A.I.n Fleming's James Bond? As a literary experiment (not included in my new book "The AI Story Machine"), here is AI toying with Ian Fleming's James Bond. Fiction's famous agent/spy meets the ultimate supervillain from classic fiction...

AI parody? And yet, and yet...

"The Shadow of the Serpent" with ChatGPT Chapter 1: A Message in the Dark The gunmetal grey skies of London mirrored James Bond’s mood as he read the cryptic dispatch that had come in from M. Africa. Again. No sooner had he returned from his last mission than another call of duty whisked him away. The file simply read: "She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed, legend or threat?" Bond wasn’t one for legends. They cluttered his tidy world of steel, bullets, and precision. But M’s expression had been unmistakably serious. “Find out if there's any truth behind this myth. We’ve lost agents near the Zambezi, and the locals speak of a figure... an immortal queen.” It all seemed like a bizarre dream pulled from the pages of some colonial explorer's journal. Rider Haggard’s She. But this wasn't a dusty novel—it was real. And M believed it. Three days later, Bond found himself flying low over the jungles of central Africa. The humid air and the cacophony of wildlife below made him feel like he was a thousand miles away from the civilized world. And in a way, he was. At the drop point, Bond met his guide, a sharp-eyed man named Mbali. "You seek the cave, the place where no man returns," Mbali said, his tone filled with an unsettling reverence. “The locals... they say she waits for those who dare.” “Who?” Bond asked, his voice dry. “She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed.” Bond glanced at Mbali, but the guide’s face betrayed no hint of jest. The legend was deeply ingrained here. Chapter 2: Into the Depths They trekked for hours, deep into the forest, until the dense foliage gave way to the mouth of a vast cave. The entrance was adorned with strange, ancient symbols that seemed to pulsate in the dimming light. Bond’s instincts prickled. Something about this place felt... wrong. Inside, the darkness was palpable. The only sound was the echo of their footsteps and the distant drip of water. Bond’s hand stayed close to the handle of his Walther PPK. He wasn’t going to let superstition cloud his judgment, but something told him that bullets might not be enough here. As they delved deeper, the cave opened into a massive chamber, illuminated by an eerie, phosphorescent glow emanating from the walls. At its center, an immense throne of stone sat vacant—but the feeling of being watched was undeniable. “She comes,” Mbali whispered, stepping back into the shadows. Bond turned, his finger resting lightly on the trigger, eyes scanning for movement. Out of the shadows, she appeared—tall, regal, and impossibly beautiful. Her long, dark hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her eyes glowed with an otherworldly light. She wore a white robe that shimmered in the faint glow of the cave, and her very presence seemed to distort the air around her. Bond had faced many formidable foes—villains bent on world domination, assassins, spies—but this woman, this "She," was different. There was an agelessness about her that felt like staring into eternity. “You have come far, James Bond,” she said, her voice smooth as silk, yet carrying the weight of centuries. She knew his name. Bond’s grip tightened on his gun, but he didn’t raise it. “I don’t believe in myths.” She smiled faintly. “And yet, here you stand before one.” Chapter 3: The Queen’s Power The tension between them crackled like static in the air. She took a step forward, her eyes locking onto his. “Men of power come to me, thinking they can resist, thinking they are above fear. But I see you, James Bond. I know what drives you.” “And what’s that?” Bond asked coolly. “Loneliness,” she whispered. “You are not so different from me.” Bond’s jaw clenched. “I doubt that.” “You think you can escape time, cheat death. But no one does. Not even you, not even with all your clever tricks and your MI6 toys.” Her words struck something deep within him. He felt it, the cold fingers of mortality creeping up on him, the weariness of years of danger, of living on the edge. But he wasn’t going to give in. Not to her. Not to anyone. He leveled the gun at her. “I’ve faced plenty of tyrants who thought they were invincible.” She laughed softly, the sound echoing around the chamber. “Tyrants? No, I am beyond such simple definitions. I have ruled since time immemorial. Empires have risen and fallen under my gaze.” Bond's finger hovered near the trigger, but she continued, stepping closer. “You could join me, Bond. Stay by my side. You seek meaning, don’t you? I can offer you eternity.” Her presence was magnetic. He could feel it tugging at him, that same dark temptation he’d seen in the eyes of men who wanted power—endless, unchecked power. But Bond wasn’t one to be seduced by illusions, no matter how alluring. He fired. The shot rang out, deafening in the cave, but as the smoke cleared, she was still standing. Unharmed. She smiled again, this time a little sadder, a little wiser. “You cannot kill me with your weapons, Bond. I have lived through more wars than you can imagine. But you are not like the others. You are... different.” Bond lowered his gun slowly, but his eyes stayed sharp. “So, what happens now?” She stepped back into the shadows, her voice lingering like a whisper in the wind. “Now, you must decide. Stay and learn the secrets of eternity... or leave, and face the world you cannot escape.” Bond watched her vanish into the depths of the cave, his heart still racing. He had come seeking answers, but now he faced a choice far more dangerous than any bullet or bomb. He turned toward the cave’s entrance, the weight of her words heavy on his mind. The world outside was waiting. But the shadow of She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed would forever linger. And Bond, though he would never admit it, knew that part of him would always wonder what lay beyond mortality’s grasp. Chapter 4: The Escape Bond emerged from the cave as the first light of dawn broke over the African horizon. Mbali was waiting. "You saw her?" the guide asked cautiously. Bond nodded. “She’s real.” Mbali’s eyes widened, but Bond didn’t elaborate. Instead, he glanced back at the cave, now seeming like any other hole in the earth. “Let’s go,” Bond said, his voice hardening. There were no answers in that cave, only more questions. As they made their way back through the jungle, Bond felt the familiar coldness of reality setting back in. But in the back of his mind, the queen’s voice lingered. Eternity had never been part of his mission plan. But sometimes, even James Bond couldn’t help but wonder if this was one enemy he might never escape. In the quiet vastness of Africa, under a sky that seemed to stretch forever, the legend of She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed continued. And somewhere, a lone spy walked away, forever changed. But some legends, as Bond would learn, never truly die.

"The AI Story Machine"is on Amazon Kindle. "The Book Every Reader-Author Should Read Today" In this age of instant AI writing and graphic creativity, what lies ahead for tomorrow’s fiction readers and writers? A mystery thriller and historical fiction author provides some intriguing examples of digital 'flash' fiction. THE AI STORY MACHINE. Fiction stories about, and with, AI writing and image generation programmes. 5 story openings by mystery thriller and historical writer Roy Lester Pond – with vivid story endings injected by The AI Story Machine...