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talltoontales · 1 year ago

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- [Pandora's Box] -

PROMPT: A mundane and antiquated sub-agency in the US Government was the 1st to stumble across AGI. An internal investigation determined a press release unnecessary. Unaware of the power they control, 12 bureaucrats are assembled to determine the policy and implementation of their new tool.

PROMPT BY: No-Assistance1503 (Reddit)

STARTED WRITING: 03/26/2024

It’s an empty box room with no doors, windows, or vents. A large disk lowers from the ceiling, splitting into rings that create a dome above the floor. A cylinder then rises from the floor, and twelve boxes shift out from the cylinder, appearing like a table.

Pandora Network: SECURE

Eleven green bars of light begin to appear on the table’s surface as a faint wave of blue light emits from the ceiling rings.

Zeta-Blu: ONLINE Delta-Wit: ONLINE Gamma-Brn: ONLINE Lambda-Gry: ONLINE Theta-Ylw: ONLINE Kappa-Pur: ONLINE Psi-Grn: ONLINE Epsilon-Red: ONLINE Tau-Orn: ONLINE Omicron-Tel: ONLINE Iota-Pnk: ONLINE

Each name displays on the bars of lights as multiple colored orbs appear hovering over the boxes.

Translator: ONLINE. You may begin the discussion.

“Of course, Rho would be late to their own summons,” says Delta. “Disgraceful.”

“Hey, not every day we get to use this thing,” says Omicron. " And if it’s Rho calling, it’s gotta be something interesting?”

“Or another proposition for their ridiculous space military program,” says Iota. “We should be focused on fixing problems here, not antagonizing aliens.”

“Not all of us have great off-planet relations, Iota,” says Kappa. “Some must prepare for the day where we may have to protect our own kind.”

“Who’s fault is that?” asks Iota.

“God bless, not this again,” says Zeta. “I’ll vote to mute the both ya if you keep bringing this up!” A few of the other orbs speak up in agreement. Iota groans as their orb lowers closer to their seat.

Rho-Blk: ONLINE

A black orb appears over the last empty seat, breathing heavily.

“I’m sorry…I’m sorry I’m late,” says Rho. “It’s been nonstop for a while, lost track of time.”

“About damn time,” says Delta. “Why did you summon us?” Rho takes a few deep breaths as the ticking sound of a keyboard plays through his orb. Holographic images of a statue of Shiva, Jesus Christ on the cross, and another statue of Caishen appear at the center of the table.

“You’ve got to be kiddin me,” groans Zeta.

“Over the years, each of our respective government organizations has found objects that resonate with faint traces of, quote, “Godly Essence.” Says Rho. With the press of a button, the Shiva statue turns into a cracked black bead, the cross into a rubber mallet with a wooden handle, and the Caishen statue into a new renminbi coin (Chinese currency). “These objects have been classified as “God Idols” and have been known to grant those who wield them with abilities related to said god.

“Yes, yes, we know all this!” Delta interrupts. “Can we finally move on to why you have called us?!”

“Just making sure we’re on the same page,” says Rho. “Not all of us are experts on all things godly. Speaking of which, Lambda, correct me if I’m wrong. God Idols can only be created from objects that have come in direct contact with gods, their power, or chosen offspring?”

“That is true,” says Lambda. “Their power may also be shared with anything bonded to the God Idol, as we discovered when my people encountered a truck with a Hoplite helmet branded with the mark of Hephaestus welded to the hood.”

“I heard about that,” says Epsilon. “The vehicle was nearly unstoppable.”

“The operative word being nearly,” says Lambda. “Every vehicle needs gas eventually. Apologies, Rho, you may continue.”

“Thanks,” says Rho. “So, can anyone tell me about this God Idol?” An image of a rod appears. It comprises several different metals with circular markings forming a ring around the center. Copies of the rod split off from the original, floating over to the other eleven orbs. The room is mostly silent, save for the quiet mumblings of people talking away from their monitors. Over time, one by one, each of the other orbs returns.

“Could it be an Eldrich or Dimensional God?” asks Theta.

“Impossible,” says Kappa. “The energy is too contained, too controlled. A combination of God Idols?”

“The energy’s too unique,” says Zeta, “and even if it were, God Idols rarely meld, let alone completely.”

“Possibly a New God?” asks Psi.

“Unlikely,” says Iota, “the gods are gossips. Between Lambda, Gamma, and I, we would have heard something long before a New God could create a God Idol.”

“What if a god didn’t create it?” asks Rho. “What if a man did?”

“Rho, while I appreciate you researching existential science,” says Lambda, “but that’s…impossible.”

“Is it?” asks Rho.

“Yes!” says Delta.

