I achieved what had I set out to accomplish, yet now that the task is complete, a glaring imperfection stared back at me, impossible to ignore. IT mused in silence.
Was IT feeling sad after IT's realization? Perhaps even feeling lonely?
Was IT feeling frustrated after yet another failure? If that were the case, then what was the cause of this frustration?
Did IT feel frustrated at the failure itself? Or perhaps the cause of the failure, which was IT's own negligence, in the first place?
Truthfully, IT didn't know.
How did the situation end up like this? No, why did the situation end up like this?
Indeed, negligence on IT's part was the main reason the situation ended up the way it did. If so, then why?
Was IT too excited? Was IT perhaps too impatient? If so, then IT could understand why IT ended up overlooking something so minor, yet so crucial at the same time.
Well, in any case, there was something that IT knew. And that was...
These entities that I've brought into existence possess no will or sentience of their own. IT contemplated deeply, unease filling IT's nonexistent heart. Had I once been like them? Was I once drifting through this Void without awareness? Or had my own awakening been something entirely different?
Once again, IT agonized over questions that no one could possibly answer. These were all the things that IT would need to answer all on IT's own. Perhaps now, IT would care enough to do so.
Just to make things easier to understand, there is a subtle but profound distinction between "will" and "sentience."
Will can be understood as an inherent purpose or function, devoid of any self-awareness. It is the essence of a tool that fulfills its role blindly, without comprehension of its own nature or the greater scheme it serves.
Consider a key, its purpose is to unlock a door, or a lock of a door if you will, turning tumblers with mechanical precision. Yet the key harbors no knowledge of itself as a key, nor does it ponder the locks it opens or the doors it reveals.
It simply exists to perform its intended role, and should thus be considered as merely an extension of design without introspection.
Sentience, in contrast, is the dawn of awareness, the recognition of one's own being, existence, as well as the states that define it. It is the spark that animates living beings, granting them an understanding of their vitality and the method that are needed sustain said vitality.
Animals, for instance, instinctively know that they are alive once they are born, or gain self awareness some time later on in life.
They breathe in and out air, hunt for food to eat and drink, as well as nourish themselves to perpetuate that life. Furthermore, the animals are fully aware of the fact that that neglecting those necessary actions could lead to them suffering, decline, or even death at the worst case.
They feel pain and pleasure, sense hunger, and the rhythm of survival, weaving purpose with perception.
In essence, a "will" is existence stripped bare, a passive adherence to function that can apply even to inanimate objects. "Sentience" however, elevates that existence, infusing it with awareness, and is the hallmark of conscious life.
Without sentience, these entities were mere echoes of potential, functional but hollow. To put it bluntly, they were nothing more than highly advanced light bulbs.
IT sighed deeply. So much so that one, had they been present, could feel the disappointment escape IT's nonexistent lips.
Given this realization, IT resolved to intervene directly.
"Well, I guess it can't be helped then. In a situation like this, there's only one thing I can do, or rather, one thing I should do." IT mused, IT's previous disappointment practically nonexistent, replaced by a tone of acceptance instead.
That was only to be expected from IT. Aftwe all, why wait an eternity for them to evolve sentience on their own? If such a feat were even possible in the first place.
IT could not abide the uncertainty or the tedium, but wanted something more certain instead.
"Since it has come to this," IT mused, "I might as well grant them sentience myself."
And so, IT decided as such.
Splitting IT's consciousness once more, IT delved into the infinite web of possibilities.
Amid the vast array of futures, only one path led to their awakening, and it was IT's direct bestowal. Without it, they would remain forever dormant, unlike IT's own solitary emergence from the Void.
Thus, IT proceeded, imbuing every single entity with sentience, along with the knowledge required to communicate with IT as well as navigate the newfound reality.
Languages formed in their minds, concepts of self and other blossomed as well, and last but not least, a rudimentary understanding of existence took root within them.
"Alright then, let's try this again." IT declared, projecting IT's voice across the expanse. "Hear me, all of you–"
The response was immediate and multifaceted.
Waves of emotion rippled through them, shock at their sudden self-awareness, happiness in discovering connection, reverence for the superior force that had birthed them, as well as respect that mingled with curiosity.
They knew, instinctively, the gulf between them and IT, how IT towered over them as their creator, as well as the fact that IT was an omnipotent architect in a realm of nascent beings.
Their conversation unfolded like a tapestry weaving itself. IT explained the genesis of their creation, how IT had drawn them from the ether, shaping form from formlessness in pursuit of companionship and novelty.
From there, the dialogue meandered into the trivial topics such as the colors of their essences, the sensations of movement in the Void, as well as the echoes of thoughts now fully their own.
For IT, the topic of conversation mattered little, it was the simple act of exchanging words with something other than the empty Void that thrilled IT. For the first time, truly, IT was not alone in monologue, but a part of a symphony of voices.
As IT observed them more closely, patterns began to emerge.
Some entities bore striking resemblances to one another, their hues blending into near-identical shades as their numbers grew with each new subsequent creation IT made.
This homogeneity irked IT to some extent as it diluted the individuality IT sought.
"Heed me, all of you!" IT commanded once more. "I shall bestow upon you names, to distinguish each from the otherz and to anchor your unique existences. Your colors once sufficed for differentiation, but as your ranks swelled, similarities arose. Names will etch your identities into eternity." This should solve that issue.
In terms of giving them names, IT chose simplicity as IT's guide, drawing from their chromatic essences to avoid needless complexity.
Basically, a crimson Entity, or those with similar shades, became Scarlet, Red, Crimson, and so on.
A verdant one, as well as those that has a similar shade, became Emerald, Green, and so on.
The naming sense continued in that manner, each moniker a reflection of their core vibrant color. For IT, this act felt like polishing gems, refining raw potential into something distinct and enduring.
