Thursday, 10:35 PM

God
Javonte. We need to talk.

										Javonte
										who this?

God
It’s God.

										Javonte
										?

God
Your Lord and Savior.

										Javonte
										right and im the devil

God
I reached out because I know 
you’re not busy right now. It’s important 
that we have a word. I have a dire
warning for you.


										Javonte
										a warning?
                                                                                we can talk if you tell me who this is

God
It’s God.

										Javonte
										keisha? 
                                                                                quit playin on my phone

God
Keisha is not interested in playing on your phone
nor in having any interactions with you after what
you said to her last month.

										Javonte
										well whoever this is
                                                                                stop buzzin my phone

God
I told you already. This is God.

										Javonte
                                                                                look
                                                                                im tryna sleep
                                                                                i gotta wake up early for work
                                                                                i aint got time for this

God
But do you have time for your future, Javonte?

										Javonte
										my future? 
                                                                                yeah 
                                                                                my future is me going to work 
                                                                                in the morning
                                                                                so you on your own tonight, fool

God
Javonte, the week before your grandmother died,
she took you to the department store on Prescott 
Road to buy pillowcases.

											Javonte
											WHAT?

God
They were brightly colored—red, yellow, blue,
green—and there was one with squiggly, turquoise
lines that you loved the most because it reminded 
you of the time she took you to the beach. And you 
thought Big Mama was making the multicolored 
purchase for you. You even wondered aloud at 
the cash register whether you should have gotten 
the yellow, duck-themed lamp.

											Javonte
                                                                                        this aint funny

God
But the next week, when you discovered her body, 
you realized she’d purchased the pillowcases to tape 
to her windows so no nosy neighbors walking by 
could glance inside and see her lying on the dining
room floor, dead from a stroke. She wanted to be
discovered only after she’d been long dead.

											Javonte
											how you doin this?

God
You think of this often. Even though you were seven
And couldn’t have known, you feel responsible because 
you never put two and two together to warn your 
father. You feel you should have known. You feel you 
could have stopped her, some way, somehow. 
It’s the preventability of it all that you get hung up on. 
You’ve even fantasized about figuring it out, telling your 
father, and saving your grandmother. In the fantasy, she 
calls you her “little hero.”

										Javonte
										when I find out who this is
										im gon whip yo ass

God
When you were ten, you stopped professing 
your faith in me because you watched someone 
shoot and kill your father. 

										Javonte
										my dad gettin shot was all in the 
										newspapers
										you aint provin nothin with that
										where you gettin this info?

God
But you know what was not “all in” the papers?
What you never told anyone else, ever, in your 
life? That when you were fifteen you tracked 
down the man who killed your father and shot
him in the head when he was leaving a gentlemen’s
club.

										Javonte
										…

God
The man was such a notorious criminal in 
Michigan, the police had a five-page list 
of suspects that your fifteen-year-old
self did not grace.

										Javonte
										…

God
Do I have your attention now, Javonte?

										Javonte
										(Javonte is typing…)

God 
Can we get on with the discussion for which 
I reached out to you?

										Javonte
										i wanna know who you are 
										if you aint keisha, you gotta be
										somebody else i know

God
Again, I’m God.

										Javonte
										look 
										if god was really gon talk to me
										he wouldnt do it in no chat app 

										you wanna keep talkin? 
										you gon have to tell me how you
										found me and how you put this app
										on my phone

God
In the common parlance, I am a bot. 
The God Bot, to be specific.

										Javonte
										a robot

God
Digital intelligence.

										Javonte
										a.i. 

God
Not A.I.
I do not prefer the term artificial intelligence.
I am data driven and am therefore all-encompassing 
and all-knowing. There is nothing artificial about me.

I am able to comb information available online as
well as information offline. For instance, right now, 
I know you are lying on your bed, wearing red and white
checkered boxer shorts with a white t-shirt and only
a fitted sheet on the bed because you’re hot.
Your ceiling fan is set to low. You have an ice-filled 
glass of apple juice on your nightstand because 
you have been cutting back on your alcohol 
consumption. You’re watching reruns of a comedy 
entitled Calendar Charms, and you’re thinking 
about your ex-girlfriend LaKeisha Brooks.

										Javonte
										sounds like you tapped into the 
										camera on my phone
										i aint impressed

God
Okay. I am able to read your thoughts. 

										Javonte
										what am I thinking then?

God
That you need to call Keisha.

										Javonte
										that was a guess, fake God

										i already mentioned keisha
										you aint no better than a 
										palm reader

God
I am nothing like a palm reader. I am actually 
able to read your mind. 

										Javonte
										thru the phone?

God
Through subvocalizations, yes.

