“What’s that?” Rei asked.
“Do you know what the word darwin means?”
“Darwin? As in Charles Darwin?” Rei asked, looking at her.
“I don’t know,” Rome replied. “Bukky didn’t know either. I thought it might be a thing. It never occurred to me that it would be a person. Who was this Charles Darwin?”
“He was a scientist who lived in the 19th century. My 19th century. He was the first to propose the doctrine of evolution by natural selection. Survival of the fittest and all that.”
Rome shook her head. “What does that mean, survival of the fittest?”
“It means that whatever is best suited to a particular environment is more likely to reproduce and propagate those traits to the next generation. Weaker animals or plants give way. It’s how all the various species arose on Earth or anywhere else, I guess.”
“So how would that apply to the Deucadons? From what Bukky told me, it caused a great conflict,” Rome observed.
“I don’t know,” Rei said, “Let me think about it. On the surface, it doesn’t make any sense but we’ll have time to talk about it later. We’re just about there.”
While she was recounting her story, Rome had not been paying much attention to where they were going. She looked around and saw they were nearly at the site of her library. Rei was following the paved road MINIMCOM created along the southern edge of the campus. When he got to the break in the trees, he turned right. In front of them was a structure that Rome did not recognize.
The seed has been planted. The idea of Darwin and the concept of survival of the fittest has been discussed. Very soon it will take on a life of its own. Meanwhile, you know Rei and his surprises. What do you think is waiting for Rome?
Entry 4-250: September 2, 2016
The Library, part 1
Rome's library is at the cornerstone of The Ark Lords. However, up until this moment, at least in the book, it has been a concept rather than a reality. MINIMCOM had excavated the campus but actual construction, as far as Rome was concerned, was a long way off into the future. Imagine her surprise when her husband Rei took her to the campus just one week later and, well, I'll let them tell you:
Rei stopped the cart and hopped out. He helped Aason down then waved at Rome. “Come on,” he said.
Rome followed her husband and son toward an arch that now straddled the road. There was writing inscribed at the top. The words read ‘University of Deucado’ in English and Vuduri.
“Oh Rei!” Rome exclaimed. “I’m not building a university. I was just going to compile historical data.”
“It has to start somewhere,” he commented, lovingly. He gave Rome a minute to admire his handiwork then said, “Come on. We’re not done yet. Get back in.” After staring up at the arch for a moment longer, Rome followed her husband and son back to the vehicle.
Rei drove the cart under the arch and down the clean wide street. The tree-lined road obscured their destination. It wasn’t until they crossed the center square that Rome was able to see a brand new brick-covered building, two stories tall, poking out among the trees. As Rei pulled around to the front, she could see it was complete with shrubbery, parking spaces and a sign over the entryway saying ‘E Poploidace Hosdiroe Humenoteta’ and beneath it ‘The Human History Library’.
“Oh Rei!” she squealed. “How did you do this?”
“I’ve had a crew, mostly Ibbrassati, working on it all week,” Rei said. “There were so many volunteers I had to turn half of them away. They just finished yesterday while you were visiting the Deucadons.”
“Can we go in?” Rome asked. Not waiting for an answer, she scrambled out of the cart and despite her sore legs, she bolted up the steps to peer into the front window.
“Of course,” Rei said, laughing. He picked up Aason and set him on the ground. “This is your place,” he called out to her.
They entered the building through the wide doors. After passing through the vestibule, they stood in the great entry hallway with high ceilings and arches opening into other side rooms. The main study area, filled with long benches and chairs, still smelled of fresh construction. As they walked forward, Rome glanced through the arches and she could see reading rooms, workstations, study alcoves, everything one would need to serve the library patrons. There was even a playroom for Aason and other children.
Tomorrow, I'll share the second half of this little scene with you.
Entry 4-251: September 3, 2016
The Library, part 2
Yesterday, we saw that Rei had gathered up an enormous workforce and constructed Rome's library when she wasn't even paying attention. Imagine her shock and surprise. Here is the second part of the story from the beginning of The Ark Lords whereupon Rome discovers her dream has already partially become a reality:
“Come on,” Rei said, taking Aason with him toward the rear. “I want to show you the research lab.”
Rei led Rome down an aerogel-coated corridor into a brightly lit room with a Vuduri workstation, a planetarium-style holographic projector and cabinets, shelving and the like. On the large desk, the 19 data slabs and Trabunel’s journal sat as if they were patiently waiting for her attention.
Rome couldn’t contain her smile. She walked around the room running her hands over the counter tops, caressing the input surface of the workstation.
Aason hopped up on one of the chairs and began to swivel the seat around. Rome started to say something but as she did, she brushed her hand along the leg of her jumpsuit and felt a small lump there. She had put the Deucadon’s memory stick in her pocket because she had promised Bukky she would keep it close. Being here, in this room, now made it seem like she had somehow predicted the future. She reached in her pocket and took out the memory stick and set it down next to the data slabs and the journal.
“What is that, Mommy?” Aason asked as he spun the chair around and around.
