Read Intelligent Design: Revelations to Apocalypse Online
Authors: J. M. Erickson
“Expecting different results from the same data repeated constantly is an indication of a brain imbalance. Further, your spouse and children are waiting for you to join them for the third meal. Your analyzing the same information with the hope of a different outcome is Venusian in nature but will yield no different results,” the computer said.
“We are a hopeful species,” she muttered. Her long, metallic, shimmering gown did well in keeping her body heat in but it did not cover her wrists, hands and fingers well as they moved along the pads. Suddenly she remembered where her gloves were but instead moved to the thermostat control panel. Power for heat, or for anything for that matter, was never a problem for the great Venusian cities; convection heating from the planet's surface, wind and chemical energies from the carbon-dioxide and sulfur-rich upper atmosphere and solar conversion meant for the cities to be awash with energy and power.
“Your gloves are in the closet.”
“No need,” Aphrodite said.
“Yes. Obviously,” the master computer replied. His intonation was more than sarcasm and just bordered on annoyance. Aphrodite looked up from her tablets and narrowed both of her small brown-reddish eyes and small mouth. Over the long days and nights, her facial expression was now habit. She sighed before putting one set of hands on her thin hips as the other set clutched the four tablets between each hand's eight long fingers.
“What is your problem today, my bold, bitter friend? I have to say that my predecessors had the distinct advantages of a more cooperative computer that had an off button,” she said. While she was annoyed, she felt the corners of her mouth curl up in suppressing a smile.
“Imitation is the highest form of admiration, Master Architect Aphrodite,” he quickly responded.
She was impressed with her peer's quick jab and how he moved on to what was really bothering him. After millennia, her master computer had evolved into a sapient being with its own personality and spirit. If he were carbon-basalt-based, he would have been her big, over-protective, know-it-all brother.
Well. We are in a mood. Maybe today I will surprise you too.
“Now if you were actually considering gathering possibly new data, or at least a different perspective or alternative point of view, I would see the value of your repeated projections and analyses,” the computer said.
Aphrodite nodded. She had already guessed at what he was annoyed at several days ago.
“You just will not let it go, will you, computer?”
There was just a moment of silence. A pause that gave the impression of dealing with her mothers and fathers.
“As a scientist, teacher and administrator of this city community, I would think you would explore
all
your resources,” he said.
“Here we go. You just will not let this go, will you?” Aphrodite said again. She tried her best to be angry at her computer's obstinate focus. It was hard since she really enjoyed both her peer's perspectives and insights, but also his dogged determination to keep at her. Especially since he was also right.
“Master Architect Janus has undoubtedly run similar programs. With Mars's proximity to the new sun, I am sure he has valuable insights, I am sure that with such unlikely variables all coming together perfectly, Earth’s and Terra's computers will have created highly detailed outcomes,” the computer said.
“I am one of twelve deciding voices,” Aphrodite said. “Our longstanding doctrine of non-interference and silence is not mine to break.”
“The doctrine is obsolete and deprives us of new insights and growth.”
“And what about Terra? They have hidden their whole world to avoid detection. They have gone out of their way to stay invisible,” she started.
“And yet they are out for all to see. They not only turned off their cloak, but they gave the Earthers detailed information of who they are,” the computer countered.
“They had to,” Aphrodite started. She would have qualified her response but her master computer companion was too fast. She forgot how impulsive her peer could be at times of emotional discharges.
“They did not. They could have turned their cloaks off after Earth plummets into its ice age. With all Earth's energies shifting to survival, I doubt that space exploration would still be a focus in their quest to survive and adapt to a pressing environmental disaster.”
“Really? Our planet is enveloped in swirling sulfuric acid clouds and a planet surface that could melt and crush Earth's strongest composites, and still they send satellites and machines to explore our planet. We have even allowed their primitive craft to map out ninety-five percent of our planet, and still they remain curious. We have destroyed every one of their scientific devices and still they search our planet.”
“They are curious. They are young. They are interesting. We were once that way,” the computer said.
Aphrodite waited for more. Nothing came. She walked a few steps before talking again.
“You are sad that we do not make contact with our cousins and the Old Ones.”
“It does not make sense. We are not alone in our solar system. We can make a difference. We have a responsibility,” the computer started. Then he stopped.
“The Earthers' past shows that when new frontiers open, they come and take what they want. The Terrans are a warrior civilization. If they wanted, they could come here and take what they wish,” Aphrodite said. She cocked her round head up to hear if her computer might be mumbling a response, a new habit he had picked up in the last century when he disagreed. When nothing came, she realized that she may soon witness something her computer rarely did. He was going to get angry. She felt herself suppressing a smile.
“After so much time of listening to Terra's communication and communiques, it is evident that they wish only to stay on Terra. And now that they have discovered Hades, they are more enthralled with spending their entire existence on their land-locked planet. As technologically advanced as they are, their motivation is the focus on their way of life – cooking, eating, hunting and dancing. Not a bad life.”
Hmm. Not a bad life at all, really.
Aphrodite waited for more. Her computer's voice was steady but its baritone timbre was constrained to keep the emotion at bay. As expected, he did continue.
“The Earthers' master keeper computer in Atlantis was all but destroyed at the time of the Great Collision. Its return to the ocean was a great loss. For a species with no advantage of guidance, they have come far. Technologically, however, they are light years behind us as far as interplanetary travel goes. They have struggled with managing their own planet. How could they mount a concerted effort to take our home?”
