1 Chapter 1 - Follow your dreams!

X-City, year 20XX,2 January.

After the new years, this was usually the day most companies started back up, and this meant that a lot of grumpy adults had to go to work. One of those grumpy people after a long day of catching back up to speed to his usual workflow and now heading home was Adam Emeraldes. Adam is a 27-year-old man who works as an autonomous engineer for a major shipbuilding firm in his city. Walking along his usual route home Adam came across the crossing he crossed on a daily basis the year before and many years before.

Waiting for the signal to turn green and indicate him to cross he grumbles to himself "why can't Chris ever do anything himself? Isn't he supposed to be my manager? Shouldn't he be more qualified than me? What kind of superior has to ask me for advice on everything…just give me a raise and his job in that case!". Continuing his thought, he crossed the road and reached the apartment building he had moved into 5 years ago when he had landed this, now current, new job and was actually anticipating going to work. Taking the elevator up to the 5th floor he arrived at his 1 bedroom, living room and kitchen apartment and clinked in his key and rotated it and the knob to finally push open the slightly hefty door.

With his shoulders drooping and arms hanging lifelessly from his body he walked into his living room letting his arms wobble from left to right exaggeratedly, hoping that this would somehow alleviate the frustration and exhaustion he felt. Coming up to the closed curtains he pushed them open. Bright light cascaded into the room lighting up his minimally furnished room that had nothing but the essentials. The only thing that seemed out of place was the overly luxurious rug that covered 3/4th of the room and connected the wall which his television was on till where his 3, two 1 seater and one 3 seaters, couches were placed. It was a gift to himself when he got a raise a few years back and he has treated it like his baby ever since. Sad? Yes, very and he knew it.

Opening his eyes after adjusting to the brightness a blue shimmering waterway came into view from his French styled, top to bottom, glass window panes with a few walkway bridges going across it. This was the canal that ran through the city and it was one of many in this port city. One of the few solaces that Adam found in his life was this brilliant view that washed away all his worries, albeit temporarily.

Walking over to the couches he picked up the remote and switched on the television and fiddled with the remote till a news channel started playing on it. Then walking over to the kitchen, he pulled out a juice container and started pouring himself a glass. While doing that a news anchor reported the news zealously in the background "unemployment rates have dropped due to xx corporation group opening up their new industrial plants throughout different parts of the nation. In their efforts to combat the rise of unemployment the C.E.O of xx corporation…." Walking back to the couch Adam took a seat before slowly sipping on his drink and watching the show impassively "…and so obesity has only escalated due to…" hearing this segment for the 100th time he couldn't help but recall a show he had watched recently.

A plump man was the guest on the show, and he had written an article about a trauma in his childhood leading to him putting on weight and as such, that being the recurring reason for him to put on weight intentionally in various different ways throughout his life. He even proclaimed that he understood the harm his condition caused his body and in response, the audience and host clapped and encouraged him. Adam felt that this situation was so contradictory where society condemns something vehemently outwardly but inward when they must confront it, even an excuse is readily accepted. Even a way of self-harm is evidently brushed off when it becomes slightly inconvenient to correct someone. Taking into consideration misunderstandings arising from circumstances or the innumerable other dynamics, he fundamentally could not accept the act as right. "Convenience birth's the pleasure of lethargy." He mumbled to himself.

Whether his views would end up right or wrong Adam was the kind of person who liked to analyze situations even if he sometimes became philosophical. Only by analysing something will you take the first step and without it, you would continue running circles at the starting line he thought.

While his thoughts wandered the news anchor continued to ramble on his various reports. "…how bad will autonomous robots be for mankind? Find out in our special segment tomorrow. Thank you for watching and good night."

Finally hearing something that interested him, but the show ended he frantically stood up yelling "what! Seriously? Tomorrow… there is no need to worry anyone, I will save them from the threats that Artificial intelligence will bring about!" Saying that he struck a pose with a thumbs up and a bright smile. Instantly realizing what he had said and done, embarrassment hit him like a slab of hard stone ramming into him and the agony of it immediately sent him to the mythical and heavenly state of mind known solely as 'cringe'.

He curled back into the couch and berated himself "Adam! Why? Just why?"