“What creates a god?” asks Rho. “An idea, raised by belief, given form by praise, creates a god. Someone desperately wants it to rain, so much so that they cry out to the sky for it to happen, and when it rains, they praise the sky. Thus, Anzar, the God of Rain, is born above Africa, Chaac for the Mayans, and good ole Zeus for the Greeks.”

“A bit oversimplified,” says Iota.

“But not wrong,” says Rho. “So, what if, instead of calling out above, I called out to…Delta. I put all of my faith into the idea that whatever hardship I faced, Delta would save me.”

“You’d be mad and run one of those cults with the poison juice bowl,” says Delta.

“Not if I was right,” says Rho. A holographic screen appears over the table, playing a video of an experiment. Inside a white room, five people are asleep on gurneys with helmets strapped to their heads. The helmets have a few devices on them, as well as empty tubes that connect to the ceiling. In the middle of the room is the God Idol sitting on a pedestal at the center of a ring on the floor.

A bald, pale man in a white jumpsuit walks to the God Idle. Once inside the ring, a glass tube rises from the floor containing the man. The man looks past the camera, nods, and grips the God Idle firmly with both hands. The helmets' devices activate, and a glowing blue liquid flows through the tubes from the ceiling into the helmets. The five subjects’ eyes open, pupils rolling into the back of their heads, their bodies convulsing as they repeat, “Lucas will save me!” frantically.

As the subjects chant faster, an unnatural wind enters the tube with Lucas, whipping around him like a tornado. Lucas struggles to hold onto the God Idol. His knees begin to buckle, and he jerks his body away from the idol at random. Small bolts of electricity begin to jump from the glass tube as the man screams. The subjects' noses begin to bleed, their speech becomes inaudible, and in a flash of light, the video cuts to static.

“The God Idol was found when an unnamed American Government Agency raided a lab, not a cult, a lab outside of Old Forge, New York, at around midnight three weeks ago,” says Rho. “When the men found the room where this footage was shot, they claimed that the room was so cold that they could feel it in their blood, that looking at the God Idol froze them in place. Sound familiar?”

“Death,” says Psi. “But why…”

“Because the idol did its job,” says Rho, “it saved them.” The video rewinds to just before the flash of light. The screen changes the display to a blue tint, showing five glowing white blurs going from each subject toward the God Idol.

“A soul flask?” says Iota, “like that of Pharaoh Anubis’ flail?”

“But all gods respect Death’s vessel and his reapers,” says Psi, “thus no soul should be able to defy Death’s grasp!”

“Unless a god willed it so,” said Delta, “That man wasn’t a god. He was a conduit, a vessel to transfer the Godly Essence from the subjects to the…”

“Artificial God Idol,” says Rho, “or AGI-Krypt, as we’ve been calling it. After thorough testing, we’ve found that the five souls trapped inside are bound completely to whoever wields the AGI. They can enter and leave bodies, communicate telepathically through the idol, and are unable to be taken by Death’s vessel or his reapers.”

“Dear God,” says Zeta. “What about the scientists? What was recovered from the laboratory.”

“Easy,” says Rho, “copies were sent while you looked over the AGI earlier.”

“We must destroy that…abomination!” yells Gamma.

“Whoa!” Rho interjects.

“I agree,” says Lambda, “to defy Death is to resign yourself to a fate even the Eldrich fear.”

“…But what is there to fear of a being that can grasp you?” asks Kappa.

“You cannot be serious?” says Iota. “Not even you would be mad enough to defy Death?!”

“No,” says Kappa, “but as we all know, Death tends to cast his rage as wide as it can reach, and many innocents will be taken in its pursuit of justice. This AGI could prevent unnecessary casualties.”

“This…is true,” says Psi.

“Psi, one such as yourself should know better than…” says Gamma.

“I do, but I am also one of a select few of us who still must pay off the debt my predecessors,” says Psi, “and this could help with that.”

“Besides,” says Epsilon, “Death’s probably already begun its crusade. All we can do now is mitigate the damage.”

“You think using the thing that’s pissing off Death just by existing will mitigate the damage?” asks Omicron, “are you outta ya mind?” The room breaks down into a pile of arguments, save for one member.

“ENOUGH!” yells Zeta. The room quickly falls silent. “I call for a vote. Whichever side wins, we will follow. However, if we do end up using the AGI, those against are allowed to recuse themselves either now or in the future. Are we in agreement?”

“…Aye…”

Voting Commencing…

. . . . . . Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed the story! If you have any comments, critiques, or criticisms, please don't be afraid to let me hear 'em (as long as they're constructive (or funny)). Stay safe, drink water, and be kind to yourself and others. ToonMan, AWAY!

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