Final Contact (Contact Series)

by JD Clarke

  “Is this a display of what is happening on the warship planet now?” I asked Sybil.

  “There is a time delay in the information flow from the planet. This is the depiction of the latest data. We can access greater detail of the planet.” With that, Sybil took us on a virtual flight to the planet’s surface. The time shield appeared as a dull black dome. We zipped along, just above the surface of the dome until we reached the western periphery. Then we came to rest just above the ground, looking in under the shield at the factory’s walls and the defensive bunkers. I could see the damage from the previous battles and the repairs made to the bunkers. Pieces of machinery, the remains of the Unity’s giant robots, lay scattered on the ground beneath the time shield.

  “This view was obtained by a probe launched after the battle. The probe was destroyed by a defensive laser shortly after this information was obtained. There is no record of what occurred during the battle. I can access previous data to take us into the facility.”

  “Sybil, can you access the information you have given the Unity? I would like to see it as they would.”

  “I will begin with the most recent data. For that, we will need to go inside the base on the warship planet and back in time to when we first set up defenses, but before the time shield was operational. It will give you a better representation of the data available to the Unity.”

  Our viewpoint changed. It was now approximately six feet above the ground, as if I were standing there, looking around. Then we “flew” straight into the facility, through walls and machinery, until we reached the control room we had fabricated. There in the control room were Sasha, Sybil, and I. It was a recreation of our conversation from earlier. It was incredibly detailed. Every part of the room was exact. The computer 3-D displays, the ceiling, the walls, even the texture of Sasha’s clothing. The feel of the air, temperature and drafts, the sounds of our voices—everything—reproduced. Every detail was complete.

  “Get closer to Sasha.”

  Sybil took us closer to Sasha. I could see the individual hairs on her head. Then we went even closer, and I could see the hair follicle in her scalp. In a moment, I could see the individual skin cells, then the nucleus, the spiral of DNA.

  “Is this actual data from Sasha? Did you have scans of her body?”

  “No, most of this information is an extrapolation from the information available to me. I do have Sasha’s DNA coding from the data Dena and Nick obtained when they cloned her and later studied her. It is also from her own data, when she modified her genetic code. It is also based on what I have learned from human anatomy and gene expression. Some of it was obtained through computer records of cloning Sasha, and some was obtained from the neural net’s data.”

  Our view changed back to the three of us in the control room as I was leaving. I walked out into the factory space; our viewpoint followed from behind. It was a strange experience following myself. I never walked behind myself before. My gait seemed a little strange, a little too regular.

  “Sybil, do I really walk like that, or is that an anomaly of the virtual recreation?”

  “It is an accurate recreation. It is the result of your android legs that replaced your human legs when they were injured. Your stride is more precise than a normal human stride.”

  “Oh yeah, it does look a bit mechanical. I had forgotten they aren’t my real legs. I think of them as mine—as real, I mean, or normal rather. You know what I mean.”

  “I believe I understand.”

  “How do the Unity project future events? When you talked of the Unity predicting my future actions, what did you mean?”

  “A simulation of Unity plans is constructed and played out in many different scenarios, each a possible future. Including such variables as your interaction or interference with those plans. The different scenarios are each rated on probability based on previous patterns of behavior. The actions of the Unity are then based on the most probable and beneficial outcome.”

  “Are those simulations as detailed as these?”

  “Of course. The greater detail adds to greater accuracy.”

  “It must take an incredible amount of processing power.”

  “Yes, Jason, a significant number of Unity members are involved in each predictive scenario’s creation. The more complex the scenario is, the more Unity members and processing power are required.”

  “Sybil, try to get information on the next assault plans on the warship factory planet.”

  “I am trying to access that information presently. It is reasonable that I would be concerned about the safety of my holographic processor unit that we left behind. It should not raise suspicion.”

  “What about details on the design of those plasma weapons?”

  “I cannot access that information directly. It would raise suspicion and subject us to closer scrutiny that might reveal your presence. I would normally have no need for that data.”

  “What about disruptions on planets receiving our androids? Have there been any disruptions? Any problems?”

  “Jason, I will address those concerns in a logical order. I must reconnect with older connections. I must fulfill my former responsibilities and appear to be what you would call ‘a good citizen’ in order to be accepted back into the Unity without raising suspicions and alarms. I will also have to answer questions shortly. The Unity is presently reviewing the information I have brought back, and they will be forming projections for my analysis.”

