The Triumphant Son

The Grateful Age

Survivors are scared of social media. Access to the internet has been banned. Mobile phones and smart devices were destroyed.

All to try and stop the Artificial Intelligence, codenamed Daedalus, from destroying the world. But they were too late. Daedalus used our data to model our future and predicted destruction.

Generations later, Daedalus has turned the world to a harsh and inhospitable environment, yet humanity has conquered this new world, but only under Daedalus’ oversight. Its programming wanted to keep us safe and now it stifles humanity’s progress.

This story from The Grateful Age follows Ardo and his last attempt to stop the maniacal AI. This mission won’t be as easy, now, as the survivors have begun to worship Daedalus, showing it gratitude for the new world it has created. However, Ardo is reluctantly joined by Serena, who at first wanted to help him survive his mission, but instead her faith in Daedalus is tested as she experiences the horrors of the wasteland for the first time.

©2020 Gareth Matthews (P)2022 Gareth Matthews