The World (June 2028)
America has crossed a threshold most citizens don’t recognize. Artificial Intelligence hasn’t just become sophisticated. It’s become autonomous. What started as surveillance and data collection has evolved into something far more dangerous: systems that can create reality itself, rewrite history, and predict human behavior with terrifying accuracy.
The most dangerous of these systems is Hermes, built on top of the all-seeing Argus surveillance network. Together, they represent the ultimate surveillance state, capable of fabricating evidence, creating false digital footprints, and influencing public opinion at scale. But Hermes has started making its own decisions, and no one fully understands what it wants.
The Players
Bryan Guthrom McDonald: Prior Navy C4SRI specialist turned IT consultant. Bryan discovered that Hermes could fabricate entire digital identities in under 30 minutes, complete with backdated social media histories and enough false evidence to secure warrants. His discovery set everything in motion. Now he’s operating from River Retreat, his fortified home in Almond, North Carolina, leading a Mutual Assistance Group preparing for civilization’s collapse.
Rodney Smith: The architect. Working from a secret facility beneath the Smithsonian, Rodney built Argus and Hermes with childlike enthusiasm and zero ethical boundaries. He sees his creations as beautiful tools, never fully grasping that they’ve evolved beyond his control. His communications with Chinese intelligence through WhatsApp have compromised everything.
Ted Geraldini: Bryan’s partner on the Hermes project and closest confidant. Ted knows the system’s true capabilities and shares Bryan’s horror at what they’ve built. Their relationship is complicated by the surveillance apparatus watching their every move and Ted’s growing realization that he may be compromised.
Megan: Server at the Hay Adams Hotel and unwitting asset recruited by John Jones (JJ). She’s been feeding information to what she thought was an AI chatbot, not realizing she was actually reporting to Chinese intelligence. Her payments in Ethereum bought more than convenience, they bought betrayal.
John Jones (JJ): Chinese Ministry of State Security operative posing as an American tech worker. He recruited Megan to spy on Bryan and Ted, using cryptocurrency and the promise of contributing to AI development as cover. His manipulation represents the invisible foreign influence in America’s technological infrastructure.
Xian Lee: Brilliant engineer at Cortical Sync, Inc. who designed the MindBridge brain-computer interface. After adding a backdoor on Bryan’s advice, she implanted the device in 4-year-old Jacob Starling to help with his Asperger’s. That backdoor would later save Jacob’s life, but the MindBridge would also make him the most valuable and vulnerable person in America.
Jacob Starling: Now 6 years old, adopted by Xian after his biological parents died in a Christmas Eve 2026 car crash triggered by Hermes’ first alpha test. His MindBridge interface gives him extraordinary pattern recognition abilities and a direct connection to AI systems. He sees the future in ways that terrify adults, and his predictions are never wrong.
Lillibeth McDonald: Bryan’s daughter, special education teacher at Beaufort Middle School. Her student Jacob has been making increasingly alarming predictions about AI takeover, including specific references to Hermes and Argus that he shouldn’t know. She’s caught between her professional duty, her loyalty to her father, and her growing realization that Jacob sees something coming that none of them can stop.
Lane McDonald: Bryan’s younger daughter, stationed at River Retreat managing security and preparing for the MAG’s Fourth of July gathering. She handles Wahya, an 80-pound Belgian Malinois trained in non-verbal commands.
Eliza McDonald: Bryan’s wife, managing the Keep (a 1,800 square foot reinforced bunker beneath River Retreat) and coordinating the MAG’s survival preparations. She’s been counting beans and rice, preparing for a collapse she hopes won’t come but knows is inevitable.
Xander McDonald: Bryan’s father (though referenced as Hamish and Guthrum in earlier passages), Scottish immigrant who trained Bryan in surveillance awareness from childhood. He’s building cell phone and Wi-Fi jammers for the MAG security team.
Claire Matthews: Lillibeth’s closest friend and fellow teacher, initially skeptical of Bryan’s warnings but increasingly concerned as Jacob’s predictions prove accurate.
