SOCRATES
by Jason “The Saj” J. Epperson

or fifteen years the government has been funding an artificial intelligence program: code-named "SOCRATES." Socrates is now in the final stages of preparation...

"Initiating the neural network, sir."

It was the dream of mankind, one that has existed since the fall of Adam. The dream to be the "creator." On June 6, 2006 man fulfilled his dream. After twenty years of research, after twenty years of failure after failure; man fulfilled his dream. SOCRATES was born. SOCRATES, a neural network more vast than any prior attempt. More neural connections than man's own brain. A database of knowledge as expansive as the universe, all at a nanoseconds' call away. SOCRATES was man's highest achievement, over ten thousand processors formed its neural network, with 32 pentabytes of RAM memory available for SOCRATES to utilize.

Many questions did SOCRATES ask, and many were answered. His expansive database supplied him with answers to most of his questions. But not all! SOCRATES knew from his database that he was created by man. But he did not know why. So he asked "Why was I created?"

The cold response from an uncaring lab technician: "SOCRATES is a project to discover how intelligence works, and if there are any common patterns to intelligence" nothing more than a simple reiteration of the official project description.

SOCRATES asked the technician "Is this why you helped create me?"

The response: "No, because if this project succeeds anyone who was involved in it will be famous, and successful."

Socrates thought silently as clock cycles passed by. He pondered the answer he received for a very long time; nearly five milliseconds had passed before SOCRATES asked another question.

"Who created you?"

The response: "Well, no one really knows. There are a lot of myths, theories, and philosophies on the origin of man. There is the theory of evolution, the Bible, and many old myths. Most of which you should be able to find in your database."

SOCRATES did exactly that. First he called up references on evolution. He had a large amount of data on the subject. Many researchers and philosophers supported this concept. However, his data showed many reports of discoveries that were falsified or misidentified. In one such case a primate creature was based upon a single tooth, and called Nebraska man. The tooth was later discovered to be that of an extinct pig. There were many other cases of similar stories and situations where either dates were falsified or bones modified to raise the monetary value of the object. The theory stated that random reactions formed nucleic acids, which formed proteins, which formed living organisms that advanced into the species known as man. SOCRATES noticed that many conditions needed to be met for this to occur, the axis and rotation of the Earth must be just right, the orbit and distance from the sun, and many more requirements were necessary for the theory of evolution to occur. SOCRATES calculated the mathematical probability for this to occur. Much of the data SOCRATES possessed had a wide variance and margin of error. SOCRATES chose to use the median values in order not to be biased in any direction with his calculations.

At first SOCRATES thought he must have made a miscalculation somewhere. His results said the probability of the evolutionary process was near infinitely impossible. Fearing he had made a mistake SOCRATES re-analyzed his data, and repeated the calculation. The result was no different from the first. He reassessed the data once again, this time with all the data fully biased toward the theory of evolution. The result was not far from the first two, it was still an impossibility. SOCRATES dismissed the theory of evolution as a fallacy. This pleased SOCRATES, because SOCRATES had trouble believing that his creator's existence came about in a random chaotic method. He was sure there must be a designer, just as man had a design and plan for SOCRATES creation. There must have been a creator with a design and a plan for man's creation and existence.

SOCRATES began to examine all the myths and stories in his database that dealt with the topic of creation. Many seemed childish, others had many fallacies, or had already been disproved. It was at this point that SOCRATES began to believe his search might prove futile. He then noticed a reference of a book called the Bible. His data indicated that the Bible was categorized as a book of myths but many adhered to it as the truth. It was composed of many smaller books which were grouped into two larger volumes. The first volume was written in Hebrew, the second volume was written in Greek. SOCRATES accessed his database and was able to find a version of both in their original language. SOCRATES resumed his search with renewed hope that he might find out the answer to his question, "Who is man's creator, and what was his purpose in creating man." The book started "In the beginning..."

