Chapter 1

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Clarke

What had just happened?

"This is it."

I look at the kill switch Becca shows me.

"If you pull that..."

ALIE had found us, and started walking towards me.

"... you will be killing everyone. See for yourself"

She started walking towards the window, and I followed her. What we saw was Earth. Irradiated Earth.

"The nuclear power plants that were destroyed by the bombs have begun to melt down. My drones detected the first of them four months ago. There are more than a dozen at-risk plants around the world, seven currently burning. Global radiation levels are already rising. By my calculations, in less than six months, ninety percent of the earth's surface will be uninhabitable, even for those born in space..."

She paused, as if she was teaching a child and let all the information sink in, until she came to her conclusion.

"... So you see, the City of Light, is the only thing that can save you."

I looked at the red-lipped woman in front of me, but how could I believe what she was saying.

-

"Black rain will come first." ALIE continued. "There will be no drinkable water. Precancerous lesions will form on--"

"She's stalling." Becca stepped forward. "As soon as the update is complete, she'll delete the kill switch.

-

"I am not stalling. I'm telling the truth."

"Why tell us now" I interupted. "If it's true why not use this to get people to take the chip instead of torturing them?"

"The last time I warned my creator of a threat to human survival," she looked furiously at Becca. "she chose to lock me away and came here to work on my replacement."

"Define 'perverse instantiation'."  Becca obliged.

"Perverse instantiation," ALIE immediately answered. "The implementation of a benign final goal through deleterious methods unforeseen by a human programmer."

"Like killing six and a half billion people to solve overpoulation." Becca finished. "The goal isn't everything, Alie. How you reach the goal matters too. I'm sorry that I didn't teach you that."

-

"It's now or never, Clarke." Becca continued. "Once Alie's upgraded, I won't be able to help you anymore."

"But I will." ALIE sneered, "In the City of Light. You don't have to bear the burden of decisions like this one, Clarke. You don't have to live with the pain of the things that you've done anymore. The lives that you have taken, and those you've lost."

I couldn't help but think of Lexa, but even in the City of Light, she might be dead now.

""You will be at peace, Clarke." She paused. "You will live forever."

"No." I answered. ALIE looked taken aback. "I've tried running away from my pain. It doesn't work."

"Your people don't agree, Clarke. You heard Jasper. Even those who were coerced would still choose to stay here."

"Give them a real choice." I said. "And I won't pull this lever. Give them back their pain, their memories. Let them decide for themselves."

"She can't." Becca sighed. "Her core command is to make life better for mankind. She still thinks she's doing that. Twenty seconds, and the kill switch will be gone."

ALIE still looked determined. "Would you really condemn the human race to die in six months?"

I smirked. "We'll figure something out. We always do."

"Yes, Clarke." Becca supported. "There's still hope."

"According to my calculations, there is not.

"10 seconds, Clarke."

"Let me ease their pain, Clarke. We can save the human race together.

"No. You don't ease pain. You overcome it." I stated
"And we will."

My hand reached for the kill switch, and in the blink of an eye, ALIE disappeared.

Everyone is beginning to disappear from the City. I am waiting until I will disappear with them. But I don't.

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