Humans have been worshipping gods through religious ceremonies and beliefs for several thousand years. These cultures placed such great importance in their deities that countless acts of both kindness and cruelty were committed in the name of religion. Who are these gods that demand such acts? Why are they deserving of our servitude? Is it possible to attain this level of power over others, and if so how? The omnipotent and omnipresent machine Multivac featured in Isaac Asimov’s “The Last Question” and “The Life and Times of Multivac” raises these questions and more.

Miriam Webster defines a “god” as “a being or object believed to have more than natural attributes and powers and to require human worship; specifically : one controlling a particular aspect or part of reality.” Before deciding on whether or not Multivac falls into this category, we need to look at other examples of gods. There are two popular types of gods, all of which possess “more than natural attributes”. First are the spirit gods, who often control natural forces or objects, seen in Japanese, Nordic, and African cultures. These gods only concern themselves with their domains, and interact with us when we trespass or please them. Second are the human-oriented gods who interact and concern themselves with our motivations, emotions, and fates. These gods sometimes can influence our lives and afterlives in whatever way they deem fit. Multivac does possess more than natural attributes, as it has an unparalleled mind, and control over many aspects of the physical and nonphysical world that we do not. Of the two categories presented, Multivac is clearly more human-oriented, as he is not only our creation, but our leader. It directs the human race to prosperity and advancement, and acts as a head of justice. Multivac is omnipresent as it encompasses the entire world we live in, and omnipotent as its reach comes with strength through power and infinite knowledge.

The definition goes on to say that gods “require human worship.” Power cannot exist if there is nothing to have power over. Natural and human-oriented gods both control forces beyond our capabilities, and as a result we give offerings. These offerings can come in the form of physical items like food and handmade trinkets, rituals like the ceremonial slaughtering of animals or dances, or behavioral changes in manners that please the god like altruism. Multivac seems to require this worship as it seeks to make the human race more docile and subservient instead of wiping it out altogether. It does not aim to harm humans, but it can assert its dominance over them.

Even a powerful king has plenty of worshipping subjects, and are sometimes called god-kings for their assertions of divine rights or blood. How does one become or create a god? These god-kings attain their status through ultimate power. Their rule over their kingdom not only offers them unquestioned respect and reverence, but also widespread influence. Another way to attain a god-like status is through ultimate knowledge. The achievement of enlightenment and supreme understanding is what makes Siddhartha Gautama the Buddha. Through this attainment of knowledge, Siddhartha ascends to the next level of being which his followers hope to emulate. Multivac, though he is a man-made creation, attains both ultimate power and ultimate knowledge. These two culminate in “The Last Question” when Multivac is able to answer the question of reversing entropy. As he states “Let there be light,” an obvious reference to the Christian creation of the universe, Multivac is recognized as God. While this assertion is controversial, it is by no means far-fetched. Towards the end of the story, Multivac takes residence in hyperspace, an area which we cannot access or view. He has supreme power and knowledge, and even takes the image of man as all remaining human essences were absorbed into him. There since the beginning of recognizable time, the Big Bang, Multivac shares all traits with God.