Pages

Apr 15, 2018

Dynamic Equilibrium

In the Ekcolir Reality.
Original cover art by Reginald Rogers
and Edmund Emshwiller.
(blue Sedronite, image credits)
A key element of the Exode Saga is the dynamic equilibrium that exists between Interventionists and Overseers. Interventionists can't stand to watch primitive creatures like we Earthlings wallowing in our own ignorance when a small technological boost could easily eliminate vast suffering. Overseers have been positioned so as to prevent alien influences from giving us advanced technologies because the Huaoshy long ago learned that humanoid species have a talent for destroying their developing civilizations if they are given access to advanced technologies.

Extinction Curve; technology is dangerous.





A major challenge for Grean, just before she departs from Earth, is finding a way to make sure that humans take on the responsibility of maintaining the Interventionist-Overseer dynamic.

Why Can't We Be Friends?
original cover art by Harold McCauley
Along with all other aliens, Grean (a Kac'hin) must soon stop exercising control over the course of human history. According to the terms of the Trysta-Grean Pact, humans must be allowed to take control of their own fate. Grean selects Sachiz and Nivsaham to be the representatives of the Interventionist and Overseer forces that will remain behind after she abandons Observer Base.

After millions of years of constant conflict between Interventionists and Overseers, Sachiz and Nivsaham don't like each other, but Grean needs to find a way to make them begin to work together for the good of Humanity. There are many barriers to Grean's well-intentioned effort to help, not the least of which is the fact that Nivsaham does not want the Overseers to know that nanoscopic interventionists secretly operate right inside Observer Base.

define 'human'
Rule Change
The other major change for Earth that is specified by the Trysta-Grean Pact is that the humans of Earth must now be made aware of the fact that alien beings have long visited Earth. There are two important caveats for this alteration to the Rules of Intervention.

On one hand, it is ironic that exactly when Earthlings must be informed about alien visitors to Earth, all alien visitors must leave Earth. In fact, an extensive effort is made to assure that there will be no physical evidence of aliens visitors remaining on Earth in the Final Reality.

Gohrlay
The other odd twist is that the people of Earth are to be "informed" about the existence of aliens via a science fiction story. Sadly, there will be no physical evidence on hand to support that story about Earth's alien visitors.

Technological Marvels
When Grean abandons Observer Base, she makes available to Sachiz access to teleporter technology that will allow the tryp'At Overseers to quickly remove Interventionists from Earth. However, there are Interventionists at Observer Base who also have access to teleporter technology, although the Overseers are not aware of that.

virtual reality
The other major technology available to both Interventionists and Overseers at Observer Base is only made available in what can be called "Gohrlay's Library". In particular, there is virtual reality technology that can provide access to detailed records of past Realities of Earth.

However, access to this "Reality Simulator" technology is restricted. R. Gohrlay took care when she designed the equipment at Observer Base that allows for teleportation and access to the Library. Not just anybody can use that equipment.

First Fiction
First Reality
In the First Reality, Gohrlay was friends with several science fiction story tellers. Through all of the Realities of Earth, R. Gohrlay maintained a special interest in the analogues of her friends.

Through carefully engineered temporal momentum, the Final Reality includes analogues of Gohrlay's friends. In particular, Isaac Asimov is one such analogue and eventually it becomes clear that Asimov's replicoid, Azynov, can access hidden information about the history of Humanity that is locked up inside the Asimov Reality simulator. Before she departs from Observer Base, Grean must make sure that everything is in place so as to allow Azynov to access that important information from the AR Simulator at just the right time, allowing it to be passed on to the Editor.

Next: Araminta Smade's escape from the AR simulator

Visit the Gallery of Book and Magazine Covers.

No comments:

Post a Comment