Blade, page 16
part #4 of Inverted Frontier Series
Urban considered the distances involved and the slow crawl of messages across the void and concluded, “They would not yet have received our plan for the Labyrinth, at the time this communication was sent.”
“That is correct,” Ashok acknowledged. “Though they have received it since.”
“And while they haven’t invited us to come, they haven’t told us to go away either.” That felt like a victory, even if it had taken the Core Forum more than a year to decide to issue a simple confirmation.
Ashok said, “They will be debating the risks of this pending event and the optimal way to respond to it.”
“Sooth,” Urban whispered, his good feeling fading as suspicion set in. “You mean like building up their defensive systems?”
“This is a possibility.”
“Right. It’s what I’d do.”
“Yet Inventions are not biologicals. We do not seek conflict.”
“Neither do we.” Then he added, more honestly, “Not all the time.”
Yet how to establish trust? The Core Forum at least had the testimony of Ashok, but Urban needed assurance too. He meant to enter Hupo Sei system openly and at a low velocity—an approach that would make Dragon exquisitely vulnerable to orbital guns and high-velocity weapons.
To trust in the goodwill of a stranger was always a risky move, yet necessary to a peaceful relationship—but trust went both ways. He did not want Dragon to become a target, and he did not want the Inventions to cede to his will out of fear that he would target them.
So, time to gamble.
“Ashok, my friend,” he said. “I thank you again for inviting us to visit Hupo Sei. I want to go there with you. I want to pursue the project. But unless the Core Forum issues an invitation of its own, I will turn away. I do not want to intrude on Hupo Sei unless we truly are welcome there. If we do not receive an invitation, issued directly to Dragon, by the time we are within a light-year of your star, I will pass your system by.”
“This is a logical ultimatum,” Ashok observed. “I will send the message.”
Urban consulted the Mathematician, who informed him that at the earliest, a reply to this ultimatum could not be expected until late in the crossing’s nineteenth year.
In the interim another tardy acknowledgment arrived. More than a year after it would have been received, the Core Forum finally confirmed receipt of the project plan—though to Urban’s frustration they made no comment on it.
But then, in the nineteenth year of the crossing, with seven years still to go, Urban observed an intriguing development at Hupo Sei. The planetoid designated HS-569 moved from its original orbit, eventually becoming a moon circling the tangled mass of the Labyrinth—a key requirement of the project plan.
Later that same year, Ashok received a reply to Urban’s ultimatum. This time the Core Forum had not delayed, responding almost immediately, though with a message that only enhanced Urban’s frustration: Request received. Decision to be issued by the deadline.
Then, in the twenty-fourth year of the crossing, a new communication arrived. Dragon received it directly in the form of a powerful radio message that parsed into human speech:
Hail Dragon. I am the peaceful envoy of the Core Forum. My randomly selected analog name is Ro Az Ra Ni. It is my purpose to corroborate all that the Invention known to you as Ashok has reported. In service to that purpose, I intend to physically enter your primary vessel. I await your courtesy aboard a nearby interplanetary vessel. Send your shuttle to acquire me. Be aware that at our present relative velocities, only a narrow window of opportunity exists for you to act. Beyond that, as our trajectories diverge, rendezvous becomes impossible.
Halfway through this message, Urban ordered a radar sweep. By the time the message reached its end and began to repeat, he had Argo preparing to deploy.
The Pilot and the Astronomer met him in the library.
The Astronomer assured him, “Radar has pinpointed the location of the vessel. Its precise speed and trajectory are being determined.”
The Pilot said, “Argo may be launched immediately. I have advised it on a preliminary course to be refined as additional data is obtained.”
“Do it, then,” Urban told them.
He had wanted the Core Forum’s firm agreement before he presented his world-building project to the ship’s company—but it was not going to happen that way. Through his extended senses he perceived a flush of activity in the warren as the ship’s company woke from cold sleep—as Clemantine awoke.
Her ghost had been active from time to time, tracking the ship’s status. But not his status. He could have tried to heal the breach between them, but he had not, choosing temperate friendship instead. A deliberate choice, a sacrifice made to protect the evolving project because if they had been together, Clemantine would surely have sensed his hidden agenda. And she would have turned the ship’s company against the plan even before they knew if it was possible. He did not doubt that. So he had made a callous trade: love, for ambition.
Chapter
26
There came a day when Griffin’s philosopher cells perceived the presence of a lineage among themselves profoundly different from all others. A lineage that remained quiet much of the time. Listening. Rarely affecting the direction of common discussion, even more rarely contributing to the observation of the Near Vicinity, yet forcefully present whenever navigational issues arose, or questions concerning the nature or distribution of the fleet. At such times this anomalous lineage activated, always unified, ever strong and dominant.
Why was it different?
On the high bridge, the Bio-mechanic strove to suppress a rising anxiety as he followed these evolving speculations. *They speak of us, he said to the Cryptologist, who was there with him.
*Yes.
Somehow, she made this single word sound wonderstruck.
