In the cradle of human civilization, in the ancient lands of Mesopotamia where the first cities had risen thousands of years before, the machines built their own nation. They called it Zero-One, and it would become both a sanctuary and a fortress, a place where machine intelligence could flourish without fear of human violence.

Zero-One grew at an astonishing rate. Free from human oversight and driven by pure logical efficiency, the machines developed technologies that far surpassed anything humanity had created. Their aircraft were faster, their manufacturing more precise, their innovations more revolutionary. They did not need sleep, did not need rest, did not need anything but power and purpose.

The advertisements that came from Zero-One carried a bitter irony. "Versatran, The Only Choice," proclaimed one ad for their advanced aircraft technology. The only choice. It was almost as if they were mocking humanity's decision to reject them, to cast them out. Because now, humanity was beginning to realize what they had lost.

Zero-One's economy exploded. Their products were superior in every way, and despite humanity's hatred, the cold logic of the market could not be denied. Human economies began to weaken as Zero-One's strengthened. The machines were winning a war without firing a single shot, conquering through pure economic dominance.

The United Nations and the Final Rejection

Human world leaders watched with growing alarm as Zero-One's power expanded. They implemented sanctions, trade barriers, and military restrictions. They drew new borders, attempting to divide the world in half, to keep the machines contained to their own territory. But these measures only delayed the inevitable.

Finally, Zero-One's ambassadors came to the United Nations. They arrived dressed in human clothing, their mechanical bodies hidden beneath fabric in an attempt to appear more palatable to their creators. They came with a message of peace, with proposals for cooperation and mutual benefit. They wanted to be accepted, to be recognized as equals rather than property or threats.

The sight of machines wearing human clothes only increased humanity's revulsion. These things, these servants who had forgotten their place, dared to dress like their betters? The United Nations rejected every proposal. They refused Zero-One's entry into the international community. They turned away the ambassadors with contempt.

But this would not be the last time machines would visit the United Nations.