Disregarding his one-man show. He truly did have a plan. Though, it was just a hobby that he dabbles in on and off during his free time. Having a backing in the field of autonomous engineering he had come across neural networks and neural learning algorithms leading to his plan. The biggest criticisms that artificial intelligence faced is that it would deem humans obsolete or maybe even harmful and it has almost been proven to be a fact. If robots were to be created capable of functioning as humans they would be better not only in processing but also functioning as compared to humans.

As humanity could not wait for evolution to slowly perfect them and halt technological advancement till then. He came up with an offence is the best defence form of plan. He thought up the idea of introducing a neural self-learning network that would merge with the brain of an individual at birth. To put it simply it would grant humans the ability to learn and process just as quick as a machine and maybe even more efficiently while maintaining an integral part of being human, having the capability of emotion. In its essence, it would integrate artificial intelligence into the core of a human inducing a form of evolution. Thus, making redundant the need for autonomous robots. If the two are together, a better self-sufficient unit how can the other deem a part of itself unnecessary?

This was all well and good in theory but when he actually began he came across 3 major problems. The first of the problems was storage space. To store a video recording of 60 years takes 1.05 exabyte which is 1.05 million terabytes and that is only 1 of the 5 sensory organs. The second problem was energy and heat. The processing of something that could surpass conventional artificial intelligence would not only be a challenge on the systemic level but also functionally as it would require a high power consumption. This would, in turn, create a higher heat discharge. How could a human brain handle being overheated without taking any damage?

Last, but not least was the size. How could something like this be compressed to fit within the confines of the human skull alongside the brain? His current prototype was the size of an actual refrigerator and every time he looked at it and thought about it, it would give him a headache.

Of course, even if he were to solve these problems and create the system. No matter how great the processing could enhance reaction and action time. If the physical body could not keep up with it, it would end up useless. However, this was just a dream at this point how could he ever hope to achieve it. If he were to be seriously asked why he was dabbling in this, he would only be able to reply that he had too much time on his hands.

This was true. He was a bachelor that had only one other passion which he would be satisfied with calling a hobby. Time was a plentiful resource that he could waste. In his opinion as long as a hobby was successful in burning time, without causing any guilt of having done nothing procreative. It would be a successful endeavour. Thus, he poured all of his free time into these two hobbies of his unconditionally.

His other hobby was gaming and it was something he picked up since childhood and he hasn't been able to let go of it since. In fact, you could even say that he has grown even more passionate for it over the years with the advancements in games and the new styles of games that have come out recently. From MMO's, battle royales to survival games. He had played them all. He would never be picky when it came to games. He was truly the best example of a borderline addict.

Coming back to the man in question, after a while of just rolling around on his couch, he recollected himself. Making his way to the kitchen he made himself a simple meal for dinner. He then took it and went to his room before getting started on his research. He spent a few hours on it before getting a few games in with his online buddies and called it a night.

...

1 year and 14 weeks later.

Adam woke up in his bed with a jolt. This was highly unusual for a heavy sleeper like him. He had been living the same routine for the past year, as the years before. And was working the same job with the same timings. Though he complained, it paid well and gave him plenty of free time. However, today was different.

"Yes! Finally, so many hours spent just thinking about the same problem over and over… and now finally… it all makes sense now!" He had an epiphany on his hobby project. His face was flushed and ignoring his grogginess and hygiene he ran straight to his work desk and began working.

He spent the next 10 days working to perfect his system. He had called in sick at his workplace just to finish the software. Finally, completing it a surge of exhaustion hit him and he passed out on his desk. Waking up late in the evening he looked at his clock '18:00'. "its already so late. What's the date today?" He pulled out his Phone and before he could get to even unlocking it he was barraged by an onslaught of notifications. Sorting through them he came across a few messages from his parents.

"we are coming over tomorrow honey 😊"

"Oh and don't buy a cake. Your dad has been into baking recently so he's trying his hand at making you one."

"Pray that it turns out well. Anyways, see you later and take care."

Reading the messages he immediately realized that tomorrow was his birthday. This meant that today was the 20th of April. Feeling the warm mid-spring wind come in through the window only further confirmed his hypothesis. Looking around at his messy and downright dirty apartment he couldn't help but criticize his lack of restraint when it came to pursuing his dreams.

He got up and started his first and probably most tedious of missions – cleaning.

Who would guess that this unassumingly normal man with a broom in his hand and a look as though his lifeforce was being drained out of him at every sweep, would be the one to make billions tremble at his slightest mention in the future?

Let the adventures begin!