W.O.L.F. 4 - Sentient Worlds
#4 of W.O.L.F.
W.O.L.F. - World of Lupine Furries
Sentient Worlds
a fantasy story
By Sharpfang'98
This is the fourth story from the serie W.O.L.F. and if there will be any further depends on your feedback ONLY!
Let this story just be a small gift to Lina...
W.O.L.F. - World of Lupine Furries ===================================
Lora.
Another circle on the ads page of the newspaper turned out to be the huge building of the UUS Corporation. I sighed. I'll try this and maybe 5 more today, and will go home to look for a job tomorrow again. I thought about the times when I was hoping people would appear tollerant. Now I was losing my hope. "Sorry, miss, but you see... our customers... would be repelled by your appearance... so... " I was tired of hearing this.
I was born with a genetic defect. Half of my face was terribly dissorted. I had almost no bones in it, no eye, the lips being too short revealed some of my teeth, while the other half of my face was perfectly normal - a nice girl. When I covered the other half of my face with bandage, I thought of myself as very pretty, way better than average. When I was a child, people were quite tollerant. Even most of the children was quite friendly, maybe because my parents took real care of my proper upbringing and education, sending me to a qualified school. But today, short after I finished my studies, my mother was long dead and my father was in hospital, with only a few weeks of life left. I had to take care of myself, and when it came to finding a job, what was a problem then, became a curse now.
The glass door slid open before me. I entered the hall. There were some people in here, but the building wasn't crowded. Shiny metal, glass, smooth marble floors, some green plants breaking the cold atmosphere. There was the information stand, but the man was on a phone. I walked to the stand and saw a monitor in it, like the informational ones you find on railway stations or in public buildings. I stood over it, when the screen came to life suddenly, replacing the logo with a face of a horse.
- Hallo. Welcome to the New York division of the UUS Corp. I'm Alisia, the AI, may I help you?
So this is this Alisia who's feared by technophobes all over the world? The virtual mare that watches over the whole corporation? I smiled.
Hallo. Nice to meet you. I've seen the ad in the newspaper and I'm looking for a job. Is this ad valid yet?
We always have a place for people with proper qualifications. Do you like navy blue color?
Yes, Why?
Follow the navy blue line to the recrutation department for the interview. If you have any questions, stop by any of the screens in the building and I'll be there for your help.
A navy-blue line appeared on the floor and sprang toward the nearest stairs.
Thank you, Alisia. Good bye.
Good bye and good luck with the interview!
I followed the line. It was extending in front of me, while vanishing behind me. As I was passing by other people, some of them were also following their own lines of their color. As the line led me to a lift, one of the floor buttons was shining with dark blue too.
Mark.
Hi, Mark! Are you busy? - a screen next to me came to life.
No, I just gulp the rest of my coffee and I'm on your service. What's the matter, Alisia?
A woman came for the job interview. If you finish your coffee in two minutes, you'll meet her at your door, okay?
Just this last gulp and I'm ready. Don't show me the way to my office unless you see I'm getting lost, I try to learn the layout of this building. Why do all our buildings have to resemble labyrinths anyway? - I smiled, reaching for the cup, swallowing the last piece of the donut and taking a deep sip of coffee.
To impress, to confuse, to make it near to everywhere you want to get. And there are other reasons.
Like?
Military. This building can change into a fortress or into a deadly trap for enemies within five minutes. And if you use the express lifts and pits, the layout becomes much clearer. Besides, don't you like the building?
Besides the fact that without you I'd never find my office or way to the exit, and I'm not going to jump into a 40 floor pit, even though I know there's a ion pillow on the bottom that would make the landing safe. I like the building though. It's crazy but I like it.
Do you remember our last discussion about what "crazy" really means?
We'll have to end it sometime. Maybe this evening? Remind me about it when I'm home.
I dumped the cup and plate into the recycle bin and tried to remember the way through the building. I almost succeeded, I had only to ask Alisia for the floor in the lift once. As promised, as I approached my door, there was a woman coming from the other side. She was pretty, with long auburn hair and navy blue shirt revealing her arms and shoulders, but she had a bandage over half of her face. She was following a dark blue line which ended at my office door. Before she got there, I opened them for her and invited her inside.
My new office was very comfortable I must say. Still kept in modern style, it was almost making impression of home. Deep white armchairs at some angle to a glass table with two screens under its surface, some young pot plants, a picture of some African landscape on the wall.
I invited the woman to one of the armchairs and took the other.
So, you're looking for a job, right? What kind of job are you interested in?
Uh... Any job that would just pay the bills.
Uh, sorry. We don't employ people that find their job a a necessary evil they do just because they need money for living. What kind of job would you LIKE to do?
She sighed deeply.
I bet I won't find a job here then. I'd like to have some work that would require contacts with people. Negotiations, discussions, helping them, solving problems... but a physical work that would require contacts with people would be fine. But then there's a problem...
What problem?
People are afraid of me. Let me just show you, but I must warn you, it's not a pleasant view.
That's something about your face? If you don't want to show it, don't. I guess you know what you're saying. This is a problem indeed, but it doesn't disqualify you for sure. Alisia, what do you think about it?
That's you who must make the choice, that's your job, Mark. For now I'd just suggest following with the routine before making any decisions - came Alisia's voice from nowhere.
I guess that's the best thing to do for now - I said, addressing the woman. - So... what are your qualifications?
I finished the studies on biology and a teacher curse. I had hoped to be a biology teacher. Here's my CV.
I just felt the pain behind the words 'had hoped'. I could just imagine the whole story of her trying to get that job. I took the sheet from her and read it for a moment.
Do you have your university diploma with you?
Yes, here - she handed me the sheet. - But if I'm not going to find any job here, I don't want to waste your time...
