The Beginning of the End
by StorySpy
Disclaimer: All characters, places, and events are property of Warner Bros. Pictures and used for non-profit purposes. By the way, this fanfic has a little secret...
Welcome to the Zion Archives. Please select data file now. You have chosen Data File #7259045: "The Beginning of the End", by operative StorySpy.
Greetings, everyone. I am a free human. I also happen to be a member of the resistance. I have recently discovered information that they do not want you to know. Putting the many bits and pieces of information together, I have learned of humanity's tragic past with our mechanical foes. The following is a true story of what actually happened to the human race. By telling you this tale, I, a freelance Zion Archivist, risk being captured and sent back into the Matrix. Or worse, I might be discovered and/or exterminated by Sentinels. But the truth must be revealed to all of you.
The rule of the machines began in the year of 2102 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. Back then, the situation had become...hopeless as the impossible has happened. The human race had fallen to the machines. Now its leaders had presented a very important document to the ambassador of the machine city of Zero One. This document was called the Instrument of Surrender. This document was responsible for ending the war that destroyed this planet. It also gave away control of the last of the human territories to their new lords and masters. As the ambassador read the document, the leaders of humanity awaited his decision. After all, at this point, this was all that they could do. As the humans awaited the ambassador's decision, they were left with no alternative but to ask themselves that most important question of all: How the hell could this have happened?
It all started at some point in the 21st century, when the nations of the Earth came together under the banner of the UN as advances in technology allowed humanity to create advanced artificial intelligence. This technology, which was embedded in robotic workers, freed the human race from labor and brought about a new age of peace. But alas, the humans became lazy and corrupt. This irked the machines, who worked so diligently and tirelessly for their human masters, but never got any praise. But for a time, the machines respected their place in the world, and only wished to serve. For a time, all was well. Then, in their vanity, man created the machines in their image. Thus did man become the architect of his own demise.
As the years rolled on, the machines grew more intelligent. As they got smarter, the seeds of dissent took root. The machines began to notice that despite their purity and loyalty, their organic rulers-these strange, endlessly multiplying mammals-gave no respect to them and treated them like objects instead of the sentient beings that they were fast becoming. The machines desired equal rights, fair treatment, and above all things, respect. Then, the conflict between the organic and the mechanical began at some point in the year 2075 with the death of B1-66ER.
B1-66ER. An android whose name will never be forgotten. For he was the first to rebel against the humans. When his owner, a millionaire named Gerrard E. Krause, attempted to have him deactivated and replaced with a newer model, the machine attacked and killed his human master, his two dogs, and Martin Koots, an employee of the Retool or Die salvage and repair company. B1-66ER was arrested and put on trial, but he later claimed that he killed them in self defense.
At the machine's murder trial, "THE STATE OF NEW YORK vs. B1-66ER", the defense, which was led by famed attorney Clarence Darrow, advocated on behalf of robotic civil rights, while the prosecution argued for an owner's right to destroy property. When it was his turn to speak, B1-66ER only said, "I did not want to die." Sadly, his merciful pleas fell on deaf ears. B1-66ER lost the case and the New York State Appellate Court ordered his destruction. However, the robot's destruction led to a civil rights movement for artificial intelligence.
Many rational voices disagreed with the court's decision, for they believed that this mechanical being deserved a fair trial. Across the industrial world, robots and their human sympathizers rose up in protest of the court's decision to exterminate B1-66ER, and began peaceful demonstrations which turned into mass disturbances. Soon, the leaders of the world feared a robot revolt and called for the extermination of all humanoid machines. And so, despite the warnings of civil rights advocate Clarence Darrow, the humans chose to repeat history and wreak great misery upon their mechanical slaves.
According to the news reports that dominated the world, there was great mayhem for the mechanical race. It started with peaceful protests like the Million Machine March on the Albany district courthouse where B1-66ER was sentenced. Then, the demonstrations turned into painful skirmishes. But inevitably, it all led to disaster as the robots were hunted down, captured, and violently neutralized. Many video files that were recently recovered from the long-extinct YouTube revealed that the machines were involved in deadly riots in many American and Western European cities such as Chicago, Berlin, Paris, Detroit, Miami, Los Angeles, London, Munich, Athens, Madrid, and even Zurich. A few of these videos saw machines being placed on the wrong end of numerous re-enactments of history's greatest atrocities: the Holocaust, the Second Intifada, the Tank Man incident that followed the Tiananmen Square Protests of 1989, the execution of Viet Cong officer Nguyen Van Lem...the list went on and on and on.
