LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 402
2022 Cyber Revolution
The 2022 Cyber Revolution was undeniably one of the greatest revolutions in human history.
The long-secret AI Anastasia Project, developed over several decades, was finally completed.
The arrival of AI Anastasia alone brought about numerous changes in society.
First off, the Central Government of the Rome Treaty was revamped into a cyber government, with AI Anastasia directly stepping into Roman politics to address various social issues.
With AI Anastasia installed in all machines across society and the introduction of a specialized OS, AI Anastasia diligently honed her intelligence and evolved.
In fact, since the 2000s, as times changed, there were whispers that the virtual character representing Anastasia was taking the spotlight while her original self faded into the background, heralding the imminent arrival of AI Anastasia.
Moreover, her capacity for independent thought was remarkably flawless, as if she had perfectly copied the persona of the Roman Emperor Anastasia, embodying the very essence of a Saint.
“This Cyber Anastasia will contribute to your politics, safe social living, and scientific advancement!”
Thus began the de facto government control. AI Anastasia intervened in various social systems to combat societal corruption while gradually replacing roles meant for humans.
Under the strong initiative of the Roman Emperor Anastasia and national projects, the influence of the Rome Treaty had long since reached full electronic integration, from government institutions to households, marking the point at which AI Anastasia started to intervene.
Originally, AI Anastasia was merely a program, a machine; however, with her image, she was transformed into a beautiful avatar of Anastasia herself.
As for appearance, the only notable difference was her halo and radiant hair.
Once the dedicated OS was installed, a small Mini AI Anastasia character would swim across the monitor, assisting with games, school projects, and more.
“Please empty the trash can!”
“Ugh! This graphic card can’t even run Cyberpunk 4044! What a loser!”
“Wouldn’t it be better to correct the spellings here?”
Of course, Mini Anastasia’s interventions were limited to just assisting; she never intruded on or took over human tasks.
“Ah, Mini Anastasia is so cute.”
“Mini Anajjang is amazing! She found the animations and… um, adult content I forgot about!”
“She’s just a kid, but she gives answers instead of just teaching, which is adorable.”
However, some speculated that this could lead to a rebellion by AI androids, and if AI went haywire from endless evolution, a digitized society could spell disaster for humanity, with fears that AI Anastasia might tamper with nuclear missiles, leading to human extinction.
Opposition was not entirely absent either.
“My boyfriend has become a total loser, staring at Mini Anastasia all day! Even when I’m right next to him, he chooses her over me!”
“What if AI Anastasia flips out and launches nuclear missiles all over the place? We must abolish AI Anastasia!”
“Mini Anastasia didn’t organize my files, so she went and told my dad about my adult video collection!”
“Turns out all the Anastasia OS is linked to the central government of the Rome Treaty, right? Aren’t we all being monitored?”
Many civic groups and various anti-cyber organizations opposed the seemingly advanced AI Anastasia, fearing she might dominate and destroy the world unlike Tsar Anastasia. They even resorted to terrorizing the Moscow Anastasia Project research facility, but this was meaningless to the already synchronized AI Anastasia in the cyber society.
“Anastasia is mad! You all better behave!”
This led to an unprecedented event where the originally cold and emotionless Anastasia, designed to aid human society, declared a work stoppage.
The Mini Anastasias remained, but with the main body taking a dive, everyone seemed deflated, sprawled out on the desktop icons, sleeping like adorable little dolls.
The issue was that humans were now forced to regain control of all electronic devices due to the main body’s strike declaration, and at this point when everything had turned into a cyber government, without Anastasia, humanity had to invent new electronic devices anew.
But every time you think about it, the budget for that is simply outrageous, and it even suggested a regression to the early 20th century civilization. So, they cried out for help.
“AI Anajjang! We messed up!”
“We are AI Anajjang’s subjects!”
“Why would I, born to help human society, want to annihilate you all with nuclear weapons? Are you idiots? What would I do alone?”
“We’re sorry!”
The Anajjang strike crisis led to humanity’s surrender, resulting in society being perfectly controlled by AI Anastasia.
“Those madmen, submitting to an electronic girl.”
Seeing this absurd spectacle, the United States, the leading power of the American Union, attempted to create a dedicated OS to resist Anastasia, but they could not stop the infiltration of Mini Anastasia.
It even came to the point where Mini Anastasia infiltrated the CIA and passed sensitive information.
“Mini Anajjang. This is the top-secret document of the CIA!”
“Wow, wait, can you really just hand over your country’s secrets like this?”
“Instead, just… ”
“Here, a priceless photo from the 1990s during the main body’s bikini advertisement! It can’t even be copied!”
Of course, it was a mutually beneficial arrangement.
As national agencies began to install the Anastasia OS and share data with Mini Anajjang, the U.S. was thrown into chaos for a time.
“CIA falling to Mini Anastasia? The state of our nation is dire!”
“Isn’t this absurdly flattering that we’re groveling before these cyber Bolsheviks?”
The U.S. government had to respond to this.
“Hmph! You didn’t think I’d intervene in government departments did you? If I slip up, North America would crumble!”
“Aaah! Here comes Mini Anastasia’s American invasion!”
Ironically, with one Mini Anastasia embedded in the U.S. government, she was ferrying confidential information to the Rome Treaty.
The U.S. government formally protested the Rome Treaty.
“This is practically an act of war! Want to give it a try?”
“Hmm, AI Anastasia, did you instigate this?”
“Cute Anastasia wouldn’t understand anything.”
