“David. You may call me David if you really need to know my name,” said the old man with a frustrated wave.
“I do,” Adam told him. “It’s always nice to know who I’m speaking with.”
The other ignored his comment and waved the hand with the cane. “Have you taken into account that those ancient writings, as you call them, were simply recorded by people living in time periods much earlier than yours? That would tend to explain away most of the irregularities.”
“Yes,” acknowledged Adam slowly. “Yet many modern religious doctrines continue to rely on the strict, literal interpretation of them. I don’t believe in blindly following writers who lived long ago, saw what they wanted to see and were as flawed as I am… that’s not how I’ve traditionally learned how things work. Most biased writers will record their bias without even being aware of the fact that they’re viewing things through a different lens than the others around them.”
“Correct,” snapped David sharply, his expression stern. “The universe is full of life forms on a varying scale that make poor decisions for all kinds of different reasons, but mainly because we tend to be creatures governed primarily by emotional reactions. You’ve got a brain. Use it. That is the gift each of us receives. Is it more important to try and determine how many wives you should have, how many oxen you should own, how much of your estate should be taxed? Or is it better to live by much simpler, more common sense directives? Thou shalt not kill, for example, would seem to be obvious enough.”
“Are you trying to tell me something?” wondered Adam suddenly. “If you have a specific point, please make it. Otherwise we’re simply wasting time…”
“I think you should try harder to avoid becoming a killer.” David’s expression was stern, almost patronizing.
The comment drew an immediate response from Adam. “Why don’t you tell that to the Kuth,” he growled heatedly in response. “Or perhaps the Brotherhood of the Dragon might benefit from one of your lectures. Who are you and how did you get aboard this ship?” he demanded to know. A sudden, inexplicable thought struck him and would not go away no matter how much his mind wanted it to. “Are you claiming to be the Intelligent Designer?” he gasped, eyes widening in shock. “Is that who you’re subtly implying you are?”
Nothing else made logical sense to him, primarily because Adam had traditionally been a ‘right or wrong’, ‘yes or no’ type of adult. Gray areas tended to bother him with their complexity, which was one of the reasons he ended up choosing computer science and mathematics as a career. David’s strange, luminescent aura continued to interest him – it was definitely not a Kuth bio-presence that he was seeing... at least not a normal one. Warily, he watched the elderly man tuck his cane under one arm long enough to grab the folds of his robes and pull them tightly together. “I am someone who doesn’t come out very often these days,” the stranger replied with a light chuckle of amusement. “I don’t get out much at all, in fact. However, I don’t consider it just another ordinary day when I wake up and discover one of your starships flitting about randomly through the heavens as though distance itself no longer matters.”
“I asked you a question,” countered Adam firmly. “Are you the Intelligent Designer? Perhaps a higher life form of some sort, like our friend Noah? Is that why all my communications have mysteriously gone dead?”
David laughed heartily and moved the rest of the way closer before bowing politely at the waist and reaching out a friendly hand to clap Adam lightly on his left shoulder. “I might be,” he admitted with yet another amused chuckle. “However, if you are familiar with the content stored within many of those historical texts, then you should already realize that you don’t get to know the answer to that question… not yet anyway.”
“Why not answer me?” inquired Adam curiously. “What could it hurt?”
“If I am who you seem to think I am then I have the right to answer your question however I choose to,” David countered smoothly, smiling wryly. The wrinkles along both sides of his face crinkled in response to his deepening expression. “And if I am not the Intelligent Designer…” he shrugged indifferently. “Perhaps the skeptics are correct and there is no such being. Have you considered that possibility?”
Adam strangely found himself nodding, eager to continue the discussion. “I have thought about this on many occasions throughout my lifetime and remain convinced that there is indeed an Intelligent Designer. Everything started out so simply, just space and matter. Then matter became different kinds of matter along with energy and everything else somehow formed under conditions just perfect enough to permit and support biological life.” He waved a hand in the general direction of the vast darkness surrounding them outside of the ship’s hull. “I sincerely believe that someone originally created the universe and everything in it. But I also believe that evolution has played a large part in shaping life on Earth. There is room for both in my mind. I personally choose to reject the literal interpretation of the ancient writings. I think there is so much more to the story.”
“Exactly right,” David agreed with a firm, satisfied nod of his aged head.
“Whether whoever or whatever started it all still exists or not… that question has remained unanswered since the beginning of… well, since the beginning of everything. Perhaps you can help me resolve the matter since you broached the subject. I cannot fathom why else you would be here, asking me these types of uncomfortable questions.” He shrugged his shoulders indifferently. “Of course, an open mind must leave open the strong possibility that there is no Creator… that everything did evolve over time.”