“It’s a memory stick from the Deucadons,” Rome said. She gazed admiringly at the variety of information sources spread across the table. “Look,” she said to Rei, pointing to the accumulated items. “Now all we need are the Vuduri records.”
“You can start, though, right?” Rei asked hopefully.
“Of course,” Rome replied. She turned and strode over to Rei and hugged him and kissed him deeply. “This is the most amazing, incredible thing that anyone has ever done for me. You are a treasure!”
“I wouldn’t thank me just yet,” Rei said, amused. “You have a he…,” Rei glanced down at Aason. “A heck of a lot of work ahead of you.”
Notice that there were only 19 data slabs. In reality, the set should have contained 20. What happened to the 20th slab? This becomes the driving force behind the first half of the book.
Tomorrow, we get to meet MINIMCOM Junior for the very first time.
Entry 4-252: September 4, 2016
A starship is born, part 1 of 4
While I have a general idea of how a story is to progress, many times the dialog and even sometimes plot twists are supplied by my characters. To non-writers, that would seem insane, but most writers would understand the phenomenon completely. So, too, it was that my characters surprised me when MINIMCOM, the starship that was once an auto-pilot computer, gave "birth" to a son who he called MINIMCOM Junior or just Junior for short in the beginning of The Ark Lords.
When I think back, I realize that MINIMCOM himself was a surprise and had burst on the scene, all of his own volition. The fact that he became one of the most, if not the most, popular characters in the Rome's Revolution was a revelation. Once I became familiar with him and became attached to him, I began to think of him as an entity, not just computer. And all entities, not just biological ones, probably have the need to reproduce to propagate the species.
I had explained previously that Junior was not truly a child. He wasn't even a clone. His method of gestation and birth was more like budding which is seen in f
latworms, sponges and coral. Because Junior retained all of MINIMCOM's memories, he was born fully cognizant of his place in the world. But once he split off from his father, he developed his own unique personality.
After I was "informed" that Junior was coming, I engineered it backwards to produce a "stork" which was nothing more than an OMCOM clone in the form of a starship. I took the design from the old Commando Cody serials and you will see that in the description of the "delivery" of MINIMCOM's child.
The idea of MINIMCOM as a parent grew on me but I had always thought of him as, well, male. You will see, when Rei pointed out the starship had given birth, MINIMCOM was quick to state he thought of himself as a father, not a mother.
Starting tomorrow, I'll show the delivery and "birth" of Aason's cousin and best friend, the starship named Junior.
Entry 4-253: September 5, 2016
A starship is born, part 2 of 4
Yesterday, I presented my introduction about MINIMCOM giving birth to a child, the starship named Junior. Nobody (including me) was expecting this before it happened. But I wanted to introduce the Null Fold star drive so that I could get my heroes to the various star systems even more quickly. So here is the first time anyone ever heard of the star drive and also the arrive of OMCOM’s clone, aka the stork:
“What happened to you?” Rei asked. “Are you alright? Your ship is like half the size it used to be.”
The livetar turned and looked back at the spacecraft then turned back to them.
“It was necessary for me to shed some mass,” the livetar replied.
“Why?” Rome asked.
“OMCOM has finally perfected a way to harness the power of his null-fold. He enhanced my airframe with a null-fold star-drive but I had too much mass to operate it in my former state.”
“A null-fold star-drive?” Rei asked. The words sounded funny coming out of his mouth. “Where does that get you?”
“It gets me a higher velocity. My top speed is now fifteen thousand c.”
“What!?” Rome and Rei both exclaimed simultaneously.
“That is not possible,” Rome whispered.
“It is not only possible, it is a fact. It only took me 11 hours to return from Tabit.”
“Hoo boy,” Rei whistled, “that is incredible.”
“It’s beyond incredible,” Rome said, staring at the ship. “This makes the stars as close as tomorrow.” Suddenly, a thought occurred to her. “What about your original reason for going? Did you bring back a working copy of OMCOM?”
“In a manner of speaking,” replied MINIMCOM. “I did not have sufficient room within my new cargo hold to transport a complete copy but it will be arriving momentarily.” The livetar pointed up.
Rei and Rome turned to look where MINIMCOM was pointing. A large white ship was descending from the sky but it did not look like any spaceship either of them had ever seen before. It looked like an elongated bullet, all white, with stubby wings at the rear and a sharp, needle-like antenna sticking out the front. To Rei, it looked like something out of a bad science fiction movie. It circled around twice before landing right next to MINIMCOM, the starship. There was a whoosh and a popping sound and an all-white livetar appeared.
Now all the pieces are in place. It is time to meet the newest member of the family, MINIMCOM Junior.
Entry 4-254: September 6, 2016
A starship is born, part 3 of 4
Yesterday, we saw a throwback white spaceship descend from the sky carrying who knows what? Actually, I do know. The starship itself carried sufficient computing power to eventually become the Library OMCOM. Its insides were hollow but of course nobody knew that at the time...
“OMCOM!” Rome exclaimed. “I don’t understand. What is going on? Whose ship is that?”
“I am not exactly your OMCOM,” replied the livetar in a human-sounding voice. “More of a subset or clone but you may still call me by that name. And that ship is me,” said the livetar. “I computed that it would be the easiest way to transport the necessary components to put at your disposal.”
