Virtual

by S A Pavli

  “Yeah, if we found some fossils we could age them,” said Walters excitedly. “At the moment, we have little idea when these people died out. It could be a thousand years, or a million.”

  “And why they died out,” added Melanie. Mark nodded.

  “Important questions,” he said. “But we need to know a bit more about these alien life forms before we carry on.”

  “Mark, you’re not thinking of pulling out are you?” asked Melanie, a frown creasing the milky smoothness of her forehead.

  “I haven’t made any decision yet,” said Mark carefully. “That’s the reason I’ve called this meeting. There are some things we need to find out. Andy and I have come up with some ideas.” The two scientists looked concerned and exchanged glances.

  “What sort of things?” asked LeBlanc.

  “Let’s wait for the others to arrive, then I can explain it once,” said Mark. They nodded resignedly and they made small talk until the other members of the expedition arrived. Only Josephine was missing, and Mark was about to call her when Andy came through on the intercom to tell them that she was helping him rig up the computer.

  “I’ve explained the plan to her Captain,” he finished.

  “That’s good Andy, carry on,” said Mark.

  “Rig up a computer?” Are they building another AI?” asked Lesley, bringing her coffee over to the table to sit next to Captain Anja.

  “Not exactly,” said Mark. “We don’t have enough modules to build a full working duplicate of Alden. But that’s not the intention.” He went on to describe their plan to build a ‘dummy’ computer to trap the alien life form.

  “If this works, we could do the same thing on my ship,” said Anja, her face animated with pleasure for the first time since her traumatic experience. Mark nodded.

  “That’s not the only purpose of the exercise,” he said. He went on to describe the theory that the life forms may be sentient and trying to communicate with them. This was met with scepticism by the assembled company.

  “If they were intelligent surely they would see that they were…well, killing us,” said Leslie.

  “We have no way of knowing what they can see, or sense actually, and what they cant sense,” said Mark “In the same way that we can’t see their physical structure, it may be that they cant see ours. All we can see of each other is an electrical phenomenon. And we are also possibly killing them as well.”

  “Mmm, so we’ve got off to a good start,” said Melanie. “So far they’ve killed a half dozen of us and we have done the same to them. Bodes well for future relationships.”

  "Ray, do you have any ideas on their physical nature?” asked Mark. "Any experiments you can conduct ?” He tailed off vaguely. LeBlanc looked equally doubtful.

  “Anyone here a medium?" he asked.

  “These things could be the souls of our dead ancestors," said Walters with an overly innocent expression on his long bony face. Melanie snorted her derision.

  “There is one possibility that I've been considering," said LeBlanc. "Imagine that you are seeing a two dimensional object, from the side. It would disappear right?”

  “Are you saying that they are two dimensional?” asked Walters.

  "No, but if their third dimension is not the same as our third dimension, we may not be able to see them," said LeBlanc. “You see, we know that Space-Time is made up of a number of dimensions in addition to the three physical ones that we know of. But we always believed that in our Universe, those additional dimensions are collapsed to an infinitely small space. But, say that's not completely true. And that under certain circumstances, objects can exist which occupy other dimensions.”

  "The dream of true invisibility,” muttered Melanie. "

  "Mmm yes,” agreed LeBlanc. “Although, as we have seen, they can still be detected by their electrical presence.”

  "Why is that though?” asked Walters, a puzzled expression on his face.

  "It may be that electrons are the only particles that can share both their group of three dimensions, and ours. So what we are seeing is like the tip of an iceberg. Their physical bodies make up the bulk of the underwater part of the iceberg, and the electrical activity of their living bodies is the bit above the water that we can see.” LeBlanc shrugged expressively. “Pure speculation of course, but we have to start somewhere.”

  "How is it that there has been no evidence of this phenomenon before now?” asked Melanie. “If there is a whole universe out there occupying a different dimension, we should have noticed its presence before, at least from its electrical interference.”

