Bubble Telescope by Ciro Marchetti |
One low road towards accommodation of the concept of a "technological singularity" in science fiction stories begins with the assumption that Earth should not be the first planet in the universe to approach and confront a "technological singularity". Some other intelligence, in a galaxy far, far away, should have navigated the exponentially transformative rapids of their own "technological singularity" long ago...maybe billions of years ago. If so, then we already live (and, as a species, have always lived) in the post-singularity era and our science fiction should respect that reality.
Fictional Science. There are some good theoretical reasons to believe that, in our universe, faster-than-light space travel is not possible. However, in science fiction, the goal is to make fun stories, so we need not let theory get in our way!
Handwavium and Pixie Dust. In the Exodemic Fictional Universe, I imagine that the Huaoshy long ago altered the dimensional state of the universe so as to make possible faster-than-light space travel.
Sadly, that act of dimensional engineering by the Huaoshy had unanticipated consequences: particularly the eventual invention of time travel technology, and incidentally, telepathy. It is pure and enthusiastic homocentrism that
The Gods Themselves |
Given the technological superiority of the Huaoshy, primitive creatures like we Earthlings have to wonder: what are the intentions of the Huaoshy? With their god-like powers, how will they deal with primitive life forms like us?
Nanotechnology in fiction |
The alien Huaoshy have a billion year technological head start on we Earthlings. Their mastery of sedronic science long ago allowed the Huaoshy to transcend their biological nature and create an entirely new domain of life that is based on sedronic mater where bond lengths between the particles of sedronic matter are zeptoscale...approaching the ultimately tiny size of the Planck length.
There are some science fiction authors who have allowed their work to be labeled as "nanopunk". The Huaoshy are so technologically advanced that nanotechnology seems as primitive to them as a steam-powered car seems to us.
The Exode Trilogy includes nanites with components composed of conventional matter, but also even smaller "devices" made of hierions and sedrons. The image below is a rather whimsical illustration of a femtobot. With components made from hierions, an artificial life femtobot could fit into the active site of an enzyme.
Femtobot inspects a molecule |
An absurd steamprank |
Life on Kepler 62e. |
Syon and Katherine in their Urgark laboratory. |
The damesel is not deed, but pinnen
Katherine and Humget |
As described previously, although Parthney is the main character in Exode, there have been previous "versions" of him who were trained as Interventionist agents. Rechmain was the first such "clone of Thomas" who was trained at the newly established Lendhalen when it was created as the replacement for the destroyed Urgark training base. Humget is trained at Urgark by Syon and Katherine.
The Interventionist agents must be recruited from the planet Hemmal, a world that is perpetually struggling to keep pace with cultural changes occurring on Earth. Syon must make careful decisions about how to raise Katherine. Syon wants to speed the development of a scientific culture on Earth, but in the year 1270, England seems a dismal location for cultural advancement. During this time period, Syon tried to train Interventionist agents who could help philosophers like Roger Bacon bring astronomical ideas from the East to England and support the development of chemical thinking and the use of chemical energy in the form of coal and gun powder.
Syon runs a primitive scientific laboratory at Urgark where she trains Katherine in the principles of metallurgy, steam power and coal-fired furnaces. Katherine and Humget meet at Urgark when they are about 12 years old. Since they have never before known other humans, they grow up experimenting socially with each other as well as learning how to make guns and cannons. A thousand years later, Parthney is not pleased when he learns of the role of Humget in the death of Llywelyn. Parthney hopes for more in life than playing the role of an assassin.
While undergoing his own training at Lendhalen, Parthney learns the fundamental truth about Earth and the origin of the human species. However, Parthney only comes to know "Huaoshy" as the name for the Creators that was passed from the Fru'wu to the Pla. A mystery for both Parthney and the reader is why the Huaoshy allow Interventionist agents like himself to be sent to Earth. Parthney is carefully trained to avoid the Overseers who function as a defense against overly aggressive and disruptive Interventionism. With time, Parthney comes to believe that the Huaoshy have a hidden plan for humanity. For many years Parthney fears that he is an ignorant tool in some vast and mysterious game, but what can he do except play out his role upon the stage of Earth?
Parthney, Rechmain and Humget are clones of Thomas. |
While in training at Lendhalen, Parthney learns about Humget and Rechmain and their missions to Earth, but there need not be any visual records that reveal the close physical resemblance of the clone "brothers".
Through the centuries, each time the pek "produce" another Thomas clone and send him to Syon for training, there is some doubt about his suitability as an Interventionist agent. Humget, having grown up on Hemmal among hermaphroditic Buld, arrives at Urgark and is fascinated by Syon. At the same time, Katherine has grown up under the care of Syon and has never known a human male. Syon has to stimulate Humget's interest in human females while at the same time making sure that he does not simply decide to live happily ever after at Urgark.
10 Million Years of Anti-Evolution
Foundation and Earth |
According to Asimov, the "Eternals", those who could travel through time, were cautious and systematically removed great sources of change from human history, causing humans to exist in a static environment and stop evolving.
