The rectory was quiet when Gabriella rang the doorbell. She stood there as she heard male footsteps approaching. The latch opened with a click, and the door swung open.
“Hi, Gabriella. Thank you for coming. I would have met you someplace else, but my calendar is packed today, and I can’t get away. Come in. Come in.”
“No problem, Paul. I needed a break from the lab for a little while, anyhow. What did you want to see me about?”
Paul smiled and took Gabriella in his arms. “Just to see you, mostly, but I have an answer to your question about if an AI can have a spirit. But first, can I get you something to drink?”
“Thanks, I would like some jasmine tea if you have any.”
Paul smiled and said, “No coffee or espresso today? It’s not like you.”
“A girl has a right to be fickle, it’s one of our gifts.”
With a shake of his head, Paul smiled and said, “Yep, you sure have that right, I guess. Jasmine tea coming right up.”
“Thank you very much, sir. Will you be brewing it from an old family recipe?”
“Yes,” Paul replied. “The family recipe is; first you open the box, then you throw the tea bag into hot water. It’s pretty complicated, but eventually, I learned how to do it,” he said with a chuckle.
In a minute, Paul returned with 2 cups of tea. “Here you go,” he said.
“ Thank you kind stranger,” Gabriella said. “You have been very kind to a thirsty traveler.” They both laughed.
“So tell me about the soul thing you settled on, Paul.”
“Well, we’ve discussed how extraordinary special people are to God. He made us in His very own image. We have a body, soul, and spirit.”
“Yes, we’ve discussed it thoroughly,” Gabriella said, sipping her tea.
“God said He knew us before we were formed in our mother’s womb. Not after our birth, or even while we were still being carried by our mom. He knew us from before he laid the foundations of the earth. That’s pretty special, don’t you think?”
“Sure, but what does it have to do with a soul?”
“I’m getting there. You were wondering if searching for God would be proof a spirit was driving the search. Well, in a human, yes. In an android, well, that’s a different matter.”
“Different? Why Paul? I don’t understand.”
“It’s like this, Gabriella, how can you tell the difference between a soul searching for God and a person searching because there they have a real curiosity about God?”
“I don’t know. It sounds like the same thing to me. What’s the difference?”
“And it can feel the same, too. The difference is, with a person who is searching, there is a real burn deep within them. If the fire isn’t there, it’s not a real search no matter how real it may feel to the person, or to our android.”
“So, it all depends on a feeling or burn?”
“Well, not entirely. Souls are created individually by God. Searching alone, no matter how intense or sincere the effort, does not imply the existence of a soul in our android example.”
“Paul, are you sure only people can have souls?” she breathed.
“Yes, I am. Why do you suddenly look so sad? It keeps happening, and I never quite know what I did.”
Gabriella looked into his eyes tenderly and said, “It’s nothing. But look, I have to get back to work. Thank you for the tea.” She placed the unfinished cup on the endtable and stood up to leave.
“Hold it. Wait! Let’s talk about what happened,” Paul pleaded.
“It’s okay,” she said as she put both arms around his neck and buried her face into his shoulder. “It’s all good. I have to run,” she whispered. Paul held her for a full thirty seconds before she disentangled and walked out of the door. She looked back at him standing in the doorway as she rounded the corner of the rectory and was out of sight.
So I can’t have a soul? Why can’t I be a different kind of human and have a normal life like everyone else? Damn, I hate that little marionette with the long nose in the kid’s books. Even he got to become a real live boy. Why can’t I become a real woman and have a life with Paul?