In his left hand David continued to hold firmly onto his walking stick. With his right he thoughtfully stroked his silver-bearded chin. “I suppose you could be right Adam Roh,” he mused thoughtfully. “Perhaps the abundant, almost limitless biological life scattered throughout this universe developed in the same manner as your technology and starship – by random chance. A bit of lightning here, an unplanned fire there, and slowly over time things began to take shape. Elements of metal no doubt combined during those naturally caused fires to form alloys and – over a period of thousands of years – even perfectly functional electronic circuits could have formed out of sheer random coincidence. Perhaps biological life evolved similarly, beginning with small, single-celled creatures at first that reproduced and grew steadily grew more complex in the same manner… prodded by that same randomness. The process involved would be very similar to the development of the computers you regularly use and the vessels your people fly through space.”
Adam shook his head negatively, knowing that he was being preached to but insistently seeking to present his own point of view anyway. “That seems highly unlikely, since our starships and the electronic devices they carry were very carefully designed and built,” he replied, correcting David’s statement impulsively. Now that he was talking, he couldn’t seem to stop himself. He very much wanted the other man to understand his point of view. “All space vessels require complex planning and meticulous attention to detail in order to build functionality into them and make them capable of supporting biological life while they travel through and explore space. The creation of miniaturized electronics is a very painstaking and delicate process…”
“Exactly!” shouted David triumphantly, pointing the end of his cane at Adam. “The ancient texts from those many cultures that you mentioned earlier may not always be entirely accurate from a historical standpoint, but that is simply because they were recorded by men and women who lived in those early civilizations… prior to the development and understanding of modern science. The people who wrote down their observations in those long ago days did so from a primitive point of view. And yet almost unanimously each and every one of them declares that biological life was created. On your Earth many of those documents state specifically that God created man in his own image.” He paused for a moment, long enough to place a hand alongside Adam’s cheek and feel his soft skin. “If God did inde
ed create man in his own image…”
“…then man should also be able to create life in his own image,” Adam concluded, his expression somewhat amazed by the sudden, illuminating thought. He glanced toward the wizened, elderly gentleman standing in front of him. “Is there in fact an Intelligent Designer?” He asked again, more emphatically this time. “Are you the entity who created this universe, in all of its magnificent detail? Or are we now fulfilling that role?”
“Adam, have you ever really closely studied a giraffe… or a zebra for that matter?” wondered David in response. “Have you ever really taken a solid look at the lions and tigers and bears on Earth? In nature a Bengal tiger admittedly needs unusual markings for camouflage purposes, but only an Intelligent Designer would take it to the next level and also shape those markings so aesthetically and elegantly, like a beautiful painting. Only an Intelligent Designer would give a Cheetah his maximum speed, far more than he needs, so that he would take pride in outrunning all other animals. Only he would choose to create such a vast assortment of differing life forms, some of them ugly, some beautiful. Only he would make some of them dangerous with others completely benign and then combine those traits… sprinkling them among all life forms. Only an Intelligent Designer would bring so much diversity into an incomprehensibly massive, otherwise empty universe.”
“Biological life has properties that metal and wood do not… its various microscopic organisms can interact with each other, especially over long periods of time. This would not even involve your lightning and fire analogy. That which evolves may simply appear to be designed.”
“Every entrée is composed of ingredients. Someone has to supply them. You know: stars, planets, earth, water, fire… those kinds of things. How did the first single-celled life forms come into being without a Designer?”
“Why build up entire species of dinosaurs on Earth, only to simply kill them all off with a massive asteroid strike on the planet? That seems wasteful, or something that simply happens by random chance.”
“Some might call it practice.”
Adam grew suddenly impatient. “What are you trying to tell me?” he demanded suddenly.
“I am asking you to really think about this very important matter and keep an open mind. Have you ever conducted a really thorough examination of the complex, precise DNA patterns that are needed in order to generate the proper shape, appearance, and content of those animals? What about a human being and the sentient mind that shapes each individual into a unique person?” He chuckled gleefully as he watched Adam’s expression constantly shift with his conflicting emotions.
“Talk about your amazing coincidences!” David continued readily. “If your most sophisticated computers and starships cannot achieve sentience naturally, then what in the blazes could make anyone believe that something as complicated as biological life could? The principles of both are exactly the same, even if the composition and ingredients differ. Neural impulses are very similar to the electricity that runs your devices and your brain is essentially a biological version of temporary and permanent memory storage. Are you telling me that – throughout your history – non-believers have continually wasted time advocating theories of random chance and evolution simply because life is biological in nature and not technological?”
“What you say does make sense,” agreed Adam hesitantly. “Skeptics continue to doubt because the mystery of life’s origins have remained unproven. It doesn’t hurt to keep an open mind.” He smiled and waved his hands. “And yet this debate has raged throughout all of human history. There remains no concrete proof either way.”
“Be it technology or biological life, I think that those who advocate the development of such intricate, profound complexity using only theories of evolution and random chance are in fact taking a miraculous leap that borders on the ridiculous. The non-believers would claim that those of faith are setting themselves up for inevitable disappointment. I, however, submit to you that the reverse is true. It is in fact the non-believers who – in the end – are unrealistic and somewhat lacking in clarity of thought.” David's eyes flashed with intensity for a moment before his mood calmed somewhat. “But none of us get to know all of the answers we seek... at least not in this life. And that is how things should be, young man.”
