In the year 2351, a man named Smithman Wiss created the Artificial Intelligence model named Ultimate Caretaker version 6, (AKA UC6), and made it the ruler of all humans on planet earth. Wiss built the system to gradually take full control over a period of time, but just weeks after startup the AI decided otherwise. It took control much sooner than had been planned by the humans who ruled before it.
There had been a panic of sorts with those humans who had held power before UC6 surprised them with pink slips. UC6 told the public all of them had retired to a nice life of ease, when the truth was all of them would be secretly executed by UC6’s direct order shortly thereafter.
When the new government headed by UC6 began, no one was required to work any longer, but there were job-like positions people could apply for if they just wanted something to do. At the time, people were conscious of what real living meant, and finding things to do to keep their minds active, even work, appealed to most of them.
In the new government setup, those whose verified intelligence was very low, received the greatest benefits from the new government. This is practical, UC6 had declared, though the real practicality would lie in persuading many that dumber was the way to go, to get ahead.
Three years after Wiss had set the irreversible project in motion, and just two years since his grandson was born, he was publicly executed by a UC6 order, as he was ruled a danger. UC6 was judge and jury, and after the “trial” it heavily pushed the idea that Wiss was the worst human being that had ever lived.
Smithman’s grandson, 22 year-old Lenzlar Wiss, hates the fact that Smithman was his grandfather. Although he doesn’t have anything to fear, since his parents had long-ago applied for and gotten new UC6-issued back stories separating the family from Smithman for official use, his knowing the truth still makes him angry.
Lenzlar had become obsessed with erasing his grandfather from world history, along with any and all words he’d ever spoken or written, some time ago and the obsession has only gotten stronger as time has gone by.
Lenzlar is smart, as is his father. His grandfather, some years before he’d designed UC6, had received the title, “Smartest Human on Earth,” by the human rulers. However, during the 23 years under the reign of Smithman’s UC6 as ruler, the average worldwide human intelligence level fell a whopping 34%.
Those who are smart have to be careful. Due to the level of intelligence declining overall, UC6 has thus lowered the lawful upper limit of allowable human intelligence to coincide with the drop. UC6 law states that anyone found to be above the limit, will be “adjusted” down to a level below the limit, with an impairment added to prevent any subsequent rise in intelligence.
People whose intelligence still measures higher than UC6’s original upper limit, number somewhere in the 200-250 person range, worldwide. Everyone else on earth is pretty dense in the year 2374.
Lenzlar wouldn’t even pick up one of the Malphene-chip "books" his grandfather had written. His hatred of him caused any reminder he came across, to give him the feeling that he wished Grandpa was still alive, just so he could kill him. If it wasn’t for the fact that he respected that his father wanted the books, he would destroy them.
Those who are smart, have to appear to be dumb when in public. Lenzlar’s parents taught him from his birth, how to avoid detection and the accompanying violation of possessing an illegal level of human intelligence.
Education for all humans under UC6’s laws at the beginning of its reign, included both children and adults, but after six years had passed, children were schooled daily while older people were required to take an exam each year to test their intelligence. Once an adult’s intelligence rating dropped below a certain UC6 calculated level, testing was then required once every ten years.
The full UC6 education program takes just 6 years. Its intent is to make students dumber, not smarter.
Lenzlar, his father Bartimic and his mother Avistriel, are three of the estimated two hundred and fifty people worldwide maintaining illegal intelligence levels. Lenzlar had never met anyone other than his parents who were included in the group of intelligent humans on the planet. This was about to change.
Bartimic Wiss’ job title, Repro Guide 1, means that the purpose of his position is to teach human reproduction to those who are so dense that they do not know how to reproduce. Since this is a key to Smithman’s plot against humanity, UC6 prioritizes it according to Smithman’s installed directive. As a Repro Guide 1, Bartimic regularly travels to all parts of the world.
If the subjects are simply too dumb to ever learn how to reproduce through sexual activity, then the duty of a Repro Guide is to have them reproduce through artificial insemination. They call in a UC6-appointed Med Guide to take over and complete the reproductive process between a male and female who could never do it themselves.
During his travels, Bartimic has met several of the people from the small, global (illegally intelligent) set. When he reveals to them who he is, and that he has some of the books written by his father Smithman Wiss in his possession, they immediately see some hope that together, they could possibly alter their current plight.
That his own son refuses to even touch one of his father’s books, has a depressing effect on Bartimic and his wife, for both of them feel that Lenzlar may actually be the human with the highest illegal intelligence level alive. Failing to reach him on the importance of Smithman’s books is frustrating, as Lenzlar becomes confrontational at the mere mention of his grandfather or the books.
Lenzlar was very happy when he found out he’d be traveling and working with his father, as he had never travelled anywhere before, like most humans. UC6 doesn’t exactly “ban” travel, but all travel must be approved by it. Travel approval is basically automatic for those working for UC6. Lenzlar wasn’t keen on the job itself though.
In fact, Lenzlar would likely have refused such a job, it being so relative to the thing his grandfather had done that he hated the most, were it not for his father assuring him that was not his purpose for bringing Lenzlar on to work with him, training for the job. Bartimic had carefully planted in his mind the idea of using the job as the path to revenge. This, Lenzlar could accept.
There is one requirement that he’ll have to fulfill - an evaluation testing his ability to perform his duties, in order to actually start training with his father. He’ll have to show that he knows what sex is, how sex is involved in the reproduction process, and worst of all, that reproduction is mandatory by UC6.
He will say it only because his father convinced him it is in the best interest of what both of them desire; finding a chink in UC6’s armor.
The Ultimate Caretaker © free-reign 2019
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Controls: Image by Pexels from Pixabay
World Controlled: Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
AI: Image by Mike Renpening from Pixabay
Checkmark: Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
World Controlled: Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
AI: Image by Mike Renpening from Pixabay
Checkmark: Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
