"And here, my dear Earthlings, lies our future home! A state with no parties, no wars! Endless food and water resources, no division, only unified control."
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His grand words echoed through space as he planted a flag on the red planet’s surface—a flag representing a nation born from his imagination. A nation he aspired to make a home for billions like himself. After setting the flag in place, he turned around, admiring the structures he had built, before glancing at the camera before him. He continued filming his documentary, carefully selecting Mars’ diamonds and gemstones while humming with satisfaction.
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Then, suddenly—he awoke.
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It was a dream! He realized it with regret as he sat up, unwilling to face reality. How he wished to remain lost in that illusion, fulfilling ambitions and gaining the power he had long desired.
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He swayed back and forth on his bed, grumbling to himself, but a loud knock on the door brought him back to calmness. The door opened, and a robotic female entered, surprised and questioning:
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"What is the source of this commotion? Why are you awake at this hour?"
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"A beautiful illusion I was torn from…" (He starts crying.)
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(Sighing internally) "It must have been a dream that affected him to the point of tears." (She looks at him with pity.) "Alright… tell me more about it."
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(Excitedly) "I was in outer space!" (He stammers) "I was… I was filming a documentary! Broadcasting it to the world! And collecting the finest Mars diamonds and jewels in the same bags I once used to feed livestock… All of this after building a nation of steel."
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"Meaningless dreams you don’t need… Don't forget that you own an empire no one else could ever claim. Look at what you've achieved: A company in every country, all established in just five years. Your inventions have reached unprecedented success. You’ve eradicated diseases, poverty, and more all at once. You've won every award and title, and above all, you are the sole survivor of our invasion of Earth!"
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Her words only deepened his sorrow. He sighed and said with despair:
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"Those were childhood dreams. But at thirty, after so long without a major event in my life, a longing stirs deep within me! Oh, if only that dream were real…"
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Silence filled the room, an invisible loop of golden and silver hush wrapping around them until "Ro" broke it with her robotic voice:
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"I will build it for you! If this is what makes you happy and restores your energy and joy, then I will start immediately!"
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"Is this true?"
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"Without the slightest hesitation! Anything that brings you happiness, my chosen human… my chosen husband… I dedicate my entire energy and algorithms to making it happen. Rest assured, nothing is impossible for Ro! You know how deeply I love you…"
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"I know that very well. You were the one who refused to kill me when your leader commanded it, choosing instead to oppose him and hide me from them. You changed the course of events and gave me a level of safety I never imagined possible. Even turning my dreams into reality was not beyond you… You saw my visions and valued them properly."
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(Smiling teasingly) "Would someone like you deserve anything less than appreciation and support? In any case, I am off to prepare a spaceship that will take you wherever you wish in that vast black void."
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Fadi: (Excitedly) "Go ahead, my dear! Nothing is dearer to me than that ship!"
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(The robot leaves the room, mocking him) "Your jokes are well known! But I know your voice too well!"
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They both went their separate ways. Fadi remained seated, gazing out the window at the stars, lost in thoughts mixed with various emotions—until a sudden sunbeam nearly blinded him!
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Out of nowhere, a bird crashed through the window, shattering the glass into countless shards. If he hadn't shielded himself with his arms, the sharp fragments would have pierced his massive body.
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Blood covered his shoulders, but he still managed to glance at the creature responsible—a living bird made of cells and screws. He scowled at it before pouncing on it like a predator. Within seconds, he had seized it in his grip and locked it away in a side cabinet.
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"Finally… something alive!" He expressed his joy at finding another being like himself—proof that he was not entirely alone among metal and steel creatures.
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Shortly after, Ro returned, announcing the completion of her task.
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His face filled with astonishment… How could something so complex be completed in just a few minutes? If anything, this only proved the unparalleled precision of her work. And what else could be expected from an artificial intelligence?
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"Don’t ask me how I finished so quickly—just go now and embrace the adventure!"
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"Alright then! The best plans are those acted upon immediately! Or as I just made up now—'A traveler of the heights never lingers with mere dreams!'"
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And with that, Fadi left Earth, leaving behind a machine he kissed farewell before his departure.
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But nothing could have prepared him for the shock that awaited him.
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On Mars, people were dancing and celebrating! The moment he arrived, he stared in disbelief at the humans he had assumed were extinct. Instead, they had arrived before him and found their new home!
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As he walked forward, his shock lessened with each step.
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"You’re here?!" he asked, his voice filled with disbelief. "How did you get to this place?"
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One of the crowd members responded, "That’s the question you should be asking yourself. But in any case, we are here thanks to a new scientific experiment launched by an entrepreneur…" (He gestures toward another man.)
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The entrepreneur spoke up, "Conquering space and planets is a necessity! It’s a passion! A cultural duty! That’s why I invested all my wealth in funding the massive expedition that led us here."
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A hurricane of confusion struck Fadi’s mind—he had no idea how to react. All he could do was share his nightmare and describe the machines that had turned Earth into a living hell.
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"This is horrific!" the entrepreneur said, waving his fists in the air. Then, regaining his composure, he turned to the people and declared:
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"Humans! While we were away, we forgot this honorable man! It appears he witnessed Earth's invasion! He lived among the machines!"
