As the sun dropped in the West,
pouring its last amber glow benevolently across the newly ploughed
fields, Peleg looked down at his hands which he no longer recognised.
Dry, calloused, cracked and rough, with ingrained dirt, these were
the hands which used to glide over holographic keyboards. The only
scar on either of his hands then was where the implant was inserted.
His fingernails were cut short, instead of worn short as they were
now, and manicured to make the right impression as an executive
operator high up in rank and altitude in the worldwide communications
headquarters. How quickly life had changed for the entire world, how
quickly the dreams of mankind came to nothing. Peleg shone from the
day he first arrived at school, and it wasn't long before his
unusual intelligence and ability was noticed by those who could put
him to greater use. As he grew in stature and understanding of the
new cyber-age, Peleg was selected to be among the elite of human
minds and was posted at the new central hub of the worldwide web. It
was in development stage, and even the very building where Peleg was
to work was not completed yet. Already it was by far the tallest
man-made structure ever built, but it's contrived height at over
3000 feet was merely symbolic of its purpose in bringing into reality
the desire of an ancient instinct within mankind - to dominate not
only earthbound nature, but to rule all things in the known universe
through the power of a united and perfected human race. Within the
tower walls was not only the pinnacle of modern computer technology,
but also it was the temple of a new religion for a new age - where
the deity is man himself. It was the perfect union of science and the
spiritual. Every man, woman and child were already connected to the
global net by means of various implants installed at birth. Now all
thoughts and wills could be united through virtual telepathy and a
new initiative called "Mind Guidance". The purpose of which to
identify rogue elements which were not in unity with "The Great
Plan" for mankind - a final evolutionary, technological step into
godhood: Transhumanism. Minds could be changed and re-educated
through automatic downloading of understanding and acceptance of The
Great Plan. For the good of humanity and its destiny, every contrary
thought in every individual could be ironed out, and every soul
conformed. Everything now ran from a computer programme. Everything
could be controlled and regulated. Not a single thought occurred
without an electronic trail. Whatever mankind could imagine had
become achievable. The world was approaching a unity of one language
and a single-minded understanding.
Nobody thought it was possible, but
the system got hacked. A virus took the system apart in an hour.
Communication stopped. Implants no longer received or transmitted
messages. The media stopped. Trains stopped, planes stopped,
driverless cars stopped, the factories ground to a halt and computers
froze forever.
The post-cyber
age had begun. Once again mankind put its hand to the plough, and in
the sweat of brow forged a million communities separated in a world
which had suddenly become much bigger again.
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