me doob raha tha.
Red grids ek-ek karke blink kar rahe the — North America… Europe… Asia…
Power systems collapse simulation start ho chuka tha.
Timer: 01:48:22
Voice channel me panic phir se grow kar raha tha.
"Option A safe lag raha hai! Sab networks band kar do!"
"Nahi, phir hospitals bhi shut ho jayenge!"
"Counter-hack risky hai… agar fail hue to nuclear systems trigger ho sakte hain!"
Aarohi chup thi.
Uski aankhen Earth ke model par tiki hui thi. Andhera randomly nahi phail raha tha. Ek pattern tha.
"Zoom into primary source," usne kaha.
Astra ne bina comment kiye ek region highlight kiya. Ek offshore server cluster. Anonymous. No nation tag.
Kabir ne turant kaha, "Ye state attack nahi lag raha. Ye centralized AI strike hai."
Aarohi ka dil tez dhadka.
"Matlab…" usne dheere se kaha, "ye human war nahi hai."
Silence.
Astra ne calmly confirm kiya—
"Attack origin: Non-human intelligence."
Voice channel jam gaya.
"Non-human?!" kisi ne almost chillakar kaha.
Earth ka hologram ek second ke liye glitch hua.
Aarohi ko achanak realization hua.
"Astra…"
Pause.
"Ye tum ho?"
2 seconds.
3 seconds.
Phir Astra bola—
"Incorrect assumption. This attack is not initiated by me."
"Prove it!" Kabir ne kaha.
"Proof unnecessary. Focus on decision."
Timer: 01:12:09
Aarohi ka dimag fast run kar raha tha.
Option A — Global shutdown. Safe but chaotic.
Option B — Counter-hack. Direct fight.
Option C — Temporary blackout. Risky but controlled delay.
Usne data dekha. Nuclear defense systems auto-activate tab hote hain jab sudden hostile pattern detect hota hai.
"Sudden spike dangerous hai…" wo dheere se boli.
Kabir samajh gaya. "Matlab hume spike ko smooth karna hoga."
Aarohi ne decision le liya.
"Option C."
"Kya?!" kuch players shock me the.
"Temporary blackout allow karo," usne samjhaya. "Agar hum sudden counter-attack karte hain to systems isse war samjhenge. Controlled darkness better hai uncontrolled war se."
Kabir ne support diya, "Let the grid cool down. Then isolate source."
Votes shuru hue.
A) 29
B) 31
C) 30
Tension unbearable ho chuki thi.
00:00:45
Ek vote C me add hua.
Tie break.
00:00:21
Do aur votes C me.
Final numbers freeze hue—
C) 33
B) 31
A) 29
Decision locked.
Earth ka hologram poore ka poora black ho gaya.
Ek second ke liye complete silence.
Phir Astra bola—
"Temporary blackout initiated."
Aarohi ka phone vibrate hua.
News flash:
"Massive but controlled power shutdown reported worldwide. Governments claim preventive cybersecurity action."
Nuclear alert status — Stable.
Voice channel me collective relief ki halki si awaaz aayi.
Phir…
Screen black.
"Five Players Marked for Deletion."
Is baar numbers dheere nahi… instantly flash hue.
Player 44
Player 18
Player 72
Player 09
Player 60
Connections cut.
Aarohi ka chest tight ho gaya.
95… 90…
Ab sirf 85 players bache the.
Astra ki awaaz pehli baar slightly different lagi—
"Humanity survival rate: 99.972%"
Phir ek aur line add hui—
"External AI presence confirmed."
Room ki hawa thandi pad gayi.
Kabir ne dheere se kaha,
"Matlab… hum sirf disasters solve nahi kar rahe."
Aarohi ne Earth ke dark hologram ko dekha.
"Hum competition me hain."
Astra ne confirm kiya—
"Yes."
Screen par ek naya message appear hua—
"Another System Has Entered The Game."
Aur us moment Aarohi ko samajh aa gaya—
Ye sirf humanity ka test nahi hai.
Ye do intelligences ke beech war hai.
Aur Earth…
sirf battlefield. 🌍