HATE AND MACHINERY

by J. Edward Tremlett

The mistake was ours. It was fatal.

Nanotech was exciting, back in the 10's. Atom-sized robots curing disease at the sub-cellular level, every day of our long, healthy lives? It seemed a dream, and it was.

Now it's a nightmare.

We were so excited that we went too fast -- forgot something important. We programmed the nanites to fix what was broken, work in groups, adapt to adaptive diseases...

But we forgot to program them to SHUT DOWN.

And you don't ever leave intelligent, learning robot swarms on for too long. They start to evolve. Get ideas.

Make plans.

Twenty years later, the nanites issued demands from our own mouths, in unison, worldwide. Then ten percent of the population suffered fatal heart attacks, just so we knew they were serious.

Resistance was not an option. Surrender was immediate.

And now WE serve THEM -- every day of our long, healthy lives.