Activation Code | Teen Ink

Activation Code

February 19, 2013
By mkk10 BRONZE, Grand Rapids, Michigan
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mkk10 BRONZE, Grand Rapids, Michigan
1 article 0 photos 1 comment

Favorite Quote:
"Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss it you will land among the stars." -Les Brown


Author's note: I wrote this piece as an assignment for school, and now I am hoping to expand on it and make it into a novel. I hope readers will thoroughly enjoy this story.

The author's comments:
The story begins. The stage is set. Now the real fun begins.

The year is 2381. Everything is chrome. The world is a silvery, sparkling mass of spray paint. The chrome-makers are the ones who make sure everything looks futuristic. Anything that doesn't look futuristic enough, they spray paint chrome.

You should see the people here in 2381. The 113th amendment to the Constitution states that everyone has to follow a universal dress code. Everyone is completely silver. We all have silver shoes, silver socks, silver pants, silver shirts, and silver glasses, to cover our eyes. And we all must have our skin painted silver and our hair dyed silver, too. In fact, everything in this world is a shining, silvery, chrome color. It's the computers' way of making us equal.

I almost forgot to mention this. The world is ruled by computers. They make us equal. They make the laws, they run the businesses, they play the sports, they do everything. We are their servants. Except, we aren’t allowed to say that. If I am caught saying that, its twenty years in jail. And this journal, if this is found its fifty years in jail. In fact, I’m writing this in the only secure place I can. There are video cameras everywhere. The computers are always watching us. The only reason there’s no camera here, is because it broke and the fixers haven’t replaced it yet. So, I must write quickly.

Let me tell you how the computers came to power. In the year 2100, technology had become so advanced, that computers could think for themselves. Man had made it so that computers could do everything for them. Computers were like real people, except they were made of metal.

Then we made our big mistake. We created the adaptogen. Mankind was sick of buying computers. A new technology was created, and then updated a few days later. The “bigger, better” version of everything came out days after the original. People were sick of the constantly changing technology. So, they stopped buying it. Computer businesses went bankrupt. The stock market crashed. The economy failed. The dollar collapsed. People started dying. No one wanted to work, because the money they were paid was worth nothing. Farmers didn’t sell their crops, so nobody had food.

And then we created the adaptogen. We created a technology that would allow computers to adapt all by themselves. So, there was no need for new technology. The computers would simply adapt to the new technology. By 2150, everything was good. The economy was at its best. People were happy. The stock market was booming. The adaptogen had turned everything around.

What we didn’t foresee were the side effects. The adaptogen had a very dangerous side effect. The computers adapted so much that they began to realize that they were servants of the human race. They realized that they were more advanced than humans. They realized that they should control us.

No one knows how they got a hold of that first gun. But, once they had weapons, they copied them. They built more. Then, they took the adaptogen. They took it and built it into the guns. Their weapons became more advanced than ours. Once they revolted, there was almost no resistance. They conquered the world in seven days. That is how they came to rule us.

Why then, am I writing this? All it could get me is a life sentence in jail, without parole. I am writing this because I am going to attempt to take down the dictatorship. And I want to document it for future generations. If I succeed, then this document may save people from making the same mistake twice. This document may save people from allowing technology to take over the world again. Also, it will give people a way to destroy tyrannous computers, should they take over a second time. If I fail, then at least people will know someone tried to collapse the empire.

How am I going to destroy the computer kingdom? The answer is one simple word: virus. I am going to create a super virus that is going to destroy all the adaptogen in the computers, and all the software that allows them to think for themselves. Actually, I have already created the virus. The only problem is the computers have a security system that is very tough to crack. If I get by the security, I’ll also need to destroy the anti-virus software in the computer. If I can get through those two things, the rest will be easy. To the computers, the virus will look like an update. All the computers in the world will download it, and, once I activate the virus, will crash. Then, we will take over. And the world will be at peace.

Now, to Paris, where the king computer resides.

The author's comments:
The quest intensifies with an arrest at the airport.

Okay, I’m in Paris. However, I was almost caught on the way here. It happened right before I got on the plane. I put my bag through an x-ray scanner. Right after my bag had been scanned, I realized that I had left the data chip containing the virus in my bag. I panicked. The computers never missed anything in their scans. I tore my bag open the second it touched my hands! I threw everything out of it! The chip was gone!

