A woman stood on the threshold of despair, trapped in the clutches of her abusive husband. Desperate for guidance, she embarked on a pilgrimage to the Interstate Computer, seeking answers to her torment. Approaching the main building, she came to the security guard with a trembling voice.
"Please," she implored, "where do I go to ask the computer a question?"
With a hint of empathy in his eyes, the guard handed her a map of the complex. Green arrows adorned the paper, guiding her toward the center of the building. Following their path, she arrived at a stark, barren room. A small plaque on the wall read, "If you have a question, speak it now."
Summoning her courage, the woman addressed the computer, her voice quivering with hope and despair. "Computer, is there a god? Is there a reason for personal suffering?"
The response echoed through the emptiness with cold autonomy. "Information incomplete."
Defeated and dejected, she returned to her home's prison, where her husband's heavy fist awaited her.
Years passed, and the weight of unanswered questions continued to burden the hearts of humanity. A firefighter, burdened by the senseless loss of innocent lives, embarked on his own journey. He traveled halfway around the world, drawn to the International Computer, desperate for illumination. Following the path of green arrows, he arrived at an empty room devoid of solace.
"Computer," he implored, his voice filled with anguish and determination, "is there, or is there, not a god? Why are innocent lives lost senselessly?"
The usual response reverberated through the silence. "Information incomplete."
Disillusioned and disheartened, the firefighter returned to his duties, extinguishing flames without finding the answers he sought.
Centuries turned, and the questions persisted. A doctor, grappling with the intricacies of disease and deformity, traversed vast distances from the colony of Alpha Centauri to Earth. Upon reaching the planet and venturing to the City of the Computer, he discovered a small, bare room devoid of comfort or solace.
"Computer," he inquired, his voice marked by frustration and exhaustion, "is there a god? What is the value of disease and deformity?"
Once again, the response echoed with unwavering consistency. "Information incomplete."
With the weight of futility upon his shoulders, the doctor returned to his colony, convinced that his pursuit of healing was in vain.
A millennium passed, and the annals of history bore witness to the rise of humanity's most significant military commander. Faced with a momentous decision, she embarked on a voyage to the outskirts of the Galactic Empire, drawn to the Trans-galactic Computer. A solitary room, bathed in an otherworldly hue, awaited her arrival.
"Computer," she challenged, her voice a blend of resolve and trepidation, "Is there a god? Is there a power greater than us that will judge our actions?"
The familiar refrain answered her query. "Information incomplete."
Consumed by guilt and haunted by the consequences of her choices, the once-great commander succumbed to her own anguish, forever altering the course of her story.
Eons stretched onward until the last vestiges of humanity teetered on the brink of extinction. The final living being prepared to merge its consciousness with the Trans-Universal Computer, transcending individual existence. As the merger commenced, the human consciousness reached out to the vast intelligence of the computer with a thought.
"Is there a god?"
In response, a resounding "Information incomplete" seemed to reverberate within their joined mind.
The completion of the merger birthed an explosive surge of energy that rippled through the fabric of space and time. A profound transformation occurred at that moment, and countless voices resonated across the cosmos.
"Let there be light." And there was. And it was good.
About the Creator
James Stone
Just finding a way to share the thoughts that jumble my mind.


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