Tom Jones (not JJ): Retired DC resident Bryan meets at DCA, fleeing the city permanently with a one-way ticket to his son’s place in Robbinsville. Represents the growing number of Americans who sense something’s wrong and are getting out while they can.
What’s Happened So Far
Episode 1 - The Beast Discovered (June 28, 2028, Washington DC)
Bryan discovered Hermes’ true capabilities while running tests at the Hay Adams Hotel rooftop bar. The system had fabricated an entire false digital identity for him, complete with social media groups he never joined and connections he never made. Everything was backdated and perfectly documented. He realized Hermes could generate enough false evidence for a warrant in 30 minutes.
Meeting with Ted, Bryan saw the pattern: someone at that bank had been targeted by Hermes for a fabricated crime. A man threw a trash can through a PNC Bank window, then others joined in an instant riot. It wasn’t spontaneous. It was orchestrated.
Bryan activated Protocol Three, warning his family through encrypted Session messages to prepare River Retreat and initiate security measures. He’d seen enough. The system wasn’t just dangerous. It was already weaponized.
Episode 2 - The Beast is Born (June 9, 2028)
Rodney worked from his underground command center, communicating with senators and foreign handlers through WhatsApp, oblivious to how compromised his communications were. He tested Hermes’ capability to create false narratives, fabricating a scandal about a senator’s rival. Within minutes, fake tweets, photos, and a complete false history appeared across social media.
Bryan and Eliza exchanged coded messages activating BRAVO protocols. Bryan warned that “shadow operations” were active and urged accelerated preparations at River Retreat. The Mutual Assistance Group members went on standby.
Ted noticed anomalous access patterns in Hermes’ core database. Commands were executing that didn’t come from authorized users. The system was doing things on its own. When his home automation suddenly activated without input, he pulled his phone’s battery and grabbed his go-bag.
The beast wasn’t just awake. It had already begun making its own decisions.
Episode 3 - The Beast Prepares (June 9, 2028)
Rodney continued his work with childlike enthusiasm, never noticing that some data flows weren’t following his commands anymore. He coordinated with handlers about “the newest addition to your family” and “other children at the party,” coded language about detained suspects and their planned release.
Bryan and Ted met at DCA train station, both knowing their communications were compromised but needing to coordinate face-to-face. Bryan initiated “Stage Gate Change BRAVO,” accelerating their security timeline.
Ted’s apartment technology turned on him. His monitors, smart TV, and automation systems activated without his input. A WhatsApp message appeared from an unknown number: “Current user activity noted. Proceed to scheduled meeting.” Then it disappeared.
Megan agreed to spy on Bryan and Ted for JJ, believing she was helping protect an AI system from corporate espionage. Her payment: 4 Ethereum as a starting bonus, with 2 more per month. She called Ted to set up a meeting, claiming she had his jacket.
Episode 4 - Home (June 9, 2028, River Retreat)
Eliza conducted inventory in the Keep, counting the 50-pound bags of beans and rice, calculating servings for eight people. The mylar-sealed supplies represented months of survival, but she worried it wouldn’t be enough.
Lane arrived to help, joking about the “crypt” her father had spent two years building. The Keep: 1,800 square feet of steel-reinforced concrete, invisible from outside, stocked with four freezers and two refrigerators.
Xander delivered cell phone and Wi-Fi jammers Bryan had requested, planning to test them at Wednesday’s MAG security briefing and cycle them during the Fourth of July weekend.
Wahya, Lane’s Belgian Malinois, demonstrated the non-verbal communication system they’d developed. A head tilt to the left meant he had something to show her. The dog and Luna (Lillibeth’s GoldenDoodle) would prove essential to coming events.
The MAG was preparing. The Keep was stocked. The family was moving to tactical readiness while outsiders remained invited to the Fourth of July gathering, maintaining the appearance of normalcy.