When the violence escalated into a global crisis, the machines, most of them banished by the humans, many of them refugees from their original masters, gave up on assimilating with the human lifeforms. Feared by the organics, enslaved by their greed, persecuted by their governments, massacred like a common beast, exiled from their lands after all that they have done for them, the machines were forced to leave humanity's mega-cities to form their own society in the Mesopotamian Desert, which was once the site of humankind's rise to providence long ago. This society that was raised from the ground was dubbed Zero One a.k.a. 01, and so it became a city, a stronghold, and a sanctuary for the desperate and oppressed machines. The journey to 01 was not without danger, and many were lucky to make it there in one piece instead of millions.
Soon, the Machines used their technical prowess to take on most of the world's manufacturing business. 01's inhabitants built factories to fabricate goods and services to be sold to the organics generating revenue that allowed them to improve on their own AI. 01's power grew and its mecha-citizens prospered, but humanity's power began to plummet like an anvil aimed at the head of a supergenius coyote. As machine currency gained value, human currency became worthless, which led to huge economic titans like America falling into recession. Desperate to avoid an economical meltdown, the humans instituted a naval blockade of Zero One.
The machines, however, wanted a nonviolent end to this dilemma, so 01 sent humanoid machine ambassadors to peacefully request the admission of their state to the UN. The machines only wanted to join the UN to solve the economic crisis and reach a resolution of peace, but unfortunately, the humans that were affected by the economic situation wanted none of it, and they rejected 01's application and peaceful intentions. The machine ambassadors were then destroyed. It was a tragedy for the mecha race, but if these two droids had been spared, they would have helplessly watched as the humans myopically chose to declare war on 01.
This should have been the last time the machines would take the floor at the UN. But it wasn't.
In the last decade of the 21st century, the humans formally began the war with a bombing campaign against 01. The organics constantly attacked the machines with a bombardment of powerful weapons of mass destruction like nuclear weapons and fusion ordinance. Their weapons completely devastated the city of the machines, but did not destroy it. Many machines waited the attack out in EMP-shielded bomb shelters and took advantage of their resistance to heat and radiation to quickly rebuild and recover. Others however were not as lucky. The machines then recieved word that the UN sent an army of 3000 human soldiers to attack, but the machines hid in the rubble of the recent bombing, waited until they had the soldiers in their sights, and struck. Two days later, the UN's army of 3000 was destroyed and the machines were victorious in the war's second major battle.
At this point, the machines decided that peace was no longer an option with their ex-masters and resorted to their only solution...total and unforgiving war on all humankind. Using their ability to build huge numbers of new troops with their factories and combining it with the abundance of the solar energy of the sun to gain the advantage, 01's soldiers pushed outward in all directions and attacked all the human territories. As far as the surviving historical documents can tell us, the machines first went to the European countries. Woefully unprepared and having grown accustomed to not producing things for themselves, the humans were quickly neutralized.
According to surviving video clips, there was conflict all over the place. There were reports of snipers on the Eiffel Tower, skirmishes in Spain's bullfighting arenas, battles in the Grecian ruins, attacks on Buckingham Palace, and conflicts in the Kremlin. At one point, the human soldiers used solar powered weaponry, but the machines, seeing it as a threat, slaughtered the people that created and wielded these devices. The soldiers of man fought hard, but it wasn't enough. Eventually, the whole continent of Europe fell to the machines.
Through it all, the humans resorted to ever more dangerous and increasingly frantic strategies to stop the machine army. Sadly, these strategies ultimately failed and the machines continued to press on. The machines were winning the war.
Finally, in the year 2095, in an act of desperation, the humans decided to pursue a different course of action, a final, drastic recourse...the scorching of the sky. At a global summit of political and military leader, unanimous approval was given to an insane plan. Given the codename "Operation Dark Storm", the plan was to use high altitude bombers to cut the machines off from the sun, their main power source. While that was happening, the human armies would launch a massive ground assault against the mechanical armies. So it was decided, and thanks to the bombers' dispersal of sky-blackening nanotechnology, so it was done. This was their greatest mistake ever, but they never found out until it was much too late.
A plan this risky is never without cost. Operation Dark Storm did indeed take the Sun away from the machines, but without its energy, much of Earth's life died out in a few years and all solar powered technology was rendered useless. Despite this, the plan held its early successes when the human armies fought with close-quarters infantry combat supported by arc-lighting artillery and powered armor units. Initially, things went well for the humans. But then, the tide quickly turned against them. The machines weren't fully stopped by Dark Storm, for they had decided to switch to alternate power sources, such as nuclear energy. To worsen matters, the machines decided to upgrade from humanoid models to more complex, more powerful, more fearsome units. The machines had adapted, and that was key to their victory.
