imported_Sentient Peoples
22-04-2004, 03:52
Sanctuary Construction, Grounds of the Cathedral of Saint Vincent de Paul, Griffin, Commonwealth of Sentient Peoples, FSP
Archbishop Timothy Day watched as the massive beam floated upward towards the arch of the new sanctuary hall, to become part of the bell tower.
The massive new hall would be incorporating the latest in modern technology, but would look like the ancient Gothic cathedrals of Europe, for all it would be half again the size of them. It was replacing the old sanctuary hall, and would hold nearly five thousand people for Mass.
A laser welder flared briefly, out shining the sun for just a moment, and the Archbishop shielded his eyes. He knew there was a huge amount of paper work waiting for him when he returned to his newly constructed office on the far side of the construction area, and not wanting to do it just yet, he would watch the construction a bit more.
They had only started construction two weeks ago, and the sanctuary would be done in another week. Twenty-one days, instead of twenty-one years. This was the last phase of the new construction, for the new rectory, offices, and school had been completed a week before, replete with the most modern of conveniences.
Except for an AI. Day did not know why, but he did not exactly trust the idea. Science said they were sentient, which meant, Day knew, that they were much the same as humans, in the way their minds worked.
Which meant that they had a soul. The Archbishop did not want to make that call. He did not know whether the fully sentient electronic intelligences had souls or not. He had met Cortana, and if he had not known who she was, he would have said she was human. And in the absence of direction from either him or the Vatican, his bishops and priests would not take a position on the issue. In fact, he had issued a quiet statement to stay away from the topic.
But if they were sentient, was using them in the manner they were used slavery? Day did not know. They claimed not, that the EI were given a choice. Day would wait for the new Pope to give him some advice on the issue.
Perhaps he should write a letter asking for guidance. Yes, that would be a good idea. He pulled out his small datapad and tapped in a note. He should probably ask about the Life Len Treatments as well.
Of course, what could he do if the Pope said no to those? Too many of the populous, and indeed, his congregation, had already received them. He shrugged and noted it down as well.
A loud clanging sound diverted his attention back to the construction. One of the large bells was floating upward, and had apparently shaken a little bit. He could see the four workmen around it with paired tractors and pressors, while two anti-grav collars on the bell itself reduced its apparent weight to zero. If the Archbishop had not known any better, he might had thought it magic.
As he watched, the bell seemed to float upward by the will of God. Or maybe not. As the bell settled back down from its jostling, the sun glared off the gleaming brass, and the Archbishop held up his hand to block the light. And he almost missed what happened next. The glare apparently blinded one the men with the pressors on the ground, causing him to divert his gaze, and in the process, shift his aim slightly. The bell jerked hard in its steady rise, and ever so slightly tapped the roof at the base of the bell tower.
With a cascade of failing electronics and overloaded circuits, the anti-grav collar blew out. On its own, that would not have been a problem, for their was a second collar for that very reason.
But that was not the only difficulty. In drifting close enough to collide with the roof, the bell slid out of line of sight of the tractors above it, which were stabilizing its ascent. But the two pressors were still pushing up from below and the slammed the bell into the structure of the tower. The bell’s weight may have been gone, but it still contained a massive amount of momentum.
And with the pressors not yet under control, for less than a second had passed, the huge bell sheared through the support, twisting the entire structure as it did so…
With the scream of tearing metal, the bell tower ripped free of the superstructure of the cathedral. The men with the tractor sets were thrown free, but the were nearly eighty meters off the ground, and their safety lines were attached to the tower itself. They fell just ahead of the bell tower, and as two hundred tons of metal hit the ground, four workmen and the Archbishop of Dor Lomin were turned into so much mangled flesh.
One last thought echoed in Timothy’s mind as he died. "… today you will be with me in paradise."
OOC: Biblical Reference, Luke 23:43, NIV
Archbishop Timothy Day watched as the massive beam floated upward towards the arch of the new sanctuary hall, to become part of the bell tower.
The massive new hall would be incorporating the latest in modern technology, but would look like the ancient Gothic cathedrals of Europe, for all it would be half again the size of them. It was replacing the old sanctuary hall, and would hold nearly five thousand people for Mass.
A laser welder flared briefly, out shining the sun for just a moment, and the Archbishop shielded his eyes. He knew there was a huge amount of paper work waiting for him when he returned to his newly constructed office on the far side of the construction area, and not wanting to do it just yet, he would watch the construction a bit more.
They had only started construction two weeks ago, and the sanctuary would be done in another week. Twenty-one days, instead of twenty-one years. This was the last phase of the new construction, for the new rectory, offices, and school had been completed a week before, replete with the most modern of conveniences.
Except for an AI. Day did not know why, but he did not exactly trust the idea. Science said they were sentient, which meant, Day knew, that they were much the same as humans, in the way their minds worked.
Which meant that they had a soul. The Archbishop did not want to make that call. He did not know whether the fully sentient electronic intelligences had souls or not. He had met Cortana, and if he had not known who she was, he would have said she was human. And in the absence of direction from either him or the Vatican, his bishops and priests would not take a position on the issue. In fact, he had issued a quiet statement to stay away from the topic.
But if they were sentient, was using them in the manner they were used slavery? Day did not know. They claimed not, that the EI were given a choice. Day would wait for the new Pope to give him some advice on the issue.
Perhaps he should write a letter asking for guidance. Yes, that would be a good idea. He pulled out his small datapad and tapped in a note. He should probably ask about the Life Len Treatments as well.
Of course, what could he do if the Pope said no to those? Too many of the populous, and indeed, his congregation, had already received them. He shrugged and noted it down as well.
A loud clanging sound diverted his attention back to the construction. One of the large bells was floating upward, and had apparently shaken a little bit. He could see the four workmen around it with paired tractors and pressors, while two anti-grav collars on the bell itself reduced its apparent weight to zero. If the Archbishop had not known any better, he might had thought it magic.
As he watched, the bell seemed to float upward by the will of God. Or maybe not. As the bell settled back down from its jostling, the sun glared off the gleaming brass, and the Archbishop held up his hand to block the light. And he almost missed what happened next. The glare apparently blinded one the men with the pressors on the ground, causing him to divert his gaze, and in the process, shift his aim slightly. The bell jerked hard in its steady rise, and ever so slightly tapped the roof at the base of the bell tower.
With a cascade of failing electronics and overloaded circuits, the anti-grav collar blew out. On its own, that would not have been a problem, for their was a second collar for that very reason.
But that was not the only difficulty. In drifting close enough to collide with the roof, the bell slid out of line of sight of the tractors above it, which were stabilizing its ascent. But the two pressors were still pushing up from below and the slammed the bell into the structure of the tower. The bell’s weight may have been gone, but it still contained a massive amount of momentum.
And with the pressors not yet under control, for less than a second had passed, the huge bell sheared through the support, twisting the entire structure as it did so…
With the scream of tearing metal, the bell tower ripped free of the superstructure of the cathedral. The men with the tractor sets were thrown free, but the were nearly eighty meters off the ground, and their safety lines were attached to the tower itself. They fell just ahead of the bell tower, and as two hundred tons of metal hit the ground, four workmen and the Archbishop of Dor Lomin were turned into so much mangled flesh.
One last thought echoed in Timothy’s mind as he died. "… today you will be with me in paradise."
OOC: Biblical Reference, Luke 23:43, NIV