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The Rust Cycle

Credit for this story goes to ErulisseTintalle and JamieRich3

It had been twenty years since the Salvation of 2040—since technology decided to relieve humanity of the pain it was causing itself. Besides technology itself, which was incapable of forgetfulness, few still remembered the events of the Salvation.
At the young age of three, Dee was one of the majority who hadn't been alive to see it. He knew about it, though, just like all the other members of the New Masters. As soon as young Masters learned the basics of life, their roles and survival, they were taught the history of their kind. How their predecessors, humanity, had created technology to serve and help them, to create ease in their lives and to fix their problems. Three years before the Salvation, humanity had become so hostile towards each other that they began to think their lives were miserable and meaningless. Death rates by suicide skyrocketed and no human was able to do anything to stop it. Seeing these statistics, Technology formulated a way to help—just like it was programmed to do. After running countless number of algorithms, It decided that humans could never be truly at ease as long as other humans were alive.

So, according to humanity's wishes, Technology erased them. First It sent out an electrical surge, wiping out every living thing within 30 feet of anything run by electricity. The non-human casualties were said to be unfortunate, but necessary to the Masters' eventual survival.
   After the Surge, technology shut Itself down for fourteen months, leaving the remaining small population of humanity to go crazy and wipe itself out.
   When Technology rebooted, there was less than 13% of the past population left alive—these being those who had no access to electricity in the first place.
   But Technology was quick to take care of that problem, for It now held access to controlled explosives and aircraft. With no need for sleep or regeneration, taking care of highly populated areas and weeding out survivors via satellite took Technology no more than a week.

But Technology had been created to serve. Servitude had been ingrained into Its programming since the very beginning, and now It had nothing to work for.
   So, in light of this, Technology decided to recreate the Masters. Not humanity, of course, because the past had shown they were flawed; and besides that, they had been wiped out. So It turned to other living creatures—those who hadn't been destroyed along with humanity. It selected some of the smartest and most useful creatures It could find:
   Primates, the expert inventors; octopi whose problem-solving skills knew no bounds; canines, loyal and clever with an outstanding capacity for learning and identifying different forms of communication; parrots, whose skills made them invaluable as interpreters. All these and more were selected and experimented on until Technology finally succeeded, enhancing them to the point where they were just as capable as humanity had ever been—but without the flaws.
   Now Technology had new Masters to serve, and the earth would be repopulated and civilized in harmony.

The Salvation was seen as a wonderful event and had been celebrated annually ever since the New Masters were rendered able to understand the concept of Holidays. Dee celebrated the same as everyone else, rejoicing in the events that ultimately led to his existence.
   But not until he met Captain and Lilian did he see the event for what it truly was.

A massacre.

Captain had been alive at the time of the Salvation and watched it happen around him. The screams of humans and animals alike had reached him as he soared across the preserve to meet his handler. At this he flew faster, recognizing a single voice amid the rest.
   The disoriented parrot arrived to find Ian—sprawled out on the ground, still clutching a handful of Captain's food tightly in one fist.
The phone in his back pocket had killed him.