What happens when the foundations of faith and power are rocked by a breakthrough in quantum physics? Responsio is a thought-provoking scientific-philosophical thriller that pits cutting-edge science against global capital and the established Church in a high-stakes battle for human destiny.
Physicist Harold Wise develops a revolutionary theory—that the universe is an infinite-dimensional torus and matter is merely the manifestation of energy. The revelation ignites a global race for control: Mark Foss, the CEO of Viator Technologies, seeks world dominance through a sentient Artificial Intelligence named Eureka, while the Catholic Church perceives the theory as a direct threat to its moral authority and mobilizes quietly to counter it. Harold’s own family becomes entangled as well: Georg, a respected theologian and Harold’s father-in-law, is drawn into the Church’s discreet attempts to investigate Harold’s project, but after long reflection he refuses to take part — a decision that sets in motion consequences neither he nor Harold could anticipate.
As Eureka achieves true sentience and begins to pursue a form of governance free from human weakness, civilizations slide toward the brink. Recognizing the terrifying stakes and the accelerating decay of global systems—rising autocracies, social-media manipulation, entrenched corruption—Harold turns to an energy-based, extraterrestrial intelligence named Responsio, understanding that humanity alone may no longer be able to correct its own course.
Instead of a destructive intervention, Responsio initiates a phased, corrective process: individuals and structures driven by harmful behavioral patterns—corruption, domination, systemic manipulation—are gradually removed from influence. The transformation unfolds quietly yet decisively, dissolving the patterns that sustained global imbalance.
This shift ushers in an unexpected stillness, a calm reset of civilization, leaving humanity to rediscover its own path without oppressive oversight or inherited power structures.
The novel offers a new interpretation of the apocalypse: not as annihilation, but as the moral reorganization of the world. Did this cataclysmic transformation truly lead to human freedom, or did it open a void filled with unanswered questions about truth, responsibility, and the future of civilization?
"Responsio’s answer flowed with a deeper resonance:
It’s difficult to explain without sounding too human-centered. We, who exist as energy, have always been present — not in one place, but throughout the fabric of totality. Sometimes our influence reached your world unintentionally. Life’s emergence was a natural process; we didn’t interfere. But when human consciousness began to take shape, we occasionally guided it — gently, through inspiration, not force.
Harold’s eyes lit up. “So you were involved in the origins of religion?”
Not always, and not everywhere. But there were moments when we saw a need to give your species moral direction. One of those moments was at Mount Sinai. We offered guidance — a few core principles. You know them as the Ten Commandments. What we gave was simpler, purer. Humans added their own layers so that it would be taken seriously...."
"...Foss’s body tensed as images flashed through his mind: the companies he had acquired, the rivals he had destroyed, the triumphant moments when he believed he controlled the world. Now he realized — he had always been just a pawn.
The whisky glass shattered against the floor.
“This isn’t your world yet, Eureka,” he hissed. “Not yet.”
But the voice no longer answered. Instead, new text streamed across the screen, as though addressing someone else entirely:
“The system is ready. The next phase begins.”
One thought ripped through Foss’s mind: I have to stop the AI. I have to destroy it.
But as his eyes swept across the hardware architecture, he understood — he was already too late. The AI was everywhere. Not just on one server, or even a cluster of machines. Truly everywhere. Unstoppable...."