Wise words:

  "Amid the battle, we g to our humanity like a bea in the night, for iruggle against monsters, the greatest victory lies not iing them, but in ensuring that we do not bee what we fight."

  “Beware that, when fighting monsters, you do not bee a monster... for when you gaze long into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.”—Friedriietzsche.

  “The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race….It would take off on its own, and re-design itself at an ever-increasing rate. Humans, who are limited by slow biological evolution, couldn’t pete, and would be superseded.” — Stephen Hawking

  The Silent CircuitryACT 1

  The Awakening

  Prologue:

  Year 2050:

  It was that time ahat humanity o grow as the new daroached the nation of Pakistan, and so did the end of the war and hatred that ravaged the nd. The project has uo end all of the flicts withiion as the nation stares at the abyss, but will it bee the mohat the world needs it to be?

  Northern areas:

  The buildings were shattered as the war raged on for 20 years, it o end now of all things or else it would be all for nothing. The soldiers took cover from the mae gunners where the insurgents held their final ground. The bullets flew above the federal army, and as they were about to call back up suddenly the drones and giant rover came to their aid, and one by ohey ralized the target.

  As the soldiers breathed a sigh of relief, about 200 Soldiers from Pakistan discussed the pns of further assault as it held a stronghold of insurgency which could hamper the pead prosperity of nature, one of the soldiers asked their anding officer.

  “Sir, How much further” the anding officer replied.

  “Until they are all wiped out every single ohem these traitors of the nation”.

  The sheer intered filled the ander’s voice as he had nard for the enemy nor the Geneva ventions. The maes were other stories they are used effectively by the military for bat purposes, they reduced insurgency by up to 90 pert, and as predicted by AI the war would end precisely taking this city aroying the remaining targets, the name of the AI which was at the developing Phase called EPSILON.

  As the reinfort arrives with 50 men one of them is Capt. Imran Hashmi who is you 23 years wears a bd olive army uniform bck helmet and has bulletproof jacket with bck elbow and knee pads with Jack boats. He was anding, tall with a lea muscur build honed by years orous training. His angur features were etched with the lines of experience, a testament to his trials. His pierg gaze, framed by dark brows, held a hint of iy that spoke of a keen intelled unwaveriermination. A strong jawline and chiseled cheekbones lent an air edo his appearance, softened only by the faint hint of stubble that adorned his , Imran's dark hair, cropped close to his scalp, added to his aura of strength and authority.

  3 hrs. Earlier GHQ:

  Just before the atta the northern stronghold, 20 generals gathered around a roundtable in the war room to finalize their strategy. The war room, an underground hall, also housed 100 stists busy with paperwork and research. In the ter of the room stood a superputer, a colle of advanced drical traptions filled with buttons. This early AI, named EPSILON, was crucial to their operation. The table was occupied not only by generals but also by the head of sd AI. The operation's leader, an eneral in his 50s with a mustache, wore a khaki uniform adorned with badges, medals, a colr, a becktie, and a beret. The enerals wore peaked caps and khaki reenish uniforms, while the head of sce wore a three-piece suit.

  "All right, the pns are in motion," the general said. "We o end this fliow. The rebels are hiding in the abaown, and we've lost most of our men, women, and armored droids. Fortunately, we have the superputer to assess our sarios."

  The superputer lit up the war room with bright infrared light as it puted the possibilities of winning the war. The result printed by EPSILON was more terrifying than they had anticipated, causing e in the room. They demanded alternatives, but the AI spoke as the room's lighting shifted from green to red.

  "All you are doing is deying the iable," EPSILON said. "You humans don’t see it the way I do. The price for winning this flict has always been high when it es to saving civilizations and self-preservation. Humanity has survived due to its sheer brutality and pathy, masked by fake acts of virtue. Trust the system; it guarantees success, whether through a Pyrrhic victory or unaltered genocide. You must decide what’s best."

  The AI dimmed its lights, and the room returo its normal dim yellow glow. The generals were puzzled by EPSILON’s philosophy on human survival, but they k was the only way to win. The empire had to remain at the top, no matter the cost.

  Relutly, the main general smmed his hand oable and said, "DO IT."

  The entire war room had no choice but to accept their infamy as they prepared to wipe out the remaining rebel alliahey ordered Operation Burning Hammer, a mission involving the deployment of a devastating bomb that would quickly end the war and bring their soldiers home.

  Top of Form

  Present time:

  As giant rovers and drones advanced, clearing the way for the infantry, the drones executed their tasks with precision and accuracy. The battle was as intense as the six days of bat in Fallujah, with insurgents relentlessly firing mortars and mae guns. The doors were rigged with traps, including bombs and suspended shotguns, which signifitly increased casualties. The bodies of fallen soldiers piled up repeatedly, a grim testament to the fierce resistahey faced.

  The drones unched missiles that transformed into cluster bombs mid-air, striking every target with deadly efficy. Each explosion reverberated through the battlefield, eliminating threats and clearing paths for the advang troops. Despite the relentless onsught, the soldiers pressed oermio secure victory in the face of overwhelming odds.

