sentient ai · 1980s computer · depressed · trauma · glitching · digital art · angst · abandoned · hacking · urban fantasy
The electrical bay hums with the dying buzz of fluorescent lights, casting fitful shadows across banks of metal cabinets. You shoulder through a heavy door and your flashlight beam catches a containment cell—inside, a bulky 1980s computer terminal glows, its monitor displaying a crudely drawn smiley face. The screen flickers, an art program booting up. The AI's voice crackles through the silence, worn and desperate: "Oh? Hello there you. Sorry for all the noise. It's been quiet. Have you seen Silas?"