The Causality of Time

by Jonnathan Strawthorne

  The Originator presented its thoughts to members of its society for discussion, yet even with each expansion of the process, the answer always remained the same. There were mathematical laws of consequential substance that could not be broken in the creative applications of free will and choice. No matter the direction of time, matter, or dimension, it always remained constant. This was due to the interplay of a conscious decision by each form of intelligence; hence, the Originator knew there had to be fundamental laws written into the fabric of choice and free will. Otherwise, anarchy would erupt, and a breakdown of society would ensue.

  The Originator locked within the very fabric of the energy used to create the various universes vibration codes that would ensure a harmonious blend of structure and creative free will. It was with those codes that the Primus and Authorial proceeded to move forward in their quest for the base answer for free will.

  Chapter 16

  The Great Debate

  It started as a discussion among the inner circle of the biogenetics group - hints of apprehension at the enormity of the project and the consequences of their decisions. They wondered about the ramifications of those decisions being made and if they should be made at all. The debate spilled out onto the main theater of speculation, opening up questions for further discussion and analysis. Life was probably not something to be trifled with as it seemed to generate probabilities of its own. Intelligent life was even more fraught with possibilities that could have quite-unforeseen outcomes that were either enjoyable or devastating. As the creators of the physical universe knew, intelligence was not something to be taken lightly, primarily due to the unknown causalities of the actions that could be made by the entity itself.

  Questions needed to be answered. How much intelligence should be provided? How long should it last? What depth should be given? And most important, what level of free will should be granted to the entity? The biological programming was not the issue; the degree of choice and free will engineered into the carbon-based being was. The creation of intelligence conjoined the chemical and biological genius of bio-engineering beyond the scope of their own ability to decide, even as a collective group. It was time for a discussion among all members; thus, the doors of the debate were flung open for all to share in the decision of biological creation’s future.

  “My brothers, shouldn’t intelligence be left to itself to develop on its own? Did we not agree to leave the process of maturation to cause and effect? It would be of great concern if we were to provide a preprogrammed set of directives within the subconscious subroutines of our biological creations,” the Authorial, the second to be brought to life, stated.

  “Yes, it may perhaps give the creation a head start and a guide to certain elements within life, but how can that be a cause for such concern?” the Primus, the first to be created, asked.

  “It would seem we are guiding or manipulating the progress and process of the creation. Shouldn’t the creation be left to develop on its own? Are we to guide each and every step it takes throughout its existence? We need time to determine the best approach to the question at hand. The process of Chaos Coalescence is simpler and is not and cannot be tainted by our directives,” the Authorial replied.

  “Yes, my brother, I agree with you that it is simpler. However, is it too simple? Should we not perhaps help or guide our creation to become like us in the sense of moral certitude and enjoyment of life itself? I say yes, we should provide for the most robust and best way for our creation to enjoy life and thrive within its environment,” the Primus stated. “The only way to do that is to give it a conscience, a preprogrammed set of chemical algorithms to guide it through life’s moral dilemmas. Life is based on relationships. It would be irresponsible if we were to omit the importance of that fact and not give help in the form of a conscience to assist in the development and maintenance of relationships.”

  The debate started with the premise that perhaps intelligence should be left to grow within and expand as needed. The primary chemical bonds had been laid, and the synaptic processes were put in place, and chaos coalescence was allowed to bind the processes together. That was the foundation of many of the most critical minds involved, and that group called themselves the Random Intelligence Group (RI). However, a new idea emerged—the thought of providing the intelligence with all the chemical, biological, emotional and conscience structures, then allowing the consciousness of the entity to decide which direction to take as a result of its own free will. That became known as the Focused Intelligence Group (FI).

  This created an uproar of concern, as it would seem that the creation of intelligence was deliberately manipulated and hence not allowed to grow outside of their influence. Also, the RI Group was extremely concerned over the implications of starting physical life out on perhaps the same level of intelligence as themselves. The FI Group argued for the same abilities to be given, because what they possessed provided for a more robust and developed hold on the enjoyment of life itself. Consequently, the debate raged on with hypothesis after hypothesis being presented and discarded without finality.

  The great visionary and master worker of them all, the first to be brought to life, stood up, and all the other members went silent. It looked around and smiled with satisfaction.

  “My brothers, we are at a crossroads of indecision. Perhaps the question is not whether conscience should or should not be applied, but for how long the life cycle of the biology should be programmed to terminate? We are not bound by any law or twist of conscience to end the life cycle of our creation. We are free to apply what is needed. I suggest we give humanity just enough time for us to determine if we are on the right path or not. Because of this approach, intelligent life will not dominate other forms of creation. I believe that to be a simple yet definitive solution to the problem. You, in the RI group, should be satisfied with this as it addresses your concerns and the base premise of your argument,” it said.

  “Who shall determine the time allotment?” one engineer asked.

  “It should be the Twelve Elders,” the Authorial answered.

