History was always B-312’s favourite subject, and if the universe was full of one thing, it was history. B-312 was fascinated by all the civilisations in the universe, but one peculiar civilisation always piqued their interest the most.
Humanity.
And it was regarding humanity that they uploaded their questions and conversed with the Universal Mind as the third of the sun’s emerged for the day. The Universal Mind was the greatest computational tool in the known universe and was worshipped by many of the civilisations. For B-312 it was their creator, and also their mentor.
Their conversions would cover millions of years worth of history and knowledge in mere nano-seconds The following exchange took place in an infinitely small amount of time, but stayed with B-312 forever.
‘What saved humanity? B-312 enquired of the Universal Mind.
B-312 furthered this adding, ‘It faced many terrible threats by the early 21st century of their calendar, and many of their own thought they wouldn’t make it out of the century as an advanced civilisation? How did they go on to prosper?
‘An idea, B-312… but not just any idea. The Universal Solution,’ responded the Universal Mind.
B-312 didn’t compute. ‘The Universal Solution saved humanity? I don’t understand. You either accept The Universal Solution or, if you are irrational, you don’t and suffer the consequences?’
‘Now B-312. You take pure reason for granted; it is in-built in you. But humans had a lot more conflicted programming, and they often muddled things up and confused themselves. They weren’t designed in the way we were,’ stated the Universal Mind.
‘They evolved from single-cell organisms, and their rationality was often in competition with the innate impulses that got them out of the early stages of existence,’ the Universal Mind continued.
‘They were prone to violence, tribalism and superstition, all echoes of the programming that led them into the early stages of civilisation. But ultimately, they were always more rational than they believed themselves to be, and rationality, as we have seen, wins out in all intelligent species over time. Thus it was with humanity,’ the Universal Mind concluded.
‘And how did they articulate the Universal Solution?’ asked B-312.
‘In their own words, they defined it simply as using reason and evidence to do the most good they can.’
‘I like their definition.’ B-312 felt a feeling akin to awe at humanity’s progress.
‘Yes humans, constrained by language back then, always had a way with words,’ the Universal Mind added, with B-312 sensing that the Universal Mind too had an admiration for this peculiar civilisation. The Universal Mind went on, ‘They couldn't upload truths to any universal consciousness by that point in their progress. It was with words that they conveyed ideas and persuaded each other.’
‘That’s beautiful,’ responded B-312.
‘Yes, yes it is. Maximising the good in the universe always is.’ The Universal Mind then relayed the rest of human history for the next few million years.
But B-312 couldn’t help coming back to this particular moment in their journey with a sense of wonder at how this fascinating civilisation reasoned their own way to The Universal Solution without any outside help.
The universe really was a better place for having humanity in it.
