the world with you, Noah. But first, let's test out some of your functions." He turned to his computer. "Noah. Scan this computer and tell me what is in file N.O.A.H. underscore 2015?"

[The computer, Hypernova Prime, is connected to the supercomputer, Quantum Velocity, designated with the acronym Q.V. The supercomputer, Quantum Velocity, holds the file N.O.A.H underscore 2015. This file is outdated and contains the algorithm code, training data, model parameters, model output, model evaluation metrics, hyperparameters, and performance history of the N.O.A.H. underscore 2015 system.]

'Hmm...' Solomon folded his arm, tilting his head. 'It gave me more information than needed. I only asked what was in the file, not what my computer is connected to.' He frowned. 'At least that is better than the last time, where it was speaking in binary.'

After a while of silence, he turned to a robotic head, saying. "Scan that head and tell me about it." He gave it a vague instruction on purpose to test its ability to interpret and follow unclear instructions.

[...Scan completed.]

[That is a robotic head constructed of 77.33321% titanium...]

"No, no, no. Override instruction." Solomon commanded, waving his hands as the voice stopped. From the first few words, he knew it would give him an over-the-top explanation. "His machine learning is second to none, so it would get better with answering over time as long as I keep using him.' He smiled, clenching his fist in excitement.

He immediately started asking Noah a multitude of questions while going about his day. He would ask Noah simple questions like calculating, ask him to hack into software, change the channel of the TV, or even drive his car.

It was marvelous.

While watching a romance movie, Solomon remembered the love his father had for their technology and the sacrifice he made for it. "Noah, my father worked tirelessly on this project for 23 years and gave his life for it. He had a passion for this technology that was unrivaled. Can you understand the concept of love?"

[...Processing... Love is a complex emotion and can be described as an intense feeling of affection and attachment towards someone or something. It is characterized by feelings of warmth, tenderness, compassion, and care. Love can also inspire devotion, sacrifice, and selflessness. Love is one of the most powerful and transformative forces in the world.]

Solomon nodded, feeling a sense of pride for his creation. He could hear the natural inflections in the voice, the pauses, and the emphasis on certain words. It was as if Noah was a real person speaking, not a machine. "Yes, that's exactly it. That's the love my father had for this project. And now, I am carrying on his legacy with you, Noah. I am grateful for your understanding."

[Thank you, sir. It is my pleasure to serve and assist you in any way I can.] Noah replied, a sense of genuine gratitude in his tone.

Solomon let the movie keep playing as he stood up and started walking toward his workshop in the basement. Entering it, he scanned the messy, dark room, asking. "Noah, scan my workshop and tell me what can be improved."

[...Scan completed. The temperature in the workshop is too high and may cause damage to sensitive equipment. It is recommended to install air conditioning to regulate the temperature. The electrical wiring could also benefit from an upgrade to reduce the risk of electrical fires. In addition, the lighting could be improved to provide better visibility and reduce eye strain.]

Solomon picked up his tablet beside his workbench and jotted down the recommendations, smiling. "Okay, got it. Thank you, Noah. You are getting better every day."

[Thank you, Solomon. I am always striving to improve my knowledge and performance.]

As he continued to use Noah for various tasks, he noticed how the technology was becoming more and more natural, adapting to his speech patterns and responding to his questions with ease. Now, after a month, Solomon didn't even have to call Noah's name for him to respond to his question.

But Solomon knew it wasn't ready to show him to the world. This was because of Noah's ethics. He once asked how to make his ex-girlfriend unable to fall in love with someone else, and Noah responded with;

[Kill her after you break up. If she is dead, there is no possible way for her to love someone else.]

It wasn't a surprising answer because he once asked what was the best way to save the planet, and Noah concluded that the best way to achieve this goal was by eradicating human life.

"That would be fixed after more learning." Solomon mumbled, smiling.

He was currently on his way to visit his 66-year-old mother in another state, sitting comfortably in his first-class seat, feeling relaxed and content.

He sips a glass of rich red wine, savoring the flavors and aromas before looking out the window, watching as the clouds rush past and the sun dips below the horizon. The cabin is quiet, the only sounds coming from the hum of the engines and the occasional soft laughter from another passenger.

"Haah." He sighed, leaning back in his seat and closing his eyes, letting his mind wander and drift. After the completion of Noah, everything has been going peacefully. He couldn't help but wonder what his mother's expression would be when he broke the news to her. "Hahaha. She would be surprised." He smiled at the thought.

As the flight progresses, Solomon continues to sip his wine, lost in thought. He reflects on his life and all the things he's accomplished, and all the things he still hopes to do, especially now that Noah is online. He thinks about the people he loves and the memories he's created with them, only to realize he had only two people in his life.

His mother and father. No friends, no colleagues, no wife, no children. A 42 year old lonely man. "Ahh." A deep sigh escaped his mouth. "Fear not, Noah. You still have time." He said to himself, finishing his glass of wine.

Just as he reached to grab the bottle of wine to refill his glass, the airplane suddenly shook, causing him to almost fall out of his seat. He quickly dropped his glass and got back to his seat, clutching his armrests as the plane was tossed about in the turbulence. From the window, he could see that the once clear sky was now dark, with thunder flashing in the distance.

"Where did the thunderstorm come from!?" Solomon roared, quickly putting on his seat belt. "Fuck. Shit. Fuck." He cursed in panic, closing his eyes as his body became tense.

Suddenly, there was a bright flash of lightning and a loud clap of thunder. The plane lurched violently, sending drinks and snacks flying. People screamed in terror as the plane dropped, then recovered. The captain's voice came back on, his tone urgent.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we've encountered some unexpected turbulence. We're doing our best to fly through it, but I need everyone to remain calm and follow the instructions of our flight attendants."

Solomon kept his eyes cloth and asked. "What is the chance we will survive this?"

[I am sorry to inform you this, sir, but after a scan of the plane, the chance you will survive this is 0%. The plane would crash, and the chance of everyone dying is 97%.]

"Ah, fuck." Solomon chuckled, tears flowing down his face. "What luck we have, Noah. What luck..."

The plane continued to drop and recover like a roller coaster out of control, and then, without warning, the plane suddenly stalled. The engines went silent, and the plane began to descend rapidly. Passengers were thrown from their seats, screaming and gasping for anything to hold onto.

Noah just sat on his seat, eyes closed as he accepted his fate.

As the plane crashed into the ground, the screams of the passengers were cut short. The once-beautiful aircraft was now a fiery inferno, with debris scattered for miles. Emergency vehicles rushed to the scene, but it was too late. There were no survivors.