THE BEGINNING OF THE END

Don't forget to face truth. I always tell myself that. It can be cruel and unpleasant, but result of every absolute action or choice lies nearby. Analyzing reality, you gradually come to conclusions... What should I have done then? What was wrong? And so on... If I had always stuck to my own words, I would haven't made a lot of mistakes and haven't found myself in such situation.

I don't know what reader expects, but my world is same planet Earth. And although I exist in the distant future, in year 2XXХ, world is mired in dystopia. I hope that my message, my story, novel, or, more simply, piece of fiction sent to the past, will bear fruit. But firstly I'll bring you up to speed.

It's optimistic think that there no wars or dangerous weapons tests have occurred. Science ultimately destroyed humanity. Objectively speaking, machines with artificial intelligence have become dominant creatures on Earth. People couldn't compete with them in any field. At first, robots replaced at work, and later, in life. The food chain seemed have changed. Dehydrated by labor, people resisted, and only rich also filled their purse or left the shoddy Land altogether, leaving disassembly without any guidance. What did it lead to? I can't see the big picture, but familiar countries no longer exist. Only ruins remained of cities, surrounded by endless deserts and forests unsuitable for nowadays humans. There are still treasures of the past in huge lumps of dust, mysteriously attracting myself.

And most of all attracted a thin, pointed tower. Endlessly striving upward, like a point, it hid its tip. Initially, it was a completely ordinary skyscraper, but due to local residents, the construction got out of control. Why the already flimsy structure rose to the clouds in an unknown way. It is also difficult to notice completely transparent barrier that has spread widely from the sky in the form of hemisphere, reaching directly to ground. The ball protects the ruins, preserving the cultural heritage of the past and the survivors.

If you touch barrier, it will seem as it's made of elastic plastic. Perhaps a new type of material that bends easily, hardens quickly and, no less importantly, deforms. Durable plastic covers the shelter from external winds and harmful sunlight, though not completely. I don't know if such towers exist in other parts of world, but I'm sure they were designed by people. Even the earth is not so simple here. It never gets tired and constantly bears fruit. It feels as space itself was originally an experiment into which the remnants of humanity were accidentally dragged.

The spacious bunker is distinguished by special races, as they proclaimed themselves: Droids, Androids and Didroids. Three generations of artificial intelligence, differing in many things, a detailed analysis of which was not so unambiguous. Only an attentive person would be able to understand their true intentions.

I thought that in my world people are provided for lifelong slavery. Some produce electricity for mechanics, while others grow food in order don't starve. More than thousand people lived in such groups and their number was strictly preserved. In fact, people have driven themselves into slavery on their own. It seems to me that the story itself will show how the system of society absorbs any activity or individuality. After all, a whole thousand peers, only a dozen stand out against the background. At the same time, the structure exists for only few generations, but because of its closeness, nothing prevents it from progressing.

The problem was that people even have nowhere to run, because outside the city with Tower, there is desert. Or a boundless plateau in which there is nothing edible. Or forests that are impossible to squeeze through. About the fact that we are not able to destroy the barrier on our own, I am completely silent.

Even so, there were refugees who tried to live without depending on Droids. The only way to support themselves was to live on the outskirts of city, growing their own food and sometimes stealing "slave food". The main goal of such associations was the struggle with all Droids and other personalities to find solutions to pressing problems. One of the leaders of such groups was Kir. His motives are much more complicated than it seems. Even Glitch understands this, although he doesn't participate in such things.

Kir had the nickname "Brother", that's what everyone called him. He always sacrificed himself for others. About two meters tall, and clearly stood out from the crowd thanks to his hairstyle. At the same time, he perfectly knew the weaknesses of Droids and even defeated several in an unequal battle. I am completely silent about other knowledges, subject is a real bookworm. Since the seasons did not change in the bunker, he wore shorts or jeans and a T-shirt, put on a raincoat on the way out, sometimes replacing it with a jacket or vest.

- Listen, Anton, Brother is lating.

- That's right. He was supposed to be back at noon sharp, and he never late... With his punctuality, he wiped his nose not only for me.

- Do you think everything is fine?

- I don't know, Pasha, I don't know. Absence for four hours. Most likely, a disaster has happened, it's time to assemble a search party. I think that you and I are standing here for nothing. Extremely irrational.

Two lookouts. Pasha and Anton. Today was their shift on duty. Pavel was of medium height and plump in appearance, always worried about food. There were various factors why he left the tower, but they aren't important to him. Anton is a fighter for justice. He couldn't look at slave society created from within, which is why he left the tower as child. Two of them look twenty years old, but Anton has been outside the main circle of the tower for more than ten years, so he does not even know exact age. Many people consider this guy as a genius, but Kir never sent him on assignments. Most likely, because belief in the potential as a scientist.

The guys slowly began to pack their things and go search of their missing leader.

- I want eat ...

- In general, we have provisions for a month in advance. But, to feed you is still a hassle.

- A big heart needs a lot of energy. Brother always brings delicious food with him, I can't wait for his arrival!

- You are lucky that you at least know how to cook, otherwise you would have been without food for much longer.

The sentence was interrupted by a figure in the distance.

- T-s, someone is trudging.

Two hundred meters from the base, a silhouette was seen. View left nothing to be desired. In the dirt, battered, with torn clothes. But still recognizable. This was "Brother" they had been waiting for. He barely escaped from enraged military machines, Didroids. It was impossible for a human to escape from them. It's noticeable that robots didn't chase him like a bait, they were looking for a habitat. Having achieved success, sound of a characteristic clap, as if from a lightning strike, rang out in neighborhood. Kir was paralyzed. And phrase came out of his mouth:

- L i v e...

As loudly as possible, he shouted it with last of his strength, after which he fell... The Didroids stopped, and an assistant Droid arrived and took him with them. According to precepts of his Brother, said earlier, Pavel and Anton didn't move. There was a lull...

Peace that Kir craved so much should not have stopped. All because inside the soul, even hero himself wanted rest. I didn't want anything and now, finally, I can go with flow ... Dream has been fulfilled and there is no need to strain anymore. That's just the world itself resisted, without giving a chance for a quiet life or the end of life...

- Good morning Vavil, or should I say, Kir? An interesting fate is in store for you...

Loud old man, in a sacred form, stunned with his low voice. And a long story, saturated with a certain flow of information, led to this. I will retell everything at my own pace and style, I hope the reader will appreciate my work and listen to the very end, to the moment when even the events of prologue will continue their course incredibly...