Konu: The Masterpiece

by Rabia Rahou

“Please remind them what we have or will have. As you already know, no one has it nicely like you guys. All of us struggle to contain one another while your women are sipping wines in amazing parties like this. The people need to be taught how lucky they are and leave the pursuit of grandiosity for fools like us and the rest of the empires. Oina, this is sincerely what I think, take it or leave it.”

  “I know.”

  “Something else...we need to go back to your suite. I don’t know when I will see you again after this trip.”

  “Are you serious?”

  “Yes, things will start accelerating beginning next week, if they are not already.”

  When we entered the room, I sensed he was stressed, but he was trying to lay low to keep me focused. If he is that worried, that means big events are happening now. Maybe they did have a breakthrough in the machine.

  “Oina, the envelope is here. Isn’t this a little too early?”

  “Okay, they need my recording now.”

  “What recording?”

  “I’ll explain to you later.”

  “Sorry for my presence. I need to leave, I guess.”

  “No, you are perfect here. Enjoy a drink on the balcony. This will not take much time.” He seemed perplexed, but still, he didn’t ask questions. He went to the balcony, and I laid down on the bed. I opened the envelope and swallowed the DNA pill.

  There are two kinds of DNA pills, a recorder and a player. A recorder DNA pill records my thoughts. I put it back in the envelope and called the services to send it. Konu was watching the whole process without a word, looking stunned as he thought there will be a trip to a destination where all the supervisors will meet, but I “forgot” to tell him that the meeting place was in our dream. Therefore, the meeting is happening now.

  After a moment, the services brought me another envelope. The player’s DNA pill was inside. It regroups all the feedbacks of the supervisors, including mine. Our brains are trained to interpret that as a meeting, it will generate an approximate conversation between us, where the questions will match the answers, roughly. It took us many years of practice to successfully record the right timing. I can say that now, we know each other perfectly, and we have mastered the use the DNA recorder to the limit.

  That meeting was fundamental to our existence, it wasn’t about the domination that the people are blindly pushing for, but about the new weapon that Konu is protecting. We have two plans to counter this threat.

  One will be a long, psychological campaign that will allow us to put pressure on the First Citizens and even the other empires for many generations through a new religious scenario. It will lead to the creation of a strong, universal religion that we can control.

  The other plan is more dangerous, as it is a biological weapon of mass extinction. Some of the supervisors think that we need to show our claws fast; that it’s now or never. We feel a big pressure on our nation as we fear that we will be easy prey for the First Citizens. They will unleash their revenge, and for sure, they will use us as an example for any defying nation or empire.

  The deep dream begins…

  I see a big and strong waterfall, and behind it, in a cozy cave, ten kids are staring at me. I realize that I’m a kid too, wearing the yellow dress that I really liked a long time ago. I keep remembering it deep in my soul, as it is a moment of innocence and happiness. It is the perfect staging from our scientists. They knew that we needed something very relaxing and joyful to go through this meeting.

  Hello, nice to meet you, everyone spoke at the same time.

  I am Oina, I am Fatamo, I am Luna, …

  After the presentations, my thoughts started the meeting, with my boring but necessary introduction.

  The human body has millions of years of evolution, of design, modification, and integration. Some argue that our bodies are faulty, randomly designed, dragging all the flows and mistakes with them through time – accumulating the errors to the point where the functioning part is severely compromised by all the bad legacy. It is true, but it is just like everything else. Therefore, nothing is faulty because perfection doesn’t exist in nature individually, but only as a whole.

  All of what we are is a piece in a big puzzle. The concept of a perfect body can’t exist because each being must fit in his random environment filled with other random beings. We must be imbalanced to survive and thrive under all circumstances, as an imperfect key that can unlock any door. I don’t think this concept is understood by our enemies' best minds. Even if it is, I don’t think that any machine, now or ever, can replicate the human body, integrate into the environment, and survive. This is because we are the result of our environment and not the product of ourselves. No genius will find a way to match perfection with integration, as a lower consciousness can only blindly self-duplicate. Therefore, we don’t need to try to build a machine that duplicates human capabilities, as humans do that already effortlessly.

  Our enemies are wasting their time by creating a perfect machine that can replicate us, when that machine exists already abundantly on this planet by the billions. It is us. Another major problem that they must overcome is their approach of creating a single, still machine. We, in fact, are not still, as many other species live in us and are parts of our daily functioning. We are also a product of another small species that carries a DNA and must fuse with an egg that has a different DNA to produce a new, unique DNA. Therefore, each generation is a new existence, not just a copy of the earlier generation.

  It’s good to mention that through time we did change our bodies many times, but only our memory remains through the concept of the mind. That is the most complicated thing in the known universe. The only entity that can create awareness, a feeling of existence that no one outside the animal kingdom can feel, not even the most sophisticated AI. The mind’s computational power seems to be limited. We can’t perform complicated equations, and some of us can’t control their emotions. But that’s who we are naturally. We don’t need the computational power of a computer to truly live.