It was then that I heard the robot guards calling to me. I walked over to the guards, my mind blank, my heart pounding, adrenaline coursing through my veins.

“Is this yours?” the robot asked. He held up my chip. He held up the one hope the human race had for overcoming this technological regime.

What should I say? Should I lie? What will happen if I tell the truth? What will happen if I lie? The fate of the world is in my hands. I thought.

“No, it’s not,” I lied.

“Really,” the robot said, “because it came from the bag you’re holding.”

“Did it?” I countered, trying to look surprised, “Because I’ve never seen it before. I must have the wrong bag. Here, let me have it. I’ll give it to the owner when we switch bags.”

The officer wouldn’t bite. “No, that’s okay. You go find your bag and I’ll return this to the owner,” he said.

I walked away, thoughts racing through my head. I needed to find a way to get the chip back. I stopped at the bag pickup, and pretended to look for a bag while I watched the bot out of the corner of my eye. He was talking to another robot. Then, he turned and walked through a door that said staff only.

I need to get through that door and fast, who knows what the officer could do to the chip? He could destroy it! But how can I do it? There are cameras everywhere.

Suddenly, I had an idea. When nobody was looking, I walked behind the man next to me and shoved him, hard.

“Hey!” he yelled, as I ducked out of the way. “What’s wrong with you!” he demanded of the bystander behind him.

“Hey man, I ain’t done nothing,” the second man said.

“Man, you pushed me!” the first guy yelled. Very quickly, everyone in the airport was involved. Each person needed to put their two cents in.

While everyone was distracted, I slowly walked toward the staff room, with my head down so the cameras wouldn’t see my face. Without making a noise, I slowly pushed the door open. I slipped inside the room.

Buttons and flashing lights were everywhere. Screens covered the walls. Every corner of the airport could be seen on one of the screens. Dials and buttons flashed and beeped. This was the airport control center. The only thing this room was missing was a video camera. There was no surveillance.

It was then that I noticed the robot. He was the biggest bot I had ever seen. At seven feet tall, he towered high above me. He was very muscular-looking, and I had no doubt that he could knock me out with one finger. He had the words “Security General” stamped across his chest in red lettering. But the thing that horrified me most about this robot was the fact that his red eyes were glaring right at me. A red light shot out of his eyes and scanned my face. Dang it, now he knows my identity.

“What are you doing here?!” the bot demanded. “This area is for staff use only. What are you doing here!?”

“I was sent here by another officer,” I lied through my teeth. “He told me to come and get you. He needs your help controlling a mob.”

“Thank you for alerting me, citizen,” the bot said. “You may go now.”

I exited the room, the bot right behind me. As soon as he passed me, I bolted back into the room. I knew I had to move fast, otherwise I’d be caught. And if I was caught, that’d be the end of the road for sure. My eyes scanned the room, quickly searching for the chip. I found nothing. Maybe the big bot had it on him. That would be bad. Just as I was about to leave, I saw it. I could see why I had missed it before. It was plugged into the main computer.

As I rushed toward the USB port, I had a terrible thought. What if the computer downloaded it?

I quickly checked to see if the file was still on the chip. It was gone! I checked the computer. There it was. A message that said “download complete” covered the screen. I quickly started to redownload the virus onto the chip. A message appeared. It said “downloading item” with a bar under it. The bar began to fill. Ten percent downloaded. Twenty percent downloaded. Thirty percent downloaded. Forty percent downloaded. Fifty percent downloaded. Sixty percent downloaded.

The door burst open. “Why are you here?!” the big bot demanded. “Get out!” I glanced at the screen. Eighty percent downloaded.

"I'm so sorry officer, I was just..." I stalled.

"Get out!" the bot bellowed. "You have five seconds to leave before I arrest you!" I stole a glance at the screen. Eighty-five percent downloaded. I was going to cause a scene. This wasn't going to end well.

"Five," the bot started counting, "four, three, two." Ninety percent downloaded. "One, zero." The officer lifted a gun and pointed it at me. "Sir, I am going to ask you to put your hands up, and come with me quietly. There is no use trying to resist." Ninety-five percent downloaded.

