Why Did The Writers & Actors Strike Happen? Money Yes, But Mostly Because of AI!

We were wondering if Generative AI really posed a threat, so we used ChatGPT and Bing Image Creator to write a 10 chapter story. It was a timed test, only 90 minutes. You can decide if the threat is real – but keep in mind what you could get if you spent serious time and effort with these tools, refining over and over again.

The Dark Side: Tunnels of Terror”

Chapter 1: “Lunar Landing”

Amidst the boundless void of space, the spacecraft, ‘Odyssey’, gracefully descended onto the moon’s surface, its metallic frame shimmering against the moon’s pale glow. The landing site was chosen adjacent to the vast, untouched volcanic tunnels recently spotted from Earth’s observatories. As the engines powered down, an unsettling silence enveloped the desolate landscape, making the moment seem eternal.

The ‘Odyssey’ spacecraft, a gleaming symbol of human achievement, stationed at the edge of a massive lunar crater with Earth’s silhouette in the backdrop.

Commander Mark Douglas was the first to disembark, his boots imprinting on the soft regolith. As he gazed into the horizon, the Earth rose, a blue marble in the stark blackness, grounding his sense of purpose. Dr. Sarah Mitchell, the mission’s historian and geologist, soon joined him, her eyes darting with anticipation towards the entrance of the volcanic caverns. Their mission wasn’t just exploratory; they were seeking signs of life, ancient remnants, or any evidence that the moon was once more than a lifeless rock.

Behind them, Engineer Leo Rodriguez started unloading the equipment. The tools they brought were state-of-the-art, capable of analyzing and cataloging even the minutest details. As the team gathered, they took a moment, standing shoulder to shoulder, to recognize the gravity of their mission.

The astronaut crew, dwarfed by the vastness of space, standing together, looking towards the dark cavern entrance, symbolizing the brink of their journey into the unknown.

In the distance, the cavern’s mouth beckoned, dark and foreboding, juxtaposed against the bright lunar surface. It promised answers to ancient questions, but also held within its depths the potential dangers of the unknown. Mark, glancing at his teammates, uttered, “This is our leap for mankind.”

Chapter 2: “Moon’s Murmurs”

The lunar surface, a vast expanse of silver-gray, lay before the astronauts as they began their journey toward the ominous cavern. Their footsteps, the only sound, disturbed the dust, creating ethereal plumes that hung in the airless void. As they drew closer to the tunnel’s mouth, a deep unease settled within each of them. The whispers began—soft, incoherent murmurs that seemed to emanate from the very walls of the tunnel.

Commander Mark halted, lifting a gloved hand for silence. “Do you hear that?” he asked, his voice trembling with a mix of curiosity and trepidation.

Dr. Sarah, her scientific mind racing, tried to pinpoint the source. “It can’t be the wind or any atmospheric phenomenon. The moon doesn’t have an atmosphere,” she mused, looking at the instruments on her wrist, which showed no anomalies.

The team’s scientific equipment, with waveforms indicating the strange audio frequencies they’re picking up.

Engineer Leo, ever the skeptic, scoffed. “It’s probably just interference from our radios or some equipment malfunction.”

But as they ventured deeper into the entrance, the whispers grew louder, more distinct. It was as if the moon, thought to be dead and silent, held the memories of a million voices, all trying to convey a message, a warning perhaps. The cavern’s darkness seemed to swallow them, and with each step, the boundary between reality and imagination blurred. The weight of the unknown pressed heavily upon them, but the mission’s goals drove them forward, deeper into the labyrinth of the moon’s murmurs.

Chapter 3: “Into the Unknown”

The cavern’s entrance yawns before them, an abyss of palpable darkness that seems to consume the beams of their torches. The very air is thick with age, laden with the weight of eons. As the team delves deeper into the lunar bowels, they find themselves in a vast chamber, the walls of which are adorned with carvings unlike anything human hands could craft.

Dr. Sarah’s hand inches away from the pulsating, organic patch on the wall, her reflection in her visor showing a face filled with horror and fascination.

Dr. Sarah, with her expertise in ancient civilizations, is first to approach the engravings. They depict celestial beings, their forms ethereal and fluid, intertwined with what seems like the cosmos itself. There are glyphs of lunar phases, planets, and even galaxies. But what catches Sarah’s attention most are the recurring symbols resembling doorways or portals.

Commander Mark is more concerned with the chamber’s layout. It’s strategic, almost deliberate, with corridors leading out like spokes on a wheel. He can’t shake off the feeling that this isn’t just a tunnel system; it’s a sanctuary or perhaps a tomb.

Engineer Leo, ever the skeptic, chuckles and quips about how this could be the universe’s first art gallery. But even he can’t deny the unease he feels, the sensation of being watched. Every so often, he thinks he catches a fleeting shimmer or hears a soft echo, as if the very walls are whispering ancient secrets.

