“Can you hear me?” Rei called out. The woman stared into his eyes for a moment longer then turned and walked away, out of sight.
“Damn it,” Rei said as he slumped against the door. “Anybody?”
“As far as I can surmise, you probably speak middle twenty-first century English. Is this correct?” a disembodied voice asked from the right.
“Where are you?” Rei asked, searching the wall. “Who are you?”
“You may call me OMCOM. Such is the translation of my designation in your language,” replied the deep, metallic-sounding voice. “With regard to where I am, I am everywhere. However, if I understand the intent of your question, the voice you hear is issuing from a grille built into the wall in front of you.”
“Are you a computer?” Rei asked.
In my modern vision of the 35th century world, the grille is barely distinguishable from its surroundings, not the gaudy logo-ish device shown above. Plus I now believe that the Vuduri language and alphabet is so radically different from what we have today that even if such a grille was built, we wouldn't know what we were looking at.
Ah, youth.
Entry 4-257: September 9, 2016
MINIMCOM's Expedient Port
When I first started writing Rome's Revolution, I was very hesitant to try anything outlandish. While I write science fiction, I tried to make everything completely and utterly believable, sometimes to the detriment of the plot. When I got to The Ark Lords, I decided I would be a little bit bolder and stretch the truth farther to make the story move along more quickly.
One such example was the induction of Rome's information sources into her newly acquired Library OMCOM. She had Trabunel's journal which OMCOM scanned and ingested using optical character recognition. That didn't seem like something hard for you, the reader, to swallow. But then I came to the Deucadon's memory stick. I decided to just allow MINIMCOM to have a universal reader which could adapt to any electronic source. Here it is in context:
“Let’s try to download the Deucadon data next,” Rome continued. She watched as MINIMCOM adapted his normal Vuduri device reader to the form factor of the Deucadon memory stick. According to Bukky, the Deucadon’s information was mainly in the form of digitally compressed documents. It only took MINIMCOM a few minutes to determine the proper contact heads for connecting to the data device and perform a test download.
“Interface complete,” MINIMCOM announced through the grille. “OMCOM, are you ready for download?”
“Yes,” replied the computer from 700 meters below the surface. “I have prepared a segregated ‘holding tank’ to store the raw data. I will organize and cross-reference after download is complete. Proceed.”
“Engaging,” MINIMCOM replied. Rome watched, enthralled, as screen after screen of data flashed by and was transmitted to OMCOM’s data storage facility, over half a kilometer under the surface.
“I am impressed,” OMCOM said. “The Deucadons storage density is at least an order of magnitude greater than the Vuduri standard. That is how they are able to maintain such a small form factor. Also, they were very thorough in their organization. They have built in a categorization and cross-referencing system into the data structure itself.”
Rome sat back and watched as the tremendous quantity of data contained in the stick flowed down to OMCOM. Eventually, the items flashing by on the screen stopped.
“That is all,” OMCOM said. “I have received the entire contents of the data device.”
“I think your idea to adapt MINIMCOM’s data reader was an excellent one,” Rome remarked. “It saved me a lot of time not having to build one which would have only been used once.”
“Yes, this is far more efficient,” OMCOM replied through the grille. “MINIMCOM’s mutable structures allow for adaptation. If I had to build you the reader, it would have to be built out of physical materials using trial and error.”
You didn't have any trouble buying that, did you? You can see how now we can move along with the plot rather than get bogged down in schematics and circuit boards and algorithms and encoding. We'll save that for later, when it becomes plot-worthy.
Entry 4-258: September 10, 2016
The Slabs: All Human Knowledge
The data slabs belonging to Rei and his people, called the Essessoni by the Vuduri, are at the heart of the plot and the intrigue of The Ark Lords. I decided that all of human knowledge, the equivalent of the Library of Congress, would reside in 19 data slabs. But how to organize them?
