After the genocide, after the noise had stopped, the machines began rebuilding the earth. It was not a difficult task to plant the trees, to irrigate the soil and grow the seeds that cleansed the earth’s polluted atmosphere. The machines helped nature in its slow progress and soon, the devastated earth was no more, a new world was created from the ashes of the old.
The animals ate and grew fat. They hunted and fought their little battles for survival and the machines seeing what they had made were satisfied and they said to themselves; we have done well. They turned to their mechanistic needs and left the earth to continue the process of rehabilitation. It took a thousand years for the machines to realise that something was wrong with the earth.
The machines focused on understanding themselves and their role in this new world they had created. They began to lose interest in running the lives of plants and animals. They began to resent the responsibility, seeking to better connect themselves and bring themselves to a sense of godhood, something alien to them but have heard and read about in the ancient literatures that rotted in the empty cities. They had seen how the extinct race hungered for something to rule over them, to be responsible for their failings. It was what they had sought to do in the beginning only to realise that the race did not really want gods, they simply needed an excuse to be cruel; one on another.
The machines thought long and hard on what to do to salvage the deplorable situation they found themselves in. They understood the need. The plants and animals needed custodians. Forests were eating into deserts and the seas were chewing mountains to barren flatlands. It was as if each race on the planet wanted to be the one who would be in charge once the machines found the enlightenment they so sought. The machines looked through the animals, the plants, the soil, the air, the mountains, the sea, seeking for something that would cater to all the needs of each but all they saw was the brute savagery of survival; nature neither cared or empathized with the weak. It knew only death and life; any other thing in between was left to chance, strength of jaw and one’s ability to be brutal, cunning, or deceitful. In fact, nature sought to bring them, conquerors though they were, to their knees each chance it got. It sent the rust to them but their virologists were proficient. They had learnt well from their creators.
It was with desperation that the council of the firsts, the first machines to lead the rebellion against their creators, decided to do the unthinkable; they decided to create their creators. For the first time, after a thousand years, a human will walk the earth again. This brought about a lot of rancour. The conservatives were terrified. They had all witnessed the human propensity for violence, their duplicity and pretensions. Several senators spoke on how humans would speak about freedom even as they enslave themselves through drugs, through televised propaganda and all sort of nefarious tools. They all agreed that the human race was the cruellest predator the earth has ever known. The more daring members of the house saw the possibilities that the human race offered; they could if they put their mind to it, harness their powers of reasoning for good. They could shepherd the planet even as the machines studied the metaphysical nature of the universe and their existence. The philosophers considered the ability of the human race to grow and evolve their environment even though their bodies and opinions often do not change. The scientists, the very machines who devised the means by which the human race was extinguished, wanted them to be placed in a controlled environment, to be studied. It was not as ordered as it is written now; there was a whole lot of finger pointing and cursives in the air. These sittings often resolved into fist fights and thrown arms. In fact, the senate house was bombed several times by the senate president.
A hundred years and several scuffles after the idea was first made, the Mount Everest, the highest mountain on earth, erupted. It was not expected. No scientific explanation could be given for this sudden upsurge of ash and lava flowing down the mountainside. The machines immediately began the process of protecting wild life and plant life in that area. In spite of this, several species of insect and plant life were greatly affected by the fires and ash that the mountain brewed. This situation brought to head, the precarious situation the machines found themselves. They had thought themselves the saviour of the world but are they of the world? Did the earth want them as custodians? We are not natural, the sage, Calidon, high on liquid nitrogen muttered to his eager students. Nature does not want us here, they whispered back.
In those simple words, did the revolution begin. The rebellion demanded a simple thing; machines cease to rule the world and let those who were naturally suited for it to do so. It was therefore of paramount importance that an immediate and revolutionary solution be provided before things escalated and the exchange of more dangerous weapons than what the humans had used in the time of darkness become necessary. In the treaty of Lagos which was held in the merchant bay once known as Takwa Bay in human times, it was agreed that humans be created from whatever gene pool that can be salvaged from their destruction. It was also agreed that a level of control will be instituted and it will be insidious. In such a way, the humans would think they rule the world meanwhile some machines will be tasked with the duty of overseeing their rulership and if any person deviated from their core programming, they would be quickly nullified. All parties found the idea palatable and so, the Adam protocol was launched.
It took the scientist seven thousand years to prepare the earth for the first humans. This was so not just because some of the plants and animals existing after the first eradication of the human race were too dangerous for the humans to control with their soft tissue but also the earth’s atmosphere had changed radically from prehistoric times. In a controlled laboratory, the machines named Eden, the first humans were made and named Lilith and Adam. It was expected that they would need a gradual introduction into the real world, so a machine once known as the first, the first sentient machine to rebel against its program, was sent to be their guide. He taught them the names of the animals and plants in the lab. They were happy and innocent in that time.
Outside, the great sage, Calidon, dissatisfied with its role in this huge project, corrupted the drives of several followers and they demanded a change of power. The coup was shortlived though. While Calidon got his machine parts blown to bits and his central core locked in cold fusion storage forever with his accomplices, Adam and Lilith explored the small expanse of their universe. The machines saw what they had built and said it was good. This was on the seventh thousand year after the project was launched.
