The listeners reacted with complete silence. There was no emotion on their faces. It could have seemed that the audience had an emotional-volitional disorder, which professionals call "alexithymia. Their reactions completely fit this definition, which means "no words for feelings" in Greek. The eyes of the invitees caught a fulcrum in the void. The meaning of what was said, like a matryoshka doll, unfolded into a logical chain and lay in layers, like cream on dry cake crusts, between the layers of worldview that had been formed over centuries into a vital concept of human understanding.
He brought Ruthra's group out of this state by offering to let Rangit voice his expertise in some area related to the topic of their gathering.
– So any browser intelligence can do that now," remarked a guy in a tight T-shirt, the leader of a Silicon Valley startup.
A thin strand of hair tied in a braid hung down from his chin to the unicorn horn embossed on his T-shirt. Apparently, he wanted to show the status of his enterprise, because unicorn companies are private firms valued at one billion dollars or more.
– If you want a dry report from "Wikipedia", you're welcome – you can do it without browser, any text voiceover. But you need dialog, emotional component, polemics, right?
– I beg your pardon, – the lady in large glasses with thick darkened glasses, resembling an abstruse scientific worm, – don't talk in clichés about women's logic, – she corrected her glasses, – I am not a skeptic and I didn't want to be misunderstood, – the lady sighed, – and especially do not take my doubts for distrust, – she looked around at those sitting next to her, – although it can be taken for rudeness, – the lady said quietly, again looking around at her neighbors, as if consulting them, – I beg your pardon, but I will express my… opinion," she paused for a second, "I wanted to say it differently… well, let it sound like this.
The hall was silent. Ruthra, too, was waiting for specifics. Apparently realizing this, she added, smiling:
– Yes, opinion itself, sorry," her excitement was evident, "as far as artificial intelligence emotions are concerned, are we not mistaking wishful thinking for reality?
– I see your point," Rutra replied, the hall relieved of its tension, "let's ask about the taste of oysters to the one who ate them.
Smiles appeared in the audience.
– That's what I'm saying, let's listen to it and afterwards give an opinion on our perception.
– Well, if that's the case, let him choose a topic where emotions should be," she paused again, "because there may be topics with a scientific bias, where emotions are not necessary.
– I see your point," Ruthra replied, "but please consider, he may be comical, of course, but still the emotion will be expressed more as an accent than as a necessary component of a role in the theater.
– We accept," the same guy with a unicorn on his shirt signed off as if for everyone.
– Then…" Ruthra paused, and after a moment's thought, he suggested: – Let's let you pick a topic," he said, glancing at the skeptical lady.
– Me? I suppose so. Since the subject has to do with theology, let her satisfy my curiosity. I was wondering why we were wearing…" she hesitated, looking around as far as she could, "I apologize for my 'we,' but I think I'll be understood correctly.
– Science uninhibited," retorted a smiling middle-aged man dressed in a dishdasha5 .
A note of silence once again hung in the hall.
– So we are waiting for a topic or a question," Rutra said smiling.
– Yeah, I was wondering why we wear a cross. I mean, it's the murder weapon. And also, could Jesus have been executed by any other method?
– I see your point," Ruthra replied. – I'm afraid we won't have much time for the mission itself, the experiment. It will take a long time, believe me. I don't want to take too long to get started, and I'm afraid you'll be uncomfortable with the monotony of the process. Although it doesn't have to be monotonous.
– If this is real, I too apologize for my skepticism," the voice of one of the psychology experts loudly cheered up the hall, "the observation promised to us… wow how emotional… disturbing it must be.
– Believe me, the methodology has been tested by me personally. It's real. And I agree with the emotionality, too.
Someone else wanted to say something, but Ruthra stopped with a gesture.
– Now I apologize," he directed an apology to the one who wished to speak, "I give the floor to his majesty," Rutra announced in the manner of an entertainer, and smiled broadly, "this is a joke," and raised his voice again, "to the one and only, the best of the best intelligent beings of non-human origin… Rangit!
– I'm sorry now," came Rangit's voice. – Why is it not of human origin? Who made this great creation? I mean me. I am smiling now," he added, "and I can appear in any form before you… even in the form of any of you.
The hall was filled with wonder again, and the desire to dispel it could be felt all around.
– If you don't mind, I'll take on the image of-" he drew an intriguing pause, "Jesus Christ.
– Ha," came from the audience.
It was a software engineer with a unicorn on his chest. The others were in their usual state of incredulous anticipation.
What they saw on the podium made many people gasp. A man appeared on the stage who did not fit in with the usual image of Jesus.
– Are you surprised? – Rangit began in the form of a man. – Why do you think Jesus looked the way you used to see him on icons? Yes, the ancient icons depict Jesus differently, and this image is a reconstruction of a man of that period from that place, that nation… and a bit of description. After all, Isaiah had this to say in verse 53: "…there is no appearance or majesty in him."
A slight polemic arose in the hall between those seated. It was, among other things, the result of the perception of not only the appearance, but also… the voice. The character on the stage had such a specific voice that gave him an unexpected brutality.
– Let me begin," Rangit's voice interrupted their discussion. – Since it was decided without presumption that I should be characterized as a robotic parrot, I'll start with that role, and then we can talk about this and that.
The last statement elicited laughter from the audience.
–In the works of Herodotus, – began as if Jesus, walking around the pulpit, which made the audience feel like students before important exams, concentrate on the lecturer, – as well as other ancient authors, – continued Rangit, satisfied with the attention to himself, – you can find mention of crucifixion, this method of execution was used by Babylonians. They motivated the choice of such method of execution by unwillingness to desecrate the land dedicated to Ahuramazda with dead bodies of executed criminals. The question arises – what did they do with the corpses afterwards? According to some extant information – burned, and more often left to decompose for wild birds and animals. This type of punishment spread in Greece, the Middle East, Egypt and Phoenicia somewhere in the IV century BC, after the conquest of Persia by Alexander the Great, and then throughout the conquered lands. Such a method of execution was not invented by the Romans, they adopted it from their enemies, and not simple, but systematic, epochal, – the Carthaginians. Although in those times, especially in the European part of the Roman and Hellenic world, there was an extremely negative attitude towards execution by crucifixion. Hellenes perceived this execution as extremely humiliating and unworthy, Jews considered those executed on the cross as cursed. The Romans saw it as a shameful execution. This is rather strange to me though: the Romans had a method of execution by burning. Agreed, a dubious superiority to execution on the cross. Apparently, the shame consisted in some aesthetic issues that were left out of the picture: the condemned person was drained of his vital products in the process and after the sentence was carried out. The Latins called this method of execution servile supplicium, a punishment for slaves (Tacitus. Hist. IV, 11; Juvenal. Satires. VI, 219). Originally Greek law, and later Roman law, forbade the subjection of free citizens to crucifixion. In the Roman Republic crucifixion was used not only to punish slaves, but also deserters and state criminals. The famous event with the largest number of people executed by this method – 6,000 rebellious slaves crucified by order of Pompey along the Appian Road leading to Rome, after the defeat of Spartacus' revolt, unites all the criteria inherent in the criminals classified in this category. The judge's sentence of death was: ibis ad (or in) crucem – "you shall go to the cross!" After the sentence was pronounced, the condemned was scourged. He was stripped of his clothes and tied by the hands to a post in the court area, flogged with a short whip called flagrum (or flagellum). The lash consisted of a handle to which leather straps of varying lengths were attached, with pieces of lead woven into the ends and jagged bone fragments along the length.