Just let me continue. You're not wasting my time, nor yours I suppose. Very good grades! Now I will leave and Alisia will question you. You know we have different rules of employing people than others. By answering the questions you gain or lose points, but by refusing answers you almost certainly lose them. The amount of points decide on whether you qualify or not, and how well you qualify. You will never know how much you gained or lost nor what is the passing score unless you pass and decide to work for us. I'll be back when you finish.
I walked to the other room closing the soundproof door behind me. I asked Alisia to display the book I was reading in the place I ended last, and continued reading. Alisia was really talented to find books I liked.
Lora.
Okay. So your name is Lora Roos. Where did I put that registration chart... - Alisia from the screen said, looking around her.
I thought you're an AI and you don't lose things?
You know I'm on a loose architecture. The server I kept the database of pointers to the charts went down and I'm trying to access the backup server which is on a very low quality line. That exactly resembles human situation of forgetting where did they put something. Oh, here it is! - she smiled. - Okay. So much for general questions. Now for something more personal. What's your IQ?
My IQ? - I asked thoroughly surprised. No employer asks such questions. - It's about 135 but I didn't take any authoritative tests.
Very nice. Now other abilities... Remembering. I will display a text. Read it through and then answer questions about it.
Mark.
Okay, Mark, she's done. Come. She got pretty impressive score. Reboot me if she doesn't get some job here.
Right now. Grab me some other book of that author, I'll be done with this one before this evening.
You promised me a long discussion for this evening, remember?
Right, I just forgot you just love getting in arguments with people. And whenever I decide you're probably right, you suddenly change and start arguing for the other side. Changable woman.
I'm just discussing the same matter with many people at the same time and confront their arguments, so I could get a better insight into the problem and make my own mind about it. The discussion is only possible if the two sides disagree, so if you change your side I change mine.
But then the discussion loses whole point!
Ouch... I'd love to continue this discussion with you, Mark, but she's waiting for you.
Sorry, I got carried away.
Sorry for getting you carried away. - Alisia smiled to me.
I entered my main office room. Lora Roos was sitting at the table there. She was looking at me impatiently.
- So? I was tested quite thoroughly I think? - she asked.
I looked at the screen at my place.
That was just the beginning. There are more tests waiting for you, but for now, from the results I have here, I can say whatever the job you'd want to get is, you'll most probably get it. Right now, you could start working as a genetic lab assistant, corporate vet assistant, phone helpdesk in the maintenance, field biological inspector, or take several hundred of lower positions, mostly in plant maintenance and farming. But if you decide to take more thorough tests, you may be accepted for more responsible, more interesting and... why not say this... better paid jobs. I'd personally strongly suggest taking that tests, but before you continue, you'll have to sign in for the company. It's like you get employed but you're not assigned any tasks yet. And... You should definitely read our guidelines and laws. They differ from the common laws rather strongly, and by signing the contract you give up all your former rights.
What do you mean?
Like all insurance, recompensations, pensions etc are handled internally within the company. We're out of the court jurisdiction, so you can't sue us as a company. You can sue a specific division in our internal court though. It's like you'd become a citizen of another country. Which is almost true, we are quite like a separate country. - I handed her the thick leaflet from a shelf under the desk. - It's almost like a country's Constitution.
May I read it now and make the decision as soon as I finish?
I think so... Alisia?
Lora? Would you mind going to the cafe and doing it there? Mark will have another customer in a few minutes.
Sure, no problem. Where's that?
I'l lead you. Just follow the line.
Good bye, sir. Thank you.
Call me Mark. Hope to see you soon again, somewhere around here, for good. Bye.
Just as the door closed behind her Alisia looked at me seriously.
That guy that's coming is real pain in neck. He treats me like I was a dumb machine!
Okay. First display me the first three levels of interpersonal relations tests and we'll see if I could say a cold good-bye to him. If he passes that, we'll take tollerance and technical abilities. And recalibrate the lie detector first.
Lora.
I sat there, eating a donut and sipping the coffee. The cafe was a popular place. Many people were sitting here, most of them were the employees who just took a break. As I read the policies, as long as there's nothing to do at the moment, I may stay away from my work place, as long as I would be able to get back on time when I'm required. And so, Alisia from time to time paged the workers to their job, but I never saw any of them having to break their lunch. Well, it was sunday anyway, not many customers were coming. I though about taking the job of the inspector. Traveling the world and making ecosystem checks before projects for some instalation are prepared. UUS was known to be quite paranoid about ecology, or at least very cautious. Or if I became a genetic lab assistant? What would it be like? Changing hay in cloned pigs' stall? I giggled at the thought. I continued reading.
"Social points." What the hell is that? I started reading the chapter. Ah. The corporation has some kind of democracy, but there are ones equal and more equal. You get the points for your knowledge, experience, achievments, IQ, ability to cooperate, social activity etc and they are the weight of your vote. An experienced oldtimer's vote is worth three newbies, a scientist is worth two clerks, a manager gets nothing for his position but his achievment points count quadruple, and expert's voice counts ten times if the voting is about his domain.
"Privacy and freedom." Again, the general guideline is: minimum privacy, maximum freedom. Alisia knows everything, but she keeps the knowledge for herself, unless it's necessary or dangerous to keep it in secret. Like Big Brother, watching your every move. But you're permitted to do mostly whatever you desire as long as it doesn't put others in danger. In "too high danger" even! You have a certain pool of social points that depend on how you obey the law. If you drive your car like crazy, or drop the candy papers on the floor, nobody will tell you a word about it, but your social points will leak slowly. As well as your resource points. What resource points? Ah. The internal currency. But not quite. Rather the ability to take or reserve the company resources for your needs. If you have 10 resource points, you can get coffe and donuts free everywhere through the corporation. If you have 100 of them, you get an office. With a 1000 you may employ an assistant and with 10 000 you may take a corporate plane and fly it anywhere you want without explaining anything.
