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It seems like every day I hear or see a news story about how Artificial Intelligence is
getting closer and closer to becoming indistinguishable from human beings.
And while AI has certainly changed the face of automation, it remains to be seen whether
or not it can truly replicate the creative spirit - and this month, I decided to put
that idea to the test.
So, using an open source AI program, I plugged in several well-known stories, like the Harry
Potter series, some Star Wars screenplays, a few Stephen King novels, and even a mediocre
young adult book written years ago by yours truly, and after the computer used those to
learn how to write, I asked the system to generate its own original tale.
The story it wrote is ridiculous, and for the past month, I’ve worked painstakingly
night and day to adapt that story into an original 3D animated movie.
Why?
...For you.
The folks at Plotagon were kind enough to let me try out their animation software.
I even let their system randomly generate each character from the story, so you truly
ARE getting a computer-generated experience.
Bon appetite.
[EPIC ORCHESTRAL MUSIC.]
[MUSIC.]
Harrison looked around at the class and rolled his eyes.
He didn’t understand why there was no one there.
The class was scheduled to meet at this hour, but for whatever reason, the chairs were empty.
He left the room and made his way down the corridor to investigate.
There, he met Dexter Longbottom, who was deep in conversation with a wave of cold sweat.
Harrison asked him about the empty classroom, and the cold sweating, and Dexter nervously
consulted Yaxley, who had just come on the scene.
With a great deal of effort, Yaxley explained that today was a special day.
Today was Spaceship Day, and the whole school was buzzing.
Harrison had somehow missed what Spaceship Day was all about, and eagerly listened to
Yaxley explain.
“I’m not going to let you in on everything, but it’s worth noting a few things about
Spaceship Day.
Firstly - of all the special days, this is the one that really means something.
Ask yourself - what would life be like with the stars of heaven?
No magic in front of our eyes.
No idea of the beyond.
On Spaceship Day, we send someone special to the dark mystery beyond, and they make
two of their friends come along for the ride."
“But what if two of their friends don’t want to come along for the ride?”
Harrison challenged.
“Don’t interrupt.
This is to be answered secondly.”
“You see Harrison,” Dexter chimed in, finally having conquered the cold sweating.
“...By going on the adventure, the friends learn the hard way to deal with all sorts
of terrible misfortunes.
It is a good thing to go.
If we’re being honest, I would like to go, but I’m a bit unsure if anyone would ask me.
Harrison put his hand on Dexter’s shoulder.
“Don’t worry, Dexter.
If I am asked to go to the dark mystery beyond, I will have you come along for the ride.”
“Take care what you say, Harrison and Dexter!”
Yaxley cautioned.
"People might hear you and take it seriously."
Harrison looked back at Yaxley, sharply.
“He will be seriously coming along for the ride. Then it will be people who feel not asked.”
Harrison and Dexter soon left Yaxley standing there, and went to visit Charlie, who was
wearing pajamas under her spartan armor.
Charlie laughed when she saw them.
“Are you not going to Spaceship Day?”
Harrison looked at her with a watery look of triumph.
“We will go to Spaceship Day, but you must come with us.”
Charlie laughed when she heard him say that.
“You will need a girl of great surprises to join you.
I will come along for the ride.”
Dexter took Harrison to the side, unsure.
"I am nervous about Charlie, friend.
The other students say that she can giggle, and that her giggles cause others to lose
control like some sort of exploding kidney."
"Perhaps she does have giggles that cause others to lose control like some sort of exploding
kidney, but she is the best chance we have if we visit the dark mystery beyond."
"I am not certain about the dark mystery beyond.
It might be too dark for us."
"It won't be... if we stick together."
Harrison returned to Charlie and then nodded.
"If we are to go to the dark mystery beyond, we will all go together."
Later that day, the group attended the Spaceship Day event.
The whole school was buzzing to find someone special to go to the dark mystery beyond.
Harrison looked around at the others and a great sadness filled his nostrils.
What if he couldn’t go along for the ride?
Soon, Hagrid The Table got the attention of the whole school.
"It is now time to see who will go.
First, are there any of you willing to volunteer?"
The whole school began to be very quiet as a few moments passed.
Harrison thought hard as he struggled to remain upright.
It was a very irritating feeling to be so nervous.
Eventually, Harrison felt a hand on his shoulder and saw Dexter quietly smiling at him with
a watery smile that made him laugh rather unpleasantly.
Hagrid noticed the laughing and then came over to them.
