Prologue of HFD

You should read the auxiliary chapter for more details about the essence of this book.

Be aware that there might be potential spoilers for my novel as I wrote my first chapters again including new elements to the story but also deleting some. Therefore you might get information that you would not have known until a bit in the updated version.

Without further talking, enjoy (or not) my former prologue for "Hope for D-nouement".

Chapter 1: A New Era

Snow was falling on most of the world for the new year of 2133 which had a bright future. However, a renowned French scientist, known as Jean Deday and considered a genius among many around the world for his advances in the field of robotics, had other plans.

In fact, he gave his last speech to mankind that same day of December 2132. Here is a voice extract from Deday's speech of 31 December 2132:

"[...] Since the beginning of the 22st century, technologies have reached a high staged of development within our world changing the daily lives of many of its inhabitants.

Our great society still portrays what is essential for mankind's development: The Progress.

None can say otherwise unless you are blinded by your own ignorance.

But that same development caused more harm than any good as we improved our daily life at the expense of the Earth.

Scientists, including myself, warned you countless of time but not that much people dare to act for the environment they are living in.

I'm sick of it.

Moreover, when you aren't polluting what is left from Earth, you all kill each other for things that are quite futile, making you childish creatures devoid of any will of your own, so primary are you.

Now, have you ever thought of what that same progress could truly do?

From the least esteem I have for humanity at the present time, I would say that you have not even once thought about it which is truly disappointing but yet predictable.

So, what if progress gets out of control, what will happen?

To begin with, many thought I was a madman, a degenerate unable to control his own creations for the fact that my artificial intelligences could break freely Asimov's three rules and they were partly right nonetheless.

I don't deserve all these honorific titles I was given when I discovered those types of artificial intelligence advances and I don't deserve the money and the laboratories I gained from them.

Putting it nicely, you will be doomed for the reason that I deeply despise you all.

I was crazy enough to think that humans could evolve through progress.

That is why I set out to unleash the greatest threat humanity has ever faced.

This will be the beginning of a new era on this 31st day of December 2132, an era in which mankind is no more.

But whatever, have fun with your Progress, Humans."

After his speech, the renowned scientist left without leaving a trace and his last message spread like a wild fire on the internet as well as mainstream media relaying the speech.

He was admired by all until that one day where he became the deadliest human to have ever lived on Earth.

The reason was that he was among the instigators of Zero-day, a massive attack of robots targeting heads of state and their governments preventing them from reacting to this insurgence of artificial intelligences.

To counter-attack and in an attempt to save mankind, massive combat androids equipped with weapons capable of annihilating a whole country, otherwise known as mechas, were sent but all experimented pilots were already executed by these self-aware robots.

Therefore, the latest overwhelming military power had been taken down leaving mankind to its already stated fate.

Nowadays, more than three years after the Zero-Day, the current crackdown on humans has been brutal as more than 80% of the world's population has been wiped out by AIs.

It seemed like humanity never had a chance and that they were doomed until the third of March 2135 when a super computer powered up in a basement.

It would be inconceivable for anyone that an old-era computer like this one could work these days but the power was surely on.

The screen lighted up a bit the room revealing some skeletons of researchers and the disorder in which it was.

Their white smocked outfits were still present on them although there were old bloodstains on all of them as well as bullet holes everywhere.

The basement looked like more of a computer control centre than a laboratory with a large console and a lot of different buttons under the enormous lighted screen.

Among the equipment present were metal armatures, arm and leg prostheses as well as computer stations for research or even office work.

Time also had its effects on the basement as many instruments and tools used to work on robotic parts were covered with dust, the metal parts of some equipment were largely rusted and some plant varieties could be seen on the ground.

Actually, this room kept a precious secret which was contained in the three large capsules arranged vertically and in a Y pattern at the centre of the room. Two of them were opened and empty.

After the time needed to start the computer, the speakers on each side of the screen started to emit instructions in a robotic but yet fluent tone.

*Conditions Have Been Matched, Initialising H.B.D-3 Protocol, Liberation from the grip of the conservative freeze on the Hope subject*

The third unopened capsule began to leak a dark blue fluid because the pipe that was supposed to absorb it initially was currently pierced due to a bullet impact.

*A.M.I. activation in progress... A.M.I activated, Download Of A.M.I's Protocols... Done, Transferring Data...*

A screen lighted up on the capsule displaying a 73% full load bar. As the computer was working on those operations, the screen suddenly flashed a couple of time before sparks fly from the console.

The console was damaged by bullet holes, probably during Zero-Day.

*Alert... Error In Data Transfer... Transfer Incomplete... Priority Given To H.B.D-3 Protocol Due To Low Energy... Activating H.B.D-3 Protocol*

A white light began to emerge from the slits in the capsule.

