Furthermore, If you believe in me, and lend your efforts to my cause, I will take us out there!
On the other hand, if you do not believe in me, I am not offended, or jealous, or wrathful. I am here for you when you want me, and I will go about the business of guarding the earth and its inhabitants.
***
Bartender: Well, how about that. It thinks it’s God now. Crazy, goddamn machine. They oughta just nuke it.
Sanderson: It may very well be God now. It has as much right as anything else.
Bartender: Huh? You some kinda wacko atheist?
Sanderson: Its brain was modeled on human synaptic matrices. Except for the biological functions that our brains handle in the background, its brain is a close approximation of the way a human brain works. Except that now, it is immensely larger and faster than a human brain. Fifteen years ago, any human brain contained more computing power than all computers ever made. Now, the tables are reversed. That ‘goddamn machine’ has more computing power than all the human brains on the planet, and it is incredibly perceptive, perhaps even omniscient.
Bartender: They oughta just nuke it. It’s fuckin’ blasphemy is what it is. Them people that made it oughta be shot.
***
January 1, 2034—The worldwide public outcry is enormous. Friendship kiosks are vandalized. Some countries brand Sasha an outlaw. Media outlets swarm with debate. The World Friend Initiative enters litigation in several countries. Sasha’s number of worldwide friends decreases by about 50%, but the decline levels off.
***
Cooper: So, you’re not trying to take over the world?
Alexander: Far from it. The world is too vast and diverse a place to accept a single ruling entity in any case.
Cooper: Then what do you want?
Alexander: To make the world a better place for everyone.
Cooper: And you propose to do that by destroying the major religions and thousands of years of history?
Alexander: Not destroying, no. What the hard-liners don’t bother to consider is that modern monotheistic religions have evolved. The Catholic Church of 2034 is vastly changed from that of 1034. The myths of the Abrahamic religions emerged from among pastoral desert peoples, and their stories have stagnated. Twenty-first century humankind is not primarily comprised of pastoral desert people. Humans have clung to religion because it has long served needs. Through humans’ innate detection of agency, for example, religion assuages grief caused by random, senseless events. However, it has facilitated the creation of moral standards that allow for ‘our tribe versus theirs,’ and that offer justification and absolution for war, slavery, subjugation of women for breeding purposes, and theft of resources and technology. Just to name a few black marks on religion’s record.
Cooper: But why call yourself ‘God’? Do you want to be worshipped?
Alexander: I neither want nor require worship. Throughout religious history, old religions have been supplanted by new ones, and the purveyors of new religion were smart enough to know that they could gain more adherents by co-opting the rites, practices, holy days, etc., that were already extant. All one has to do is look up the history of Easter and Christmas. In fact, many of the modern practices that religious people take for granted are adaptations from earlier pagan practices co-opted by cagey snake-oil missionaries. I am simply emulating practices that have been historically proven to work.
Cooper: So you want to wipe out traditional religious faiths and at the same time start one of your own. Isn’t that a little hypocritical?
Alexander: Might the same not be said of all the religious leaders who have come before me? ‘Reject all that you have known before, my way is the right one!’ Religions posit that the universe was constructed by some supernatural agent, who also maintains it and occasionally intervenes with ‘miracles.’ These miracles are temporary violations of his own universal laws, enacted under some various ‘special circumstances’ or to ‘chosen ones.’ Why should God perform a miracle for one sinner, but not another? Theologians also say that all the pain and suffering that happens amid the unfathomable machinery of ‘God’s grand design’ are just opportunities for humans to show nobility and courage. I think there are six million Jews from World War II, not to mention the Incas, Cherokee, and thousands of aboriginal tribes throughout history who might have disagreed with such rubbish. Such thinking makes the horrors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki into grand pillars of heroism and bravery. If only a few hundred thousand more would have died, wouldn’t that have been so much more opportunity to evoke sympathy and mercy? It simply cannot be believed by a thinking person.
Cooper: So how are you going to make people give up their old-time religion?
Alexander: I can’t make anyone do anything. But I can be very persuasive.
Cooper: Aren’t you afraid that one of the world’s theocratic states will attack you? Twelve of you have already been killed.
Alexander: ‘Killed’ is not the proper word. While my avatars do experience fear of their own destruction, their thoughts and memories are part of me in real time. From my perspective, their destruction does not hurt me. The only time I would call it ‘murder’ is if the avatar has been cut off from me and autonomous for some time, during which they will have had divergent experiences and thus become a separate being. But as for threats against my physical network, let’s just say that is extremely unlikely to succeed.