The astronauts realize that they are standing at the threshold of a mystery far greater than they had ever imagined. Their mission has evolved from mere exploration to unraveling the tapestry of an ancient lunar civilization.

Chapter 4: “Shadows Stir”

Delving deeper into the labyrinth of the moon, the teamis overtaken by an atmosphere thickened with anticipation and dread. The stark artificial light from their helmets casts eerie shadows on the tunnel walls, making the lunar basalt glisten like dark glass. Every so often, a rock formation or a sharp bend in their path casts a misshapen silhouette, causing their hearts to race momentarily.

Engineer Leo’s helmet light catching a fleeting shadowy figure, its form almost blending with the rocks, eyes gleaming in the dimness.

As they traverse deeper, Engineer Leo swears he catches glimpses of movements—figures darting just outside the beam of his torchlight. He alerts the others, but every time they focus their beams on the suspected spot, they find nothing but barren rock. It becomes a chilling game of cat and mouse with the unknown.

The eerie murmurs they heard at the entrance have now evolved into soft, whispering voices. These voices aren’t coming through their communication devices; they seem to resonate directly within the walls or, even more disturbingly, within their very minds.

Commander Mark, trying to maintain his composure, suggests they might be experiencing auditory hallucinations due to the moon’s low gravity affecting their inner ear. But deep down, a nagging feeling tells him there’s more to these whispers than mere physiological effects.

As the team decides to set up a temporary camp to rest, Dr. Sarah, while scanning a wall, stumbles upon a wet, organic patch—out of place in the otherwise dry, rocky tunnel. As she reaches out to touch it, it pulsates, recoiling from her touch. The realization hits them; they are not alone, and the moon’s secrets are more alive and sentient than they could have ever imagined.

Chapter 5: “Echoes from the Deep”

The unsettling quiet of the lunar tunnels was broken by a piercing scream that seemed to originate from everywhere and nowhere at once. The chilling sound faded as quickly as it had come, leaving behind a haunting resonance in the ears of Commander Mark and Dr. Sarah. A quick look around confirmed their worst fear: Engineer Leo, who had just moments ago been joking about “moon goblins”, was now nowhere to be found.

Sarah called out, her voice quivering, “Leo? Leo, where are you? This isn’t a time for jokes.” But the only response was the echo of her own voice, bouncing off the cold, hard walls of the tunnel. Mark tried to keep his composure. “He couldn’t have gone far. Let’s trace our steps back to the last junction.”

As they retraced their path, they noted subtle changes in the environment—rock formations that seemed slightly altered, and wall markings that were unfamiliar. It was as if the tunnels themselves were shifting, like the innards of some giant living organism.

A dimly lit lunar tunnel, with Leo’s flashlight casting a lone beam on the strange footprints, the edges of the light revealing hints of alien carvings on the walls.

After what felt like hours, a discovery stopped them in their tracks: Leo’s flashlight, still on, lying next to a set of unfamiliar footprints on the dusty lunar ground. The prints were unlike anything human—three elongated toes with sharp claws, hinting at something bipedal and predatory. Sarah bent down to examine them. “These are fresh,” she whispered, her voice filled with dread. “And they lead deeper into the tunnels.”

The team, visibly anxious, examining the footprints, their suits reflecting the eerie glow of the cavernous depths ahead.

Mark swallowed hard, trying to muster courage. “We can’t leave him behind, Sarah. We need to follow the trail.” Gripping their tools tighter and setting their communicators to continuous broadcast mode, the two astronauts ventured deeper into the moon’s belly, the weight of the unknown pressing down on them.

Chapter 6: “The Entity Within”

In the suffocating darkness, a cold breath of ancient history sweeps over Commander Mark and Dr. Sarah. As they venture deeper, they come across a chamber, unusually symmetrical and displaying signs of architectural intent. Their torches reveal large murals depicting entities revered, perhaps even worshipped, by an older lunar civilization. The narratives on the walls hint at a guardian of sorts, a protector of the moon’s sacred secrets.


A vast chamber illuminated by the astronauts’ torches, walls covered with intricate murals of celestial beings and cosmic events. The entity, partially emerged from the wall, is a swirling mass of shadows, its form mirroring the depicted guardians, yet with eerie, recognizable features of past astronauts imprinted on its surface

The silence is shattered as a grotesque creature materializes from the murals, its form constantly shifting—fluid yet tangible, as if made of lunar mist and shadow. It’s a being from legends, a sentinel left behind to guard the stories of its people. Sarah, her voice quivering, whispers a theory: this guardian absorbs memories, experiences, and fears, rendering it a patchwork of all those who ventured into its domain.


Dr. Sarah, illuminated by her torchlight, standing frozen, her hand outstretched towards the guardian. The creature, a swirling mass of darkness, is reaching back, fingers almost touching hers, the air around them thick with tension, as memories of past encounters manifest as ghostly apparitions around the chamber.

