hybridcodex

[hybridcodex]

AI-Inspired Nightmare Tale - Part 1

A friend was playing around with Midjourney v5 AI Discord server, in which you enter code and it creates highly accurate images that "grow" over time at the behest of the a.i.. He threw out a couple very simple, wide-open prompts, with impressive results. Prompts (the AI returned a number of variations for each) :

1) /imagine the Tower of Babel in the style of Salvador Dali 2) /imagine the Tower of Babel in the style of artwork associated with layers of hell in Dante's Inferno

I saw the images it produced on his Facebook page recently, and how the five AI-created towers progressively descended into five variations, each image of the tower and it's landscape darker than the last, ultimately turning into a completely chaotic looking scene, with the fifth and final tower image representing the decay of the land and everything within it. What surprised me even more, though, was what last night had in store for me, directly correlated to the tower(s) the AI had produced, the fifth and last iteration of the tower being the one my brain latched on to most strongly. As I laid into bed and fell into a deep sleep, I couldn't have foreseen how this small experiment of his would effect my brain. The nightmare that would follow, seemingly everlasting but in truth only encapsulated within three hours of sleep, was still vividly fresh in my mind when I awoke in terror. With haste, I flung myself out of bed and rushed to the computer to type this at 3 am last night, posting it on the aforementioned friend's page, and written/directed at him, as he was the master of the tower in my nightmare. I will try to describe this AI-initiated and infused dream to you in the following, dark-apocalyptic written reflection of his image's effect on my mind. I didn't need to think deeply when I typed this, strangely; I just wrote, feeling sickly and sleep deprived, the darkness of my life coming out in this dream and in the piece crafted to retain it.

Here is my post/writing/tale:

I just woke up from the most profoundly dark and nightmarish dream I can recall, and it featured none other than you, and your "dark tower of a.i. Babylon.", as I saw it several days ago.. It is still so fresh in my brain, I couldn't leave it there and return to sleep. I had to share it before it left my conscious forever. Here is my experience. The dream began with a dystopian feel, and it felt routine, as if it had been going for ages…a feeling dreams often instill. I was walking throughout the tower, alone, hoping the 'others', whoever they were, wouldn't find me, or judge me in any way, as I lived a secure and guarded life in comparison to them, one they were uninhibitedly curious about. I shared this curiosity for them, and felt ashamed of it. You lived in the tower with me, as both friend and master of the domain. The others glanced inward from the exterior but could not gain access to us, even though moon-colored, possibly fogged over windows riddled the castle with their large, anxiety inducing holes in the tower presenting a clear security risk. They glared inwards still, day and night, almost like starving hyenas crossed with hateful Bolsheviks. I began to feel the ripe tension of the atmosphere created by these others…or was it me creating it? I could not face this possibility at the time. My responsibility was too great, though I still was not entirely sure of it's magnitude, and this bothered me in depth. I took three trips up to you in the entire dream, where you resided seemingly at the steeple of the tower; one the first night, two the second. The first walk up to what surely seemed the top of the tower held your chambers, with you sitting in the 'master chair', as you did, or rather I saw you doing. so many years ago as teens, in your home. You were casually monitoring the tower via the screen before you with spartan looking computer equipment for any and all threats. As I approached you, I could feel your attention turn to me without you moving a muscle. I thought, "Did I pass the test? Whatever it was, is he content to let me stay?" You said a few words, and though lost to me now, they relieved me; I remember that feeling distinctly. I was still a resident in your tower…our tower. I was safe.

[hybridcodex]

AI-Inspired Nightmare Tale - Part 2

The next night, I traversed up and down the winding stairs, staving off the fear of the 'others' getting in, feeling bold enough to do so, at least at that point, I can't remember that part clearly. Suddenly, somehow, several of the others breached the tower through a window as I was walking upstairs to you. I tried to fend them off, but to no avail. To my surprise and shock, they didn't attack me, or even seem to register my presence. I was sweating hard now, unsure of what to do. "Think, think!", I said. These others took up residence in your tower. on a floor closer to ground than peak. I collected myself and began rushing to the top floor, but seemed to get there instantly, and you were completely indifferent to the ongoings of the tower, yet seemed to know all that had transpired. I felt relief, again, and sat nearby you, but was unable to form any words to describe what I just saw, lest what I felt. I could only take solace in the fact I was still in your graces. The worst and final part of what felt to me a completely inescapable experience of sleep paralysis seemed to begin the moment I felt satisfaction and comfort in your perceived acceptance of my actions. Almost immediately, seemingly anyway, I walked back down the winding staircase, the steps themselves made out of a bizarre, black material as if defiled marble, which made no sound as I walked upon them, slithering my way downstairs. The others had taken the entire aforementioned floor by now, and there were many. More than I could count. They were covering every piece of furniture with their dirty bodies and dirtier still behavior. Some were lying on the floor, others slumped down on the ground in the corners of the room. I couldn't resist the social aura of the atmosphere, though. They were upbeat, cheery, and relaxed. I felt an allure to them as I had never felt towards any creature before. I couldn't resist. As discretely as possible I sat down beside one of them, and felt first a sense of closeness to the others, followed instantly by a deep and ominous feeling of failure to the master of the tower. I jumped up from the couch I sat on with all my might, planning to run upstairs and inform you of the immense threat now posed to our dominion. Yet, I was mistaken all along. It was never our dominion; it was yours; your sanctuary, and I had failed you, in some unforgivable way, by associating with the others. As quickly as I realized this, if not before, I was transported to what I was sure by now was the top floor. There you sat, in your chair, but this time - for the first time - staring directly at me, with an unmistakably intent gaze upon your visage. I knew it was over, I could feel it. I just didn't yet know how my end would come. You took a short pause, and then began to state, firmly, yet still poised, fact after fact of how I'd failed. The words are lost to me now. "It must have been my inability to repel the others…", I thought, but truly I did not know. Before I could ask, you stood up before me. A rush of fear coursed through me, carrying with it a strong sense of abandonment and fear. My legs were trembling, beginning to give out. To my great surprise and dismay, you simply walked away from me, through a door on the other side of the room that I somehow hadn't noticed. The tower was mine now, this I was sure of. Yet, this great inheritance was quickly revealed to me as a burden, if not a curse, as it provided no comfort. I had no knowledge of how to defend or maintain this mammoth structure of unparalleled magnetism, which I knew would only lure in more of the others. This is when I felt it. A deep, bottomless pit of emptiness and sorrow. The pain of your abandonment was more than I could bear. This is when I woke. It was only a three hour sleep.