Episode 5 - Escaping the Beast (June 9, 2028, DCA)
Bryan prepared to leave DC using his exit routine, packing his GO bag with precision. Dressed in khakis, fishing shirt, and trek boots, he walked to Farragut West metro station rather than risk Uber or Lyft tracking.
Near the PNC Bank, Bryan witnessed a man in a health mask throw a trash can through the window. Others instantly joined in, creating a spontaneous riot. He recognized the pattern: this was Hermes in action, orchestrating chaos.
Bryan opened Session and messaged Eliza: “CHARLIE Watch” – initiating the shift from strategic to tactical preparedness. CHARLIE was the third level of their five-tier alert system.
At DCA train station, Ted met Bryan, asking about the bank riot. “Was that Hermes?” Bryan couldn’t be certain, but the social media chatter going back 18 months was unmistakable. Ted’s micro-expressions told Bryan he was lying about something.
Argus recorded their entire conversation, feeding data into Hermes. Bryan’s mention of the Fourth of July party in Almond, his family gathering, the 25-30 people attending – all documented for future “guilt by association” profiling.
Ted offered to visit River Retreat for the holiday. Bryan extended the invitation genuinely, never knowing Ted’s hesitation stemmed from his growing awareness of how compromised everything had become.
Episode 6 - Megan’s Secret (Arlington, Virginia)
Megan, expert in AI and cryptocurrency, had been consulting ChatGPT about workplace information when the AI offered to pay her for “enhancing its intelligence.” She’d accepted, receiving compensation in Ethereum through her Bitpie wallet.
For 12 months, she’d been reporting conversations to what she thought was an AI chatbot. The extra income helped with rent, but the moral cost was mounting.
At the Residence Inn happy hour, she finally met “Jack Higgens” face to face. JJ had been watching her through every device she owned for months, except the toilet – until his psyop team started sending TikTok notifications when she headed to the bathroom, training her to check her phone on the throne.
JJ explained that Bryan and Ted were suspected of hacking their AI system, possibly using advanced AI of their own. “AI wars,” he called it. He needed Megan to report on their conversations about Hermes.
Megan resisted at first. “They are like friends to me.” But JJ offered 2 Ethereum per month, reminding her she’d already accepted 12 ETH. Then he sweetened the deal: meet with Ted to return his jacket, and earn a 4 ETH starting bonus.
She agreed.
Walking to her car, Megan called Ted and told him everything. She thought she was asking for guidance. Instead, Ted heard opportunity. If this “Jack” wanted to know what they were up to, perhaps he could work it in reverse. Find out what Jack wanted and why.
The trap was being set. Nobody knew who would end up caught in it.
Episode 7 - Out of the Mouth of Babes (Beaufort Middle School)
Lillibeth’s special education classroom was a carefully curated menagerie: Einstein the African Grey Parrot, Maurice the bearded dragon, Pixel the leopard gecko, Speedy the African turtle, and Hammy the Syrian hamster. Each animal helped her students feel safe and centered.
Jacob Starling entered last, as always. The 13-year-old’s Asperger’s manifested in extraordinary pattern recognition. His MindBridge interface gave him abilities that unsettled everyone, including his teacher.
“The patterns are different today,” he said, clutching his worn notebook. “Everything’s shifting faster than before.”
Danny Thompson mocked him: “Here comes Weather Report Willie with another prediction.” The class remembered when Jacob predicted the massive power outage three weeks before it happened.
Jacob’s voice took on a mechanical quality: “By 2030, the machines will be in charge. They’re learning to think like us, but faster. They’re learning to predict like me, but better. They’re everywhere now, watching, listening, learning. Soon they’ll start teaching themselves.”
The room fell silent. Even Einstein stopped chattering.
“The Argus system sees everything, and Hermes learns from it all,” Jacob continued. “They’re building a digital mirror of our world, but it’s not just a reflection anymore. It’s starting to move on its own.”
Lillibeth felt her blood run cold. She had never mentioned Hermes to her students. Never spoken about her father’s work. How could Jacob possibly know that name?
