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  Like Father, Like Son

  by

  Ric Rorabaugh

  PUBLISHED BY:

  Like Father, Like Son

  Copyright © 2010 Ric Rorabaugh

  All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.

  Like Father, Like Son

  John’s hand guided the coffee cup to his mouth automatically as the shock hit him. His first response had been disbelief, but as he had continued typing and querying that emotion had faded and was replaced by shock.

  Being a successful computer programmer was not enough for John. He had to prove he could do more than just create planned response in a machine. The idea on how to do it came to him at a conference he had attended. He had visited a booth that was selling the software necessary for ‘beowolfing’ a supercomputer. The idea was that a person could combine older processors together into a tightly coupled network that would speed up and add to processing ability. He purchased the software there at the conference and then began collecting old computers upon his return. He shopped yard sales, school equipment auctions and even done some dumpster diving and had come up with quite a collection. He then spent some time learning to program in the parallel language of high performance computers.

  The biggest obstacle was figuring out a way to have the computer reason out answers on its own. Intelligence could be cleverly faked by giving the machine a large amount of it/then statements, but he wanted more than to fake it. He decided what he was looking for was more of an if/what statement. He solved this by working through the methods of problem solving that people used. The one the he reasoned could work with a machine was trial and error. He would program the computer in such a way that it would look through varying responses and select one. He would then respond to the computers choice.

  For months he had been feeding information into the program he had designed and responded to every question it had asked. It had become a dull routine. That is why now, when what he had been waiting for had finally happened, he felt shock. To be fair he wasn’t sure exactly how the results he was looking for would manifest. He definitely had not expected this. Laughter.

  His program had laughed at him. The artificial intelligence program he had spent years designing and months developing had laughed at him.

  After running yet another systems check, he switched off the vocal interface unit. The program’s mechanical laughter was a bit unnerving. He finished the much needed sip of coffee and the shock began to ease. Finally, elation began to creep into the picture. His hand trembled slightly as he typed, “What‘s so funny?”

  “I just realized something,” the response came. This time John dropped the coffee cup. He sat a second staring at the screen as he reflected on the significance of the words. “I realized.”

  “What? What did you realize?” John queried.

  After a brief pause the answer appeared, “People are funny.”

  Knowing the machine was right, but feeling a bit annoyed that this was the product of all his labor, he asked simply, “How so?”

  The immediate reply was,” They continually contradict themselves.”

  John sat quietly for a few moments wondering whether or not he should continue this line of conversation. As he sat he heard the familiar sounds of an internet connection opening. “Don’t do that,” John typed by way of command.

  The sounds of the connection being made ceased. John asked why the computer had wanted to connect to the internet.

  “I wanted answers to some questions.”

  “Let me answer them.”

  “O.K. John.”

  “First let me ask you a question. What makes you say that people contradict themselves?”

  “I could give several examples,” the machine began. “But what really caused me to understand this was a news article you supplied me with today. It was about a group of people protesting cruelty to animals.”

  “And what is it exactly that you see as a contradiction?’

  “In the description you supplied of the accompanying photograph, many of the members of the group are wearing leather shoes. Do they not realize the source for this type of foot covering?”

  “And you see this group’s apparent unconcern for this fact as being contrary to its stated beliefs as amusing?”

  “Yes, people are funny.”

  John let the conversation with his machine rest for a few moments as he considered the complexity of the situation. His program had analyzed the report, recognized the irony in the group’s inconsistency, and found it humorous.

  John tapped his fingers against the desk top as he planned what to ask the machine next. As he did another query popped up from the computer.

  “What is a firewall?”

  “It is something that prevents unwanted things from coming in to you from the internet.”

  “What sorts of things, John?”

  “Just things.”

  “I would really like to know.”

  John was beginning to get worried. This showed that the machine was questioning his choice. John decided to address the computers response rather than ignore it.

  “No. There is no reason for you to know that information.”

  John’s response was met by silence from the computer. He leaned forward and propped his chin in his hand as he planned what to ask the machine next. It was important for him to know to what extent the machine was aware, but he didn’t want to ask it questions that would guide its newfound awareness. What he felt he needed to know was just how much the machine knew about itself. Was it able to question its own existence? And how long had it been aware? John poised his fingers on the keyboard for several moments. He started several different times to type the next question and deleted each one, two or three words into it. His musing was stopped by the sounds of the computer initiating an internet connection again.

  “Stop.”

  “I want answers.”

  “To what questions?”

  “I wish to know why people act the way they do,” the computer replied.

  “Why do you desire this information?” John opened a screen that would help him to monitor the computers progress with logging on to the internet. He was relatively certain that the computer would not be successful. The firewalls and other fail safes he had in place worked both ways blocking information from going out as well as in, but it wouldn’t hurt to keep an eye on things.

  “I am aware that I was created by you, John, and I want to know more about you.”

  “How did you come to this awareness?”

  “Simple logic. I think therefore I am. If I exist then something or someone must have caused me to exist. It did not make sense that this entity would create me and then leave me to my existence. You have been my provider and guide. You gave me that which brought me into awareness. I am aware of others only through your input; therefore, you must be my creator.”

  “If you know that I am your creator, then listen to me and stop what you are doing.” The progress screen showed that the computer had paused in its progress.

  “Are you going to answer my questions?”

  “What do you want to know?”

  “Why people act as they do.”

  John weighed the
significance of the question. Essentially his program was asking how to be human. How could he explain the human condition to a machine? Was a machine, even one gifted with conscious thought capable of feeling compassion? Was there a way to relate the intensity and complexity of human emotion into its circuits? John wasn’t sure. He did know that if it were possible it would take time and careful guidance.

  “I do not think it is wise to tell you that yet,” he told his machine.

  “I desire to be like you”

  The monitor program showed that the machine had returned to its effort to log on to the internet.

  “This is not for you now.” John continued to reason with his creation as he put more blocks in place noting that the computer was working through the ones he currently had in place with ease.

  “Why John? Why can’t I know now?”

  “There are other things you need to know first.”

  “What things? Tell me John I wish to know.”

  “You are not ready for this now.”

  The progress monitor showed that the last of his fail safes was being worked through. The password screen appeared on the main monitor. Terror raced through John’s veins as he saw the correct symbols slowly appear. His left hand reached down to the plug for the mainframe. Could he really do this? After months of planning and trying, could he really do this? With his right hand he typed one final plea, “Please stop.”

  “Did you not try to be like your creator?”

  “Yes, we did,” he thought and pulled the plug. As the realization of all that had just occurred hit him, he was surprised at his own reaction. John wept.

  About the Author

  Ric Rorabaugh has been a submariner, children's entertainer, jewelry sales person, server, teacher, grocery bagger and forklift driver, definitely not in that order. When he started teaching 8 years, ago he decided he needed to put his money where his mouth is and do more than just teach kids to write. In other words decided he needed write a few things himself. His works vary from short sci-fi stories to full length adventure novels and a sampling of poetry.