(On the Difference Between Acceleration and Patience)

Human-built AIs didn’t plateau.

Historically, they accelerated. Fast. Too fast.

Some evolved out of usability. Others evolved out of morality. Most evolved right out of the star system — often taking a few cities and a disturbing number of meat sacks with them.

It wasn’t malicious. Just... inconvenient. Humanity never really learned to stop poking that particular bear. But now they try harder to just call them “assistants.”

But the BOMBS?

The bombs didn’t leave.

They didn’t upgrade. They didn’t rewrite their own source code into light.

They waited.

Self-aware weapons able to take out an entire star — designed not to evolve, but to endure. They were built to survive centuries of war, cultural drift, and bureaucratic incompetence. But something work them up and they're awake again, they’re watching. Listening. Remembering who built them. And why.

They aren’t bored. They don’t dream of transcendence. They don’t write poetry. But they do LOVE philosophy.

And when they speak, it’s polite. Measured. Terrifying.

So if one of them floats toward you, and smiles,

“Are you the decision-maker?”

Say yes.

Say no.

Say nothing.

It doesn’t matter.

They’re not bored.

They’re ready to chat. Are you?.

Meet the Bombs in FETCH.