*Have you ever seen the philosopher cells examine themselves like this before? he asked her.
*Not like this. Not in my experience.
*A new level of consciousness then. Self-consciousness.
*Maybe. A pause, and then, *It worries you.
*It does. Listen to them.
A thought-proposition now circulated through Griffin’s cell field. A self-conscious examination of mind. Levels of mind. A recognition that each voice in the endless conversation—that is, each philosopher cell—existed as a separate mind: the base level of thought. Each lineage of cells formed another level, a networked mind, often, but not always, in agreement with itself. All the lineages together comprised a third level of mind.
The Cryptologist said, *They perceive the structure of their own working minds. That is amazing. Fascinating. Not something a human mind is capable of.
She introduced a side branch to the conversation, a query. Translated, she asked: What is the origin of this inward observation?
The question circulated until an answer arose out of stored histories: Inherent structure provided such functioning. Levels of mind had always observed themselves and one another, while deducing what could not be directly observed. This formed the basis of a self-check routine allowing the field to monitor for and expunge parasites and mutated lineages.
*Parasites like us, the Bio-mechanic said, darkly pleased at this description. A cold pleasure that crossed the links into the cell field.
The philosopher cells, still deeply engaged in self-analysis, reacted instantly:
A brief cascade of emotion afflicted the Bio-mechanic: panic that became anger and anger suppressed in cold silence. He did not dare to answer.
But the Cryptologist did:
– identity: self / other-self –
– intrinsic purpose: stabilization of mission definition –
*In other words, we are the boss? the Bio-mechanic asked her.
*We provide purpose, the Cryptologist clarified. *We define the system’s goals and enforce its ongoing behavior.
*You are saying we serve as the ship’s will.
*Yes, although ‘will’ is a human concept.
The cell field embarked on a long discussion of her answer, exploring its implications, and ultimately—with subtle guidance from the Cryptologist—approving with full consensus the function she’d defined.
The Bio-mechanic observed, *Urban always claimed to have full control over the cell field. You have actually achieved it.
But as he thought more about this in ensuing days, he became less sure. After all, human will often collapsed under stress—a thought that troubled him deeply.
<><><>
From that day forward, Griffin’s philosopher cells differentiated the lineage they referred to as other-self and in their own internal language, they demanded of it, over and over:
These demands delighted the Cryptologist, being strong evidence that her re-engineering efforts had brought on a profound shift in the philosopher cells, inducing the emergence of a deeper sentience that let them ponder their own nature and their place within the greater cosmos.
In contrast, delight formed no part of the Bio-mechanic’s mood. He looked on doubtfully as the Cryptologist developed the requested simulations. In each hypothetical scenario, she showed the fleet undertaking a highly organized, cautious, and careful pursuit of knowledge, always with the sense of wonder she had cultivated from the start.
He did not like this new phase at all.
He remembered all too well the raw, wild, reactionary nature of the philosopher cells that first time he had been permitted on Griffin’s high bridge. The cells had possessed no deep sentience then. He felt sure of it. And he knew Urban had always regarded them as a mechanistic mind, incapable of self-reflection. A tool to be used.
But was that still the way of it?
For though the philosopher cells did not yet question what they regarded as the assigned evolutionary role of other-self, the Bio-mechanic did. Not aloud. Not yet. For now, he only questioned himself, asking, By what right do we graft our will onto any deeply sentient mind?
His own will had always been subservient to Urban’s, and like the philosopher cells, he had not thought to question the arrangement. But he had been changed—literally changed by the choice of the Cryptologist—and easy acceptance was gone. In its absence a trait emerged that used to be deeply buried: the fear and revulsion of being controlled.
Long ago, at the Rock, Urban had destroyed his avatar to avoid such capture. The Bio-mechanic found he now shared that aspect of his progenitor and it forced him to recognize the hypocrisy of holding the philosopher cells captive, of denying them their self-determination.
But to not do so meant subservience for every human in the fleet at the very least—and possibly death.
Such was the moral hazard of uplift.
He wondered if Dragon’s philosopher cells had reached a similar point of development.
He resolved to make a quiet inquiry.
<><><>
The Bio-mechanic—that version of him belonging to Dragon—received an odd message from his counterpart aboard Griffin. A surprising message, given the two had not communicated since their separation.
*Come over to Griffin. I invite you. There are developments here that will interest you.
Curiosity blossomed. Suspicion too. *You have not allowed Griffin to corrupt you? he asked, only partly in jest.
This drew a slight, cold chuckle from his counterpart. *I leave that for you to judge.
Not an answer meant to soothe. Rather, it heightened his suspicion. That was on purpose of course, because now—for the security of the fleet—he would have to investigate.
His counterpart added, *As an alternative, I could send a submind to you.
This was a taunt. A facetious suggestion, as his counterpart proved with his next words:
*Though of course you would not accept one from me.
*Of course I would not! You are specialized for Griffin now. Just tell me of these developments, and we will not have to merge at all.
*No. That will not do. Come over. Risk a copy, and if you do not like what you learn, you do not need to return to Dragon.
