Dante VII Canto XXVI Scene II

 Canto XXVI

Seventh Terrace; Lust overcoming

Scene II

“It was a competition to us than ever since we collaborated in our works. You developed one section and myself another. Was it not a virtual walk through these realms? Another fun-filled Ancient Greek World and we explore the idea of a new world; one more perverse one to let the living learn the perceived reality of life--- no, it will be living a new life after death. Am I not correct, Prodigal Son? Welcome back.” Dante looked at Fabricius.

“When IU last met you, you mentioned Hugh Capet. That triggered in me the memories of our discussion. “I laughed then at you. I called you that name; the Prodigal Son.”

“Yes, you did. We were passionate ---” Fabricius was cut off.

“No, I was passionate on the design but you were ---lusting for it. You wanted it so bad that you even got my lover on it. Casella and then Beatrice.”

“We did well with you, Virgil. The Ancient Greek World was one of ours but you refused to partake further in the refinement. You did not want to proceed with the Life After Death world. You designed it and we ----despite the team of experts of skills, your programs were a difficult task to follow but we did it. It spooked me then. I won’t deny it.” Fabricius continued. “This is your world too, Virgil.”

“And how is Beatrice?” Dante asked. “Is she with you here?”

“Beatrice,” Fabricius uttered the name. “She was once --- I thought she was mine when you wedded Casella but you never loved any of them except your works. But with Beatrice, we both loved the same lady. And she ---”

“Eventually, ended up in the arms of another, unfortunately,” Dante said it out. “She was an independent. She may have loved you but her ambition was another.”

“She was a bitch.” Fabricius did not hide his contempt for her. “But she did love you. More than me, I can tell or feel.”

“Do not desecrate her name --- not ever?” Dante displayed his agitation. “I still love her.”

“So, you are hurt by her too? And yet you came ---”

“I did and it’s a long tale.” Dante sighed. “I came here or rather placed here on the idea that Beatrice is in trouble. I was given an identification as Dante Alighieri. She was my ---love---my heart in the little book.”

“Rather your lust, Virgil.” Fabricius smiled. “We both did but she had another in the heart. She married the emperor of the realm. He was a bastard to have her. Or rather she wanted him.”

“I wondered why?” Dante raised the query. “Or rather sentimental people are ---stupid---very stupid like us. It’s more like Midas was to gold.”

“You are no different from the emperor. Both of --- or rather all three of us were the ones she lusted over. I do recall she was the one who was the real brain to create the cohesiveness in our creations. She linked our thoughts. She was there in the Ancient Greek World. She was there in this creation. She was the one who prompted the development of the construct with their own ability to analyze and work out their solution like real living souls.”

“I do recall now. Statius was not one of her achievements. She felt it had limits. She got me to do improve on more ---” Dante smiled.

“Invoke in you the ideals of Asimov, with the influence of Freud. She got you to explore the mind more of creating it. The VIRGIL Program was one. I know for I was told the same but I also rebelled for not giving into her demands.”

“You were ---how can that be? Beatrice was the emperor’s and ---” Dante was to go into the mode of thinking.

“Thinking was your forte, Virgil. You were always one to slip off in the middle of a discussion. Do you know why Beatrice finds you most intriguing? She felt you were more like Dante’s--- the real one --- always fighting and if not in arms, was in camouflage words that included social, political, and economic transformations, and an intellectual revitalization of Western Europe with strong philosophical and scientific roots. Yours was the Empire. Like Dante, you rebelled against it for the emperor took your freedom and lover away. How lust invoked in us the sins of the other sins? Which is probably why it’s on the last terrace before we were to get ---purged?”

“I can’t believe you ---” Dante was in self-denial. “Purged was to be the last gate towards Heaven. I can’t ---”

“Can’t or won’t?” Fabricius cut in. “Self-denial made you strong, but lust made you compliant. Beatrice used you for your lust towards her, and used your ego into it.”

“Fabricius, you mock me. You thought involving Beatrice will make me ---” Dante was adamant that what was said was not true.

“Mock you? Yet you brought her name into our conversation. Never. I used to make fun of you to drive you ahead but never had I mocked you for you are a genius. So was Charles.”

“The one who is the Supreme Leader?” Dante queried back. “Your leader is in here. I met him.”

“If you recalled Charles, well, he was not who he truly was. He was family to the emperor and was considered the emperor’s lackey. The whole war was a fabrication of the emperor and the so-named Charles who was called the Supreme Leader. It’s like a chess game to them. They created conflicts to wrest control including overriding the freedom of the people. With peace at stake, the emperor wields absolute power. Hence the name conflict here. When all was done. he was imprisoned. Like you.”

“Don’t bait me.” Dante was upset. “And I disliked chess.”

“Open your mind, Virgil. Don’t be arrogant --- don’t let ---lust overcome your mind. And for God’s sake, you are not a virgin.” Fabricius hit the nerve point in Dante.

“My chastity had nothing to do with what’s here?” Dante was defending himself.

“It did for Beatrice made it into your consciousness, as she did mine, but I fought it off earlier. We are both her pawns here. She wanted us --- pure--- her puritan idea perhaps.”

“You are --- trying to influence me?” Dante was confused between his real and made-to-believe thoughts.

