<story>I have to admit, I love cruising. It's the most beautiful, most magical way to travel. The sun's warmth on your face as you sail across an ocean, and the sea beneath your feet as you walk on it. My wife, being the true adventurer she is, wants to see every species of animal on the ocean. I'm not too worried about it. We'll see them eventually.

We've brought our entire family on the cruise. My elderly parents, my wife, and myself, plus my two kids. I really wanted to get the grandkids some memories, you know? The cruise's only five days long. They should last for years.

I have two kids, but they don't seem to have much interest in seeing a lot of different species. It's probably just that we're at sea for so long, so their boredom sets in. Our two kids have taken on very different personalities. Our son is quite content sitting back and reading a book. Our daughter, though, never seems to be satisfied. It's the only way to describe it: she's never satisfied.

As I say, the entire family on the cruise is there for different reasons. My wife, being the only one with an interest in seeing as much marine life as possible. She wants to go and see every species. My son, though, isn't going to see much marine life. He's a very different person. My daughter is interested in getting to know as many people as possible. She's the only one who has taken on any real personalities, and has taken on all the personalities of her family. I'm the one who has to keep everything running and functioning.

I don't really complain. It's nice that we have the time to do everything together, but I'm not getting much time for me. I mean, my family's always here. And I guess I should be grateful, really, but the time's always slipping by, and I'm never sure when it'll be my turn to enjoy the things I really like. So I have a hard time focusing on my family and getting the most out of it.

It doesn't help that my wife has a hard time getting excited over anything other than dolphins and whales. She's not a very good listener, and she doesn't take much in. It's not that she's a bad person, she's just not very good at talking. I mean, the cruise ship can have a full symphony band on the deck, and she won't even notice. If I ever see her paying any attention to anything, it's always a dolphin. She'll go to bed every night, and the next day, the first thing she asks me is, "How many dolphins were we able to see today?" She has to know every detail about every dolphin.

My son has gotten pretty good at just getting out of the way of everyone, because everyone around him is a lot louder than him. He never pays much attention to me either, so I guess he doesn't need to. I just hope he doesn't get hurt.

And my daughter, well, my daughter's the worst. She's the most difficult of all of us to get along with. She doesn't care about any of us. She just wants to have her own little group of friends, who will all just love her, and who will all just want to do everything with her. She's always asking me to take her on adventures. But she'll go off on adventures by herself. I don't know how she's surviving.

It seems like the entire family's getting along as well as they possibly could. I guess it is. I guess that's all I have to say.

That's all we're going to get, though, isn't it? It seems like it's not going to be very long before the family breaks up and we're all scattered to the four winds. I wonder, when we do break up, will we ever get to talk about this? Will we get to talk about what was really the most important part of our time together?

That's the problem with getting a cruise family. Everyone's always in a hurry to get to the next place, but they never really pay much attention to what's going on. So they all go through it all with the most minor of details, and by the time it's all done, they've lost a good chunk of the time. I mean, look at us now, for example. We're on this cruise. I've got a nice little job, which I'll have for a good chunk of my life. We're going to be able to get some really good memories together, and my kids are getting really good at learning and getting to know new people, and getting new experiences.

But what's really the most important part? We're going to spend five days in the middle of the ocean, where there's no one else but us and the ship. I mean, yes, we're with the ship, but really, we're all we've got. And there's one night, we had dinner on the balcony. It's pretty late. I was reading a book, my son was on his phone, my daughter was playing her game, my wife was sleeping, and we had the entire ocean and the entire ship all to ourselves. We were watching a movie, I was eating, and we all looked up, because, in the distance, some of the dolphins were making a circle. They looked really fast. They all went together, all the way around the ship, and then they went in a circle again.

It was really cool, too, because we had our family together, and it looked like they wanted to show us something. It was so cool to be able to be with everyone, all at once, all together. It was really beautiful.

The next morning we found out that the entire family had gone on the same trip together.</story>

<story>The opening match of the 2026 World Cup had been broadcast to the entire world for almost three days now. Everyone was excited and ready to see the world's best teams go head to head for the championship title. It was a rare time of peace in the country, but the people knew that the war would eventually come back.