Her mission: travel 10 million years into the past and win Humanity a place among the stars. |
In The Foundations of Eternity, my fan fiction sequel to Asimov's novel Foundation and Earth, Noÿs Lambent discovers that her mission into the past is threatened by the Huaoshy. R. Gohrlay is constrained by the dictates of the Zeroth Law: humanity must be protected.....so R. Gohrlay resists the further evolution of the human species. However, in order to spread humanity to the stars, R. Gohrlay brings into existence the Asterothropes and when R. Gohrlay finally finds a way to defeat the Huaoshy, it is an Asterothrope agent who must be sent back in time to create a future for humans among the stars.
In addition to the advantages gained from "her" possession of Asterothrope nanites (not the least of which being memories of "her" prior biological existence), Syon can also function as a host for advanced Nereid "nanites".....a happy design feature of Fru'wu robots. The term "Nereid nanite" is a misnomer since the Nereid symbionts inside Syon are actually made from sedronic matter that has zeptoscale bond lengths. The Nereid femtobots that inhabit Syon allow "her" to exist as a bimanoid interface for the Nereids. The reader must wonder: to what extent is Syon an agent with free will? Perhaps Syon is a Nereid puppet.
Sylvari |
Humans are often horrified by the details of Asterothrope reproduction and since Syon originated as an Asterothrope who was shaped into a pseudo-human who must live among humans, "she" is not eager to describe Asterothrope reproductive process to either Katherine or Humget. Katherine grows up believing that Syon is both human and a biological hermaphrodite. After his arrival at Urgark, Humget is able to convince Katherine that Earth humans are not hermaphroditic, regardless of the biological nature of the Buld and the Prelands.
Kalanchoe daigremontiana |
Among the most baffling aspects of Asterothrope biology (from the perspective of humans) is the role of parabiotic coupling between individuals. The male genitals of Asterothrope hermaphrodites detach and establish connections to the circulatory and nervous system of a female, providing a "built-in" source of male gametes.
The growth of Asterothrope female children is accelerated by parabiotic coupling between adult females and infants. Rather than rely on breastfeeding of children, soon after birth Asterothrope females can establish connections between the circulatory and nervous systems of the adult and those of a young child. In her biological past, as a child Syon experienced this type of connection to an Asterothrope adult.
Upon arrival at Urgark, the development of Katherine's brain had already suffered through three years of developmental perturbation on Earth. Syon initiated an artificial parabiotic connection with Katherine and used "her" advanced nanite symbionts to recover a fairly normal structure for Katherine's nervous system. By age six Katherine was largely independent of Syon from a cognitive and intellectual perspective, but the two remained very closely attached emotionally.
Humget gallantly attempts to build a normal human male-female relationship with Katherine, but she is cognitively closed to the concept. Eventually he abandons his efforts to make Katherine appreciate heterosexuality and he goes off on his mission to Earth.
Relax
Gladia Delmarre and robots |
When (after a 30 year break) Asimov began to extend his Foundation stories, I think he felt the need to "revise upward" the level of technology in his Galactic Empire. However, I think this was a strategic error. Luckily, he did not push things too far and by the time when he wrote Foundation and Earth there remained a clear distinction between the run-of-the-mill galactic citizens and the technologically more advanced Gaians and Solarians.
We are forced to assume that Daneel sometimes needed to allow development of new technologies, but for the most part, the Galactic Empire was not allowed to speed ahead with technological changes...particularly in robotics.
Asimov seemed to have a lot of fun with characters such as Gladia Delmarre, Santirix Gremionis and D. G. Baley. Such characters were not interested in advancing science and technology. Presumably Daneel could turn human inventiveness on or off like a light switch. From the perspective of this century, Asimov's futures are retrofutures.
Not that there's anything wrong with that....
For many years it bothered me that the distant futures described by Asimov, Clarke and Vance did not include inventions like microcomputers and cell phones. Then I realized that maybe there is a place in science fiction for stories built around retrofutures.
Might an organization such as Vance's "Institute" prevent technological advances? Might a robot such as Daneel have perfectly good reasons (or immutable programming) for preventing the advancement of science and technology?
There is something fun and endearing about a Pan Am space liner in 2001 or a gigantic "computaplex" printing out carefully calculated alternative futures on perforated films in The End of Eternity.
In the Exode Trilogy, the alien Huaoshy are quite certain that it make no sense to turn a beauty spot like Earth over to tool-using primates. R. Gohrlay forces their hand and the aliens relent.....allowing we humans to have a shot at creating a technologically advanced civilization.
Jim Lee |
Spy vs Spy
In Exode, when the Overseers finally stand down and give the Interventionists an open playing field on Earth, the Interventionists themselves rush to install the remaining Observers as the new police force of Earth. With the Nereid agent on Earth neutralized and the Buld who arrive in the Solar System reluctant to interfere with Earth's culture, it is not clear that the bumbling Earthlings will be able avoid falling victim to technological disasters.
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In the Steam Stream: "The year is 1895…An evil from a parallel dimension escaped and now roams the city of Boston." Boston Metaphysical Society
B.E.T.H. is a secret organization of scientists comprised of Bell, Edison, Tesla and Houdini Story by Madeleine Holly-Rosing with art by Emily Hu |
image source |
"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." — Arthur C. Clarke.
Related readings: science fiction as a literary genre.
barrier to the singularity: the neural code
2019: technological singularities
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