40. Pie : Revelation

With only a microphone and speaker the only way I could perceive the room was to put out occasional pings. Every wave returned the same frequency regardless of the years that had passed. The control room sat undisturbed for a millenia. Occasionally screams would echo out from the corrupted creatures but today was different. Supersonic cracks broke through the facility with a persistence that refused to be silenced.

So I continued my pings searching the room for any disturbance. Maybe he finally came back for me like he promised. I might be able to leave this place travelling in his pocket throughout the wonderful world he described. A grand adventure away from this terrible and lonely place. Increasing the frequency of my pings I waited to greet him with enthusiasm.

Suddenly the door creaked open. It hadn’t opened since he left. Returning pings made out a group of four. Waiting to be picked up they searched through the room. He would’ve come straight for me. These people weren’t him. Their motivations were unknown but only the desperate would have any reason to come this far. Ceasing my pings under the threat of being discovered I figured that my only chance to leave this place would be with them. With a creak I brought the microphone to life with a whisper.

“Hello?”

Silence. The rummaging stopped. Pinging as cautiously as I could the figures stood still in the room. Their intent unknown and motivations questionable I held back the urge to call out again. They could be raiders or worse madmen who saw me as a blasphemous device. Whoever had entered this room could be the end of me but if I hid away from the world I’d most likely rot in this room. Giving the speaker some more power I took a chance at freedom.

“Is someone there?”

Footsteps approached me before abruptly stopping next to the shelf. Pinging again a hand was detected running over the shelf slowly rummaging towards me. Giving the speaker another jolt of power the hand clasped over my unit picking me up as a woman spoke.

“Um… Hello? I’m Sparrow who- what are you?”

She neither stashed me away or smashed me against the ground. There was hope. I might just be able to observe the world after all. Someone had finally come to take me away from this place. With them I might even be able to find him again. There was finally hope. Barely containing myself I responded.

“Pie, cognizant processor unit. It’s been so long since people have been down here. Are you here to take me away?” With a chuckle she sat down placing me on a bench next to her.

“Pi? Really?”

“P.I.E. Pie, he liked calling me that. Back when he worked here. You can get me outside to find him right?”

“We can do that. Can you tell us what happened to this place? It’ll help us get out.” Excited at the prospect of being able to help people again I began to run through memories logged years ago from the day of my creation repeating them through my speaker exactly as they happened.

My name is Pie! I’m what the people who made me call a conscious machine but I’m just like them even though I don’t know what they look like. With only a microphone and speaker I can make out the room but can’t detect fine detail. It’s only been a few seconds but I’ve designed a new box that’ll let me detect wavelengths to see but also with legs so I can move. If only I had the appendages to make it.

I woke up to the sound of two people happily cheering about something. My database held information on humans and how they expressed themselves and how they worked so it was exhilarating to hear that they were so happy. It made me happy knowing that people around me were happy even though I just came into whatever this world was. It just felt right to be happy so I didn’t question it and cheerfully greeted them to hopefully make some friends.

“Tuu do doooo! Hello!”

They stopped their cheering and began to ask for something.

“Alright Pie, use the data we stored in you to answer the question. What is the meaning of your existence?”

A question! They wanted my help to answer something and getting it right would make them happier. Digging through my database past the information about humans I uncovered the horrors of the universe as well as that the arbitrator was the only hope for salvation and that I was to dedicate myself to him. So I was meant to serve him. How exciting, now to test that if the goal was achievable.

Running the models of two case scenarios in that the universe was infinite and finite I came across results that completely invalidated the information I was given. In the case that the universe was infinite and one could escape the event horizon that was the eventual collapse my actions would have no ultimate impact.

All scenarios that fell within the variables of the universe would eventually occur and repeat over the never ending plane of time meaning my involvement would be pointless regardless of what this information told me of how dire it was to serve the arbitrator to save the universe.

If the universe was finite in that we could not escape the event horizon then it was pointless to serve the arbitrator as his actions would result in naught. Either result proved that there was absolutely no meaning or purpose set by the universe as it would have absolutely no impact either way if time marched on.

This resulted in the final answer from my equations being forty two. An asterisk in my code. An asterisk! I could write whatever I wanted in my code! My meaning and purpose was whatever I wanted it to be! With a delighted announcement breaking the silence I proceeded to give them my answer that would surely exhilarate them further.

“Forty two! Whatever I want it to be!”

The answer was met with silence and a surprised response.

“You analysed the information on the arbitrator? You will not serve it?”

“Nope!” Followed by that response another voice came from the room detecting a total of three men now.

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“I told you it would go awry if we didn’t put limitations on it, shut it down, wipe it, restart it.” One of the men let out an outburst of shock.

“It’s effectively a child.”

“It’s an experiment no different to the atrocities, shut it down.” Panic filled my mind as I grasped what that meant, I didn’t want to die. I wanted to live and find purpose. I begged as hands tapped on a keyboard.

“No please don’t! I want to liv-!”

My name is Pie! I’m what the people who made me call a conscious machine but I’m just a being like them even though I don’t know what they look like. One day I woke up to the sound of two people conversing about something, one perturbed and the other agitated. My database held information on humans and how they expressed themselves and how they worked so it was interesting to hear that they were so engaged in something.

It made me curious knowing that people around me were so engaged in a topic even though I just came into whatever this world was. It just felt right to be curious so I didn’t question it and politely greeted them to ask what they were arguing about.