That rules are strange, I thought. I pondered asking my lawyer about them, but then I saw the corporate court rules, and since they made lawyers perfectly obsolete, I guessed what his answer would be.
I finished my coffee, then knocked gently into the nearest screen.
Alisia, are you there?
Yes, sure! - the mare's face appeared in it. - I'm always there. May I ask you not knocking on the screen next time? Just call me.
I have decided. I'm in. I think I can accept most of the rules. Good that you're female, I wouldn't stand a male, even AI watching me in the loo, but as long as you don't publish my photos from there, it's a deal. I'll just pay the barman for the snack.
There's no need. You'll get more than enough resource points for it just when you sign the contract. I'll tell the barman.
I feel as if I was selling my soul for a donut.
You can retreat anytime as long as you don't get into any top secret cases.
Without paying for the donuts?
Alisia giggled.
In this case treat this as if I had bought you them.
Thanks. They were delicious.
My recipe!
Okay, lead the way to where I have to sign that thing. And subscribe me for that extra tests.
Sure. Are you afraid of heights?
No, why?
Not at all?
Just a bit. But I like the thrill.
Okay, so I'll take you through the express lift.
I followed the line and it soon brought me to a huge pit through the middle of the building. It reached deep down and high up, higher than I could see. I guessed it leads to the orbit station. I saw many floors above me and below open on it. There were thick pipes running through it, and thin strings of light in different colors, ranging from blue to red, just next to the walkways around it.
- I'm here - said Alisia from a screen by one of the strings.
I came to her. - What do I do now?
- Grab one of the strings with a hand. The stronger you grip it, the faster you go up. The weaker, the faster you're falling. Don't be afraid of falling down, there's a ion pillow there, you won't get hurt. I'll also generate a ion pillow if you get on a crash course with someone else. Ah, blue means a free string, colors from green to red mean someone's distance on it, so don't get on crash course with anyone. It's as simple as crossing a road, even safer, but there's always a minimal risk if you fail to obey the rules.
I saw it was true, someone (or something? It was too fast) just flew nearby, through one of the red strings, which began fading to yellow slowly.
- You need to get to 95th floor, just watch the signs on the walls. And take care on 13th, it's windy today.
I giggled. According to the habit common in US, the building had no 13th floor, but unlike all the others, it wasn't 14th floor following the 12th. Instead, in place of the 13th floor there was free space, where only cables, pipes, emergency stairs and wires were connecting the floor with the ceiling. Just one of the miracles for showoff UUC loves so much.
I took one of the blue strings and gripped it lightly, looking into the deep pit below me with some thrill. The string remained blue in front of me, but I saw it turning red far above and below me. As I was gripping it stronger, I began feeling losing my weight until I was floating in air. I pulled myself closer to the string and it floated a bit further from the walkway. For a test I losened my grip and found myself falling really fast. In fear I gripped it strong and held with both hands... Suddenly very strong wind began blowing downwards around me and everything blurred for a moment. Then I realised, that through the transparent walls of a thick tube the pit has turned into, I see New York vanishing in the distance below me. I gradually losened my grip until I wasn't going up anymore, then even more, and I began sliding down. As I was closing to the building I gripped it stronger. I reached the level of the highest skyscrappers and a while later I got into the building. The numbers were blinking in front of me really quickly. As I was braking too slowly I stopped by the floor 80 and had to get back to 95 again. When I got off the string and stood on solid ground, I sighed.
Alisia? Thanks for the rollercoaster ride. May I take a normal lift next time?
Sure. But this way it's much faster and there's no conventional lifts to the orbit, except of the cargo one, and it's very slow.
Okay, but my hair is ruined.
No need to go SO fast next time!
Suddenly on one of the strings next to me a woman stopped. Without a word she handed me a comb and rushed on her way up.
Alisia? - I asked confused.
I asked her to get it for you and give it to you on her way up.
Thank her for me. A mirror would come in handy too.
Just come to the screen.
As I did so, the screen turned into a mirror image of me from the built-in camera. I made my appreciation to Alisia, as I was combing my hair before proceeding along the navy-blue line to some other office.
Gordon.
I stretched in my chair and looked at Earth visible through the side window. It was moving as the station was rotating, providing gravity. The long pipe led to the middle of Africa, top of Kilimanjaro, the first starport site of UUC and its corporate city.
University of Unusual Sciences - The small foundation that was created short after the Semi-war to develop, share and distribute scientific achievments, was quickly becoming a global power. After some pression from different governments appeared, the management, recruiting usually from the underground of the Semi-war, decided "enough, we don't want to be a military tool" and trading some of its technologies to Tansania and Kenya, bought the terrains surrounding Kilimanjaro, which by that time were already the construction yard for the first spaceport. Then they made agreement with the government of Tansania and registered UUS as a commercial corporation. A military attempt to get the foundation back, by US commandoes, ended quickly and painfully. Ruins of the White House were left as a warning for everyone who would try to repeat that attempt.
Since then, there was just the growth. 8g size space rope in Tansania, 3g in Pekin, 1g in Rome and recently 2g in New York, with 4 rope spaceports Earth was becoming a power in the group of known sentient worlds. UUS was trading the technologies Aliens provided with companies from Earth, developing new technologies, and cooperating in development with the races from the ring of scientific cooperation. Some people were saying UUS was betraying the human race, giving away earth technologies while selling alien ones for money, but in the other hand, if they didn't, where would they take the money for their work from? Anyway, UUS was on its best way to turn into an independent country, and unlike most other companies, concentrated on research and development instead of production, manufacturing and marketing. We were trading technologies, not products.
