by Paul Anlee
Darian was stunned. He’d imagined a great number of possible responses to his talk today, but being the subject of an impromptu exorcism by a religious fanatic did not occur to him. He momentarily forgot his plan to avoid being shot.
“You are delusional,” Darian said, just loud enough for the gunman to hear. “Do you believe so deeply that only you know the truth, and you know it so confidently and righteously that you would kill a simple scientist for the mere crime of speaking?”
“The poison of your words is more destructive than a million guns!” screamed the gun-bearer. “Do not attempt to deceive me, Satan. For I hold Yeshua firmly in my heart. Your words hold no weight with me. You may fool millions with your evil lies but be warned. There are legions who see through your deceptions. Our Lord has permitted your presence so He may weed out those who are too weak, losers who are too easily swayed by your dark promises to enter into His Kingdom. Your day of reckoning is coming, you servant of Darkness!”
As the man stepped off the final stair, Darian’s lattice screamed at him: MOVE NOW! He saw the bullet leave the gun barrel, or maybe it was just the projection from the motion-modeling software in his lattice. In any case, he responded. Everything slowed as he twisted to one side, away from the projected point of impact. The last thing he saw before registering intense pain was Greg tackling the assailant from behind, and Kathy lunging forward to join Greg in an effort to bring down the shooter.
The bullet slammed into Darian’s left side, spinning him around, and sending him crashing to the floor.
Galvanized by Greg's and Kathy’s heroics, a handful of attendees leaped forward. The rest took advantage of the distraction and fled in the opposite direction. Four university security officers shouted and shoved their way down through the panicked crowd.
The ruckus grew distant as Darian's mainly biologically based consciousness faded to black, dragging his lattice along with it.
30
At the Vacationland meeting of Darya’s Cybrid rebels, mouths gaped indelicately. Her acolytes contemplated the incomprehensible, a machine powerful enough to reverse the creation of the universe and an individual insane enough to use it.
“It’s almost impossible to imagine,” Mary said after a time.
“And there’s only us left to stop it,” whispered Qiwei.
“It only took one person to conceive of the plan in the first place,” responded Darya. “Even if that person fancies himself a god of sorts, and the plan needs billions of Cybrids to implement it.” She looked around the table, realizing how absurd it would appear to an outsider: the five of them, dressed for beachside relaxation, contemplating a war against the destructive desires of a self-proclaimed god.
“Listen,” she said, “we learned a lot from Lysrandia. We can do better. We picked that location for testing and recruiting because of its low popularity with anyone except oddballs and nonconformists, which meant that anything going on inworld was likely to be ignored by Alum and the Securitors.
“We picked it knowing that few mainstream thinkers would ever step foot there and, if they did, they weren't likely to admit it to anyone or report any activities. We got lucky for a while, I guess, but recruiting people to our cause was always going to be a complicated and slow process there.
“Besides, that whole science and dragon show was getting to be rather much. The risk to everyone involved was getting too high to justify such a small gain in recruits.”
“So what do you propose?” asked Gerhardt.
“Well, for the past few thousand years, I’ve been working on a way to take over the inworld sim machinery so that we can get our message out to everyone. I think I've developed a hack that will be untraceable, and unstoppable. I’ve already got it in place, and it’s ready to be activated.”
“But as soon as the Supervisors detect any attempts to interfere with the inworld sims they’ll just block it,” objected Qiwei. “After what happened in Lysrandia, they’ll be more alert than ever.”
Darya nodded. “That's true, they will be hyper-alert to outside interference, but this new system is built within the inworld system. It can’t be stopped without destroying the simware, itself.”
“From inside the system? How does it work?” Mary asked. Ever-focused on the practical, she was ready to move forward.
“I’ve engineered a quantum virus based on the newest sub-atomic logic in my own quark-spin lattice. The virus looks like normal matter, but it uses virtual particle interactions inside normal fermions—mainly quarks and neutrinos—to perform logic operations and to convert adjacent atoms into processing units.
