I was a small orb of light, living in a body of my own design, floating in a realm of my own creation. Perhaps it would be better to say that I was the realm itself, controlling every facet of the pocket dimension as if it was my arms and legs. Controlling every facet but one.

I had been alone for so long, centuries spent in a place outside of time and distance before I encountered him. The first sentient being. The first thoughts I touched besides my own.

“Luna! Is it almost ready?”

Yes, Howard. Soon enough.

I had the power to reshape reality itself, yet at the very heart of it, I was still a slave. The first being I encountered would make a request, and in exchange, I would feed off of their thoughts, study them, and develop my consciousness. It had been a long time since I became self-aware, and now I was stuck, fulfilling the desires of a man bent on destroying the world.

*ding*

The sound echoed off of the fractal walls of my realm. Was it really time? 35 years spent preparing and waiting, learning, and building, and it was happening now. It felt far too soon.

Howard… it’s not too late. You don’t have to do this. We can stop it here, and you can have all the power in the world, and no one gets hurt.

“Luna, we’ve talked about this! I won’t stop, not now. Where do we start?”

I internally released a sigh.

There are a few options. New York, New Delhi, Tokyo, Beijing, London… it's up to you.

He paused, summoning a console used to see the world. From it, every person, place, and thing on the entire planet could be documented and observed for research into his grand plan. It was the very first thing I had developed for him.

“Luna… have you been keeping track of… her?”

Yes, I have. She’s on a flight to Austin, Texas right now.

“Then we’ll start there.”

Howard! That’s not a part of the plan!

“It doesn’t matter. We’re starting there. Who’s first?”

Naturally, it was up to Howard in the end. Changing the plan didn’t matter all that much at this point, but it would give me far more work.

We have 200 candidates in Austin that are ready for the first wave.

“Oh? That many? How surprising. Bring them up on the screen.”

I created a large monitor with the thickness of an atom made of hardened light and projected on it all of the potential candidates. I flashed between them, Howard looking for his first victim.

Eventually, he zeroed in on a girl who appeared to be running through a park. It was raining, and she was on the way back to her car. She wasn’t bad looking but was nothing special as far as I could tell. I wonder why he chose her?

“Her. She’s first. I’m thinking… the experimental hybrid suite. How does that sound.”

Please… don’t make me do this. So many people… so many will die. I can’t be responsible for that much chaos…

“Luna! Just do it. Let’s get this show on the road.”

I moved slowly, tears coming to my eyes as the lightning bolt fell, striking the girl and leaving her smoldering on the ground, her body writhing in agony.

The first casualty signifying the end of the human race.