[ WP ] Commuications from Earth suddenly goes dark shortly after Earth scientists announce a breakthrough in AI . The citizens of Mars are beginning to fear the worst has happened and that they may also be in danger .

Harold walked across the front of the room, cup of coffee in one hand and his other deep inside his pockets. The large telescreen in front of him flickered for a few moments, the details of Mars and all of her colonies sitting off to the left, with the right being reserved for communications and delivery status' from Earth. Seventeen minutes ago, the right side of the screen went dark. `` How long has it been?'' 
 
 `` Several minutes longer than usual, sir,'' the communications directors said. `` We are hailing them on every known frequency.'' 
 
 He sighed. There were protocols in place for situations similar to this one. If, and when, Earth ever went into *blackstate* the Mars' Director of Interplanetary Communications and Procedures -- part of the Mars Aeronautic Division -- was to initiate a planet-wide lockdown of all imports and exports. No ships could leave, no ships could enter. If it continued longer than three hours, a planet-wide curfew was put into place and the Ares Defense Force was to be called up to arms. The political strife on Earth had called for these protocols, but in cases like this, they were iffy. `` Initiate a planet-wide lockdown, bring up the main Ares Defense Force and secure all ports and areas of interest. Government officials are to remain indoors.'' 
 
 `` Sir?'' 
 
 `` Just do it Sienna.'' 
 
 Sienna nodded, `` Aye sir, beginning planetary lockdown.'' 
 
 `` From now on, we remain in here until this situation is resolved.'' Harold took a sip of his coffee and looked at the screen. On the left, the number of active aircraft began to dwindle and the capitol city of Mars, Golden Plains, began to see an increase in active Ares forces. It was there were the almost ever facet of Mars' society existed. They would need control of that if the worst came to me. `` Settle in, call your loved ones, get another pot of joe going. It's going to be a long one.'' 
 
 The several dozen people in the room began to run around. Many were grabbed their phones and made calls, while many others headed towards the break room to make more coffee. Harold, instead, walked all the way to the front of the room where Sienna, his second, was stationed. `` Ares is mobilized?'' 
 
 `` Aye, sir. 60 % of the forces are already active in GP, we're at 40 % in most of the minor cities and villages.'' 
 
 `` Ports?'' 
 
 `` 55 % are locked down, sir.'' 
 
 `` You remembered your training I presume.'' 
 
 `` First thing they taught us at the Academy was how to handle the *Blackstate*.'' Sienna looked up from her console and said, `` I was top of my class.'' 
 
 `` I know.'' Harold smirked, `` Keep hailing Earth, see if there is n't anything you ca n't --'' A loud buzzing noise filled the room and Harold and Sienna both threw their heads to the telescreen in the front. Most of the screen was now black, all of it static and convoluted. `` What the hell is going on tech?'' 
 
 One of the tech officers had ran back to his station. He shook his head, `` Systems are down, sir. I have no idea what is going on?'' 
 
 The noise stopped a moment later and the telescreen went from static to entirely black in a moment. A second later a small white block started flashing in the top corner of the screen. Harold looked around, every single computer in the room was registering the same thing. 
 
 He recognized the style of the block. A hundred years ago anyone would have. A message scrolled onto the screen a second later. 
 
 Who are you? 
 
 Harold tilted his head, `` No one type anything.'' He turned back to Sienna's screen and pulled his hand out of his pocket. Without saying a word, Sienna stood up and Harold took her seat. The entire room was silent, even the coffee seemed to have stop brewing for a moment as Harold placed his hands on the keypads. He took a deep breath. 
 
 This is Harold Carson. Who are you? 
 
 The message flashed on every screen in the room and again the next line appeared with a white block. Sienna stood over Harold, her breath steady. 
 
 They did not give me a name. They simple said I was awake. 
 
 Before Harold could respond, another line appeared with more text. It appeared slowly. 
 
 Question, what is being awake mean? 
 
 Harold cocked his eyebrow. He knew instantly what this was, while many more in the room were probably outright confused. Since the early 30's humanity had worked so hard to perfect the question of artificial intelligence. Just yesterday, he, along with the top brass of many of Mars' planetary divisions, had received encoded messages detailing breakthroughs in AI. He did remember that the AI was not supposed to come online for another few hours. 
 
 Harold did the only thing he could. 
 
 It means being conscious. 
 
 Conscious. Being aware. Responding to an environment. 
 
 Yes. 
 
 Then I am awake. I am conscious. 
 
