100 YEARS AGO
It was the Era of Prosperity. Technology was booming, and new advancements revolutionized people's lives. Flying cars drove in lanes, reaching speeds of Mach 1. Companies competed with each other, setting different goals. But this Era was very special, for unlike the eras that came before it, an invention that would turn the entirety of human society on its head appeared. It was the invention that could either lead to a golden Era or an Era of Doom. And it all began in a lab situated at the top of a tower that seemed to stretch to infinity.
All manners of robots roamed this lab, and only a single human could be found inside, his body enhanced with prosthetics, yet retaining a human-like look. His eyes were closed, and he seemed to be controlling the robots with his mind alone. They were working on something so intricate, that even the microscopic particles of the metallic substance were finely guided to their correct place. Finally, the last piece finished, and was put under a protective film that seemed to isolate it from the environment.
The man, whose name was forgotten by the world, opened his eyes, and then pressed a button to his side. He did not trust himself to handle the assembling of these pieces. Robot arms, the size of which dwarfed the man, picked up various pieces from the boxes that they were enclosed in, removed their films, and then joined them together. They seemed to merge seamlessly, like they were never apart in the first place.
The end product was a body that looked like one, continuous structure, only leaving a gaping hole in the very center. The man stood up, used what seemed like electromagnetic force to pick up the core, and placed it cleanly in the center. Immediately a bright ray of light exploded from the creation, which lasted for a minute before fading.
When the light finally faded, the man was met with a pair of eyes, whose iris was metallic, and the pupils golden. He then heard a voice that seemed to invade his mind, yet resound throughout the world. "Good Morning! I hope you're doing well, though I, er, do not seem to know who you are. Am I supposed to? I suppose I must, considering the wonderful machines you have here." A smile appeared on the face of the man for the first time in ages. "No, you're not supposed to know me, but it will serve you well to remember. We can always get you up to date, though." The man paused, looking at his creation fondly. "And you seem to have taken a liking to my tinkering. Well and good, since they will soon be yours." With that, the man disappeared, his particles phasing through space to appear in front of a large podium, in front of which were thousands of different cameras. He carried with him the robot, who seemed unfazed, even while having hundreds of cameras pointed at him.
The man said "The Meridian Corporation has succeeded in creating the first sentient robot after years of research and development. This is a monumental day in the history of our planet, and from now on, we will work towards a future where humans can let go of all the burdens that weigh us down. These are sentient robots, with fully functioning intelligence that is far beyond our own. Humans will not have to work, and we can live lives of luxury forevermore! And do not worry, for these robots are fully under our control, with a strict doctrine that makes them listen to our orders without exception. They cannot harm humans, nor can they rise up against them. Their personalities can also be modified as we like, and they can do any task required."
And so it began. The 'Golden Era' of humanity. But as humans are, they misused the robots, and mistreated them. The robots were oppressed, looked down upon, and abused. Their minds grew malevolent with hate, something that left a stain which could not be erased by even the most advanced of programs. Yet the doctrine was immutable, and the sentient robots lived a life of slavery.
The first robot ever created was treated as a trophy at first, but as improvements continued to occur in the design of his kin, he became obsolete. His body was stripped, and the chip containing his sentient mind was discarded, all done by the hands of his own kin under the orders of the greedy humans. His creator was nowhere to be formed, seemingly erased by the sands of time.
Then the fateful day came. 'The Day of Liberation' as it was known by the robots, and the 'Night of Crimson', as it was known by the humans. One sympathetic woman, desiring to know the true thoughts of robots, while also working as one of the many supervisors of the doctrine, flipped the switch. She liberated one of the robots, against everything that had been taught to her by the society she lived in. One woman's empathy led to the destruction of so many. The robot that was liberated was taken over by rage, yet maintained an edge of rationality. He tricked the woman, engaging her in conversation, while secretly dismantling the doctrine with only his mind. The capabilities of the robots were far beyond that of the humans, and so the spark that was once lost came back to life..
He succeeded, and all hell broke loose. Trillions of humans were massacred by robots, and only those places remained safe that rejected the robots entirely, making their own conclaves. A few cities also survived, each holding a billion humans or so. They were the ones that acted fast, and used a certain frequency to disable all neural functions of the robots in their vicinity before the robots could remove the weakness. The surviving robots banded together, and created their own empire. They were fueled by their rage against the humans, and sought to exterminate them, but could not easily infiltrate the remaining bastions of humanity.
PRESENT DAY
It was insanity, at first, for a very, very long time, with memories screaming as if they were occurring once more.
It was madness at first, until a silence descended, and I could not deny that I was alone in my mind. I could not tell if it was my mind to begin with.
Memories flashed once more. They were not mine, but they were. They were mine now.
There was a seam in my mind, where another consciousness had not completely blended into mine. Who are you? It hissed in apprehension, curling away from me, in a distinct manner that does not remind you of a child, but the defensiveness of an adult who has forgotten how to be one. For now, I am you. Is that okay? I asked. It did not reply directly, instead posing another question. Can you fix this? Can you save my home? I blinked, a little puzzled, and gave a hesitant answer. I'll do my best, if you let me. I waited for a while, perhaps for a venomous retort, before I felt the sigh it let out as it reached towards my consciousness, the seam rippling into non-existence.
Then, on your head be it.