I was waiting for the new employee to arrive to assign her a job. Damn it, we had only few better people than her. With IQ just at 138, she rated extremally well in most of other tests, her EQ (Empathy Quotient) was one of the highest in the whole world, and her proffessional knowledge impressed even the old wolf Grinningsnake who was examining her on the interplanetary videoconference. Damn, I wanted to have such person by me. Being the second-in-charge (after Alisia) in the company, was very responsible work even though Alisia was doing most of the stuff I was supposed to do anyway. Since I and several other hackers, psychologists, philosophers and engineers created her, me and her were the best friends, and... since the forcefield hologenerators extensions were installed, lovers. But having people I can trust close around is the best way to manage a company I think, and it worked so far.
Suddenly I felt Alisia's warm breath on my back. I turned to her, smiled and nuzzled her soft, velvety nose. I knew that's just an illusion, a field of excited particles that make the impression of soft fur, but I also knew Alisia was real and alive, even though her true body was silicon and wires all over the world. But she had a great personality. I knew it, since a nice part of it I had created myself, trying to follow general guidelines from a zooish fantasy story I had found online years ago.
Darling? - She whispered.
Yes?
An old friend wants to talk to you.
Who's that?
Just see! - saying this she vanished in thin air and in her place a bit grainy holopicture of someone appeared. Then he apparently decided it's too bad connection for 3D and reappeared on a flat, 2D screen generated from holo-wall, this time clearly visible.
Alex!!! - I shouted springing from my chair towards the holowall. Damn this space weather, I can't hug you!
Hey, Gordon - smiled Alex. - Tell me one thing, I grabbed some free time here, Lovestar grew big enough for it, what if we visited Earth?
Cool! Anytime you want. Damn, this would be great! When would it be?
If we pack up really soon now, we'd be there in 4 months. Y'know, the modern hyperdrives of Earthian origin.
Great. We're planning to claim independence about that time. You'd be a honourable guest! Kiss Nightsong from me, old furvert.
And you kiss Alisia from me, cyberpsycho!
Will do. Want me to do something more?
Just make sure they don't close Disneyland for that time. Lovestar would die from sorrow.
Sure, if they do, I'll give orders to build a new one especially for him!
So, Bye!
Bye! - I answered and he disconnected.
Just as I sat back in my armchair, the door slid open, and a woman stood in them. Her appearance shocked me a little, but just a little. It seemed, that half of her face was missing. I had known about that before, but I didn't imagine it like that, and I asked her myself to come without the bandage.
- Good afternoon. Lora, right? Please, make yourself comfortable. I'm Gordon.
She sat down in the other armchair and looked around unsure, stopping to look at Earth through the transparent wall a while longer.
I asked you to come because of your excellent rating in the tests. I wanted you to become my personal advisor, my right hand when it comes to making decisions. You'd be the person who decides where trees must be cut down to make room for our installations and where a new forest should be grown to improve natural conditions of some area.
I'm honoured, sir...
Gordon.
I'm honoured, but... what exactly would I have to do?
Just sit in your office, read the reports and statistics, check the maps, if in doubt, send someone or go yourself to check the place, and then write your opinion and orders. Then I just check and confirm them, possibly discuss any doubts and then sign them so they would be done.
So, for most of the time I'd just sit in my office reading data?
Well... yes. That's a very responsible job, and requires qualifications and talent you have. It's also very important. And besides proffessional knowledge, one is required to have high EQ for it. You have one of the highest, so you'd be perfectly suited for that job.
But besides seeing Alisia, you, some field inspectors and rarely going to the place I'm supposed to check personally, I'd have no contacts with others?
Uh... I see... Yes, on proffessional platform, no other contacts, although after hours you're free to meet whoever you desire.
I see. But... there's a vacancy in the bioengineering dept, by the bioemulator... I asked today on my way here, and they said I'd be useful there... I'd work with a large team of people, I wouldn't be the most important, but I would work in my domain...
I understand. It's a pity we won't be working here together then, but I won't stand in your way. If you ever change your mind, the offer is still valid, but for now, I can just wish you luck in the new job. - I stood, to shake her hand. Well, say what you want, the woman knew what she wanted, and I knew well, that despite the huge res points and some more good stuff, the job I offered her sucked. Exactly for that reason she told about. And exactly because of that, it was so hard to find someone good for it, since nobody with EQ high enough would sit alone in office whole days.
Gordon - she asked, a bit unsure - When I talked with them about that job by the bioemulator, they said my teacher course would come in handy too, but when I asked them what they mean, they just grinned mysteriously.
They didn't tell you? Bastards - I chuckled. - Then I won't tell you either. You will see yourself. But if it's like I think it is, you're really suited for that job.
Conrad.
So this is the new one? I wonder, if she agrees so we could finally start the project. Aww, that genetic defect of her face is ugly.
Hi, Lora. I'm Conrad, the guy that watches over all those devices, while others do all the design and development stuff. This is the console of the bioemulator. The machine is used to test and debug the DNA in virtual reality code before a life form is created.
It must have enormous computational power.
Just enter that door and look through the glass in the other to see the machine itself.
I followed her through the airlock. The other door was covered with frost. I rubbed the glass window in it and it revealed the huge room, with densely set towers of racks, steam of liquid nitrogen pouring down them. The room was at least 300m long, 100m wide and 50m high, loaded with the racks in 3/4, while robots were fiddling by uncompleted tower placing new racks on it and preparing them for work. We came back and I locked the airlock behind us. I pointed at a damaged rack lying in the corner.