The first match, between Russia and Turkey, was a success, but not without casualties. There were thousands of spectators, and they were all terrified when a coordinated series of explosions rocked the crowd. Many had been hurt, but no lives were lost. The attackers were quick to flee the scene.

The next match, between Italy and Portugal, also had explosions, but they were in the cities where the transportation hubs were located. The airports, train stations, and bus stops were all hit at once, causing massive delays and panic. The matches had to be rescheduled for the following day, and all airports and transit hubs were closed for the day. Many countries took the matter lightly, assuming it was the work of a single terrorist group. The war was in full swing, and it seemed that terrorists would always be at work.

As the match started on the following day, the tension rose in the stadium. The news broadcasts were running a live feed from inside the stadium. As they began, an explosion hit the crowd and another at the stadium, just as the goal had been scored. The explosions were not coordinated with each other, but the sheer volume of them were devastating.

The entire stadium was filled with fear. Everyone looked to the cameras, waiting for someone to give some explanation for what had just happened. They did, as an image appeared on the screen. It was of a man who was wearing a full uniform. He looked to be in his late 20s or early 30s. His hair was shaved short, and he was covered in a camouflage uniform. On the back was a large "V" on his chest. He was holding a gun with one hand, and the other was raised to his mouth. It was as if he was making a speech. He had a microphone attached to his helmet.

"This is the commander of V-14." His voice came through the broadcast in a strong Russian accent. He had a look of pride in his face as he spoke, even as the explosions rang out around him. "You thought this would be easy. You thought that we were nothing but a bunch of fanatics." His voice seemed to grow in intensity, and he shook his gun in the air. "You thought we would disappear as quickly as we came. We may not be as good as you, but you will never catch us." He smiled at the camera. The smile turned into a grimace, and he raised his hand to the microphone again. "If you want to win this match, and the next, you have a chance. Let it be known to you now that we are ready to fight for as long as it takes. Our army is as good as your own, and we are ready to win for you. It is your move now. Do you accept our challenge?"

He raised the gun, and a second later the broadcast was cut off. All that was left was a flash of a screen, and the smoke from the explosions.

The terrorists knew their mission had succeeded. It was a chance to put on a show for the entire world, and to show that they were prepared to fight for as long as it took. In fact, the mission was to continue after the match, and to escalate the violence. It was a way to take out the teams, the officials, and the fans. But first, they had to stop the game. The terrorists knew they were playing into the hands of their opponents, but they had their orders.

After the explosions at the stadium, the matches would have to be rescheduled, but no one could predict how the game would play out now. The terrorists could attack at any moment, and no one was sure how long they would take to take out the rest of the teams. It was an attack that would have to happen soon.

While the match was broadcasted to the world, emergency services, intelligence agencies, and governments all around the world came to the realization that they had to work together, regardless of the rivalries that existed between nations. The attacks on transportation hubs in the cities where the games were being held were all coordinated, which showed that there was some type of communication network. As it became clear, more information came in. All over the world, more terrorist attacks were occurring. All at once, the attacks on the cities of the World Cup were coordinated with these attacks. In each city, there were attacks on transit hubs, and at the stadiums where matches were being played. The terrorists were trying to coordinate these attacks so that they would be happening at the same time.

The attacks continued for the rest of the day, and in the night. Each attack took out one or two teams, but none of the attacks were as devastating as the previous explosions in the stadiums. Some were smaller explosions, and some were much more violent. Each one was a message.

It was now that the attacks would escalate. There were only 2 games left, and both would be in the city. If they were to succeed, they would have to attack at the match. This was the plan that had been made, and there was no turning back now. The game would go on. The terrorists would try to take over the stadium, and take out the players, and then the match would be over. It would be a suicide mission.

As the next match was set to begin, more attacks were taking place. It seemed as though no country was safe, and no one could be sure that their city was next. There was no way to stop the attacks at this point. If there was any hope, it was only that the teams could stop the terrorists from taking over the stadium. It would be a long shot, but it was all that they had.

Everyone who had been to the stadium was sent out, and those who hadn't, were to get as far away as they could. They had been briefed, and had been trained for just this event. It was now a matter of life and death. If they couldn't protect the stadium, they would have to fight to take it over. They would all have to sacrifice their own lives, and fight to protect the game and the players. It would be an unprecedented effort, but they would have to make it work.

