"Thank goodness those guys are unconscious," Sam murmured, his thoughts drifting to William and the others. "Or else they might really die of a heart attack. How long before the robots start constructing?" he asked, his gaze focused on the swirling chaos on the screen.
Gaia's response was delivered in its usual calm tone.
[It would take them three days to create a significant room underground and set up the equipment to start making new robots. They also have enough energy to last quite some time. I have already sent them instructions to create turbines, which will generate electricity. And given the relentless weather here, electricity won't be a problem.]
Sam took a deep breath, allowing Gaia's words to sink in. Despite the treacherous weather and the daunting task ahead, they were not helpless. They were prepared, and if all went according to plan, Death Island would soon be theirs. The road ahead was fraught with obstacles, but Sam couldn't help but feel a spark of excitement at the thought of what they could achieve.
As Sam watched the tempestuous screen displaying the situation on Death Island, a strange feeling washed over him, a sense of being sidelined. He voiced this thought, making light of it. "Good. Now it seems that I am just a useless person. Everything is being done by you guys."
[Big Brother, don't be like this. Always think about the larger goal.] Gaia's voice chimed in, soothing as a lullaby yet firm.
Sam paused, contemplating Gaia's words. "Now that you say this. . ." His voice trailed off as he sank into the plush armchair, a pensive look crossing his features. "I never had any large goal other than security and happiness. I need to have a larger goal now, or else going the villain path is not that far." The words tumbled from his lips like a confession.
"What should be my larger goal?" he murmured, pondering. The air in the room grew thick with silence as Sam sunk into the depths of his thoughts.
He sat like that for a while, lost in his own world. His gaze unfocused, his mind whirling with possibilities, his thoughts profound and introspective.
After what felt like an eternity, a spark lit up in his eyes. What he wanted, he realized, was humanity's advancement. But not the version splashed across the media channels and glossy magazines. Not the rocket ships to the moon and Mars. What Sam desired was something more profound, more expansive.
He longed for humanity to explore the Universe, to uncover the truths hidden in the cosmos. It was an ambitious goal, a far-fetched dream that seemed too large for one man to bear. But Sam was not deterred. He yearned to delve beyond the superficial, to perceive more than what met the eye. He longed to see the Universe's mysteries with his own eyes in this lifetime.
This grand goal fueled Sam's determination. His heart swelled with excitement, apprehension, and unflinching resolve as he mulled over his newfound purpose. The path ahead was uncertain, the journey unchartered, but Sam was ready to forge ahead, armed with his will and his powerful AI companion, Gaia.
Caught in an existential crisis, Sam was trying to flesh out his short-term goals. The long-term vision was established; the exploration and understanding of the Universe, but what about the here and now?
"But that is still a far-off goal. What is it that I want to do currently?" Sam asked himself, pacing around the room like a caged tiger. There was a sense of urgency in his heart, a need to define his work and carve out his life path. With his current pace, he knew that it was only a matter of time before everything fell into place. But what was his immediate purpose?
Sam's mind wandered back to the circumstances that brought him, Gaia. It wasn't a trick or a fortunate accident; it was something far more profound, something beyond human understanding. And that was precisely what he wanted to delve into. He knew, in his heart of hearts, that humanity was still playing in a small sandbox, oblivious to the boundless playground that was the Universe.
The stars, the vast cosmos expanse, were an undeniable testimony to the endless possibilities beyond Earth. Was it not the height of arrogance to believe that we were the only life in this vastness? On Earth alone, we share our world with countless species. Could it not be the same on other planets, in other galaxies?
His thoughts were interrupted by Gaia's voice.
[Big Brother? I have already created the website.]
The words yanked Sam back from his philosophical journey, his mind returning to the world of code and plans.
"Whatever, I will think later when I have some facts," Sam concluded, his mind slowly transitioning back to his immediate task.
With newfound eagerness, Sam shifted his focus back to Gaia, "Alright, show me the masterpiece, dear Gaia."
And then, Gaia began to reveal her creation. Sam's eyes lit up with anticipation. Despite his musings about existential crises and the mysteries of the Universe, he couldn't deny the thrill of building something new that could potentially change the world. His heart pounded as he prepared to see the fruits of their labor. His existential ponderings were set aside, at least for now, as he plunged back into the exhilarating world of technology and progress.
-
The following day dawned bright and sunny. However, for Gavin, a young man in his prime, it was just another day shackled to his dreary, white-collar job. From nine to five, his world was confined to his cubicle and his projects - pieces of work whose completion seemed to stretch beyond the horizon.
His dreams of creating revolutionary software had been relegated to the far corners of his mind, overshadowed by the grim realities of life. His friends were out there, living their lives to the fullest, chasing their dreams, while he was trapped in the grind of his unfulfilling job.
Gavin had always been a quick learner, a whiz with codes and software. His talents were not unnoticed, yet he found himself in a job that didn't use his abilities to the fullest. It was a blow that life had dealt him.
At the young age of 21, he found himself shouldering the responsibilities of his family after his father's death. The bright academic future he envisioned was replaced by the pressing need to earn money to survive.
Did he harbor regrets about the path his life had taken? What was there to regret? Had he done anything wrong by stepping up to care for his family? There was no room for regret when it came to survival. Middle-class families didn't have the luxury to indulge in such emotions. Life was about making tough choices and then holding onto them, no matter what.
Despite his circumstances, Gavin was a diligent worker. He arrived at his office early, as was his usual routine. Gavin settled into his workspace. He began his day not by diving straight into his projects but by indulging in a few moments of escapism. He found a small pocket of joy in surfing the web, reading news, participating in online forums, and engaging in spirited discussions about the latest trends in software development.
His fingers clicked through familiar websites on this particular day, tracing a well-tread path across the digital landscape. As he sipped his first coffee of the day, his eyes scanned the headlines, the forum threads, and the endless flow of information. The warmth of the cup in his hands, the familiar silent hum of the office, the chatter-less office in the morning, all were the comforting constants of his life. Little did he know, this day would not be as ordinary as it seemed.
A particular link caught his eye in one of these forums, a veritable melting pot of ideas and innovation.
[Hack like The Ghost. This website's promise to the world.] The name alone was enough to pique Gavin's curiosity.
'The Ghost?' he thought, 'Could it be referring to that legendary hacker?' A flicker of excitement shot through him as he remembered the tales of this enigmatic figure that had made the rounds in the hacker community. The Ghost was a legend, a phantom who had accomplished feats of hacking that most could only dream of. This mysterious figure was known for his innovative methods and elusive techniques that had the power to shake up the digital landscape.
With a sense of eager anticipation, Gavin clicked on the link. The website that opened up before him was a sight to behold. Its design screamed hacking culture - a seemingly chaotic jumble of codes and symbols that only a trained eye could decipher. Yet, the layout was surprisingly easy to navigate, a rare balance of complexity and user-friendliness that seemed paradoxical in the world of hacking.
A grin spread across Gavin's face as he explored the site. He had only dabbled in the basics of hacking, picked up from a few MeTube tutorials. Still, the prospect of delving deeper into this world was exhilarating. Without a second thought, he signed up.
As Gavin navigated through the website, he was taken aback. The website wasn't all talk and no action - it was genuinely loaded with valuable content that any aspiring hacker would kill for. Just from a glance at the topic titles, he could tell that he had stumbled upon a treasure trove.