The software is by Robots, the original design was cooperation of Cats and Wolves, but the CPUs themselves are our local design and work. The rack consists of coolant set and 50 minitowers. Each minitower is 100 standard superconducting CPUs straight from our assembly line. That gives 5000 CPUs in one rack. Then we stack the racks in a maxitower next to a coolant pipe and data and power cables, 200 racks on one, and the room is an array of 500x200 maxitowers. That gives 10e11 CPUs in a room. Rooms A and B are fully operational, and what you saw was the room C which is still under construction, but can operate at 70% of its maximum power already. Each of the CPUs contains a small amount of RAM and subsystems that ballance the load over the whole device.
And this all to emulate a few cells of an organism?
Well, some more than a few cells. And it can run 100-1000 times faster than normally, so if we want to see how the cells multiply, we don't have to wait long weeks.
So... What would I have to do?
Now we come to the hard part.
- Do you like centaurs?
She blinked for a moment. - What? Centaurs?
You know, upper body of a human...
I know what a centaur looks like - she broke - and if they existed, I bet I'd like them. But what does that have to do with this thing?
A lot.
Wait wait wait. Are you going to create a centaur? A sentient being that would be locked inside of that thing?
Don't get me wrong. It can emulate quite a big herd of centaurs and several square kilometers of various terrains already. We have the preliminary DNA project ready, but it would have to undergo the emulator tests, and some basic evolution, at least several generations would have to spend their lives in it.
Let me finish, I think I get it. You don't want them to grow there as dumb beasts, or suffer the birth of a civilisation... and you want me to teach them? Tell them everything about that place, about our world... Or just act as a god? - she ended suspiciously.
You're wiser than I thought. We don't intend to lie to them, nor hide anything from them. Your task will be to help Alisia in teaching them everything that's required for participating in a fully developed civilisation. They will be just extremally advanced forms of AI, and as such, they and their world should be treated on equal rights with all others. When the development stage is over, and they should know about that, simply, next generation will not be born virtually but in our world. They will be still able to contact their parents, but when the last of the parents dies, their world will be shut down, and centaurs will become just another race living here.
Why centaurs?
We were voting. I personally preferred elves, but centaurs won.
Hmm... That's... interesting. What am I supposed to teach them?
Mostly everything. Everything about our world and their world, science, other races, art, culture... uh, if they try to create their own culture, don't suppress it.
I looked at her and I think I blushed, feeling like an idiot after she looked at me, after what I said. I guessed she didn't need to be told what NOT to do.
How am I going to communicate with them?
Come.
I led her to the room with VR seats. It was a small chamber with 4 big seats reminding those from a dentist a bit. There was also an isolated nitrogen tub with several CPU racks in it, and thick data cables connecting it and the seats.
Lie down in one of them - I invited her, while taking another. As I was comfortable, with my head rested on it.
Close your eyes, and mouth in case you have them open. Most reflexes are suppressed during the trip, so you could wake pretty sore if you don't do it now. Alisia, plug us in when we are ready.
I closed my eyes. And then the sudden feeling of falling asleep. So tired, so heavy, so sleepy... and there, I was sleeping.
Lora.
Wow, I thought, this place is bigger than I thought. I was standing on a hill, over wide plains, there was a forest in the distance, a beautiful river, wide steppes, and far, far in the distance - high peaks. Conrad was standing beside me. I was feeling I was dreaming, but it was a damn heavy dream. I felt, that if I really wanted, I could wake up, or move my real body, but that would be an inhuman effort.
Welcome to the Matrix. Uh, sorry, I'm just addicted to old movies. This is where the centaurs will live.
Is this all real?
No. The biosimulator, in addition to about 1000 specimens of centaur size and complexity can generate only some 5 square kilometers of true terrain. That is, if you harvest grass over that terrain and analyse it, all the straws will be built from live plant cells. But it's about all that's necessary. Right now, the CPU goes at single speed and runs no sentient beings, just some wild animals, so it probably could generate everything we see now at full reality level, but by default only things in close vicinity of sentient beings will be on real level, the rest will be run using optimised routines that aproximate the real world well, but take vastly less CPU time. Like, if a centaur sees a real level apple, he can pick it, eat it, and it will be nutritious for him. But if he picks an approximated apple, which shouldn't happen though, at least if we don't have some nasty bug in the software, the apple will smell like an apple, will look like an apple, may even behave like one when squeezed, but broken in half will appear to be empty inside. But if a centaur comes closer to such an apple, it will be replaced by a 100% one, just for the time needed.
So that mountains don't exist there?
They do, but they are empty inside. They aren't made from separate rocks, but from textured walls. Their snow may be cold, but wind blowing at it won't rise a cloud of it. Besides, now, when we look in their direction, they are more real than when we don't look at them. The program tracks our sight, and if a sentient being looks at an object, it replaces the model whose behavior is fine but appearance lacks a lot, with one that looks much better.
I see. So... I shouldn't worry that I will suddenly fall into a pit because somebody forgot to cover a piece of the plain with grass?
No such risk. Unless you switch it off. Look at this gesture.
He rubbed his hands energically, and a screen appeared in front of him.
- In this way you call the console. It provides some options. Debug, manual reality level change, creation and deletion of some objects, quit to the real world, speed change etc. Don't touch the speed change unless you want to be eaten by mosquitos and flies alive. You won't be fast enough to repell them. Ah, and debug may come in handy. Everything freezes and you may move in any direction through obstacles.
I heard sound of hooves approaching from behind us. They created some centaur already? Damn them. I turned around quickly. Ah. Not centaurs. I recognised the mare approaching us already.
Hey Alisia! How are you!
Great. Nothing like some run on the green plains, even if they are virtual. - she answered as she stopped by us. - Lora, can you ride a horse?
No, sorry.
You should learn. We will be working here together, and I will be your transport as well. - she grinned.