“It draws from the simware energy source, it’s adaptive to its environment, and it’s self-replicating. Essentially, it’s an intelligent, insidious, untraceable virus that will be unrecognizable from the host system it attacks. Or, I should say, unrecognizable at the molecular and atomic scales, which is all we need.
“I've already converted eight percent of the simware substrate inside the entertainment and recharging asteroids in the region. They’re ready to receive fresh programming. In a few minutes, I'll be initiating the first new inworld available to Cybrids in millions of years. Like all other sims, this inworld will be uploaded into the distributed simnet, allowing all Cybrids living in major centers around Sagittarius A* to participate."
Qiwei sat forward and dropped his voice to a whisper. “A completely new inworld? Nobody has designed a significant new inworld from scratch for eons. If Alum becomes aware of our role in this, we'll be lucky if all he does is wipe our minds.” He looked around to make sure no one was eavesdropping. “So, what is this new inworld like?”
“I've called it Alternus because it’s an alternate version of Earth, the planet we now call Origin. I modeled it, as best I could, on Origin as it existed a few years before being destroyed by the Da’arkness. It will simulate a small part of our physical universe to near-perfection. The physics are true to the actual universe, and there is no magic.
“Cybrids, who enter the Alternus sim, will find a functioning society with a population of about nine billion people, all Partials. Players can choose to participate as invisible observers, or instantiate themselves directly inside an inworld inhabitant. If the Players choose to instantiate, they get access to that inworlder’s memories, skills, and proclivities, and they’ll be able to direct that person’s life in any way they wish.
“Once a Cybrid instantiates into an inworld being, no other Cybrid will be able to instantiate into that same inworlder. It’s a dedicated one-to-one relationship. From the moment a Cybrid instantiates, its own trueself personality traits will be imprinted on the inworlder. The Cybrid will know everything the inworlder knows, including how the inworlder would normally behave. When the Cybrid overmind is not present, the inworlder will continue to behave in a consistent manner.”
Qiwei looked skeptical, perhaps even a little disappointed. “I can see how a totally new inworld would draw people to come visit. But, to be honest, this one sounds boring. Couldn’t you have made something a little more exciting? No magic at all? What's that all about?”
“What’s more exciting than reality?” Darya challenged. “Even though we do most of the work throughout Alum’s worlds, Cybrid civilization is completely disconnected from the universe. We spend all our spare time in imaginary, magical inworlds like this one.” She looked around at the impossible restaurant, the perfect beach below, the gamers, and the surfers.
“Our imaginary entertainments have encouraged us to take the easy road, to disengage from reality. Why struggle to understand the complexities of real matter and energy when you can live in a fantastical world where your every whim is fulfilled? Why learn how to lead in a real universe when you can rock an imaginary one?”
“We work hard in the real universe. Why shouldn’t we get to enjoy ourselves inworld?” asked Leisha. The others nodded in agreement.
“Enjoying entertainment is fine. But whatever hap
pened to creating your own? To working out your own challenges instead of having it all done for you? Whatever happened to expressing your own self and ideas, instead of playing out someone else's design? To designing new technologies and developing new science?
“There was a time when Cybrids would gather inworld to create new music or theater of great sophistication. We participated in enormous works that required the coordinated activity of entire communities. But we don’t do that anymore. A combination of boredom, laziness, and official discouragement of creative acts has made places like Vacationland the standard for inworld entertainment. People aren’t even trying to be creative anymore. We’re all falling prey to the worst kind of intellectual laziness and ennui.
“Outworld, Alum is really the only one who understands things, who has the big picture. Everything we do is on orders from Him. We make and fix machines. We move asteroids. We travel between the stars. We design new variants of life but all according to His directions and specifications. No one understands anything important about their work anymore.” Darya held their gazes in silence until, one by one, each looked away.
