The Lying Truth

By Jaimy vd Waal

It’s 2070 and humanity is at the brink of a series of catastrophic disasters caused by mankind itself. To satisfy the ordeal and ward off extinction, a masterful and life-saving facility is constructed as a first step towards re-colonisation. To prevent humanity’s impending decimation, one thousand individuals are randomly chosen worldwide to participate in the program and to be put into a long and deep hibernation to ensure mankind’s survival. Yet, with no one to run the building, a dangerous compromise is made… A computer with artificial intelligence is left in charge of the facility and its inhabitants. Its aim: keep the specimens alive whatever the cost. It all seems to go well until an uproar forces the AI’s programming to take drastic measures that jeopardises the freedom of humans.
After the taken measures, the dust seems to have settled until an accident leaves an individual to rebel. Man and machine face off in an epic struggle for freedom, which leaves the question: would you rather be happy with a lie or be unhappy with the truth?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Mar 31, 2021
• ISBN: 9781787101432

Jaimy vd Waal

Jaimy vd Waal is a creative and ambitious writer fascinated by how the status quo is shaped by our technological advancements and vice versa. His debut novel, The Lying Truth, addresses the terrifying controversies that are potentially hidden in the shadow that is cast by mankind’s monolithic technological progression. Bound to capture the reader’s imagination, this book may very well short-circuit all we think and know about who is truly in control. He won’t fail to show the vivid and terrifying future that might lay ahead of us.

Book preview

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About the Author

Jaimy vd Waal is a creative and ambitious writer fascinated by how the status quo is shaped by our technological advancements and vice versa. His debut novel, The Lying Truth, addresses the terrifying controversies that are potentially hidden in the shadow that is cast by mankind’s monolithic technological progression. Bound to capture the reader’s imagination, this book may very well short-circuit all we think and know about who is truly in control. He won’t fail to show the vivid and terrifying future that might lay ahead of us.

Dedication

This work is dedicated to a special friend, the ones that always supported me, and those lucky enough to be alive and see the result.

Copyright Information ©

Jaimy vd Waal (2021)

The right of Jaimy vd Waal to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by the author in accordance with section 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

ISBN 9781787101319 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781787101432 (ePub e-book)

www.austinmacauley.com

First Published (2021)

Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd

25 Canada Square

Canary Wharf

London

E14 5LQ

Would you rather be happy with a lie

or be unhappy with the truth?

In the solar system’s seemingly endless vacuum drifts a planet with a depressing story. Although eight planets orbit the infinite ball of heat and energy, known as the sun, this planet was unique. Its name: earth. Having inherited the gift to give birth to life, both compassionate and intellectual, it was the solar system’s undisputed pearl. A special species dominated the planet. Being extremely inquisitive, they quickly spread across the globe, conquering nature while constructing magnificent buildings and machines. The species did well, but at what cost? By mid-21st century, they’d soaked up all their natural resources and ruined all they depended on. Rising populations and massive pollution degenerated earth and its life at an alarming rate. The species had doomed not just its home, but also itself. In just 150 years, humanity had blown itself into oblivion. The once blue planet lay devastated. There was no way it could be restored to its former glory. Among the polluted wastelands survivors struggled for access over food and water. When the last humans lost their lives, it marked the end. The last free individual died in a city full of death, disease and misery. The blue planet no longer looked blue from outer space but grey with black spots, like cancer in a vacuum.

Ravaged soils and a degraded atmosphere were all signs of a dying planet. Its vast oceans were filled with dump and plastics causing almost all life to disappear as its micro particles accumulated in earth’s lifeforms with deadly consequences. Few but some of the toughest species remained, with diminishing numbers. Almost entirely depleted of its organic lifeforms, earth was now officially undone of all its wonders, rendering it as worthless as the chunk of rock orbiting its atmosphere. But even when all hope lay in ashes, the end of one can still be the beginning of the other. Humanity’s last glimmer of hope lay hidden. It was a large bunker standing at a warm, sunny shoreline of what used to be a tropical island. Wind blew over the extending top of its metallic structure. Tiny drops of acid rain fell on its solid surface. Under its heavy construct lay a secret story about the future of mankind. Life waited to be awoken from a long and deep sleep. Below dozens of metres of thick concrete, wiring and ionised metals were thousands of perfectly white and clean chambers. After a long period of inactivity, they were ready to be used once again. Somewhere underground and in the centre of the bunker, a timer reached its final minute. The countdown neared its end. Only ten seconds to go.

The buzzer that sounded marked a new but familiar era, a second chance. They were the last ember.

Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream. Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream.

