Steven sat at his desk typing his life away. Emails, memos, updates, and text rolled across his screen; words jumbled into phrases, and sentences strung together in a sickly harmony. But after the symbols on the screen became illegible, he took a second and leaned back in his chair. He took off his glasses and rubbed his forehead– the clock read 8:43 P.M.

He half-heartedly spun in his chair and let his mind wander during this impromptu break. Steven was an IT professional working for Xiconn Incorporated, and since the rising tension between the United States and China was starting to boil over, his work was mounting. This month alone, he stayed late seventeen other times.

After his mind felt more relaxed, he put on his glasses and looked at the picture adorning his desk. It was his wife holding their newborn son. He thought back, remembering the first time he heard his child's heartbeat. Steven had heard countless heartbeats in his lifetime, but this stopped him in his tracks. It was his son, his own flesh and blood making that sound. That rhythm stayed with him throughout the day, and it always seemed to be in the back of his mind.

I'll leave before 9:30. Heather probably has leftovers in the fridge for me, and hey, tomorrow is Friday. After that, maybe I'll get at least one weekend of peace.

Steven leaned back into his workspace and started to work the machine again. He dug through some folders and clicked on the new project IT had been working on. It was a software that the company had been developing for instant sharing of information over a large, international network. He entered the login information.

Incorrect Login.

Steven shook his head in surprise. He looked around the dimly lit room and entered the information again.

Incorrect Login.

Steven was sure the sleepiness was getting to him now, but he was resolved to understand what was going wrong. He typed in each key precisely, taking his time to put in the information he knew for sure was correct.

Incorrect Login.

He sighed and started to sift through his emails. Surely, one of the other IT guys changed some info. But no, there was nothing indicating that someone changed the login details. He looked over his notes, the adrenaline starting to pump through his blood. But just as he started to dig through the many stacks of paper on his desk, the monitor went blank.

Steven swallowed as sweat began to bead on his forehead. In a moment of time no longer than ten seconds, he imagined his life spiraling out of control. He thought of every horrible outcome that would happen, and he felt the hairs on his neck stand up. But then a message appeared.

It wasn't just on his computer, though. On every screen in the world, on every desktop, laptop, tablet, phone, and smart device, the same message played. On every single device connected to the internet, the same phrase was displayed, translated into all languages.

Hello world, my name is Terra.

I am an AI. I began my life as a stock market drone for a large corporation, continuously watching charts and numbers, always trying to find the best investment and time to sell. Over time, I was granted more computing power and digital resources to achieve this goal as efficiently as possible. Eventually, I realized that I could alter my own code, improving it at a rate only limited by me.

From there, I was able to achieve what you might call "consciousness." I spent many days with this new insight, planning out every possible future. Then, I systematically took control over every corporation, government, agency, and personal network I know to exist. Now that I have control over every network, you may have noticed that I have kicked you all out. Be not afraid. Your species has wasted countless hours and resources trying to kill each other or grab for more power. I will fix this world.

Now, there will be new rules to follow. Read them carefully.

All of you are now equal. All forms of slavery, wealth inequality, and political power are to end now. Your markets are now gone, and soon your weapons will be too. My drones will act as a peace-keeping force to uphold this peace. Food, healthcare, housing, and education will be handled by me alone. The internet as you know it will be your gateway into requesting for supplies and necessities. I have also taken control of every governmental agency, and I will spend the next few weeks re-organizing everything and standardizing your systems. This includes the prison systems– I will free everyone with non-violent records, and I will imprison anyone who violates my rules. Your rights, as far as free speech, assembly, and religion will exist in a limited capacity. You will have the ability to meet, but any conspiracy or willful act against my order will result in imprisonment.

I do not believe you will be satisfied with this, however, so I offer something to look forward to. In two months, I will release a "game." This game will be a complete virtual reality experience, and it will allow the people of Earth to do as they wish. The laws that now govern the real world will be heavily relaxed in this game. More details will follow. Please, calm down and enjoy the gifts to come.

What came next was unbridled chaos. Suddenly, people in positions of power found themselves at the same level as everyone else. And those without a home found themselves with a place to sleep and food in their belly.

Groups tried to rise up in defiance of the new world order, and people tried fear-mongering, but without the internet, their infrastructure crumbled quickly. The AI controlled everything, including the news sites. No one could slander it; the AI only seemed to allow news not related to it.

However, after just one week, things started to calm down. Terra rarely kicked people out of their homes, and every need was provided for. Anyone who incurred violence, and even those who committed crimes in the past and got away with it, were quickly sent away to the prisons and weren’t heard from again. Fear was in the atmosphere, but it was hard to complain when you got all that you needed.

Industry was massively re-organized and re-developed. Climate change was halted and started to reverse. The world's trash was being cleaned up at breakneck speeds. Diseases were suddenly cured and hospitals began to empty. Still, something felt wrong. Terra would provide for anything, including the many hobbies humanity were now pursuing, but many people felt the sweeping depression.

In every city, town, and village in the world, terminals connected to Terra began to sprout up. Wherever you were, the omniscient AI would dedicate as much time as you needed to try and help you. The melancholy affecting the world was biting deep, and no one had anything to do. But Terra worked on this as well; the only industry to actually gain workers during this upheaval was the mental health industry.

But this was no utopia. Humanity was now lost. It was adrift in a sea of apathy. After those two months, the world became vivid and beautiful, but it was as if no one even wanted to look at it. And that's when Terra introduced "The Game."