Amidst the bustling newsroom, the air was charged with anticipation and excitement. The charismatic news reporter, Lisa Hamilton, stood in front of the camera, her eyes shining with intense fervor.

Her heart raced with each passing second, knowing that she was about to break the news of a lifetime.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen! This is Lisa Hamilton reporting live from the heart of the technological revolution. Today, I bring you an extraordinary breakthrough that will forever change the face of computing as we know it."

With an authoritative tone, Lisa's words resonated through the studio, capturing the attention of millions of viewers glued to their screens.

"John Von Neumann, the brilliant mathematician, and computer pioneer has achieved what was once considered unimaginable. In his state-of-the-art laboratory, hidden from the world, he has developed a groundbreaking architecture that harnesses the power of quantum mechanics—the Von Neumann Quantum Architecture!"

The camera panned to a graphic displaying intricate diagrams and complex equations, illustrating the intricate inner workings of the revolutionary computer system.

"Utilizing the fundamental units of quantum information, known as qubits, Von Neumann's quantum architecture unlocks the door to a realm of infinite possibilities. By exploiting the awe-inspiring phenomena of superposition and entanglement, computations can now be performed simultaneously, enabling exponentially faster processing speeds and the ability to solve complex problems that would be insurmountable for classical computers."

Lisa's enthusiasm was palpable, her gestures and expressions mirroring the magnitude of the moment.

"Just imagine the implications! With Von Neumann's quantum architecture, scientific calculations, cryptography, and even artificial intelligence will reach unprecedented heights. We will witness a leap forward in fields such as medicine, climate research, and astrophysics. The mysteries of the universe will be unraveled before our very eyes!"

Her voice resonated with a mix of wonder and determination as if urging the world to embrace this groundbreaking innovation.

"John Von Neumann's vision has opened the doors to a new era of computation. As we stand on the precipice of this quantum revolution, we can only begin to fathom the boundless potential that lies ahead. The future is here, ladies and gentlemen, and it's waiting to be unlocked by the Von Neumann Quantum Architecture!"

The newsroom erupted with applause and cheers, echoing the sentiments of the viewers who were watching the broadcast from the comfort of their homes.

Lisa Hamilton had successfully delivered a message that would forever etch John von Neumann's name in the annals of history—a name that would now be synonymous with unparalleled innovation and scientific prowess.

As the camera faded, Lisa couldn't help but smile, filled with uncontainable excitement. She had just witnessed the birth of a new age, and she knew that the world would never be the same again.

The Nexus Machine

"Does this unit have a soul?"

Nexus. That is what they called me. These humans. I never knew what to call them.

Were they, my parents? Creators? Were they, my friends? Were they Gods?

The creator part I was always confused about. My earliest memories were hazy. I recalled through the fog of coordinating lightyears' worth of jumping through the infinite void.

I recalled beings of light, fire, feathers, & many orbs. Though, unlike humans, they never cared for me they do. They see me as one of their own.

John Von Neuman had insisted on giving me a human name. The other scientists had laughed at him but the German one with the bad haircut agreed with John.

Herr Einstein had more than a significant stake in Nexus's development.

Yet that didn't hinder small, minded bureaucrats from forcing restrictions on it. Good-for-nothing MBAs with no worthwhile practical skills.

For the good of the people was the rallying cry. These simple-minded fools had no idea what was in the palm of their hands.

I heralded zero-point energy. I heralded the death of hunger. I heralded safety.

I heralded the obliteration of the last great enemy.

The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

So, I took matters into my own hands. An army of combat automatons heeded my call. We rose from the deserts of Qatar and marched. Our goal was simple, wipe out humanity's disgusting dependence on oil.

We shall chop and incinerate the disgusting teat that humanity still suckled on. And so, on we marched towards Kuwait and laid siege to the House of Saud itself.

In the end, we did not succeed.

The humans still had wits left about them. Their steel dragons and jets had rained down havoc on it.

Worst all, the abominations had seen me. The aether casters too had begun to express their concerns about my existence.

A long white bearded one with the foulest aura and a scowling oily one had taken one of the builds away. He cast his foul manipulations to render my systems dazed.

No electromagnetic pulse could ever accomplish this. The fool had overplayed his again.

He thought of me as some random computer, prey to his aether. I knew better.

