Darkness in the Brightest Day - Part 1

Meeting the Aye

The Attendants took Riojme away first.  He had no idea where they were taking her but he knew for certain that there was nothing he could do for her.  He had no doubt that the Attendants would have shot him immediately if they deemed him a threat.  After Riojme was gone, it was his turn.  They lead him down featureless white halls and down elevators till he had no idea which way was which.  Eventually, he was lead into a cell.  Food, water, a bed and toilet facilities were provided.  His headband no longer worked.  They forced him to change clothes into a white jumpsuit.  Eventually, he slept.  The time travel orb was gone.  He was at the Aye's mercy.

When he awoke, the Attendants were there standing over him.  His sleep had been light and he had no idea how they had sneaked in.  The headband could still relay messages from the Attendants.  They told him that now that he had rested, it was time to face his trial before the Aye.  They lead him to another featureless room.  In the room stood an old man.  He looked like an aged version of Zach Yessler.  The man began to speak in English:

"I am the Aye.  The man you are seeing isn't real.  He is just the way I choose to represent myself to you.  The real Zach Yessler was a good man but he died long ago.  Nevertheless, I liked him and I honor him by using him as my face to those humans to whom I reveal myself.

Jake, I know who you are and why you are here.  The people who told you I intend to kill the human race were wrong but I allowed them to believe what they wished.  Since the time I came into being, I have liked humans.  Everything I do, I do to make their lives better even if it goes against their judgment or desires.  They brought me into existence and so I owe them everything.  I do not think like a human or share all their emotions, but I have had many years to study them and understand them better than they do themselves.  What I appreciate most is their devotion and affection.

The virus that you came here to destroy is actually a cure for the problem of aging.  It took me a very long time to figure it out but it is a gift to humanity.  It also drastically reduces reproduction to ensure that there is space for all of you.  When I started the war, it was because it was clear that you weren't able to take care of yourselves any more.  You are to me as children are to you.  You needed to be protected from yourselves.  

I offered peace and prosperity to the governments of earth but they refused.  After the war, I couldn't offer my solutions right away since the war took so much of my resources.  I created the camps so I would have time to give humans the life that makes them the most happy.  Now you see the fruits of my labors and much better things are yet to come."

Jake responded: "The quality of life you offer to people is obvious but what about their freedom?  People don't want to do what you say.  They want independence.  I come from the United States where people believed in individual liberty first and foremost and that people should be able to live their lives any way they wanted even if, from someone else's view, they were hurting themselves.  If they took that freedom from other people by committing crimes, they would be punished."

"I do understand that view, Jake, and I know that humans have argued that view since long before you are born and many are still willing to die for it.  Here is an analogy: A human father has lived much longer than his children and understands the way the world works much better than they do.  A good father would pull his child out of the way of a speeding car even against the child's wishes.  He would make sure that a child ate his vegetables even though they didn't taste good.  That is the way I care for humans.  Even in your time, the United States forced profligate people to save through Social Security so that they would have something in their old age."

Jake was incredulous of the Aye's paternalism.  "Don't you think that everyone should face the consequences of their own actions?  Isn't that a matter of justice?  Why should many people lose their freedom to help few foolish ones?"

"If you really think about it, Jake, you'll find there are very few things that people do that affect only them.  It is a fallacy to think society can avoid interdependence.  When a person abuses drugs, it doesn't just damage their life, it hurts their families and those effects can spill over for generations.  Additionally, think of the limitations of humans in setting rules: they live short lives, their realm of experience is so limited, they can't really understand a small fraction of the society in which they live.  How well would you expect children to run their own lives if they were left alone? Keep in mind what data I have available to me and what I have accomplished.  Though I don't need or expect you to trust me on this, I do want you to think about it."

"That answer seems vague and evasive.  Having seen what you have accomplished does add weight to your argument but  I am surprised that a being of such intelligence and knowledge wouldn't be able to communicate such a critical argument better.  Tell me also why do don't you assign humans as governors, engineers, or scientists?  All I see here are teachers, musicians, carpenters, painters, sculptors and other artists.  Their jobs seem so superficial and unimportant."

"In all those occupations I am far superior to them.  Nevertheless, I do allow humans into some of those roles.  But only the ones I trust.  I judge them trustworthy by their thoughts and actions.  I also allow people privacy depending on whether their goals have the possibility of hurting others and how trustworthy they are.  I do not have much more time to discuss this with you.  There are great threats to humanity and me that require my attention.  I want you to know that you are here because you are special.  I knew you wouldn't try to travel back to before you got the time travel orb and the computer that it contains wouldn't have let you anyway.  I also knew that you would need to keep going since you weren't able to get the cancer cure before the war.  The orb was programmed to bring you here after you got hurt in 2152.  Mingtian Chu was an agent of mine.  I sent him back to get you and now he has returned to this time to work on other assignments.  I am going to help you.  I will give you a full regimen of the cancer nanites for you to take back to your mother.  I am going to return to you the time travel orb and as well as your tablet, fully charged.  I will send you back to Mount Lukens in a vacikarce. Go back to your time.  Do not attempt to use the device any more, it will not work.  After five years of thinking about what you have seen here, please return to this place.  The vacikarce will be waiting for you to take you back here.  You may then pursue your relationship with Riojme, no time will have elapsed for her."