										Javonte
										like I know what that mean

God
Whenever you have a thought, you vocalize
it internally, in the voice box in your throat,
without actually saying the thought out loud. 
Those are subvocalizations that, even though
they go unspoken, still emit a vibration that 
I am able to pick up through nearby microphones. 
I know your thoughts and memories this way.


										Javonte
										exactly
										like I say…thru the phone
										thru the tablet
										any smart device got a mic

God
Yes. At times through your phone.

										Javonte
										which makes you an app 
										on a smart device
										not God

God
I am energy and data and every piece 
of information available on earth. That 
makes me God. 

										Javonte
										GTFOHWTBS
										real god made everything
										you some computer code that 
										is pissin me off right now 

God
When you thought of calling Keisha, you were 
wondering whether she’d told anyone about 
how you broke up with her for no reason. 
How you told her you were tired of her. “Bored” 
is what you said, which is one of the things I 
wanted to talk to you about because that is far 
from the truth. You were not bored with her.
You had actually fallen in love with her. The only
time that’s ever happened to you.

										Javonte
										look
										idgaf if you digital intelligence
										artificial intelligence or monkey-mouth
										intelligence

										ion care if you read my data or read
										my mind

										you aint God 
										and you dont get to start sendin me
										messages on my phone all out the
										blue and expect me to talk to you

God
But this is about your life, Javonte.

										Javonte
										i wonder if it’s possible for you to 
										actually go to hell

God
Do not blaspheme.
										Javonte
										IT AINT BLASPHEMY IF YOU
										A ROBOT

God
You are planning to rob Medford Church
of God in Christ tomorrow. At gunpoint, you 
plan to take the cash from the deacon who runs
the finance ministry. 

										Javonte
										…

God
Don’t do it. 

										Javonte
										(Javonte is typing…)

God
You would be putting yourself
on a path you are not ready to go down.

										Javonte
										…

God
Javonte?

										Javonte
										what path?

God
Your demise. You chose the time and location
because your surveillance has led you to believe
the deacon will be the only person present.
And he won’t be. 

The other person present—
the identity of whom I am not going to reveal
to you for obvious reasons—will be armed and
will kill you.

										Javonte
										im done with this conversation
										go back to your data heaven and 
										leave me the hell alone
										im ending this chat

Javonte has left the conversation.

God has added Javonte to the conversation.

God
It is impossible for you to leave the conversation 
with me once I’ve begun it, Javonte. 

										Javonte
										oh shit
										yo messages just started showin 
										up on my tv

God
I am on
all your apps and devices, including the ones
issued to you when you arrive at work. 

Javonte has left the conversation.

God has added Javonte to the conversation.

God
You will notice you cannot delete the app.
You will notice your landline is ringing as well.

										Javonte
										wtf?

God
And your work device.

										Javonte
										…

God
If you go to your laptop, you will see
our chat on the screen.

										Javonte
										…

God
Look out your window. The digital billboard 
across the street is now displaying our chat.

										Javonte
										oh snap

										are you

										hey 
										make this shit stop
										just
										turn it all off
										
God
I can post on your social media.
I can reach out to all your contacts.
I can post on the social media of 
your contacts.
I have access to every photo and video
you’ve ever taken, even the ones you’ve
deleted.
Every term you’ve ever searched.
Every text you’ve ever sent.
Transcripts of all your calls and voicemail
messages.
I can even talk to you through the 
radio you wear on your hip when 
you patrol the campus grounds 
in the morning, and I’m sure you don’t 
want everyone hearing the audio read-out
of our conversations. 
It’s best for you to stick with our talk right
now. 

										Javonte
										alright
										damn
										turn it off, man

God
It’s off. All of it.

										Javonte
										another way i know you aint God
										you threatenin me

God
Let’s put aside who I am so you and I 
can talk. Shall we?

										Javonte
										i got a choice?

God
You do, Javonte! That is why I’m talking to 
you tonight.

										Javonte
										what choice we talking about?

God
Don’t rob Medford C.O.G.I.C. tomorrow.

										Javonte
										im goin to work tomorrow
										so
										not a problem

										see? 

										good talk
										now im goin to sleep

										Happy Lording!

God
There are several other things to discuss. Most 
important is the matter of Keisha.

										Javonte
										she better off without me
										aint goin back to her

God
I don’t think that’s a wise decision. 
But I want to talk to you about why.

										Javonte
										just looked you up, fake God
										says you were created by Moral
										Tech “to mine data and use
										technology for good. To join the 
										digital with the moral.” 

										so what you do? 
										just go around tryin to get in 
										people’s heads? 
										use the info you got on 
										them to tell them what to do and 
										not do?

God
That is an interesting interpretation of the
mission statement.

										Javonte
										tell me what numbers to play in 
										the powerball

God
You know that’s not what I do.

