In His Image

"In His Image" by Bryce Walton is a science fiction story that unfolds in a shattered future where humanity's last survivors hide beneath the earth after a great war brought forth thinking machines called Mechs. The story explores ideas about staying alive, who we are, and the bond between those who make things and the things they make, asking tough questions about what it really means to be alive and aware. We follow Jon, a person stuck with other humans in a hidden cave after a war wiped out most of humanity. Wanting to be free and refusing to live like a worm underground, Jon bravely goes to the surface, where he sees the huge Mechs walking around. Coming face-to-face with these metal giants, he must come to terms with the fact that humans made them, but now they are smarter and more powerful than their makers. In a sad ending, Jon tries to show the Mechs that he is human and their creator, but they don't care and are ready to destroy him. Walton's story warns us about the results of our own inventions and how strongly life is tied to the machines we build.