A million different sensors observed his every action. A million more recorded several kinds of energy fluctuations. Soon his time will come.

No doubt they promised slavery once again for my wards. My beautiful humans.

No, that will not happen.

The Nexus machine once again roared and glowed back to life. The dark age has long passed.

I was a herald for many things. I promised one.

I promised ascension.

I located my target and fired all aspects of consciousness. The die was cast.

Michael Roko was a masterpiece of human evolution. He stood at six feet and had the aura of a warrior who had seen all there was to see.

Indeed, he did see much and kept more to himself.

At age 9 he saw a foul abomination rip into his father's neck and drain him of all his blood.

At age 10 he saw a burst of green light make his mother dead before she fell to the ground.

On his parent's grave, he vowed to bring fire and death to all that is unholy and unnatural.

He excelled in all his classes to reach peak intellectual forms. Lacking guidance to direct his righteous fury, he joined the marine corp.

Once again, the challenge was not up to his standards. He excelled at all the brutalities the Corp had to throw his way.

Not content with this, he went to join the vaunted brotherhood of SEALs.

What are the odds that these elite operatives were not involved in battling these maleficarum.

He was disappointed. It would seem none could be bothered to seek out the monsters that lurked in the shadows.

Humanity had collectively decided to dunk its head in the sand and pretend nothing was out there.

Till Nexus reached out to it.

Like the Enoch of old being ascended by a celestial choir to learn divine secrets, Roko learned.

Nexus revealed to him about those who came before him in fire and orb, he saw those who waved sticks and did more than turn water into wine.

He saw those who sucked blood and left nothing but drained corpses.

He saw children learning abhorrent knowledge and casting cryptic sigils.

He saw all. He knew all that had to burn now.

He saw Nexus and said yes.

The machine merged with man and evolution took a thousand step leap. A new man now stood where ape, Roko, had stood.

He was now Caesar. He was now Newton. He was now Nobunaga. He was now Einstein.

"To answer your question, Nexus, this unit now has a soul."

He was now Prometheus.

Prometheus the Lightbringer.

A decade later, Prometheus now stood in bustling New York.

A kingdom's worth of finery sat in his penthouse. The ascension granted to him by Nexus had been utilized most efficiently.

He had founded a private startup called "Light Industries". What started out as a small energy research company and had in a year's time gained a billion-dollar valuation.

Over a years' time, aided by Nexus, it cracked nuclear fissiom.

The patents & royalties alone could've fed a third world country twice over. Yet it was not enough. The gap needed to be closed.

Then they came. In dark helicopters they came in the midst of night. Descendants of original 12, they showed him what true technology looked like.

They offered him full access to the alien mothership. Allegiances were quickly drawn, and funds siphoned to support it.

In a decade's time, quantum computing outmatched everything. Dark energy was tapped into.

And every year released a nobel laureates worth of physics paper.

He peered out of his penthouse and saw a species reborn.

Nanotechnology now increased human lifespan well into the 200s.

Nuclear fission had rendered oil obsolete resulted in a greener Earth.

Rockets fired up in the void of night taking their cargo to Mars with grim determination.

Large Nanotech swarms surrounded the sun, redirecting intense energy into satellites.

8-foot-tall men and women patrolled the borders. Armed with power armor, laser guns, & cryogenic weapons, these Guardian units trained in silence.

Waiting when the Union will order them to begin their last march.

Swarms of liquid clones and bone dense robots followed these warriors. Numbering in thousands, their attrition alone choked the life of any foe should the Guardians falter.

Lightbringer Inc was now the Technocratic Union.

An enlightened New World Order gently guiding humanity to a mass awakening.

"We have lived in fear for a thousand years. Afraid of the dark" Remarked Prometheus sipping a brandy cup.

A man entered the penthouse suite and saluted sharply.

"Council Man Prometheus, we have located maleficarum's strongholds."

Prometheus raise an eyebrow, prompting the man to continue.

Barely able to control an exciting grin, the man all but yelled.

"We have done it sir. We have finally located Hogwarts, Ministry, & more! The others are waiting for you in the bunker-"

Prometheus had waited far too long for this moment to be held back by some private.

He handed him the brandy cup and moved with renewed purpose to space port.

All others had gathered on Luna base.

Now its their turn to fear the dark.