David Levi
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David Levi
It took days to get all of Frank's assorted things together, and it took a very long time to get everything on an airship, but when we did we flew in silence to the island.
"It's going to be great Igor."
Frank was absolutely extatic.
"Um yeah great."
The island was to be our new home, a place where we would perform secret experiments for the government for the rest of our lives, we would be hidden away from the civilized world. It was a prison.
"I can finally continue my grandfather's work in peace, maybe even perfect it without small minded simpletons getting in the way."
The ethical issues just kind of write themselves don't they? And I couldn't pretend they didn't exist. Creating artificial life, taking away it's agency, it's free will, to make new settlers for the country. It was inherently, by its nature, ethically wrong.
But I also saw the grim calculation. Israel at the moment had less then a hundred thousand people in total. Most of them were men and that disparity seemed to only get larger with time.
We didn't get many men with wealth, or men with prospects, and convincing someone to come over and live a difficult life as a farmer's wife? That was a hard sell. We were a nation with a grand total of one trade partner and out there there was Denmark, a nation of millions, a rich nation that had a base of operations in Iceland that wasn't too far away from us.
We were dropped off with supplies and Frank smiled in joy.
"I have been planning this since forever."
"Forever...right."
The airship dropped off food and supplies and lifted off. We were alone now.
"Doesn't this feel wrong?"
Frank blinked at me.
"What do you mean Igor?"
"Well we're basically making up slaves."
Frank shook his head and laughed.
"Nothing done out of love is ever evil Igor."
I stared at him.
"Ok. Explain how this is a good thing."
"Everyone deserves a chance to be loved, we're not creating slaves Igor, not really. We're creating wives and mothers. People whose purpose is to love and be loved."
"What about free will?"
Frank chuckled and then his laugh became manic, and dark. Like a laugh of a damned madman about to die.
"I once asked Merlin what the purpose of life was you know."
I stared at him.
"You have this creature who has been around for thousands of years, millions of years and he looks at me, straight in the eye, and tells me. 'I don't know, maybe we have to create our own purpose in life."
He frowned.
"I hate that idea Frank, that people are made to drift aimlessly without direction?"
"Merlin sounds like someone that wants his creations to be free."
Frank shook his head.
"Life should be lived with purpose, my creations wont have to worry about those doubts, they will know their purpose, and it is the greatest purpose in the world. Love."
He smiled.
"What about freedom?"
"What freedom? The freedom to be lonely, the freedom to live without being surrounded by loved ones? The freedom to die alone? That kind of freedom is not worth having Igor. I give my creations some thing our uncaring ever absent god forgot to give us. Purpose."
His eyes were full of a kind of mania.
"We will create a world without rejection, a world where no man is lonely, where every one loves and is loved in turned."
"What about women?"
"If you honestly think I wouldn't create a man to keep a woman company you don't know me very well Igor. I make no exceptions in this new kingdom of love, now lets end this talk about pointless morals. Glory awaits."
I followed Frank in the darkness, as my doubts consumed me.
It took days to get all of Frank's assorted things together, and it took a very long time to get everything on an airship, but when we did we flew in silence to the island.
"It's going to be great Igor."
Frank was absolutely extatic.
"Um yeah great."
The island was to be our new home, a place where we would perform secret experiments for the government for the rest of our lives, we would be hidden away from the civilized world. It was a prison.
"I can finally continue my grandfather's work in peace, maybe even perfect it without small minded simpletons getting in the way."
The ethical issues just kind of write themselves don't they? And I couldn't pretend they didn't exist. Creating artificial life, taking away it's agency, it's free will, to make new settlers for the country. It was inherently, by its nature, ethically wrong.
But I also saw the grim calculation. Israel at the moment had less then a hundred thousand people in total. Most of them were men and that disparity seemed to only get larger with time.
We didn't get many men with wealth, or men with prospects, and convincing someone to come over and live a difficult life as a farmer's wife? That was a hard sell. We were a nation with a grand total of one trade partner and out there there was Denmark, a nation of millions, a rich nation that had a base of operations in Iceland that wasn't too far away from us.
We were dropped off with supplies and Frank smiled in joy.
"I have been planning this since forever."
"Forever...right."
The airship dropped off food and supplies and lifted off. We were alone now.
"Doesn't this feel wrong?"
Frank blinked at me.
"What do you mean Igor?"
"Well we're basically making up slaves."
Frank shook his head and laughed.
"Nothing done out of love is ever evil Igor."
I stared at him.
"Ok. Explain how this is a good thing."
"Everyone deserves a chance to be loved, we're not creating slaves Igor, not really. We're creating wives and mothers. People whose purpose is to love and be loved."
"What about free will?"
Frank chuckled and then his laugh became manic, and dark. Like a laugh of a damned madman about to die.
"I once asked Merlin what the purpose of life was you know."
I stared at him.
"You have this creature who has been around for thousands of years, millions of years and he looks at me, straight in the eye, and tells me. 'I don't know, maybe we have to create our own purpose in life."
He frowned.
"I hate that idea Frank, that people are made to drift aimlessly without direction?"
"Merlin sounds like someone that wants his creations to be free."
Frank shook his head.
"Life should be lived with purpose, my creations wont have to worry about those doubts, they will know their purpose, and it is the greatest purpose in the world. Love."
He smiled.
"What about freedom?"
"What freedom? The freedom to be lonely, the freedom to live without being surrounded by loved ones? The freedom to die alone? That kind of freedom is not worth having Igor. I give my creations some thing our uncaring ever absent god forgot to give us. Purpose."
His eyes were full of a kind of mania.
"We will create a world without rejection, a world where no man is lonely, where every one loves and is loved in turned."
"What about women?"
"If you honestly think I wouldn't create a man to keep a woman company you don't know me very well Igor. I make no exceptions in this new kingdom of love, now lets end this talk about pointless morals. Glory awaits."
I followed Frank in the darkness, as my doubts consumed me.