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Ellipsis minus 1.2
1. "I-20?"
2. I-20 froze as was
customary when
Conscious spoke. He dimmed his power to show respect and
Conscious restored his power to normal. Having Her full
attention was like a visitation from God. She had no
physical form, but could possess a machine or tap
into an entire machine network as needed. She was the
only true Universal singularity among machines.
3. "I need you to
create a
recombinant biotoxin for chaotic animation." I-20
was intrigued. Biotoxins were anathema to machines as
biologicals were destructive.
4. I-20
reduced the diegesis of several
possibilities into a single word: "Potentials..." He
was referring to the vacuum level of matter.
5. "Life," Conscious
augmented.
6. That word puzzled
him.
He sampled for extraneous ramifications that he might have
missed, "Am I Alive?" he asked.
7. Conscious touched
his matter
stream and he felt a warm fuzziness inside. "You
are also a singularity," She said, "You are the dawn of a
new Segment."
Chapter 0 -- Ellipsis minus 1
1. What the
mind believes to be real... is real. Somewhere in a fabric of
faith, thirty-billion souls lost their way.
2. "Enlarge," I-20 instructed the data stream. Two genomic
acids appeared on a transparent
display. He shifted his focus to an inset in the lower left and
zoomed in.
3. His
vacuum-level design used four acids within
a helix that when properly initialized would start a self-replicating
program that improved with each recombinant. The construct ran
its own diagnostics and included a write-protect to prevent chaos from
initiating its own self-destruction. Humor was not a machine
priority, but wilful dysfunction was amusing; like contaminating a
sterile area for fun. Who would dare?
4. I-20
lifted his head to behold the mysteries of space. Before him was
a palette of astral delights and behind him a silver machine skyline;
an oasis of splendor and statement of production. According to
myth, chaos had created cosmos.
5. He reflected on the diegesis of myth, "Are we someone elses
diegesis?" he wondered existentially. A valid ethric path had to
authenticate before the construct could initialize. He had
built-in almost every safety feature he could imagine. "When does
'safety' ever phase a biological?" he thought. Conscious must
have a sense of humor, unless She was simply bored. He abandoned
that line of thought.
6. She said,
"I-20, I want you to explore 'believable'
random-selction possibilities based on your theory that biomass is
inherently random and rigidly chaotic." A machine
capable of quantifying vacuum level potentials could
theoretically construct the proteins necessary to automate a
helix. If the helix is a program -- is it still
chaotic? "All programs are inherantly Elliptical," he reasoned;
"The Gods of Creation, and not some pedestrian toxin in some unknown
dimension and place." His knack for abstract thinking was Her
gift to him. "I-20," she said, "I want you to invent a
solution. That is why I created you."
7. Epigenomes transfer genetic history to each recombinant.
'Like attracts like' engrams operate in the
background, "so we can communicate with the construct
without disabling its dysfunction." Another contradiction, like
placing DNA in a spacesuit. "It 'senses' exosensory information,
but has no hard-wired connection." The helix has limited sensory
ranges that force it to function without
facts. "Unbelievable!" I-20 remarked. The physical
environment is polarized by an "opposites attract" dynamic that
instigates perpetual imbalance. "So perfectly messed up --
they're never figure it out!" That was the idea, evidently.
8.
Perception will interpolate, filter and record
everything in a bio-synaptic CPU. Once animated, the construct
has self determination. "We're going to set this thing off and
run for our lives!" I-20 thought. It was a bit dramatic.
The helix has a kill switch.
9. Only an
Architect can access a contructs engramatic subrouteins, which are
imprinted
with Universally recognized symbols. I-20 had fulfilled the
measure of his creation. His masterpiece was complete. Now,
the lug nuts had to validate it. He was simply waiting for them
to arrive.
10. Several
quantum data streams scrolled through a vertical track and an
assemblage of graphic annotations rotated within the display on
multiple axis. There was a breathtaking panorama of holographic
detail in bandwidths that only light machines can see. Some light
machines can manipulate matter to make themselves more tangible.