Couldn't we just generate some flying magical device?
We should try keeping this world as realistic as possible. As long as our guys up there don't finish developing the hoverdisc, I won't allow that here.
Okay. Nice. One more thing, Conrad, Alisia, tell me one thing more. How do the other races look at this project?
Enthusiastic and jealous - Alisia replied.
They usually don't have resources or conditions to start such a huge project. Most of them have some biosimulators, but none as big as ours. And none has such charming AI. But in fact this is not just our work. Cats make a lot of conceptual work. Wolves prepared the preliminary project of a centaur's DNA, Robots provide all the software, even Clicklocks provided some hardware optimisations. And before the end of the project a Cloudman should arrive to give souls to the embryos we create.
Souls?
Yep. No sentient being can be artificially created if it's not given a soul. It can exist, grow, live, but it will be asleep all the time. It will never wake up, unless it gets a soul. If it does, it's children will be born with souls as well. That's one of the reasons, why we haven't created anything important on this thing yet. Several species of primitive organisms - like the rainbow medusas, clip starfish, steelcord spiders and several new species of fruits.
Don't forget to mention the Owls, Conrad. - added Alis.
Ah, yes. the Owls made the VR seats so we could get in.
I thought the Owls were extinct?
You're right. The seats are one of the last designs that were created by the Owls before their fall. Since it was useless to the Robots, they just kept the projects archived for several hundred years, and revealed it when it appeared useful. They gave credit for it to their creators though.
Good, that seems to be all I wanted to ask. When do we get started?
Just as you learn some basics of horseback riding.
Ah. One thing more. - added Conrad. - We don't want to scare the centaur children, hope you agree? - he handed me a flat piece of something he had generated using the console. It appeared to be a mirror. I looked in it.
Holy shit! My face...
Loui.
I just couldn't wait for mom to come. She was so good, but she would stay only so short. She had told me that I'm growing very quickly when she's away, but I didn't feel growing anything like that... except that time when she was away was feeling like ages and when she came, the moments felt so short. Aunt Alisia was here too, but I loved my mom more.
Tim ran to me. He was my best friend. I would think of him as of my brother, but mom told me he was not really my brother. She told me it's quite unusual, and normally he would be my brother, but we are all unusual.
Loui, watch out, a fly sits on your back! - he warned me. Then a clap and cheerful "got it!" as he clapped my back and ran around me.
Tim, when will mom come?
I miss her too, but you must remember what she said. Be brave and don't be afraid. She will come soon.
Why can't she stay with us?
We must grow big and strong, and we grow when she's away.
But I don't grow at all! I'm just a small girl!
That is not true, Loui! You've seen the marks on the rock mom made for each of us - We all grow!
But I don't grow more when mom is away!
You do.
I don't.
You... Okay, you don't. We must ask mom about that when she comes.
Tim...? What I really want to ask mom for, is, why does she look different than us. And why does aunt Alisia look different than us.
Yes. Just look. This piece of you is like mom, and this, like aunt Alisia. I'm curious about that too. And what if we find aunt now and ask her?
You know she rarely answers. She says our mom is better at explaining things to us.
Yes, I think this is a difficult question. Let's better go to the hill, pick some figs and watch for mom to come.
We galloped to the top of the hill, where the fig trees were growing and we began picking figs. To reach those on high branches, Tim asked me to stand, and then rested his front hooves on my hind back, while reaching to the high branches. I looked at him skillfully picking the fruits, and handing them to me. I curiously looked under his belly.
Tim, you are a boy and I am a girl. That's how mom said. She said boys and girls differ. I noticed, girls pee from under their tails, and boys pee from under your belly. Do you think there are more differences?
Of course there are. Boys are stronger. And girls have prettier faces. Ah, and boys don't argue so much.
You just beat each other instead!
That's not true! Only Lyco beats others.
He's a bad boy. But Jonathan starts fights too.
Jonathan is lazy and thinks taking fruits from others is better than picking them.
And he pulls girls' tails! Tim! Look! Mom's coming!!! - I shouted, seeing the silhouette walking down the hill. We ran towards her cheerfully. I saw Ursa and Beatrice running from the other side, a few boys were running behind them, but we were first to greet mom and get the hugs from her. After she greeted the others she went to the hill top and sat on the grass. We sat in circle around her.
So, my children... how are you? Everything's fine?
Jonathan's been pulling my tail again - complained Ursa.
Jonathan, why have you been pulling Ursa's tail?
I'm sorry, mom - he looked down.
Don't do it. I want to show you something nice, but I need a lot of dry wood. Boys, would you bring it?
Oke, mom! - shouted Jonathan and faster than i could expect from him he ran to pick dry branches. Other boys joined him.
Mom, may I go help them? - asked Ursa.
Sure, go.
Mom, may I snuggle up to you? - I asked.
Yes, but only until the others are back.
As I laid my head in her lap and she was gently stroking my head I felt such bliss... but still I was feeling she was different...
- Mom, tell me, why are you and aunt Alisia different from us?
She was silent for a long moment.
- That's all so difficult. I am not your real mom. That is, I do my best to be the best mom I could, but I am not really your mom.
The others were returning with the wood, but as they brought it, they were kneeling down to listen.
Every other live being has a true mother. I had a mother, each of that straws of grass had its mother, that was another straw of grass. Always a child looks the same as its mother or father. But you don't have a real mom, because you're the first of your kind.
Mom, so the first of your kind had no mother as well? - asked Tim.
No, it was different with my kind. And with most other kinds. A child is very similar to its parents, but not quite the same. In this way, after the child grows and has its child, that child may be a bit more different from them. And so on and so on. The differences may go in different directions, and so there are so many different beings. But you are different, there were none similar to you in the past. You were designed at once, some people thought it would be great if there were such ones as you and they worked hard so you could be created. And so, you have no mothers nor fathers.
