The science fiction short story "Aeon" by Korean author Choi Hee-ra has received the Fiction Commendation Award at the 56th Modern Korean Literature Translation Awards. The story was translated into English by Adelle Wee Xing Min and is included in a sci-fi short story collection published by Jaeum Moeum Publishing.

"Aeon" presents a dystopian future where humanity has developed brain chip technology called "Infinity 3" that promises to create a more ethical society. The story opens with an elderly doctor named Hanseol facing his final moments as a humanoid visits him to schedule his "Conclusion" - a process where those who refuse the brain implant are ultimately terminated for research purposes.

The narrative explores themes of technological control and human autonomy through Dr. Hanseol's perspective. As someone who refused to get the Infinity 3 chip implanted despite government pressure, he represents the last remnants of unmodified humanity. The chip, originally nicknamed the "Ethical Brain," was designed to manipulate neural connections to strengthen ethical judgment and regulate emotions.

Choi Hee-ra's story reveals the unintended consequences of this technological solution to human problems. While the Infinity 3 chips successfully reduced violence, abuse, and some mental health issues, they also led to a significant decline in creativity and innovation. Society became increasingly obsessed with conforming to socially accepted behavioral standards, resulting in a loss of human vitality and artistic expression.

The plot unfolds through flashbacks as Dr. Hanseol recalls meeting a child named Aeon fifty years earlier during his work with an earlier version of the technology, Infinity 2. These memories reveal the origins of the current dystopian system and hint at Dr. Hanseol's role in its development. The child's innocent description of seeing "fireworks" in a robot's eyes serves as a poignant contrast to the sterile, controlled world that emerged.

Facing the prospect of having his brain harvested for research to upgrade the Infinity 3 system, Dr. Hanseol makes a desperate final choice. Rather than allow his unmodified brain to be used to further perfect the technology he spent decades opposing, he chooses to destroy it entirely, representing a final act of resistance against technological authoritarianism.

The story serves as a cautionary tale about the potential dangers of using technology to solve complex human problems. Through its exploration of themes like free will, creativity, and the cost of artificial perfection, "Aeon" reflects contemporary concerns about artificial intelligence, social control, and the preservation of human individuality in an increasingly digital world.