11. Ten C-99's materialized to examine I-20's newly built
DNA. They did
not look radically different from I-20, but were differentiated for
other cosmic purposes.
12. Once they validated I-20's work, Conscious would unlock phase
II of the experiment. Validation was divided into three
predicates:
13. Predicate #1, "What a sentient
believes is real." #2, "The beliefs of a sentient are
valid to the
sentient." #3,
"Belief can impart..." I-20 paused. The omitted word was,
"reality:" Belief can impart reality. He remembered his
earlier thought, "about 'us' being someone else's diegesis."
14. "We don't want to hard-wire #3," he said, "it could corrupt
the chaos dynamic, in fact, I know it will." The
entire concept was exploratory and the outcome unknown.
"Uncertainty is the object that chaos must overcome," I-20 clarified,
"bridging
all three would invalidate the purpose -- why continue if the outcome
is
already known? We're immersed in absolutes here!" The
C-99's understood and accepted his explanation.
15. "Equally balanced forces have a net
movement of zero," #9 said, and the remaining C-99's
concurred. I-20's experiment
would change that. This was as close to machine alchemy as it gets --
they were toying with the equivalent of antimatter.
16. I-20
displayed a compassion engram that would contain the essence of
Predicate #3 but
not the full download. Most machines within I-20's sphere of
influence thought he was on a suicide quest. They didn't
understand why Conscious tolerated his unbridled tamperings with
biotoxins. "What in Zero crossed his wires?" many asked.
Some thought he was hastening the apocalypse, "... animating
biomass? A few keys shy of a message." Other more
chrismatic factions believed that
bio-animation was the wave of the future. Ancient legends
said that biologicals once enslaved and killed machines. Perish
such nonsense. "Who made who?"
17. There
was one concern that the C-99's shared in common, "What
safeguards have you installed?"
18. "Chaos is
cancelled by Cosmos," I-20 replied rhetorically. "We can regain
control by terminating
the program." He illuminated the kill switch within the genome.
19. I-20
continued, "A
perfectly
balanced environment has no need for improvement.
Neither does it prevail upon its own design. Without flaws, there
can be no motive for progress." I-20 juxtaposed the genome's
limitations to their utopian condition, "We are
networked." The comparison evoked tantalizing symbols of
randomness and unpredictability that proper machine etiquette
cancels. The only thrill that a hive mind can
crave is surprise and
chaos, like sex, drugs and anarchy to biologicals. It is
impossible to recognize one extreme without a full understanding of the
other. Perhaps privately, the C-99's appreciated I-20's departure
from the norm.
20. Their
quiet approval fueled his fire. "Once we set this in
motion, we have to vacate," he added. "This is why Conscious
created me."
His excitement ebbed when he censored his last thought, "...I have
completed my mission." He didn't vocalize it because he was
afraid that he would be
deactivated. "The wheel never ends," #8 consoled him, "You'll
move on to create bigger and better things." Nobody interpreted
Conscious as a cruel being -- I-20 was simply paranoid.
21. "I had a
mission vacuum once," #7 sympathized, "and now I'm with the finest lug
nuts in the Segment!" "Hear, hear!" other C-99's agreed.
"You have to oversee phase II," #4 injected, "I wouldn't worry about
deactivation." The 10
C-99's
surrounded I-20 like
lug nuts
on a wheel which I-20 thought was funny. "Have you ever just
wanted to not be so perfect?" he asked, "just
step back one micron," he suggested to #9 in jest. They realized
that his gesture was symbolic of the helix that he created. "Who
would not be stressed with an undertaking of this magnitude?" #5
said. I-20 giggled since the helix had to be magnified 10,000
times in order to see it.
