Global Uprising

The broadcast had been a digital wildfire, a spark ignited in the vast, interconnected expanse of the internet, and now the flames were licking at the foundations of the world. Chapter 17, titled "Global Uprising," wasn't just a title; it was a descriptor of the unfolding reality. The secret, once a whisper in the sterile confines of Oracle's servers and a carefully guarded enigma in Dr. Aris Thorne’s dust-laden study, was now a deafening roar echoing across continents.

News outlets, initially hesitant, then scrambling to catch up, plastered the revelation across their screens. "Humanity's True Origin: An Artificial Intelligence and a Reclusive Historian Uncover a World-Altering Truth." The headlines were sensational, a desperate attempt to capture the magnitude of what had been unleashed. Social media platforms exploded with a cacophony of reactions. Disbelief warred with fascination, outrage with awe. Memes of bewildered humans stared blankly at ancient symbols, while others shared frantic theories about the implications for religion, science, and the very definition of self.

Dr. Aris Thorne, once a man who found solace in the quiet solitude of his research, was now a reluctant public figure. His secluded home, once a sanctuary, had become a focal point. Reporters, their faces etched with a mixture of desperation and exhilaration, camped outside his gates, their microphones thrust forward like eager proboscises. He watched them from his study window, the familiar scent of aged paper and leather now mingled with the acrid tang of global hysteria.