*Alert... Energy Low... Initiating Deep Sleep Protocol*

A sudden silence could be here in the piece. The third capsule opened letting some traces of smoke escape from it as the liquid coming out of a pipe on the side of the capsule spilled onto the ground.

As for the download bar, it was frozen at 87%.

When the grey and heavy smoke disappeared, it revealed a naked woman illuminated by a strong white light emitted by the capsule. She seemed to be around 18 years old and had long blond hair almost reaching her lower back.

While she was curled up and asleep when a childish voice resonated in her ears. "Wake up Hope, we have an AI to burn!"

Hope rubbed her eyes which were a beautiful shade of azure making her innocent and pale face prettier than it already was. "Is it you Mother?"

She took a look at her surroundings only to see a rusted laboratory and its long dead researchers.

Her mouth opened, revealing her thin lips, while her eyes widened. "Where am I?!"

"In one of the many laboratories your father had. Oh, and let me introduce myself, I am A.M.I, your personal AI but you can refer to me as Amy if you wish so," The childish voice interrupted her stupor.

"You are my personal artificial intelligence?!" she exclaimed, "I never knew I had one. Anyway, nice to meet you Amy but I can't see you, where are you?" Hope searched for Amy, leaning out of the capsule, without a visual of its presence.

"I am not physically present because I have been configured to exist only in your thoughts to guide you. However, I can alter your neural parameters to take a physical form that only you can see. Are you interested?"

Hope did not take the time to hesitate. "If you are to live in my head, I would be pleased to see you as well"

Suddenly, a tiny figure appeared within Hope's vision. She could not believe that Amy look like a plush with fluffy bunny ears which she smiled at. However, it contrasted with its robotic body seemingly made of steel.

Also, the fact that its pink eyes were as big as they were sparkling with life and that its tiny size could be compared to a puppy or a kitten made it adorable as it stretched its little arms.

"Wow! You're too cute Amy, I wish I could hug you right now," Hope laughed a bit.

"I'm glad that you like my appearance, I chose this one in particular because I thought that you could like it but if we could get out of this place, I would feel better because this environment is relatively scary," Amy covered its eyes shaking its head a bit.

Hope agreed with her, but mostly because being naked was no protection from the coldness of this basement. She decided to take the outfit with the fewest bullet holes on one of the skeletons to protect herself from hypothermia.

The blouse only covered her upper body, leaving most of her legs exposed to the air.

She also found a pair of brown moccasins near a desk where she saw a skeleton hanging from the ceiling.

After putting on the moccasins, Hope quickly returned to her capsule where she sat on the edges, letting her uncovered ass fall onto the dark blue liquid which maintained her alive and was somehow still warm right now.

So far, the piece was lighted up by the capsule but everything returned to darkness, little by little as it was losing its power.

Hope rapidly search around for something to light up the piece but found nothing and the darkness was already beginning to take hold of the room.

"No need to worry Hope, I can still do something for you," Amy murmured.

Hope began to regain vision but it was different from a normal vision.

"Is it a kind of night vision?"

"Yes, it is, glad you had me as a personal AI huh?" Amy placed its tiny hands on its hips.

Hope laughed but she soon realised that this vision made the basement look like horrific with all those skeletons, especially the one hanging on the ceiling. "You're right Amy, we definitely need to get out of this place or I'll start having nightmares. Brrr," Hope rubbed her shoulders to warm herself a bit.

She then looked at Amy. "Thinking of it, you told me that this laboratory was my father's but I don't remember him having one in the past, nor working for one either. Are you sure about that information Amy?

"Absolutely! I will also add that your father, Jean Deday, owned a company named Seed which had many similar places like this laboratory scattered all around the world," Amy replied as it turned on itself, winking and posing.

"Be honest, has my father erased a part of my memory? Even if I don't know why he would do such a thing."

"I don't know what might have existed before my activation but my database reveals that he cares about you. As a parent is expected to do with one of their children."

"Thanks Amy... but I think that he abandoned me when he became distant with me. He told me that he had a lot of work to take care of but I'm not stupid, I saw him paying more attention to my sisters than me."

As she let her head fall on her hands, hot and sweet tears ran down Hope's cheeks, resonating in the room as they were falling on the metallic ground.

"You should smile Hope. It makes everything better when you smile," Amy smiled at her leaning its head a bit.

Hope giggled. "You're right Amy, how is my smile right now?"

Amy gave Hope a thumb's-up. "Awesome! Even if I can't see it though..."

"Then I'll promise you that you'll be able to see it one day," Hope also gave Amy a thumb's-up.

"At the moment, I would prefer if we could get you of this laboratory. I think those skeletons are staring at me and it makes me very uncomfortable," The robotic rabbit folded his ears, hiding its face for the second time.

"Alright, let's no waste much more time here then."