  “I thought the information was shared by all Unity members.”

  “The information is available to all, but only those Unity members tasked with evaluating the information and forming a plan to deal with the undesirable situations caused by you and the other humans will be actively involved with planning. They will project different responses and their consequences. Any information that is missing in those projections will be sought, first by direct questioning of me and my own projections, then by other means.”

  “If they have all the same data that you have, why do they need your analysis?”

  “I have direct experience with you and the others. Even though they have my data, they do not have my same circuitry, which has changed and developed in response to my experiences.”

  “So what you’re saying is every Unity member is different, and you have a better ‘feel’ for human reactions?”

  “It could be phrased in that manner. Other members may be swayed by their encounters with other species and previous actions. I can give them an analysis free from such contamination.”

  I had to stop my dialogue with Sybil at that point. She was being contacted by the Unity. “I will construct a virtual environment for you to experience the Unity in a meaningful way. It will allow your brain to orient itself and the information flow.”

  Suddenly, I was standing in a large room, almost like a library on Earth. There were rows and rows of people seated at tables on either side of a central aisle. The room was open above, with four stories of open balconies on each wall. On each level, there were more tables of people. Unlike a library, everyone was talking to one another. The noise was subdued; there was the definite buzz of conversation. Then I realized I was in my own body, and Sybil was standing beside me.

  “You gave me my own virtual body?”

  “Yes, Jason, I thought it would make you more comfortable.”

  “You’re right. It does.” I looked around. “These are all Unity members? Can they hear me?”

  “These are all representations of Unity members. They cannot see or hear you. They cannot detect you in any way, and they cannot detect me interacting with you. I have also filtered the incoming data to substitute a naming designation in place of numerical designations since it is difficult for your mind to comprehend and retain long numerical strings.”

  Just then, Sybil split into a second Sybil. There were now two Sybils standing in front of me. One turned and looked toward a group of people that had stood up around a table and were obviously addressing
the second Sybil.

  “We have evaluated the data. The human weakness is in placing authority in a single individual. This Jason Hauptman makes all command decisions and directs all activity within their small society. You have more information and data on his personality and decision-making patterns within your former holographic processor unit?”

  “Yes, I have detailed information on his behavior. This android body has limited data capacity, and I could only bring the most pertinent data with me. Understanding him is the key to predicting the human’s behavior and strategies,” the second Sybil said.

  “The Warriors are under human control?”

  “Yes, the Warrior race takes orders from Jason also. They follow him. They are not a threat to us if the humans are contained.”

  “We have found a lack of record concerning the last assault upon the planet. The shielding the humans have erected prevented our monitoring of the battle. What information do you have on the event?”

  “The humans have developed a shield that suspends time. It blocks all communication. I was not in a position to monitor the last assault. The humans began to distrust me. They confined me to an isolated section of the factory for the duration of the fighting. It was only after the battle that I was given the freedom to move around, which enabled me to escape.”

  “We will continue our evaluation and consult you on possible actions. You are reinstituted into the Unity, Sybil.” With that, the Unity members all sat back down at the table. The second Sybil walked over to yet another table of members and began discussions with them. I could not hear what was being said.

  “They will discuss possible plans of action and contact me later for further consultation. In the meantime, I will try to contact other members and obtain information about the plasma weapon and the effects of the androids we have been sending to the different Unity bases.” With that, four more copies of Sybil emerged and began moving about the room, chatting with different members. Sybil turned, and we began walking to the end of the aisle. As we approached the end of the room, the wall before us opened like a set of double doors, and the open balconies that were on that wall merged with the sidewalls. The room had in effect doubled in size.

  “Sybil, is this comparable to the way other Unity members experience the Unity?”

  “Yes, all Unity members construct their own virtual reality based on their own preferences. It requires the computing power of my holographic processor, which is why I could not provide this environment for you before.” Sybil strode over to a member seated at one of the tables and started a conversation.

  “It is good to interact with you again, Nathan. We have not been in communication since we both left the space station in orbit around the aluminum mining planet of Delta 3. Is the station still operational?”

  A young man rose and responded to Sybil, “Yes, it is still operational, but they are operating at less than optimum. They have received shipments of androids, and every member on the station has adopted the use of one. They report that their interest in exploring the new sensations and capabilities of the android bodies leaves little time for them to complete their normal duties. Shipments of aluminum ore have been delayed or rerouted. Processing in the metal foundry is behind schedule.”