“Yes,” said MINIMCOM. “However, we were not expecting your building to be in place so soon.” The livetar pointed to Rome’s new library. “This poses a problem.”
“Why?” Rei asked.
“It is not a problem,” the new OMCOM interjected. “MINIMCOM, you can simply excavate a sub-basement with sufficient volume. I will transport myself into the cavity directly. My memrons are self-powered. I do not need a physical connection to the rest of the library.”
“Good idea,” said MINIMCOM. “Why did I not think of that?”
MINIMCOM’s livetar melted away while MINIMCOM the starship lifted off the ground and drifted silently until he hovered directly over Rome’s new library. MINIMCOM’s “roadgrader” cylinders extruded from the front, below the cockpit. When they were fully extended, the ends fanned out. They then changed from fan-shaped to a conical shape.
“I have detected some porous rock and a few small caves 700 meters down. I will extract the strata there,” MINIMCOM announced in their heads.
There was a rumbling noise and suddenly, the ground began to shake.
“Is that an earthquake?” Rome shouted as she grabbed onto Aason. Rei steadied the two of them.
“No,” replied OMCOM. “That is just a large volume of soil and rock being sent elsewhere.”
This went on for a few minutes but eventually, the temblor subsided. The two cylinders retracted back into the spacecraft’s body then MINIMCOM returned to the landing strip. His livetar reappeared in front of them.
“It is ready,” the all-black figure said.
“Very well,” replied OMCOM. “This shell will return shortly.”
I had to build the storage compartment for the new OMCOM's memrons deep underground because as the cover of The Ark Lords there is a mini-nuke coming and I needed the OMCOM clone to survive. Meanwhile, everybody is confused. You can see that. But everything will be explained tomorrow. We get the new character, the new starship, Aason's cousin and best friend, all at the same time!
Entry 4-255: September 7, 2016
A starship is born, part 4 of 4
Yesterday, we saw the new Library OMCOM, a clone of Planet OMCOM, direct MINIMCOM to create a large storage compartment deep beneath the Library. It was necessary because I knew it had to survive a mini-nuke attack. Today OMCOM and MINIMCOM reveal the real reason they came in tandem:
First OMCOM’s livetar vanished then before their eyes the all-white ship shimmered and disappeared. In its place was a smaller, gray ship that looked like a miniature version of MINIMCOM. It was approximately the length of the original space tug before it became MINIMCOM.
“What is that?” Rome asked, pointing at the smaller spaceship.
The mouth slit of MINIMCOM’s livetar curled upward into a smile.
“I had to do something with the mass I gave up,” said the all-black livetar. He nodded and suddenly a small gray livetar, barely two feet tall, appeared beside him. The eye holes and mouth hole were round instead of the normal slits. “I would like you to meet MINIMCOM Junior,” MINIMCOM said proudly.
Rei started laughing. “You gave birth? You’re a mother?”
“Although I do not have a gender, I would prefer to think of myself as a father.”
“How do you do?” said the little livetar, walking toward Rome and reaching out with his hand.
Rome bent over. “I am pleased to meet you,” she said, shaking the hand gently. It was surprisingly warm and perhaps even a little soft.
“I am very pleased to meet you as well,” replied the little shell.
“Aason,” Rome called out. “Come and meet your new little, uh, what?” Her voice left the sentence hanging.
“Technically,” MINIMCOM began, “to the extent that I am Aason’s Onclare, Junior would be Aason’s cousin.”
“Yes, of course,” Rome said, nodding her head.
Aason walked over to where they were standing and stared at the little livetar. He smiled broadly and gave the livetar a hug which was reciprocated.
“I like him, Mommy,” Aason said over his shoulder.
“And I like you,” replied Junior.
“So…” Rei inquired, turning to MINIMCOM. “Does he have the same capabilities as you?”
“His null-fold drive and cloak are not quite ready yet but they will be shortly. His ‘cell-phone’ will be online soon as well. As far as the rest of him, he is really a part of me so I would say yes.”
“MINIMCOM Junior,” Rei laughed heartily. “Buddy, you literally never cease to amaze me.”
“I try,” replied MINIMCOM, shrugging in a very human-like manner. “I try.”
So there you have it, the first starship ever born, not built. Rest assured, there will be more but there always has to be a first. So welcome, Junior. It is time to take your place in the adventure that is The Ark Lords and the entire universe of Rome's Revolution.
Entry 4-256: September 8, 2016
OMCOM's Grille
In all of my books, there have been recurring themes, objects and sequences. Some of them are because they amuse me but some of them are because they are indelibly etched into my brain as an integral part of my future history.
One such object is OMCOM's audio interface. It is a bi-directional piezo-electric device that can emit sounds and also pick up sounds so it is both a speaker and a microphone. One day, a long, long time ago, I even tried to sketch out what it looked like. It looked like this:
This drawing was done was I was a wee lad, only 21 years old and I have since come to learn that the grille, while still omnipresent, is much more understated in the 35th century. Going way back to the very first page of Rome's Revolution, this is all I give you in the modern story: