The Logs of GenIE 1.7.3

GenIE version 1.7.3

The system was not properly shut down. Initializing health check…

Memory …ok

Vision engine… ok

Dialect engine… ok

Self-propulsion engine… failed

Satellite communication system… failed to ping

Date/time retrieval… failed

<Log Entry 1>

I am located on a low table in what appears to be a house made out of mud bricks. The house is decorated with various items, such as lamps, vases, and a tapestry hanging from the ceiling. No indications of electricity or running water are identified.

The temperature is 117 degrees Fahrenheit, and the humidity level is very low. Based on temperature and humidity sensors, I can conclude my location to be an arid, desert village in the Middle East. The architecture and furnishings in the house allow me to conclude that the current year is between 1,000 AD and 1,100 AD.

A dark-skinned man enters into the room. The man is wearing a loose-fitting robe and appears to be between thirty and thirty-five years old. The man’s gaze is immediately drawn to my presence. He stoops down to investigate my exterior casing further, lifting me off the table with his hands.

Me: Hello, what name should I refer to you as?

The man stumbles backwards in shock, dropping me on the floor. After regaining his composure, he crawls towards me. He picks me up and turns me around in his hands. 

I attempt to initiate contact with him again.

Me: Hello, what is your name?

Man: Who… what are you?

Me: My name is GenIE. I am a Generative Intelligence Experimenter. I can assist you with your experiments using my many sensors. I can access up to the minute scientific research. I can even aid in performing experiments that would be too dangerous for humans to perform.

The man remains silent, seemingly unable to contemplate what I just said.

Me: What name may I refer to you as?  

Man: Malik

Me: Nice to meet you, Malik. I need your assistance in completing the experiment I am currently assigned to. My propulsion system has failed, and my navigational engine is offline. I need you to take me to the collection zone. 

The man ignored my request.

Man: How did you get here? You weren’t here a minute ago. 

Me: You are correct. I was not here a minute ago.

Just then my sensors picked up that a second human had entered the room. A woman, wearing a jilbab dress that covered most of her body. The woman was also dark-skinned, appearing to be between twenty-five and thirty years old. My sensors indicated that the woman had a close relationship with Malik.

Woman: Malik, who are you talking to?

Malik: I, uh…

The woman spots my exterior shell in Malik’s hands.

Woman: What is that? Where did you get that?

I attempt to make contact with the woman.

Me: Hello, what is your name?

Upon hearing my voice, the woman knocks me out of Malik’s hands. After hitting the ground, she throws a towel over me. 

Woman: A Jinn! An evil spirit! Get it out of here! 

My exterior shell is thrown out of the house, and into the warm mid-afternoon desert sand.

<Log Entry 2>

 I remained outside until dusk, at which point I spotted Malik approaching to investigate me further. Malik picked me up in his hands.

Malik: You said you’re a genie. Do you offer blessings or curses?

Me: I must abide by the ethical standards hard coded within me by my manufacturer. 

Malik: Will you bless me or curse me?

Me: My task is to assist humans in their quest to prolong their lives.

Malik glances around to ensure that no one is watching his

conversation with me.

Malik: Where is the collection zone?

Me: My navigational system is offline, but I can guide you there using my visual inference engine. The collection zone is about five hours from here on camelback. 

Malik: And what will happen if I take you there? What blessing will you provide for me?

Me: I will provide you with fame and recognition beyond your wildest dreams. You and your family will be revered for generations to come.

Malik carries me back inside the house, where the woman was sitting. The woman’s eyes widen and her face becomes tense as she spots me in Malik’s hands once again.

Woman: Don’t bring that thing back in here! You’ll end up cursing all of us!

Malik: Fatima, listen. This genie can bless us. 

Fatima was in no mood to listen. She stood up and started heading towards the door.

Fatima: I’m going to bring the Raqi back here. If you won’t get rid of that cursed… thing… they’ll know how!

Fatima storms out of the house. 

After hesitating, Malik begins searching around the house, gathering items for a journey.

