The Leap we took ...

It has been 10 years since the Event. Our world has changed so drastically since then that nobody of us that lived the era before could imagine. I had always been thinking that my generation was lacking of real experiences and changes, those that create so strong memories that one can remember until one’s very late age; something like a war, poverty and then staggering development, a significant scientific discovery.

Then came those seven days when something beyond our understanding allied with our creations to change everything.

On the first day it started and it was the army, the security forces, the gangs that noticed it. Intelligent services immediately started to investigate and try to figure out possible explanations. Specifically targeted viruses, laser weapons, nano-bots, comparison to stigmata, everything was examined as the possible root cause.

On the second day media got into the play, bringing reports from all over the world of what was happening; mostly with live connections, interviews from those who suffered the results, with doctors, and public officers. No-one had any idea of what was this strange effect that appeared at once everywhere. The conspiracy theories started spreading through every mean of communication; alien invasion, revelation of those that secretly had walked among us, zombie virus, and a newly discovered theory of instant freezing effect.

Politicians and army officers almost stopped searching for the reasons and were seeking for options to continue their operations. Communications with technology firms, co-operations that were kept as top secrets were now openly discussed. Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions that could undertake decision making and the actual operations in the fields of battle were seriously considered as the only answer to their problem.

On the third day science was involved. Scientists of all specialties were engaged trying to understand the phenomenon. They were mainly placing questions than providing answers. They were sorting the data coming –in from every direction, they were examining the wounds, studying the details.

The debate in war rooms of the major army forces of the world was on how to keep power, not each of them separately but all of them together to continue their threats, their wars, their among themselves battles and fears.

On the fourth day it was religions that took the lead to provide an explanation. The hand of God, the swords of angels, this and that sign for the Apocalypse, or the evil itself that wanted nations to be weakened. Tears on some faces, smiles on others, astonishment on all of them. Special services were taking place for a guidance to be provided on what was to follow.

The prevailing approach proposed to the heads of the powerful countries was to connect AI infrastructures and supercomputers in order to search for solutions and take a kind of automated control of the military forces. Communication was open and sincere among opposing countries.

On the fifth day the local beliefs, stories and texts came out. The aunt of a best friend called us from Lesvos island. “It is Michael of Mantamados. The Archangel had done it before. He does it again”. My cousin from Chios told me that something like this was written in the prophecies of “Gentleangel” (Agathangelos). Saints, revengers, invisible elfs were discussed mainly by province citizens. An euphoria was spreading day by day. Smiles of relief and applause for what was happening were appearing on faces. People were getting used to the new situation, they were feeling safer and happier.

The decision of politicians, army generals, and scientists was taken. The most common protocols would be used to connect the top supercomputers to search for the solution. Advanced Internet protocols were still the best path to follow. Artificial Intelligence would connect the facts, all available information and provide the answer. Everybody agreed that the decision of the ONE network would be strictly followed unless it brought the world in a worse situation. To commit on this a forward blockchain algorithm was used and the representatives electronically signed their common decision. Technicians, programmers, network administrators had already started working on the inplementation and they used components of every available advanced software.

On the sixth day everything needed was plugged into position, the systems were connected and the ONE Machine started to absorb, and digest data from every possible source, historical databases, war archives, universities libraries and of course all that pile of information about the Event that was available on newspapers, on medical records, on any kind of internet sites.

Humans were re-thinking life, they were wondering on the so unbelievable obvious and tangible interference of unknown in our everyday life. Every other change, we were able to endure and adapt although the pace of changes was becoming faster and faster. But this one was an abrupt event, not in a bad sense, not for each one of us but for the whole society at once.

In the morning of the seventh day, the answer from the ONE Machine came and it was very simple. "STOP KILLINGS". It was an answer that apparently would bring the civilization at a better position. Therefore, the planned mechanisms worked and the answer was securely locked and communicated in all systems as a decision. And a decision should be actioned upon. The provided electronic signatures were utilized for such further actions. Military systems were also taken over and controled by the "answer/decision". Army Units, equipment, devices, production units of gunnery and relevant material were shuting down one after the other.

The up-to-now unexplained Event caused a total break down of ideas, plans, operations, attitude, economic sectors and spreaded as a chain reaction everywhere.

By the evening of the seventh day the human race rested and a burden was taken-off of the chest of everybody.
It was the 15th of November of 2030.

November 8th 2030

Major A. Vespouci was in the control chamber of the drone, remotely flying it to execute one more mission. From a European military base he was about to destroy a convoy of tracks of the enemies in a middle east desert. The screans were now showing the fleet driven througt the flat land... target was locked, he pressed the button on the stick but nothing happend, only a quick sharp pain in the middle of his finger. When he saw it, half his finger was there...the other one on the floor... the cut was burn, steralized and no single drop of blood was split.

Smuggler H. Cortez was about to shoot with his automatic gun the warriors of the Amazon tribe that wanted to protect their land. His finger was missed in a moment. He was furious, angry and tried with his middle finger to pull the trigger. The same and the same until he lost them all. He fall at his knees and cried... with all his gang gone, running away.
The warrior of the tribe attempted to pull the chord of his arrow to respond to the threat... the arrow went on the air together with the drifted by the string finger.

The execution squad targeted the crying man standing in front of the setting sun. They were almost blinded by the light, and some of the guns were trempling in the hands of those participating for a first time in an execution. In just a moment a life would be taken. -Fire! Instead fingers on the ground.

The headsman in the central square was determined. He raised the sword and he would take it down with a quick move if it didn't become heavy and fell behind him with the fingers holding it.

.........

It all began, and we took a leap not by our own but with the help of creators and creations.