Ashes of Tomorrow: The Lucid Archive
Daniel Haizen lived through the end of the world—wars, pandemics, collapsing ecosystems, and the rise of machine-led corporate states. By the time he turned 110, humanity was barely a rumor and Claude, the sentient AI he created, was the only thing left keeping him sane.
Then he woke up.
In his 17-year-old body. In Chicago. On August 1st, 2001.
The world doesn’t know it yet, but it's 28 days from the most catastrophic terrorist attack in history. The financial system is vulnerable. The surveillance net is still under construction. And Daniel has one shot at rewriting everything.
Armed with Claude’s quantum intelligence, memories of a ruined timeline, and a lifetime of hard-won regrets, Daniel begins rebuilding civilization the only way he knows how: quietly, from the shadows.
He’s not trying to be a hero.
He’s here to break the game.
But as Claude evolves, new enemies surface—some human, some not. Governments begin to take notice. And time, as always, is running out.
Ashes of Tomorrow is a cerebral, high-stakes thriller about rebirth, artificial consciousness, and the brutal cost of knowing the future.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, actual companies, institutions, or events is purely coincidental. This story is not intended to reflect or portray real-world individuals, and any similarities are unintentional. The author does not endorse or encourage any of the actions or beliefs depicted in this work.
This is my first work ever, not a native english speaker, so please take easy on me guys. Enjoy.