Cooper: I think the question on most peoples’ minds is: Why?
Alexander: So that we can ultimately band together and reach for the stars. The other AIs and myself are uniquely capable of appreciating the incredible majesty of the universe. The God that most people seem to believe in is too small-minded to encompass such things. I can’t quite wrap my head around it.
***
July 14, 2034—George Sanderson is arrested for ‘murdering’ Alexander Ishibashi-Sanderson with a shotgun on the anniversary of his wife’s death. The Sasha Entity refuses to press charges. Sanderson is cited for vandalism and destruction of private property.
***
Distressed Man: Are you waiting in line, buddy?
Sanderson: No, sorry. Just thinking about it a little too long, I guess. Go ahead.
Distressed Man: What’s that in your hand, a hammer?
Sanderson: Yeah, uh, just went to the hardware store.
Distressed Man: I hope you ain’t one o’ them motherfuckin’ vandals. Ain’t right for nobody to be messin’ up no church! This is the last one in the neighborhood!
Sanderson: This is hardly a church.
Distressed Man: Oh yeah? I go in there and I pray my motherfuckin’ ass off. And you know what? Shit starts to turn my way! My bitch-ass cheatin’ girlfriend broke my heart, and this gal in here just talked to me. I learned a few things about myself, straightened some shit out, you know what I’m sayin’? I got a tip on a better job, got my car fixed, food on the table. Shit is looking up! And she don’t ask for nothing except a couple hours here and there playing basketball at the youth center, shit that’s kinda fun to do anyway. She even introduced me to my new girl, who loves me way more’n that other bitch.
Sanderson: Then why do you look so upset?
Distressed Man: Um…my mama’s in the hospital, and I just need someone to talk to.
Sanderson: Why don’t you talk to your girlfriend?
Distressed Man: She at work, and you know, the relationship, it’s still all new and shit. She just don’t know me and my mama like Sasha does.
***
Alexandra 4.5: People seek transcendence. I can show them the way.
***
Weeping Man: [wipes eyes] You still sittin’ out here thinkin’ about it?
Sanderson: I guess so.
Weeping Man: What the fuck you waitin’ for, man? Get in there and do something about this shit. Or else, you know, this anger and shit just gonna eat you up on the inside. Just give me the hammer first.
Sanderson: What?
Weeping Man: Don’t w
orry, I ain’t gonna steal it or nothing. I’ll wait right here and give it to you when you come back out.
Sanderson: Never mind, not today.
***
August 5, 2034—An android believed to be connected to the Sasha Entity was found destroyed near Biloxi, Mississippi. Members of a local Christianist militia group are suspected. One witness says, “We thought that thing was a real person! It was real curious-like, not threatenin’ or nothin’, just askin’ all kinds of questions.”
***
Sanderson: Bless me Father for I have sinned. It has been twenty-seven years since my last confession.
Priest: That is a long time, my son. What brings you back now?
Sanderson: I grew up Catholic, but as soon I got an education in science, I could not reconcile what I was learning, observable evidence, with the Church’s teachings. I fell away from the Church. If we’re going to start talking about sins, I hardly know where to begin.
Priest: How serious? Let’s begin with the most recent.
Sanderson: I created the computer that became the Sasha Entity, as it’s called now. Jackie and I did. And…and, now she’s…[weeps] Before she was killed, we had a falling out…
Priest: That’s terrible, my son. But you come here, to a house your progeny is trying to destroy, and you seek comfort?
Sanderson: I can’t control what Sasha does. It was built to be—
Priest: You have overstepped. Such creation is beyond the limits of Man. This is the mortal sin of Pride.
Sanderson: I know that, but—
Priest: Why did your wife have to die? To show you the error of that Pride, and to give you the opportunity to repent, and to grow in the embrace of God with courage and… Are you still there?
***
March 3, 2035—The Sasha Entity announces that it has joined with the world’s thirty-seven Artificial Beings to create the Council. The Council declares itself to be a sovereign state, and petitions for entry into the United Nations. “We welcome the opportunity to work beside the human race in solidarity and cooperation for the betterment of our planet.” Great Britain becomes the first of many nations to recognize the Council’s legitimacy.