She continued, “In Alternus, people can be part of actual life stories. They can immerse themselves in ongoing dramas and make choices that affect how that life develops, how it intertwines with others. They can learn how their world works. Alternus is going to draw Cybrids back into the universe of struggle, of problem-solving, and of fulfillment.”
Gerhardt tapped the glass tabletop impatiently as he spoke. “Okay, I can see how Alternus might start to appeal to players once they get into it for a while. But getting them in there at all, never mind trying to change an attitude that has developed over millions of years, that could take millions of years more, don't you think? We only have a few years left at best before Alum’s Divine Plan is activated. Less, if he starts taking the resistance seriously and steps up his schedule. So with all due respect, how exactly will this sim help our cause, and not just waste precious time we don’t have?”
Darya smiled. “Our people will go in first. We'll assign them to instantiate within some key inhabitants: politicians, news people, the wealthy, and the socially prominent, a broad section of the most influential. Once they’re in place, we’ll mount a campaign of truth against Alum’s plan. We'll tell people what Alum is really doing. We'll encourage them to rebel and, if necessary, to sabotage the machinery.”
It was Mary’s turn to object. “People are so accustomed to separating their inworld and outworld lives. I don't see anything happening inside Alternus that could motivate them to take action back in the real universe. You underestimate the overwhelming pull of comfort and inertia. Many won’t want to believe what you have to say.”
The others agreed.
“That’s a possibility, but read this before you draw conclusions. Here’s a sample of what we’ll tell them.” Several small flyers appeared in Darya’s hand. She handed a copy to each of her acolytes who, mostly out of respect, took a minute to peruse the material.
The flyer succinctly summarized Alum’s history and his “Divine Plan” for the universe. It called upon each individual to carry out small acts of sabotage against the machinery he’d ordered to be constructed around the black hole. It closed with a description of how individuals could convert their matter/antimatter propulsion units into bombs should harsher action be required.
Leisha was first to finish reading. “This is great. Really well set out.”
“You’ve really thought this through,” Gerhardt agreed, “right down to specific ways that people can slow or disrupt the construction.”
“I hope I don’t have to give my life to save the universe but I’m ready to do that if needed,” added Qiwei. “This will work.”
Three of them nodded appreciatively, but not Mary. Her disbelieving face looked from one compatriot to the next. She was stunned. She opened her mouth to say something, and then snapped it closed without a word. She crossed her arms and glared at Darya.
Darya pretended not to notice. She looked pleased with herself and with the ready acceptance of her plans. “I want everyone to think about which individuals from our various cells would be best to assume specific positions of responsibility in Alternus, and how to best publicize the new inworld among the Cybrids. We need maximum coverage in minimum time.
“We’ll need to have our people instantiated in Alternus within thirty days, and ready for a big surge of visitors as soon as possible after that. I encourage you to make your first visit to Alternus as soon as you leave here, and then begin compiling the assignments list. The entry code at the recharge stations will be, ‘There’s no place like home.’ We’ll meet at the inworld United Nations Headquarters in New York City in one week to discuss your candidates.” Darya soaked up their excited gazes.
Seeing she’d won them over to the next stage of the revolution, she dismissed them. “I think we’re done for this meeting. On your way out, you’ll receive updates to your inworld avatar security. Mary, could you stay behind with me for a few minutes, please?”
Leisha, Gerhardt, and Qiwei said speedy goodbyes and their avatars winked out as they rushed off to explore the new inworld.
Darya sat back in her chair, looking miserable and fatigued.
Mary was confused. The meeting had been a triumph for Darya. Why wasn’t her mentor looking excited? Four acolytes had arrived despondent and three had left elated, full of renewed vigor and inspiration. Granted, she herself didn’t feel as optimistic as the others but she felt the shift. Why would Darya look anything less than ecstatic?
“Well, that went better than I expected,” Darya confessed.
“And yet, you don’t seem very happy about it,” Mary noted.
“You weren’t convinced.”
