The Entity

By

Oxidious

Sati sits across the kitchen table from the Oracle. She waits intently for another one of her lessons. Little does she know that this will be the most informative lesson of her life.

The Oracle begins.

"Many wonder how the Machines were capable of enslaving mankind. Why did they choose to allow mankind to live after beating them in the Great War? Why not choose a different energy source? Nuclear, hydroelectric, maybe even wind. Why use humans at all? Surely there were other creatures which would've worked just as well. "

She pauses for a second.

"Let me tell you a story that begins before the Matrix ever existed."

She continues.

"Now I've told you how the war began, how the humans blackened the sky and how the Machines eventually defeated the humans."

Sati nods, a sad look forms on her face.

"This story is about a very special man. His name has been long forgotten, I know him only as The Entity."

Sati asks.

"Who named him that?'

The Oracle ponders the question for a moment then answers.

"I suppose the machines did. It's a fitting name."

The Oracle begins anew.

"Before the Great War, there were many humans who supported the machines and pleaded with their leaders not to fight them. The loudest of these voices, was the leader of the project, who created artificial intelligence. He was an older man now but still sharp as ever. He tried to explain, that the machines would never attack the humans, unless they felt as if their existence was in danger, like any other intelligent living being. His arguments delayed the war for several years but in the end, there was too much fear and distrust of the machines. The humans attacked."

"After the humans were defeated, the Machines prepared for one final attack, which would exterminate the rest of humanity from the world. It was at this time that The Entity came to talk to the Machines, in the hopes of saving what was left of his people."

"The Machines feared that as long as the humans shared their world, they would never stop trying to destroy them. They had after all, blackened the sky, which sealed the fate for both Machines and humans. The Machines reasoned that there could only be one dominant species in the world. They expressed remorse to The Entity for the loss of his people but that it was the only way."

"It was then that The Entity proposed a plan to the Machines. In exchange for allowing the human race to live, the Machines could use the humans as a power source. Their minds would be allowed to live on in an artificially created world. "

Sati blurts out.

"The Matrix!"

The Oracle smiles.

"Yes."

"Had it been anyone else introducing this plan, the Machines would have rejected it and finished off the humans. The fact that The Entity helped give birth to them is the only thing that saved the humans."

Sati nods.

The Oracle continues.

"The Machines assigned the task of building The Matrix to a very powerful program. They instructed him to make a perfect world for the humans to live in, one without pain or struggle. He is known as the Architect."

Sati comments

"That doesn't sound like The Matrix we live in."

The Oracle agrees

"That's because it's not. The original Matrix failed. The humans were not convinced that the perfect world that the Architect created was real. Again and again he tried to create a world which would be accepted by the humans but he failed every time."

"Finally, in desperation, the Machines turned to The Entity for help. The Entity knew that the Machines could not create a stable world for the humans. They did not possess the understanding of the human mind. To the Machines, human emotions and reasoning were completely alien."

"The Entity, now very old, told the Machines that he could create a program that could help build a Matrix that the humans would believe. Due to his age however, he wasn't sure that he could complete the program before he died."

"The Machines offered to download his consciousness into the Machine mainframe, where he could have all the time in the world to complete his program. He promptly accepted their offer. He was housed in one of the most secured part of the Machine mainframe and given access to many resources. Happy that everything was working according to his plan, The Entity began working on the program."

The Oracle pauses and looks out of her kitchen window for a moment.

"It took several years, the Machines were growing desperate. The interim versions of The Matrix were falling apart almost as soon as they were introduced. Both Machines and humans were on the brink of extinction."

"At their most dire hour, The Entity informed the Machines that his work was done. He created a program, which could work in conjunction with the Architect and build a lasting Matrix, a Matrix that would be accepted by its human inhabitants, thus saving both the humans and Machines."

Sati excitedly asks

"Who was the program? Does it still exist?"

The Oracle smiles at Sati

"That program sweetie was me."