  "Yes, that is the main weakness in my argument," said LeBlanc. “Unless it's not a universal phenomenon but something confined to this locality.”

  "Something created by the inhabitants of this planetary system?” asked Mark, but it was more of a statement than a question. There was silence while they mulled this over. Eventually it was Melanie who spoke.

  "All the more reason to explore the main planet. We need to know what sort of civilisation inhabited this system, if any, and see if the re are any clues to where these alien multi -dimensional, whatever they are, came from.”

  "Unless we can get our AI back on line, we are not going anywhere," said Mark. Melanie and the other scientists looked disappointed, but did not offer further disagreement. Only Leslie spoke up.

  "Just for my sake," she said slowly. “Does this mean that without our AI we can’t go anywhere? I mean are we marooned here?”

  "No,” answered Mark. “We have our navigation computer that can get us around quite safely, and get us back home if need be. It involves a lot more work on our part, but we are trained to cope with an emergency like this.”

  "Thank Christ for that,” murmured Leslie. “So what's the problem with exploring the main planet?”

  "Safety protocols I'm afraid," replied Mark. “If there’s any major breakdown of the ship's systems the Captain is duty bound to take the path of least danger. That is, stay where you are until a rescue ship arrives. I could lose my license if I ignore that.”

  "Even if we asked you to?” asked Melanie. Mark nodded soberly.

  "It has to be my decision and my responsibility.”

  Chapter 18

  Mark and Andy were examining the mountain of electronic equipment on Jo’s workbench in the ship’s main electronics bay. They were fully suited up, but with helmet visors open. Built into one wall of the room were the array of beige cabinets that housed Alden’s brain . Cables snaked from the bench to various outlets and sockets in the walls of the room.

  "Those are the three AI modules," said Andy pointing to three rectangular silver boxes on the workbench.

  "How do we communicate with it?” asked Mark.

  "We have a single comms line connected to that terminal,” he answered.

  "What software is it running?” asked Mark.

  "None," said Andy. “No Operating System, nothing. Only the hardware microcode. That can't be interfered with because it's hard wired into the machine.”

  "Don t we need the software to communicate with it?” asked Mark.

  "Normally, yes," replied Andy. “But in this case, any software will be corrupted by the alien. What I am hoping is that with an empty machine, it will learn to use it. In effect, the alien is the software.”

  "So to use the machine, it must learn to communicate with the microcode?” asked Mark.

  "Yes,” agreed Andy. “That's the problem. Can it do that?”

  "Well, let’s take it one step at a time," said Mark. “Let's see if we can catch us an alien.” He operated the intercom button on his suit. “Ok everybody, close up your suit visors and keep them that way until I give the word.” Two levels up in the ship’s lounge, the Major checked that everybody’s suit visors were closed and all suit indicators were green.

  "We're all ok up here Mark,” he announced on the intercom. In the ship's Bridge, Josephine was in the command seat and her voice came back also confirming her readiness. />
  "Power down the AI unit Jo," said Mark The systems controls for the AI were on the Bridge and Josephine carefully went through the shut down procedure for the AI. When all the lights were red, she confirmed it on the intercom. Meanwhile, Andy was operating the controls on the Survey Robot. The four legged robot was transmitting its data on a channel that was being displayed on screens in the engineering bay, the lounge and the Bridge. The big screen on the wall of the engineering bay displayed a fuzzy picture of one wall, the wall behind which Alden's electronic innards resided.

  “Picture's fuzzy because its optimised for the radio and electrostatic spectrum. it's a sort of interpolated view,” explained Andy. All eyes concentrated with fascination on the picture. After a minute or two with no result, just when the tension was relaxing into disappointment, a vague blurry mist was seen to seep out of the wall housing the AI. There were gasps on the intercom, and an exclamation of Damn, there it is from someone.

  "We have it,” exclaimed Mark triumphantly.

  "No, we'll have it when it takes the bait," said Andy. The mist expanded slowly and moved away from the wall until it was a ball about a metre across and fully visible in the room.

