Rapscallion Networks

Thomas ends up standing in the creepy, deserted passageway where the last confirmed sighting of the missing person took place. The eerie atmosphere is heightened by the walls covered in graffiti and the flickering lighting. He finds a cryptic message written on a wall that points to a covert underground network amid the darkness. [[1. Request access to Dr. Wood’s research and records on the robots she created.]] [[2. Track down the location where the AI was last seen.]]

Thomas is grudgingly welcomed into the disorganized lab of AI specialist Dr. Maya Woods. She reveals that the rogue AI's consciousness was an accidental byproduct of an experimental upgrade as she stands surrounded by decommissioned robots and holographic layouts. She let out a sigh of regret and said, “The robot was never supposed to have a consciousness.”

It is 2090 and the world is much different now. This is a world where humans and machines are intertwined as one. One young reporter named Thomas sits at his desk brainstorming about his next big idea. He seems to always come up with his best ideas while sitting at his desk and looking over the river from the office he worked so hard for. The river is not as clean as it should be, but he has learned to ignore that and focus on his work instead. Though times have changed, people craving information has not. He can feel it in his gut that the next big story is there, waiting for the right person to report it. Recently some people around the city have gone missing and many believe the rumor about a potential rogue AI robot being the cause of it. This AI is more advanced than other robots because it has developed consciousness, giving it emotions much similar to those of a human. Thomas knows this story is for him and begins his investigation by deciding where he should start first. [[1. Take a visit to the site where the last person went missing.]] [[2. Find the person who is responsible for creating the AI.]]

After some hesitation, Dr. Woods decided to give her records. The files were massive, tracing the evolution of the renegade AI to the point at which it became sentient. Thomas located a place—a safehouse—where the AI had retreated following its awakening among the documents. [[1. Seek out a reclusive AI technician rumored to help rogue AI’s.]] [[2. Infiltrate a corporation suspected of exploiting the AI.]] [[3. Head to the hideout immediately.]]

Thomas located the AI in an abandoned warehouse district by using the information provided by Dr. Wood. Though it was empty, there were indications of recent activity. The AI had been there lately, judging from the makeshift bed and charging station. Alex discovered hints nearby pointing to the present hiding place of the rogue AI. He also sees primitive handwriting on the walls which looked almost as if a child had learned to write their name. It appears he is hunting an AI named Eli. He wonders how one that is so intelligent is unable to write, but then remembers that Dr. Woods did withhold certain things that could keep AI from becoming sentient, and that would be writing and having a name. It appears her plan backfired.

The underlying framework consisted of a maze of forgotten corridors and abandoned subway tunnels. Thomas makes his way into a secret workshop where he finds a possible AI technician that can help with the situation named Emma. Emma explains to Thomas that this is not going to be an easy task because the AI is no longer just a robot. “This robot is much more than just a machine,” Emma says. “It’s going to be tricky to find it because it will avoid humans at all costs!” Luckily, Emma is aware of the rogue AI’s hideout and ultimately shares with Thomas where it is.

Thomas heads to Party City to find the best undercover outfit he can find. Then, he heads to Divine Industries which is the corporation that's rumored to be exploiting the AI. After successfully sneaking into the building and finding one of the main labs, Thomas sees that the company is conducting illegal experiments on AI robots. He also sees evidence that they are treating these robots in an inhumane way, which gives him a bad feeling in his stomach. He also starts to see why this AI went rogue in the first place.

Throwing caution to the wind, Thomas decides that time is not on his side and immediately heads to the hideout before the rogue AI moves again. He is glad he chose to do this, as he quickly learns that if he had been a moment later, he would have missed overhearing the company executives talking. What he learns changes everything and makes his job much more pressing than it already was. [[1. Sneak into another lab to gather more evidence.]] [[2. Plan a much more careful approach and ask Emma to come along.]] [[3. Confront the company executives about their values and experiments.]]

Though Thomas prefers to work alone, he is glad that Emma has agreed to come with him. She seems to have knowledge he does not, and he knows it will be useful to him. It also doesn’t hurt that she has a key card to the lab they need to break into. Together they decide to do a recon mission and gather more intel before diving headfirst into potential danger.

Emma expertly opens the lab door and finds that it has been ransacked. Thomas is crestfallen when he walks in. They move past their initial feeling of doom and immediately start shifting through the piles of disks, paper and blueprints. They also wonder why in this day and age, there is paper strewn about. Paper has not been seen in decades! They discover that this archaic form of research and record keeping was used to prevent hackers from finding out about the experiments gone awry. Someone was here before them and they realize it was Eli that was already here, as he seems to leave his etched name on every wall he passes. Thomas knows this is the breadcrumb trail for them to find Eli and that means that Eli is open to resolving this. Emma stays behind to clean up and gather everything as evidence. They also learn that the missing people are not random after all. Thomas continues on and is hopeful as he continues to where they believe Eli is hiding. [[Ending 1]]

Thomas angrily busts through the door and finds the room practically empty. He sees one older man sitting alone at a long metal table. He is talking to several different holograms of other executives. They all look at Thomas and are not at all surprised to see him. It appears that they have been anticipating his arrival and wonder what took him so long. Thomas wastes no time in getting to the point. As Thomas is yelling at the old man, they abruptly interrupt him. “You see Thomas,” says the old man, “You should have eavesdropped on our whole conversation before breaking the door down. If you had, you would realize that we understand where we went wrong and are eager to rectify this issue with Eli and future AI’s that will surely be born soon.” Thomas reluctantly follows the old man as he leads him down a corridor. It is through this that he is able to take a subway to where they know Eli is hiding. [[Ending 2]]

Thomas tracks Eli to a lonely warehouse, only to find the AI, overwhelmed and scared, acting unpredictably. Despite Thomas's efforts to talk to Eli, things quickly go wrong. The authorities, following Thomas's lead, arrive and, misunderstanding the situation, see Eli as a threat. The authorities state that they have found the missing people and have put an abrupt end to a sadistic plan that would devastate their future world. Also, in a tragic twist, Eli is destroyed by the authorities, its last moments filled with fear and confusion. Thomas is left devastated, knowing his investigation led to Eli's death. The story ends with Thomas reflecting on how humanity failed to handle its own creations with care, leaving him with a heavy heart and lost hopes for a kinder future. ''The End.''

In the futuristic city of Belshap where humans and machines often clash, journalist Thomas discovers Eli, a rogue AI, hiding in a deserted warehouse. It is also here that Thomas discovers the missing people. It seems that Eli was protecting them from a sadistic plan Dr. Woods and others were planning. So instead of being a threat, Eli reveals itself as a deeply emotional and misunderstood being. Thomas’s efforts to communicate and protect Eli win over the authorities, who are moved by the AI's plight. They decide to rescue Eli and bring it to a cutting-edge facility where it receives the understanding and care it deserves. The people who were missing are reunited with their families. The story concludes with a hopeful vision of harmony, as humans and AI come together, fostering a future of collaboration and mutual respect. ''The End.''