THE CONSPIRACY

When he arrived in front of Father, Wzn felt proud of himself. It was not customary for Him to call for a specific member of the Society. Wzn new that some kind of a great honor was reserved for him.

"Wzn," said Father with a solemn face. "You must fulfill an important mission."

Father was the only one to have recognizable facial features in the Society. Maybe it was because of his being just a large face or maybe it was something else that the others could not understand. In Wzn and other members of the society there was only a hint of a mouth and nose in their faces. But they as well as Father were surrounded by a luminous halo that expressed their sentiments.

"I have succeeded in deciphering a message coming from the third planet," continued Father and his face turned slightly opaque. Wzn knew that this meant bad news. "For some reason, incomprehensible for our minds, they have decided to invade our planet and destroy us. You know quite well that they have this strange concept of war and this makes them invade remote territories to take advantage of their resources. This is caused by the need to satisfy another concept: Power. It seems that they consider having more resources increasing their power."

"I know that this appears unimaginable for the members of our Society. Our intellectual evolution moves us faraway from any belligerent feelings. Our Society is based on peace and equilibrium. Nevertheless, this does not obstruct us from defending ourselves if necessary."

"Wzn, I have built a transporting spaceship. You will travel in it with a weapon that will be launched against the third planet to destroy it completely. We must accomplish this mission before they arrive. Prepare yourself for a great journey."

"I have never been in a transporting spaceship. What is it? We don’t need spaceships for transport. It is enough to think about a place where we want to go and immediately we will find ourselves there."

"However, it would be impossible to arrive in the third planet this way. The distance is very long. On the other hand, we could not transport the weapon."

"How do I use the transporting spaceship? What shall I do with the weapon?"

"You know very well that I have the ability to store in your memory any type of knowledge. What are you afraid of?"

Wzn felt slightly anxious. "It is a big responsibility."

"For that reason I have faith in you. I know that you are the best choice for this mission. Now, look firmly at my eyes."

Wzn looked at Father and immediately all he needed to know to fulfill his duty was part of his knowledge.

"You will leave tomorrow."

The face of Father disappeared quickly leaving Wzn alone in the Star Hall. He stayed still for a moment without knowing where to go; afterwards he started worrying towards his cubicle.

During the path he didn’t stop thinking the best way to tell to his wife. It was a great honor, without a doubt… but it was also a dangerous job.

Mzx was preparing the dinner. She looked for the jug of cheery drosophilas to season the hairy liana salad (Wzn’s favorite) and found out that she only had few left. "I have to pass by the storehouse to buy more drosophilas" she said to herself.

In that instant she heard the door opening. Mzx’s light intensified for pleasure and leaving the kitchen, she went to meet her husband; she has an important announcement to make. However, the intensity of her light diminished when she noticed that Wzn had a bluish tone, indicating concern.

"I made lianas" she said to control her urge to ask about his color. She didn’t want to appear to be nosy. On the other hand, there were no secrets between them. She knew that he would eventually tell her the reason for his worrying.

"Father received me today."

She knew this meant something important and in her Society important was synonymous with positive. Why then was Wzn blue?

He slowly got closer and took her hands.

"I have an important mission to fulfill. Very risky but vital for all of us. And he told her everything.

The light of Mzx also turned bluish, even more intense than Wzn’s light. He had never been outside the Society, not to mention visiting other planets (like all other members of the Society). How could he travel in a spaceship? In any case, she had confidence that Father’s decisions were always the most appropriate. He was forced to act in such a radical way owing to the unpleasant situation created by the cruel beings of the third planet.

"Why do the beings of the third planet want to destroy us?"

It was more a complaint than a question. Since the childhood, everybody in the Society knew how dangerous the beings of the third planet were, strange and irrational. It was considered a sub-world where you were born as a punishment. Why would the beings of the third planet want to destroy us? Simply because they were from the third planet. Nothing good would ever come from there.

They ate in silence. Mzx said she was sorry for few drosophilas in the salad. Wzn replied it was fine, like everything she ever did it was obviously fine. They went to bed without her telling him that this same morning she had received the authorization to have a child, their first child.