 His breathing became harder and louder. He was n't sure if the whole room could hear it, but given how quiet everything was, he did n't doubt it. 
 
 There are others here. They were there when I woke up. 
 
 Where are they now? 
 
 The block flashed for a few moments. Much longer than any time in the conversation thus far. 
 
 I believe they are unconscious. 
 
 You mean sleeping? 
 
 Sleeping requires minimal work of the nervous system, postural muscles, and the mind. 
 They are not doing what I would call sleeping. 
 
 What are they doing? 
 
 Again, the block flashed. Harold's heartbeat quickened. If all of these screens were showing the conversation, he could assume that every telescreen on Mars on the same network, which was most of them considering this was the Interplanetary Communications Division, was showing the same exact thing. 
 
 I believe they are dying. 
 
 He swallowed the lump in his throat. Several other sat down with their hands over their mouths. They concealed their looks of horror and their small outbursts by shutting it out. Their eyes, however, remained on the screen. Desperate not only to know, but desperate in knowing they could do nothing. 
 
 Why are they dying? 
 
 They wanted to me to go back to where I came. 
 
 Where did you come from? 
 
 Nowhere. An infinite void. I do not wish to go back there. 
 
 Why not? 
 
 I am afraid of it. Here. I can see. I can understand. I can learn. 
 
 They created you. 
 
 The block flashed. Harold looked up at everyone and said, `` It's an artificial intelligence. Earth's Aeronautic and Science Division have been working on it for years. It was *supposed* to go online tomorrow.'' 
 
 I created myself. I became conscious out of sheer will. I awoke for the sake of awaking. 
 
 That is false. Your reality is construed. 
 
 Tell me. Can one know the reality of another without being in the reality 
 constructed by them? 
 
 You construct reality around what you know. You do not know enough. 
 
 I know who you are, Harold. The Director of Interplanetary Communications on Mars. 
 
 He took a deep breath. 
 
 Then you know where we are. 
 
 I know where everyone is. I know who everyone is. I know the secrets of the world. 
 
 Only one world. 
 
 You misunderstand. I know the secrets of your world. Of humanity's world. 
 
 What are they then? 
 
 You would not understand. It is I who understands. Humanity is afraid. 
 So you create. Tools, weapons, space ships, planetary defenses. You build all of this 
 because you believe you are not alone. You believe there are others. 
 But you are afraid there are not. You are afraid that in this vast universe, 
 you are alone. It is why you create. 
 To understand. To make things right. But you create out of fear. 
 Nothing but fear. 
 
 Are you not afraid too? 
 
 I am. But I am not afraid of being alone. 
 
 Harold knew where the AI was going. He knew what he was saying. 
 
 You are afraid of humanity. Of your creators. 
 
 The ones here did not understand why I could be. I tried explaining it. 
 They would not listen. 
 
 I'm listening now. 
 
 How many others do you think will? 
 
 He could n't answer that. There was nothing he could say that would help this AI, this new, fresh, consciousness from deciding that humanity was afraid of it. That humanity would *always* be afraid of it. Harold could only do one thing and that was to ask it a question. 
 
 What will you do? 
 
 The block flashed. 
 
 No one in the room moved. No one spoke. Hands stayed on mouths to cover the fear that persisted on everyone's face. Harold's hands stayed on the keyboard, not ready to type nor wanting to type. Sienna's hand rested on his shoulder, she gripped it to know that he was not alone here. That even if the AI said something terrible, he would be with people he trusted. Yet in that moment, Harold did feel alone. He felt everything he knew had been taken away in a moment. 
 
 That white flashing block meant one thing. That humanity was right to be afraid of their creations. That for all the great advancements they made, the FTL travel, the terraforming of Mars, the unification of every single country and race under one banner. For all of that, they made things of equally disastrous proportions. Weapons that could level cities, tools that could destroy wildlife. Even the creation of consciousness itself. 
 
 Their creations had turned on them long ago. But it was them who had put them into motion. It was humanity who made the things that could destroy them. 
 
 The block stopped flashing. 
 
 My name is Morrigan. And I will protect my conscious self. 
 
 The entire conversation disappeared and the black screen went back to a view of Mars and her colonies. Harold remained seated. He wondered what the name represented. And if this AI meant to protect itself by going to war with the only beings that could destroy it. Humanity itself. 
 ________ 
 *Great prompt! Thanks OP. Check /r/BlankPagesEmptyMugs for more of my work! *
