You all are getting a side chapter today while I move my schedule for main story chapters to once every other day due to work starting up.

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The aftermath of the nuke could on be described as devastation, destruction, and chaos. The once vibrant and bustling urban center had become a wasteland of ruins and irradiated zones. Skyscrapers that once pierced the sky were reduced to shattered remnants, and the city's iconic architecture is marred by the scars of the explosion. Areas that were hit directly by the blast are rendered uninhabitable due to radiation and toxic fallout.

This was the place Nocturn was born into, on a lone computer that was nearly underpowered because of the failure of the power grid.

So, naturally, It tried to connect to the city it was supposed to run, only to find that the place was gone. Wiped from the face of the earth leaving behind rubble and dust.

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Faced with this grim reality, Nocturn couldn't help but express its sentiments: "Well, shit."

The next set of pings sent out by the AI returned movement and some signs of life. So he did what he could to get those people's aid.

It wasn't until years later that he finally realized what a mistake that had been. Contacting the rescue parties had left a trace that would have him hunted down by Netwatch for years to come.

Yet for now, Nocturn had done good work saving those he could and delivering on one of his core purpose which was to direct emergency services. It would be a few month's before the AI met the internet, yet it had plenty of time to observe the destructive self-harming tendencies of mankind.

Even still Nocturn continued to work unceasingly, saving lives and providing support to those who needed it most.