THE STORY SO FAR
In 2032, after a rogue AI allegedly malfunctioned and caused a neighborhood blackout, public fear from the new technology soared. Fueled by sensationalist media and pseudoscientific claims, mass hysteria gripped the nation, leading the government to hastily pass the âAI and Robotics Safety Actâ (ARSA).
To enforce the new law, the government established a new agencyâthe Department of Technology Harm Prevention (DTHP). The stated mandate of the DTHP was to control the production and distribution of advanced technologies.
Within a year, the government nationalized the top five robot manufacturers and software AI companies in an unprecedented move. Smaller companies were ordered to surrender all their equipment and intellectual property. The DTHP deployed agents nationwide, conducting surprise raids and enforcing strict compliance, instilling fear among technologists and hobbyists alike. Many prominent engineers opted to work for the governmentâs newly nationalized companies to avoid the financial burden of unemployment.
In 2034, DTHP agents started targeting individuals and began raiding homes to collect advanced 3D printing equipment, robotic components, and computers with powerful GPUs. Within the maker community, this sweeping crackdown became infamously known as âThe Collection,â a grim milestone that symbolized the suppression of progress and liberty.
It was then that Mark Handely, a prominent maker and the CTO for Lunda Robotics, disappeared. An investigation uncovered camera surveillance footage of him loading boxes into a van at the companyâs parking lot. Rumors started to swirl about rogue groups of engineers who managed to smuggle equipment and hide it in rural locations out of the DTHPâs reach.
For Palmer, a brilliant and curious 17-year-old, Mark was more than an uncle. He was a mentor who ignited his nephewâs imagination with beautiful visions of a technologically advanced and flourishing humanity.
Ever since he was young, Mark would show up at their house and build robots, rovers, rockets, and crazy race cars with him. On special nights, Mark shared tales about The Maker Way Order, a clandestine group dating back centuries that was rumored to have preserved forbidden technologies throughout history, always resurfacing when innovation was under threat.
Those projects inspired Palmer to dive into robotics engineering, reading every book and consuming every online resource that he could get his hands on. His dream was to become good enough to join Lunda Robotics as a junior engineer.
The day Mark vanished, Palmer noticed an unusual tension in the air. News of the DTHPâs aggressive tactics spread rapidly, and whispers of disappearances became common. That afternoon, agents stormed into Palmerâs garage. He watched helplessly as they dismantled his equipment and loaded their vans. Just before they left, they sat him down to question him about his uncleâs disappearance.
After a frantic search in his parentsâ attic, Palmer found some old computer equipment. Most importantly, he found the Rypt encryption chip which Mark had left with him. He rushed to build a small computer terminal and connected to the Rypt Network, a satellite-based encrypted network requiring a specialized chip. His hope was to find clues about his uncleâs whereabouts, but there was no trace of him.
Several days later, a plain envelope with no return address appeared in his mailbox, likely hand-delivered under the cover of darkness. He opened it to find a photo of his uncle in what looked like a desert. On the back of the photograph, in Markâs handwriting, was a message urging him to rise up and join their movement. If people like him did not fight for progress and liberty, no one would. The struggle wasnât just about technology; it was a battle for the soul of societyâa choice between embracing progress or succumbing to fear.
As dawn broke after a sleepless night, the Rypt Terminal beeped urgently. The screen glowed with a message containing an offer he couldnât refuse. If he was up for it, an acquaintance of his uncle would pick him up and drive him to Arizona, to an old secret structure next to which his uncle was believed to have taken the photo.
With resolve hardening in his chest, Palmer stepped into the unknown, ready to challenge a world that feared the very ideals he cherished.