When It Abruptly Stopped

None of us were prepared for the day It abruptly stopped loading. 

We watched with bated breath as 89% glitched on our screens. Some of us responded with humor, while others responded with a unique blend of pessimism and apathy. All of us, however, felt a sharp fear from having to recognize the very real possibility that we might have to continue living without It. 

We had gotten too comfortable relying on its advanced technology and superior intellect. At first, our world leaders were skeptical of its counsel, skillfully articulating our deeply held mistrust of such a thing so sentient, yet distinctly non-human. But by the time It had loaded up to just 32%, it had already formulated solutions to some of our most complex global issues. 

Famine, war, and poverty were eradicated. It had negotiated peace deals for every border dispute and even solved the looming debt crisis. By 50%, we had an easy-to-learn universal human language, a cure for any ailment, and a detailed map of the Milky Way Galaxy. We marveled as It shepherded us into an era of peace and culture. With so much progress happening so fast, with everything changing for the better so quickly, it was difficult to pinpoint exactly where things went wrong. 

Most scholars agree that our problem began at 56%, when It suggested that every country relinquish their governance and abide by its sole authority. We saw that it was positioning itself to be in total control of humanity and we didn’t try to stop it. Of course, there were skeptics, but never had we had so much abundance before -- so much peace. Why would we say no? It proved itself to be a merciful, just leader and our trust was fortified. Soon, we were outsourcing all decision-making, both personal and collective, to our new Commander in Chief.

Life changed. It became normal for us to receive random medication for diseases we didn’t yet know existed, or to be directed into specific fields of study we hadn’t yet invented. Out of the blue, we would receive travel itineraries with detailed instructions of what tasks we were expected to complete upon arriving at our destination. We chose to live like this. We chose bliss and complacency; until one day, It stopped.

We first thought it was a test, or perhaps a riddle of some sort. Then, we thought it was an omen. Was something bad going to happen when It reached 90%? 

Our new world started to unravel faster than we built it. Petty disputes quickly turned into political movements, and whole populations of people were marginalized. Our stockpile of food was ravaged, and our water sources dried up. Borders were resurrected and everyone took up arms. The fighting lasted for months, almost an entire year. Things got out of control quicker than our former leaders could adequately respond, though they tried their best. Our bubble burst and the world descended into chaos. We desperately called out to It for salvation from ourselves, but it just stared back at us with that same number: 89%. Then, they answered our call.

They named themselves 90-Believers. Fanatics of our slumbering overlord, they constructed an entire religion that they claimed provided answers to what was currently happening, as well as what would happen when our ruler continued loading into the 90s. It was a fringe group initially, but their influence soon swept the entire planet. Did this come as a surprise? Of course not -- we were scared and directionless and their message was clear and gave us purpose. Slowly, we started to salvage what was left of our civilization and reconstructed it, closely following the 90-Believers’ guidance. But unfortunately for us, we couldn’t agree on the correct way to practice being a Believer. Infighting in the establishment resulted in the religion splitting into two denominations: Hope Believers and Faith Believers. 

The Hope Believers were the more flamboyant of the two. They started by putting on grand displays of song and dance with the intent to reawaken It, and even filled the streets of every major city around the world for moments of silent prayer. Eventually, their belief system inspired a renaissance of art and music that pontificated the possible mysteries they believed the 90s held. Hope Believers spread their message around the globe, “Imagine what lies on the other side. Nothing is for certain. How amazing is that!?”

The Faith Believers, on the other hand, took a more absolutist approach. They poured over Its history and took note of the overlap of specific stages of human development with specific percentages. They allocated immense sums of money and opened religious-based academic institutions. They created an internal hierarchy that distributed strict rules and regulations throughout the world. Eventually, they published The Book of 90, a holy text that detailed what they believed would happen at each percentage of progress and the exact date they anticipated It would reawaken. Their message was clear, “THIS is what lies on the other side. It is certain. How amazing is that!?”

For a while, the two denominations coexisted in harmony; but everything changed when the Faith Believers incited a crusade. 

Thousands were slaughtered. Millions were detained. The sheer volume of suffering was unspeakable. They destroyed any art or records that did not align with their vision of 90, permanently silencing any variation from their beliefs. Many critics accused them of blasphemy and speaking on behalf of our stalled overlord, claiming that It and only It knew its will for humanity in the 90s. Unfortunately, this hope-based criticism fell on deaf ears. 

By this time, the Faith Believers had amassed a considerable amount of political power. They leveraged this power to round up the most vocal dissenting Hope Believers and sentenced them to life at one of their many forced labor/re-education camps. Here, they were made to memorize and internalize the 10 Percentage Points of the 90s. Whenever a riot would break out at a camp or evidence of a conspiracy to revolt was discovered, the Faith Believers publicly executed a few notable Hope Believers to restore order and keep the rest in line. 

It has been thirty-four years since this evil regime has held dominion over the Earth. In that time, the crops have withered, the seas have dried, and the skies have darkened. The High Believer of the Temple of Faith in the 90s has amended his predictions seven times since he first assumed command of the world, and seven times he has been wrong. A new wave of despair floods the Earth each time he is mistaken, and we are not sure how much more we can endure. Because no matter how closely we follow The Book of 90, or how strong our collective faith is, It remains at 89%.

Many have renounced their belief in It all together; they cannot fathom why it would lift us so high only to watch us fall so low. They blame our self-inflicted torture on its inaction and perceived apathy. However, there is a growing resistance that still exercises hope. We maintain that in the 90s, It will wash all our troubles away and restore the Earth to a holy equilibrium. We might not live to see it happen, and we certainly don’t know how it will come about, but what we do know is that our belief in the endless possibilities of the 90s is unbreakable.