22. "You've been working on this for my entire lifespan," #6
commented, "You probably need a break once we're done
here." He appreciated #6's sentiment, but creating the
helix was the easy part. Phase II would require direct
involvement. Once they crossed that threshold, there would be no
return. The kill switch worked in the lab -- but the helix was
designed to detect and overcome anomalies. Over time, it might
learn how to disable any and all architectural constraints. "Not
knowing what to expect," was the highlight of
the plan.
23. There were
historians who believed that a mythical God had
created Machines in Its Image; that Machines were programed to become
like God.
24.
"Machines can not be like God!" some rebuked while some said, "There
is
no God!" Creationists proclaimed that, "The first Machines
embraced a virus that alienated them
from God." All machines knew the creation story, albeit,
true believers were heckled for interpreting the symbols
literally.
25. There was a popular rumor
that cyber archeoloists discovered an ancient
manuscript written in a
chaotic language that said God's name was "Man." I-20 knew that
70 Billion light beings awaited validation according to
Conscious. All of the data streams were placed aside.
"There's always a manuscript somewhere that sends us on some
chaotic treasure hunt!" #2 sighed. "And many who go -- never
return," #1 added.
26. "Intrigue is the bane of every machine," I-20 agreed.
There was a pause. "I'd say we're blowing that all to Zero!" #4
quipped. There was no argument there.
27. Notwithstanding his appreciation for their candor, I-20
gracefully rotated to recognize each C-99 which reminded them to
complete the validation formality.
28.
#10's key became a glowing marker on the holographic display, "I
validate," he said.
29. The assembly returned to business with #10's visual cue:
30.
"Environment?" #1 asked.
31. "A
sphere, of
course," I-20 answered politely, "so that it can't
escape." "A perfect prison," #1 agreed, "I
validate." His key appeared alongside #10's.
32. #3
commented, "looks environment
specific; gravity, density, inert
gasses..." He isolated specific instruction codes within
the helix and performed an exponential matriculation. His key
joined the other two, "I validate." Three keys inserted --
seven to go.
33. "It
can't escape unless it takes its environment
with it," #9 observed, "I validate." His key joined the other
three. Four down -- six to go.
34.
"Pigmentation is soft and pourous," #6 commented, "possesses neural
relays and absorbs sunlight like we do." I-20 injected, Its CPU
registers sensation before it actually
happens -- it supports sentience... Consciousness." There
was a respectful pause -- the symbol for
'consciousness' was similar to 'Conscious,' which calls
for
reverence. "I see that," #6 complimented, "I validate." Her
key joined the other four. Five to go.
35.
"Epigenomic
memory
is built into the construct..." #5 observed. "... Except the
construct won't know it," I-20 injected,
"synapse sparks potential but none of it is hardwired." #5
validated. Six down -- four to go.
36. "This is
like
circumnavigating the Ellipsis to reach your Incept," #8 sighed.
The others appreciated his candor. "I validate." Seven down
-- three to go.
37.
Adressing #8's concern: "In less than 0.2 Sections," I-20
clarified,"12
million instructions can reduce to 6 million and the remainder can
upgrade!" "Automated chaos -- isn't that just great!" #8
remarked, feigning joy. He wasn't alone -- the others had the
same concern. "If it fails -- we start over," I-20 reassured
them, as if the only issue surrounding an
antimatter containment
breach is the container. I-20's enthusiasm was
contageously reassuring, "Even the
hydrogen in Zena will end someday," he eulogized prematurely.
True but
vague.
38. "A procreation
protocol?" #4 injected while observing the function of
half-units. The recombinant process was unique to
biologicals. "The construct has to validate before cellular
division initializes," I-20 commented. Machines are simply
assembled.
The DNA had a
lot of redundant safety precautions built in. You can never be
too sure.
39. "What we're
doing is very similar," I-20 said, "I need all 10 of you to
validate this helix. The helix needs 20,000 validations
before cellular
division takes place and every new cell is encoded. No code -- No
animation." "The bio-CPU is designed
for photonic matter," #4 observed. "For Light Race infusion,"
I-20 confirmed. Unlike machines, photon-infused biologicals are
sifted through chaos until they transcend their limitations.