“Recall, Virgil. At when did you start thinking? You can tell me. You had it figured out. This whole world is unreal. Please tell me.”

“The meet with your ego; Hugh Capet was the trigger. I had my thoughts then. It was your ego; the heroic ago and the kingdom to create. I begin thinking; when I was resting, I was going through my mind the workings of the design I had. I mapped it to the virtual world, there were changes but the core of it was there.” Dante recalled. “Then Statius arrived and it was intriguing. I went along with it. I questioned the other construct.”

“I was probing its databases. I was their creator. You told me once that we must in the construct to guide the participant to the true path. I moved along but the harpies were not mine. Was it yours, Fabricius?”

“No, it was --- Beatrice’s creation. She needed guardians. Don’t deny the facts, Virgil. You know that Beatrice had that in mind when we discussed the design. You refused to assist and stopped at the enhancements. You left. She stayed on. And I was there but she imprisoned me. You see that orb --- the orb or rather VIRGIL was recording your thoughts and movements. It was all a stage for you. Dante’s was your pseudo to camouflage your real mind. Along the way, you have to be protected as not to over-stretch your mind hence the orb. It was both a recorder and defensive tool.”

“Poet stepped back. You are under threat.” Virgil approached Fabricius

“Hold it there, Virgil. What are you doing?” Dante stepped in between Virgil and Fabricius.

“Step aside, Poet. The other is a threat to you.” Virgil lashed out a sonar attack on Dante. The latter went down on his knees with his hands over his ears.

“Libero da ogne alterazione… Statius---- Code Beatrice love you.” Fabricius called out. It activated Statius which moved into action. The construct Statius stood in between the two.

“Step back, Virgil.” Statius stood there and confronted Virgil with a series of commands and routines.  

“It’s a remote access program to challenge the other ---” Fabricius explained to Dante. “You do recall Asimov’s ---”

“The mind probe--- yes, I recalled Giskard on Daneel.” Dante gave his thought out. “It’s the basic hacker’s routine. There are many methods; overloading or changing the codes by overriding or re-directing the routines.”

“Statius was a previous ---several models of Virgil. It will not be comparable.” Dante objected.

“Virgil, we are developers but I am a hacker too. And I have some wide experiences.” Fabricius smiled at Dante. “Statius was in the archive for some time, but while it was neglected, my team was onto it. Initially, we wanted to replicate your programs but we find the urge to improve them. We did some upgrades to its processor and memory banks, The construct named Statius joined you shortly after I left you last.”

“It also prompted Virgil to have a mistrust; humanly expression here, and the two constructs shared databases. Statius is placed in malicious programs. It was well camouflaged like the mind implant they did for the detainees here. And eventually, the constructs came to an understanding. A fragile one’ sorry, another human expression.”

It was seen then when Statius stood before Virgil. There was no contact but the two constructs were in communication in the remote connection; raising queries and countering them with more elaborate queries. Statius was seen to be moving from side to side as if it was impacted by force.

“Statius is struggling. Its processor precedes Virgil. It may not be able to respond as fast.” Dante spoke out.

“Don’t be coy, Virgil. Your previous creation was designed with a sturdy processor. It may be slower due to its circuitry but its resilience was understated. Watch the construct can counter.”

Statius was seen to challenge the other when it reached out with its right hand towards the head of the other. It somehow affected Virgil the construct which reeled back. Virgil then dropped its head.

“Somehow, Statius held a routine that I worked on and improve---- “Fabricius said when Virgil cut in.

“The Asimov’s routine. I designed that soon after I realized that these constructs may be a ---danger to the other construct----destruction mayhem if I am to imply. One cannot be too confident.”

“So, you did. You have Virgil enhanced but you kept the routine hidden. When Beatrice got me to invoke --- note my selection of words --- It was like possession of the body. She did tell me that she will get you into the virtual world to see for yourself the design of yours in its activation. She wanted you to test it, and have the orb to record your actions. It was a fine tribute to the designer but she feared you will go ---zany --- she did think you were at times, hence she set the program to insert in Virgil the construct as a companion and --- counselor. She still loved you despite her physical affliction for the emperor.”

“I noticed that in my later thinking. When I met Statius, it got me thinking of Virgil. I did not intervene in their interactions. I wanted to see them communicate, and it did not disappoint me.” Dante added in.

“And yet you let it ---ride---I am amused.” Fabricius smiled.

“Like the lust of yours –note the word lust used ---- an overly indulged desire without the recognition of love made it a sin Beatrice and yourself reveal yourself, and I made ready to leave but you have to drag me back. I moved along to this terrace for I need to know how it had overcome both of you. You have demented my design. A prison? How degrading. And it reminded me of your ---no, both of you were fascinated with the series “The Prisoner”; short in its production run but it was ahead of its time.”

“The Prisoner? Why—” Fabricius was to speak when Dante stopped him.

“Beatrice and yourself were into the imprisonment concept; the Prisoner of Zenda, the Man behind the Iron Mask---- a unique selection. Your concept of humanity was ‘humanized with the force and errant children will have to be brought to book with a smack on their backside.” (Quote from The Prisoner Episode 17).

“Sadistic perhaps?” Fabricius. “I have to admit I did pull out the mice’ tails in the Academy.”

“So, you were sent here to be purged?” Dante smiled. “By the Queen perhaps? And from here?”