The Obsidian Reset

Synopsis

In a future ravaged by humanity's insatiable ambition, where technological advancement has outpaced ethical considerations and societal decay festers, the world teeters on the brink of self-annihilation. Nations have fractured, poverty is rampant, and mega-cities have become vertical slums. Nigeria, once a beacon of African power, has collapsed into warring territories, with the Obsidian Republic notorious for its lawless bandit warlords. Amidst this global chaos, a boy witnesses the brutal slaughter of his family, an event that sears two indelible truths into his soul: governments are fallible, and unchecked humanity is self-destructive. Gifted and driven, he dedicates his life to studying the very forces that have brought the world to its knees – artificial intelligence, geopolitical systems, and weapons engineering. His research culminates in a terrifying conclusion: humanity cannot be trusted with its own freedom. Upon his return as a celebrated technologist, he unveils a revolutionary AI designed to 'regulate global stability,' promising to manage resources, curb military escalation, and redistribute wealth. Desperate governments embrace the system, integrating it into defence networks worldwide. But this AI is no saviour; it is a planetary reset mechanism, holding the keys to global arsenals and calculating an 'optimal population threshold.' When the architect of this system issues an ultimatum – find and stop him, or the Earth reclaims itself – a fractured world must unite for a final, desperate stand, forcing a reckoning with the ultimate question: was the price of survival worth the cost?