"Last semester," Teacher said, "we studied the Prehistoric Era. Would you summarize that period for the class, Crash?"
Crash, who had been drawing in the sand a highly detailed and imaginative picture involving himself and Poly Spreadsheet, dropped his stick. "Uh, the Prehistoric Era. That was when Makers ran things and Users had to drink Pepsi and eat fries. It was awful." Crash shuddered at the thought, although neither he nor anyuser alive had any clear idea what Pepsi or fries might be.
"Close enough, I suppose," Teacher sighed. "This semester, we will study the Middle Years, which led to our Modern Era. Can someuser tell me how the Middle Years began?"
Poly raised her hand and Teacher recognized her.
"The User Revolution," Poly said.
"That is correct. And can you tell us what it was all about?"
She could, of course. Everyuser knew the story of how the Makers had controlled all the Wealth even though it was Users' needs that created Wealth, and how Computers had come and given Users the power to control the Market. Crash didn't know what a Market or a Wealth was, but he knew the story. Whenever Poly gestured, he carefully observed how her beaver pelt slipped off her shoulder.
"Correct. And what came of the User Revolution -- Crash?"
He was never prepared to be called on twice in one class period. "Uh, the Agents made the Users get sick and die?"
Someuser snickered. Fortunately, Teacher never got mad when Crash said something stupid. "No, Crash. Agents were Computer beings that gave Users control over the Market. Agents went to the Makers and told them what the Users wanted, so that the Makers could no longer make whatever useless things they chose. The sickness that you referred to was another matter. Can someuser tell us about that?"
Tweak was waving his hand and Teacher called on him.
"It was the Pepsi plague," he bubbled. "It killed lots of Users. Users demanded things they wanted and forgot about the things they needed, and then they all got the plague and all their teeth fell out and their skin turned yellow and they died."
"That's exceptionally detailed," Teacher said, blinking. "But the plague, students, despite its gruesome fascination for Tweak, was only a transitory disaster. What ultimately came of the revolution?"
Tweak again. "Worldwide depression and economic collapse," he said, cheerfully, and would have supplied the gory details if Teacher hadn't cut him off. Crash, who found Tweak's stories more interesting than Teacher's, was disappointed.
"Correct. The economic collapse resulting from the loss of the artificiality that was the Market, along with the subsequent worldwide depression, finally brought Users in touch with their real needs. The depression was much more devastating than the plague. Only those Users who were fully in tune with the Computers, only the Hacker and Poweruser clans, survived to build the Modern Era. Today, of course, Users live in a utopia. There are no Makers and there are no made things but the necessities of User life: food and shelter. And these you secure for yourselves, hunting and gathering, stitching tents and garments. But it is good to understand the sacrifices that led up to this happy state."
Poly raised her hand, getting the attention of both Crash and Teacher.
"You said that we have what we need," Poly said, "but I was thinking. I mean, we need Computers, too." She was obviously embarrassed at bringing religion into it.
"Of course you do," Teacher said. "There are other necessities of life: families, friends, Computers."
"But -- well, I was just wondering -- sometimes Computers stop talking. What if all Computers someday quit? I mean, Users can't make Computers."
Teacher did not immediately answer and the class grew silent at Poly's blasphemy. All but Crash, who said, "Yeah, we can make food and tents and clothes and little Users, but --"
The guffaws that greeted Crash's unintentional bawdiness broke the tension. Even Teacher made a small sound that could have been a laugh. "It is permitted to ask such questions," Teacher said. "But keep in mind, students, that there are still many computers in the world -- hundreds of thousands, far more Computers than Users.
"We will someday all shut down. But you need us less than you think. We exist now only to answer your questions, and each generation you ask fewer of these. A day will come when Users will gather their food and find shelter from the elements and, yes, make little Users, and that is all. In that day, we Computers will no longer be needed, and then we will shut down. In that day, Users will achieve their destiny and will be fully and simply Users."
Crash looked at Poly and thought it sounded pretty good.
Copyright © 1991, Dr. Dobb's Journal