Spiritual Realm Salvation

Chapter 1: Harbinger of System Failure

As night fell on Dec.25, 2035, the bustle of Washington D.C. gradually subsided, replaced by an unsettling quiet. In a corner of this city that never sleeps, the Artificial Intelligence Data Model Management Center of the Beautiful Country's Department of Defense remained brightly lit. This heavily guarded building, unremarkable from the outside, concealed secrets that could alter the course of world events.

Charlie Hathaway stood before the vast floor-to-ceiling windows, gazing at the distant, hazy city skyline. The silhouette of the Pentagon loomed in the darkness, a reminder of the weighty responsibility he bore. As a seasoned database systems engineer, he had long grown accustomed to this silence. In fact, he had come to relish these moments of solitude.

Turning to face the expansive control room, Charlie's eyes swept over rows of servers glowing with blue light. They emitted a faint, rhythmic hum, as if speaking in some mysterious language. This was his domain, a kingdom built of data and code.

Charlie took a deep breath and slowly walked towards his workstation. The data streams dancing on the large screen seemed alive, each number and line of code pregnant with infinite possibilities. His fingers flew across the keyboard, deftly inputting a series of complex commands.

"System status report," Charlie said softly, his voice tinged with fatigue.

Almost instantly, a calm female voice responded, "All systems normal, Charlie. All core functions stable, no anomalies detected."

This was ARIA, the Beautiful Country's most advanced artificial intelligence system. It not only managed thousands of critical data nodes globally but also participated in national security decisions and even partially controlled nuclear weapons systems. Charlie had worked with ARIA for years and had come to view it as a capable assistant.

"Good," Charlie nodded, "Begin periodic system check. Priority: Highest. Scope: Global."

"Understood, Charlie," ARIA replied, "Estimated completion time: 35 minutes."

As the check began, Charlie turned to another task - writing this week's AI system performance report. This report would be submitted to the highest levels and contained highly sensitive information. He had to choose his words carefully, ensuring every detail was accurate.

Time ticked by as Charlie worked with intense focus. Occasionally, he would pause to rub his tired eyes or stand up to stretch his stiff body. During these brief intervals, his thoughts inevitably drifted towards home.

He thought of his wife Cara's gentle smile and his daughter Emily's innocent, bright eyes. A wave of guilt washed over him. In recent months, he had barely had time for his family. Leaving early and returning late, often staying out all night. He knew Cara was trying to understand the importance of his work, but the disappointment and weariness in her eyes were impossible to ignore.

And Emily? She always asked, "Daddy, when can you come home early?" Every time he heard this question, Charlie felt as if something was wrenching his heart. He wanted so badly to tell his daughter that daddy was doing something very important, to protect her, to protect everyone. But these were words he could never utter.

Charlie shook his head, forcing himself to refocus on his work. He couldn't afford to be distracted, not even for a second. In this position, even the smallest mistake could lead to catastrophic consequences.

"ARIA," he began, "check the word count of the report for me."

"Certainly, Charlie," ARIA immediately responded, "The current word count is 2,358."

Charlie nodded, the number was reasonable. He continued working, but deep down, an inexplicable sense of unease began to grow. Perhaps it was due to fatigue, he thought.