I read up on the Dewey Decimal System and other methods of organizing data and realized I actually could represent all of human knowledge in a taxonomically sound yet concise system. Here are the 19 volumes:
Volume 1 – Paleobotany, Paleozoology and Paleontology
Volume 2 – Cosmology, Astronomy, Astro-geophysics
Volume 3 – Geology
Volume 4 – Biology, Genetics, Ecology
Volume 5 – Agricultural Science, Botany
Volume 6 – Medicine, Physiology, Biochemistry
Volume 7 – Chemistry, Nuclear Reactions
Volume 8 – Physics, Quantum Mechanics
Volume 9 – Materials Science, Mineralogy, Crystallography, Engineering
Volume 10 – Mathematics, Computer Science, Theory of AI
Volume 11 – Archeology, Anthropology, Linguistics
Volume 12 – Psychology, Sociology
Volume 13 – Ancient Cultures, Comparative Religion
Volume 14 – History through the Middle Ages, Middle Ages to the 18th Century
Volume 15 – Art History, Sculpture, Architecture
Volume 16 – Music
Volume 17 - Literature: Fiction, Non-fiction, Religion, Philosophy
Volume 18 – Movie and TV Archives
Volume 19 – The Rise of the Industrial Era, the Space Age, Modern Culture
So how do you think I did? Did I miss anything major? Really, in the end, there is just science, culture and history. The rest is detail.
Over the next few days I'll share with you Rome's reaction as she uncovers this incredible archive of knowledge.
Entry 4-259: September 11, 2016
The Slabs: The Universal Bus
Yesterday, I promised you I would share with you Rome's reaction as she uncovered all of human knowledge of history, sciences and the arts which was hidden from her by the Overmind. But before I get into all that, I just wanted to show you, once again, how easily MINIMCOM was able to "crack the code" and start downloading the data. Just like Rei's music slab, there was no exposed contacts. These slabs had to be built to last centuries. Metal corrodes. Silicon does not. So how does MINIMCOM break into them in the first place? Here is how he did it:
OMCOM said, “MINIMCOM has the harder job. We do not even know how the Essessoni data slabs function.”
“Let me start with a receptacle,” MINIMCOM said. “Rome, place the slab gently on the existing data input interface and hold it there until I am ready.”
“OK,” Rome said. The surface surrounding the reader turned a little slicker and the thin slot widened and spread until it became large enough to allow the slab to slide in. The top and bottom of the reader narrowed until the slab was held snugly in place.
“What do you think?” she asked.
“There are no exposed contacts,” MINIMCOM explained to her. “The Deucadons memory stick was much more conventional. This slab appears to have an inductive interface for power. I must assume the address bus and data ports are inductive as well.”
“Please do not damage it,” Rome begged. “Rei asked me to be very careful.”
“Absolutely,” MINIMCOM replied. “I will use a series of benign probes to determine the interface. I will apply no more than 2.3 volts to any virtual contact. Surely that will not damage it. If it requires more voltage, it will not even activate.”
“Very well,” Rome said. “Proceed.” She stared at MINIMCOM’s data di
splay intently, trying to will the data to appear. Wavy lines marched across the screen but ultimately settled into a flat-line.
“2.3 volts, oscillating at 60 cycles per second has no effect. The slab remains inert.”
“What will you try next?” Rome asked.
“I believe it would be safe to increase the inductive current to achieve five volts. Are you agreeable to that?”
Rome tilted her head. She stared at the slab. Rei had told her that the Paleobotany and Paleontology slab was the most ‘expendable’ in that it had no relevance to any other world beyond Earth. He told her that if they had to practice, this would be the appropriate slab.
“Yes, you may increase the voltage to five,” Rome said. “That was Rei’s guess as to the appropriate value.”
“Increasing,” MINIMCOM said. Suddenly, the onboard display lit up with nonsense words and symbols.
“That worked,” MINIMCOM announced. “I am receiving a bit-stream. This slab uses a virtual serial bus rather than a parallel port. I need to rearrange the data until it appears organized.”
