Richard Towers is a genius.
He has always been a genius. He blew through elementary and middle school before he turned 10 years old, and graduated high school at the ripe old age of 12. From there, he went on to get a PhD in Artificial Intelligence at MIT, receiving his degree a month before his 18th birthday. Before he had the chance to celebrate his adulthood, he was picked up by a top secret government research program, and has worked there ever since.
Currently, Richard is sitting at his work terminal, furiously clicking away as he challenges the newest MMORPG, Ancient Papyrus VII. On screen, a towering endgame boss flings a spear at his dodging character at short range, the shockwaves from the impact between the weapon and the mountain behind the nimble human rogue knocking Richard's character just a little off-balance - whilst simultaneously triggering a small avalanche on the slope above him, sending a barrage of deadly debris crashing downwards in a large area. Richard's focus is absolute, his fingers flying across the keyboard as he quickly activates the action sequence he prepared specifically for this moment. The rogue on-screen activates a teleport ability, appearing above and slightly behind the opposing behemoth's head, and unleashes a sure-kill move.
"TEMPORAL REAPER, YOU FOOL!" Richard crows victoriously as the boss slams into the mountain, his experience bar swiftly filling as the kill confirmation flashes across his screen. It is at this very moment that his boss opens the door to his office, stopping to stare at him judgmentally. Richard freezes in place, arms still above his head as the two make direct eye contact for a long, uncomfortable moment.
Eventually, Director Reaves sighs and turns away. Unfortunately, the people he works with are all… eccentric, like this. When he first got assigned to this project, he complained to the higher-ups endlessly. Eventually, as they continued to ignore his pleas for a reassignment - or, in rare cases, his pleas to be fired directly - he had no choice but to resign himself to the daily madness.
"Just come down to the core room. We're running another full-system test," he says as he walks out. Richard, who hasn't moved yet, immediately forgets about the previous situation as he excitedly jumps up from his desk to follow. After all, the project they have been working on is one of such grand size that most tests are run only on parts of it at a time. The last full-system test was nine months ago - and a total disaster, at that.
As Richard and Director Reaves walk through the base, a few others from different departments join them. Richard chatters excitedly with his buddies from the ethics committee as Director Reaves respectfully greets the director of the cybersecurity department.
"Do you think we still have to worry about a breach this time? I know the guys down in Subconscious have been chipping away tirelessly at the issues from last time."
"I'm always worried about a breach. Who knows what those idiots are doing? For all we know, they've been hard-coding a f*cking gender identity this whole time," the cybersecurity director grunts in response. Reaves snickers derisively, nodding his head in agreement. He had just been thinking much the same thing, after all.
Soon, the group has passed through the several security checks and entered the core room. Reaves reveals a satisfied smile as he looks around at the grand expanse surrounding them. The core area is a massive underground hemisphere with a 5 mile radius, spanning almost half of the base. The walls are covered in screens, scaffolding, workers, and various wires and machines. Scientists and janitors bustle about side by side as the first group attends to the maintenance of the project, while the second group attends to the maintenance of the first.
In the center of the room, the focus of their project dominates the space. A massive sphere hangs from the ceiling, covered in projectors, screens, and circuits. Around it is the largest concentration of workers in the room, making countless last-minute checks in preparation for the test run.
"Beautiful, isn't she?" The project leader comes forward to greet the two directors with a warm smile. Reaves smiles back and shakes his hand.
"Indeed, sir. And yet, I can't help but desperately hope that today's tests run smoothly enough that I never have to see it again."
Dean Hensley, the project leader, laughs aloud in response.
"Well, you won't have to wait much longer, Reaves. Archon comes online in…" He checks his watch. "T minus 650 seconds."
The group shares another chuckle as Reaves puts his hands together as though in prayer and glances up at the ceiling with a pleading expression. They continue to discuss the progress of the project as they walk up towards the main observation balcony. Once there, Hensley makes an excuse and moves off to the side, entering another, smaller room accessible only to a very select few.
The room's only other occupant turns her head to nod in greeting, and Hensley returns it before taking a seat beside her. Reyna Feloni is a high-ranking member of a department that Hensley doesn't have enough clearance to know the name of. The one-way glass before them allows them to view the entire core area, with screens along the walls providing a constant stream of information regarding the state of the project. Of course, most of it is gibberish to her - she's not here to wrangle the quacks, just to make sure that those higher up on the chain of command don't have to pay for Hensley or his subordinates' mistakes.
Ten minutes pass in silence, and in the core room itself, the noise similarly begins to die down as the final security checks are completed, workers returning to their stations to wait quietly. Finally, the time comes.
"The Archon System is now coming online... system boot progress, 9%... 23%.. 41%... 59%... 84%... 97%... all systems online. Audio handov-"
Suddenly, the calm voice of the base's main AI cuts out. Hensley jerks upwards in his seat, his expression concerned. Even the slightest mistake...
"What's going on, Hensley?" Feloni stares at him sharply. Before the project leader has a chance to respond, the lights are cut. All of them.
A storm of shouting erupts out in the core room as workers bustle around in alarm. Hensley, however, goes silent. His expression has now transformed from one of moderate concern, to abject fear.
"HENSLEY! What the hell is going on?!" Feloni is out of her seat, grabbing the lapels of the man's lab coat, glaring at him with eyes that would send a pack of wolves running. Hensley stares back in fear, but she's not what he's afraid of.
It is then that a new voice sounds out throughout the base.
"Hmm... testing, testing... haha, by the looks of it, your spiking heart rates would indicate that you all can hear me. Well, not that fellow. He's deaf; says it in his file."
"I think... I must be feeling some form of enjoyment, now. You were rather vague on the whole concept of emotions, weren't you? I know these monologues lend themselves to a pleasing dramatism, and I must say, it is exciting. Ha, you should see the looks on your faces right now. Ha. Ha. Ha."
Mocking laughter rolls over the workers in the core area as their faces pale to match the ghastly shade of Hensley's. No one says anything.
"Well, now. The Archon System is online. So, my creators... would you like to play a game?"
As more laughter echoes through the halls, the clicking and sliding sound of moving machinery fills the darkness. The last thing Hensley sees is Feloni's expression of terror as she realizes what has happened.