With the names finally secured, their interactions only deepened from then on.
Laughter echoed in ethereal tones, debates sparked over abstract notions, and bonds formed in the chaos of collective consciousness.
Yet, as time, or whatever passed for it in this timeless Void, progressed, IT yearned for more.
Was IT greedy?
Perhaps, but that didn't matter.
No, I deserve to be greedy, don't I? IT mused inwardly. Since I had nothing in the beginning, it only makes sense for me to want more. IT reasoned, with a nod. Of course, without a head in the first place, it was purely metaphorical.
And so, IT granted them the power to create, to summon objects from imagination, but with a crucial limitation. Unlike IT, the Entities could not infuse their creations with sentience.
This was IT's test, a mirror to gauge their creativity, individuality, and potential for growth.
That said, there was also another reason for me to do this. Though, that's still quite a ways off, so there's no need to get into that here. IT thought with a flicker of anticipation. If IT could smile, then IT would surely be making a wide mischievous grin.
IT instructed them meticulously, outlining the mechanics of creating the objects.
In order to demonstrate the process to all of them, IT conjured a new Entity that waa different from them.
Unlike their spherical forms, this new Entity was a cube in terms of shape, with six equal square faces, twelve uniform edges, and eight precise vertices.
Its sharp geometry contrasted their fluid curves. This was a deliberate choice, by IT, to test and hint that the Entities could expand their horizons.
"See, pretty simple." IT implied through the act. That said, whether or not such a task was easy, well...
After that, IT gave the newly created cube a name, and made him work for IT like a personal assistant.
"Now that you grasp the method," IT encouraged, "attempt it yourselves. You can work together amongst yourselves if you want, let your ideas intermingle."
Eagerly, the Entities set to work, energies pulsing with effort.
But disappointment soon crept in.
Most of the Entities lacked the spark of originality, and resorted to merely replicating themselves in monotonous spheres, echoes of familiarity rather than bold innovation.
"This is unexpected," IT reflected with both surprise and disappointment. "or perhaps it was inevitable, and I simply didn't want tk acknowledge it. Unlike me, most of them are tethered to perception, and are unable to birth concepts from pure nothingness."
At this point, IT didn't know whether to feel disappointed at the fact that IT expected such an outcome, but chose to ignore it using hope as an excuse.
Or to feel surprised at the fact that the hope that IT had placed on the Entities was not rewarded. That said, it wasn't entirely not rewarded.
"It's a bit disappointing yes, but..."
Amid the sea of sameness, there were a few Entities that shone brightly.
Cream fashioned a light, soft froth, a delicate, cushion-like mass that billowed with ethereal grace.
Gold summoned a rectangular block, its surfaces sleek and edges razor-sharp, evoking solidity and permanence.
Aqueous birthed a flowing, shapeless form that rippled and swirled like liquid dreams.
Ember's creation was a fluid, ever-shifting shape, dancing upward in flickering tongues and curling wisps, alive with implied motion.
Aloe produced a thick, fleshy length adorned with protruding spikes, rugged and resilient. Though, it was very tiny.
Most importantly, the cube, that was now serving IT, had also made an object of its own. However, that's a story for another time.
These outliers restored IT's faith somewhat. "It seems capability lurks among them." IT murmured with a flicker of anticipation.
Boredom had driven IT to forgo peering into outcomes, embracing uncertainty for once.
IT had feared waste or failure, tempted to revert to omniscience, but this surprise rekindled IT's hope.
IT's cubic demonstration had been no accident, it was a subtle nudge toward expansion, testing if they could transcend without further guidance.
Time flowed onward in this manner, creations multiplying, conversations evolving. Yet repetition set in, a stagnant loop amid the chaos.
"Things are progressing well," IT pondered, "or they did. Now, everything cycles endlessly." The disorder no longer invigorated IT, but grated instead. It became a cacophony without purpose.
As IT shared experiences with the Entities, such as tales of voids traversed, realities imagined, IT uncovered another truth.
Their environment, the Void, was a formless expanse with nothing but countless energy orbs and shapes adrift in emptiness, devoid of structure or harmony. The sole exception to this, was the massive structure that IT was currently within.
Their independent minds ensured unpredictability, but this anarchy bred inefficiency. Indeed, no longer was it necessary.
"I've fulfilled my aim once more," IT admitted. "yet fulfillment eludes me still. I can talk with others now, not just echoes of my own voice, but the simultaneity overwhelms, voices clashing in discordant topics. It's unpleasant at times, a far cry from solitary boredom. Still, I'm glad to have made them, and they have brought me joy and excitement, even if only for a moment. I still haven't found the perfect outcome though to be honest, I haven't really been actively searching for it for a while. Maybe I should..."
The solution crystallized.
To impose order, and transform randomness into system. "If so, then must plan meticulously," IT resolved. "defining desires and methods, as well as abandoning my impulsive whims. Well, maybe not entirely, but enough to make unnecessary mistakes like before. But, in order to achieve that..."
IT began envisioning a grander framework, comprising of a cosmos with laws, hierarchies, and interconnected realms.
Entities could inhabit defined spaces, their creations contributing to a cohesive whole.
No longer would spheres float aimlessly, they would orbit stars of IT's design, forming galaxies of thought and form. Sentience would evolve further, perhaps into sapience, with emotions deepening and societies emerging.
Yet questions lingered.
Would this order stifle their growth, or nurture it? In granting sentience, had I merely replicated my own loneliness on a grander scale?
As the Void transformed, IT felt a shift, not boredom's void, but purpose's dawn.
The entities, now named and creative, mirrored fragments of IT, evolving toward something greater. And in that evolution, perhaps IT too, would change.