The COUP

In the year 1998, the UN, in its universal quest for unlimited knowledge, began an undercover technical program to string together all the information in every computer on Earth. In theory, one would be able to ask the computer any question he or she pleases, and the computer, with its infinite knowledge of everything everywhere would be able to spit out an accurate answer.

The project was code-named "the COUP"- the Computer Of Unlimited Power. Many of the nation's best scientists and computer programmers were put to work to assemble this massive networking device, and after many years the machine was built up. It looked much like a large worm, with wires curling out of it at odd places and curling back in. At one end it formed a small sphere with a large computer screen sticking out of the front.

One of the UN officials sat down at the machine pulled down the large lever to the left to activate it. There was a buzz from behind the machine and a flashing green box appeared in the top left corner of an otherwise blank screen.

After much debate over what to ask, it was finally decided that the first question would be "is there a God?" The scientists and UN officials all agreed this would be an acceptable and thought provoking question, with a hopefully significant response.

The question was slowly typed into the machine, and the operator punched the "enter" key. The COUP buzzed and whirred for several seconds, gathering and analyzing all the data it could. the machine stopped. and slowly it began to type back to the operator.

When the message was complete the scientists and other UN officials gathered closely around to read the machine's response: "There is now!"

The entire project was considered a failure and all records of its existence were stricken from all known informational databases. The machine was then dismantled and, to this date, no one but the men involved are aware that it existed.