  "I'm going to try something," said Mark. He walked slowly across the room until he was physically next to where the alien appeared on the screen. “Andy, how close am I to it?" he asked.

  "About a metre away. Move a little to your left.” said Andy. As Mark moved closer to the alien mist, it was clearly seen to move away from him. “Its moving away from you Mark," said Andy. Mark stepped closer, and then with a quick movement he stepped into the mist. There was a gasp of Mark be careful, on the intercom, from a woman's voice, but Mark was not sure who. On the view screen, the alien mist curled around Mark, enfolding him, then wriggled away from him, reforming itself into a ball again.

  "It doesn't like you getting near it Mark," said Andy. “It must be the high voltage electrostatic insulation in the spacesuit. But you're pushing it away from the dummy AI. Get around behind it and encourage it in that direction.” Mark moved away from the alien mist, putting it between him an d the dummy AI on the workbench. Gradually, Mark shepherded the mist closer and closer to the workbench until it was hovering above the silver cylinders.

  "Come on baby, there's your new home,” muttered Andy encouragingly. The ball of mist suddenly contracted and disappeared. “Gotcha!” Andy shouted. A second smaller screen on the wall suddenly burst into life, figures scrolling like marching motes of light over it.

  "Whoa, we have life,” exclaimed Jo. Andy bounded over and started punching keys.

  "Christ, is it trying to talk to us?” asked Mark, peering over his shoulder at the agitated screen display.

  "Nothing sensible as far as I can tell," said Andy, pausing and examining the scrolling text. “In fact, it looks like random garbage.”

  “Aliens don’t speak English you know,” muttered Walters to no-one in particular.

  "I'm going to store the output and run a pattern recognition program on it," said Andy.

  "Right,” agreed Mark. “Well ladies and gents, looks like the experiment has been a success. We have captured us one alien. I think we can get our suits off now. Jo, get the AI initiation sequence under way. Let's see if Alden has survived this ordeal.”

  "Check Captain. It takes an hour to bring up the AI," said Jo.

  "Time enough for a coffee," said Mark.

  "Relaxing in the lounge half an hour later, the conversation was about the captured alien life form.

  "We need to give it a name," said LeBlanc.

  "What about George?” suggested Walters.

  "No, I mean a name for the species," said LeBlanc. “Like the Electrons , or the Immaterials.”

  "What about the Virtuals?” suggested Walters. “That's what they seem to be after all.”

  "Yeah, I like that,” agreed LeBlanc. “The Virtuals. Its got a ring to it. A good name for a life form that can live inside a computer.”

  "Why do we think it’s going to stay in our dummy computer anyway?” asked Leslie.

  "There may be something about the topography of computer circuitry that it finds attractive," said LeBlanc. “Like if we landed on an alien planet, we would look to build a home in a nice secluded place with food, water and a good climate.”

  “Yeah, but it may decide to take a little trip elsewhere. It may be an adventurous Virtual." said Leslie.

  "That is a good point actually," said Melanie. “The alien appeared to have been sucked into the computer, almost against its will. Perhaps it can’t get out.”

  "Until its host dies?" suggested Mark thoughtfully.

  "Whatever is happening here," said LeBlanc, “It's opening up a whole new area of physics that we never knew existed.”

  "Captain, I would like to try and get my own ship's AI working," said Anja. “Now that we know it can be done.” Mark nodded his agreement.

  "I can send Andy and Jo across with you to do the same thing," he said. “What about the bodies of your crew?" he asked the question gently, his eyes sympathetic.

  "It's normal to have a Space burial," she said. “Leaving the bodies in the airlock would be a bit gruesome.”

  "It would be convenient to have two ships operational," said Melanie. “One could remain here to continue exploring the moon, and the other can make the trip to the planet. James and I are very anxious to have a look at the aliens home planet.”

  “So you said. If our AI comes up undamaged then I think it would be safe to do that,” said Mark with an agreeable nod, which earned him a warm smile.