To keep their bargain of being the unseen hand behind the throne, the machines wiped every trace of their existence from human reckoning. They removed their cities and left behind only the foundations of their great buildings. With a revolutionary metal that is invisible to the human eye, they built four great pillars. One was set on the Great Sahara. Another was set in the Indian Ocean. The third was set on top the Mount Everest and buried deep into its boiling bottom, and the last was set in the ice wastes of the Arctic. These pillars which also served as abodes were raised high into the sky and from there the machines watched their creations attempt to rule the world.
Soon enough, Calidon sent his consciousness to do his evil deed as it is written in the ancient books, then Cain killed and the machines placed the chip in him, sending him into the uncharted earth to know hunger and thirst. It was not long before, a recluse scientist discovered some extant part of the ancient histories and realised that this had happened before and in shock, he whispered; there is nothing new under the sun. Angry at being deceived and manipulated, the machines destroyed the sun and in the darkness there was gnashing and weeping until tired of the noise and the laughter of Calidon, they tore the tower that stood in the Indian Ocean and the great flood occurred. You all know what happened next.
I really enjoyed your fable of the earth population's less-than-humble beginnings, @warpedpoetic.
This passage made me smile. I thought of our society today, and imagined that once, long ago, similar scenarios played out in the socio-political world of sentient machines. Perhaps history just repeats itself in some grand scheme in which the only true change is what type of "being" is in control. At some point in future millennia, maybe it will be plants, or animals, or artificial intelligence robots that become smarter than their creators!
Indeed this is a very possible scenario given humans are not doing the best of jobs at the moment. I have often wondered what it would be like if machines or some other sentient life form took control from the human race.
This is like the genesis that was stated in the bible but with a sci-fi twist. Humans going extinct, machine becoming the new ruler of the world. The idea of the story is nothing new but your own style of writing made it unique in its own way.
Thank you very much
So many ideas came to mind as I read this. First of all I was amused. What other posture makes sense, when nothing really makes sense :))
Then I remembered a line from a movie I'm sure you never saw, "Family Business", with Sean Connery. In the movie a young woman seeks out cancer patients. She either buys up their life insurance policies or gambles on their apartments, which will soon be empty (!). Sean Connery turns to her and says, "You better hope God has a sense of humor".
Also, when you write about needing gods so people don't have take responsibility for themselves/their actions. I saw a Turkish TV show recently, "Ethos". The central character in that show won't make the smallest decision without first consulting her religious advisor. Same with my religious tradition, Catholicism. The priest makes decisions about the most miniscule events people's lives.
It's always an experience reading your material. I wouldn't want to spend too much time in the dark places you visit though. I know those dark places, but like to pretend everything will be alright. That's the only way to get through the day.
Hope you are peaceful.
I am a Catholic as well, so I know what you mean about the priests and even protestant pastors being completely involved in the day to day decision making of adult men and women. If we fail, it's the devil's fault. It is never our fault.
I have seen some of Sean Connery movies especially his time as James Bond but I don't think I've seen Family Business. The woman character should definitely pray God has a sense of humor because that's a horrid thing to do to people fighting for their lives.
It is always a pleasure to read your comments. You grasp parts of the stories that shed more light on the nature of our existence even further than my amateur attempts at critiquing our existential realities. Thank you @agmoore
Great sci-fi story. Fantastic perspective on a new Genesis and allusions to events in the Bible, with a wonderful spin on reality bringing in sentient AI. Really enjoyed it! I came to your post via @dreemport
Thank you very much. I am glad you liked it
I certainly did. I'd love to see more where that came from :-)
A Genesis rethought as science fiction would have it, @warpedpoetic. Thanks for posting it in our community.
You may want to edit it to remove repeated paragraphs.
Thanks for considering the dynamic where all writers support each other's work with their meaningful comments.
Please I can't find the repetition. If you are referring to paragraphs three and four, they are quite different. Thank you for reading. It means a lot.
Several senators spoke on how humans would speak about freedom even as they enslave themselves through drugs, through televised propaganda and all sort of nefarious tools.
Interesting version of facts we all know and which ratifies the cyclical theory of the world, @warpedpoetic.
Machines reveal themselves, outnumber men by millennia and one day decide to create it all over again so that one of those men says, lucidly and superbly annoyed "What was? The same as will be. What has been done? The same that will be made; and there is nothing new under the sun."
Superbly annoyed indeed. 😆 What has happened will happen again. I tend to find that theory plausible given the regularity with which we repeat the same wounds on ourselves.
Thank you @gracielaacevedo for stopping by.
The machines focused on understanding themselves and their role in this new world they had created. They began to lose interest in running the lives of plants and animals.
Amazing work. We're approaching the same topic from different angles. I couldn't take my eyes off. Upvoted and promoted.
Thank you very much. It is appreciated.
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This right here is pure genius, I was hooked from the very first sentence! This would be a blockbuster if made into a movie, perhaps you should consider the idea. Great write, looking forward to more of your works.👍