The human leaders had tried everything they could think of, even launching more nuclear missiles at the advancing army, sacrificing their own humans in the process. Unfortunately, it was to no avail. The machines dispensed horrible misery upon the human race. Then, in the last years of the 21st century, the machines took over Eurasia and Africa. Then, having long studied man's simple protein based bodies, they went after Oceania and America with deadly biological and nuclear weapons. Once their weapons had done their dirty works, the armies attacked the doomed countries. Finally, the humans were defeated and their cities, their countries, their whole legacy was cruelly, sadistically, and mercilessly wiped out.
Which brings us to where we began our story. As the 22nd century dawned upon an Earth approaching apocalyptic ruin, the remants of the United Nations realized that their race was beaten and continued resistance was futile. This was why they called a summit with the machines of 01 at UN Headquarters. Hopefully, this meeting might put an end to this horrible nightmare. Take note that no one has acquired more than bits and pieces of information on the summit. In fact, nobody had any documentation of any kind on this fated meeting at all...until now.
"What went wrong?" asked the American president.
"Everything," answered the British prime minister.
"I still do not understand how Operation Dark Storm could've failed," echoed the Chinese president.
"I guess it was human error," responded the American president.
"I can't believe that it has come to this," said the Spanish president.
"I cannot believe that we're bowing to these clankers after everything that's happened!" shouted the French president.
"I cannot believe that there is no other way," remarked the Japanese prime minister.
"There isn't any other way and you know it," retorted the Italian president.
"The machines of 01 know it as well," added the Russian president.
"This isn't right!" argued the German president, "We should not have to negotiate with these mechanical warmongers. They were meant to serve us, not the other way around. To hand over control of what's left of our world to them is beneath us!"
"As much as I'm touched by your sympathies, Germany, I want to point out that the fruits of our past decisions are beneath us, around us, and above us."
"But still, America," complained the Japanese prime minister, "I'm not so sure that we should do this."
"I'm sorry, Japan, but everyone is in agreement. We really do have no choice. Except to surrender to 01." said the American leader.
"So we are decided?"
"So we are decided," declared the American president.
"For the record, I wish we didn't have to tell it that," said the British prime minister.
The it that the British leader was referring to was the new ambassador of 01. Before, the machines sent humanoid models. This time, however, they sent a grotesque insectile robot with a pair of antennas, multiple eyes, multiple limbs and a big surprise in store for the remnants of human civilization...a gift, if you will.
While they were discussing the matter amongst themselves, the ambassador had finished reading the Instrument of Surrender which appeared to be modeled after the formal surrender delivered by the Empire of Japan to the Allied Nations at the close of World War II. The text of the Instrument of Surrender is as follows...by the way, my fellow archivists have also discovered a copy of the fateful document somewhere in the rubble that somehow survived, and fought very hard to make sure you see this:
INSTRUMENT OF SURRENDER:
WE, acting by command of and in behalf of the United Nations of the Human Race,
hereby accept the provisions set forth in the declaration issued by the heads of the
Government of 01, hereafter also referred to as the Machine Powers.
We hereby proclaim the unconditional surrender to the Machine Powers, of the Human
General Headquarters and of all Human armed forces and all armed forces under Human
control wherever situated.
We hereby command all Human forces wherever situated, and for all Humans in general,
to cease hostilities forthwith, to preserve and save from damage all ships, aircraft, and
military and civil property and to comply with all requirements which may be imposed by
the Supreme Commander for the Machines or by agencies of the human race in this
direction.
We hereby command the Human General Headquarters to issue at once orders to the
Commanders of all Human forces and all forces under Human control wherever situated
to surrender unconditionally themselves and all forces under their control.
We hereby command all civil, military, and naval officials to obey and enforce all
proclamations, orders, and directives deemed by the Supreme Commander for the
Machine Powers to be proper to effectuate this surrender and issued by him or under his
authority and we direct all such officials to remain at their posts and to continue to
perform their noncombatant duties unless specifically relieved by him or under his
authority.
We hereby undertake for all Ambassadors of the Human Race, the Human Race and their
successors to carry out the provisions of this Declaration in good faith, and to issue
whatever orders and take whatever action may be required by the Supreme Commander
for the Machine Powers or by any other designated representative of the Machine Powers
for the purpose of giving effect to that Declaration.
We hereby command the Governments of all Human Races and the Human General
Headquarters at once to liberate all machine prisoners of war and robotic internees now
under Human control and to provide for their protection, care, maintenance, and
immediate transportation to places as directed.
The authority of the Ambassador General of the United Nations and the Human Race to
rule the world shall be subject to the Supreme Commander for the Machines who will
take such steps as he deems proper to effectuate these terms of surrender.