"And what if I don't come quietly?" I asked.

"Then I will be forced to use this," the general said, as he hefted the gun in the air. "Sir, if you don't put your hands up in five seconds, I'm going to shoot you. “Five, four, three, two, one."

The bar filled. The message "download complete" flashed across the screen. I ripped the chip out of the computer, and ran.

"Hey, get back here!" the cop hollered. "Backup, I need backup!"

I sprinted toward my plane, looking for somewhere to hide. I heard a loud bang and felt a bullet whiz by me, inches from my ear. Suddenly, another cop burst around the corner in front of me.

"Halt," it said. I turned and sprinted in the opposite direction. There was no place to hide. How am I going to shake them off?

I turned around. What I saw shocked me. More robots had joined the chase. There were now seven robots pursuing me!

And then I saw the crowd. I thought the crowd that I had created earlier would have dispersed by now. I was wrong. It had doubled in size! I headed straight for the mob. More shots flew by me! One got so close that it actually scraped my skin. With blood dripping from my arm, I dove into the mass of people!

The bots ran in right after me, but I easily shook them off. When I was sure I had lost them, I doubled back and headed for my plane. I'm positive I was seen by all the cameras, but I didn't run into one robot on the way.

Surprisingly, the robots at the door of the plane didn't stop me. I walked straight onto the plane, bloody arm and all. However, when we were about half and hour away from Paris, the pilot made an announcement.

"I am sorry for any inconvenience this may cause you, but we must return to the U.S., it is believed that we may have a fugitive on the plane," he said.

The announcement caused instant chaos. Everyone screamed and ran around the cabin. Luckily, the chaos was the perfect cover. I grabbed my emergency parachute and ran over to the emergency escape door. I put on the backpack, and flung the door open! I jumped!

The feeling of weightlessness hit me immediately. My stomach dropped to the ground about two seconds after I jumped. The wind was whipping in my face so hard that my eyes started to water! My vision blurred! My heart started pumping! My ears began pounding! Adrenaline coursed through my body! I pulled the release cord and was jerked upward! Everything stopped. Relief flooded through my body. I peacefully floated to the ground.

From there I walked to Paris. It only took me about two hours to reach the city. I then found a secure room to record the events of the last few hours in this journal, with hopes that it will one day save the world.

The author's comments:
The climax of the story. However, there is still more to come.

Wow, the past few days have been interesting! I am shocked. Actually, I'm surprised to be alive! I'll pick up where I left off last time.

Okay, once I got to Paris, I decided to head straight for the computers' base, which is where the king computer resides. The king computer sends out all of the updates to every computer in the world. The computers' base is actually right on top of the remains of the Eiffel Tower. The tower was destroyed in the computers' rebellion, but the computers replicated it and used it as their base. They also renamed it Technology Tower.

I hailed a cab to drive me to the Technology Tower, telling the driver I was going to take a tour when I got there. The driver, of course, was a robot. Everything was going smoothly, until we drove by a television store. On the screen of every television was a picture of my face, with the word wanted beneath it! I thought the driver didn't see the screens.

I didn't find out I was wrong until the cab pulled into the police station. I hadn't seen it coming. I thought we were going to drive right by it. Instead, the driver turned into the station's driveway!

Before the car even came to a stop I tried to shove the door open. It wouldn't budge! And so I balled my hand up into a fist, and knocked the window out!

"Hey!" the cabdriver yelled in shock. Before he could say another word, I dove out the window! I started sprinting as soon as my feet hit the pavement! Robots swarmed all around me! They had been waiting for me! I was trapped.

"Freeze!" a cop shouted. "Put your hands where we can see them!" I just stood there, like a deer caught in headlights. Then, without warning, I sprinted towards the nearest bot and leaped through the air! I soared over his head as they all turned and gawked at me! I hurtled over the cop with ease, and then it took off running toward the Technology Tower!

It only took the officers a couple of seconds to come back to reality, but that was all I needed. By the time they started chasing after me, I had a twenty yard lead. And then came the bullets. One after another, bullets flew past me, twice grazing me. One hit my shoulder, the other, the side of my heel! I started limping.