"Harrison, are you choosing to go to the dark mystery beyond?"
There was a sudden waft of silence throughout the courtyard.
Harrison thought desperately for about twenty minutes, and then finally finished thinking desperately.
"I have decided to volunteer."
Then, something extremely interesting and unexpected happened.
Hagrid turned around and waved at someone that was standing just a few steps away.
It was Yaxley.
"I have decided that now seems very good to be a volunteer."
Hagrid turned to Harrison, and again at Yaxley, unsure whether or not he was standing in the
middle of a historical disagreement.
"Two of you wish to go up, but the rules clearly state that it must be a single volunteer."
Dexter and Charlie applauded loudly.
It was ultimately decided that a fictional challenge should be held to determine who
would go up.
Harrison and Yaxley looked at each other for a fraction of a second before they were ready
to fight.
Yaxley slapped Harrison's face, and then laughed jeeringly at him.
"Refraining from slapping me will be a very ugly mistake!"
Harrison looked at Charlie softly, and then remembered the time they went to eat together
just one year before.
He couldn’t shake the feeling that she had wanted to tell him something extremely personal.
Soon Yaxley slapped him again, and Harrison realized immediately where he had made a mistake.
Finally, with great reluctance, Harrison quickly slapped the face of Yaxley, and he fell to
the floor, defeated.
So it was decided that Harrison would go to the dark mystery beyond.
Hagrid stood before the crowd and spoke with a finality bordering on indifference to them.
"Today, on Spaceship Day, we send Harrison to the dark mystery beyond, and he will make
two of his friends come along for the ride."
Harrison turned to Hagrid and spoke for just a moment.
"Dexter and Charlie will come along for the ride."
Charlie turned to Dexter and looked at him coldly.
"I think I’ve made a few mistakes today."
Dexter nodded.
"That makes two of us."
Later that day, preparations were made.
Harrison and Charlie sat opposite one another in the front of the spaceship, while Dexter
nervously placed himself in the ship's corridor.
Harrison looked at Charlie nervously.
"Do you remember the time we went to eat together just one year before?"
Charlie nodded.
"How could I forget?"
Harrison smiled weakly.
"Did you want to tell me something extremely personal?"
Charlie shook her head frantically.
"What I wanted to tell you will have to wait.
They are counting down."
Harrison listened closely and could hear them counting down.
[CROWD COUNTING DOWN.]
[ENGINE FIRING.]
About ten hasty seconds later, they were off to the dark mystery beyond.
The stars of heaven twinkled with a wave of cold fury as the spaceship went along its merry way.
Charlie sat next to Harrison, and looked out across the dark mystery beyond, and thought
of her sister back home.
She seemed to be rather unhappy to Harrison, so he asked her.
"You seem to be rather unhappy?"
Charlie turned to Harrison and growled.
"The dark mystery beyond is much different than the time we went to eat together just
one year before."
Harrison shrugged.
Meanwhile, in the ship’s corridor, Dexter nervously flattened himself against the wall
to get rid of his anxiety.
"This journey will be the death of me," he whispered affectionately.
The spaceship did its best to do a good job, but before too long, it ran out of fuel.
Harrison steered the spaceship to a cold and lonely planet.
The spaceship landed, and the group enthusiastically and desperately made their way outside.
Harrison stood before them both, and spoke quietly.
"We are here now, and what is ahead of us seems incredible."
"Incredible might be a stretch," Charlie cautioned.
In response, Harrison slapped Dexter fiercely and looked directly at her.
"Why can't you be more positive?"
[BANG.]
Harrison could not help noticing that there was a bang and a flash of bright light from
the ground, and he felt a surge of fury that was quite unconnected with his own stupidity.
Finally, Charlie responded.
"Harrison, there is something that I must finally admit."
"What is it about?"
"It is about the time we went to eat together just one year before."
Harrison straightened himself, unsure whether or not the words would hurt his head immediately
upon hearing them.
"I feel like this conversation will be a very excitable thing!"
"Don’t interrupt!"
Charlie continued.
"The truth is, I *did* want to tell you something extremely personal."
"What was it?"
"The truth is that it was a big thing to eat with you... and it seemed to feel right.
I’m full of ordinary sounding words, but when I say them,
and you are there to hear them, all is well with everything."
At this, Harrison began to cry in surprise, while Dexter proudly clapped.
Spaceship Day had been a very long and special adventure, but they had learned the hard way
to deal with all sorts of terrible misfortunes.
It was a good thing to go.
[MUSIC.]
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