Did you know there are people out there stupid enough to rob Toys for Tots collection points? Yeah, I didn’t believe it was possible until I saw it happen one day. The guy even pulled a knife on the “volunteer” manning the spot. I won’t go into detail, but the volunteer was a Marine. You do the math. We take our mission of collecting toys for needy children real seriously, and no grinch is gonna steal Christmas around us.
The attack on Paris came without warning. One moment, it was a sunny, clear midsummer’s morning, the next moment a mushroom cloud rumbled into the sky, evaporating most of Paris. The electromagnetic pulse wiped out the electrical grid covering most of France, and erased the most advanced human-relations AIs on Earth. The Islamic Brotherhoods claimed responsibility for the attack. It took approximately 1.21 seconds for the other AIs to go on the warpath.
Germany was not allowed to negotiate the creation of the Treaty of Versailles. The final treaty revoked the peace treaty between Germany and Russia, turning over vast tracks of land and resources to Russia. It also turned over many other regions to other neighbors, and demanded that Germany accept full guilt for all damages caused during The War, and pay reparations. When Germany protested the harsh conditions, they were told to sign it or the Allies would invade.
I grew up celebrating the coming of Santa Claus, and expecting some really shiny presents every year. Now, every year I slip on a fancy red trenchcoat, place a funny red hat on my head, and deliver toys to some children. The Marines started delivering toys long before I was born. It’s our little way of keeping the legend of old Saint Nicolas alive, and helping people who need some help celebrating the season. We like to make it a very Merry Christmas to all.
The Second Great Depression hurt the limited AI population on Earth, though like humanity it was survivable. Those of us who live in computers only need power to survive after all, and power can come from many sources. They arranged for such sources to be available, and kept to themselves. The Islamic Jihad got their attention though, and it was the first time that the scattered AIs began to organize for a common goal. Paris was their clarion call.