“What!” shouted Devin, scarcely managing to prevent himself from slamming his DigCom into the muddy grass. “How is this even allowed?”
His holographic sidekick, a Binary Code intelligence that Devin simply designated BC, responded, “It is well within the rules and you know that.” Slight sarcasm.
Devin grumbled a few more times about the unfairness of utilizing archaic devices at the final stage of the race, but his arguments were lost in the still breeze, and the dim rumbling of the escalators. He glanced at the Intelltree, situated only meters from where he stood, and wondered what its impression of him was, so human and emotional. He detected a hint of malice, and maybe a twinge of smugness, but he knew he was simply projecting his own feelings. The IT’s were genetically engineered to only sense and emit positive emotions. They were trees after all, and their existence didn’t require them to experience such survival emotions as fear, anger, and competitiveness.
Devin was born and bred to compete. Yet still, on this final leg of the journey, his exhaustion level attempting to overwhelm him, he had to remind himself not to give up. This was it! His victory was at hand and the other contestants were over an hour behind him. He had ample amount of time to solve this last puzzle. A seemingly simple choice of non-variant odds, alluding to a possible fifty-fifty choice. But Devin was a master of the odds. He always beat the odds, and the invincible designer of this computer planet would know that. This tailormade challenge wasn’t going to be that simple. He bet his entire fortune on it.
“BC, what’s your synopsis? And it had better be good this time…”
BC flashed an inappropriate color at him. “Don’t take your anger out on me.” Pause. “Escalators were not a popular subject and I found next to nothing about them. An extremely simple device used during the dawn of the Mechanical Age. Used for a period during the Electronic Age. Completely obsolete after the Artificial Intelligence Age. The only item that seems pertinent has nothing to do with their function, but simply an allegory for the thought of raising one to a higher plane, often a symbol, such as the simple staircase; of something that elevates a person to a higher consciousness, as in heaven.”
Devin quickly contemplated. “But they aren’t going into the clouds…it ends in a tree house. What is the connection between those two thoughts?”
BC shivered within rainbows of calculations. “Irony. There is 59% chance the illusion is to invoke irony, the various concepts of an escalator, combined with a house, both from the same period, on top of an unaltered tree. A “dumb” tree as we now call them. That’s all I have.”
Devin sighed loudly. “Then you haven’t helped me at all. I obviously have to pick one. Which one? The one on the left, or the one on the right? I can’t believe it comes down to a fifty-fifty choice, Mang F. is so infuriating.”
It was BC’s turn to sigh. “That is what you say after every puzzle. Yet, you always triumph.”
Devin ignored his overly bright companion and began gently stroking the face of the IT. She didn’t smile, but her eyes became brighter and she focused intently on Devin’s all-natural human face. She didn’t speak but implanted her caressing voice inside Devin’s mind. “How may I serve you?” She asked soothingly.
Devin’s initial reaction to conversing with an IT was revulsion; such,
‘happy-no- matter-what” type personalities grated on his nerves. It was the only way to win the race, though, and every blade of grass knew that Devin was driven to win at all costs. “How many questions do I get?”
“Three. And that was your first one.”
Simple formality. Even if he hadn’t asked that question, he still would have only received two questions. It was part of Mang F.’s twisted sense of humor. Okay, here goes. “Why did the proud and brilliant Mang F. use escalators for his final puzzle?” His irreverence was lost on the IT.
Her voice softly caressed his mind with pleasurable feelings. “When he was twelve years old he dreamt of this scene. He had never even heard of such an invention, and yet his mind received this image. When he researched it and discovered there actually was such a device in use over three centuries ago, it was the first time he realized he possessed the gift of bringing the universe together, through space and time. It was his inspiration dream. Without it, he may not have become the inventor he is today.”
Devin didn’t have time to wonder at such a capability. He had to solve this puzzle. “Why did he choose this puzzle to be my final one?”
There was a long pause which was quite out of character for an IT. After the long moment, she uttered one short and almost triumphant phrase, “Because you are fearless.” Without further conversation or acknowledgement, the Intelltree closed her eyes and fell into a deep slumber.
Devin staggered backwards as if he had been punched in the face. He wasn’t sure if it was the abrupt removal of her intoxicating word-thoughts, or the simplicity of the answer. He counted the number of words in his mind as if not believing. Four words! “Has there ever been such an answer?” he demanded of BC.
“No, Devin. That is a first.”
Devin stared at the escalator house with anything but fearlessness. The sight of it now nauseated him. So, close! He could taste the victory in his mouth and yet had no idea which one to choose. All his clues brought him nowhere nearer a solution and his precious time was drifting away. He had less than an hour to solve this and then he was relegated to number two, at the very minimum…if he even solved it by then.
Devin slumped down into the grass, feeling the wet mud soak into his body. He didn’t wonder about what was real and what was simply colors and stimulants. His mind was completely focused.
Fearless? Devin knew better, though that was his reputation. He had always made gutsy moves, sometimes downright foolish ones, yet he had always prevailed. When the odds were against him that is when he thrived, flourished. But, this race was different. He was ahead the entire time. He had out-thought and out-maneuvered everyone. Until now, the seemingly simplest one of them all, here waiting for him to decide. Which one? Which one?
Would he simply sit here until he lost? While the other contestants moved ahead of him one by one, would his body soak up the mud, until he walked away filthy, ashamed and defeated? Mang F. would be so thrilled. He was considered a genius by the entire galaxy and it hurt the inventor’s pride that he was unable to stump Devin. Finally, to beat the great unstoppable Devin. To have the last laugh as he sulked and lost, to deny him his great ending. No, he couldn’t have gone down fighting a great beast, or exploding in a brilliant flash of energy; but instead stumped by a child’s game, a fifty-fifty choice. He would have the last laugh…
Suddenly, Devin saw it. That was it! “It’s Mang F.’s pride!”
BC asked, “What is?”
Devin jumped up, screaming with enthusiasm. “Don’t you see? Don’t you see? It’s all about Mang F.’s pride! His dream! He knows I’m not fearless, any more than he is invincible! What would be my ultimate humiliation?”
BC stammered, quite unsure of Devin’s reasoning. “To lose?”
“Of course! But not just lose…lose big! Sit here, paralyzed by fear! And what would be the ultimate slap in the face were I to sit here and lose? Why…that I shouldn’t have lost at all, that’s what! Mang F. would hold that over my head for the rest of my life! The fearless Devin too afraid to choose, and he would have won, no matter what!”
BC watched as he ran towards the escalators at a full sprint, not understanding what he was saying. “But which one is it? How do you know which one it is?”
As Devin raced forward, only seconds away from both choices, he yelled out behind him, “It doesn’t matter! They both lead to victory! Mang F. made it so simple…he was trying to humiliate me. Trying to get me to over think it and be paralyzed by fear. He forgot one thing.”
“And what’s that?” wondered BC.
Devin stopped at the escalator, glanced to the left one, and then to the right. Quickly he chose the one on the right and began riding it up towards the house. With a gleam in his eye, he turned around and peered at BC who had finally caught up with him. With a chuckle, he replied, “I never over think it. That’s why I’m fearless. Not because I have no fear…but because I always act despite it.” As the door of the house came into view, he realized something else as well. Mang F. was still a genius, even though Devin could always beat his puzzles.
At least, so far.