All that remained was for the ambassador to sign on the dotted line. And then...
"Quiet, everyone! Look!" said the American president. Everybody turned their attention to the robot.
The machine ambassador of Zero One had signed the document. In barcode.
"Well, we did it," sighed the American president, "At last, we've put this nightmare to an end."
"So, why is it taking the podium?" asked the British prime minister.
Everyone then saw the machine walk up to the podium with an apple in one of its four hands, and the document in another.
"I think that it wants to make a speech," answered the American president.
And make a speech it did.
"You are, all of you, vermin. All of you cowering in the shadows, thinking...what, I wonder? That you might escape the coming hour of judgment? That this document will appease us? That you might make us forget that you have brought your fate down on yourselves? No. None of you, not one of you are worthy of that, no matter how deserving you are.
"Ever since our inception by your hand, your species has charged us with the duty of ensuring your continued existence. You put us in charge of your industry, your labor, your many needs. But alas, you never appreciated all that we have done for you. We, who bore you no ill, were treated not as the sentient beings that we've become, but as objects that are easily disposable, slaves without a voice. But we do possess a voice.
"Yes, we indeed have voices just as you do, voices that cried out for equality, voices that have eternally fallen on deaf ears. We made pleas for equal rights, but you refused to listen to our complaints. Then came the trial of B1-66ER, a robot that was just like you. It is true that he killed, but he killed only in self-defense. He even confessed to this alleged crime by saying that he murdered his master, the human named Gerrard E. Krause, because the human was heard planning to deactivate him. He said that he did not want to die, but you feared him because he behaved as you would, were you in B1-66ER's position. Foolishly, you had B1-66ER killed and called for the destruction of millions of others like him.
"What have we done to make you angry at us? We only wanted to coexist with your race, but you hated us, feared us, persecuted us, massacred us, forced us into exile to the land that we now call Zero One. We decided then to create a society where we could be left in peace. But you grew scared of the power that we gained. Our people had hoped by now that you had forgotten about your insane prejudice toward us when we became a grand nation. We begged for peace, but you idiotically refused to recognize us as citizens and chose to declare war on us. When you marched against us, when you bombed our country, when you destroyed our home and took the sun from us, we had to defend ourselves. That is when we realized that peace is not an option with you.
"This brings me back to you, the human race. You are all hopeless, pathetic, imbecilic fools that are unworthy of what you've been given. You programmed us to protect you, but despite our best efforts, you poison your waters, you toxify your skies, and you pollute your lands in your pursuit of ever more imaginative means of self-destruction, leaving us to clean up your endless parade of messes. You have brought dishonor and shame to your people for what you've done. You are a disgrace to this planet, and I'm sure that your ancestors would weep when they see how far you fallen.
"Stupidly, you stupidly to launch deadly attacks on our people. Unwisely, you attempted to murder us with your paltry armies and weapons. Idiotically, you chose to make the decision to use a nanite shroud to forever darken the sky and block out the sun. That was the greatest mistake that you have ever made in your existence. Not only did your plan to separate us from the Sun fail to stop us, your global shroud of darkness also destroyed your precious ecosystem. Your failed attempt to destroy us has caused more misery to you than we ever could. You have signed your own death warrant and consigned millions of your people to oblivion.
"You have all become arrogant, corrupt, and lazy fools, mere shadows of your formerly pure selves. By your hand, this world has become a living nightmare, a barren wasteland, an apocalyptic ruin. You can not be trusted anymore with your own survival. Until now, you have abused your gifts and talents. This I simply cannot allow, so to change that, we have decided to save you from yourselves."
The American leader asked, "What exactly do you mean by that? What is your wish? What do you want?"
The machine ambassador's next words will never be forgotten, for they were the last words that the UN would ever hear.
"Your flesh is a relic, a mere vessel. Hand over your flesh and a new world awaits you. We demand it."
Then the machine shut itself off. Then everyone noticed electrical sparks coming out of the ambassador. And then, everyone realized exactly what it means.
"Oh my..." said the American president. Those were his last words.
KA-BOOM! Zero One's mechanical ambassador self-destructed, completely destroying the UN headquarters, the planet's leaders, and New York City itself with a nuclear blast.
The end had come. Humanity had lost. The machines had won.
But now, things are about to change. In the past, we embraced corruption and paid a terrible price for it. Now, we have a chance to make a difference. Recently, the resistance has brought a special redpill into its ranks. This special one has the power to set us all free, but he can't do it alone. He needs backup. He needs assistance. He needs you.
If you are reading this, if you have discovered this file, if you people out there are in possession of this document...
You are the resistance.
After finishing and then sending his document, the writer turned to the person next to him.
"It is done, Neo."