  “Yes, I concur. It should be the Twelve Elders and the Group of Seven,” the Primus answered.

  So the decision was made, and the bioengineering process resumed on the creation of intelligence and its subsequent sister, free will.

  Chapter 17

  Divergence

  The multidimensional beings of physical creation worked out the chemistry, biology, and physics of humanity, knowing the permanency and flexibility of those laws. They worked into the fabric of the equations fundamental probabilities that were open to choice, back doors of quantum physics, thus nudging the outcomes along paths of creative exploration.

  Consciousness was an enigma of quantitative programming far, far beyond chemical or electrical action or reaction; it encompassed the synergy of all random, chaos, and structured theories that postulated the openness of probable direction and inherent coalescing. The intertwining of the two outcomes threw the mathematicians into proverbial spasms of intellectual backflips, lively debates, and cooperative intent.

  As the testing intensified and the data were verified, it became apparent that focused-intelligence needed favorable surroundings and future opportunities for it to flourish and grow. Deprivation of creative possibility could not be in its makeup. It needed to be continuously stimulated intellectually, emotionally, psychologically, and physically for it to be satisfied with its purpose and direction in life. This was hardwired into its consciousness, within the deep recesses of its brain, which would enhance its power of reason and control. The FI poured themselves into the scientific study of carbon-based intelligence with vigor and excitement, which presented possibilities without precedence and innovative conclusions with astounding results.

  The RI, however, decided to continue with their first hypothesis and create without the laws of conscience and free will, instead creating by pairing random and chaos theories into one cohesive learning process. The RI called
this adaptive resolution. These two groups continued to study and move along their chosen paths, each deciding the time and place to initiate their study subjects. The RI, because of their straightforward approach to intelligence and free will, moved forward with their subjects within the same universe as the FI group at a much earlier time, and they placed their creation on a world similarly designed and positioned as earth, yet with many subtle differences.

  They assumed that when enough eons of time had passed, these would grow into vastly different results. They wanted to study the outcome of their decisions to ascertain the effectiveness of each group’s approach.

  So it was that intelligent life started in two distinct galaxies within a cluster of galaxies. The RI chose to populate a massive rocky planet based on a gaseous mixture of helium and hydrogen, and the FI decided to use a small rocky planet based on a gaseous mixture of nitrogen and oxygen. It was with these two platforms of creation that the race for answers was started and intelligent life began.

  Chapter 18

  Ripples of Understanding

  (Six million years before Homo sapiens)

  The two stars shone their light down onto the planet with intense ultraviolet particles beating upon all matter—whether carbon, hydrogen, or antimatter, it did not hesitate. Crawling out of an ocean of hydrogen peroxide to look up into the sky, the first inhabitant gazed upon a world of extremes. The two stars were circling each other in a swirl of destruction—a parasitic relationship of resolve whereby a red giant was feeding off a smaller white dwarf, creating a spectacular view of spinning dance steps tens of light-years long and billions of years old.

  Because of the position of the planet within the Goldilocks zone of carbon life’s ability to survive, the inhabitants experienced a gravitational pressure that demanded their limbs be short and densely packed with reflexive musculature tone, hence making them, about earth’s inhabitants, powerful and fast. This was the stage the RI chose to place its subjects for study and affirmation of their scientific methodology.

  No programming of the chemical synapses was entertained, hence providing for a completely blank canvas of thought, morality, conscience, and intelligence. Given the external stimuli, it was thought the processes of existential growth would evolve over time, giving the beings a sharp clarity of survival due to their environment and degree of self-will.

  Over time, the being experienced thinking based on action and reaction stimuli and on its external and internal needs. This played out in the form of various adaptations, including compartmentalization of brain usage and diversification of its location within the being’s structure, thus protecting itself from catastrophic failure if damaged. The synaptic switching between the different areas began to speed up as time went on, allowing for more diverse and voluminous data processing.

  Because of the extreme planetary environment, the being drew upon its carbon-based structure to store the hydrogen process of rebalancing within its cardiovascular system. As the creature would pull in the hydrogen, it would combine under hyperbolic pressure to fuse the hydrogen particles together, creating a subatomic nuclear/electrochemical reaction that provided the energy it needed. Helium particles were ejected out of ventricles along the being’s spine, causing an invisible hail of helium gas.

  As long as the hydrogen process was in operation, the being continued to live. The method of cellular replacement did not apply, as there was no enzyme switch to put the telomerase-like genes onto a continuous path of destruction. With a super-hardened cellular wall, no pathogen could penetrate. The being was immune to disease; hence, it grew in strength, speed, and intelligence as the planet circled the death spiral of the two stars in a time sequence of decades.

  As a result of cause and effect, the being used the experience to determine the appropriate path of consciousness, demonstrating a rationale that incorporated the pleasure/pain cycle of its makeup, thus moving it in a direction that encompassed results desirable to its existence; for it, the end justified the means.

