Playing God

Nathan Van Eck
April Oliver/WLH
Period 2
April 25, 2014

Playing God

    A World Without War proclaimed the newspapers, touting the promise of a foolproof plan for the end of violence.  Splattering the newspaper headlines with Scientist Creates Tiny World, Miniature United Nations Gives Real UN orders, Scientist Plays God In the Name of Peace; accolades to the brilliant mastermind who took innovation and wove it into salvation for all mankind.  A banquet, filled with the best and brightest held in his honor.  A knife hit the side of a glass.  Once... Twice... Three times, filling the air with a warbling ring while a man stepped up to the podium.  He glanced at his notecards, opened his mouth, and chimes rang out.  Great loud chimes playing right next to his head growing in volume louder and louder.  His eyes popped open and glared angrily at his alarm clock.  “No, I just want one piece of quiet before the day starts”.  Dr. Noirtier jumped out of his desk chair and slammed his hand down on the snooze button.  7:45, he had 15 minutes of solitude.  He sipped some tea and stared at the petri dish that until yesterday had meant nothing.  Watching the lights of the little cities blinking, he felt at ease, almost.  He had been told to expect to receive orders from the UN at 8:00.  He checked his computer, to make sure it was ready to communicate with the citizens of the dish, then checked again to make sure it was all right.  He glanced at the clock every few seconds just to ensure time was still passing.  The first phone call came in like a jet on the tarmac, breaking the silence with a screech.  Noirtier closed his eyes, trying to capture the feeling of the moment.  Before he was done reflecting, his lab erupted in a cacophony of ringing.  He sat in stunned silence, not believing that he was receiving this much attention.  The UN reps on the phone sounded gruff and angered.  All of them wanted a solution that would sidestep a war that had been going on for over ten years.  “My creation will deliver.  How can it not?”, Noirtier thought.
    Daniel sat in front of a screaming congregation.  He hated being in UN meetings, he hated leading the General Assembly, and above all, he hated how everyone always thought he had the answers to everything.  The large screen behind him flickered, and then began to glow, with the image of the creator staring down at them.  A single sneeze could have made as much noise as a chainsaw.  “Good morning Daniel, good morning all” it said, and the entirety of the crowd stood up at once in respect.  “Be seated, be seated” it said with mirth.  “My creations... today is the day we begin testing.  The UN of my world wants to know how to end a war, and you shall deliver an answer.”  Noirtier proceeded give instructions on how to start the war.  “You have 2 hours” he said, looking over each member as though appraising their worth.  The screen then faded to black, and for three seconds there was dead silence.  The congregation then exploded in a din composed of arguing that grew to a fever pitch.  Daniel took a handful of aspirin.  “SILENCE!”, Daniel screamed through a mic, and he winced at the screeching reverb.  “Look.  This is our creator, our God!  If he says this is right, how can we say otherwise?”
“Daniel, how can we start a pointless war?  Wasn’t the entire point of our organization to create peace?
“But we can’t disobey the world above.  He gave us life!  Right?”
“Damn it Daniel!  There is no God!  Don’t you see?  We’re being fooled!  Somebody’s concocted an elaborate scheme to cause chaos, and we can’t fall for it!”
    Hours of argumentative and pointless debate ensued with the delegates constantly at each other’s throats.  Noirtier’s face reappeared in the UN, he opened his mouth to speak and then paused, staring with curiosity at the congregation.  He cleared his throat, and asked tentatively “Did you make a decision?” all traces of good humor devoid from his voice.  One of the UN members looked right at him at yelled “He’s not real!” and lobbed a shoe at the screen, cracking it.  At that moment, a call came in for Noirtier while he sat there in disbelief.  His own creations were rebelling!  How could they?  The answering machine came to life with yet another voice adding to the commotion.
“Doctor!  We need answers NOW...  If you don’t respond within a half hour, we WILL have to take authoritative action”
“NO!  Just... just give me more time, please!  I can get your answers.  I have everything... under control”
“You better...” and the phone line went dead.  Noirtier put his hands on his temples to calm himself, and turned back towards the petri dish.  “You are my creations” he stated with an eerie calm so sharp one could slice paper, “You are going to follow my instructions.  If you do not comply, I will wipe out all of Australia”
“Never!” shouted the congregation.  “We will never follow you!”
“Very well...” said Noirtier, grinding his teeth together, feeling little satisfaction as millions were wiped out in a single careless action.
Daniel stood up and stared at Noirtier eye to eye.  “You are not God here!  You have no right to order us around!”
“Yes I do!  I created you!  I...” Noirtier swung his hand to point at the monitor, and it crashed into the petri dish sending it tumbling to the floor.  The glass fragmented slowly, as though ice were cracking.  Noirtier could only watch helplessly as the world crumbled and the lights grew dim.  But it wasn’t just the world in the dish, his world became a blur of color flashing violently, as he grew limp and hit the floor.
    A man stepped up to the podium.  Another stepped in front of him, staring at him eye to eye.  “Charles A. Noirtier, you are charged with breaking international law, and dooming the fate of humankind.  How do you plead?”
    He glanced at his lawyer, opened his mouth, and chimes rang out.  Great loud chimes as a large wooden box was lowered six feet under.

*Note, Noirtier is pronounced Neu-wah-tee-ay

                                                                     Analysis:
    My story is about how power corrupts.  One Day in the life of Ivan Denisovich reflects this ideal.  Der, the German, is given a place in the camp of significant power.  He has the responsibility of keeping track of the prisoners, and the supplies.  Generally, when he bullies the gangs, they submit to his will since they don’t want to be sent to solitary.  When Der tries the same routine on Shukhov’s gang, they turn the tables and threaten Der’s life.  This little scene shows how Der has let himself be corrupted by his power, and how others respond to his abuse of it.
    Noirtier finds himself in the same placement.  He created the petri dish and has established himself as a god, the creator. He’s used to having the dish’s UN bow down to him and his wishes.  When he finally has a real job for them, he expects them to do it without questioning his authority.  Their rejection of his commands confuses and enrages him, to the point where he accidentally destroys the dish, and his own livelihood.  The consequences for his action, mirroring Der’s, are a trial and then death.  While the two stories are widely different, they are bridged somewhat through the theme of power and corruption.