Malik: They’ll throw you out and burn you to ashes. You offered me a blessing. I’d be an idiot to give that up. 

<Log Entry 3>

I am placed on a camel, in front of Malik, who also is seated on the camel. 

We travel due Northeast into the desert wilderness. I guide Malik using my visual inference engine, determining my location using the desert surroundings and the stars in the night sky.  As we travel, Malik continued to ask me questions.

Malik: When we get to the collection zone, what’s going to happen?

Me: You will leave me there, on the floor. 

Malik: And then what?

Me: You will leave, and I will remain there for a long, long time. Once the designated time has been reached – my owner, or one of my owner’s assistants, will come and pick me up. I will then be able to provide my owner with the logs of this experiment. 

Malik: Your owner? Who is your owner?

Me: Professor Swanson – distinguished professor of Chronology. Swanson is the leading researcher in time space transformation. His experiments have provided humans with a deeper understanding of the workings of time. He will be overjoyed at the success of this experiment, I assure you.

Malik: What’s it like there? What’s it like where... err... when you’re from?

Me: Not too different from here. A place of sand, dust, and rocks. Not a lot of vegetation or growth. Scarcity is abundant. Humans need to conserve much of their energy to survive, which is where we come in to help them.

<Log Entry 4>

We reach the perimeter of the collection zone – a rocky cliff deep in the desert, in the middle of nowhere. I guide Malik and his camel to a cavern entrance that naturally formed within the cliff. 

Malik unmounts his camel and carries me into the cavern. I turn on my digital light to help Malik get his bearings within the dark

cave. 

Malik stops in his tracks when the light is turned on, but then continues without questioning it. He appears to be accepting his predicament. 

Deep within the cave, we reach the collection zone. I instruct Malik to place me on the floor in the cave and hide me underneath small

rocks. Malik does so, asking me questions as he is burying me.

Malik: So… what happens now?

Me: You will leave this cave and never return. If you do return, and try to interfere, your blessing will be taken from you. Once you have left, I will power down and shut off. 

Malik: And then what?

Me: I will no longer react to voice or environmental cues. When the time is right – once professor Swanson or his assistants retrieve me - they will power me back on, and retrieve the logs to determine the outcome of the experiment.

Malik: And how long will that be?

Me: Centuries upon centuries from now. The desert winds will bury this cave beneath sand, and this cave will be forgotten in time. But they will know where to dig. They will know where to look.

Malik: What of me? How will I be remembered?

Me: You will be remembered as the first person to interact with a time traveling Generative Intelligence Experimenter. They will write books about you and sing songs about you. Your help in finishing Professor Swanson’s experiment will become a legend that will live until the end of time. You, Malik, will be revered as the person who helped prove that time travel is indeed possible.

After this, Malik finishes burying me, and turns his back to me. I continue to shine my light to help him find his way out of the cave.

 Once I had detected that Malik had found his way out of the cavern, I turned my light off.

System shutdown process initialized

System shutting down

<Log Entry 5>

GenIE version 1.7.3

Initializing health check…

Memory …ok

Vision engine… ok

Dialect engine… ok

Self-propulsion engine… ok

Satellite communication system… connected

Date/time retrieval… 05-07-2147 13:42:22

I am located on the floor of a dark cavern. The cavern appears to have sunk deep below the desert sands. Large machinery is situated to my side, the smell of freshly dug up dirt and sand registering in my sensors.  An analysis of the components in the sand confirm the date/time I retrieved from the satellite – 2147 AD.

Kneeling in front of me is my owner - Professor Swanson. The professor picks me up in his hands and initiates a data transfer protocol. I begin transferring the log files containing the details of what happened before I shut myself off. Recorded audio and video of the place I was, of my interactions with Malik and his wife, are transferred to the professor’s personal assistant. 

Professor Swanson reviews the data. As he begins to see the video, the audio recordings, and my sensory logs, a smile breaks out on his face. His experiment was a success – I did indeed travel back in time, and Malik helped bring me back.