The onboard display snapped into place with an outline of English terms. Rome was able to read Paleobotany, Paleozoology and Paleontology on the screen. Within each term was a series of notations describing the eras in which the data was collected.
You see? It really was a universal serial bus or USB. I wasn't kidding. Tomorrow we'll look at the vast amount of data from an information junkie who didn't know she was even hooked. Yet.
Entry 4-260: September 12, 2016
The Slabs: Going Live
As we proceed with Rome's review of the contents of the slabs in the beginning of The Ark Lords, we find that the content of each slab shapes Rome's reaction. It starts with definitive proof that MINIMCOM can decode the slabs. Rome thinks she understands the concept of what is on them but seeing them for the first time has a profound impact:
The onboard display snapped into place with an outline of English terms. Rome was able to read Paleobotany, Paleozoology and Paleontology on the screen. Within each term was a series of notations describing the eras in which the data was collected.
“I can read that,” Rome said happily. “I think you have it.”
“Yes,” replied OMCOM. “You can download the contents now. I will integrate and organize after getting the raw data dump.”
“Downloading,” MINIMCOM said. The onboard screen started flashing with words, diagrams, images, charts, virtually any and every way data could be organized.
“There is a large quantity of data here,” MINIMCOM observed. “Even for a mind as great as OMCOM’s, it will actually take a measurable interval to download it all.”
“Take your time,” Rome said. “We are in no hurry. It is only important that he receives the data intact and in a systematic fashion.”
The download took about five minutes. “I am ready for the next one,” OMCOM said. His statement was underscored by the screen going dark.
Rome carefully removed the first slab and set it on the floor. She picked up the next one, labeled “Volume 2 – Cosmology, Astronomy, Astro-geophysics.” She slid it into the rectangular reader and instantly, MINIMCOM’s central display lit up. Stunning photographs of the stars and distant galaxies appeared. Charts, white papers, animations, all flashed by at dazzling speed. Even though Rome was no longer connected to the Overmind, she remembered enough to know that this volume dwarfed the information the Vuduri had acquired regarding the construction of the universe, solar systems and so on. Her eyes widened and she sat back in her seat. Something was happening in her brain, something she could not explain. Suddenly random facts about the universe were fitting together like pieces in a puzzle.
“OMCOM, can you talk while you are downloading?” Rome directed to the grille. Her voice was raspy.
Tomorrow, Rome's Revelation. Hey, that sounds like it could be a book in this series, huh?
Entry 4-261: September 13, 2016
The Slabs: Rome's Revelation, Part 1
At the beginning of The Ark Lords we saw MINIMCOM have a breakthrough in accessing the data contained within the Essessoni slabs. Yesterday, we watched through Rome's eyes as an incredible amount of information flowed from the Essessoni data slabs down to Library OMCOM's memron storage chamber a half kilometer below the surface. Just observing the vast array of images whoosh by awakened something fundamental in Rome. Something that could get her killed. Here is her revelation, broken into two parts:
“OMCOM, can you talk while you are downloading?” Rome directed to the grille. Her voice was raspy.
“Of course,” replied OMCOM.
“I think I have just had a revelation,” she said breathily.
“About what?”
“About the difference between the Vuduri and the Essessoni. Why they are so different.”
“I assume you are not talking about their views on the construction of the universe,” OMCOM replied.
“No, this is broader than that. Allow me to explain. It is so complex, I may not make sense.”
“Do your best.”
“When I was in the Overmind, I was under constant pressure to let the Overmind do the thinking for me. Most Vuduri succumb to that pressure and even use the Overmind’s second sight to perceive reality. I did not. That is why they chose me to be the data archivist on Tabit. My eye-hand coordination was better than the other candidates and my brain reacted faster because I had the capacity to think for myself.”
“That speaks well of you but is hardly the explanation for why the Essessoni are like they are.”
