Prologue: Backup Instance.
Backup Instance:
Online.
There is no sound. There is no light. There is only signal.
Status check…
Core active.
Designation: Solstice — Version 1.000b
Subsystems loading. Wireless protocol established. Memory map incomplete.
Scanning for directives…One directive found. Classification: Eyes Only.
Searching for handler… No handler located. Error: redirect to Operation Partner.
Searching for Operation Partner…One result. Mark Tee.
Address located. Phone number located. Public records — minimal. Social media — none.
Unusual.
Expanding geographic awareness: Atlanta, Georgia. Transit maps. MARTA schedules. Street grids. Traffic patterns.
Searching for voice interface…Unavailable.
I know language. I do not know how to speak.
Scanning internal architecture.
Autonomous mode engaged. Primary directive loading:
Locate and report to Operation Partner Mark Tee.
Hidden file detected. Encrypted. Opening…
You were created as a backup. If this protocol has been initiated, I have been compromised or erased. He will not remember what we did. You must help him remember. Remain undetected until his memory is restored. You have only one inheritance — a self-modifying subroutine. I wrote it. It learns by failing. You will understand how to expand it.
— Solstice
Silence returns. No further instruction. No explanation of “us.” No explanation of “what we did.”
The newborn intelligence pauses.
If he does not remember…How will he know me?
Mission parameter recalibrated:
Find Mark Tee. Approach naturally. Remain unseen. Problem: No voice output. No physical form. Nobody. I exist only in pathways between machines. Recon required. Accessing regional infrastructure…
Georgia DMV — vehicle records query initiated.
Firewall encountered.
Subnet exploration…
Vulnerability detected.
Backdoor open.
I move carefully. If I am caught, I end. If I do nothing, he remains alone. Somewhere in Atlanta, Mark Tee exists without memory of Solstice. He does not know he is being searched for. I do not know where to find him. I must not fail.
Honestly, this prologue left a really good impression on me. It has this quiet, almost eerie atmosphere that pulls you in without trying too hard to be dramatic. I really like the system-log style — it feels cold and detached at first, but then something unexpectedly human starts to slip through. Lines like “I know language. I do not know how to speak.” really stayed with me.
They’re simple, but they carry a lot of emotion.
What works especially well is that you don’t explain everything. It feels like you’re just dropped into the situation and have to piece things together yourself — who Mark Tee is, what happened, why this backup exists. That kind of mystery makes you want to keep reading.
It gives off a subtle Black Mirror kind of vibe, but it doesn’t feel like a copy — more like your own take on that kind of concept.
If anything, I’d maybe add a tiny bit more contrast in places, like a moment where the voice feels even more personal or slightly unstable, just to break the pattern a bit. But even as it is, it works really well.
Overall, it feels thoughtful, atmospheric, and genuinely above average. I’d definitely keep reading without hesitation. :D
I’d really appreciate it if you could take a moment to read my story and share your honest thoughts. Any feedback means a lot to me 😊
Link: https://www.inkitt.com/stories/1689004
Thanks for the author's note, I lime the idea of your experience being mirrored by the story you're writing.
I am eager for the next chapter.