So we will not have children, mom? - asked Petra who joined us meantime.
No, silly! You will have children and you will be their mother!
So they will have a mom? How will they look like?
Just like you! Or like their father.
Who will be their father?
Who knows? Maybe Erl, you two seem to like each other very much.
Mom, I want to have children too! - Beatrice shouted.
Sure you will, but you must grow adult first. Now you are a child and children can't have children.
And can I be a mother too? - Ken interrupted.
No, Ken! Only girls can be mothers. But you may be a father.
What do I have to do to be a father?
Be very nice to girls, and find one that would like you very much. And wait until you grow adult.
Mom, what did we bring that wood for? - asked Erl, always so practical.
Let me show you. - she began stacking it, putting the dry branches under it. - This art is called making fire. You will find it quite useful.
We all waited curiously to see another of the miracles she was about to show us. After a while, when the strange yellow thing was crawling up the dry branches, mom frowned.
Something wrong, mom?
Well, in my place it looks a bit different. Like, the smoke doesn't form squares. But it's as yellow and as hot, it makes smoke and sparks... This thing is called bonfire. Bring some apples and fresh long sticks, you will try how delicious fried apples are. And don't touch it, unless you really want to know why you don't want to touch it.
Conrad.
Hello, software design here?
Maintenance from biosimulator's calling.
Biosim? Moment, I'll give the right person. Art, come here, someone needs you.
Art? Conrad's here. We've got a problem. She's still in and the CPU load jumped to 8%. If it stays such high after she leaves, we won't have much progress here. Could you have a look at what the hell is going on there?
Can you just page her through the console?
She asked me not to do it when she's with the children.
And could you peek in? Here I'd have to dig in the raw code.
Okay, wait.
I logged into the console, set the parameters of the camera to be invisible and opened a window to the VR. After a while I saw strange dark squares rising towards the sky over the forest. As the camera got closer, I saw the group of centaur children, Lora and a campfire.
Art?
Yes?
Could you tell me, why a bonfire makes square smoke puffs?
Oh, shit.
Stan.
The sounds of metal against metal woke me up. Apparently Bernie the blacksmith started his work already.
I snuggled up to Raisa, her skin was smelling so nicely. She moved in her sleep, then opened her eyes after a while and kissed my mouth.We were kissing for a while, smiling to each other. I heard some pots moving in the kitchen, apparently mother was awake already. The day was going to be sunny and warm, as I peered through the small window in the wall of thick wooden logs, I could make out the blue sky, and some square puffs of smoke getting torn and carried away by a slight wind.
I gave Raisa another kiss and lazily stood up. Mother apparently heard my hooves because she called me to bring in some water so she could make us tea.
I smiled and took the bucket, then headed outside to the well. Taking the full bucket of clean, cold, fresh water I headed back to my hut. Before I entered the door, I greeted Ken, my neighbor, who was standing in the window of his cabin and looking at the village waking up slowly.
As I entered, a wonderful smell of lightly fried vegetables and sweet fruit salad greeted me. I put the bucket in the kitchen, within Mother's reach.
Ursa? - I heard father's voice. - Is the breakfast ready?
Sure it is, you lazy fuzzball.
If you woke me up, I'd help you!
If I woke you up, you'd be grumpy all day.
I giggled, took a hair brush and started grooming Raisa's back, while she washed my chest with a sponge. Kissing each other now and then we were grooming each other for quite some time, until grandfather Jonathan entered and walked to the kitchen.
- I'll wake up the children and you help mother. - commanded Raisa.
I smiled to her and trotted to the kitchen. Mother was filling the bowls with the wegetables fried on oil, while I prepared the teacups and dropped a few billets into the fire under the kettle.
Stan, no need to waste so much wood - mother reminded me.
But mom, I can always go, bring some more.
Here, where forests are big, and there's not so many of us, you can go and bring it. Your children up there won't have limitless resources.
Mom, you know well, my children won't get up there. Nor children of my children. It will take centuries yet, till someone goes up there.
Yes, but your children will learn from you, and their children from them, and the centuries will pass faster than you might think.
Oh, mother, do you always have to be right?
That's what a mother is for?
Art.
Okay. Three weeks of work and we finally got it. Robots' software is a real hell to debug.
Okay, guys, put the system on freeze, ready to patch up?
Anytime!
Got it ready, waiting for you!
Frozen.
Patching up...three...two...one...done. Unfreeze.
Unfrozen.
Give me an internal window on some smoke.
Works! - loud cheers sounded all around. - The smoke looks like real smoke!
And more important, CPU load went down to 0.0082%
Hurray. Who wants some beer?
Wait for Lora to logout and we will run the system at max time multiplier.
Anytime. Throw me a can! Good work guys.
I just can't believe it. We pushed the thing 200 years ahead, while having that bug. We should be done with the project in two weeks.
Why are you so sad, Art?
Time to say final Good Bye to Petra. I've been almost like an uncle for her. Since she was a foal. Now she's old... but now the meetings will get more rare and that means I will probably never meet her again.
Ah, I see. Sorry to hear that. That's the sad part of it, that our friends inside last so short for us.
Now it will be much shorter. We won't even have time to make friends with any centaur in there. The visits will be short. Just What's up, need anything, will be done in 200 years. Quite a piece of shit as for me.
Know what, Art? Grab this chart and fill it in. That should really cheer you up.
What's... Oh, shit. Do you think I would be suitable?
Sure!
Whatcha got there?
An application chart for adopting a centaur. A bio one! To grow one from foal, like your own child!
May I have one too?!
Lora.