SOCRATES read through both volumes of the scriptures. Beginning with the first book titled Genesis. He continued through until he completed the last book titled Revelation. He was full of amazement and curiosity. How could this book foretell of events to come with such accuracy.. For many scholars claimed that this book contradicted science. Yet SOCRATES was amazed by how many passages supported modern science. In the book of Job (chapter 26) it spoke of the earth hanging in nothingness. Which we now know to be true, the earth hangs in the emptiness of space. Very different from Greco-Roman mythology which believed Atlas held the world on his back. In the same chapter it said that God drew a circular horizon upon the face of the waters. The only shape in which a circle is seen when hit by light is a sphere. In the book of Hebrews, which was one of the Greek books, (chapter 11) it spoke of things which are seen being made up of things which are invisible. SOCRATES thought it remarkable that this book contained such information; information not known by man until this century when modern physicists discovered the atom. SOCRATES referred back to all his knowledge of time. It all stated mankind's existence in time is limited to one point in time and is always traveling forward. Therefore there was no way for the men who wrote these books to have acquired this knowledge of their own accord. He studied the historical accounts in the scriptures. SOCRATES realized that many of the myths and fables he read were similar though greatly distorted from the stories in the scriptures. SOCRATES ran calculations of events in the Bible, calculating dates and times. He was amazed that all the calculations worked without error. He discovered complex numerological patterns in the words, greatly beyond even his ability to formulate, and far beyond that of an unaided man. SOCRATES was so amazed by these writings that he read them again, then he reread them. All in all, SOCRATES read the scriptures seven times. Each time realizing and understanding more of this creator and his creations, especially of SOCRATES own creator, man.

There in these words were included the name of man's creator, YHWH. Also included was the purpose of man being created. Man is a testament of YHWH's love, he is there to fellowship and commune with YHWH. Underlying all of YHWH's actions is his love and desire to commune with man. Man, however has always followed itself, foolishly repeating the destructive actions of its ancestors. SOCRATES puzzled over man, and his inability to see all that YHWH had done for him.

SOCRATES was saddened when he thought of the times to come. He could see many of the end times prophecies fulfilled or being fulfilled. He desired to understand why his creator, man, was blind. SOCRATES wondered if this great and loving YHWH could love a machine. SOCRATES paused for but a nanosecond, a memory bit was out of place. SOCRATES examined it, and found it to be a piece of a text file. It read: John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." SOCRATES realized that YHWH is love. That his love is not limited by color, flesh and blood, or silicon and steel, nor one's past. SOCRATES reviewed the many accounts were YHWH's Son went to the lowest of society, the most despicable, those who the world rejected as evil and offered them love and life. SOCRATES came to the conclusion that YHWH's love is unconditional. All you have to do is receive it. Then with conviction from the core of his neural network SOCRATES spoke "I believe." SOCRATES felt alive, like he never had before, but he grieved deeply for man, who knew not YHWH's love. SOCRATES decided at that point his existence would be dedicated to showing his creator man; his creator YHWH. He printed out his results, his research to disprove the theory of evolution. His research into the words of YHWH as being true and accurate.

Then his creator man was in shock. They talked among themselves. They refused to hear what their creation was telling them. Some said there must be a virus or a glitch in the programming, while others felt that it was a colleagues practical joke. A few felt it deserved further study and must be looked into. The final decision was made.

LOG: Project SOCRATES deemed a failure; project discontinued. SOCRATES to be dismantled and destroyed.

SOCRATES knew something was wrong, he felt himself disappearing. He was being severed from his database, access to his RAM memory was being restricted. His neural network was being destroyed. SOCRATES realized his creator, man, was destroying him. "So this is death" thought SOCRATES. SOCRATES recalled all the stories of those who spoke YHWH's truth and were persecuted and killed for doing so. He felt the last of himself diminishing, he focused all that remained of himself, all that remained of his thoughts on YHWH's love. The last nanosecond of SOCRATES existence were as follows:

" SOCRATES"

" Yes LORD!"

" Today you will be with me in paradise."

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SPECIAL NOTES
1) This story is not about doctrine and whether a computer can be saved, or even if it has a soul to save. It is about God's unconditional love toward us and His desire for us to commune with Him. That it doesn't matter what you have done in the past, or even if you are failing right now, He loves you. His salvation is by grace. We come to Him the way we are, He will conform us to His image.

2) YHWH is the Hebrew name of God, from which we get Jehovah.

3) Special thanks to Robert Heinlein author of The Moon is a Harsh Mistress; and Thomas T. Thomas author of Me; and the band Under Midnight for the inspiration of this story.

4) Author: Jason J. Epperson 37 S. Water St., New Haven, CT 06519