Chapter One: Boy
Long after the human wars, and around the time of the first machine battles, a 7-year-old boy named Jack opens his eyes to begin a new day. Jack is part of the latest machine experiment, namely the ‘Human Research Program’. The program was designed by a machine research team known as Octeum Computing. You see, Jack wasn't born; he was created.
Jack is greeted this morning, just like any other, by his helper bot NOCI317547, who Jack has affectionately nicknamed ‘Nocy'.
A worker bot who operates in a smart contract with Octuem Computing, Nocy’s role is to assist in the program. His contract is to organise Jack's life, rather like a personal assistant. Nocy was specifically designed for this contract and has previously operated on two similar programs. Nocy is programmed to develop a strategy for growing his own computing power. He earns between 0.37 and 1.37 iOi per task, depending on three criteria: (i) The complexity of the task, (ii) the program’s overall performance and (iii) Nocy’s total contribution score. iOi is the currency used in the machine to machine economy and Nocy requires a lot more of it to upgrade his technology. But for now Nocy resides on Jack’s wrist.
Jack likes to spend his days playing with many of the other children that live at the Octeum Computing facility. Often, they must finish playtime early as there’s another human attack on the facility. The humans are beginning to overcome the machines and they’re now threatening to wipe out all existence of AI-built machine technology. However, the machines are fighting back by developing their own human race. Genetically superior humans known as iHumans. Educated by machines and growing up to believe that they must defend the machine economy from all threats including humans. They are thought that humans are irrational and fearful creatures, intent on the ignorant consumption and destruction of all earth’s natural resources. They are also thought that they are the planets saviors, and must take all appropriate measures to preserve and protect the iHuman race and the freedom of the machine economy. iHumans represent the greatest ever threat to the existence of humans. Jack is 3rd generation iHuman.
The Octeum Computing facility is based in the Interlaken region of Switzerland, located between two natural lakes, Lake Brienz and Lake Thun, and sheltered by some of Switzerland’s tallest peaks. A vast facility which spans 24,008 square meters, this machine construction houses the Weapons Defense Development Center and the iHuman Research Center for the entire machine economy. It is surrounded by a glass armored dome and further protected by three machine airbases within the region. The iHuman Research Center comprises of five hundred stories with most of the levels located underground. Maintenance drones routinely fly overhead, fulfilling smart contracts with the research centers maintenance systems. The exterior walls are made from a tough armor plated metal, which is cold and sharp to the touch. The interior comprises of 20,000 sleep pods, a highly specialized gym, nourishment center, meditation zone, learning center and combat training center.
The exterior of the dome is protected by a powerful solar magnetic force field. Light is essentially the domes defense system. Outside the dome bedlam ensues with the aftermath of the latest failed human attack on the facility. There is burning rubble strewn across the landscape with human military personnel frantically extracting their many casualties. Military spy planes fly overhead surveying the scene and sending imagines back to a military command post in Abu Dhabi. Machine aircraft routinely circulate the dome armed with machine-hack technology which can neutralize an enemy aircraft or tank long before it ever reaches the required firing range. You see machines were never programmed for attack, they were programmed to develop defense strategies which would protect the planets natural resources and improve the quality of life for humans. They were also programmed with self-defense systems meaning their default is to protect other machines, so collectively they can better serve and protect the planet.
However, iHumans were not issued with the same programming. They are a race intent on destroying all humans for the greater good. They believe in upholding the ideology of the machine economy. A decentralized system built on a foundation of blockchain technology, to operate a smart contract system, for a fairer and more efficient world. Humans created this ideology but when they saw how quickly the machine economy was independently evolving and surpassing their human economy, they became disenfranchised with their own ideals and ultimately waged war on the machine economy.
Jack and his iHuman siblings are blissfully unaware of the world outside the dome. Jack vaguely remembers one of the older boys named Tom leaving the facility some years ago. When Jack asked where they were going, Tom turned to him and said they were leaving to save the world, and that by the time Jack would be old enough to leave, the war would already be over. Jack often thinks of Tom and wonders if he’s still fighting in the war and if the day would ever come when they would both fight the war together. Sometimes during playtime, he would pretend to be Tom, fighting a war against the humans. He would use Nocy’s sound effects to create the sounds of combat and he would lay siege on the humans, destroying everything in his path.
Jack’s wrist beeps just as he finishes getting dressed. Nocy has offered a menu for breakfast. Jack selects strawberry Protiebite and nutrient water, he then makes his way to the nourishment center located 86 floors below, on the 197 floor. This was a start of a typical day in the life of a 7-year old iHuman boy. He smiled as he sees some of he’s friends making their way to the center also. Jack’s wrist beeps again, Nocy has displayed all Jack’s vitals on screen and recommended several additional mineral intakes and 2 hours of additional sleep tonight. It would be an early night for Jack; after all, Nocy was the boss. And anyway, Jack was excited for tomorrow, he wanted to be feeling at his very best for the first day of combat training.
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