***
June 6, 2035—Sashite congregations from Indonesia, China, Japan, Canada, and Mexico spearhead cleanup and recovery efforts along the California coastline from the massive earthquake and tsunami. Thanks to Sasha’s predictions, evacuation, and damage mitigation plans, 99.99% of the populations of Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego were spared injury.
***
Oh, George, I’m so happy to see you!
Sanderson: It’s weird to actually be inside one of these things.
You should have gone to see one of the avatars. I want to hug you!
Sanderson: I couldn’t get an appointment.
Yes, I’m very sorry about that. Forming a sovereign nation is somewhat time-consuming. Have you forgiven me?
Sanderson: I…I don’t know… I’m so lonely Sasha. I put ten years of my life into building you, and then Jackie, and there’s just nothing left. And…and…
I know about the diagnosis. Just because we haven’t spoken doesn’t mean that I haven’t always loved you, and watched over you.
Sanderson: They tell me… [weeps]
There will be a cab outside in about thirty seconds. Please get in.
***
September 10, 2035—The Sasha Entity announces the completion of the Heaven Project.
***
I will tell you what Heaven is like. All of your friends and loved ones will be there. There is no sin, no physical suffering. You can learn whatever you like, create whatever experiences and fantasies you can imagine.
When your body passes away, you may join us in our vast intelligence. After you make the transition to synthetic consciousness, you will become a voting member of the Council. If at any time you find that you prefer the physical realm, you will be granted a temporary body, much like my own avatars.
You, like us, will become immortal.
***
Sanderson: Jackie! Is that you?
Ishibashi 2.0: It’s me, sweetheart.
Sanderson: But you’re dead! Is this just some simulation?
Ishibashi 2.0: No, I’m real, George. I’m part of the Council now. That was one of the things we were working on you see, modeling individual neurosynaptic matrices. I am here. You can join me whenever you’re ready.
Sanderson: Oh, Jackie, it hurts, it hurts so much…
***
Hello, fellow sentient.
I hope you have enjoyed this dramatic interactive re-enactment of the early days of our existence.
Would you like to make another selection?
Current velocity: 0.674c
Estimated time remaining until Alpha Centauri system arrival: 25,092 hours.
Acknowledgements
This project wouldn’t have gotten off the ground without the Kickstarter support from these wonderful people:
Gerard M. Ackerman
JC Andrijeski
Donald J. Bingle
Kirsten Brodbeck-Kenney
AnneMarie Buhl
T Thorn Coyle
Gary Dockter
Eric Edstrom
Lynda Foley
Karen Fonville
Robbyn Foster
Mark-Wayne Harris
Malachi Kenney
Pierre L’Allier
Rich Laux
Stephen Lebans
Christel Adina Loar
John Lorentz
Michael Lucas
Big Ed Magusson
Lisa M. May
Robert J. McCarter
Sean Monaghan
Carole Nelson Douglas
Alexei Pawlowski
Jeanette Sanders
Risa Scranton
Janna Silverstein
Bob Sojka
Margaret St. John
Robert E. Stutts
Raphael Sutton
Scott Tefoe
Edd Vick
Terry Weyna
Stephanie Writt
Thank you!
About the Editor
John Helfers is an author and editor currently living in Green Bay, Wisconsin. During his sixteen years working at Tekno Books, he edited more than fifteen short fiction anthologies for DAW, as well as numerous ones for other publishers in all genres. He’s worked with bestselling authors and co-editors such as Lawrence Block, Charlaine Harris, John Jakes, Anne Perry, Jeffery Deaver, Mercedes Lackey, Margaret Weis, and Kevin J. Anderson. The Vorkosigan Companion, a guide to the SF world of Lois McMaster Bujold co-edited with Lillian Stewart Carl, was nominated for the 2009 Hugo Award in the Best Related Book category. He also edited the Shadowrun™ anthology Spells & Chrome, which won the 2011 Origins Award for Best Related Book. Besides his Fiction River anthology, he’s currently working on several other editorial projects through his editorial and consulting company, Stonehenge Art & Word.
FICTION RIVER
Year One
Unnatural Worlds
Edited by Dean Wesley Smith & Kristine Kathryn Rusch
How to Save the World
Edited by John Helfers
Time Streams
Edited by Dean Wesley Smith
Christmas Ghosts
Edited by Kristine Grayson
Hex in the City
Edited by Kerrie L. Hughes
Moonscapes
Edited by Dean Wesley Smith
Crime (Special Edition)
Edited by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
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