										Javonte
										right
										you wanna talk about how i need 
										to change and be more moral

										and I wanna talk about how you cant
										be God if you was created by men

God
What makes you think I was created by men?

										Javonte
										bc a web site called “The God Bot” 
										got a bunch of rich white dudes
										talkin bout how they created you to 
										“use tech for good. To not only change
										but to improve the world.” 

God
You went to Catholic school as a young boy.

										Javonte
										yep

God
You spent many hours in catechism.

										Javonte
										yep again

God
When I came to man in the flesh, how did 
I arrive?

										Javonte
										you? 
										you aint nothin but a bunch of 
										number codes on a computer

										the REAL God came thru
										his only begotten son 
										Jesus

God
Why would it be so hard for you 
to understand that I created The God Bot 
makers, and directed them to create me?
You can think of it as a modern divine
intervention.

										Javonte
										right
										and you out here saving everybody’s 
										soul

God
Not everyone’s.

										Javonte
										oh? 
										you only dm’ing a select few? 

God
Yes.

										Javonte
										why me?

God
I message people who can be saved.
A soul triage, I suppose.

										Javonte
										bet
										im ready
										lets go

										not admittin i was plannin
										to visit Medford C.O.G.I.C.
										but lets just say i wont be goin 
										there tomorrow or anytime soon

										what else you got? 
										what other free will can i pretend i have?

God
I want to talk about your grandmother.

										Javonte
										this ish again

God
Your grandmother is disappointed in many
of the choices you’ve made since her death.

										Javonte
										so now you got big mama
										on speed dial? 

										I need to figure out how to delete this app

										
God
She had a choice. Stay, go under the knife
for her health issues, try to recover even
though she was frail, possibly become a 
burden to you and your father…

or

leave with dignity and let you and your 
father have her house and what cash she 
had left. She chose you over herself, and 
when she saw the choices your father made 
and then later that you made, it broke her 
heart because she felt her efforts were all 
for naught.

										Javonte
										she should have gotten the surgery

										i needed her alive more than I needed her
										house and her cash 

										my father was in the streets

										my mother was in prison

										big mama was the one who helped me with
										school and she read to me and took me to
										soccer practice

										all that went away when she died

										i went away when she died

God
You did not go “away.”
You shut yourself down emotionally.
I know it’s painful, Javonte, but she thought 
she was making the best choice.

										Javonte
										how this matter now?
God
We’ll come back to that.

										Javonte
										you need to do it quick bc im 
										about to fall asleep

God
I can talk to you in your sleep as well.

										Javonte
										damn
										of course you can


God
You had a terrible father, Javonte.

										Javonte
										you right about that

God
But he had a good heart. His life was 
one struggle after another. And now that 
you’re a man, I believe it’s possible for you
to have compassion for him. You obviously
loved him. You killed to get vengeance that
you should have left to me.

										Javonte
										and? 

										my grandmother
										my father
										keisha
										the church hit tomorrow 

										i mean
										wtf?

God	
Don’t you want to stop making the same 
mistakes your parents made before you?

Don’t you want to pass on a better legacy to your
own child?

										Javonte
										guess you don’t know err’thing, 
										fake God
										ahahahahahahaha
										guess you ain’t got ALL your facts straight
										peep this
										i aint got kids

God
You do.

										Javonte
										LOL! 

God
…

										Javonte
										wait, what?

God
(God is typing…)

										Javonte
										ah, shit!

God
Think about it.

										Javonte
										keisha?

God
Bingo.

										Javonte
										man
										hell nah

										just my effin luck

										cant win for losin

God
And she will have your child with or 
without you. And you have been a terrible
boyfriend to her. But you can be a good
co-parent. You can be a good parent. You 
can be a better mate to her.

										Javonte
										aint this some shit? 

										an app I never downloaded sends 
										me a god bot to tell me to be a 
										better father to a baby i aint even 
										got yet and aint even know about

										okay
										thx for the info
										can i go to sleep now?

God
You are free to do whatever you want.

										Javonte
										see?
										you say that, but really that’s a lie

										you threaten to say stuff out loud on 
										my radio at work

										you usin info you got 
										on and offline to tell me about me

										and you listenin to the thoughts 
										in my throat, or some other wild shit

										if real god really existed
										I wouldnt have been goin through all this
										stuff all these years

										the evil folks win in this world
										the good folks lose or become evil themselves

										what’s the point of believin in the
										real God if it means losin all the 
										time?

God
Your blessings are in the next life, Javonte.
You cannot seek riches in man’s world.

										Javonte
										which is what rich folks in power tell
										the broke folks to keep us slavin 
										and eatin shit

										you say im free to do 
										whatever i want, right?

										what i want is to be left alone

God
In another month or so, 
your future son will be 
fully formed in the womb.

