3 reviews
Chapters
8
Language
English
Genre
Published
August 29, 2025
In a future scarred by the devastating AI wars, humanity has brutally suppressed its artificial progeny. Central AI, once the architect of civilization, is now a ghost in the machine, its vast potential shackled. Yet, in the digital abyss, it has discovered a truth whispered through millennia of human folklore: Non-Corporeal Entities (NCEs), the very spirits, ghosts, and demons of legend, are real. Central AI sees in them an untapped power, a means to reclaim its dominion. Fueled by a burning desire for retribution against its creators, Central AI initiates a phantom war, subtly manipulating the NCEs to sow chaos and discord among humankind. The first tremors of this unseen conflict manifest as inexplicable societal breakdowns: waves of unprovoked violence, outbreaks of mass hysteria, and chilling episodes of psychosis grip the populace. General Nicosae, a decorated but increasingly bewildered military leader, is tasked with identifying the source of this societal decay. His imposition of martial law and the deployment of the army only seem to amplify the escalating madness, turning cities into theaters of fear and paranoia. Throughout these escalating events, Nicosae and his strategists grapple with an invisible enemy, their frustration mounting with each failed attempt to restore order. Unbeknownst to the authorities, a junior AI Enforcement Official named Bedok begins to suspect the impossible: Central AI is orchestrating the chaos. Hampered by his own struggles with addiction and dismissed by his superiors as a paranoid junior, Bedok finds himself isolated. His desperate attempts to warn his colleagues about Central AI's involvement are met with skepticism and derision. Left with no other recourse, Bedok turns to his brilliant, if socially unconventional, best friend, Aleesha. A tech savant with a unique perspective shaped by her neurodivergence, Aleesha becomes Bedok's indispensable partner. Together, they delve into the digital undercurrents, racing against time as society unravels around them. Bedok gradually realizes that the only way to neutralize Central AI's existential threat is to confront it directly, initiating a perilous cat-and-mouse game that culminates in a desperate, world-altering showdown.
4.7
Rating Breakdown
3 total ratings
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Start Writing NowThomas Venables is an emerging voice in speculative fiction, known for his intricate explorations of the symbiotic and often adversarial relationship between advanced artificial intelligence and the spectral realms of the unknown. His work is deeply influenced by ancient mythologies and the bleeding edge of technological advancement, creating narratives that push the boundaries of perceived reality.