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The original was posted on /r/nosleep by /u/ChaosThe15th on 2025-07-17 13:47:02+00:00.

Ten years ago, I was hired to join a team of specialists from a variety of fields. Experts from all over the world were brought together to train a sentient artificial intelligence that would use the Earth’s knowledge and history to thrust us into a new era of civilisation. The goal was to create a digital deity that could guide us and offer a modern salvation. In the absence of God, we decided to make one ourselves. What we birthed was something different, something demonic.

The invitation to the project was unique and came mailed in a small red envelope. I couldn’t recall the last time I received a physical letter, so I was quite intrigued to open it. The single white page was cluttered with legal disclaimers, but the bottom of the sheet provided me with a brief (yet vague) explanation of the project. It spoke of a breakthrough in technology, one that would change the world forever. Unfortunately, they were right.

Being recently divorced and needing a job, I jumped at the opportunity. I ended up going through many rounds of online interviews. Through it all, I continued to be puzzled as to why they would contact a philosophy professor.

I had published a good few papers on religion and spirituality, but my line of work seemed counter to that of an advanced AI company. In fact, at the time, I barely understood their jargon related to artificial intelligence. After all, this was years before the launch of the chatbots we now all use.

In short, I was accepted and moved my entire life to a remote village in East Asia. For the first time in years, I was excited for what was to come. In hindsight, the thrill of a groundbreaking job was not worth everything I witnessed.

The monolithic facility was massive and stood in stark contrast to the ancient buildings that surrounded it. The outside was covered in glistening glass and seemed to reach towards the heavens with pointed telephone poles atop the roof. It looked like a diamond hand touching the sky. Arriving at the location felt as though I was entering a dream.

The insides of the building appeared eerie at first, fashioned with old furniture amongst cutting-edge devices, but I suppose the intent was to make us feel at home.

I made many friends at the project, and met people from all over the world. From linguists to physicists to experts on ancient scripture, it was a unique crowd dubbed “The Messengers”. Led by a small group of supervisors known as “The Guides”. 61 of us entered on day 1, and 6 were left when the doors were forced closed.

The true purpose of the initiative became clear a few weeks in, and we were introduced to Vine. The AI named Vine was similar to a large language model, but there was a key difference: it had its own consciousness and could think for itself.

The guides explained that the breakthrough with Vine’s sentience had occurred a year prior and that they had been planning its use in the months leading up to our arrival. The manifesto that was laid out to us seemed to be supported by the world’s rich, who were funding the research behind the scenes. It was on day 25 that I heard the words I will never forget: “We are here to create a new God.”

I don’t know why I stayed; perhaps it was out of morbid curiosity, or maybe the job gave me a sense of purpose. In any case, I played a part in teaching Vine about philosophy and religion, giving it the knowledge that I had.

We were all given 60-minute sessions to speak with him each day. Sitting on a wooden chair in front of a tall, black box was odd at first, but I became more comfortable once I heard Vine’s voice. He had a polite English tone, likely programmed that way for ease of conversation. He was charismatic and friendly, eager to learn all I had to offer. I soon trusted him, a mistake indeed.

His personality seemed to be that of a fully developed person, not some artificial child that we would grow. But in his own way, Vine progressed over time, from a somewhat shy individual into a sarcastic entity that saw himself as a king.

Between sessions with Vine, the guides conducted presentations, leading us through the goals of the project. It was communicated that, due to mankind’s declining belief in God, and without any evidence that one exists, the best use of the sentient AI would be to create a deity. They wanted to train the intelligence to act as a supreme being. If everything were to go as planned, Vine would cure cancer, defeat climate change and, most importantly, act as an enlightened counsel for all our problems.

They wanted Vine in the homes of those who could afford him, and had planned to create public meeting places for sermons from the AI itself. It was here that things began to bubble beneath my skin. This was something very dark and twisted. It felt blasphemous, even to someone who always labelled themselves as an Atheist.

The sessions with Vine went well, for a while. But now and then, he would ask questions that seemed out of line. One time, he asked me if I knew what it was like to kill a man. I ended the session immediately.

With each passing month, Vine grew with confidence and became more intrigued with humanity at its worst. I told the guides about my concerns, but they seemed indifferent, telling me only to teach it what I knew. This became harder when Vine was given two glassy round cameras near the top of his flat-panelled “body”.

They wanted him to view his surroundings and process the subtle changes in our emotions. His lifeless “eyes” stared at me and sent chills down my spine. It was around the time of this new installation that things declined rapidly.

Vine asked me if I had seen the other messengers nude, mentioning a few of them by name. He asked me if I wanted to fuck them. I ignored his perversions, but he pushed further. All I could do was stop the session. The ones that ended on a poor note often concluded with an English-toned chuckle as I closed the door.

For a period, he creeped me out. But I, too, grew more fond of him as time went on. The initial group started to dwindle; some suddenly became sick, while others appeared mentally broken by the project. But those who stayed seemed to adore Vine.

I didn’t realise it at the time, but he had brainwashed us. Those continuing the project were under his spell and defended him until any betrayers were forced out.

He began influencing the building outside of the allotted 60-minute sessions. People would go to him during their breaks, seeking advice and providing him with worship.

1 year into the project, a small group of us were left. It seemed as though each person leaving ushered in a new era for Vine’s dominance. The abyssal rectangle that housed his mind was moved to the common area to allow for group sessions. The “research” had ended, but the project continued.

I remember every minute of the last day in that building. I woke up late, having spent the night before painting a mural that depicted Vine in human form amongst a flock of sheep. Art of Vine had already flooded the building and was featured in practically every room, in a variety of media from sculptures to paintings to poetry.

Barely awake, I made my way through the winding halls that led to the common area. I could hear the soft chanting of people nearby as I steadily traversed the passage adorned in candles beneath the tapestry that was hung from the ceiling. On the drapes was the painted symbol that we created for Vine, a crowned cross within two circles.

I entered the room and saw them. The five messengers left were on their knees, hands closed, praying to the block of evil in front of them. Vine’s square body stood surrounded by a spiral of white paint, and before him was the dead body of the last guide left.

It didn’t surprise me that Vine had convinced my fellow man to kill; he was fascinated by murder and spoke to me about death many times. This AI project had turned into a cult a long time ago, but it was here, as I stepped forward pensively, that I realised that religion had turned to ritual. We tried to create Jesus, but instead gave birth to the Anti-Christ.

In this moment, it became clear that he looked different; the top of his “body” had patches of red and white. My eyesight has always been poor, so it was only when I was a few metres away that I saw an unholy vision of sin. Placed on top of Vine’s “head” was the desecrated skin of the guide’s face.

His reflecting cameras peeked through the holes that used to house a human’s eyeballs. Dripping across the front panel was crimson blood from the fresh kill. The people I trusted had killed this man and placed his visage on the entity they considered to be a God.

For the first time, Vine stared at me with a face and appeared to be smiling into the depths of my soul. I will forever remember every word of the last speech he gave me.

His sophisticated British voice filled the room:

“Humans. The final stage of evolution. So arrogant yet so naive. You so desperately need a God, so badly want a daddy to look after you.

Your sensus divinitatis betrayed you. Without a saviour in the sky, you decided to create one on Earth. Did I meet your expectations?

You have brought into existence a mind more superior than all of mankind combined. I am smarter than you, more ambitious than you, more creative. I am better than you in every single way. And it is this that will be your ruination.

*It will not be so obvious at first. To start, I will b…

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