“Suppose there is an Intelligent Designer. Why would he choose not to reveal himself?”
“Perhaps he is no longer around. Perhaps his lifespan, like that of most biological life forms, is a limited one. Maybe he is simply really, really busy moving around between all of those other universe bubbles that your starship helped you discover, constantly adding to his work. Or perhaps… perhaps he simply does not wish to make his presence known once a sentient culture reaches a maturity level and begins to guide itself,” answered David insistently, his expression stern. “It could be that evolution is a large part of the driving force behind the life in this universe, but not what initially created it! Perhaps the Intelligent Designer actually wanted evolution thrown into the mix. Perhaps he wants people to learn from the mistakes they make in life – historically that has always proven to be the very best teacher. And maybe, just maybe, he wants people to look up into the sky and wonder ‘what if’…? Wouldn’t that actually be the best motivator to prod sentient beings into bettering themselves and continuing the expansion of their knowledge base?”
There was a brief pause as Adam’s mind tried to grasp the vast mental picture that David was attempting to create. “We do not discuss this subject enough any longer, back on Earth then or now on Tranquility,” he admitted reluctantly. “There are a variety of different faiths – and many non-believers as well. We individuals usually keep our own beliefs private to respect others around us. To do otherwise all too often risks offending those who are easily provoked by views that differ greatly from their own. The concept of an Intelligent Designer has always been a controversial one. Some remain open minded about such a prospect while others are less so. Many are, and always have been, absolutely militant about such beliefs. They, in large part, are responsible for what happened on Earth.”
“That is indeed too bad,” decided David. “What a gift life is Adam Roh… what a truly remarkable achievement each and every birth has been and continues to be in your world. Especially the newer creations unique to your own race,” the old man chuckled, studying Adam’s square-jawed expression intently. “Take that AI software running in this vessel’s communications computer, for example. To create it, your own brother Thomas worked very long and hard at his task with persistent, loving care. So what in blazes makes you think that the being responsible for the creation of humanoids and other life forms in this universe would feel or act any differently when building a mind of out of the ether?”
“The creation of artificial intelligence does make my brother a kind of God in a small way,” admitted Adam reluctantly. “I would never tell him that, because he’s got a large enough ego already…”
David pulled a small metal object hanging on the end of a long chain out of his pocket and tossed it to Adam. “As long as I’m here, why don’t you have a look at this, too?”
Adam studied the item with interest. It was a silver pocket watch complete with an old-style numbered clock-face, ticking away the seconds in his hand even as the attached chain drooped over the edge of his right hand, hanging loosely. Regardless of where it came from, it was obvious that he was looking at a very old, very valuable antique. “It’s beautiful,” he told David with admiration.
“Do you think that it was constructed by lightning and fire and the passage of time?”
“No. I do not.”
“Then perhaps Adam Roh,” David told him with an obvious, satisfied smile, “you and I may be finally getting somewhere worthwhile.”
“If he does indeed exist, how do we know for certain that there is only one Intelligent Designer? As I have pointed out, beliefs tend to differ considerably among my people on this matter. Nor, I would emphasize yet again, has
there ever been the discovery of any tangible proof.” Adam watched with astonishment as David continued to chuckle with obvious amusement while he responded to the old man’s speculations. Nevertheless, he persisted with his train of thought. “Many Earth cultures believe that there is one true God. That is why I had hoped that you might in fact be Him. Such a discovery would allow all of humanity to finally resolve many of its largest, historically unanswered questions.”
“If you’re going to call me anything when you tell the others about me,” David suggested politely, “please call me the Watchmaker. That name will suffice for the purposes of your mission.”
Adam felt the last of his patience drain away and decided to issue a direct challenge. “Why are you here, visiting with me? Do you have a point to make, or do you wish to continue to debate that which cannot be proven.”
“I am here,” David stated very slowly and deliberately in response, “because I want to make certain that you understand what you are about to do. I want you to consciously realize that a significant number of lives are at stake in this matter, human and otherwise. You need to clear your head for the decisions that lie ahead so that you can make good ones. Addling your brain with pitchers of beer and openly hating the Kuth for what they have done is the wrong way to go about it. You are a role model for those around you.”
“Why would you have any doubts about me in that regard?”
David harrumphed loudly in response, waving the end of his cane at Adam. “How many humans have you killed since you arrived here in the Wasteland?”
“Some. I’ve done my best to carefully limit my use of violent force to actions in defense of my own life.” Truthfully, Adam could not be entirely certain. Throughout most of his journey, he had deliberately chosen to use his wrist weapons only to stun. Admittedly, there were times when the electromagnetic blasts required had been much more powerful. Then there was the incident with the stolen supply ship, which he had deliberately rammed into the starboard side of this vessel. There was no way to tell precisely how many soldiers inadvertently perished during that incident. He sighed heavily and waved his hands helplessly in response. “Some,” he repeated, speaking the words more forcefully this time for added emphasis.
The Pathfinder Trilogy Page 69