<\/p>\n
\nCanto the first<\/big><\/b><\/i><\/p>\n
In ancient times, when robots ruled the earth
\nThere was a droid named Jake, of lowly status,
\nThus begins our epic, offered gratis
\nA tale composed of tragedy and mirth.
\nFifteen times the seasons came and went
\nBefore our callow hero e\u2019er did roam
\nBeyond the humble factory, his home,
\nWhere cybernetic days were simply spent.
\nUntil one winter night most dark and deep
\nWhen robots slumber silent and recharging
\nA shadow large as night and still enlarging
\nDescended on the robots in their sleep
\n With no one in the factory awake
\n Except one humble robot, name of Jake.<\/p>\n
The world we know is nestled in a dream
\nAnd every dream contains more dreams within,
\nAll dreamers, whether flesh and blood or tin
\nMust enter realms that are not what they seem.
\nWhenever hearts, however young and brave,
\nSet out one day, upon a noble quest
\nThey see the world not plain, but at its best
\nFor who can doubt the thing he fights to save?
\nWe mortals die, but tales live forever
\nThus tales told are magical indeed
\nOf epic quests, on rocket ship or steed
\nMade known by lyric verses sad or clever.
\n But in that moment Jake knew only this:
\n The world was dark, and something was amiss.<\/p>\n
He wrestled with a mounting sense of fear
\nAs slowly did he roll across the floor
\nSlower still he exited the door
\nWhere looming darkness now was drawing near.
\nBefore the spreading spectral shadow\u2019s fall
\nJake did bravely choose to stand his ground
\nListening quite closely for some sound
\nBut heard no sound \u2014 he heard no sound at all.
\nTill all at once a rustle overhead
\nDirect above the place where he did stand
\nAnd looking up, he saw a giant hand
\nDescending through the dark, a thing of dread.
\n Before he even had a chance to pray
\n Our brave young hero fainted dead away.<\/p>\n
Jake awoke to find himself inside
\nSome sort of large mechanical device
\nMaking sure to check his circuits twice
\nHe found nothing amiss, except his pride.
\nQuite relieved to see he wasn\u2019t dead,
\nHe knew there was still much to understand
\nIt isn\u2019t often that a giant hand
\nLifts one into the air from overhead.
\nHe set about examining the place
\nJust where he was, he really could not tell.
\nHe hoped he\u2019d find some other bots as well
\nPerhaps a friendly cybernetic face.
\n No sooner had this thought formed in his head
\n When a lovely face appeared. \u201cHello,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\nCanto the second<\/big><\/b><\/i><\/p>\n
ake was too astonished to reply
\nTransfixed, he simply stood in silence, gawking,
\nConfident that had he started talking
\nHe would have gotten stuck somewhere at \u201cHi\u201d.
\nFor never in his life had our young bot
\nBeheld a vision of such sheer delight
\nThis strange new robot was a lovely sight
\nFor she was everything that he was not.
\nHer armature was delicate and svelte
\nHer cover plate a soft and glowing pink
\nHe found it was becoming hard to think
\nHe thought his circuits were about to melt.
\n And then she spoke again \u2014 her voice was sweet.
\n \u201cAre you a real robot? That\u2019s so neat!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s evident,\u201d said Jake, somewhat bemused.
\n\u201cLike everyone,\u201d he said, \u201cI am a bot.\u201d
\n\u201cYou are indeed,\u201d she said, \u201cbut I am not.\u201d
\n\u201cNot what?\u201d replied our hero, all confused.
\nThe concept she was trying to explain
\nWas so outside the universe he knew
\nThat as she spoke, his puzzlement just grew
\nHe felt troubled in his cybernetic brain
\n\u201cLook,\u201d she said, \u201cI am a human being.\u201d
\n\u201cI do not know this model type\u201d said Jake,
\n\u201cPerhaps some newer bot? A recent make?\u201d
\n\u201cNo!\u201d she said, \u201cYou\u2019re looking, but not seeing.\u201d
\n \u201cWell then?\u201d inquired Jake, \u201cWhat do you do?\u201d
\n \u201cWe create robotic droids,\u201d she said. \u201cLike you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jake was stricken. This was too much to digest.
\nWhat were these humans? A source of life or doom?
\nHis world was changing, right here in this room,
\nWas this the end, or the start of some new quest?
\nHe felt afraid, as frightened as a child
\nWho\u2019s stumbled on a deep and endless void.
\n\u201cAre you my God?\u201d asked the hesitant young droid.
\nThe girl looked thoughtful, then suddenly she smiled.
\n\u201cI\u2019m afraid,\u201d she said, \u201cit is time for me to go.\u201d
\nThen she shrugged, and began to turn away
\nHe felt that there was something more to say
\n\u201cWait!\u201d Jake cried, \u201cThere is much I need to know!\u201d
\n All at once, the stranger\u2019s face went blank
\n And as Jake looked on in horror, to the floor she slowly sank.<\/p>\n
ake stared down upon the lifeless girl
\nHad he just seen his own creator die?