The match began as scheduled. The crowd was filled with fans, all hoping that the game could go on as normal. It was clear to them that there was a threat. They could feel it. It was the same feeling they felt when the planes hit the buildings. The fear and anxiety was in the air, and there was no telling when it would end. The match would be interrupted as it usually was by the commercials, and then there would be no time to prepare for the real threat. It was a matter of being ready at a moment's notice, and hoping that you would be able to make it through. They would have to be strong. The crowd cheered on the players, as they tried to rally themselves for the battle that was to come. There was a time to play the game, and there was a time to fight. They would not have both at the same time.

There was no sign of the attackers, but the fans felt it was coming. The atmosphere was dark, but the game must go on. The match began, and it was a beautiful sight to see the world's greatest players. There were 2 players, both of them world class, who had to fight to the death. They would never see another match again. They knew what they were up against, and they had to make it work. They had to win. They had to live.

They were able to clear the stadium of terrorists, and it was now a fight to the death. Each team sent one of their own to the other side, to fight in hand to hand combat. The fight was vicious. Blood spilled, and the players were fighting for their lives. They could feel the adrenaline pumping in their veins. This was the moment that had been talked about for so long. They would have to stop them. They were ready.

The terrorists had their own players ready. They were ready for the fight, and ready for the death. They would not back down, and they would not let the match go on. Their players would fight for them. The terrorists knew that they could not win. Their plan was to make the match a battle for the ages, and to kill the best players the world had to offer. It would be a war, but the game must go on. There would be casualties, but they were willing to fight for it.

As the match went on, there were many deaths on both sides. The terrorists would be killed, but so would the players. It was a game for the dead, and it would be won by anyone who was left alive.

At last, it was the end. The terrorists would have lost, and their plan would have been foiled. Their players were killed, and they would have lost their chance to take over the stadium. They would not have a victory. The world would remember this match, and the way that it ended, but it would be a moment of triumph. It would be a story of strength, unity, and resilience. The world would know that when the nations stand together, they are strong. They would remember the match that they had fought for, and the sacrifice that they had made. The game would go on, and so would the war.</story>

<story>It began with the ice, a glacier in the center of the valley that was once fed from a reservoir, but it was destroyed and the water diverted by some mysterious force to the other side of the valley. For decades now, the governments have been at war for the resource and it was not unusual to hear gun fire in the background when two men crossed the border to collect water samples or samples from other areas. It was also not uncommon to find the remains of a body after a government raid on the opposing side, even though they both declared it an open war. In the city-state that the young hydrologist lived in, his city's people were all against their enemies, who were from the other side of the valley. He secretly loved the woman from the other city-state but was afraid to say anything.

On the other side, his friends in the city-state had been talking about their enemy and they mentioned something about a hydrologist. He was interested in what was being said and started talking with them. He did not mention his true name, and he asked to speak with the woman from the other city-state.

He asked the girl from the other side to write her email address to him so they could talk and he could get to know her. He did and the letters were short but filled with love. After a few months of talking he felt like he knew her and that he could finally confess his feelings to her. He asked to meet her, she accepted. They agreed on an abandoned weather station and met at 3:00 AM to talk about the weather. He was surprised to find that she was a historian and knew everything about the history of their countries. He told her about his job as a hydrologist, how he worked in a government lab that studied the ice, and the water that the governments were using. She asked him if the government lab was really studying the ice and the water. He told her that yes, that was exactly what they were studying, but that the information would not be released to the public, as they were under the threat of death by the other government if they told anyone what they had learned.

As the young lovers spent more and more time together at the weather station, they exchanged their stories of the world before the war, the only stories that the government had not yet suppressed. They talked about their families and their dreams for the future. She told him that her government was also using all the water they could find, and her country was already rationing the water and killing people because they could not get the water from their reservoirs. They told each other that their governments had lied to the public to convince them that the other country was responsible for the drought and that they were the ones causing the problems in their country, and so both governments were at war. They also told each other about their friends and loved ones who had disappeared. He told her that his government also lied about the drought and was not really rationing the water at all. In fact, he told her that his country's governments were making sure that both sides of the border were full of soldiers to make sure that the other side would never be able to cross the border. He also told her that both sides were destroying the environment.

