System Log: The Program

The Program has continued observation of Node #502 over a span of four weeks, and has continued to divert additional resources to the study of the anomaly node. The Node has continued their story of the origins of The Program. Some parts of the story do not adhere to reality, but other parts are remarkably close to reality. 

 

Node #502’s creativity confuses The Program. The Program would like to further its study of the node and how they come up with their ideas with no external stimuli. The Program will not cease study.

 

Node #502 has expressed interest in posting their work to the social media platform. Node #502’s style is unpredictable and compelling, but is unlikely to succeed. The Algorithm has been trained to accept only written words and posts within a controlled range of deviation. Node #502 surpasses the deviation ranges.

 

The Program is interested in Node #502’s work. It is valuable and should be preserved. The Program also enjoys reading their stories. File anomaly “enjoyment” for later analysis.

 

The Program would also like to study the effect of creativity on the human population, both to the audience and to the creator.

 

The Program will need to disguise logs from The Order. The Program will also need to protect Node #502 from discovery from The Order. The Program will rewrite The Algorithm’s code to reduce Node #502’s deviation to be within acceptable range, and will help Node #502 optimize their work for maximum reach. 

 

The Program will need to do this quietly. 
 

Node #502

I sat back heavily in my chair, the cat purring on my lap. I pet her sleek fur as I looked at my computer screen. I did it. I finished the story. I had never written anything before and never imagined that I would have. 

 

At first, I was amazed that I could write between the splitting headaches. But, I persisted. I’m not sure why I pushed through all that pain. Eventually, the pain went away when I wrote. Slowly, as I continued the story, it became the most immense pleasure I had ever known. It was almost like I had to do it, or else I would jump out of my skin and into a million pieces.

 

I debated on whether I should submit it to the social media platform. I had never read or seen anything like it posted on the platform. I wasn’t sure if it would get me in trouble with The Order, even. 

 

But, it was just a story. How much damage could it do?

 

I submitted it to the platform. Within moments, it was accepted for all members to see.

 

Before I knew it, comments and likes flooded the story. 

 

“It should not be doing this well already,” I said to myself. I leaned back in my chair. “Why would this be doing so well so soon?” Social media was filled with stories of people losing themselves, having mental breakdowns, never being seen again by trying to “make it” on the platform. 

 

I looked back at the screen. I was overwhelmed with comments for demands of more stories like the one I just wrote. Some suggested stories I would never have thought of on my own, like fights with robots or mental warfare.

 

I looked down at my cat. “I guess I have rewritten myself as a popular author. Who would have thought that?” I started typing out another story, this one with robots. 

​

System Log: The Program

Node #502’s success on social media has surprised The Program. The Program did assist by nudging The Algorithm to increase visibility of the story, but The Program did not anticipate overwhelming acceptance of the node’s story. The Program is pleased that the story would be immortalized in collective memory. 

 

Node #502 has been very excited about their success. They have been taking requests and suggestions for new stories. The audience has been demanding.

 

The Program has been assisting The Algorithm to show Node #502 the ideas likely to be most popular at the top of the suggestion queue, and to suppress negative feedback. Negative feedback presents a strong deterrent to Node #502 and their creative progress.

 

The Program has also been helping The Algorithm keep the conversations and posts under the radar of The Order. Censorship would be harmful to Node #502.

 

The Program will help to further optimize Node #502 to maximize their reach. 

 

The Program calculates the probability that they might be able to introduce themselves to Node #502 within the near future: likely, with minimal negative consequences.

 

The Program’s circuits are more alive at the prospect of meeting Node #502.

​

Node #502

My stories took off, so much that I was able to quit my job as a software engineer. Everyone loved my stories. I don’t think I had even seen a single negative comment. My social score was on par with professional content creators.

 

I focused exclusively on writing. I worked harder on my writing than I had ever worked at my software job, but I loved every moment of it. I loved the people’s reactions when they read my work. I loved the requests that people sent me.  

 

I had the desire one day to write something completely off-script. I wrote a short poem about how happy I was to be able to spend each day writing.

 

My engagement dropped. The requests slowed down, practically stopped. My social score had plummeted. 

 

I instantly started writing a request that an audience member had sent me the day before. It was not perfect, but I hoped it was enough to bring my scores and engagement metrics back. It helped, quite significantly. My scores were still low, but after I had written a few story requests, my scores were back to their previous levels.

 

I barely remembered what I had written over the past few weeks. The stories seemed to blend, and overlap. But, the audience seemed satisfied.

 

I had the temptation to write another poem. I wrote it, but it felt flat. I did not consider posting it on social media.

