MY CRUEL PROTECTOR
a vacuum of thought that started to suck the static away from me.
It was an act of pure, human will. He was fighting the most advanced AI in history with nothing but his own stubborn obsession.
Slowly, the noise began to recede. The thousand voices turned into a hundred, then ten, then a whisper.
I opened my eyes. The room was dark again, save for the dying embers of the shorted-out consoles. I was drenched in sweat, my breath coming in jagged gasps. Nevan was still holding me, his body trembling with the effort of the "Quiet."