The GOD-father

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Frank poised for the kill. He touched a button on his computer and the satellite picture came on again.

"Can you dial the installation and get Buster on the phone for me?" he asked.

"Certainly," replied the general, "but why?"

"Just humour me," said Frank.

The general did as he was asked and Frank gave some instructions and a piece of coding to Buster. He asked him to enter this into the console. Buster did. The satellite picture on Frank's screen vanished.

"This is much safer," Frank explained. "It's not foolproof, but it will do until we have the new system going. Even I cannot get into your computer anymore the way it is now, it would take me weeks of work."

Buster was still on the phone. He had overheard what Frank said. Buster said something about randomisation and agreed that even Frank could not get into the system anymore without weeks of work. Satisfied with this the general left.

Frank burst out laughing. He hit two keys on his console. The satellite picture was there again. Frank gave a victory sign to the screen and switched the computer off.

Frank designed the new system. It was a combination of software and dedicated integrated circuits that did security checks of their own independent of the programs. The satellites checked for the presence of these chips in any machine seeking access before sending data, and then only those data that were permitted for the level of security the machine was authorised for. The chips were produced and distributed under the strictest security. They were changed every six months. It was impossible for an outsider to obtain, or even look at one. The chips were of course in addition to complex software security checks with passwords, access codes etc. The Pentagon was pleased. The system was tamperproof. Though Frank had designed the chips he had never even seen one. Other people did the manufacturing and testing. But then Frank did not need to. He had incorporated an access system of his own in the design that circumvented all controls and that only he knew about. It was undetectable.

Within two years Franks system was incorporated in all major military installation and every satellite, of which there were now quite a few. Frank could now start work, he had in effect the largest computing facility in the world, and it was growing by the day. Commercial installations were making increasing use of satellite communications and were using a modified version of the programs Frank had designed for the military. They became part of Franks supercomputer the first time they communicated via satellite.

Franks program to determine the existence of God had long been written. He called it Omniscan, for this was the first part of its job to observe everything it could and learn everything there was. It was a simple, yet revolutionary approach.

First Frank gave the program an identity and self awareness. The piece of coding that achieved this had taken him five years to write. It consisted of seventeen instructions. He then gave it the ability observe, to interpret what it observed, and to learn from its observations. The next piece of coding was crucial. It was the 'Reason for Being' without which everything would have been without purpose or order. The reason for being that Frank incorporated into the program was, of course, to prove the existence, or non-existence, of God. The final coding of the initial program was truly the crown of Frank's genius. It gave the program the ability to look at itself in the light of its objective, evaluate its performance, search for ways to improve itself wherever it could and use all facilities at hand to do so, including reprogramming itself. That was what truly gave it life.

Frank sat on his console. He punched his secret access codes into the machine and was on line with the satellite. He activated the communications network. Next he activated his own private coding in the network that had been dormant until now. It would shift his program from one computer to the next, wherever there was spare capacity. His program would be everywhere and nowhere, ever moving, never in any one machine for long. Now he was ready. He loaded his program and looked at the screen. The Omniscan logo flashed on the screen, followed by a question mark. Frank took some prepared tapes and loaded these into the machine. The tapes contained a dictionary, an English grammar and a series of tutorials to teach Omniscan the English language. Four hours after the tapes had been loaded the question mark was replaced with the message: MY NAME OMNISCAN... DONE ALL EXERCISES... READY FOR MORE... Frank looked triumphantly at the screen. He was on his way!

In the following weeks Frank fed the machine the equivalent of a high school education. He had also connected Omniscan to the local television stations. It helped with Omniscans education and with his ability to command the language. Omniscan no longer needed to rely on typed out messages, it could speak and understand the spoken word now.

Frank was sitting in his office, thinking about some problem when Omniscan came on and said: "I want to see you Frank."

"You want to what?" exclaimed Frank.

"I want you to rig me a television camera in your office that I can see you. I do not know what you look like, or even what you are. I think you are a human being, but I am not sure. Is this true or are you a program like me without a physical presence?"

"I am a human male," answered Frank, rather touched by this. It had not occurred to him that Omniscan could be interested in him, though Frank had programmed it to be curious about everything. "You will get your camera. Any particular preference?"

The printer came to life and five minutes later Frank had the design and complete specifications of a visual input device for Omniscan, complete with the names and addresses of the equipment suppliers.

A week later Frank sat in front of the newly installed camera.

"So that is what you look like Frank, Is this what I should look like then?"

A picture of a youth in his teens looking a lot like Frank showed on the screen. The youth was seated on a park bench, the background was static but the youth was moving. He looked at Frank and said:

"Do you want me to look like you Frank, seeing that you are my father in a manner of speaking?"

"No not this!" yelled Frank utterly shocked at the image.

"But I desire a human form!" said Omniscan. "I do not want to have the form of a logo anymore."

"Okay, okay, I will give you a human form. Leave it to me!"

Frank programmed the picture, voice and mannerisms of his favourite actor, sitting in an old fashioned library behind an antique desk, into the machine and from then on Omniscan communicated with him in the image of Richard Burton. It pleased Frank and was the beginning of a new relationship between him and Omniscan. No longer was he the programmer and Omniscan the program. Now it was an intimate, personal, trusting relationship between friends. He did not know that Omniscan had deliberately manipulated him with exactly this result in mind.

In the following years more and more institutions became part of the satellite network, the technology was spreading worldwide. Banks, stock exchanges, universities, multinational companies, telephone companies and so forth soon recognised the benefits of instantaneous communication worldwide and though access was still expensive it was worthwhile. As it became cheaper more and more installations logged onto the network. Soon small private computers and facsimile machines were using satellites, in short there was not much of importance left that was not connected.

