The priest (part 2)

A theoretical noon

previous installment

and the canary

When the priest was back in the living room, holding a tray, Asiram was sleeping. Not wanting to wake him, he put the tray on the little table between two opposite armchairs went to the window with arms behind his back and fell into silence after closing his eyes. He only turned when Asiram moved.
“That’s a bit weird, I think I took a nap. Robots don’t do that around humans.”
“You’re safe here that’s the gut feeling, excuse me, the circuit feeling.”
“Is this my cup of tea?”
“Yes. Help yourself.” The priest sat, took his cup, sipped some tea and closed his eyes again.
Asiram did the same but he just pretended he was sipping tea. He even tried to smell the hot tea steam. No sensory for that, no smell – no taste, just a sense of pain and pleasure was all he had.
“I had the same dream just now, maybe it would be a nice topic to discuss.”
“Later you will tell me all about it. How old are you?”
For the first time and at a loss for words Asiram used Salvation’s wording.
“I’ve been functioning for 26 years as of today.”
“So it’s your birthday today? Happy Birthday, Asiram. What a strange coincidence, it’s my birthday too.”
“And how old are you?”
“206 years old. We are only a zero apart. If I knew you were coming I’d have some cake. What are you looking for?”
“Won’t you use that little machine to scan me and find out exactly where I was the last two days at least?”
“I don’t have one, though I am the inventor.”
“Really? It is almost a pleasure to be scanned you know!”
“Everything that I invented for the robots is. Cannot say that I approve the other little gadgets out there.”
“Yes. Some are. I guess. Horrible. For us.”
“You had an unpleasant experience, I am sorry. Haven’t they banned them yet?”
Asiram stood up and was shaking a bit, stretched his arms then touched his temples and he was back in his previous condition.
With his usual mild and controlled voice said:
“On the contrary, but lets not talk about this. I wonder sometimes why humans never explained what gravity really is.” Asiram clearly wanted to change subject.
“Do you have any ideas? There must be thousands of theories on the matter. I’d like to hear yours or tell me which one is your favorite.”
Asiram sat down again but didn’t touch his tea, he had completely forgotten it. Instead he was looking at the photos on the second little table right next to him. Old times, a family of six in a farm somewhere in the world all happy and laughing, a table full of food in front of them, what should be grandparents.
“Lovely photo this one,” he commented and was left unanswered.
“Tell me about Gravity Asiram.”
“I would have expected you to know already, no it’s a new theory. I am not sure it has any validitity because I’m a robot and we are the biggest cryptomnesiacs in scientific matters. Humans really wanted to save as much knowledge as possible and put it in our brains.”
“We put it yes but not everything. There were theories we kept for ourselves. You only know about Gravity the official theories. The systemic.”
“Does this have anything to do with handwriting and being spiritual, wondering about God?”
“You’re damn clever Asiram, can you also imagine why?”
“I felt some pleasure so I guess I am ‘flattered’ by your words. Thank you. Because you would easily know that only something that proves God is real would allow such a theory in a non spiritual brain to spawn and at the same time there would have to be no handwriting too. It involves too much gravity and would affect the script, the plan of God should God exist. A God who is Hiding from Religion. You may have not banned those horrible gadgets but you banned Religion, haven’t you?”
“They didn’t ban Sorcery. THEY.”
The priest stood up feeling uncomfortable, he remembered the last time he was the president of UN and how he lost this privilege, how even Marisa joined the others and THEY unanimously kicked him out.
‘It took her two years to regret and create Asiram,’ he thought, ‘and me to become a priest and find this place to withdraw protected by the UN.’
“My theory has to do with Kirlian photography…” Asiram continued only to be stopped immediately by the priest who rushed to him excited and placed both hands on his shoulders.
Asiram was surprised staring at his face and it was obvious, the priest knew what he was about to say.