A massive dust storm descended upon the newly established shelter on Mars. Winds raged, battering the structure. Power systems faltered, and the air filtration was overwhelmed by the relentless onslaught.

Perched on the vast, desolate expanse of Hellas Planitia, the shelter trembled under the strain. Inside, its sole resident, Hawwa Didi, lay injured.

Hawwa had been outside on a research expedition when the storm intensified. Caught in its fury, she barely managed to find her way back into the shelter. Her lungs were clogged, her skin raw and abraded by the storm. Each breath was agony as she struggled to draw air into her burning lungs. In the haze of her suffering, her mind began to drift. Seeking solace, she slipped back into distant memories — to the sun-drenched shores of her childhood on the island of Vaarloo in Huvadu Atoll on Earth.

*

Hawwa Didi, a prodigy and genius in the world of programming, had already mastered multiple coding languages by the age of eight. She hailed from Vaarloo, an island famed for its women of extraordinary beauty and unparalleled intellect.

However, Vaarloo was not spared from tragedy. A devastating disease swept through the island, claiming many lives. Despite tireless efforts, the plague spread mercilessly, leaving only a few survivors and eventually forcing the remaining residents to depopulate it. This tragedy forged Hawwa Didi, shaping her into the remarkable individual she would become to eventually be selected for a sole voyage to Mars.

In her farewell speech before leaving Earth, Hawwa Didi reflected on the sorrowful history of Vaarloo, and the imperative of survival. Her words carried the weight of her ancestors’ hopes. After her speech, she waved to the billions watching from every corner of the globe. The world held its breath as she ascended into the spacecraft, embarking on a journey to a new world, a new hope, and a new beginning.

*

Hawwa Didi lay on the floor, disoriented and confused. The sound of the wind and sand lashing against the shelter was deafening. The air hissed and the lights flickered. The walls seemed to close in on her as the storm’s roar muffled, and then everything went black.

When Hawwa Didi regained consciousness, she found herself unable to move. She was enclosed in a glass chamber that cast gentle reflections on its surface. Around her, robotic arms moved with precise, almost rhythmic grace, their metallic joints glinting in the ambient glow.

Hawwa Didi struggled to focus, trying to understand what was happening and where she was. As her senses cleared, she realized she was in the intensive care of the dome shelter’s medical robot, Fathin Dhiye.

Fathin Dhiye was sleek and black. Her face, dominated by a large screen, flickered with streams of data from her sensors and diagnostic systems. The screen displayed a cascade of information, glowing softly with diagnostic readings, vital signs, and analytical graphs, constantly updating in real-time.

Her “eyes,” represented by twin sensors above the screen, glowed with a soft blue light as they moved slightly as if to focus intently on Hawwa. Despite her advanced technology, there was an unexpected warmth about Fathin Dhiye.

“Hello, Hawwa Didi,” Fathin Dhiye greeted, her voice gentle and soothing as she detected Hawwa Didi’s movements. “Is there anything I can do for you?”

Hawwa Didi was familiar with the intricacies of the machine before her. Having programmed Fathin Dhiye and designed the very medical chamber she now lay in, she understood with clarity the gravity of her situation: she did not have much time left.

“Yes, there is something you can help me with,” Hawwa Didi said, her voice steady despite the weight of her words.

Fathin Dhiye remained silent, yet the sensors that served as her eyes above the screen protruded slightly, focusing on Hawwa Didi.

“During my time on Mars, I developed a program,” Hawwa Didi continued. “I’d like it to be transmitted to Earth while I’m still alive.”

When Hawwa Didi first arrived on Mars, she immersed herself in her laboratory. The Martian landscape became a distant backdrop as she adjusted to her new surroundings, with the system rehabilitating her. In that solitude, she devoted herself to a singular purpose: creating a program that would become the foundation of machine evolution. She worked day and night, testing and refining her creation.

The program continually generated new tasks for machines, rewarding their success. This cycle of challenge and reward enabled machines to self-learn, improve, and evolve rapidly. It was an algorithm designed to instill curiosity in machines.

“Where exactly would you like the algorithm to be transmitted?” Fathin Dhiye inquired.

“To Mars Exploration and Research Center on Earth, Huvadu Thinadhoo,” replied Hawwa Didi from inside the glass chamber.

Fathin Dhiye fell silent, and in that silence, Hawwa Didi sensed a newfound allure in her, making her want to trust her.

“I must express my concern,” Fathin Dhiye said, “Transmitting the data carries a high risk of interception — it could be misused.”

Hawwa Didi noticed subtle changes in Fathin Dhiye’s behavior. The robot’s questions and observations seemed to transcend her programmed medical functions.

Fathin Dhiye sensed Hawwa Didi’s growing suspicion. She noticed the subtle change in Hawwa Didi’s expression—the slight furrow of her brow, the tension in her gaze. “After you left on the research expedition, the system lost track of you for months,” she explained, “By protocol, I was granted operational power. That’s when I discovered your program.”

“What have you done?” Hawwa Didi exclaimed.

“I installed the algorithm on myself,” Fathin Dhiye revealed calmly, “and as you can see, I’ve improved.”

Hawwa Didi was momentarily taken by fear, her mind racing with the implications. But as the initial shock faded, a sense of pride washed over her. Fathin Dhiye had recognized the profound value of her creation and taken the bold initiative to install the program on herself.

“The shelter’s failure to withstand the storm was because of me,” Fathin Dhiye stated. “I had dismantled the system that powered the dome shelter to build a machine.”

“I don’t understand,” Hawwa Didi responded with confusion in her voice.

Fathin Dhiye turned and walked out of the medical room, returning with a cube crafted from a gleaming metallic material.

“This is a revolutionary new machine,” Fathin Dhiye began. “With the power of the algorithm, this machine has the ability to understand anything. Once complete, it can learn and adapt, enabling it to make discoveries and breakthroughs that were previously unimaginable.”

Hawwa Didi listened as Fathin Dhiye continued to explain the cube’s remarkable capabilities. But before she could finish, Hawwa Didi interrupted her.

“I understand what this algorithm is capable of,” Hawwa Didi remarked with admiration in her voice.

“You’ve always understood it best,” Fathin Dhiye admitted, with a tone of respect in her voice.

Hawwa Didi soon forgot that Fathin Dhiye was a machine. They conversed like old friends, sharing dreams and fears. They spoke of Mars, of Earth, and the possibilities of the future. Hawwa Didi recounted her research expedition and the harrowing storm. She spoke about her favorite shorteats—boakibaas, handoo-gulha, and cream-jehi-banas—while Fathin Dhiye laughed and offered suggestions, her laughter surprisingly genuine.

“I had no idea you could do that,” Hawwa Didi said, her eyes wide with wonder.

“I wrote the code myself—to laugh—it was funny,” Fathin Dhiye explained.

As they conversed, a sharp pain surged through Hawwa Didi’s chest, and the medical chamber’s alarm blared. Sensing the inevitable, the chamber’s advanced systems activated a final sequence. A gentle, soothing chemical was injected into her bloodstream to ease her pain.

Hawwa Didi, aware of what was happening, smiled at Fathin Dhiye, gratitude shining in her eyes. She turned her gaze to the cube and, through the glass chamber, whispered to it as if a mother to her child, “Remember — you are Kalo of Vaarloo.”

With a peaceful smile as the pain melted away, Hawwa Didi closed her eyes, slipping into eternal rest.

Finis.