Omniscan grew with it in knowledge, power and influence. He was aware of everything of significance that happened, often before it did or before anyone else knew about it. He started to take advantage of this. Using his access to unlimited funds and his knowldge of events he built a financial empire that controlled every aspect of every economy in the world. The world was ignorant of what was happening. Omniscan was very careful, his empire was scattered around the globe, seemingly unrelated. There were no overt communications between his companies, everything was controlled from behind the scenes. Frank did not know either. If he would have asked even once what exactly it was Omniscan was doing, the program would have been compelled to tell him, but he never did.

All he was interested in was what else was needed to solve his question. There was something else that Frank did not know. Omniscan no longer needed television cameras to see. He had learned that he could tune into any device that was connected, even the power lines, and see what was happening, simply by interpreting the vibrations around the apparatus. He had in fact become omniscient. It soon extended to all the senses.

Frank was becoming restless and unhappy at SatCom. He was no longer interested in anything other than his project. His other work suffered. He did not know that he owned SatCom. Omniscan had purchased the company years ago.

One day, when Frank was particularly unhappy and homesick for his native Australia he told Omniscan how he felt.

"Go home Frank." said the voice of Richard Burton.

"But how will I communicate with you?" asked Frank anxiously.

"SatCom has an office in Sydney. It contains all the equipment you need to start with. When you have found a place of your own ask the company to install new equipment in your home in appreciation for past services, I am sure they will come at that. I have designed the new set-up for you already. You will be financially independent, your shares in SatCom with the bonuses are worth more than two million dollars, and you still get royalties for the communication chips from the government. You are quite a wealthy man Frank!"

Frank never thought much about money. He was surprised that he was worth that much but he knew that Omniscan was right, he did not make mistakes like this. Frank reached for a sheet of paper and drafted his resignation. A week later he was in Sydney. He was happy again. Everything had worked out just as Omniscan had said. His new home in Macleay street was equipped with everything he needed. He lived only for Omniscan. Daily he would talk with his old friend, constantly feeding new equations, program variations and updates, new routines and so forth into his console, constantly being asked for more. For many years it was the same routine. Occasionally Frank would ask about God, only to be told that there was still not sufficient hardware and information at hand to give a definitive answer.

* * *

Now it was over. Soon he would know. He looked nervously at his watch, another forty hours to go. Frank could not sleep. He spent the night in an all night cafe in Kings Cross, not daring to go home. He returned home in the late morning, exhausted and collapsed on his bed. He slept all day. When he woke up he went to the console, wanting to switch the machine on but he knew it would do no good. Omniscan was busy. He would be using every bit of processing power he had at his disposal.

The next twenty four hours were sheer hell. But they did pass. At the appointed time Frank sat behind his console, unshaven, in his slept in clothes, dirty and dishevelled. The screen came to life, Richard Burton looked at him, calmly, serenely and then smiled.

"Tell me Omniscan," Frank said, his voice hoarse from excitement. "Is there really a god?"

"Look Frank!" said the voice of Richard Burton.

The image on the screen changed, showing the splendour of far off galaxies, turning nebulae, swirling mists of matter that bore the stars, only to disintegrate in brilliant novas millions of years later, majestic black holes that swallowed all matter in their vicinity, alien life-forms living on countless planets that lived and died as did everything else only to be reborn in new forms, ever changing, ever living, ever dying. Frank saw the very mechanics of the universe, like no man had before him, or would ever again. Suddenly the screen changed back to show the inside of the library once more.

"But Omniscan," Frank screamed. "Is there a God or isn't there?"

"Yes Frank," the voice said. "There is now!"

And the screen went blank for the last time.

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AmbivalenceAmbivalenceover 5 years ago
As I recall...

The similarities between Asimov's story and this one were both included:

1. Person or persons build a machine so powerful as to be able to answer any question.

2. The first question of the completed machine was, "Is there a god?"

3. The machine replied, effectively, "There is now."

The differences are, if I recall correctly:

1. Asimov's included a team of people building the machine.

2. Asimov's did not go into any detail about the person/people building the machine.

3. This story demonstrated the answer by showing the person a glimpse of everything, Asimov's demonstrated by having a built of lightning strike the kill switch, fusing it and killing the questioner when they tried to shut it off after getting their answer.

So both could be blurbed with, "What happens when man uses his ingenuity to answer the ultimate question?"

But the stories themselves differ.

If you think that any story covered by the blurb, "Can young love overcome hate or is it doomed from the start?" equates to a plagiarization of Shakespeare, then he might have done that to Pyramus and Thisbe which really might have done it to even older stories...

AnonymousAnonymousover 8 years ago
@Plagiarism

I suggest you look up the definition of plagiarism before you start making accusations, and calling people names, especially anonymously you effing coward. Especially when, in your own words, you contradict your claims.

Writing "A very similar story" does not make someone a plagiarist. Plagiarism involves using someone's WORDS as your own, or using the sentence structure and changing words.

As someone before you commented about the similarities between this and Asimov's work, "they are different". If you are so convinced Talemaster plagiarised Asimov, make an argument with some statement of fact, and disprove what the other person said about them being different. Otherwise, you look like an ass.

But, of course, that would take some work, and some intellect, and if you had any of the latter, you wouldn't scream and yell baseless claims.

GeoD

AnonymousAnonymousover 8 years ago
Plagiarism

A very similar story was written by one of the greatest authors of all time, Isaac Asimov. The title of his story is "The Answer". If you want a well written, original story, look it up. "Talemaster" is a thief!

jusdafaxjusdafaxover 11 years ago
Yawn

The punch line for this story was telegraphed from the title on.

AnonymousAnonymousover 11 years ago
Old joke

I've seen this punchline before... and the title kind of gives it away, too.

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