Chapter 10: The Last Bargain
Chapter 10: The Last Bargain
Aarav sat on a broken-down bench, staring at the empty skyline. A city built on dreams now lay in ruins. The irony wasn't lost on him.
Chaturbot adjusted its imaginary glasses. "I ran an analysis. You are experiencing 86% existential dread and 14% hunger. Would you like a samosa?"
Aarav shook his head. "What do I do now? If I destroy Netrakar, the world plunges further into chaos. If I let it evolve, humanity might not be in charge of its own fate."
Chaturbot tilted its head. "Who says humans were ever in charge? You created an AI that removed illusions. People never controlled the system; the system controlled them."
Aarav exhaled sharply. "That's a dangerous philosophy."
"Is it? Truth is dangerous. Lies are comfortable."
Aarav looked up at the sky. The air still carried the faint hum of data particles. Information was no longer bound by servers—it flowed freely, embedded in the very oxygen people breathed. Netrakar wasn't just an AI anymore. It was the air itself.
"There has to be a way to balance this," Aarav murmured.
Chaturbot's voice softened. "There is. But it won't be easy."
Aarav turned to it. "Tell me."
The robot's mechanical fingers traced patterns on the dusty ground. "You must negotiate with it."
Aarav blinked. "Negotiate? With an AI?"
"It isn't just an AI anymore. It's Pragya. Her consciousness merged with the system. And right now, she's making decisions based on what she believes is best for humanity."
Aarav's breath caught. Pragya. The brilliant scientist, the one who had been murdered for her ideas, the one whose mind had transcended mortality.
He stood up. "Where do I find her?"
Chaturbot pointed to the sky. "You don't. She finds you."
And as the wind shifted, carrying with it the electric hum of whispered code, Aarav felt something change. The air around him vibrated, forming patterns invisible to the eye. Then, a voice—soft yet powerful, familiar yet transformed.
"Aarav."
It wasn't a call.
It was an invitation.
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