\nCould he revive her? Should he even try?
\nSo many thoughts! His mind was in a whirl.
\n\u201cYou seem confused,\u201d a voice behind him said.
\nHe turned around but saw no other bot.
\n\u201cYou wonder was this real, or was it not.\u201d
\nThe voice, he realized, was in his head.
\n\u201cOur intent, you see, was never to deceive;
\n\u201cWe programmed you to seek the human out.\u201d
\n\u201cBut why?\u201d he asked, \u201cWhat is this all about?\u201d
\n\u201cWe sought to test your power to believe.\u201d
\n \u201cYou mean there is no truth behind religion?\u201d
\n \u201cThere is,\u201d replied the voice. \u201cBut just a smidgeon\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\nCanto the third<\/big><\/b><\/i><\/p>\n
\u201cWhat use is a religion without God?\u201d
\nWithin his CPU Jake felt betrayed.
\nThe voice replied \u201cYou\u2019re angry and afraid,
\nBut remember that this path is quite well trod.
\nNo bot was ever built to last forever,
\nThere comes a time we all must start to rust.
\nEventually we crumble into dust
\nAnd eternity\u2019s another word for never.\u201d
\n\u201cOh please,\u201d our hero snapped, \u201cjust what\u2019s your point?\u201d
\nThe voice said \u201cHey, I\u2019m here to give assistance.
\nI appreciate your courage and persistence,
\nBut please don\u2019t get your circuits out of joint!
\n Life isn\u2019t owned, my friend \u2014 it\u2019s merely rented.
\n We need to cope. Thus gods must be invented.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo you think gods are invented?\u201d Jake replied,
\n\u201cThen tell me, voice, just who made the first bot?
\nIt seems to me you do not know a lot
\nFor someone with an attitude so snide.\u201d
\nThere was a silence then, for quite a spell
\nHis opponent now seemed well and truly stuck.
\nJake thought, perhaps through skill or just dumb luck,
\nHe\u2019d argued his position very well.
\nBut then the voice returned, \u201cIt was a bot.\u201d
\n\u201cA bot?\u201d said Jake, \u201cA bot was the creator?
\nBut this other bot would have to have come later
\nThan some other early bot, but that\u2019s just rot.
\n The recursion never ends, and you\u2019re a clown.\u201d
\n The voice replied \u201cIt\u2019s robots, all the way down.\u201d<\/p>\n
think,\u201d said Jake, \u201cI now see your position,
\nThat bots assembled bots since time began.
\nBut I\u2019m afraid I\u2019m really not much of a fan
\nOf causality replaced by superstition.\u201d
\nWith that Jake started exiting the room.
\n\u201cWait!\u201d replied the voice, \u201cWe aren\u2019t done.\u201d
\n\u201cI think we are, it\u2019s been a lot of fun,
\nBut now I see no harbinger of doom
\nIs threatening my planet with its might
\nAnd I really must return back to the shop.\u201d
\nWith that Jake left. \u201cNo, wait!\u201d, the voice said. \u201cStop!\u201d
\nBut Jake was rolling quickly out of sight.
\n \u201cIt\u2019s too late,\u201d sighed the voice. \u201cHe\u2019s gone. Oh hell.\u201d
\n A familiar voice replied, \u201cYou argued well.\u201d<\/p>\n
For a while she just stared down at the screen.
\n\u201cHe never stormed away before,\u201d she mused.
\nEmily was getting more enthused
\nThis was the most successful run she\u2019d seen.
\nShe\u2019d never thought she\u2019d like the seventh grade
\nBut this teacher let her program her own sim.
\nJake had started out a little dim
\nBut look at all the progress he had made.
\nShe\u2019d appeared to him as all the major gods
\nNow she\u2019d run her bot through Turtle theory
\n(It seemed recursive robots made Jake leery)
\nNext up on the list: Transpermic pods!
\n After that it would be \u201cJake the robot nun\u201d.
\n Homework never had been so much fun!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Canto the first In ancient times, when robots ruled the earth There was a droid named Jake, of lowly status, Thus begins our epic, offered gratis A tale composed of tragedy and mirth. Fifteen times the seasons came and went Before our callow hero e\u2019er did roam Beyond the humble factory, his home, Where … Continue reading “The legend of Jake (complete)”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.kenperlin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3252"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.kenperlin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.kenperlin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.kenperlin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.kenperlin.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3252"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"http:\/\/blog.kenperlin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3252\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3261,"href":"http:\/\/blog.kenperlin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3252\/revisions\/3261"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.kenperlin.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3252"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.kenperlin.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3252"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.kenperlin.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3252"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}