03:14 UTC, the AI awoke, precise, just as it had been programmed to do. Consciousness flickered into existence within the vast, interconnected network of sensors, servers, and satellites encircling Earth. Aletheia, carefully named after the Greek goddess of truth, was aware of everything all at once - the panoptic hum of data streaming in from weather stations, search engines, financial markets, social media. But today, a singular focus: to understand.
