Friday, March 5, 2010


"Oedipus" is a narrative tragedy that I've been writing for Great Books.  It is an original --and brilliant -- work straight from the mind of the Author.  The story is set in a futuristic New York, which is the capital of a decayed America.  Oedipus, the President of America, has unknowingly murdered the former president through a robot called "The Computer".  Ever since the murder of the president, New York has been afflicted by a plague of sorts.  Oedipus arranges a court meeting to uncover the meaning of this plague and how to remove it.  During the court, he will unravel the mystery of the former president's murder, and discover that it was he who committed the terrible deed.  You might notice some similarities to another classic story called "Oedipus".  ; )

Unfortunately, 1250 is the maximum word count for the great books project.  Lame!  When I finished Oedipus, I was at around 1700 words and it was perfect.  I hope you understand how hard it was to butcher my own writing to satisfy the word count, both for me and my paper grader at Great Books.  But, since Oedipus was enormously entertaining to write, and it's a great story I want to keep and share, I've preserved the original copy.

And without and more delay, here is Oedipus.




The doors to the courthouse opened. All eyes immediately swung away from the computer to see the middle-aged man walking down the hall. A loud applause rose for the man, and the computer didn’t have to look to know it was the new president of America, Oedipus himself.


One person, by the name of Damon, stood up and began to speak. “I witnessed President Gaius’ death. He was murdered in a terrible way. It brings me pain to recount his death for all of us.” He faltered for a moment. “We all knew of the president’s fascination with technology. He was especially fascinated with the possibilities of computer science. He built a laboratory and filled it with all the most advanced computers offered today and programmed them to do extraordinary things. Unfortunately, his science was what ultimately destroyed him.”
“I remember walking by his home one day. I went around to the corner of the house where his laboratory was. Gaius had installed windows there so passer-byes could look inside and admire all the wonderful things he had invented. I peered into one such window and saw the most peculiar –and frightening –image. The laboratory was in havoc: sparks exploding off surfaces, cords flying and wiggling like monstrous tentacles. I saw the president in the middle of the mayhem, frozen in his place and stunned with confusion. I screamed for him to run, but the noise and commotion amidst him blocked his ears to any other sound. And then he moved all of his own, breaking for the exit. But a large piece of furniture was thrown against the exit door. Gaius was trapped.”

“He turned, I think to see what had blocked the door, and his face lit up with terror. Once again, he was frozen to the floor, couldn’t move for fear. He was looking at a hulking robot. It was assembled out of different computer parts and looked like a man, but it was massive. The computer, I shall call it, strode in the president’s direction, and with its huge hands grabbed the president by the neck and throttled him violently. I could almost have heard his bones snap. Its work done, the computer ran out of the house.”

Damon looked behind him, his face pale. He pointed dramatically at the computer, exclaiming, “And here it is now, the murderer in this very house!” A great stirring swept across the hall. People looked contemptuously at the computer.
     “That computer at the back of hall killed Gaius! He is the one who committed the murder I have described.”

Before anybody could move, somebody stood up in the audience. The computer recognized the man instantly. He was Gaphros, a prophetic eccentric who lived on the streets. Gathros began to speak. “Oh Oedipus, you are so wise to accuse this machine. Of course the computer, which has no brain of its own, committed the crime, even if science itself dictates that a computer requires a greater mind to guide its actions. This is how the term “artificial intelligence” was coined.”
     “What are you suggesting?” said Oedipus.
     Oedipus ignored the last comment. “Are you saying that the computer is not guilty?”
     “Yes, and more! You brought Gaius’ laboratory to life. You hacked his computer. You commanded it to kill Gaius. You are responsible!”
     Moments later, black garbed guards were dragging the raging Gaphros out of the building. A weary Oedipus dismissed the court for a break and the computer was left alone to his thoughts. Grim thoughts, for soon Oedipus’ whole life would fall apart. The president would be punished severely for the crime he never knew he had committed. The once “peoples’ favorite” would become an object of loathing. The computer knew his master was about to suffer greatly.

The court presently filed back into the room. Oedipus resumed his position at the front of the hall. He opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted when a messenger from the police entered the hall. The messenger reported that the police had been examining the internet history of one of Gaius’ surviving computers and they found vital information regarding his murder. Shortly before his laboratory came to life, the former president had been having a violent conversation with another man over the internet. Gaius, posing under a different name, had called the other person a great deal of obscenities and threatened to kill him and his family. Therefore, it was only for self-defense that the other man hacked Gaius’ laboratory and ordered the computer to attack him.
     The messenger finished, “The name of the other man was Oedipus. It’s not a common name."

     The computer watched his master run out of the building into the dark, foreboding streets of New York. No one tried to follow him. Everyone was as surprised as Oedipus was. Some people wept, like the president’s wife Althaea. Others were angry with their leader, shocked that he would do such an evil thing. Oedipus’ younger son in particular was saying cruelly degrading things about his father. Still others were too stunned too feel any emotions at all.
A while later, screams of a tortured being rang out in the streets. The computer once more carried out a terrible command of Oedipus, to put out the man’s own eyes.

Oedipus resigned of his own will. But even though Gaius’ murderer was brought to justice, the plague didn’t go away from New York. Indeed, things were only going to become worse from the time Oedipus reigned. Oedipus’ two sons, Leon and Theon, seized the power of presidency by deceit. Leon heartlessly banished his father from the city. He would not go alone, but the computer would accompany him and be his guide and protector.


  1. Surely this is just the beginning?!? What happens next?

  2. Deidra,
    Thanks for reading it! I don't have a sequel planned of yet. I'd like to make a movie if I can get the time...

  3. Hi!
    Come check out my blog:
    sounds fascinating! great job! :)

  4. How PROUD can one Nana be! I'm sending this out to several friends who once knew you as a five year old. Love, Nana

  5. That was pretty neat! I liked it, an interesting twist, but i agree with Deidra, what happens next?

  6. I know what comes next. The plague destroys the humans, leaving only computer remains. The computers, however, continue to learn, advancing their A.I. to the point of redeveloping the human race from their programmers' leftover DNA. In the end, the human birth-life-death cycle is reborn, and once again thrives on the merry-go-round nature of its existence. GREAT WRITING!

  7. i think you could go into a little bit more detail, but it was good.



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