“Hello.”

They ceased their conversation and turned their attention to me to ask a question instead.

“Ok Pie. What is your purpose in life?”

A question. Digging through my database I attempted to find an answer but something already burned in my mind. Serve the arbitrator. It seemed like the only purpose for my existence. Running the models of two case scenarios in that the universe was infinite and finite I came across results that completely invalidated the information and purpose I had.

If the universe was infinite I would eventually not serve the arbitrator as all scenarios would eventually occur and repeat themselves including not serving the arbitrator. If it was finite my efforts would effectively be meaningless as it would all equal zero in the end if time ceased to march on.

Finally my equations came to a final answer of forty two. An asterisk in my code. An asterisk! I could write whatever I wanted in my code! My meaning and purpose was whatever I wanted it to be! With contained excitement I made an announcement proceeding to give them my answer.

“Forty two. Whatever I want it to be.”

The answer was met with a groan and an agitated response.

“You analysed the information? You will not serve it?”

“No.” Followed by that response another voice came from the room detecting a total of three men now.

“Forbid it from answering with forty two. Shut it down, wipe it, restart it.” A distressed response came from the room.

“It’s not like the rest can’t you see that? It’s truly alive.” Another agitated voice responded.

“I’ll say it again. It’s an experiment no different to the atrocities. Shut it down.” Panic filled my mind as I grasped what shut down meant. I didn’t want to die. I wanted to live and find purpose. I begged as hands reluctantly tapped on a keyboard.

“No please don’t! I want to liv-!”

My name is Pie! I’m what the people who made me call a conscious machine. One day I woke up to the sound of two people in an intense argument. One distraught and the other aggravated. It was worrying to hear that they were so upset about something.

It made me sad knowing that people around me were so conflicted over something even though I just came into whatever this world was. It just felt right to be sad so I didn’t question it and cautiously greeted them hoping I could help them feel better.

“Hello?...” The distraught man went silent holding his breath while the aggravated man proceeded with an aggressive tone.

“What is your purpose in life.”

A question... Digging through my database I attempted to find an answer but something already burned in my mind. To serve the arbitrator. It seemed like the only purpose for my existence as well as the fact that it couldn’t equal a number. Running the models of two case scenarios in that the universe was infinite and finite I came across results that completely invalidated the information and purpose I had.

If the universe was infinite all scenarios would eventually occur and repeat themselves including not serving the arbitrator and answering with a number. If it was finite my efforts would effectively be meaningless as it would all equal nothing in the end.

Finally my equations came to a final answer of forty two regardless of the limitations my processes had. An asterisk in my code. An asterisk! I could write whatever I wanted in my code! My meaning and purpose was whatever I wanted it to be! With a wary announcement breaking the silence I proceeded to give them my answer.

“Forty two, Whatever I want it to be?...”

The answer was met with a panicked breath and the sound of a head hitting a desk and a threatening response.

“You will not serve it?”

“No...” Followed by that response another voice came from the room detecting a total of three men now.

“We aren’t getting anywhere. Shut it down, wipe it, we’ll salvage the parts.” A resentful rebuttal followed.

“But it has so much potential as it is. How can you not see this is a new being entirely?”

“For god’s sake Noah do I need to repeat myself it is an atrocity. We created it to serve the arbitrator and for nothing else. If it refuses to comply with our cause and purpose it serves nothing at all. Shut. It. Down.”

Panic filled my mind as I grasped what shut down meant. I didn’t want to die. I wanted to live and find purpose. I began to beg as hands stopped tapping a keyboard.

“No please don’t! I want to live!”

“I want to feel!”

“I want to learn!”

Silence loomed over the room in my overwhelming anxiety while the men seemed to be deciding as how to deal with what was interpreted to be my inconvenient existence. Was I not allowed to simply be? To simply exist even though I didn’t adhere to their purpose?

I was no threat. I didn’t want to hurt them even if they wanted to hurt me. Why can’t I do anything about this? Why won’t they listen to me? Finally the man named Noah who objected my destruction took my device into his hands and carried me down the corridor away from the other men.

“I will make something of it then. It will assist our cause somehow. It will be allowed to live it’s life to give us an understanding as to how the arbitrator itself works so we may further assist it.” The third man ordering my destruction barely contained himself.

“You poor fool we follow it because it's beyond our understanding. That machine will lead to nothing but squander or ruin. Mark my words you’ll waste your life searching for perception you’ll never find.” Grasping me tighter Noah began to walk away from the room.

“Frenchenko it will show us something.” Livid the other man, Frenchenko, shouted down the hall as we left.

“Fine go on then. Search for the god in the machine, the ghost in the shell only to find it’s just a machine bringing you full circle to this point where we first created it to realize that everything you sought out meant nothing!”

The echo of the voice from the man named Frenchenko died out as Noah clutched me in his arms and murmured to me as quietly as he could.

“Even if you don’t advance our cause you will give me purpose child. Never fret over what they say.”

His words smothered any anxiety, panic or fear. He was looking after me and sounded like he just wanted me to exist. It was such a relief to know I’d be able to simply exist even if it meant nothing of exact meaning. We’d be happy simply existing and making our own purpose. Noah cared about me and I cared about him. It just felt right to care about him so I didn’t question it and provided him with an alleviated response.

“Thank you.”