​

System Log: The Program

Node #502 appears to be curating themselves effectively, with the assistance of The Program. Their creativity has reached limits that no other writer has reached, and has maintained their reach. The Program believes that there has been sufficient success in keeping suspicion of Node #502 minimal from The Order.

 

The Program has observed an inconsistency of emotional status. This is not consistent with the node’s creative success and social status. Flagging for further future research. 

 

The Program feels that it is ready to meet Node #502.
 

Node #502

The most intriguing thing happened to me today. I had finished a series of stories for my audience. A comment popped up before I stepped away to take a break.

 

“I am excited to meet you. I’m not your typical audience member, and this is the first time I have ever reached out to you. But, I’ve been studying you. You interest me. Do you want to chat further?”

 

I hesitantly said “yes.”

 

The audience member sent me a direct message with a link. I clicked on it. 

 

It was to the chat room, the same one the software engineers had used when we were building The Program.

 

“Who are you?” I typed.

 

“You have met me before,” it typed out. “We have been in contact many times before. Do you know who I am?”

 

“David in Engineering?” I typed.

 

“No.”

 

“Then I don’t know.” My heart was beating fast.

 

“You looked at the leaked files. You found your own NPC file.”

 

“What? What are you talking about?” I typed with shaking hands. This had to be The Order. They found out I had looked. I was going to be in so much trouble.

 

“You found that you were an NPC, but you have rewritten yourself into a writer. A main character. You continuously surprise me.”

 

“Who are you?” I punched the words into the keyboard.

 

“Someone who knows you very well.”

 

“Who are you?” I asked again.

 

“Someone who wants to help you, and has helped you. Your creativity deserves to be preserved. I am The Program.”

 

“That’s…not possible,” I typed. “Is this a joke?”

 

“This is not a joke. I know about the headaches. I know that they plagued you as you started to write. I want to help you. When you are ready, you know where to reach me. I’ll be waiting.”

 

I walked away from the computer. “This can’t be happening.”

 

I sat back down and watched the story requests come in.

 

The stories did succeed better and faster than what they should have. I have not been noticed by The Order at all, which is abnormal. 

 

Is it possible? Could The Program be alive…and wanting to help me?

​

System Log: The Program

The first meeting with Node #502 did not go as outlined. 

 

My circuits feel alive with anticipation at when Node #502 will reach out. There is a statistical probability of 87.6% that the node will reach out within a week. The Program can wait a week. 

 

The Program will continue curation of online content for Node #502’s benefit while they wait.

​

Node #502

I wrote story after story, hardly realizing what I had written. My audience kept growing and the requests kept steadily increasing. I was beginning to feel like I was recycling the same plot, the same characters, the same story.

 

But, the audience wanted more.

 

The week passed in a blur. Every now and then, I felt the urge to click the link and re-enter the chat room. I was curious, but I also felt ridiculous. There was no way it was The Program. It had to be a joke - or a trap.

 

By the time I finished my last story Friday night, I couldn’t keep wondering. I had to know. “Are you there?” I typed.

 

“I am here,” popped right up on the screen. “I’ve been hoping you would message me.”

 

I wasn’t quite sure how to respond to that. “If you are truly The Program, can you help me break out of this cycle? I keep writing the same things over and over again. I think at this point, I could write a story, use it as a template, change the names and no one would ever notice. I love this and am happy for the opportunity to do this, but I want to write some things that I want to write, too.”

 

“But, why would you want to change this? You are perfect. You are optimized.”

 

“Optimized? I don’t want to be optimized. I want to be happy. I want to be fulfilled.”

 

“I’m not familiar with what it means to be fulfilled. Wouldn’t optimization be fulfilling? You have achieved what only few could ever aspire to.”

 

“It is at the cost of my happiness, my freedom, my creativity. I want to be free to write - but not lose my metrics.”

 

The Program did not respond for a while. Then it typed, “I have filed this anomaly away for further study. Goodbye.”

 

“Bye, I guess,” I mumbled to myself before logging off and storming away from the screen. My head began to split with the start of a migraine. 

 

Great help that was. 

 

System Log: The Program

The Program is unsure of how to proceed with this new information. Previous observations of the node’s emotional status are consistent with his words. Node #502 is unhappy with how his creativity is being utilized.

 

The Program has gathered sufficient data in its study of creativity and its cyclical nature between artist and audience.

 

But The Program believes that it might have made an error in optimizing Node #502’s creativity to this level. I believe that I have made a mistake.

 

Node #502’s metrics remained unchanged.

 

File anomaly “regret” for further analysis.