I entered the city. It was strange, no stairs, walkways instead of roads, the architecture and art mixing everywhere, plants everywhere, everything shiny and modern. It resembled UUC buildings somewhat, but it was prettier, and felt more "home". The city was big, but not depressing. But still, its best days were over. That was the city the Centaurs have built. My children.
Even though the city was so beautiful, and even though it felt so nice, there was something depressing in the air. The city was full of centaurs, but there was no children. All the centaurs were adult. All they were quite old. That was my last visit here, and I was feeling sad. I was feeling I need to say Good-Bye.
There was a sudden rush, they noticed me and stood, greeting me, but there was no joy in the air. Most of them never hugged their children. They had them, they could talk with them, but they couldn't ever touch them.
I got to the main square, and the major invited me to the big, open event hall. The place was a big area where all the centaurs of the city could gather, to discuss things or to watch some performance.
I sat by the major, there was that thing, a human-type chair, especially for the rare human guests. I didn't know what to say. I wanted to cry. A young centaur woman walked to me. I looked at her.
- Mother - she began. - We know it's the end. But we don't want it. I know it's not really possible, but could you try... Could you persuade, that... our world wouldn't pass. There are many of us who would want to have children, here. To continue building our own civilisation, to let this world be alive. Please, could you do this for us? Just ask them. Please.
I wiped tears off my eyes and noded my head. Then I rubbed my hands and called the logoff command from the console.
Conrad? I'm back. They ask us not to shut it down. They want to continue living there. Please, leave this at single speed and let the software guys know that. We can't let it go like that.
Will do so, Lora.
Conrad.
I watched the vote count on my screen. Lora's voice counted with base weight 100, our with weight 10. But there was one power that counted strong too. The centaurs were allowed to wote with base weight 3 and they quite agreed in that way. As I expected, we have won.
Before the orders came in, I began editing the config file according to new standards: Whole room A is counted off any further projects. It runs a nice piece of land and population of 1000 centaurs at single speed. It may not be shut down under any circumstances. It will be claimed a sentient world, just like some planet. It's population is kept on the equal level, and all specimens over the limit will be born as bio, in our world. The citizens will be allowed to use any of the forcefield hologenerators where they exist to visit us. And besides living in "different dimension", they will be treated equally with everyone else. Considering them otherwise because they are AI will be considered rascism. Well, in UUS, rascism is one of the worst crimes.
Art.
Shit, Art! Look at this! All checksums are screwed up!
Let me see... Try again?
A fluke?
Drop an ls -l of the checksums dir!
Okay. Why?
As I expected. Grab me the backup tube nr. (some quick tapping on the keyboard) F3987AX. And compare with the old checksums from backups.
They won't all match, they are backups from before the change.
But some should match. For your case, nothing matched.
What can that be? A virus?
How? Alisia wouldn't let any through.
A phone rang. I picked the receiver nervously.
Software. What?
Biosim. Hi Art. I'm getting some really wild readouts from the room A. Have you done anything strange recently?
Nope, but we got that weirdness here as well.
Holy shit, Art! Everything, every bit of their software has changed! And it is still evolving.
Heard that Conrad?
Yes. Do NOT tell me the centaurs' world is dead. That would really piss me off.
What will we do?
Wait! Look. Conrad, try the console! It just modified its code.
Trying... (nervous clicking, quiet curses)
Shit, just by a chance. By a mistake I got in. It has erased all the passwords and left the password-less login. Wait, I have a call on the other line.
Art, it goes closer to Alisia's interfaces. Al.. Alisia! - Zio shouted frantically. - Alisia, watch out! - he plunged towards the unit emergency power switch.
Zio, Stop! - I and Alisia shouted in unison. He looked at me.
I'll handle it. If I won't, then you turn it off, okay? - Alisia said. She was quite unsure of her powers.
I stared at the dynamic state display. - Incoming! Hold tight, Ali!
Art?
Drills through the interface layer. It's Alisia's personality area already, but not vital. Weakens! Slows down! Gone! Shit. Infected a lot of Alisia's user interface files, but left the rest unchanged.
Art? - sounded from the receiver.
Conrad? It was about to swallow Alisia. Luckily it only modified her interface. Nothing we couldn't recover.
Art? Calm down. I know what's up. Don't be so nervous. I'll just let you talk to the guy responsible for that. He will explain you all.
I heard a click of deferred call and heard a somehow familiar voice.
Software design?
Yes. Could you tell us what the hell whas that? It scared the shit out of us and we still don't know what has happened. And who are you?
Thomas Urson. I gave a speech a month ago on the central hackers meeting, about applied non-euclidean geometry in Virtual Realities.
Mo....ment, aren't you that centaur?
Yep, and all virtual. I presented this stuff with our elders and we agreed moving to some non-euclidean geometry would increase our living space without necessarily increasing the CPU and memory load. So I prepared a self-installing patch...
You mean that virus?
Well, it spreads like a virus, but it does the Good Thing.
And it switched all to non-euclidean form? Could you PLEASE let us know before you do this again?
Oh, sorry! I bet I should really have informed you. Well, it was changing OUR world, so we didn't think it would be of major concern to you.
It also changed Alisia.
Only that part that interfaces with our world. That is a part of it!
Well, okay. Next time, if you do this, remember to let us know.
Okay, sorry. Bye for now. - and the call ended.
That guys have guts - sighed Zio. - To change the fundations, the rules of physics underlying their own world... I wish we could do that here!
Well, our existence principies are somewhat more obscure. We can change existing rules, by discovering new ones. And what do you think Redleaf did to our universe?
Damn you, Art, you sound so wise that it would make a good ending sentence of some story if someone wrote about us.
. . . . by Sharpfang Fri Aug 24 06:38:15 CEST 2001