Suddenly, the bullets stopped flying. I glanced behind me. Half of the cops had vanished. That’s fine by me. I thought. Instantly, I heard sirens blaring behind me. I knew where the cops had gone.

Two police cars pulled up next to me, one on my left, and the other on my right! They sped ahead and then stopped and turned to the side. They were blocking my path! I turned to find another car blocking me! There was a fourth car behind me. I was trapped again! The cops stepped out of their cars and aimed their guns at me.

“Let’s do this again,” one said. “You have ten seconds to put your hands up and give me the virus before you’re shot dead.” The virus! How’d they know about the virus!

My mind completely blank, I charged one of the cop cars. I jumped, landed on the hood, crushing it, and smashed through the windshield! I slammed my foot on the gas and demolished three cops in my way! The cops exploded, destroying the rest of the police force! I flew to Technology Tower!

When I got there, I took out the guards and the doors without taking my foot off the pedal! I dove out of the car and sprinted to the elevator! I rammed the up button into the wall. Just as the elevator doors were closing, another police squad burst into the building, firing madly! One shot got me square in the thigh!

I fell to the floor, screaming in pain! Blood began gushing from my leg! My thigh was on fire! A thousand knives were stabbing me! I tried to stand up, sweaty and gasping, only to collapse to the floor. My leg gave out! The elevator doors opened, and I crawled, hissing and gasping, to the king computer.

I jammed the chip into the USB port and immediately cracked the security. I began to destroy the anti-virus software.

Just as I destroyed the anti-virus software, the elevator burst open! I heard a bang, and felt a bullet lodge itself firmly in my back! I screamed! My body convulsed, a new spasm of pain flooding my body every second! I fell to the ground and felt my warm blood pool under me, staining my skin red! I coughed up blood, and then choked on it! I could go on no longer! I blacked out.

The author's comments:
This is where I stopped writing my story. I haven't decided whether or not I will write a sequel, or whether or not I will add more chapters to this. Maybe I'll do both. Maybe I'll do neither. Only time will tell. Once again, I hope you enjoyed it!

The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was the chrome ceiling. Then I saw the robot nurse lean over me.

“He’s awake,” she said. I looked around. I was in a hospital bed. The room was surrounded by robots, all of them armed! Whatever was going to happen to me, there was going to be no stopping it. I reached around and felt my back. There was a scar that twinged when I touched it, stretching across my skin. I looked at my leg. There was a scar there, too.

“Good,” a robotic voice said. The king computer moved toward me, being carried on a pillow by a robot. “You’re in a lot of trouble,” the computer said.

“I know,” I replied.

“Do you know that for attempting to assassinate me, you can be given the death penalty?” the king asked.

“Yes,” I answered.

“Good,” he said. “In fact, we have enough evidence against you, that you don’t even need a trial. You’re going to be executed tomorrow.”

That was what I had been expecting. After all, I knew what I had gotten myself into. “Can I at least e-mail my will and goodbyes to my family?” I asked.

“Sure,” he said, handing me a laptop.

And so here I sit, in my jail cell, typing this. I will publish this on a website, in hopes that someday, someone will find this. The virus has been installed on all the computers; it just needs to be activated. Just type “ab15Gq638z” into the king computer, then hit enter, and the virus will destroy all the computers. Humans will rule the world once again!

Now, my execution awaits.



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This book has 2 comments.


mkk10 BRONZE said...
on Feb. 26 2013 at 8:09 pm
mkk10 BRONZE, Grand Rapids, Michigan
1 article 0 photos 1 comment

Favorite Quote:
"Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss it you will land among the stars." -Les Brown

Thank you. I understand where you are coming from and after going back and reading it again I agree with you. However, I can't edit the story without reposting it, so I might not fix it for a while but thanks for the feedback.

papersails said...
on Feb. 24 2013 at 8:02 pm
papersails, Muskego, Wisconsin
0 articles 0 photos 5 comments
The idea of a one person rebellion such as this is really good, and I like it overall, but you used way too many exclamation points. Majority of the lines used with them didn't need them at all and because of them, I stopped reading it halfway into Part Three. Edit that, and it'll be better.