Josh Blaylock

What if our fears of a tyrannical A.I. turn out to be unfounded, but nevertheless, humanity forces this machine intelligence to fight back? In 2045 we survive a brush with oblivion when the A.I. AURELIUS achieves singularity, quickly deactivated but not without a fight. A decade later governments ensure it never returns by activating the “Analog Protocol,” frequently and without warning. Citizens must expect, at any time, to lose all digital capabilities. What they don’t know is that AURELIUS left a piece of its mind behind in a simple hemp farmer known only as Epictetus.