  Many reports of our services mentioned that the happiest people on the planet live in ManFirst camps. Yes, they live there without computers, modern medicines, and even electricity. They are the perfect example of the genius of the mind, the only computational entity that can change its function and life direction at will.

  I never heard of an AI machine that decided to be a carpenter after a career in housekeeping. No matter how much smart they are, they still can’t be aware. Even the most sophisticated ones, the ones powered with nuclear batteries, the ones that give the predictions for Consoft, are still in the mechanism stage. Were the best mind, the most thoughtful one, the one that can project out existence accurately, can be powered with almost nothing, some water and fruits, alga, larva, or even a simple carrot juice.

  That said, I don’t think any AI will match our instinctive senses, but that does not mean that we should throw up our hands and hope for the best. From our history, we know that many concepts were unimaginable, then they became impossible, then hard to achieve, then achievable, then achieved. Therefore, we must work on them in the long term, as there is no urgency for an imminent strike.

  I am here to demand the execution of the M-Campaign, as it will create a serious opposition to the First Citizens, knowing that our main problem is not the Amians, but the CEOs of the corporations that lost control of their minds, unleashing this madness that could ruin all the world for their pitiful glory.

  That’s all I have to say for now. Thank you.

  Supervisor Fatamo then began her thoughts…

  Our services wrote it in red, this machine will be God himself on Earth. It will know everything, everywhere, every time. It will be much superior to us, an unimaginable calculation power. It could create a conscious mind, but again, I am not an AI expert. Still, I am ringing the red alert here. Everyone here read the last report. It speculates that the new weapon will be far more intelligent than any being. Therefore, it could be a danger for all hu
manity, not just us. We must show them that we have the capabilities to attack, so we can contain them by fear, the fear of mass extinction by our biological weapon. Therefore, we have no other choice than to prepare a preventive attack, a low-scale attack that will show our capabilities. I call for the execution of the V-Campaign without delay.

  If we must go, then we will take everybody and everything on this planet with us. Thank you.

  The meeting is getting polarized. Half was for the M-Plan; the other half was for the biological attack, the V-Plan. The last supervisor was waiting to speak. She wasn’t a supremacist like most of us. A more humanitarian tendency can be felt in her work and behavior. I envied her for a long time. She was young and gifted, wise and settled. I really hoped that my envy would be justified; otherwise, I will feel pity for myself, envying someone that is not a match for me. Luckily, she didn’t disappoint…

  Supervisor Mara’s thoughts began filling our minds…

  I think it is an existential threat, but we are not afraid, we are not intimidated, and we are capable. I say we do them both, the M-plan, or the Messiah. He will be conceived in a ManFirst’s camp, programmed by our scientist to talk the minute he is born. It will be seen as a miracle. From our estimations, ManFirst’s members will be multiplied by a thousand times at least. Added to that, a biological attack targeting them, followed by a conspiracy theory that the First Citizens want to exterminate them.

  As the Messiah was born to change the world and bring it back to the old way, the First Citizens will be against the new “god,” and they will want to keep the world in sin. A romantic, detached tale far from reality will be taught to every person on this planet through their own AI devices. A nice cocktail that will, without a doubt, start a violent revolution. It will target the First Citizens personally. Because we will control the narrative through their own AI devices, we could brainwash and recruit anyone to do the job. Even the butler of the First Citizen will be convinced of the cause and ready to act in the name of the new god.

  That is my opinion, and I think it is balanced and could give us the upper hand on the First Citizens. Although I still have a question about the man who oversees the protection of the machine. Is he our ally? Oina, can we count on him? Is he aware that this weapon will be the Big Filter for humanity?

  That’s all of what I have to say, and I hope Oina did record an answer to this question.

  Oina had…

  You women must be naïve to think that a man like him could care about anyone. His real game is very well hidden. He is extremely careful, and his real intentions are still a mystery. I am doing all in my power to answer those questions and bring him onto our side, even if only slightly. My only hope that he sees the danger and that he has a plan to act if things get out of control. But, in no way should we include him in any strategy as he will use it against us. That said, I think we must count only on ourselves, and the M-Plan is our future.

  A religion needs a miracle to start, and once it has started, it's very hard to stop, In fact, no religion that started with even a small kind of miracle has ever been able to be completely stopped. It becomes like fire in the mind.

  The human mind is thirsty for an easy way out, a reachable goal that can be achieved by performing easy rituals that qualify you for an eternal life with infinite love and fulfilled desires. And that’s the promises of our new Messiah. Through him, we will control the populations of the world with ease. We could create revolutions at will. And even if the rulers opt for trying to control the new believers, they will weaken themselves more than the oppressed believers, as the more they oppress, the more they confirm our narrative. It’s the classic narrative of the god-saviour, the god that cares about the poor and the weak, and his promise of a victory against the sinners' oppressors. History taught us that everyone could be a believer.

  Even the rulers will convert to our new god. Fearing a final uprising, they will prefer to play the game and stay in power. It did happen before to the biggest empire on Earth, and it will happen again. The beauty, or let's say the ugliness of a religion is the believer itself. With his limited intellect, we could push him to do incredible things for our god. And nothing can defeat a “true believer.” He has the courage to go beyond his instinct, and even killing himself for an idea. he is an unstoppable force.