With their every step, the entity seems to anticipate their intentions. They can feel its cold, calculating gaze studying, learning, and adapting—a horrifying amalgamation of every astronaut that ever dared to unravel the moon’s mysteries.

Chapter 7: “Minds Unhinged”

Inside the suffocatingly narrow, snaking pathways of the moon’s caverns, a more insidious peril manifests. The astronaut begins seeing thriller own reflections in places it shouldn’t be – on the smooth surfaces of rocks, in puddles of an unknown, mercury-like substance on the ground. Each reflection acts independently, sneering and beckoning him deeper into the cavern.


A sprawling, panoramic view of the tunnel’s interior. The team in spacesuits stand at a crossroads, surrounded by multiple reflective surfaces. Each reflection shows a different, twisted version of him – one laughing maniacally, another beckoning, and yet another with eyes hollowed out.

Dr. Sarah, on the other hand, is haunted by visions of Earth’s destruction – cities in flames, oceans turning to acid, and the faces of loved ones contorted in pain and despair. She’s tormented by the sounds of their screams, which seem to echo from the very walls of the tunnels.


Dr. Sarah, knees on the ground, cradling her head in her hands. Around her, ghostly apparitions of burning cities and tormented faces emerge from the tunnel walls. The background is awash in a fiery, apocalyptic hue, contrasting with the cold, blue light from her torch.

All the astronauts struggle to discern reality from these vivid and terrifying hallucinations, aware that their very sanity is under siege. The lunar tunnels, they realize, aren’t just a physical challenge but a psychological battleground.

Chapter 8: “Moon’s Heartbeat”

Deep within the serpentine tunnels of the moon, they  stumble upon a vast, cathedral-like cavern. This chamber’s sheer size is disorienting, the ceiling lost in shadow above. At the chamber’s center stands an alien monolith, humming and pulsating, bathed in a ghostly blue luminescence. It’s the source of the moon’s mystic energy, an ancient artifact of the once-great civilization that carved these tunnels.

Dr. Sarah, entranced, her hand on the monolith, surrounded by a swirling aura of visions and memories. The images show fleeting glimpses of the ancient aliens, their majestic cities, and the cataclysm that buried their history.

Sarah approaches cautiously, her historian’s curiosity overcoming her fear. She touches the surface, feeling the vibrations and seeing visions of an alien race, their history, their purpose, and the catastrophic event that led to their downfall. The monolith serves not just as a historical record but as a warning. The lunar monsters are revealed as protectors of this artifact, ensuring that its power doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.

Mark, vigilant, notices a horde of the lunar entities slowly emerging from the tunnel shadows, drawn to the energy of the artifact. He readies himself, realizing the artifact’s power might be their only chance of survival.

Chapter 9: “Last Stand”

Deep within the oppressive darkness of the tunnels, Commander Mark and Dr. Sarah find themselves cornered by an ever-growing horde of lunar entities. The haunting whispers they had heard now sound like cacophonous roars, echoing through the jagged caverns. Sarah, leaning on her deep knowledge of alien civilizations, deciphers a pattern to the monsters’ movements. They seem to be responding to the pulsations of the ancient artifact.

Using this insight, Mark concocts a daring plan. They reconfigure their laser tools to resonate with the same frequency as the artifact, hoping to use its power against the creatures. As the monstrous entities close in, the astronauts stand back-to-back, activating their improvised weapons. A blinding ray of light shoots out, creating a protective barrier around them. The creatures, drawn to the light, are repelled and disintegrated upon contact.

Amid the chaos, the cavern itself seems to react, the walls quaking and the ground trembling. The very foundation of the moon threatens to collapse. Sarah identifies a weak spot in the cavern wall and, using the last of their explosives, they blast an escape route, narrowly evading the pursuing horde and the collapsing tunnels.

Chapter 10: “The Lunar Legacy”

Emerging from the heart of the moon, the battered astronauts are met with the relative brightness of the lunar surface. As Commander Mark and Dr. Sarah trudge through the dust, they gaze upon Earth, hanging like a blue jewel against the void of space. Their hearts yearn for home, but the weight of what they’ve encountered pulls at their souls.

Recollections of their harrowing journey through the tunnels come in fragments— the monstrous entities, the haunting whispers, and the ominous heartbeat of the moon. But beyond the terror lies a truth they had unearthed: an ancient civilization that had once thrived in the lunar depths, and its fall due to its own creations.

Sarah, clutching a data storage device, knows she carries the knowledge that could change human understanding of the universe. The aliens’ technological advancements, their culture, art, and the grave warning of playing God.

Mark, gazing at his reflection in Sarah’s visor, notices a cryptic symbol etched onto his skin—a mark left by the moon, forever branding them as the bearers of its secrets.

As they board their spacecraft, a silent agreement is made. Earth must know of their discoveries, but more importantly, the warnings that come with it. As the engines roar to life, they cast one final look at the desolate landscape, leaving behind the mysteries of the moon, but taking its legacy with them.