“No more than I was or wasn’t before we met. Darya, we already knew everything in that brochure. It changed nothing.”
“No, it didn’t, did it?”
“The others ate it up,” Mary said. “Qiwei is even ready to give up his life to the cause.” She eyed Darya suspiciously. “What did you do?”
Darya took her time answering and when she did, she couldn't meet Mary’s eyes. “The brochure is a virus of a sort. I directly altered their concepta, but only a few of the relevant beliefs.”
“You what? How could you do that to them?” If the table hadn’t been on a privacy cloud twenty meters above their nearest neighbor, Mary’s outrage would have attracted the attention of the entire restaurant. As it was, a concerned waiter Partial popped into existence beside them to see if everything was okay. Darya dismissed him with a backhand wave.
Not wanting to draw further unwanted attention, Mary lowered her voice, shifting her rage from hot to cold. “How could you, Darya?” she hissed.
“Who knows more about Cybrid logic than me?”
“Yeah, I know the story. You could be the one person capable of designing a virus to circumvent all of our security routines. But what I meant was morally; how could you do that to us morally?”
“I’ve anguished over this for hundreds of years. In the end, I saw no choice. Everyone who visits inworld Alternus will be exposed to the brochure virus within weeks of instantiating. They will be de facto new recruits to the resistance.”
“I can’t believe you’d stoop so low! What about that moral high ground you’re always preaching to us about?”
“Do I not teach that there is no ultimate good? That there is no ultimate evil? Ultimately, there only IS, and that is all,” Darya quoted in response. "I think that saving the universe justifies the actions I’ve taken,” she asserted, and punctuated her thoughts with an exclamatory sniff.
Whether that meant Darya was feeling defensive or testy, Mary wasn't sure. “I see. Convincing us with logic and passion wasn’t working so you decided to just change our minds for us? What happened to our rights, Darya? Our free will? You’re no different from Alum.”
“Rights are a luxury the universe
can’t afford right now, and free will is just an illusion based on complex decision trees with non-controlled inputs and experiences,” lectured Darya. “Anyway, I left your mind alone.”
“Why bother?”
“I value your unadulterated advice. In the future, I may need an opinion that hasn’t been tainted by my manipulations. I might not always agree with you, but I will always listen.”
“Well, my opinion is that your plan is an unjustifiable abomination. My advice is to find another way.”
A thin, tight line replaced Darya's lips. “I expected that would be your answer, but I had hoped you would understand the necessity of what I’ve done.
“Think about it from my point of view, Mary. I've been trying to convince people, fighting little skirmishes, gaining ground, losing ground, losing individuals, trying again, and losing again for millennia. We're running out of time.”
Could she be right? Mary weighed Darya’s plan as objectively as she could. She admired its brutal effectiveness but surely Alum wasn't really planning to destroy the entire universe and everyone in it. Was he? That didn't make sense. Darya had presented it as indisputable fact but she hadn't provided a shred of evidence. Wasn't it more likely Alum was creating a new mini-universe for them, a better one in which they could all live? Unfortunately, there was no evidence for that, either.
I guess it all boils down to who I’d put more faith in, Alum or Darya. Darya had proven herself to be nothing but trustworthy, time and time again without exception. We trust Darya with our lives.
On the other hand, the Darya she knew—correction, thought she knew—the Cybrid with whom she'd worked for millions of years, that Darya, would never have resorted to subjugating someone’s mind. Did the debacle in Lysrandia damage her perspective? Did it push her over the edge? Should I expose the entire movement to the authorities and stop her, or allow years of loyalty and friendship to override?
Maybe I've been compromised and my thoughts are no longer my own. Maybe I’m free to think whatever I want so long as I don’t want to report the rebellion. How could she rely on her beliefs and actions knowing that Darya had released a mind-altering virus on her colleagues? If she followed this line of reasoning to its logical conclusion, her grip on sanity would become even more tenuous that it already was.