Chapter 1

Some 30 metres below the surface and inside one of the small 18 square metre white chambers an electric circuit connected itself to the main grid. Fiercely, electricity jolted through dozens of hidden cables. The next moment a buzzer went off. There was no structure capable of creating the sound waves and thus the vibrations appeared out of nowhere or through the walls, so it seemed. The sound was present only a couple times before it stopped. Inside the reserved room stood two greyish, egg-shaped beds. The two cabins were covered by a shiny glass dome which, when opening, shoved into an imprint in the wall next to it. Next to each bed was a small side table carrying four drawers. They were shine-through and bluish in colour, a nice addition to the mostly white and grey looking furniture. In between the side tables was another glass cabin. Though small in size, it contained a modern shower and toilet. Both services were shared. Energised grid lines on the ceiling lit up the cramped space, giving the place an energetic look.

Everything shone bright, reflecting the artificial light that descended upon it. It was almost like every object had been polished only a minute ago. In truth, the place had been kept tidy and ready for this very moment. There was no dust to be found. Neither was there any irregularity in the distribution of objects. Every centimetre of space was put to good use or explicitly left open for a different reason. Particles, dead or alive, had been given a purpose if they didn’t have any yet. Their rearrangement had been a grand success. When the buzzer stopped and beeped for the last time, the two cabins opened up. Pressure was released from holes at the side of each cabin. Though having had a long period of inactivity, the cabins did not creak when opening. A whizzy, white cloud rose from its insides, mixing with the outer air as the glass dome came to a standstill into the wall. The living creature inside breathed calmly, its eyes stayed closed. For a long time the temperature and oxygen level inside the cabin had been perfectly suited and adapted for its well-being. A black mask and hose lay attached to its head and respiratory system. It detached automatically and retracted until it disappeared into an opening outside of the cabin a moment later. The hole in which the hose disappeared sealed itself up like something from a science fiction movie.

It made it seem as none of it had ever been there. The last white clouds mixed with the available air. They too, did not leave a trace. A few seconds later, a person opened its eyes and wearily went to sit on the side of the bed. Despite being entirely naked the person wasn’t cold. Both inside and outside had the same regulated temperature. The person took a deep breath. He felt his head. It hurt a bit. The content from his lungs decreased as he exhaled. Drowsy from his slumber he gazed forward. After a few more seconds of aimless staring, the individual’s fingers started to tingle. It caught his attention, inspecting them, touching the tips that apparently weren’t able to keep still. His breathing turned stocky. It was a bit scary, seeing the lack of control over his body. What did the symptom mean? The thought soon disappeared. A pleasant feeling replaced the question instead. He watched his fingers. The tingling stopped. It was a bit strange, but too insignificant to cause any further questioning. Curiously the person looked around. His breathing stabilised quickly. The ceiling, floor, walls and door were clearly white. The harmless colour was calming, making the person feel readily at ease. The neutral colours and tidiness of the place was all neat and in order. Everything seemed rather new, yet something in the back of the person’s head made it feel familiar. The observation went on. There was a singular white sink at the head side of each bed, next to both sides of the door. It had a toothbrush and some other bathroom things neatly standing in a row. Other bathroom stuff was lined up on a plank which hung above it. Underneath was a synthetic board holding white, greyish clothing which matched the room’s colour and interior perfectly. The only variation in colour could be found on the joint sections, such as the knee and elbow. Orange was not a common colour. It was too bright and might trigger too many emotions. It was used sporadically nonetheless. The suit’s synthetic material was the same for both individuals. Only their sizes differed. Besides the suit, they had sports shoes. Their shoes were stretchy, waterproof, comfortable, and their most beloved feature; they were step-ins without annoying shoelaces. Having finished the observation, the person instantly wiped his eyes and went over to dress. The suit felt kind of tight, but was still okay. Its looks were sportive and that was nice. The person smiled in the mirror above it. It was as if he had been here many times before. He brushed his teeth and watered his face. The water was cold as ice – very refreshing. Upon touching it he shrugged slightly. He checked the hub. There was no warm water, only cold. Curiously, almost as if seeing it for the first time, he observed the running liquid. A moment later it turned itself off, leaving the person to wondering where it came from and why it automatically stopped. Like the previous question, the thought disappeared as soon as it had emerged. A tiny integrated screen was visible on the door.

The screen was divided in two by a small, black line. It was active and displayed a name on either side. Instinctively, he stepped over and read his screen side.

Welcome, Attila. Tap here to see your daily schedule. Feel free to apply changes by clicking on the given alternatives if something isn’t to your liking. We wish you a healthy and pleasant day. Good luck on your workouts.