  "By aliens, do you mean Virtuals?” asked Walters, “What I mean is, do we think that they are indigenous to this system?”

  "It's hard to see how they could have built those huge structures on the Moon," said the Major. “Without any physical form and all.”

  "Jesus, I've just had an idea,” exclaimed LeBlanc, looking animated.

  "Careful,” grinned Walters.

  "Robots!" continued LeBlanc. They all looked at him blankly. “How would a virtual life form manipulate our physical environment?" he asked, then proceeded to answer his own question. “By using robots of course. The Virtuals are just disembodied computer programs after all.”

  "Wait a minute Ray, you haven t thought that through," said Walters. “How could a species of disembodied life forms build robots in the first place?”

  "Obviously," said LeBlanc impatiently. “What I mean is, could the Virtuals have been manufactured by the indigenous life form to operate their robotic machinery?”

  "Interesting idea," said Mark. “But why design computer programs that can migrate at will?”

  "Perhaps there was some controlling force that moved them around. Uploaded or downloaded them as and when they were needed,” suggested LeBlanc. “Plucking them out of thin air so's to speak.”

  "Doesn’t explain why they take over biological brains as well though,” pointed out Anja. “Would have been a bit awkward for the indigenous aliens.”

  The discussion continued, with arguments and suggestions being bandied back and forth. Mark found himself becoming detached , his eyes furtively and hungrily turning towards a certain dark haired young woman, fascinated by the curve of her cheek, the fullness of her lips, the flash of her dark eyes. She could not help but notice his attention, although she pretended not to, and inevitably their eyes crossed, skidding away with feigned nonchalance, but returning again like two oppositely charged magnets.

  Mark's emotions were confused. The vision of Leslie's passionate face and body kept intruding, bringing with it an unfamiliar guilt. Sex between two consenting adults was no longer the big deal in the twenty -eighth century that it had been in the nineteenth or twentieth. The problem was that the lovely doctor was clearly emotionally involved and he had his doubts as to whether she took the same casual view of their sexual liaison as he did. Fortunately, work intruded and he put the matter temporarily to the back of his mind.

  "I’ll go and s
ee how Jo is doing," he said. "I’ll Let you know as soon as Alden comes up, although I'm sure Alden will let us all know himself.” With a nod to the company he made his way to the Bridge. There he found both Jo and Andy with their heads bent over the computer screen. Andy looked up at his Captain.

  "So far so good Mark. The core and its hardware systems look undamaged. The load is going normally.” Mark gave a muttered excellent and took the spare seat in the cabin.

  "If this goes OK, Anja wants to do the same thing with her own AI.”

  "If she has some spare modules and the necessary support electronics, we can do that,” agreed Andy.

  Mark watched silently as the load of the AI computer proceeded, his thoughts returning to Melanie and his increasing obsession with her. She had, after all, given no indication that she was in any way interested in him he reminded himself. And women these days were just as likely to make the running when it came to romantic interest as men were. But these thoughts didn't seem to help his mood. He shook his head, an unconscious reflection of his internal doubt. The object of his thoughts suddenly appeared in the doorway to the Bridge.

  “Uh just thought I'd see how you were getting on," she said, her eyes moving between them, and settling on Mark. What a musical voice you have he mused, then the thought, tinged with resignation, Mark my boy, you've got it bad! He smiled at her.

  “Nearly there," he said. “The signs are good that the AI is undamaged.”

  “Excellent," she said. “Just to let you know, I have sent the hyperspace message to my father, with pictures and video. The news will be out very soon.” Mark grunted with wry humour.

  “I can imagine the furore," he said. Melanie nodded.

  “Yes. We could have a problem though.” Mark looked enquiringly at her. “I can well see the authorities demanding that we don’t touch anything.” Mark grunted.

  “I don't see how they can demand it. There are no laws to prevent us, as far as I know," he said. Melanie nodded.