Genesis

by Bernard Beckett

lately I have noted the rate of surprise diminishing. That Art’s behaviour has settled into a predictable pattern is not in itself alarming, it is after all what we would wish for any growing child. But my concern is the plateau has been reached too quickly. Perhaps I write this with the bias of a too-proud parent, but I am sure my invention is capable of achieving much more. The problem, as I see it, is that I who wrote the program am also charged with shaping its development. If Art no longer surprises me, it is in part surely because I no longer surprise Art. It is crucial he be exposed to an outside influence before his trimming and redirecting mechanisms shut down, and he becomes like a child deprived of stimulation, his curiosity left to wither. Sadly, after the nursery incident, finding a sufficiently agile volunteer for this process will be no easy matter. Then Philosopher William watched the trial of Adam unfolding on livescreen, and he saw the perfect solution. Philosopher William approached the Council and suggested that when it came to the sentencing, they frame a compromise. Adam should not be executed, nor indeed incarcerated under the normal conditions. Rather, he could be given the chance to make amends by making a unique contribution to his society. He could become Art’s fulltime companion in a secure and controlled environment. To Adam’s supporters, this would be presented as leniency, and an acknowledgment of Adam’s unique qualities. To his critics, the ...