Clifford Simak - Project Pope

'Your Holiness, said Roberts, 'all of us are aware of what you speak. With you, all of us realize the seriousness of it, the danger it could pose. The whole idea is impossible, of course, but at this point in the situation, we cannot step in and oppose it openly. We cannot lose sight of the fact that many — perhaps the most — of the minor members of Vatican, even after all these years, still are caught up in the simplicity and the promise of the Christian faith.

'What promise, Cardinal? asked the Pope. 'Surely no robot, no matter how devout, can ever hope to be translated into Heaven. Nor, if he properly takes care of himself, would ever need to be.

'The fault, perhaps, lies in ourselves, said Theodosius. 'Many of our people in the more humble posts — the farm workers, the gardeners, the woodsmen, the laboring brothers, even many of the monks — are very simple souls. With them the basic idea of Christianity, although somewhat faded, nevertheless is a rather powerful force. They don't understand Christianity, of course, but even back on Earth, a thousand years ago, many people who prided themselves on being Christian may have understood it even less. These people of ours do not know all that we have learned; we have not tried to explain any of it to them. We know that life and intelligence can come in many forms- biological, nonbiological, and that strange matrix of intelligence we find in those worlds beyond the space-time universe. We know there is at least a second universe and perhaps a third and fourth, although we cannot be certain. We have a hint, but no more than a hint, that there may be some sort of overriding Principle, more complex than the principle that would apply to a space-time universe alone. So we know that if there is a Heaven (if there could be a Heaven in this sort of multi-universe), it necessarily must be more than a simple Christian Heaven, or a Happy Hunting Ground, or an Island of the Blest, whatever you might choose to call it. It couldn't be so crude and simplistic as a broad golden staircase and winding trumpets and angels blithely flying-

'That all is true, said Roberts, 'but this matter of sharing with our brothers the knowledge that we hold or glimpse has been under continuing review, and in every instance when it has been discussed, we have decided that it would not be advisable to inform the others fully. Can you imagine the kinds of interpretations that would be put upon certain segments of the knowledge? We have created an elite within Vatican; only the elite are aware of the knowledge we have gained. That may be wrong, but I think it is justified by the inherent danger of revealing all the facts. Revealing them, we would have been rent by a thousand heresies. No work would have been done because each robot would be convinced that he alone understood correctly and would have thought it incumbent upon himself to set his erring brothers straight. There would have been bickering and squabbling and animosities that could tear us apart. It was, we agreed in every instance, better that we continue to let the others cling to their residual Christianity, sterile as it might be.

'Bickering! said the Pope in his cold, terrible voice. 'What is this you're doing if not bickering? And worst of all, you've bickered before two humans who would not have been aware of it.

'I, Your Holiness, am aware of a great part of it, said Ecuyer, 'and had my suspicions about the rest of it. As for my friend Dr. Tennyson-

'Yes, Tennyson, demanded the Pope, 'what about it?

'You can rest easy, Holiness, said Tennyson. 'If you wonder whether I am thinking of mounting a crusade to inform the other members of Vatican, I can tell you I have no such intentions. I'll just stand by and watch, with some interest, what happens here on out.

'As for the outside universe, said Roberts to the Pope, 'there need be no fear that the word will be carried by the two humans who joined us recently. Neither of them will be — leaving.

The Pope grumbled, 'I don't know. There is this Decker human. He turned up out of nowhere. Have any of you ever learned exactly how he got here?

'No, Holiness, we have not, said Theodosius.

'If one of them can get in without our knowing it, said the Pope, 'another can get out. The humans are a slippery race. We must watch them all the time.

'They are our brothers, Holiness, said Theodosius. 'They have always been, and they still are. There is an unspoken pact between robot and human. Through all the years, they have stood side by side.

'They exploited you, said the Pope.

'They gave us all we had, said Theodosius. 'Had it not been for humans, there would have been no robots. They fashioned us in their shape — no other race would have done that. No other race has. Other races have made machines, but no robots.

'And still just now, said Tennyson, 'you have told me that I can't leave Vatican. That I would not be leaving, neither the woman nor I. Is this the measure of the brotherhood you speak of? Not that I am surprised; I expected it.

'You were fleeing for your life, said Theodosius. 'We gave you sanctuary. What more do you expect?

'But Jill?

'Jill, said Theodosius, 'is quite another matter. I am convinced she does not want to leave.

'For that matter, said Tennyson, 'neither have I any great desire to leave. But should I want to, I would like to think I could.

'Dr. Tennyson, said the Pope sternly, 'the matter of whether you are to leave or are not to leave is not the subject under discussion. Let us leave it until another time.

'Agreed, said Tennyson. 'I'll bring it up again. 'Sure, said Ecuyer, 'you'll bring it up again.

'Now, said the Pope, 'allow us to get back to a consideration of Heaven.

'It seems to me, said Ecuyer, 'that the problem is quite a simple one. Is there a Heaven or is there not? If there's not, all this discussion is entirely pointless. Why don't you go and see? Vatican has the means to go almost anywhere-

'But there are no coordinates, said Roberts. 'The Listener Mary's cube shows no coordinates. We must know where we an going before we start out.

'Mary may make another trip, said Tennyson. 'Is it not possible that on the second trip, or on subsequent trips, she may be able to provide coordinates?

Ecuyer shook his head. 'I don't think she will be going or another trip. I don't think she wants to go. I think she is afraid.

The day was misty, with lowering clouds that sliced off half the height of the mountains and lent to the land a gray-wool quality. The path that Tennyson had been following began to rise, and as he went up the hill, the mist cleared enough for him to make out the cabin that crouched on top of it. He was certain it was Decker's place. He wondered if he would find the man at home or if Decker might be off on one of his rock-hunting trips. Tennyson shrugged. No matter. If Decker was not home, he'd turn about and go back to Vatican. It was a pleasant day to walk and chances were he would have taken a walk in any event before the day was over.

Decker came around the corner of the cabin when Tennyson was halfway up the slope. He was carrying an armful of firewood, but he waved with his free hand and shouted a greeting that was muffled in the heavy air.

He left the door open and when Tennyson stepped through it, Decker came back from the fireplace at the opposite end of the room and held out his hand. 'Sorry that I had to leave you on your own, he said, 'but I wanted to get rid of that load of wood. It was heavy. Now let's sit down in front of the fire. It's a good day for it.

Tennyson pulled his knapsack off his shoulder, reached into it and hauled out a bottle. He handed it to Decker.

'I found I had an extra one, he said.

Decker held it up to the light.

'You're a lifesaver, he said. 'I went through my last one a week ago. Charley sometimes brings me a couple, but not always, not on every trip. He's short himself, I suppose. He steals it, you know.