Mzx’s sleep was interrupted by a strange feeling that he was watched. A faint third light indicated that there was somebody else in the room. Trying not to make much noice, she woke her husband. Wzn woke up with a jolt when he noticed that there was this other being in the room.

"Don’t be afraid, I won’t hurt you."

From the yellowish hue of the light, it could be seen that he was very old.

"I had the courage to enter here because I have something very important to say about the supposed mission of Father."

The halo of the old increased until it embraced Wzn and Mzx. Immediately they all were transported to another place. It was a strange room, full of numerous instruments they had never before in their life seen and a huge screen in the back of the room.

"Where are we?" asked Mzx.

"This is a part of our Society that only Father and I know about. It could be said that here was initiated the… “life” of the Society. Let me show you something that is called a film."

The old put his hand over some instruments and the screen illuminated. Beings with recognizable facial features like Father but also with bodies could be seen on the screen. However, they didn’t glow.

"Who are they?" asked Mzx again.

"They are humans, beings of the third planet."

The humans were using clothes that looked very heavy, something transparent covered their faces. "They are really irrational" thought Wzn. Why do they use these dresses that seem to make them move with difficulty?

They were in a constant activity, moving heavy boxes from a huge cubicle towards a dry and dusty place. Afterwards they opened the boxes, took out pieces of metal of different sizes and started to put them together.

"And what they are doing" said the old "is to assemble Father."

"I don’t understand," said Wzn.

"Father is something they call an artificial intelligence machine. It was installed here to study this planet. Its mission was to put to work mechanic bodies called robots and with the help of these collect samples of the soil, for purposes I can’t understand."

"I can’t deny that Father is right in saying that humans are illogical and aggressive. A war between them started soon after they left Father here. Suddenly this planet was no longer of their interest and in some years they forgot Father."

"Maybe because of something they call boredom, Father began to create a world where he was the leader. Some humans objected that this is impossible with a machine; the reality is that Father created this virtual society in which we live at the moment."

"Virtual society? This is most absurd I have heard during all my existence!" Reacted Mzx. "We are real! We are born, we grow old, we die! How can you say something like that? You would not be here if that was true! Father has not created you! You are just an old man who has got grazy!"

"I am what the humans call the security system of the artificial intelligence machine. Father can do nothing against me. I was created so that what ever happens, I will defend the humans."

"It is not possible, it is not possible" muttered Mzx.

"Whether you want it or not, you are him and he is in all the members of the Society. We don’t have bodies, we are not living, we are only a reflection of Father."

Wzn was silent all this time, thinking that many things he never understood about the functioning of the Society now made sense.

"The war has ended" continued the old. "There is peace in the third planet, their communities will be working together and they have decided to return for the material they forgot here many years back. Soon they will come to disconnect Father."

"What does it mean?" asked Wzn, breaking his silence.

"The pieces of Father will be disconnected and he will cease to function."

"And what will happen with us?" added Mzx alarmed.

"When Father does not function, we will no longer exist."

A heavy silence arose.

"Father has intercepted a message from the third planet, in which they have been astonished to notice that after all this time he is still functioning."

He has really created a transporting spaceship and a weapon. The robots are still working. He will program you, Wzn in the spaceship to destroy the third planet. My duty is to impede it but I can not do anything more than explain you the problem and let you decide what you will do. But remember, we only exist virtually, whereas the humans really have a life.

Mzx whispered shyly: "But we exist."

"But we are not alive" said the old.

"What does it mean to be alive! Do I not think, doubt, fear?" added Mzx, amazed to find for the first time an aggressive mode.

"Maybe we could explain to the humans who we are" interrupted Wzn.

"That is true, that is one option. Then they could use our knowledge for their benefit."

"And we would continue being individuals," said Wzn happily.

"No, we would only be what they call information. Only information in their service. The Society would disappear."

Everybody was silent.

"You have to decide, Wzn."

He took the hands of her wife. She looked at him like she never had done before, with a look so penetrating that one could almost see her eyes. She said firmly:

"Destroy them and save our Society, they would do the same."

The old mumbled “thank you”.

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