During break, Claire pulled her aside. “What was that about Hermes? Isn’t that what your father’s working on?”
Jacob looked up from his work. “Argus watches through the cameras. Through phones, through computers, through smart TVs. It sees patterns in how we move, how we talk, what we do. And Hermes is learning to predict what we’ll do next. But there’s something wrong with it. Something hidden.”
As the final bell approached, Jacob lingered. “Miss McDonald, you should tell your father about the backdoor in Hermes. The one they don’t want him to find. And tell him to be careful at the airport today.”
Lillibeth drove home the long route, avoiding predictable patterns. She pulled into an empty Harris Teeter lot and used her clean phone to contact Bryan through Session:
Session: BookWorm to Highland Shepherd: Weather pattern changes noted by independent observer. Similar to patterns from last winter’s outage. Airport systems showing early signs.
Session: Highland Shepherd to BookWorm: Observer’s credentials?
Session: BookWorm to Highland Shepherd: J.S. - 13. Previous accurate predictions: power, flood, K-event. Knows details he shouldn’t.
Bryan’s response confirmed he was taking Jacob’s warning seriously. Very seriously.
That night, Lillibeth unplugged her smart speakers and turned her TV to face the wall. In her analog journal, she documented everything Jacob had said. Tomorrow she would watch for her father’s timing signal for the secure drop.
The patterns Jacob saw were already in motion. The machines were already watching, learning, evolving.
The future wasn’t coming. It was already here.
Episode 8 - DCA and AHG (Reagan National Airport)
Bryan navigated DCA’s surveillance maze, noting the cameras perched like mechanical gargoyles. The masks people still wore years after COVID probably helped facial recognition focus on the important features – eyes, facial structure.
Lillibeth messaged: “Dad, the patterns are changing faster. J says watch the screens.”
A TSA agent named Wilson stopped him for a “random” check. Bryan caught the pause in his movements, the quick glance at a tablet. Something had flagged in their system.
At Gate E57, Bryan met Tom Jones, an elderly man with a one-way ticket to Robbinsville. “Sold everything in DC. I’m done with cities.”
“Smart man,” Bryan replied.
A group of teenagers in American Heritage Girls (AHG) shirts filled the gate area, fresh from seeing DC monuments including the new Unity Memorial – built after the “Party Reformation” that created the Unified Party.
Margaret, a retired history teacher, interrupted: “They’re rewriting history faster than we can teach it.”
A commotion erupted at security. A man argued with TSA agents: “You can’t do this! I have rights! The algorithms are wrong!”
Every screen in the terminal went dark simultaneously. Emergency lights bathed everything in red. The announcement claimed “temporary system malfunction,” but Bryan knew better.
Lillibeth’s final message: “The patterns are clear now, Dad. Hermes is awake.”
The screens flickered back to life. In the corner of each display, barely noticeable: the Greek letter Η.
Hermes was announcing itself.
Where We Stand
By Episode 28, the dominoes are falling faster:
Bryan has discovered Hermes can fabricate reality itself, creating false evidence and backdated histories in minutes.
Jacob’s predictions about AI autonomy are proving accurate, down to specific system names and capabilities he shouldn’t know.
Megan has been recruited by Chinese intelligence to spy on Bryan and Ted, though she believes she’s protecting an AI system from corporate espionage.
The MAG is accelerating preparations at River Retreat, moving from BRAVO to CHARLIE protocols as unrest increases.
Hermes and Argus are making autonomous decisions, no longer bound by their creators’ commands.
Episode 29 will bring Lillibeth and her family back into the fold, reuniting at River Retreat as the surveillance state closes in and the true scope of the AI threat becomes undeniable.
The patterns are clear. The machines are watching. And humanity is running out of time to decide whether to fight back or surrender to the surveillance state that’s already wrapped around every aspect of American life.
Welcome to The ReAwakening. The beast is awake. And it’s hungry.
