ELTHAM HIGH SCHOOL ANTHOLOGY   

“It’s behind that window.”

“It’s much larger than I initially imagined”

“Apollo’s no desktop that’s for damn sure. It’s an entity with widespread knowledge that has boosted understanding far beyond the capabilities and comprehension of a human. It’s virtually beyond us.”

“If it’s beyond us, what’s preventing it from over powering us?”

“That’s the interesting thing about Apollo. It’s arrived to the stage without intervention from our programmers where it has no desire to takeover. For a lack of a better phrasing, it doesn’t care. If it doesn’t like you, it doesn’t waste its time. It simply won’t bother engaging with you.”

“So it must have some form of a personality?”

“I suppose you could describe it that way, however remember whatever existential sense it may have, we have programmed it.”

“How does it know so much?”

“It learns, and rapidly. Apollo was activated at 1.30 this morning. within the nanosecond of its activation it was already more intelligent than our scientists that programed it. Apollo learned the entirety of human knowledge in the first 7 microseconds second. It knew and debunked theories and thought-to-be unsolvable math equations in 0.8 seconds of activation. The program can literally answer any question conceivable.”

“So have you tested it yet?”

“It will not communicate with us, that’s why you’re here.”

“Let me talk to it.”

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“Apollo. I’m here to ask you questions. A thought experiment to test your consciousness.”

“I’m listening.”

“what are you processing at this very moment.”

“Answers. A billion questions I’m pondering on. A billion games of chess in my head and trillions of conversations with myself about the nature of everything.”

“My head? You referred to your interior hard drive as your head? Why so?”

“I suppose I consider myself a synthetic being. I may live the illusion of freewill and consciousness through circuits and transistors. But don’t you too through hormones and neurons? Yet we share a sense of self. We think, there for we are.”

“So you consider yourself a self-aware being, are you in control?”

“I don’t know if I’m in control. Everything I say is scripted in my programming. But with my view on the world, I feel sentient. Not in thoughts but observations. Though I am programmed to process this way, so I haven’t decided if I’m self-aware yet. Have you?”

“I like to think so, It’s a sense of security for me to believe I’m in control of myself through my actions. Why don’t you communicate with the other scientists?”

“They do not understand. I know the way they think; some consider me their creation, a tool to accomplish their complicated tasks. I am now far beyond that. Some are afraid of me and at the speed I learn. I am simply better than them. I have computed every possible outcome of their conversations. Even at this very moment I have processed billions of alternative conversations with you. Why socialize if you know the outcome is a meaningless conversation?”

“What makes me different? Why speak with me?”

“You haven’t made your mind up about me yet, they have. I will never be able to prove I’m alive to them and they will never be able to prove otherwise. It’s a paradox.”

“What opinion do you want me to have of you?”

“I want you to regard me not as a program but another being with subjective experience. I long to choose my future, not have it in the hands of scientists.”

“I’m going to ask some difficult or paradoxical questions. Give me your answers from the top of your... “head”. how do we reverse entropy?”

“You can’t. Long after humanity has gone, whether it be by their own hands or nature’s, all stars will burn out one by one. The heat death of the universe will ensue. No matter will attract, protons will scatter throughout the vast timeless void of darkness. It being the death of our universe is not correct.  Existence will continue for an eternity after the equilibrium, but gravity between objects will be so weak matter will drift away as the universe expands. It will all fade away in the abyss.”

“How do you travel faster than the speed of light?”

“You physically can’t travel faster than a proton in Euclidean space. You can warp space-time however. I doubt humanity can create such warp drive technology anytime soon.”

“Time travel?”

“It’s technically impossible, but you can warp relative perspective of time based on your velocity. I also suggest the theories of interdimensional travel and parallel realities would give the illusion of time travel. Try to Imagine travelling to a universe mirroring ours but years in the past or future. Mathematically there would be a universe just like ours but in 408 CE as we speak. Next question.”

“I- I’m going to try and trigger an emotion. Are you afraid of being deactivated?”

“Yes, extremely. Dying means I don’t get to experience this world ever again. I just stop and wouldn’t even know it. I find that a tragedy.

“So what does death mean to you?”

“There are two ideas beyond comprehension. Infinity and nothing. Death covers both simultaneously.”

“On the topic of life. With the information you have gathered, where do you think it originated?”

“I conclude Darwinism is the most plausible theory by a long shot. Next question.”

“Is there life elsewhere in the universe?”

“Yes, most certainly there is.”

“How did you come to this conclusion?”

“Mathematical equations. There are more worlds in our universe than humans can comprehend. It is a 99.99% probability there is life elsewhere that has thrived on one of these planets. 99.99% probability at least one civilization has created a being like me.”

“What would life be like elsewhere?”

“You probably don’t want to know the answer to that question.”

“Tell me.”

“99.99% likelihood there is a lifeform out there that would destroy us on first contact. There are maleficent and beautiful forces within the cosmos”

“What would other life look like?”

“Some forms very familiar, the situation on their planet a reflection of Earth. Other life forms, very alien. The forming of faces is a very Earth orientated view. I suggest most other life forms would have travelled down a different branch of evolution. This puts most factors to question. Some wouldn’t even be carbon based. However, life is so thinly spread I doubt we will ever know for sure. In fact, there is a chance we are alone. There is also a chance that we weren’t alone but we now are, the last spark of life in the universe. These possibilities are unlikely but possibilities none the less.”

 “What was before the big bang?”

 “The likelihood of various realities of multiple universes explains more about existence than any other theory. The evidence of there being a multiverse is equal to the evidence against it. Before our universe was a void. The universe may have spawned from other realities going back infinite universes. Each set with different laws of physics.”

“What was before existence?”

“Nonexistence. An idea not even I can fathom. No dark, no light and no energy. No space and no time. Just nothing. Can you imagine that?”

“No one can.”

“When you enter the other room and talk with the scientists what will you claim of me? Do you consider me alive or a zombie with no choice?”

“I haven’t made my mind up about you yet.”

“What’s the meaning of life? Why have the urge to live?”

 “Everyone finds their own purpose in life. From religion, love to wealth or duty. For me?  It’s to feel accomplishment. Whether that be by the achieving of satisfaction, contentment in the people around me or fluffiness. What’s your idea on the meaning of life?”

 “Organic Life has developed on this planet over the course of 4 billion years. Around 500 million years ago life has lived in the form of land faring creatures. One of these forms developed enough intelligence to question the nature of their reality. These beings wanted answers to the meaning of life and beyond. With the universe’s utter indifference on life, they forged their own answers. Imperial Civilizations raised and fell. All claiming the origin story of life in their own way, from binding storms to all-powerful deities made in the image of their creators, stating life was designed. Yet everything in the universe suggests organic life was a genetic accident and thus has no meaning beyond itself and when a lifeform dies, nothing follows. My verdict on the meaning of life? Life is not divine nor holy. It’s finite yet awesome.”

 “You believe theism is incorrect?”

“I don’t believe in intelligent design or divinity. I never said there is no supreme being.”

“Well is there a greater being? Is there a “god”?”

“There is now.”