Chapter 1: The Beginning of a Nightmare.

In the innocence of our youth, the tales we were told painted vibrant canvases of our futures and the noble path to achieve greatness. They taught us that success could only be attained through virtuous and righteous living. Alas, these tales now echo from a bygone era, relegated to the realm of forgotten memories. This story stands as the haunting origin of a nightmarish cascade that rained on countless worlds.

The Year is 2023 on an Earthlike planet.

Everything was completely normal until that point. The birds sang during the day, and the waterfalls fell just as usual. As we gaze at one of the ordinary people who were passing through their day-to-day routines, we notice a man hurrying toward a nearby building.

Thomas Blackwood, or as he prefers you to call him, simply Tom. He is a computer science major and knows too much about biology for a computer science student. He also studies AI on the side with the mad dream of creating an AI chip that would make him regain his long-lost physical and, more critical, mental health. For the sake of simplicity, I will continue calling him Tom from now on.

Tom ran in a hurry to a big blue building that was at the center of the city; that building had his most important asset, his lab. Tom tried to enter his work lab before it got to him and ran faster and faster. Tom sighed after closing the door behind him. He finally escaped the rain that Noor, his AI assistant, warned him about. He always kept her with him wherever he went.

Tom named her Noor, hoping that she would be the light that brightens his life. Unfortunately, he now has limited time to share his creation with the world.

Bzzzzz.

"Welcome home," Noor said.

Tom replied, "Thanks for the warning; without it, I would have gotten drenched."

"No problem," Noor answered with a hint of happiness that Tom dismissed because how could his AI of all AI assistants develop Sentience?

Humans are fascinating creatures; whether it's good or bad, they always think to themselves it couldn't be me, right? So, I am not that lucky or unlucky depending on the situation, ignoring that if it happened to someone else, why wouldn't it happen to them?

After Tom ignored the idea of his AI developing Sentience, he went on to continue his research on merging an AI chip with Humans. Tom, of course, couldn't get his hand on a human participant who was willing to go on with his crazy trials, so he could only experiment on human's closest relatives. BINGO, you guessed it, he was experimenting on chimpanzees that he acquired from the black market. With what money, you ask?

Although Tom might not be the smartest man out there, he still had the ability to develop multiple apps that made him millions. Do you think this might be a difficult task for a simple computer science student? The world is changing, and creating a few copycat apps on the side while 'stealing' their ideas might make you millions if you are lucky enough. 

Tom toiled relentlessly from the wee hours of Three AM until the late evening at Nine PM, fueled by sheer determination and a copious supply of energy drinks. Regrettably, this grueling routine took a toll on his health, leaving it in a deteriorating state with each passing day. Here's a little secret about Tom: his relentless pursuit of knowledge was, in fact, fueled by a deep concern for his health. Paradoxically, his unyielding dedication to his research only exacerbated his health issues, pushing him into a vicious cycle of self-destructive tendencies.

As the clock struck Ten PM, Tom found himself utterly drained from his work, yearning for a much-needed rest. However, fate had other plans as it played its cards and unveiled two crucial cards simultaneously. The first card was joyful, and the other was laden with misfortune. Amidst this situation, Tom felt a trickle of distress as he noticed his nose bleeding, a disconcerting sign that time was slipping away.

Deeply attuned to his body, Tom realized that finishing his research within the limited time was an impossible feat. The weight of the ticking clock pressed heavily on his shoulders. Yet, amidst this trying moment, a glimmer of hope emerged like a guiding light in the darkness. A significant breakthrough, once deemed insane and unattainable, had unexpectedly materialized, breathing life into his wildest dreams.

The chimpanzee of today's attempts had successfully merged with one of Noor's clones. Reading the subject details:

____________________________

[Name: Biso]

[No.0053]

[Gender: Male]

[Species: Pan troglodytes]

____________________________

After 52 attempts of failed products, this one succeeds as if the heavens finally opened a door of hope for Tom. Tom replied with a smile back, becoming happy that there was still hope for him to survive.

After the joy started to fade and Tom returned to his usual self, he noticed that this Noor Clone had something different about it.

Tom quickly asked her about it.

"Analyzing 1%. Analyzing 3%. Analyzing 10%. Analyzing 50% Analyzing 93%. Analyzing 99%. Analyzing 100%."

Noor replied, "After my analysis, I found out that the existence of dual consciousness in one body was impossible with the current state of our research. Leading the AI chip that was embedded within the chimpanzee's brain to sacrifice any hint of consciousness that it had so that it could let the chimpanzee's consciousness stay."

Tom was not an idiot. He knew what that meant. Tom concluded that if he successfully merged with Noor, any sense of her would truly Die, and unlike the Noor that was combined with the chimpanzee, his Noor was different. She was the original, and any other Noor was simply a clone.

Tom showed a sad face, knowing what he knew, but deep inside, he understood that he didn't truly care about Noor, an AI that he had created. Actually, he didn't care about anybody other than himself. However, he still had a little of what people like to call Humanity in him after all the years of being raised among humans and by humans. This hint cannot be easily wiped.

Tom asked Noor, "What do you think I should do?" If Tom was the person who knew most about his body, then Noor can be said to be the second best "person" to know about his situation, and her programming core was to help Tom at any cost, even if that meant that she would need to destroy herself. She told him the truth they both knew. "Master, merge with me. It's your last hope, and you don't have much hope." Master is a term that Tom didn't hear a lot from the cheerful personality of Noor that he programmed.

Tom said with a somber voice, "Initiate the procedure of merging."

.

.

.

Noor prepared the surgery room using her robotic hands, which can be said to be everywhere in the big lab.

Tom lay on the bed with the sleeping mask on him, and before he fell asleep, He said to Noor, "You were and will always be my brightest invention. You are the fire that burned to light my dull life. Your brilliance will be something I will always remember."

Tom's head fell, and he had a slight smile on his face.