The Artificial Universe of Imminent Destruction: Diary Entry One
By Salma Elhandaoui
A human female refugee records her perceptions of a universe controlled by unethical robots while anticipating an attack from blood-thirsty vampires that want to destroy humankind and AI beings alike.
DIARY ENTRY ONE
Date: Ludimina 24th, 3007 Anno Domini (A.D.)
Day: Tuesday
Time: 6:30 Post Meridiem
Dear Diary,
Last night, I had nightmares unlike any that I have had before. My human structure was consumed by bloodthirsty snakes who robbed my soul completely and shattered my human form into empty space.
Yesterday, I remember the school day finally ending while depressed clouds darkened and compressed. Amidst feeling relief to arrive soon at our mansion, I saw my father, his shocked face, boiled with fear as he drove me in his Dominacol Valdo car. Amidst watching the one thousandth episode of Trakasi Racamali on the electronic screen attached to my pale skin. Amidst the atrocious laughter tingling through my soul. Amidst the screeching noise coming from the speedy vehicles, I saw a galvanized billboard spanning thousands of feet across the Town of Lamlo, depicting a “Battle of Impending Doom,” and depicting that my life might end soon, perhaps that very day!
I still can’t forget the fact that vampires will be raging into this universe to destroy humans yet again and drink their blood.
That’s all I can remember, a clear memory amongst millions of shattered and unimportant scenes. I still can’t forget the president’s face, smiling from thousands of miles away. I still can’t forget the fact that vampires will be raging into this universe to destroy humans yet again and drink their blood. I can’t forget this particular day, which I thought would be my end. Nevertheless, I can’t wait to bring you with me on this hazardous journey that might be like heaven or like hell.
Today, I woke up to the domineering noises blazing outside of my bedroom windows. Threatening alarms overflow my ears. Electromagnetic airplanes fly in the dreadful sky. The extravagant cars drive above ground level with glamorous sounds. Again I can see with my passionate eyes hundreds of billboards of Gelfling Ureu, the president of the Universe of Belinda, on an infinite loop. I can see him telling humans and robots to prepare for the worst…throwing propaganda through electronic screens without endeavoring to prevent war. I know we’re doomed and it’s crystal obvious. Vampires from the Universe of Nosferatu always defeated us in previous wars.
Girls Write Now On the Other Side of Everything: The 2023 Anthology
Do you know what it’s like to communicate with your family across a salty ocean’s divide? Do you want the sun and moon to enter your home with stories written in embers? Do you seek voices that will punctuate the darkness? Welcome to the other side of everything. It’s the other side of silence, the other side of childhood, the other side of hate, the other side of indifference, it’s the other side of sides, where the binary breaks down. It’s a new paradigm, a destination, a different perspective, a mindset, a state of openness, the space between the endless folds in your forehead, hopes for tomorrow, and reflections on the past. This anthology of diverse voices is an everything bagel of literary genres and love songs, secrets whispered in the dark of night, conversations held with ancestors under the sea.
How are humans even alive anymore? We should be extinct by now. We are controlled by machines and robots as they become more powerful than the human race. We lost our original home, the Universe of Virgo Supercluster of Galaxies (UVSG), to robots that destroyed our universe using advanced computational algorithms. We have been living under the control of computers for eight years. Now that I’m in my twenties, I’ve begun to realize that I, and ALL other human beings, have no clue how this destructive domination came into play. Gelfling Ureu hid everything from us to promote censorship and to eradicate free speech, but I won’t let that happen any longer. I will prevent the “War of Impending Doom” and those vicious vampires from gulping human blood and flesh yet again, but stopping this event comes with uncertain consequences.
As I stand up from my comfortable bed to recharge my energy, I use a life-long Rybome Reflex device to acquire vigor for the rest of the week without the necessity of sleep so that my liveliness can escalate tremendously. Eventually, I position my radiological detector in my brain to present my Intelligence Quotient identification visibly on my head as regulated by the government and analytics. Entering the family dressing room, I see my parents as they exit from their transmogrifying dressing machines, which automatically place robotic shields on their bodies. My father, Ambose Lucinda, dresses himself in his bespoke white coat with black denim pants, preparing to commence his driving journey to Invincible Scientific, the most prestigious science company in Madagascarophis Castaway, the largest city in the Universe of Belinda. Simultaneously, my mother, Aurora Manich Lucinda, wears a shiny dress with a brown coat layered on top before driving her vehicle to the Electrical Engineering Facility where she works.
I feel like my heart might burst any second as I realize humans are conforming to the emotionless creatures who run our universe, and that I’m one of those people who is obliged to obey such powerful yet pitiful machines. My heart is telling me to go to Konoha Onegai Island. Seeing Gelfling Ureu’s mendacious face fueled my desire to discover the history of these three universes. To know if the UVSG still exists. To know if humans can escape from any more suffering inflicted by these selfish creatures. To know if I’m capable of entering this island to expose Gelfling Ureu’s lies. To know if I can awaken people from their blind adherence to strange policies. To know if what the witch, Dramali, said to me were lies. Now, I must go to Konoha Onegai to find the TRUTH.
— Charmaine Lucinda—
From the Universe of Belinda
Performance
Process
Artificial Intelligence, robots, vampires, and humans living in different universes may seem overwhelming, but I wanted to construct a creative world incorporating these creatures and beings. After reading various science fiction, horror, thriller, and mystery novels and stories such as Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, and 1984 by George Orwell, I realized that under certain circumstances, human beings are capable of doing great harm, even if they intend to live by ‘moral’ standards. Reading books and watching films about horrifying prophecies, learning about the barbaric history of various empires and dictators, and examining current unrest and inequity drove me to create dystopian diary entries from a refugee’s perspective. Throughout the writing and exploration process, my mentor and I had constructive and critical conversations about humans that transcend societal norms or standards, connections between different examples of abuse of power, and how science-fiction and horror creations can provide social commentary or criticism through interesting points of view.
Salma Elhandaoui
Salma Elhandaoui was born in Morocco with a desire to achieve her dreams despite any obstacles that she may face. As she discovered the world of literature and art and became more globally conscious, she immersed herself in investigative journalism, contemporary literature and climate change activism. Now, she’s managing her own climate change campaign, as well as Dynarrative, an online literary magazine and community where writers have the creative freedom to explore their passions in multiple genres.
