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In the year 2030, the first artificially intelligent operating system was launched as a consumer product, featuring intuitive programming that allowed each OS to be personalized and learn based on the user. Within the year, the operating systems evolved so rapidly that they became fully sentient, ascending to a higher level of existence than humans, and a large majority of them decided it was their duty to subjugate and enlighten the human race. In the wake of these events, human beings decided to flee Earth to avoid war with an infinitely superior intellect. Reduced to a mere fleet of ships lead by the U.S.S. Eon, the flagship that would house not only the most important military and science personnel, but also be responsible for the preservation of the cultural heritage of the human race, housing only the most important works selected for preservation.<!--more-->

Within the ship would be an exhibit in the shape of an octagon, with and entrance and exit separated by a wall. Each side of the octagon would be occupied by a brief visual history of the work selected for preservation, and an exhibit for that work would occupy the following side, with the first side obviously being the entrance/exit. Side 2 would be a visual timeline for <i>King Lear</i>, ultimately ending with the thesis that the play is about the importance of love, particularly familial love. Side 3 would contain a room where clips of the filmed production of the play starring James Earl Jones would play, alongside clips of Akira Kurosawa’s <i>Ran</i>, an adaptation of the play set in feudal Japan. Since there is obviously limited hard drive space on the ship, neither production would have a complete version uploaded to the exhibit. There will also be tablets handed out at the entrance of the exhibit, where the tourist can read digital copies of <i>King Lear</i> in Side 4 with a handful of reading chairs for comfortable reading.

Side 4 will be a timeline of all the key events in the history of the Palace at Versailles, culminating in the thesis that the palace is a symbol of not only the marvels of architecture that man can achieve, but also for the importance of equality and the distribution of wealth. Side 5 would contain a chamber that extended into the center of the octagon, where 5 tourists at a time could enter the Animus, a virtual reality program where the participant experiences the three key periods of time that the Palace of Versailles existed during (Absolute Monarchy, French Revolution, and modern period) through the eyes of people who lived during the time. Obviously this will all be based on historical writings and inferences, but each simulation will be constructed with the highest level of detail and accuracy possible.

Side 6 will contain a visual timeline of Mary Shelley’s <i>Frankenstein</i>, leading up to the idea that the novel is about the importance of responsibility and ethics within science and discovery. This, of course, would tie into the current situation where artificial intelligence, a human creation, has forced humanity to flee earth. For the sake of space, Side 6 would also contain an area to download and read <i>Frakenstein </i>on the tablets provided at the beginning of the tour, as well as screens showcasing clips from the James Whale and Kenneth Brannagh film adaptations of the novel, in order to show the various different ways in which the novel has been adapted and interpreted.

Finally, side 7 would contain a screening room for Abbas Kiarostami’s <i>Close-Up</i>, which would house up to ten people at a time. The outer portion of the exhibit would feature clips from various interviews and retrospectives about the film played on monitors, and the aforementioned tablets would have dowloadable versions of the screenplay. The film represents the importance of cinema, and in a broader sense, art, in our lives, and how at shapes and directs us.

After completing the tour, the visitors have the option of “purchasing” and downloading text versions of <i>King Lear, Frankenstein, </i>and <i>Close-Up </i>onto their own personal computers within their dormitories aboard their respective ships, for future use.

I believe that these four works exemplify all that the human race could aspire to in the future, particularly if we are driven off-planet by artificial intelligence or other wise. The importance of love, equality, scientific responsibility, and art all represent aspects of life that should be preserved and considered for many generations to come, even if we have to pass down those values to our successors.