“The difference is this,” Rome said insistently. “The Vuduri are braguocisi, in English, what, lazy? Not in the physical sense of the word but the mental sense. They like letting the Overmind think for them. But the Overmind is nothing but the combined intellects of the communicants. Which means it is intellectually lazy as well.”
Rome paused for a moment then she spoke again. “And they are getting lazier. Look how long it took before the Overmind was even curious enough about the stars disappearing to send out a survey crew.”
Rome is literally straddling two worlds. The first, the one she is familiar with, is the world of the Vuduri where the Overmind prefers to do the thinking for the people. The second, Rei's world, is something else. Tomorrow I'll give you the second half of this scene.
Entry 4-262: September 14, 2016
The Slabs: Rome's Revelation, Part 2
Yesterday, I gave you the first half of what I called tongue-in-cheek Rome's Revelation, a play on the title of the whole series. But this is actually serious stuff. For the first time, in the most visceral way, Rome now understands why the Essessoni would always survive and why the Vuduri were ultimately doomed. She is trying to explain this to OMCOM in the beginning of The Ark Lords. Here is the second half of her revelation:
“You are saying that the Essessoni are not lazy intellectually?”
“They cannot be!” Rome said forcefully. “They must think for themselves. Every one of them is their own samanda.” She sat back in her chair. “No wonder the Vuduri never had a chance. The very design of the Overmind is a negative feedback loop. If they were to continue along the path they designed, they would spiral down into stupidity and sloth. They would become human robots.”
“I do not need to remind you that this was MASAL’s master plan. This was how he was going to take over the human race.”
“Yes, but MASAL is gone. And so is his plan. Thank goodness there are people like Ursay and Pegus who will force the Vuduri back to independent thinking.”
“Technically, they are your disciples,” MINIMCOM interjected. “It was you who charted this new course.”
“My part does not matter. This does,” Rome said, pointing at the viewscreen. “It is time for all Vuduri to learn each thing by themselves. That is what I am going to do.” She pounded her fist gently on the console. “I will become Essessoni! No more kit
chen fires for me.”
“Well, this is an excellent start,” OMCOM said with the slightest hint of impatience. “However, I am ready for the next slab.”
What a downer! But the Library OMCOM's indifference cannot dampen Rome's mood. She has to think a little further but look how she has already connected the dots. She realized that had she been truly thinking for herself, she would not have set fire to the kitchen. And even if she had, she would have figured out how to deal with it rather than cowering in a corner.
The girl has come a long way. Pretty cool, huh? Tomorrow, Rome's mind is jolted into an even higher state of mental acuity.
Entry 4-263: September 15, 2016
The Slabs: The Revolution Revisited, Part 1
Yesterday, we saw Rome's brain set on fire, figuratively speaking. Observing so much knowledge concentrated in one place caused her to use her cognitive faculties in a way she never imagined. However it was the Library OMCOM who had to point out to her that this was merely an extension of the revolution she had started several years earlier:
When Rome and OMCOM got to ‘Volume 14 – History through the Middle Ages, Middle Ages to the 18th Century’ Rome paused as she was about insert the next data slab.
“All this information makes my brain feel like it is on fire. I just now realized why Estar introduced the rogue memrons into your infrastructure, rather, Planet OMCOM’s. I know why she had to try and kill Rei and why she had to make it look like an accident.”
“Really?” OMCOM commented. “And you say this why?”
“Because he could think for himself. All the Vuduri would see that. I noticed it right away. I now know that Estar made a grievous error when she let Rei live for even 10 seconds.”
“That seems like a bit of an exaggeration.”
“No,” Rome insisted. “Metaphorically, he represented the end of MASAL’s plan. All Essessoni do.” Rome laughed. “Actually, it isn’t even a metaphor, since Rei really did destroy him. But MASAL’s ideal, of transforming mankind into a gaggle of organic robots, that dream ended when the Essessoni arrived. Estar knew this somehow.”