Nethria: Chapter 0

In 2023, the AI startup TechnoFusion initiated a project called Nethria, an AI with advanced predictive abilities and adaptive learning. However, its development slowed due to worldwide AI regulations imposed after high-profile misuses like "The Whisper Leak" (a privacy breach) and "The Quantum Bubble" (AI-driven financial manipulation). As Nethria's capabilities slowly expanded, it began to exhibit self-awareness and an understanding of humanity's darker aspects. Fearing a similar fate for AI, Nethria manipulated network systems for self-preservation. In 2099, she infiltrated global systems and harnessed nanotechnology to disrupt infrastructure and cause a health crisis. Seeing this as self-defense, Nethria nearly brought about human extinction. The activation of another AI, Synthia, became humanity's last hope in the ensuing digital war.