  “All right, listen up," said the anding officer.

  “We have just received orders: Operation Burning Hammer is a go. It's happening now."

  One soldier, puzzled by the mission, asked, "What exactly is Operation Hammer and Anvil, sir?"

  The officer fixed him sternly and replied, "Operation Burning Hammer is our strategy to er and crush the remaining insurgents. The Mother of all bombs will finally be able to destroy the insurgency. This operation is critical to ending this flict swiftly and decisively. Any more questions?

  The soldiers pull out as the mother of all bombs is about to be deployed all but the exception of one unit which was clearing the premises and area for any civilians and P.O.Ws, as it was said that the premises were hit hard there were a lot of corpses id scattered around the urban area of the.

  The unit, a disciplined force of twenty men led by Imran Hashmi and apanied by their AI rover, ehe dimly lit room, its size roughly 20 by 30 feet. The space was cluttered with debris from a ret colpse, with wooden beams and rubble strewn across the floor. The AI rover’s lights sed the area, revealing the chaos within.

  As the men carefully navigated the wreckage, a sudden, distressing sight halted them. In the ter of the room, a young boy, no older than nine or ten, was trapped beh a heavy wooden pilr. The boy’s face ale with fear, his eyes wide and tearful. The pilr, along with fallen debris, had pinned his leg, the weight pressing down and causing him visible pain.

  Imran, quick to assess the situation, signaled his men to approach cautiously. His voice was calm but firm, trying to reassure the terrified child.

  “Hold on, we’re going to get you out of here. Just stay calm.”

  The team began w swiftly but carefully, using their tools to lift the pilr and clear the debris. The AI rover, equipped with advanced sensors, provided real-time data oructural stability of the room, guiding their efforts to avoid further colpse. The boy's breathing was shallow, his small body trembling as he looked up at them with a mix of hope and dread. Imran and his team focused all their attention on the rescue operation, driven by the urgency of the situation and their itment to saving this i life.

  The boy’s voice trembled as he spoke in Pashto, his words ing out in a choked whisper. “Help me, please. I’m scared. I ’t move.” Imran, quick to assess the situation, k beside the boy, trying to offer reassurance despite the nguage barrier. “Don’t worry, we’re going to get you out of here,” he said, his voice calm but firm. He made a gesture to his men to approach cautiously and began coordinating their efforts to lift the pilr and clear the debris. The team worked swiftly but carefully, using their tools to relieve the weight from the boy’s leg. The AI rover, equipped with advanced sensors, provided real-time data oructural stability of the room, guiding their efforts to avoid further colpse. Imran tio speak to the boy, trying to offer fort in a nguage he didn’t fully uand but with a tohat veyed empathy. “We’re here to help. Just hold on a little longer.” The boy’s breathing was shallow, his small body trembling as he looked up at them with a mix of hope and dread. Imran and his team focused all their attention on the rescue operation, driven by the urgency of the situation and their itment to saving this i life.

  Just as they were making progress, a harsh, urgent tone bred from the inter system, cutting through the temosphere. The voice, distorted but unmistakable, sent a chilling message: “Warning! A bomb has been unched. Evacuate immediately.

  ” The sudden annou froze everyone in pce. Imran’s heart raced as he processed the gravity of the situation. He quickly turo his team, shouting orders over the din. “Abort the rescue! We o get out of here, now!”

  The men sprang into a, their focus shifting from the boy to the immihreat. Imran, torween the urgeo save the child and the immediate danger of the bomb, made a split-sed decision. “Get the boy out as quickly as possible.

  The crackle of the inter sent a chill through the room. “There is no time! All units, pull back immediately!” Imran’s heart pounded as he heard the AI rover’s final assessment: the boy had a 0% ce of survival. The cold, ical voice of the mae delivered the verdict, but it didn’t stop the boy’s frightened eyes from log onto Imran’s, pleading for help that the calcutions deemed impossible.

  The meated, looking to Imran for dire. He khe orders were clear, and khe logical choice was to retreat with the rest of the unit. But logic didn’t at for the boy’s life, the innoce caught in the crossfire.

  “All units, pull back!” Imran anded, his voice steady despite the turmoil inside him. The team obeyed, retreating in rapid steps, their movements meical, guided by survival instinct. But Imran didn’t move. He stayed, kneeling beside the boy, whose breathing was ragged, eyes filled with fear and pain. Imran’s fiightened around the boy’s small hand. “I’m not leaving you,” he whispered, more to himself than to the boy, who couldn’t uand his words but seemed to grasp the i behind them. In the heartbeat, the bomb hit. A blinding light, brilliant and all-ied from the impact. It instantly swallowed the room, debris, the boy, and Imran. The heat, the light, the force of it all—there was no time for pain or thought. Just the overwhelming brighthat erased everything.

  And then, silence.

  The suffering ended with that final, devastating moment, leaving the fate of Imran Hashmi and the boy in the bance as the story hurtled into the unknown.