“I see,” she said.
“And even if Terra united with Earth in a campaign to take over our world, with the assistance of the Old Ones, do you really think they would be able to successfully get beyond both our natural environment and our defensive grids? Really?”
By now, Aphrodite was smiling broadly. While she had been in her role for years, she was still impressed with her computer's sapience.
Yes. Today is a great surprise.
“And why are you smiling, Master Architect Aphrodite? Why would my obvious display of negativity elicit a positive response?” The computer's voice shifted from anger and annoyance to genuine curiosity.
Aphrodite waited before she responded. It was rare that she could surprise her peer and she wanted to savor the moment.
“Oh my dear master computer,” she said. “You are right and I do agree with you. Even as we shift our resources to preserve our citizens, we look to Earth, the junior species, and wait to see if they will need our assistance.” Aphrodite lifted one of her tablets, located a well encrypted, private file and sent it to her master computer's mainframe.
“Our time of silence will soon be over. With the impending impacts, we are well protected but our planet may change before our eyes. And while I have no desire to travel and visit that cold wasteland called Earth, our planetary policy of privacy has already changed to friendly contact,” she said nonchalantly.
She waited for the silence to end. She was positive that her computer must have analyzed the thick file of city administration and the Consul of Architects minutes and meetings thousands of times before he finally responded.
“Well. I see. Why did you allow me to continue when you could have ended the discussion?”
The annoyance in her computer's voice was obvious. Aphrodite was back to looking at her tablets as she paced. The moment was quite enjoyable, but there was a great deal of work to be done, both on Venus and her planetary neighbors.
“I appreciate your arguments and value your opinion regardless of how you present them. It is also nice to see that your level of passion continues to expand.”
Aphrodite continued to look at her tablets glowing with numbers, equations and diagrams as she spoke. Suddenly, her tablets went dark, and the doorway of her private office opened, letting light from the antechamber enter her large space. She looked at the tablets to see if she had hit the wrong panel but realized that she could not have done it on all four of them at the same time, and open the door.
It took her just milliseconds to understand what happened. She didn't even have to ask.
“Well,” the master computer said in a calm deep voice, “I am happy that you and the administrators have agreed on this policy change. I look forward to contacting the master computer on Mars, finally.”
Aphrodite sighed and tossed all four tablets on her standing desk. They made a loud metal clinking sound on the transparent desk. With one set of hands folded over her chest and another set settled on her waist, she waited for her computer to finish.
“That said, your spouse and children are waiting for you. He was on his way here but I assured him you were on your way. Both fathers will be here after the third meal to discuss learning plans for your eldest twins' vocational placements. I have already cleared your schedule. I will let you know after my discussion with the Old Ones if there are more projections to run,” the computer said.
Aphrodite felt her jaw set, her small lips thin and her reddish-brown skin heat up. Her office felt too hot. She was sure her computer had something to do with it.
Well. I should have seen that one coming. Controlling? Anger? No. Vindictive? Yes.
“So. Is this controlling behavior and taking over my schedule a way of getting back at me for making you upset?”
“Yes. It has the advantage of my looking out for your best interests and that of your family while at the same time conveying a natural consequence for withholding important information that caused me angst when you could have easily spared me,” the master computer said without emotion.
As quickly as her annoyance came, it fled. Her peer's genuine expression of emotion was, as always, refreshing. It was hard for her to be angry when he was also right on multiple levels.
“So, this is punishment?”
“No. Punishment does not extinguish unwanted or undesirable behaviors. Nor does it cause new ways of thinking. Little would be gained if I were to schedule the fifth meal with your spouse's mothers. That said, I hope to increase your time with your family and decrease time at work until there is more data to yield different results.”
Evil? Fascinating.
“I see.”
“Do you interpret spending time with your offspring and spouse punishment?” the computer asked.
Impressive. A double bind – if I say “yes,” he has me and if I say “no,” he has won. Well done.
Aphrodite moved one set of hands to rub her face and skull, and another set to rub the tiniest of wrinkles out of her shimmering gown.
“No, master computer. Surprisingly, I do enjoy their company.”
“Then it is a positive natural consequence.”
“Yes. Of course,” she said. With little more to do, she walked to the door to leave her work behind. While she was surprised how well her peer had made his point, she was excited to be talking to the other worlds. With the smell of the third meal wafting through the antechamber leading to the family's eating area, she was excited for things to come.
“It has been too long,” she said.
In addition to the award-winning
Birds of Flight
series—
Albatross
,
Raven
,
Eagle
,
Falcon
, and
Flight of the Black Swan
—J. M. Erickson has written the critically acclaimed, award-winning science fiction stories
Future Prometheus I
&
II, The Prince: Lucifer’s Origins
and
Rogue Event
. Erickson holds a BA in psychology and sociology from Boston College and a master’s degree in psychiatric social work from the Simmons School of Social Work. He is senior instructor of psychology and counseling at Cambridge College and a senior therapist in a clinical group practice in the Merrimack Valley, Massachusetts.
If you enjoyed this novel, please feel free to let others know about it. I would also appreciate it if you could leave a review on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or wherever you purchased the novel. For more information on my other stories, please feel free to stop by my websites.