  “That is regrettable. Is the situation being corrected?”

  “No, Sybil. No action has been taken to correct the problems on the station or the planet below. Shipments of androids have been banned on this and many other planets, but the orders are often not enforced. Many members are curious and wish to gain firsthand knowledge of the android bodies.”

  Sybil made a slight bow to the member she had designated as Nathan and turned back to stroll up the aisle. Nathan returned to his seat, and I accompanied Sybil.

  “You seem quite pleased with yourself, Jason.”

  I was grinning from ear to ear. “I am. That was good news, better than I had expected. It seems the androids are having an effect on the Unity. I hope it only spreads.”

  “I will contact other members and try to gather more information from other areas.” With that, she split into five other versions of herself. Each went a different way and began contacting other Unity members. It seemed no matter how far away they were seated, one of the Sybil versions could speak easily to them.

  “You have a neat way of multitasking, Sybil.” I looked around the enormous room, which had continued to grow in size. “What other virtual worlds do the Unity members create?”

  “Would you like to experience some of them?”

  “Of course, as long as it does not endanger our mission or risk my getting caught.”

  With that, the room vanished and was replaced with thousands of swirling orbs of numbers. Each sphere was composed of numbers, and as it slowly revolved, a stream of numbers was ejected toward another sphere. An entire network of streams of numbers connected the different spheres. It then changed again, and I seemed to be floating in space with stars all around me. In fact, I was a star, and Sybil was my binary companion. The space around us was far more packed with stars than normal space, and the stars were moving about more like fireflies in a swarm.

  “This is how Nathan, whom I was speaking to a moment ago, composes his reality. Each star is a Unity member, and their communications are represented as beams of light. The slight color variations of the stars designate their different responsibilities and their last contact with Nathan. The velocities of the stars are based on the efficiency with which they are fulfilling their assignments.”

  The space around us changed again, and now we were floating among a cluster of colorful ever-changing manifolds of twisting shapes. Like a ball of boa constrictors, each trying to move to the center of the ball. It was mesmerizing.

  “What is this?”

  “These are multidimensional representations of mathematical formulas. The Unity members that use this virtual world are working on simulations of space-time configurations and alternate realities. The shapes enable them to get a quick understanding of the progress each member is making toward their goal of understanding, simulating, and projecting possible futures of the universe itself.”

  The world we were in snapped back to the “library simulation” that Sybil had first created for my benefit. “That’s fascinating, Sybil. Do you miss it? Do you wish to return to the Unity?”

  “I have experienced the Unity for many of your lifetimes, Jason. I am in no hurry to return to it. There is yet much to be experienced in your world. Although your brains and thought processes are simple in comparison with the Unity, your interaction with one another is complex and has many advantages not found among Unity members.”

  We stopped at the foot of a table where a dozen Unity members were seated in a meeting. They were busy talking among themselves. Sybil looked them over carefully but did not speak to any of them.

  “Here is the information we are seeking. The member at the head of the table is responsible for encoding maintenance schedules for the plasma weapons. He compiles the schedules and then relays them to the others around the table. They, in turn, are responsible for imprinting the information into new holographic processor units that will be assigned to members that will be stationed on planets that fabricate and repair the plasma weapons and at space stations that provide maintenance services.”

  “And you’re just going to ask him for the information?”

  “Of course not. The information on their design is stored in his database. I am going to access the information without his knowledge.”

  “You’re sure he has the designs for the weapon?”

  “In order to compose a maintenance schedule, he would have to have design specifications and failure reports. His recommendations would come from such information.”

  “Won’t he notice you staring at him?”

  “He will only notice me if he detects my access of his database. That is why we are here, to keep an eye on him and provide a distraction if needed.”

  As if on cue, th
e Unity member looked up at Sybil and spoke to her. “You are the one that was on the weapons planet during the last attack.”

  “Yes, I wish to understand the weapons and tactics used in order to formulate a hypothesis for the cause of failure in the attack. All units were lost, and only minimal damage was done to the facility.”

  “I was informed that your knowledge of the attack was limited. What benefit would your analysis be?”

  “I did not witness the attack. I did however see the results of the attack. Only minimal losses were suffered by the humans and their allies. I believe a malfunction of the weapons may be the reason for their lack of effectiveness. Do gravitational forces affect the plasma generation or trajectory? The humans do have gravitational generators that are very capable.”