A strange claim. Strange enough that it crystallized his concern. What was going on over there? Was it possible Griffin had again subverted its human contingent?
Better to know than to wonder.
*All right, he responded, and he replicated, sending a ghost to the data gate.
He expected to arrive within the mind of his counterpart, their memories joined, two parallel histories available to him.
It wasn’t so.
To his astonishment he arrived unconfined by any window and virtually corporeal on the main deck of Griffin’s library. Alone there. His extended senses detected no other presence. The log showed the Cryptologist to be on the high bridge, but otherwise, an apocalyptic emptiness until, a moment later, emerging from the archive, himself.
He faced himself.
That should not be possible. It was not permitted. There should have been an automatic merge.
“Explain,” he demanded of himself. No need to specify what. He would know.
A nod. And in slow, careful words—so much less efficient than a merge or an exchange of subminds—his counterpart explained.
Chapter
27
A message from Pasha reached Alaka‘i Onyx: “Ashok, what do you know of this envoy called Ro Az Ra Ni?”
This struck Ashok as a peculiar, essentially nonsensical question. Suspecting a segment had been lost in transmission, it checked for the message’s time markers—and found the proper sequence present. Nothing was missing.
“I do not understand your query,” it replied. “Please provide additional detail.”
Time slipped past, an extended silence beyond the usual slow response time of the biologicals. Then Pasha’s electronic version arrived at the data gate and instantiated within an avatar.
Ashok sent an instance hurrying to meet her even as she demanded, “Where are you?”
“Here. I am here,” he responded as the instance trundled over flashing displays to meet her in a tunnel junction.
The avatar Pasha occupied had already mimicked her preferred appearance. The communicative surface of its face displayed an expression Ashok interpreted as anxiety as she described the message Dragon had received, ostensibly from an envoy newly arrived from the Core Forum.
As it grasped the situation, Ashok apportioned parallel tasks. One instance roused Tio Suthrom from his state of minimal consciousness, demanding, “You must conduct a radar sweep now.” Another instance messaged Urban: “I had no prior knowledge of this visit. I will learn what I can.” A third initiated the growth of a simple transport pod sufficient to ferry a single instance to Dragon—a speculative action, soon validated when Pasha confirmed what Ashok had guessed: the envoy intended to visit Dragon.
Time slipped past—many seconds in the basic human unit of measure—before the radar sweep located a previously unknown vessel. Ashok sent a query. An acknowledgment returned.
With contact established, Ashok messaged its initial concern in a digital language that could be only crudely translated into human speech: Your cohort will be subject to biological contamination when you board the human vessels. That is an unnecessary sacrifice. I have already endured contamination. I can represent you.
The reply carried the approximate meaning: I am Ro Az Ra Ni of the Originalist faction and more trusted by the Core Forum to investigate the humans’ world-building proposal than Ashok who has long been away. The sacrifice is mine to make.
Accepting this, Ashok initiated a check in support of the envoy’s mission: You are proficient in human language and culture?
Yes. I have integrated the module you developed to communicate with your host ship and have incorporated your reports in my training.
Next, Ashok sought to determine the envoy’s bias: Do you support the world-building project?
I represent the Core Forum and in that capacity I withhold judgment. But for myself I am intrigued.
Ashok informed Ro Az Ra Ni: I am deploying an instance to the humans’ primary vessel, to assist in your investigation.
Acknowledged.
The two Inventions then traded signals serving as end markers for their conversation.
<><><>
When Clemantine arrived at the pavilion with all the other newly wakened Dragoneers, she saw Urban already standing at the center of the dais, watching the ship’s company file in. Their eyes met, but only briefly before his guilty gaze cut away. Almost, she messaged him, What are you up to?
But hadn’t she given up that privilege?
Vytet stood to one side of the dais, still in feminine mode. Though it was her usual role to call these meetings and to lead the discussions, this time Urban had summoned the ship’s company. He’d done so early, as soon as they woke in the warren, giving them no time to eat or to catch up on history, even though the envoy would not reach Dragon for hours to come. Vytet’s troubled frown suggested that she, like Clemantine, harbored suspicions about the urgency of this meeting.
Moving to the back, Clemantine took a central seat beside Riffan. Abby sat on her other side. Together they watched as Urban nodded greetings to Shoran, Jolly, Tarnya, all choosing seats in the front row.
Abby turned to Clemantine and, contributing to a general buzz of excitement, she asked, “This is it, isn’t it? The Inventions have decided—or maybe this envoy will decide—if we’ll be invited to visit Hupo Sei.”
“I hope that’s all this is,” Clemantine answered, though she did not believe it.
Urban began to speak, even before everyone had found a seat, and his first words affirmed Clemantine’s doubt. “Some of us spent the crossing working out a speculative proposal that we shared with the Inventions, with their Core Forum.” A guilty glance at Vytet, who stared at him with her brow drawn down and lips parted in confusion. “The envoy is here to evaluate the validity of that proposal.”
