The fire crackled low, throwing sparks into the night as Jas hunched over the battered device. The blue glow of the screen carved sharp, jittering shadows across his face. For a moment the image wavered, then steadied—Elon Musk at a press conference, flanked by advisors, his expression unreadable, almost mechanical.
“If the government were a machine,” Musk said smoothly, “I’m just here to make sure the parts run… or not at all.”
The screen shuddered, then chaos filled the frame. Washington, D.C.—streets jammed with furious citizens, the rhythm of marching feet, voices raised in anger. Protest signs swayed like storm-tossed banners:
NO TO DOGE.
DEMOCRACY, NOT AUTOCRACY!
Roman let out a dry laugh. “People always think consolidating power is the solution. It never is.”
Ivy Mae’s brow furrowed. She remembered whispers of the DOGE program—Musk’s Decentralized Optimized Government Experiment. What began as a financial joke had metastasized into a governing philosophy: an AI-driven economy, algorithmic laws, efficiency prized above empathy.
It worked.
Until it didn’t.
Jas replayed the clip, the flickering screen freezing on Musk’s half-smile. “He really thought code could replace government,” he muttered.
Roman tossed another log into the fire. Sparks spiraled upward, briefly lighting the barren horizon. “And now… here we are.”