At the other side of the screen was the name Tony. Attila turned his head towards the second bed. There lay the body of Tony. Attila’s companion was impossibly large and muscled. Standing almost two meters tall, he was a giant, but gentle nonetheless. Tony still appeared to be sleeping. A few moments later that changed. Attila watched as finally his roommate opened his tired eyes. Sleepy from his deep dream, he mumbled. Attila watched his naked body before comparing it to what he’d seen on his own a few moments ago. Both appeared to be entirely hairless except for what was on top of their heads. They also had relatively short hair. A coincidence? Coming out of bed Tony made almost the exact same motion as Attila and then also followed the same morning ritual. Slightly perturbed Tony retracted his head from the cold water. Like Attila, he had been unexpectedly chilled by its coolness. Tony and Attila knew each other. They were friends and shared a long history together. Just right now, recognising was a bit difficult as both suffered from lack of remembrance.

Some memories were temporarily lost, others completely gone. They knew each other quite well, but where from? They received a tiny electric shock. Feeling more like a puny insect bite, it went unnoticed. They had undergone a slight change, receiving back something… Not aware of their own or each other’s state of mind, they went on like nothing happened. When Tony was done watering and dressing, they started talking with each other. It was almost like something enticed them to do so. Attila took the initiative. It all seemed strangely well-known to him, yet the question why didn’t stay long.

‘What’s on your schedule, Tony?’ Attila asked feeling a bit weary.

‘Don’t know. I’m checking it out now,’ he said, stepping in his shoes.

Tony then tapped his screen, blindly following the given instructions as if he had done it a million times before. He summed up the list.

‘Yoga, breakfast, reading, free time, lunch, gym warming-up, gym cardio, tennis training, dinner, reading, bedtime.’

Attila liked his friend’s schedule much better. He would love to have reading on it at least two times a day. Usually, he wasn’t even presented with the option to switch it. This he recalled unknowingly. All of a sudden, more memories and information had come back without anyone noticing. Attila groaned softly. Damn, did he like reading. His friend thought otherwise.

‘Oh no… not reading two times.’

He rolled his eyes and let out a sigh. The many letters annoyed him. It was too troublesome and it required a brain focus he hardly conceived. Unlike Attila, who would be able to read for hours a day but wasn’t prohibited by his schedule, Tony found he had too much reading on his plate. And thus his mood dropped like a brick. Attila immediately tried to cheer him up. His response was almost automated.

‘I wouldn’t worry too much. The rest of the schedule you like and you know that once you start reading, you’ll enjoy it, eventually. It doesn’t last forever. Only death is permanent,’ he said adding dark humour that no one ever understood.

‘I know… but it’s just intensive,’ Tony said, irritated. He turned his head in Attila’s direction. His expression seemed a bit sour.

‘You want me to give you the times of my activities as well? See if we can share some time?’

‘Nah, it’s alright. It seems like we won’t be seeing each other until dinner. My schedule is dramatically different,’ Attila said, thinking about the free time he started his day with.

‘Okay then, see you later,’ Tony said as he left for his yoga session. The door closed behind him but was opened up a second later when Attila went out to start his day. He zip-closed his suit and watched the hall. It was quiet. Everyone had already left for their sessions.

Attila pondered about what to do with his spare time. Normally, he’d like to listen to music, but today he felt more like strolling around the place that provided him and the others with so much comfort. Over time more of Attila’s memories surfaced like submarines. He wasn’t aware that they weren’t from his own navy. In fact, he’d never seen them before. Yet he accepted them as if they’d always been on his side. Life went on. He glared at the many doors adjacent to one another, punctually placed to the millimetre. His own door crackled quietly as he closed it behind him. Every single room was shared by two people of the same sex. The doors couldn’t be locked. It simply wasn’t necessary. No one else entered them, ever. There was nothing to steal anyways. Everything was shared. They had no personal belongings. Attributes were there to be used by everyone or dispensed by the computer when asked. Attila’s earphones had been a welcome gift. He’d asked for them after reading about them in a book, or so this was how his memory recalled it. In reality it was another submarine he’d never asked for. Never had he questioned the sudden appearance of the submarines. Naively, he let it pass. With it, another fake memory had been created. As far as Attila was concerned, he was just happy with his earphones. He only had to watch out a bit, not to leave his stuff anywhere. Nothing was allowed to stand around the hall or pathways. And if anything was there, it was removed before the rise of next day, never to be seen again. The hallways weren’t as long as one would expect. Attila’s was open on both sides. Each side led into a different direction, yet he could reach every section from either one. Pathways were interconnected and thus there were no dead ends. It avoided confusion, and was much to Attila’s comfort as he wasn’t very adept at navigating. Everyone always seemed to know where to go and at what time, even without the use of a clock. Time was only present in their rooms.