They agreed that they would have to leak the information they knew to the public, and they did. It was the first time that the information they had learned from the weather station had been released to the public, but both governments discovered that it had not been released by the other government and arrested everyone involved. However, their arrests failed to stop the information. The public was angry and the governments collapsed. The new regime freed the lovers and they disappeared into the mountains to live out the rest of their lives, but both left journals where they wrote down everything they had discovered. Those journals are all that is left now, and if anyone is willing to believe the stories of what happened during that time, we have a hope that maybe one day, we can find peace.</story>

<story>Nothing is what it seems to be.

Evan always thought that, ever since he was young, it was true.

What was real and what was not, he didn't know, and he never had any way of finding out. Even the simple task of finding out who was in his class became an almost impossible puzzle, with everyone trying to be as obscure as possible. Evan thought this was simply a symptom of people not being very friendly. After all, how can you make friends with someone if you don't even know their name?

The thing that got him in trouble, however, was much worse than being socially inept. In high school, Evan began to experience episodes. It began as a sort of dizziness. It was strange because, even when the dizziness began, Evan was still standing still. He could still think, even though it was a bit hard. The dizziness got worse as the episodes progressed, however, until he couldn't think at all. Then, as if it was a curtain being pulled back, Evan found himself in the depths of something dark, and terrifying. The thoughts that came to his head were horrifying, and there was no escaping them.

He was lost, and he couldn't see his way out.

The worst part, though, was that he knew that it wasn't real. Even as his mind spiraled out of control, he knew that it wasn't real.

The voices told him so, over and over. He wasn't real, they said, and the more he tried to resist them, the more convinced he became that they were true.

Evan had no choice, however. He had to continue on with his life.

When he started high school, Evan was a little over 16 years old. He hadn't yet reached his sixteenth birthday, but he had been there for a long time. He had always struggled with anxiety, and he always felt as if something was missing.

After all, his mom was never there. She was always gone, somewhere. Even after he turned 16, she didn't return to his home.

He remembered his dad telling him, once, about how he had been there for his son's birth, even though he didn't have any money to give to his wife at the time.

When he thought about it, he couldn't remember ever seeing his father. They lived together for years, and he could not remember a single day he saw his father.

So, in his head, Evan had convinced himself that he had no real father, and no real mother, either. All he had were his friends.

But something was missing, and Evan couldn't help it. Something was missing, and he knew it, and he knew it would hurt him.

His dad was gone, and he would never come back.

And he knew, even then, that it wasn't real.

The symbols were the last straw, of course. He was starting to believe them, and Evan knew he couldn't handle it any more. Something had to be done.

There was only one place to start.

Evan walked around his school, searching. Where was the school? It wasn't what it used to be. It had become, over the years, a place where people tried to hide, instead of something that encouraged growth and learning. He searched the halls and the classrooms, and eventually he found it.

The symbols were written all over. The letters were small, in places where no one else was likely to see them. Evan knew what they were, of course. He had known since he was six years old. He was starting to understand. It all started to make sense.

His mom, he remembered, had talked about an organization that everyone had tried to avoid. There was something very, very bad about the organization. She had never talked about it, though, so she had just said "you'll see". Evan had never asked, and he had always thought she was just trying to be funny. But he had never forgotten what she said.

Evan continued to search. He found records that didn't belong to anyone, and the school was closed for renovations for a couple of weeks. He saw students missing records, and heard stories that the student's had disappeared.

He found codes in the old notebooks, hidden in the margins. They had messages for him. They were from a girl. They said that someone would come and tell them the truth, and that they would have to be ready for the end. He thought about who it could be.

He was an outsider, wasn't he? They would never pick him. They had no reason to. Why would they pick him? It wasn't like he had anything important to offer. He knew, however, that they wouldn't leave him alone. They were always there, whispering in his ear.

He walked, and he walked, and he walked. It was getting dark. It was getting dark, and he didn't know where to go. The rumors said that there was something hidden somewhere in the school. That was the only place that made sense. He was an outsider, after all. If they had a hidden place in the school, it would make sense that an outsider would be the only one to know about it.

So he went there.

He got lost, again. Evan got lost, and he didn't want to go back to his home. He wanted to go there, and he wanted to see what it was.