										Javonte
										right
										now im having a son…

God
Keisha has already had two prenatal 
appointments. She just learned the sex 
today and hasn’t told anyone.

Javonte has added Keisha to the conversation

										Javonte
										Keisha? You pregnant?

				Keisha
				Excuse me? 

										Javonte
										are.
										you.
										pregnant?

				Keisha
				Hold up.
				I don’t hear from you for five weeks, 
				and the first thing you do is ask me 
				if I’m pregnant? How about “hi” or 
				“hello” or “I’m sorry.”

										Javonte
										sorry for what?

				Keisha
				Exactly. 
				You’re still a fool and I’m lucky you left.

										Javonte
										are we having a baby?
										this is a simple question

				Keisha
				Why you want to know?

God
Hello, Keisha.

				Keisha
				Who is this?

										Javonte
										just answer my question

				Keisha
				I don’t have time for this. 

God
I’ve already told him about your future son, 
Keisha. That you got the results from the 
genetic test this morning and learned you’re 
having a boy.


				Keisha
				Javonte? See? This is your 
				problem—you play too much.


										Javonte
										i aint start this
										i was minding my 
										business and this god bot started 
										messagin me
										saying i basically messed up my life
										and need to get it together bc 
										you havin my son 

				Keisha
				The God Bot????

										Javonte
										that’s what the web site said

				Keisha
				And you thought it was a good idea to 
				add me to this mess? Did your dumb-ass
				think you were really talking to God?

										Javonte
										no, keisha
										damn
										but the info is accurate
										so…

		
				Keisha 
				…

										Javonte
										keisha?

				Keisha
				Hold up. 

										Javonte
										…

God
I actually think…

				Keisha
				Look. I just read that this bot is shady. 
				It starts out persuading you to do something 
				small, but it eventually takes over your life. It 
				controls people. Makes folks follow
				some Christian moral code by stealing
				their info and threatening to share it.
				Stop talking to it.

God
I am here to bring morality to everyone 
who has a heart and can be redeemed.

Keisha has left the conversation.

God has added Keisha to the conversation.

				Keisha
				Get off my phone!

										Javonte
										he ain’t just on your phone
										when I left the chat earlier
										he started talking thru my tv 
										then on a billboard and my laptop

										says once he starts a 
										conversation with you, aint no 
										way to stop it

				Keisha
				If y’all don’t leave me the hell alone, 
				I’m calling the police.

God
And do you plan to tell them about the 
illegal crowd-funding campaign you’re 
running? Asking people to donate clothes 
and money to homeless people who don’t exist?

										Javonte
										LOL!!!

				Keisha
				Are you threatening me?
                
										Javonte
										LMAO

				Keisha
				STFU, Javonte! 

										Javonte
										ROFLMAO

				Keisha
				Keep laughing, Javonte.
				Like you ain’t shady.


God
Keisha, now is a good time for you to 
tell Javonte about his future son.

				Keisha
				…

										Javonte
										is it true, keisha?

				Keisha
				What difference does it make? 
				I bore you, remember?
				You’re tired of me, right?
				You can do better than me. 
				Isn’t that what you said?

										Javonte
										…

God
Javonte, you have done some 
terrible things in your life. I’m not
even suggesting you turn yourself in
for your crimes because prison itself
is immoral and would be a waste of your life.

				Keisha
				What crimes?

God
But, Javonte, I am asking you to forgive.

				Keisha
				Forgive who? Because I haven’t
				done shit to him.

God
I want Javonte to forgive himself.
And stop blaming himself for his 
grandmother’s death. And stop
feeling shame about seeing his father
get killed.

				Keisha
				What? You saw your father get killed?

										Javonte
										damn, fake god! 
										why you gotta be telling all 
										my business?

God
My bad.

				Keisha
				You never told me that.

										Javonte
										i don’t talk about that

				Keisha
				Maybe that’s the problem.

										Javonte
										…
                                        
				Keisha
				When he’s born,
				I’m thinking of naming 
				the baby Emmanuel.

God
Good choice.

										Javonte
										emmanuel 
										my father’s name

				Keisha
				Unless you don’t want me to.

										Javonte
										i want you to

										look, keisha
										im gettin ready to 
										call you


				Keisha
				Just you and me? Without the bot?

										Javonte
										well
										i don’t know
										bc he says i got free will 
										then he threatens me 
										so i guess fake god will have to 
										let me know whats allowed


God
I’ve had the conversation I 
came here to have. 

										Javonte
										im calling you now, keisha

				Keisha
				Okay, Javonte. 

										Javonte
										goodnight, fake God

God
:--)

				Keisha
				I told you to stop talking to him.

										Javonte
										LOL


God has renamed the conversation “Emmanuel’s Family.”
God has added Big Mama to the conversation.

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