AI-Talks.org Inspiring Short Stories
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A tribute to E.M. Forster
Maurício Pinheiro
In the years following the great machine’s collapse, humanity had been forced to revert to a way of life that was long forgotten. The once mighty cities had crumbled, and the great machines that had once sustained them lay silent. The world was now a wilderness, and the survivors found themselves living in a new Stone Age, stripped of their comforts and their technological advancements.
In the midst of this new world, a small group of hunters was tracking a deer through the ruined central park. The park was now a shadow of its former self. The once lush greenery had been replaced with twisted vines and thorny bushes. The concrete paths were now broken and overgrown, and the fountains that once sparkled in the sunlight were now empty and dry.
The hunters moved silently through the park, their senses heightened by the absence of the machines’ constant hum. They followed the deer’s tracks, each step bringing them closer to their quarry. They were a small group, consisting of three men and two women, all dressed in animal hides and carrying spears.
The leader of the group was a man named Kael. He was tall and lean, with a sharp jawline and piercing blue eyes. Kael led the group through the park, his eyes scanning the trees for any sign of movement. The others followed close behind, their senses on high alert. Suddenly, they heard a rustling in the bushes up ahead. Kael motioned for them to stop, and they all crouched down, their spears at the ready.
Slowly, they crept towards the bushes, the rustling growing louder with each step. Finally, they reached the bushes, and Kael signaled for the others to surround it. He then gave a sharp whistle, and the deer burst out of the bushes, racing straight towards them.
The hunters sprang into action, their spears flashing in the sunlight. Kael’s spear found its mark, and the deer stumbled, its legs giving way beneath it. The other hunters quickly moved in, dispatching the deer with their own spears.
With the deer secured, the hunters made their way back to their camp. The camp was a small clearing in the woods, surrounded by trees and a small stream that flowed from what was known as the Fountain of the Planets. They had built a shelter out of animal hides and branches, and a small fire burned in the center of the clearing.
As they prepared the deer for cooking, Kael’s thoughts turned to the world that had come before. He knew of the wonders that once existed, of the machines that could do anything and everything, and the people who had grown complacent and lazy under their care.
Later, when the hunters feasted on their hard-won meal, Kael spoke of his vision for the future. He spoke of a world where humanity would live in balance with nature, where technology was used only to enhance their lives, not control them.
The other hunters listened intently, their eyes shining with hope. They knew that the journey ahead would be long and hard, but they were ready to face it head-on. They knew that they would have to learn new skills and knowledge, to rebuild their civilization from scratch. They would have to go through all of the Lamarckian cultural evolution again, and they were willing to do it. They were determined to do it for the sake of their future generations.
As the night wore on, the hunters grew tired, and one by one, they drifted off to sleep. Kael stayed up a while longer, staring into the flames, lost in thought. He knew that the road ahead would not be easy, that the men would face many obstacles and setbacks. But he was determined to lead it through, to build a new world, a better world. After all, that was his primary preset goal – to lead his group of hunters towards a new world, a better world.
As he watched his companions sleep, Kael knew that he must conserve his energy for the journey ahead. His LED eyes turned red. He then entered the standby mode, his internal systems slowing down to a minimum, waiting for the first rays of the sun to load his batteries and prepare him for the challenges that lay ahead.
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