THEREFORE I AM [Completed]

Prologue

Randeep Singh
Then, 2066

Popcorn, salt, peanuts, and sweat were the aromas in the atmosphere before Dr Randeep Singh was about to reveal the biggest innovation in world history. He hurriedly scraped white crumbs between his teeth as the thrum of conversation filled the room. After taking a quick sniff, he stroked his tongue across his pearly whites; this was top-notch stuff, he thought. After all, with funds from the most influential regions—Republic of Emmaus—it had been surprisingly easy to obtain the drug.

A weedy-looking man with a headset told Randeep it was T minus ten seconds. The man swiftly took the silver tray from him, scooping up remnants with his index finger. Randeep wiped his nose one more time as the doors slid open. The flood of light and sound was almost too much for him as he strode towards the centre of the stage with a cloaked contraption in tow. He stood for a while, waiting for his middle-aged eyes to adjust to the light. He could just about see enough to direct his showmanship towards some of the audience. Randeep smiled brightly, demanding the audience's attention as their furious chatter came to an end. Inside, he detested every single twat sat in those seats. The elite often left a distasteful tang on his buds.

The Republic of Emmaus was not his country of origin, but they paid him a big whack for the cells between his eyes, and the paycheque would give him joy in his mostly drab world. Emmaus rose from the bloodshed of a war-torn North and South America. The whole world was war-torn at this point; those who had enough adrenaline to attempt to fight became nothing more than barren lands. What were once independent countries are now a cluster of governors bound by the will of the Nations Concerted. It's an alliance that exudes a sense of freedom, peace, and tranquility, but it's heavily stained with oppression, violence, and greed. The wars came from the east, spread across Europe, and ran through the west, invading the planet like a disease. Governments that 'survived' pretended to be the antidote, but they were just empty needles, pricking their way into dead flesh. The United Kingdom took the full force and was instantly decimated for its rebellious acts against freedom. They lived on within Randeep; he had a particular fondness for their culture. Twats, he thought again; he quite liked their language too.

With a nose as thick as an elephant's trunk and a gum now numb, he began his pre-prepared speech. He let words flow from his mouth as he thought about how he would have preferred to die in the wars, but a sliver of hope lies in his creation. It has been seventeen years since the terrorist attack that sparked it all, an old VR game that you would plug yourself into and live out your dreams in a deep-sleep-like state. One spark of a computer virus, and it had wiped out more than one billion people across the globe. As you can imagine, the game was particularly popular among the children, and in the wars that followed, a large majority of the adults were done with. Industries collapsed, and countless families were broken. The people were not only mourning their families, they were mourning their lifestyle. The world needed more than just a makeover; the people needed friends and someone to have a coffee with—they also needed someone to make the coffee. Randeep felt his discovery would bring about the start of peace but also understood the complications that would fall along the way.

Artificial General Intelligence. A Deus Ex Machina for the sad plot of the planet, an android that will be more than just a tea-maid.

He will bring peace. Randeep thought... and eventually he will.