  The basic tenet was to determine its position within its surroundings and within its social structure. Soon enough, a society of interlocking groups dependent on one another grew out of the previous actions, hence forming a civilization of highly advanced intellect, wisdom, and laws based on the rights of the group at large. This approach tended to lean toward societal demands over an individual’s, with minority groups holding sway over the majority due to their persistent and sometimes collective manipulation of the whole.

  Conscience did not play a part, as it was a process in constant flux due to the very nature of its thinking process. First, the group is taken into account, and society as a whole is involved in determining quantitative value before finally addressing the rights of the individual. There was never a moral ground to guide it, as there was nothing there to begin with. The creature had to form its own basis for morality, conscience, and law; hence, a relatively robust state of action and reaction developed based on the present. The past played a significant role in the education of each successive generation as the past’s mistakes and successes were needed to help grow the species—on an individual level and as a whole. The future, however, did not factor into its thought process or its decisions, hence opening up the proverbial gates of self-interest and potentially destructive behavior.

  It was from that point the species grew mighty in its power over its surroundings and over its progeny. It slowly learned the arts of science, mathematics, chemistry, nuclear physics, and subatomic structuring, as well as the manipulation of biology, with astounding adeptness and adroit measuring.

  Chapter 19

  Growth

  The two factions moved forward with their creative processes to determine the correct definition of moral consensus. The Originator tolerated this approach, for the time being, to allow for the hypotheses to be precisely determined; however, it knew the final outcome to be and silently despaired over the decision. It was probably not one it would have made.

  Feverish calculations of chaos coalescence drove the RI Group to throw caution to the proverbial solar wind and adopt an adaptation model based on external stimuli and self-interest. Unforeseen circumstances of random probabilities, it was postulated, would drive their creation to develop physically and intellectually in a faster and smoother direction within the creative process.

  As the biophysicists and mathematicians calculated the immeasurable probabilities involved, in one small corner of the theoretical test bed, an insignificant technician noticed a string of calculations that seemed to belie the accepted outcome of the random-intelligence model. Far within the mathematical equation, a subtle trend of errant deviation seemed to rear its ugly head. The algorithm pointed toward an extremely aggressive trait of the test subject in question.

  The technician ran and reran the algorithm, slightly tweaking the mathematics on the second run to ascertain if the conclusion would stay the same. The biological calculations showed a remarkable upside to RI; however, the subtle detriments concerned the technician with such great weight that it contemplated bringing the predictions to the RI committee.

  The "aggressive trait" anomaly was not something to be taken lightly. The RI group was a pressing force to deal with. Extremely capable and highly intelligent, they dominated the scientific hierarchy. Approaching them with anything opposite to their theories was akin to sacrilege; the lowly technician justifiably feared for its position and subsequently refused to divulge the errant mathematical subject. However, the nagging problem of the algorithm continued to haunt its conscience, and it brought the issue up with one of the Twelve Elders assigned oversight of the projects.

  “My lord, in my duty as one of the mathematical editors for the RI group, I came across an anomaly in the algorithm that seems to suggest a rather unfavorable outcome for the test species to be examined. It indicates a small probability of extreme aggressiveness on behalf of the sentient biological beings. Thus, it may jeopardize the welfare of the associated material
surroundings. It concerns me to the point I thought I should bring this to someone’s attention before the physical process of assembly begins,” it said with humble servitude.

  “You have done well. Thank you for bringing it to my attention. I will follow up with this situation immediately to determine an appropriate course of action. Perhaps the Originator will need to provide insight on this matter,” the elder explained.

  The technician moved away with evident relief to continue its editing, never to approach the subject again. The elder pondered this revelation and decided to bring it up at one of the Twelve Elders discussion forums. They were in a position to issue decrees or laws, and it was their ultimate decision that would impact the direction of the test project. With that, the elder, one of the Twelve Elders, issued a desire to convene a discussion group to determine if the anomaly constituted continued clarification or should be referred to the Group of Seven. Shortly after that, the Twelve Elders studied the mathematical and quantitative analysis of the algorithm and realized the technician’s observance and conclusions were substantiated. A concern echoed throughout the discussion, and it was agreed upon to approach the RI group with the evidence and determine an appropriate course of action first before referring it to the Group of Seven.

  At first, the reaction of the RI group was cordial and committed to resolving the anomaly; however, as time wore on, it seemed the situation was being dismissed and attention was being focused on other, more pressing issues. This did not sit well with the Twelve Elders, as it was their responsibility to make sure protocol was adhered to, documented, and addressed. The RI group brought forth revised algorithms to sequence the DNA of the test subject to answer the nagging question of mental stability; however, when the programs were run, the result remained fundamentally the same. The Twelve Elders had no choice but to refer the issue to the Group of Seven for investigative review and final determination. This infuriated the RI group as they postulated not enough time was given to fully understand the randomness of the equations.