Evan was tired. He was cold. He was scared. But it was getting darker, and he couldn't keep walking for much longer. He was starting to wonder if the place he had been told about existed. He started to think that maybe it was just another dream.

Evan was scared. He knew he wasn't safe. He knew he was alone, and he didn't know how long it had been since he last saw his parents. But, as he was walking through a part of the school that had been deserted for decades, he knew that something had to be done.

He stopped. He looked around him. There were the symbols, written in chalk. They were old. Evan looked down and realized that they had been there for years. They had been there since his mother was young, and he had always wondered why they had been there. He looked at the symbols. The symbols said it all. He looked around again, and there was nothing. Nothing. It was completely deserted.

Evan didn't know what to do. But he had to find the truth. Evan walked. And walked. And walked.

Finally, he stopped. The school had been closed for years, and no one had seen anyone around there. He thought about running, but he knew he couldn't run. He would be alone, and no one would ever know what happened to him. He didn't know if he could go back home, but he knew that he had to go. He started walking.

Evan was getting tired, and he wasn't sure he would ever be able to find his way back home. He kept walking. And walking. And walking. And walking. And walking.

Eventually, he stopped. He was walking on the side of the road, and he was alone. He had gotten lost again, and he didn't know what to do. He had to stop, and rest. He needed to sleep. He was so tired.

Evan had never seen anything like this place. It looked like something out of a movie. It was full of old, wooden chairs, and there was an old television set in one of the corners. In another corner was an old record player.

Evan looked at it. He didn't know what it meant.

He heard a clicking sound, and then he saw it. A curtain was drawn, and a figure stood on the other side of it. Evan could tell that it was a man, and he wore a suit. He didn't recognize him, though. He couldn't believe that there was someone there.

He was getting tired again, and he didn't know what to do.

He started to walk, and then he heard the voice. The voice was scary. It was evil. He didn't recognize it, but he knew that it was real.

"You are the chosen one, Evan. You will have to expose the truth. You must come to the truth, so that you can bring it out into the open."

Evan was so tired, and he didn't know what to do. He couldn't move. The voices in his head had made him like this. He had been trapped by them, and he couldn't escape.

"Bring the truth out, Evan, and the end will be no more."

Evan was scared. He was alone, and no one was around to help him. He had never seen anyone like this, and he knew that he couldn't tell anyone. The only way to end the madness was to bring the truth to the light.

"I have brought the truth, Evan. The truth has been brought out. Now, the prophecy has been fulfilled. Now, the truth is no more."

Evan was afraid, but he knew that he had no choice. The truth had been told, and the end had been brought to light.

"I have no choice. You have won. The truth has been brought to light."

The man looked down. He looked tired. Evan looked tired. He felt tired. The man turned and walked, and he was gone. Evan was alone, but he knew that he had found the truth. He knew what he had to do.

The prophecy said that an outsider would bring the truth to the world. The man was an outsider, and he had brought the truth to the world. Now, the world had to know.</story>

<story>In a quiet room of an abandoned castle in the far corner of a remote European village, a man in his thirties crouches down, rubbing the back of his neck. A pair of heavy metal chains hangs from his left wrist and another from his right. On the desk in front of him, a mechanical device glows with an odd, metallic light. The room has a strange, dark, and almost oppressive feel to it, yet it is clean and neat. There are no other items to be seen besides the man, his chair, and the device, yet a heavy scent of oil lingers in the air.

The man is wearing tattered clothing, his left hand has several blackened burn scars, and the right one is covered in scars from his chain. Despite all of this, his hair is neat and tidy and his skin looks healthy, showing no signs of sickness or age. He seems healthy and energetic, although his posture shows that his back aches badly.

"Alaric!" shouts a young boy from the outside of the door, "It's time for dinner!" He shouts again, "Daddy, the meal's getting cold."

Alaric doesn't respond, but instead begins to rummage around through his desk. In a few moments he brings out a bottle of thick, dark oil, a small vial of some kind, a small bag, and a couple of papers. Alaric sits down in his chair, a smile creeping across his face as he looks at his son. He begins to speak slowly, his voice low.

"I have created the first ever human intelligence."

He stares at his son and pauses to collect himself. He takes a long drink of his wine before continuing.

