BY S.O. CHYLLING, SCIENCE REPORTER

THE QUESTION WAS simple:

What is the future of the human race?

It was put to Orpheus, a computer program so intelligent that it has its own nuclear power station.

The reply came back very slowly, one letter every minute.

Some spectators swore they heard a small laugh when it was finished.

Everyone in the room froze. The scientists all had wretched pained smiles.

The rest of us drew breath.

Then the screen lit up again: “I SAID, RUN.”

So, we did.

The doors locked behind us. The scientists began to argue over what it meant. The rest of us kept running.