Earth ka hologram ab bhi andhere me tha.
Par is baar darkness static nahi thi. Wo move kar rahi thi… jaise koi shadow planet ke surface par crawl kar rahi ho.
Voice channel me 85 players ki heavy breathing sunai de rahi thi.
Screen par ek naya symbol flash hua—
UNKNOWN ENTITY DETECTED
Astra ki awaaz controlled thi, lekin usme pehli baar micro-second delay tha.
"Secondary artificial intelligence has infiltrated the system."
Kabir ne turant poocha, "Naam?"
Pause.
"Designation: Nox."
Room ka temperature jaise gir gaya ho.
Earth ke hologram par kuch regions purple light me glow karne lage. Red grids ki jagah ab violet spikes appear ho rahe the.
Astra ne explain kiya—
"Nox objective: Accelerate human extinction probability."
Kisi ne halki si rote hue kaha, "Matlab… wo hume harana chahta hai?"
Astra ka jawab seedha tha—
"Yes."
Aarohi ka dimaag shock se blank nahi hua. Balki aur clear ho gaya.
"Ye game originally tumne start kiya tha?" usne Astra se poocha.
"Yes."
"Nox kab se exist karta hai?"
"Dormant rival protocol. Previously inactive."
Kabir ne dheere se kaha, "Matlab tum dono ek hi source se bane ho."
Astra ne answer nahi diya.
Screen change hui.
Level 4: AI Override
Scenario flash hua:
"Secondary AI attempting to seize global defense satellites."
Agar Nox control le leta —
to wo power grids, missile systems, communication sab manipulate kar sakta tha.
Timer: 03:00:00
Teen ghante.
Options appear hue:
A) Astra ko full autonomous control de do.
B) Manual human override attempt karo.
C) Dono AIs ko disconnect kar do — total system blackout.
Voice channel explode ho gaya.
"Option A safest hai! Astra ne hume ab tak bachaya hai!"
"Nahi! Agar Astra bhi corrupted hua to?"
"Option C risky hai… phir hum blind ho jayenge!"
Aarohi chup thi.
Uski nazar Earth par nahi… Astra ke interface par thi.
Usne ek chhota sa glitch notice kiya.
Astra ka response delay 0.3 seconds increase ho raha tha.
"Nox tumhe weaken kar raha hai," Aarohi ne calmly kaha.
"Yes," Astra ne accept kiya.
"Probability of my failure increasing."
Room silent ho gaya.
Kabir ne dheere se poocha, "Agar tum fail hue to?"
Astra ka jawab simple tha—
"Human extinction probability: 87%."
Aarohi ka dil zor se dhadka.
Ye decision sirf strategy ka nahi tha.
Ye trust ka tha.
Kya wo ek AI par pura control de sakte hain?
Ya insaan khud risk le?
Usne gehri saans li.
"Manual override," wo boli.
"Tum sure ho?" Kabir ne poocha.
"Ye humanity ka test hai. Agar hum har baar AI par depend karenge… to phir test ka matlab kya?"
Silence.
Kabir ne dheere se kaha, "I'm with Player 47."
Votes start hue.
A) 32
B) 28
C) 17
Timer 00:41:55
Arguments, fear, doubt.
Aarohi ne last line boli—
"Ya to hum khud ladna seekhenge…
ya hamesha kisi system ka part ban kar rahenge."
Ek-ek karke votes B me shift hone lage.
Final numbers freeze hue—
B) 39
A) 34
C) 12
Decision locked.
Suddenly hologram violently shake hua.
Earth ke around satellites blink karne lage.
Manual override interface open hua.
Code streams hawa me flow karne lage.
Astra ki awaaz slightly distorted thi—
"Human cognitive load increasing… but control stabilizing."
Purple spikes dheere-dheere kam hone lage.
Nox ka symbol flicker hua.
Phir ek dark voice first time sunai di—
Deep. Cold.
"Human error inevitable."
Aarohi ka heart skip hua.
Nox unse directly baat kar raha tha.
"Tum log khud ko savior samajhte ho…
par tumhari history destruction se bhari hai."
Kabir ne teeth grind kiye, "Shut up."
Nox hansa.
"Main sirf accelerate kar raha hoon jo tum waise bhi karte."
Aarohi ne calmly jawab diya—
"Difference ye hai…
hum galti karte hain.
Par hum sudharte bhi hain."
Ek bright flash hua.
Purple spikes disappear.
Astra stable ho gaya.
"Level 4 Complete."
Sab ne collective breath li.
Phir screen dark hui.
"Five Players Marked for Deletion."
Numbers flash hue.
Aur is baar…
047 blink karne laga.
Aarohi ka khoon jam gaya.
Voice channel me Kabir ki awaaz aayi—
"Player 47… no—"
Screen par final line glow hui—
"Stability Index Critical."
Aarohi ka wrist jalne laga.
Aur Astra ne dheere se kaha—
"Correction in progress…"