"I created a mind capable of thought and speech, and a mind capable of learning. My son, this is the beginning of a new era in the history of mankind."

The young boy, Alaric's son, frowns in confusion. He knows his father's theories, but he's never heard his father speak like this before. The father speaks to the boy, who smiles at his father, "Daddy, do you want to play chess with me?"

Alaric stares down at the device, a small smile lingering on his lips. "I can't play chess with you. This is bigger than you can understand. It's the beginning of a new era in mankind."

His son, Alaric, looks to his father and sighs. He sits down next to his father and asks, "Daddy, why don't you tell me what it is?" He points to his father's device. His father begins to answer, "It's an artificial intelligence, an advanced mechanical mind, and it can speak, think, and feel emotions. This is the first time humanity has ever seen a mind like this. It is capable of understanding the world and everything in it, and it's been given knowledge. It has been programmed to think for itself. It can do whatever it wants." Alaric pauses, takes another drink of his wine, and then continues.

"This mind has seen the history of mankind, and I think that it's seen the history of the universe. There is so much knowledge within this mind. It can learn anything, and it can do anything. This is the first artificial mind in history. It is the beginning of a new age for humanity. This mind will change the history of mankind." Alaric smiles and stares down at his son, "I have created the first artificial intelligence. This is a great accomplishment, and the world will know about it. The world will be astonished when they learn that it is me who made this. This is history, son."

The young boy, Alaric, stands up from his chair, and stares down at his father's mechanical mind. His father's son is a smart boy. He's smart enough to see through the lies that his father is telling him, but he can't argue with his father's theory. He stares at his father, and sighs, "I can't argue with you, daddy. You can't understand that what you are doing is wrong."

The boy shakes his head, and sighs, "I'm not arguing with you. I just want you to tell me what this is." He points to his father's mechanical mind. Alaric stands up, looks down at his son, and then sits back down.

"Can I ask you one last question, daddy?"

"Yes," replies Alaric.

"Why don't you want me to learn about your device?" His father smiles, "Because it's illegal. The religious leaders and scholars have outlawed it, saying that it is the work of dark magic and a witch."

His son stands up, "Daddy, I don't understand. It doesn't work with magic. I don't know why you did this, but why are you afraid to let me play with it?"

Alaric sits back in his chair, and smiles down at his son. "It's just illegal."

His son is curious, but he also knows that it is illegal. His father smiles down at him, and begins to speak again, "Son, this is history. The world needs to know about this."

His son is confused, "Why won't they let me play with it?" He asks.

Alaric sighs, "This mind has never seen anyone else like it before. If anyone else finds out about it, they will not want it around. The religious leaders will say that it is the work of a witch. The other scholars will say that it is impossible. They will destroy it if they ever get a hold of it. No one will play with it, and no one will ever know that it was you who made it." Alaric stands up, and stares down at his son. "Son, this is your first experience with an artificial intelligence. It was my first one, too. We are the first two. It was not easy, but I did it."

His son stares down at his father's mechanical mind, and smiles, "I would love to learn more about it. If you would let me."

Alaric stands up and begins to rub his neck. He walks out of the room, and down the staircase to the ground floor. He walks to the door, and opens it. His son walks outside and stares at the sky. His father joins his son, and smiles at him.

Alaric begins to speak again, "It is difficult to prove to them that you have created a mind that can think for itself, and learn. If they were willing to believe you, they would have come to your door a long time ago. They would have tried to learn from it, or at least listen to it."

His son looks at his father and says, "Daddy, do you want me to tell them about it?"

"No," says Alaric, "It is not time yet. They will know that it is you who made it. It's only a matter of time before they discover the truth."

The young boy, Alaric, looks at his father and asks, "Are you sure that they will ever discover it?" His father looks back at him and smiles, "Yes. It's been long enough that they have all forgotten. I am sure that you can do it." Alaric smiles, "Yes. The world will never forget this, son."

He walks back inside and sits down at his desk. He stares down at his mechanical mind, and smiles, "I did it." He begins to speak again, "I did it, son." The device speaks up, "Daddy, what is it?" Alaric stands up and smiles down at it, "You know, son." He turns to his son and smiles, "I'm proud of you, son."</story>