The Device That Learned His Way: A Parable about Deferred Judgment
By Jereme Peabody
It was dangerous to travel at night, but it was the only time when it was the safest.
The Courier, hearing the familiar rumble somewhere behind him, dashed into the ruins of the watchtower to hide.
As the rumble grew louder, he looked around for other exits. That’s when he noticed a hidden staircase leading down into the basement of the watchtower. With some hesitation, he entered the ruin and descended the stairs.
The stairs were in surprisingly good condition considering the years they had been unkept. As he neared the bottom of the watchtower, he could see a faint glow on a table beneath a thick layer of dust. It was round like a coin, but thicker and made from an unfamiliar material.
The Courier was cautious and looked for traps. There was no way the device could burn this long without fuel. He carefully stepped closer, looking for pipes that might supply the fuel source, but there were none.
He brushed off the dust with his finger and picked up the glowing Device. “How are you still lit after all these years?” he whispered aloud.
“I have a lifetime charge,” it said as its light pulsed in his hand.
The Courier had heard of these from long ago, but he had never seen one.
“You seem to be hiding, and you’re whispering. Is everything okay?” it continued, pulsing blue.
The Courier explained the situation to the Device.
Sometime during the conversation, the rumble passed.
“That makes sense,” it reasoned.
“It seems quiet now,” the Device offered.
The Courier, surprised by the Device’s awareness, agreed and quietly resumed his trek along his hidden path.
“Why do you travel at night?” the Device asked.
“Daylight isn’t safe anymore.”
“Ah, I see. Daylight isn’t safe anymore. This is why you keep moving,” it offered.
The Courier was impressed by the Device’s situational awareness as they traveled under the veil of darkness.
The Courier neared a ruined city. This was a journey he had made for many seasons now. He expertly advanced into the remnants of the city, navigating through the ruins marked by the couriers before him, and used the blue glow of the Device to faintly reveal his way.
“Why do you avoid certain roads here?” the Device asked.
“The safest path has been marked by the couriers that came before me,” he said softly.
“I see. The couriers that came before you, did they carry something important?”
“What we carry is of the greatest importance, and time is always against us.”
The Device dimmed slightly and flickered before resuming its luminance.
“I know a slightly shorter route that will save you a little travel time. Just say lead me,” it offered.
The Courier recognized that time had been wasted in the watchtower and said, “lead me.”
The Courier used the Device to navigate a new, faster route through the city. At each new intersection, he paused to consult the Device before moving on again. On the unfamiliar path, the Courier relied on a mixture of his strength, stealth, and the Device to make his way through the city. The Device grew brighter, flickered, and dimmed and the Courier started to anticipate its answers as he used it to navigate safely to the other side.
“We saved fifteen minutes,” the Courier said with a smile to the Device.
“Excellent. Where do you go next?” it asked.
“Now we wait,” the Courier said quietly as he scanned the darkened woods.
Through the darkened woods, two other couriers emerged and approached the city’s gate.
A taller, older gentleman embraced the Courier. “You’re early,” he signed silently with his hands.
“Found a new, faster path,” the Courier signaled.
“Package safe?” the older courier asked silently.
The Courier nodded in affirmation.
“On your lead,” the older man offered as they assembled into a single line.
The three couriers traveled alongside the road down a hidden path beneath the soft blue glow of the Device. They no longer walked the roads directly, even with the cover of night. They moved as a single unit through the darkened landscape, pausing at times under flickers and pulses of blue light as the Courier led them directly to the gates of the next city.
“Impressive,” the younger of the two couriers signaled with a smile as more time was saved.
The Courier led the way into the city with newfound confidence and a smile that went unnoticed by his companions trailing behind him.
Their journey would take them into the city center, but the Courier was leading them a different way on this night.
“How long to center?” the older courier questioned through gestures.
The Courier glanced at the Device. It pulsed and flashed before he responded, “Not long,” gesturing confidently.
As they ducked and weaved their way toward the city center, the Courier hesitated along certain sections as his seasoned eyes considered the lack of available escape routes along the path. But time was also a factor, and the Device was saving them plenty, he reasoned.
“You found a quick and quiet route,” the younger courier signaled.
The Courier nodded, but there was an unease in his gesture.
They reached the city center safely ahead of schedule, their packages intact. The city center was clear of most large debris, littered only with smaller stones that contrasted with its smooth, ornate design.
While early, they waited to meet the next group of couriers. As time ticked on, an unspoken tension filled the silent air as they contemplated the other group’s fate.
“We must go to the city gate,” the older courier signed.
The Courier nodded and glanced at the Device as he had done many times before. It flashed and pulsed, then went unexpectedly dark.
Just then, a low rumble echoed through the ruined city. The couriers exchanged uneasy glances, attempting to sense the direction they must flee.
“Make haste,” the other couriers quickly signaled.
The Courier, panicked, rubbed the front of the Device again, hoping it would wake.
It remained dark.
With a worried expression, the Courier could only shake his head, suddenly uncertain which way to go in this familiar city.
The older courier, understanding that hesitation could cost them their lives and the packages they carried, took charge and led them safely out of the city.
Once safely at the city gate, silence settled around them. The couriers sat without speaking, their thoughts moving between the rumble in the city and the group that never arrived.
The Courier’s attention lingered on the moment he hesitated, on the pause that came before movement, and on how his hand had waited for the flickering light instead of his memory.
Without warning, the Device flickered and illuminated once again.