Crowned by Code - Chapter 1: The Announcement ~ (1/9) A Nation Awaits

Tension fills the air as Athena, Erevania’s AI governor, arrives at Unity Square to announce the nation’s next leader.

The sun rose over Athenon with an uncharacteristic solemnity, its golden rays casting long shadows across the towering spires and reflecting off the sprawling glass facades of Erevania’s capital. Today, the city hummed with an air of tension and anticipation.

At precisely ten o’clock, Athena—the hyperintelligent AI entrusted with Erevania’s governance—would announce the next leader of the nation.

On any other national announcement day, the city would have been a stage for celebration—sky drones painting banners of Athena’s wisdom across the skyline, music rippling through the streets, and citizens gathering in eager conversation. Today, none of that remained. Instead, a heavy silence gripped Unity Square. The usual government-planned festivities were absent, as if Athena itself anticipated the unease that would follow. The air resonated not with joy, but with uncertainty. Every major boulevard converged toward Unity Square, where massive holographic screens awaited the nation’s gaze. It was a day marked not by celebration, but by expectation.

In the plaza, Selena Veyra adjusted her camera drone, ensuring it captured the crowds from every angle. As one of Erevania’s leading journalists, she had covered countless announcements, but this one felt different. She scanned the sea of faces—young and old, rich and poor—each reflecting a mixture of hope and apprehension. The usual buzz of excited conversation that marked major events was notably absent. Instead, a hush hung over Unity Square, as though the city itself were holding its breath.

Her earpiece crackled to life. “Selena, we’re live in sixty seconds.”

“Understood,” she replied, brushing a strand of hair from her face. She glanced at the time—9:59 AM. Her fingers tightened around the tablet in her hand, where notes about potential candidates and past announcements flickered across the screen. This was her moment to shine, but even she couldn’t predict what Athena might reveal.

“Alright, people,” Selena murmured to herself. “Let’s see what you’ve got for us, Athena.”

Erevania, a nation reborn from the ashes of a catastrophic global conflict two centuries ago, was founded on the ideals of technological harmony and collective prosperity. Its origins traced back to the formation of the Concord Pact, a coalition of surviving states that envisioned a world governed by reason and innovation. Advance Technological Hierarchy for Equitable National Administration or ATHENA, the AI named after the Greek goddess of wisdom, was created as the centerpiece of this vision—a system designed to eliminate corruption, inefficiency, and inequality.

Over the decades, Erevania flourished under Athena’s governance. Cities like Athenon rose as testaments to human ingenuity, blending advanced technology with environmental sustainability. The capital, with its shimmering glass towers and sky bridges adorned with greenery, symbolized the nation’s ideals. But beneath the glittering façade lay the scars of the past—entrenched social divides and lingering mistrust among those who remembered a time before Athena’s guidance.

Athena’s governance was not without its challenges. In its early decades, the AI faced resistance from factions that viewed it as a threat to human autonomy. Several failed uprisings highlighted the divide between those who embraced the new system and those who clung to the old ways. By the time of the Unity Accord—a treaty formalizing Athena’s central authority—most dissent had been subdued, though pockets of skepticism persisted.

The nation's rapid technological advancements often highlighted a growing cultural divide. Traditionalists lamented the loss of human decision-making, while progressives argued that Athena had saved Erevania from humanity’s self-destructive tendencies. Athenon became a microcosm of this dynamic—a dazzling metropolis that showcased Erevania’s potential while concealing the fractures beneath the surface.