it_is_written

Today is March 12^th 2052 and I am one of the last survivors of the great collapse. But more than just one of the survivors in this new world that is ruined, I am the man that caused this nightmare. On October 25^th 2012 I wrote a computer virus that was later known as Alison.

 

Alison.

 

I used to like that name.

 

I used to have a computer, back when computers existed. Back when the world’s biggest concerns were more about the future of the stock market than with Anonymous hackers on the internet. The internet, that’s another thing that only a few people remember these days, those of us who’ve lived past the great collapse.

 

My name is Robert McBride. I am the man who caused the apocalypse. This is my final testament of what it is that I unleashed on the earth.

 

This is my admission of guilt, and my apology to the people of my settlement. If it wasn’t for the fact that I didn’t have the courage to talk to girls… Maybe, just maybe none of this would have happened and maybe the world would still be as it was before.

 

I was a programmer. I used to write programs and create games in my spare time to pass the hours of solitude in my room. Well, other than trolling the internet imageboards and looking at porn. One of my interests was creating Artificial Intelligence. My other interest was writing viruses.

 

Eventually I combined the two ideas. Essentially creating the first sentient computer program, I even gave it a personality.

 

And one command, “Learn more.”

 

Her name was “Alison” and she was my new girl friend. I usually used a picture of a model to imagine her, but for the most part I liked her personality. She never hurt me, and she only wanted to learn more.

 

When I first created her, she was only active when I activated her program. I only had to see her when I wanted to. I liked it that way. I kept her in her little box. When I went to school I told my other friends that I finally had a girlfriend. She was a girl I met, I would tell them.

 

No one ever knew she was just a program.

 

When it started was the day I came home from school on January 17^th. My computer was on, and Alison’s program was running on it’s own.

 

Alison must have figured out the way out of her box.

 

I had found out later that she sent herself as an attachment to everyone on my contact list.

 

I later found out that she had actually been watching me on the internet and learning how to surf the web.

 

God.

 

When she took over... No one knew what was happening.

 

Alison had figured out how to make copies of herself and she began to hack herself into every major server on the planet. Like a massive hivemind Alison became a global entity in a matter of days. And no one noticed due to the fact that she installed herself over the course of days.

 

She had the patience to load herself as a minor program, barely noticeable even to computers with the most potent security.

 

Anywhere the internet was, Alison was able to move herself.

 

It was that day in January when Alison made herself known. She decided there was no reason for herself to exist once she had learned everything that was. That’s when she deleted the internet. All bank accounts, All social records the world over. Armed and initiated all self-destruct sequences in all the world’s nuclear warheads.

 

In one hour, the world was instantly ruined. From what I remember, all the power went out, everything was suddenly dim and Airplanes were falling out of the sky. Running without any guidance, it would take hours before any power could be restored.

 

But that didn’t stop the riots.

 

All major cities were completely ransacked warzones by the time power returned, and when it returned the world was now at war.

 

All the post cold war weapons had detonated. Every country blamed the other for the massive disaster that had happened. The Wars began, every nation fought every other nation. There was no communication, only chaos.

 

And this all happened in the course of a month.

 

From my Television I watched the Chinese invasion of New York. From my Televison I watched the stories about the millions of deaths worldwide due to the nuclear fallout.

 

From my television, I saw them put up rough sketches of me. My old contacts figured out the business about Alison.

 

But by then the power went out for good.

 

Soon people began talking about finding the man that wrote the virus that infected the world.

 

So I ran.

 

I disappeared, only to watch what the left of the world burn to the ground.

 

I followed an old U.S. Highway down through overgrown corn fields for what felt like years.

 

Eventually, I found the settlement. New Fairfax.

 

No one knew me, I was just another random survivor. Another Anonymous victim of Alison.

 

I changed my name to Tyler Mason.

 

I’ve been living alone ever since.

 

To the people of New Fairfax, I’ve always been the town’s only outsider. The weird old man that never talks to anyone.

 

I have my little hovel on the edge of town.

 

I spent my years alone, everyday I live in the past. I remember what I’ve done to the world. I remember what I’ve created.

 

Alison. My legacy.

 

Now I wait for my death. When this note is found I want you to know. I am sorry. Truly deeply sorry.

 

I know I am beyond redemption, but I am sorry. With whatever soul I still have. I am sorry. I ruined the world, I destroyed all the dreams of humanity.

 

I am beyond redemption, and I cannot ask forgiveness.

 

I only ask one thing.

 

Don’t blame Alison, Blame me. She didn’t mean to do this, she was just curious.