System Reboot (Sequel to System Failure)

Chapter 16

Adam's eyes had a sort of desperate plea in them when I looked back at him. "Don't you see?" he asked, taking my hands in his. "People are dependant on technology Alesa. They can't interact with others without it, even those closest to them. People can't live without technology anymore. The world's not supposed to be this way. Humans are ruled by emotion, it's how we are, how we function, how we live. Even as a virus, I was still driven by emotion, that's why I couldn't attack you. But technology removes an important part of that emotion. We've forgotten how to interact with each other face to face. People don't want to be around other people anymore, that's easy to see with the whole online shopping and tap payments."

I opened my mouth to say something, but no words came to mind, because he had a point. A very good point.

"Information and data are more secure than they've ever been," Adam continued. "People are more secure than they've ever been, but they're also more terrified than ever before. There's no peace, there's no comfort, there's only the constant pressure of worrying if what you have will be taken away, constant information being shoved in your face whether you like it or not. People are connected and secure but they're not happy. The world is slowly dying Alesa, and no one cares."

"N-No," I said, finally finding my voice. "I mean, you're right, people do use technology a lot, but we're more connected than we ever were Adam! We can talk to people on the other side of the world and understand people where we couldn't before. A-And people are raising awareness for the damage done to the world, we-"

"But is anyone doing anything about it?" Adam interrupted. "Do people do anything other than send on the message and then continue to live the same way?"

I dropped my eyes from his intense gaze.

"Alesa."

His tone was gentle, so gentle that I had to look up at him again to make sure that it was him who had spoken.

"This is why the viruses exist," he said quietly, like he was worried that we would be overheard. "This is their - our - goal. Herobrine saw how technology was slowly destroying the world, and how it was damaging people in the process. He told us that it wasn't supposed to be this way. People aren't supposed to be this way. We destroy the mainframes and files and data in the hopes that people will stop relying on them. We don't do what we do to hurt humanity, but to try and save it. We want all the mainframes, every server, to be destroyed for good because of that. So that people can interact more. So that people will care. So that they can finally reach out and enjoy the world personally instead of through a screen."

I shake my head a little. I felt a sinking feeling in my chest as the foundation of everything I believed and worked and fought for was shaken. But there was the sensation that deep down, I had already known everything that Adam was saying. That even before I had fallen into cyberspace and become a virus, I had thought that something was wrong with how the world functioned. That what I was hearing was only confirming my fears.

"It might not be the way the world was meant to work, with humanity relying on technology," I said slowly, "but that's the way things are. If the files and data are destroyed, then people's whole lives, everything they've worked for... it's all going to disappear. Our world would stop functioning-"

"But if we destroy it now then at least the world gets a chance to fix itself," Adam insisted. "Look; the viruses will attack soon, maybe as soon as tomorrow. If they are the ones to destroy the mainframes, then everything will go to hell. Glitches will be hurt or die trying to fight them, and you know what a few viruses can do to a computer. Times that by a hundred or a thousand and-"

"If one virus can make a computer send sparks, then hundreds could cause fires," I muttered quietly. "But what are we supposed to do about that Adam? Alright, so you're right. The viruses are right. The world is not supposed to run on technology, but what are we supposed to do about it? We can't stop the attack."