  Saying that does not mean that we will plan a full campaign from the start. We will start small so as not to attract attention, and we will test the best religious combinations on various groups of people before we go wild. And to be honest, our Service has already identified a target at ManFirst.

  The meeting ended brutally like this every time. I quickly woke up, looked out at the balcony, but Konu wasn’t there…

  Chapter 8

  The Royalties, The Rotanios

  “The oppressors can only control the physical world, the spiritual one is way beyond their reaching” unknown master.

  T he fireplace is emitting a warm light, illuminating the private, royal saloon faintly. On the 50th and last floor of the royal palace, the Emperor uses this place only for his first circle. It creates a nice, fraternal atmosphere through the coziness of the very artistic design. I really like the unusual art in this saloon. The ornaments and paintings perfectly match one another. It is a true masterpiece, in my opinion, by the court's best artist, Tino Togari.

  Tino perfectly projected Oris’ thoughts, as he wanted this place to be a unique space where thoughts meet decisions. Too bad Tino was a rebel tormented by the Amians’ ideas of freedom, not aware of their true character. Oris executed him personally. He said that he liked him so much that he couldn’t let him go at the hands of a stranger. Anyway, through the saloon and via a nice opening to the garden, we could see Rinafor, our amazing capital, as we usually finish the meetings there with a final cocktail.

  Forty years ago, a seven-year-old boy was already one of the most powerful human beings ever. He was the emperor of the biggest territorial nation in the world. When counting all the islands and the newly, self-claimed South Pole, our empire covers all the time zones. Our main territory is in the Southern Hemisphere, comprised of a huge continent shared to the north with the Bamos Empire.

  The kid was nicknamed “The Playful,” a new hope for the empire in chaos and decline. As every Rotanios citizen imagined himself to be part of the royal boy, he gave joy to the people and faith that a new era will soon emerge, an era of freedom and compassion, peace and prosperity. A deep change would arise through the new emperor for the well-deserved people that suffered all their lives and for the difficult lives of their ancestors. All this was the promise anticipated in the name of the empire and the royal family.

  That never happened, of course. The people had no grasp of their reality, the reality that the Rotanios Empire was and will always be in a constant decline. It’s a form of governance that only the top politicians and economics understand. We are the only empire that is still completely functioning through an emperor and a royal family, which keeps it in constant decline, in a constant state of emergency, waging a constant war against a constant enemy, experiencing a constant economic crisis, suffering constant repression, and constantly begging for imperial mercy. Therefore, in this infernal dive, the emperor is and will be always the savior, the liberator, the protector, the guardian, the hero, and the friend in need – as without a crisis, there is no need for a deliverer.

  This old strategy was updated and re-instituted by me. Back then, I was in my thirties. The royal family hired me after the release of my book about crowd sociology, The Big Dreamer. I was young, thirsty for recognition and power. I realized that nature is predatory at an early age, and only the dreamers and the cowards think the opposite. Now married to a duchess, my descendants will have the royal blood, and their future is guaranteed. That is my duty as a father, and I did it as perfectly as possible.

  I instructed the royal kid on the concept of suffering. I implanted this belief in his soul at an early age, the ideology that our
people are the essence of their own misery, and without it, they don’t know how to exist. Because the average person has no idea how to live his life, it is through the suffering that we give him a goal, a goal to make his life meaningful by delivering himself from his misery. This is a mediocre goal, of course, that generates the continuous act of trying and struggling. His attempts are never meant to elevate him to a higher state, but simply to save his life and the life of his family, as any animal inspires to. Because the average person will never write a novel, never compose a symphony, nor paint or sculpt for the sake of art, he will never look up into the stars at night and wonder about the universe. The average person cannot even make a correct assessment of himself. He or she doesn't even understand their own behavior. Unfortunately, they are only dreamers. They picture themselves as kings and queens when, in reality, they are nothing. Because of this, they need guidance and governance through an omnipresent feeling of misfortune and hardship.

  After understanding the concept comes the phase of supporting it, and sadly, that goes with the blaming and the denouncing. Again, we need to remember that all this is for their own good, so, by blaming everything on the people and not the governor, we can achieve our two main goals at the same time – maintaining the royal governor as the ruler and keeping the suffering for the people as their only way of life. It is a perfect cycle.

  Finally, it is particularly important to apply this technic to every aspect of their lives. We can’t leave anything, no matter how small it is, without blaming them for it. That way, they will never doubt the perpetual mediocrity we are inflicting on them. It is because of them that every year’s harvest is low as they are lazy. Because of them, that the most dangerous epidemics start at the Rotanios’ territories as they are dirty and unsophisticated. Because of them, our exports always are crushed by superior competition, as they are unintelligent and uninventive. The great famines happen only here, as they are always hungry for more and can’t control their big, dirty appetites. Because of them, every terrible thing happens to this great empire. But one must be merciful to those stupid creatures. A good emperor must be aware that the Rotanios people are short-sighted, and he must be clement. He must try his best to guide them and instruct them through persecution for their own good.