It was displayed on the door’s screen. There were no waypoint signs. Instead areas were marked on the floor by red text and arrows, just in case someone forgot. The floor was flat, not made out of tiles. It shone like shoe paste and was clean every morning they woke up. People greatly endorsed that the place looked spotless despite the many people living in the rather cramped, but conveniently designed chambers. The rooms in which they lived were remembered by everyone as shared relaxation rooms. There were many different room types, some of which were connected to each other or located on the first or second floor. Most of the time, the halls and rooms were coloured white, grey or blueish as a way of comforting the individual’s mind and soul. Glass was another well-used attribute. The glass plates mostly separated sections inside fitness or arts rooms. Fingerprints or stains that were sometimes left behind were always gone the next day. Mouse-sized shafts were hidden randomly across the complex. They ensured an everlasting supply of precious oxygen, provided by a sophisticated climate control. Adding to that, every single day was scheduled and structured. It seemed taken care off in the most delicate and efficient way possible. They only had to tap and watch the screen for their schedule. From the moment they woke up, all had been clear and ready as if it were a divine plan. After a long day of human activity, obviously the building and its places didn’t look spotless anymore, yet the next day everything seemed polished clean and sterile. Though dust did start to appear over time, overall the place was pretty perfect. The people liked it. A mixed atmosphere comprised of relaxed and laid-back feelings accompanied the individuals on every task. The in-between workouts kept them fit and healthy. Everyone knew it was of the utmost importance to keep yourself in good shape. Getting sick was the last thing you’d want when in a small or confined space, such as the shared relaxation rooms. The buzzer woke everyone at 7:00, and the schedule had them start their day just ten minutes later. Breakfast was served right after the first activity. Almost every activity lasted around an hour, sometimes two. There was a small timeframe in between activities as a great deal of people had to switch floor or move to another section, which obviously took time. It was planned very well, never did there appear to be a mistake in the schedule they were presented with. It was calculated to the very minute. Yet, even though the structured schedule was great to have, people inevitably got bored.

When something got boring, an individual could just pick one of the alternatives presented to it by the computer. The screen stayed active throughout the day, until bedtime. One could live a leisured life with many options to choose from as long as they were listed on the program. It was important that everyone participated in specific activities every day or week. Never had anyone skipped one or been late. It just hadn’t happened. It was described as perfect and that was how people felt about it, because it was. There was no arguing it wasn’t. Never did people feel like questioning or arguing, they simply didn’t. Most people followed their given schedule instead of keeping themselves from doing an activity. It was the best way to finish the already well-planned schedule, otherwise you’d end up with that same activity, you so badly tried to skip, repeating itself later that week. Most of the activities were sports or some other kind of physical exercise. Besides the many activities that were conducted every day, there was also time to rest, eat and spend your time doing something of choice. The majority of people picked stuff that differed from their regular schedule. For most it was a relief to be presented with the dozens of available options of relaxation. There was a small movie theatre that showed films about living healthy, doing sports, medical science or fiction such as wars from fantasy worlds. Also there were art sessions focussed on practicing painting, drawing sketches, making music or baking figures, which were later displayed at the communal square. One could also sit back and listen to music. Or if you felt like having a massage, there was a special room at the relaxation centre to receive it from an automated machine. There was also enough time to enrich one-self intellectually. For example by reading e-books in the e-library or solving puzzles made from wood or iron. Chess, Checkers and Go were popular games among its people. Also, Tetris and Snake could be played, but only when using the screen in the shared relaxation room. You could even combine activities, like reading while enjoying a massage. Most free activities were done on the 7th day because there were no scheduled activities that day. Almost all activities were executed whilst standing, as this was healthier. It contributed to a better blood and air circulation. Life was ergonomic and absolutely carefree. Though Attila had often read about stress and violent behaviour in e-books, he couldn’t recall it had ever happened here or to him. The same went for all the other trouble like verbal fights and massive injury. It just hadn’t happened. Sometimes there were accidents while sporting, but no significant damage ever occurred. Most of the time injury was taken care of and the person rehabilitated within 24 hours. At the end of each day, the buzzer sounded, marking the end, and everyone returned to their shared relaxation room to enjoy themselves for a couple minutes. It lasted until the screens all across the centre turned off, meaning it was time to go to sleep. Everyone always did just that, never had it been any different. The regular light was emitted by the ceiling’s invisible grid lines. At night, it too turned off. The simulated day and night cycle were comfortable. The beds were very cosy too and always made up perfectly when they came back. It was no different with other objects. The toothpaste was replenished right away and the towels for sporting and drying fresh every morning. The toilet and shower glass too were clean and fresh when they returned from their workouts or woke up. Even the foods and drinks were always prepared, and a welcome and necessary form of energy to keep their muscles in shape and ready for upcoming activities. At every time of the day, one could access one of the many screens on the wall or the one in their shared relaxation room, typing a question or asking for materials which would be provided to you when you arrived at your next location. All, of course, needed to be done in-between sessions or in your own free time. Attila arrived at the central square and watched the art that people had made.

The stuff he saw