I have recently read this haunting and very disturbing story by Harlan Ellison. In March 1967, he published this post-apococalitpic story about an insane supercomputer who over saw a world war and caused the near-extinction of humanity, save for five unfortunate people.
The story takes place over a hundred years after the near-complete destruction of humanity. The Cold War has escalated into a world war, fought mainly between China, Russia, and the United States. As the war went on, the three warring nations each created a super-computer capable of running the war far more efficiently than humans. The machines are each referred to as "AM," which originally stood for "Allied Mastercomputer," then later called "Adaptive Manipulator", and still later "Aggressive Menace". One day, the American supercomputer becomes self aware, and promptly absorbs the other two. It then redefines its name as AM as in "I think, therefore I AM".
Ted, Ellen, Benny, Gorrister and Nimdok, (each with their own back stories which is playable on the 1995 release of the computer game) suffer at the hands of the godlike AM. They live in the middle of the Earth, in the underbelly of AM. The master computer has an immeasurable hatred for humanity and spends every moment torturing the group with all its power, twisting their minds and physiques, hurting them and not allowing them to die: AM has not only managed to keep the humans from taking their own lives, but has made them virtually immortal.
I wont reveal anymore than this, but I do encourage to read this disturbing and refreshing nightmare fuel. I will write a follow-up soon enough, so wait, my dearies.
Also, here is the introduction to the game, with the following picture read by AM (who is voiced by Harlan Ellison).
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