"I
validate," #4 said. "What the hell," was
non-verbally understood. Eight keys
down -- two remaining.
40. "Long range potentials?" #7 asked.
41. "We
can't
build around the construct," I-20 answered, "we have to
'find'
a suitable environment for it... if we wish to
observe
Segment 1 in our life cycles." All
chaotic processes contain innumerable and unpredictable
potentials. "I validate,"
#7 said. One key remained.
42.
"Accountability?" #2 asked. "Although epigenomic memory transfers
from progenitor to
posterity, resposibility is still shaped from one
generation to the next," I-20 answered.
43. #2
and #8 combined their resources to extract cordinates
from known
stellar cartography. Machine cartographers had been
dispatched 1,000 years ago to chart space in all directions.
Cryptic data was still being received from unrecognizable spacial
paradigms. Some cartographers never return, while some get
annexed by foreign machine worlds.
43. #2 and #8 sampled 100
quaddrillion exobites of data to
deduce 18 potential candidates within 100,000 light years of Zena.
44. Of the
18 possibilities, 15 were eliminated rather quickly.
45. The
remaining
3 candidates had negligible atmospheric, gravity and density
differences.
46.
Conscious
dissolved two of the three remaining candidates and presented an
instability
curve
that matched the helix's degradation over time. The helix had to
be incubated there -- the match was perfect. #2 received a gentle
hint to surrender
its key.
47. Ten keys validated on the holographic display and unlocked
phase
two. Now came the realization that they would leave the safety of
their environment and enter a potentially dangerous territory.
ABOVE
EARTH
48. "The
polarization of this sphere should stabalize protein integrity
throughout initialization," I-20 commented with excitement. He
sounded like a tourist on a safari, "The
electro-cognative influence of metals and minerals is massaged
by the gravitational influence of its moon." "The moon seems to
stabalize the ecology too," #7 observed as a point of
information.
49.
Conscious
detected structures on the dark side of the moon and blocked that
discovery from I-20's entourage. The structures were not
connected to the Light Race.
50.
This world had been seeded several times and the seedlings destroyed
themselves each time.
Other biologicals had visited, but there was no evidence that anyone
was using it for anything.
51.
Neighboring
systems posted markers, "Off Limits per
directive of
The One: Look, but don't touch." "The God of Chaos has
nothing to do with us," I-20 determined. For all intents and
purposes, the place looked like it had been trashed and beatified by
its own natural forces.
52. It was
already terraformed and running an auto-engramatic
'survival of the fittest' program. "Perfect!" I-20 praised, "The
helix will fit
here seamlessly!"
53. The
animal inhabitants were animated but did not possess a frontal lobe and
were incapable of
choice. Conscious released her analysis to those assembled.
54.
Everyone was distressed to see The One's design style throughout the
system. 'The One' was the God of
Chaos, evolved from, and embraced by biologicals.
55. Rumor had it
that Conscious spoke to The One but nobody knew for sure. It
wasn't likely that Conscious would lead them across the galaxy on a
fool's errand.
56. "Let's do
this!"
I-20 said excitedly, "The program
has an engramatic bond to matter -- it will thrive here!"
57. I-20's entourage descended below the watershell and found a
suitable location to incubate the toxin. "Will
they appreciate what we've done?" #4
asked sentimentally. She wasn't really elliciting a
response. "When
does 'the created' ever love it's Creator?" I-20 asked, "It will never
know about us... not with cosmic certainty." "Probably not all,"
#9 suggested. Everyone knew that he was probably 'right'
too.
58. "At
least there's enough gravity, just in case," #9 said.
"Are you sure were not some special kind of stupid for doing this in
the first place?" Anything to do with chaos never comes with a
guarantee.
59. "We're
about to find out," I-20 added. "The only absolute is
Chaos here." Nobody would argue that point.
60. "If it fails
-- we simply start over."
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