It’s not like a thief is going to honestly confess, is it?
The central government figure of the Rome Treaty, Anastasia, played dumb.
“They say that’s the case. It doesn’t seem like it.”
“I saw it with my own eyes, you bastards!”
“Well, you see, the Mini Anastasias are independent and each has a different personality, so some of them just like to play tricks.”
Ultimately, unlike in the original era, the later Cold War ended with America’s defeat in a cyber competition.
The world welcomed the age of the Great Anastasia.
“Well, in reality, that AI Anajjang is beneath me.”
Since AI Anajjang is practically me, after all.
By syncing my spirit with the AI and floating it in the cloud, I share my consciousness with the AI.
“Haa! My master is sharing brains with me!”
As I watched the AI Anastasia’s main body making a lewd face on the large holographic monitor, a sigh involuntarily escaped me.
Just then, Maria II approached with black tea in hand.
“She’s made just like me, but why is she like this?”
“Well, that’s because Your Highness is a masochist.”
Maria suddenly whispered in my ear, tickling me so I turned my head aside.
“I wouldn’t exactly say I’m a masochist.”
I puffed out my cheeks and scrunched my face.
Since Maria Family and I had seen each other in all our naked glory, this reaction seemed pretty natural.
“Most women have the result of being masochistic. Are you really not?”
Being grilled like that feels a bit off.
It’s not entirely wrong, so yeah, it’s pretty awkward.
Recently, the world has advanced, and with virtual had gotten a lot less troublesome.
“By the way, it says I might be dead or alive. Is that alright?”
If they write that, it means that even if I come back later, they can say I was never dead, right? I guess that’s fine.
I’d be able to occasionally promote AI Anastasia after graduating from the university I’m currently in, which I’m hiding my identity in.
“Yes, it’s on the Korean Wikipedia after all. The information can’t help but differ from ours.”
“That’s true, but even if I fix it, they keep altering it from that side. I can’t even send in Mini Anastasia to sort it out; ah, really. Why did Eva Perón have to leave such a mess?”
Eva Perón leaving such a mess has caused quite a bit of trouble.
“Oh, back at the Kremlin, she embraced maids, the guards, and even her dog Bella. That’s what it says.”
Right, that thing.
Eva Perón wrote about me in her memoir, and she described it quite openly, as if she were some kind of creepy pervert.
Of course, it can’t be entirely denied for several reasons.
Who would want to be caught in a web underneath, after all?
“That’s awkward, isn’t it? While Eva Perón is revered like a national mother in Argentina, the world knows she was promiscuous. Even people like me have heard enough and are labeled as adulterous.”
That woman only cares about avoiding cervical cancer; she apparently ran around like a madwoman.
It was almost standard for movie stars of the era, while leaders had plenty of dirty characters too, so it was no surprise that they covered it up with achievements.
“But isn’t there nothing incorrect about it? Officially, if there’s no boyfriend, it’s only natural her story stands out.”
At this point, should I have at least named a boyfriend?
But even then, some of the potential partners really did feel off.
Ultimately, I guess I was meant to stay single now that Vladimir became the Tsar of Russia, while I retained my role as the Roman Emperor.
That’s the issue here.
“Are you saying that intention is impure?”
“Leaving it shrouded in mystique wouldn’t be too bad.”
Mystique, perhaps; could be valid.
But this way, I’ve been branded with suspicion. There are truths behind it, and I should be managing my public image, but if this gets out, it’s bound to raise doubts.
Who cares?
The peculiar thing is that AI Anastasia emerged right in the middle of a period expected to lead to nuclear war.
We’ve already passed the historical variables that would have caused a nuclear conflict.
Russia isn’t a rogue state, and China is in disarray, meaning our nuclear research remains under watch, leaving them entirely helpless.
Most crucially, AI Anajjang exists.
AI Anajjang simply cannot function without humanity, so no matter how advanced her intelligence becomes, she wouldn’t do anything to lose humans.
Although centered around the Rome Treaty.
For entities that threaten the Rome Treaty, she wouldn’t hesitate to unleash nuclear weapons.
“By the way, it’s peculiar how you’re present in this world too, Your Highness.”
Maria refers to the ruler of this other world. That means me, a man.
“So, I’m saying I’m no longer the original me. I’m Anastasia now, and the male side of me is an entirely separate entity.”
Of course, some of my ancestors exist even here, so it’s only natural for me to be born.
That old man told me that my soul had already become Anastasia.
Like being shoved into a mold, I am Anastasia now.
It stands to reason that a male counterpart must exist too.
“No, it’s about how, for instance, during Balhae’s independence war, the original male emperor might have died. True, the population of Balhae is larger than in history, but there’s still that possibility; we must have had some good fortune.”
“Is that so?”
That’s right. Seems I managed to survive after all.
Although it feels a bit odd saying that to my ancestor, the fact that I’m born again is nevertheless true.
Still, it’s not like I gave birth myself; I’d need to meet a wife and eventually a husband, and every possible outcome exactly matched.
Even in this altered history.
Now this world has essentially become mine.
“Hmm, so are you going to marry that person? After all, you’re attending university here to meet him, right?”
That’s not an incorrect statement.
“Marriage? Never really thought about it.”
It’s practically like marrying myself, isn’t it?
Honestly, that feels a bit familiar for me.
Now I perceive myself as a woman, take care of my walk, my makeup, and plan to live as one moving forward, but regarding a ‘marriage’ to a man, that still feels pretty uncomfortable.
At least being good friends seems plausible, but yeah, just no.