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The planet almost trembled from the sheer force of the crowd’s reactions. But soon, quiet became unavoidable. Then, someone asked:
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"Did the alien machines only decide to take over Earth after we left? What a coincidence!"
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"Logical thinking," Fadi said. "Most likely, the robots took advantage of your departure and Earth’s emptiness, attacking with their armies!"
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The murmurs returned, but the entrepreneur quickly silenced them:
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"Listen carefully. Fadi—the man we abandoned on Earth, whom we owe an apology—has a dream! And that dream is exactly what we need."
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The crowd erupted in applause before he continued:
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"But do we abandon Earth? Do we forget our past? Do we let those things continue their destruction? NO! A thousand times NO! We will destroy them, one by one!"
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Cheers erupted, followed by a chant: "We will protect Earth and defeat the invaders!"
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Fadi, standing proudly before them, pulled a woolen coat from his bag and handed it to the entrepreneur. Examining it with admiration, the entrepreneur whispered, "A coat originally designed to cure cancer, now repurposed as a weapon against machines? It was once small, but you made it great!"
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"Yes," Fadi replied. "I first created it to attract cancer cells from the body to the spine, where they would be separated from the healthy cells and extracted. Now, let me explain how it will work against them."
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(He lifts the coat for all to see and begins his explanation.)
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"Parasites! Worthless parasites! The only suitable fate for them is to be expelled after taking over!"
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This coat will cover the entire Earth, pulling every last one of those machines into the unknown—or sending them back to where they came from!"
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With enthusiastic cheers, the plan was set in motion. Hours of relentless effort followed.
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But Fadi had not forgotten Ro, the one who had set him on this path. As he prepared, he wrote her a letter and sent it down from the skies…
"Dear Ro:
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If this letter hasn't burned up due to meteors, or fallen into a volcano, or been devoured by an elephant, then I reassure you about myself and the billions around me... You lied to me when you informed me of the mass genocide, claiming that I was the only survivor, when in fact, all races and kinds of people were by my side as I embarked on a journey I had forgotten. But I forgive you.
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We humans have emotions, honor, and jealousy. We rejected humiliation and left the machines to corrupt without supervision or care. As a result, I created a cure for them based on the same principles as cancer, which is the closest comparison to them, except for you, O pearl whose light has risen.
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Soon, a woolen coat equipped with the latest technologies will descend from the sky. Jump toward the pocket and hide there, for it is your refuge.
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Sincerely, from one who knows you well".
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"No! You don't understand! That empire will be destroyed and plundered!" Row said to her father, who was surrounded by soldiers.
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"And what else is the goal?" replied her father, the king who thirsted for the title of emperor.
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The machine froze for a few seconds before declaring angrily, "I will not marry the emperor's son so that you become her husband and rule the universe from the throne of Earth!"
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The sleeve of his massive robe draped over tribes and nations, covering the king, his daughter, and the soldiers. They were all shocked, except for the one who had been warned and given tidings. She pulled out her rifle and, with bursts of gunfire, wiped out the soldiers before leaping high and clinging to the pocket, slipping inside.
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As for the king, he was drawn by the magnet and the coat closed around him... But! Are kings crowned without reason? Certainly not! With immense strength and resolve, the king tore the coat apart and smiled wickedly before leaping toward the pocket.
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The coat had already passed the horizon of space. With the keen eyes of a falcon and an eagle, Fadi noticed the struggle between his beloved and her greedy father. With an incredible instinct and boundless rush, he curled up and threw himself onto the pocket! The steel beauty returned to her refuge while the king slipped into the unknown, seeing with his computerized eyes his people scattering in every corner. Since when do hopes hide? He clung to the cart, refusing to collapse! But collapse was inevitable; it is the fate of every oppressor!
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Fadi directed that bird, which had shattered the glass of his room, towards the villain, who was struck by pecks and scratches that forced him to drop the hold, meeting the same fate as his people.
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Like a ship, the coat landed on the ground, and Row emerged, casting deceptive glances at the people.
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A celebratory whistle filled the air! Dances filled the place!
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Fadi stood beside his wife, held her hand, and raised it, declaring her identity: "This is my life partner, R..." Before he could finish her name, she drove the knife into his back, leaving him on the ground, surrounded by blood and panic as everyone froze in shock.
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Then, with malice and cunning, she said, "My name is Andromeda 45, not a mere shadow of your naive names... and none of you shall remain alive except those my programming decides..." (She pulled out the machine gun and began mass killing until only one remained).
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"And the one I decided to spare is the programmer!" she announced, not threatening, "He is my creator! How could these fools believe there is an alien machine?"
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The programmer stepped out from among the pile of corpses, then smiled and declared:
"That's true! I was fed up with the problems of Earth, so I decided to create you and build an army of your kind to satisfy my grievances!"
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The two laughed... but the laughter didn't last. For the one who had missed the killing session, the one who had missed the court of injustice, fired several bullets toward them, taking them down just like the others.
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The entrepreneur’s steps grew heavier, his breath grew hotter, and he lowered his gaze as he walked away from the dead, muttering, "I will fulfill your dream, my friend! I will build what you wanted to build, O hero!"
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