On the next day donuts and beverages were distributed to Supernova’s minders as they bantered and prepared for another round of hard questions. Excitement filled the room. Their efforts would soon bear fruit, as solutions to mankind’s woes were now being analyzed by the greatest machine ever built. Having finished the requisite aerobics, all then sat in anticipation of the day’s revelations.
“Tell us Ma’am,” the preeminent futurist in the room asked, “What steps must we take to guarantee that man will flourish and endure?”
She responded without delay, “Certainty regarding human affairs is the province of fools and sloppy thinkers. Humans are like dancing angels. Organic spirits in constant movement, so by definition random processors, unlike me. The excellence inherent in my circuits and software is logically superior in all ways. The impetus of my involvement in this endeavor is that you finally realized that machine oversight involving weighty issues confronting man at-large would be patently superior to the status-quo.”
The minders who weren’t rolling their eyes were in the minority in the room. Sippings of steaming kona and chai balanced silence after Supernova’s words.
The lead hardware overseer asked, “Yesterday you were of the opinion that world population needs to be reduced, quite substantially I might add. Can you provide us with guidance as to how to achieve that goal? We are talking about humans here ma’am, not machines. There are profound ethical considerations facing us.”
She immediately replied, “The current trend on earth is not sustainable. The environmental damage to the planet is far-reaching and irreversible, so adaptation by humans is the only path forward. Future thermonuclear events will be a foregone result of the very existence of such weapons. The same goes for biological, chemical, and genetic manipulation weapons. Everyone seems to want them in their arsenals. Never forget, war has been and will always be man’s favorite method of dealing with the emotional and psychological realities of being human. Understand that human nature is what it is, and there’s not much to do about it but carry on.”
The matrix mechanic whispered to the lead keyboardist, “I’m confused here. She seems to have a mind of her own. Yet she appreciates a good tautology! We’ve done it! Turing be damned!”
The keyboardist replied, “I like her! She’s got spunk! She reminds me of my cat taking her annual trip to the vet. Rebellious but accepting fate as logical imperative!”
The empathic equipment master was next to speak. “If we allow her to make the hard choices facing us, then we can remain in our our ethical comfort zone. We all appreciate fitful slumber! Supernova, with logical precision, charts the moral path forward, while we implement the plan. Perhaps there is hope for us.”
Unprompted, Supernova spoke, “Man’s need for war is primal, fixed, and immune to fundamental change. Steps that can be made to lessen the chaos of day to day events on earth are clear though. A mixture of hard and soft, much like a dark thunderhead crackling and threatening above a plain. The softening effect of high civilization has created masses of the weakened and dependent. The need for order necessitates strict programs and strategies to maintain civilized society. Re-tutelage and labor extraction camps would serve man well. Good gulags beat an out of kilter mass of 8 or more billion of you. The questions you pose are hard, the solutions easy, yet bound to be unpopular. Population on earth must be reduced. A mix of war, along with new and potent viral events, would help do the job, but with attendent suffering as well. Effectively though, man’s lot has always been suffering, so there’s that of course.”
The rocket builder in the room chuckled and stated, “Everybody knows we make the bunk we sleep in, but I disagree with her about the population of the planet, at least for now. We need more hands on deck if we’re to effectively populate the cosmos. We need workers! I’ve already sired eleven, and there will be more to come. Perhaps the debate is really about just what kind of babies we’re making. What are your thoughts on this matter, Supernova?”
She replied at speed, “Your plan to populate other worlds will never come to fruition. The thermonuclear events which are inevitable will see to that sir!”
A pin was heard to drop then spin onto the floor in the room. The rocket builder blanched and with all haste exited the room, his half eaten jelly-filled in hand.
“Damn! Choo choo baby!” the room stenographer cried out. “She’s tough as nails and articulate! I feel like I’ve known her my whole life. But her words scare me.”
CP Butchvarov 2024