Mission to Earth

Figure 1. Cover art by Bruce Jensen

 I previously read some parallel universe stories by Keith Laumer and now, several years having passed, I was willing to try to read one more of his novels. Here is a one-line blurb for The Long Twilight provided by Jim: "It has manipulative aliens, robots, apocalyptic storms, broadcast power and brutal cops - a smorgasbord of action and adventure."

Ancient Aliens. I'm a sucker for stories about technologically advanced aliens who came to Earth long ago. I tried to read the original version of the story that was published in the March, April and May 1969 issues of Galaxy magazine under the title of "And Now They Wake".

I Really Tried. I trudged through most of the first third of the story in the March issue, but then I completely skipped the April installment and then I skimmed the concluding segment (May) until I reached the "big reveal" at the end of the story when a nuclear power plant is being tapped by "aliens" for energy... energy that might destroy all life on planet Earth!

Fig. 2. Interior art by Jack Gaughan

 A 7 Page Story. The great thing about serialized stories in Sci Fi magazines is that before the final segment, there is a summary of the previous parts of the story. My advice: read the one page summary of Parts 1 and 2 of the story and then skip to page 187 and read the final six pages of the story. That's right, this could have been a seven page short story.

What about the illustrations? Sometimes the interior art for old Sci Fi magazines is worth the price of admission. Not so for "And Now They Wake".

The Viking Empire (northern hemisphere)

 There are no Swords in Science Fiction. But wait! You ask: if this a story about alien visitors to Earth then who is the dude with the sword (in Figure 2)? Well, the "aliens" came to Earth 1,200 years ago and even though most of the story is set in the late 20th century, there are flashbacks to the Vikings.

 Viking Empire. Maybe in an alternate version of Earth there was a vast "Viking Empire" which spread to include all of the planet closest to both the North and South Poles. Maybe at some time in the past, Skangana might have included places like Minnesota, before they later fell under the sway of other nations. In any case, the "alien" spaceship that came to Earth 1,200 years ago ended up hidden inside a Minnesota hill.

Swords in the Ekcolir Reality

 Again, Why Swords? Upon discovering that humans live on Earth, the commander of the "alien" spaceship that came to Earth 1,200 years ago was appalled by the idea of turning Earth into a Galactic Navigation Beacon™. However, the sentient spaceship was intent on completing that mission. So the human commander scuttled the spaceship, stranding himself on Earth. But all was not lost. He moved in with a cute red-headed Viking woman and started making babies.

 Two Cosmic Giants. For "And Now They Wake", Laumer imagined some sort of system by which the "alien" spaceship could transmit power into the bodies of its crew. There was apparently only 1 way to stop the sentient spaceship from following its orders and creating the Galactic Navigation Beacon™. Disable the spaceship. That did not kill the commander of the "alien" spaceship, but left him weakened, without power derived from the spaceship.

cover art by James Warhola

 Power Beams. Why do I put "alien" inside quote marks? Well, these "aliens" are human and they can impregnate Earth women. Well, they are super-humans who are immortal because they can rapidly regenerate tissues. To do so, all they need is energy and dietary protein. When a new nuclear power plant opens up that magically transmits power directly to customers by means of "beams", the "aliens" can tap into that source of power. For 1,200 years, the two "aliens" on Earth did not have that ready source of energy, so they were immortal (see the white hair in Figure 1), but not super-human. For a time, they lived among the Vikings, using the names Thor and Loki.

 Evil Robots. These "aliens" fly around the galaxy in intelligent spaceships. When the nuclear power plant goes online, the robotic spaceship starts tapping into all that energy and is ready to complete its mission on Earth. Yes, even after a 1,200 year pause, the spaceship still wants to complete the original the mission: turn Earth into a Galactic Navigation Beacon™. 

in the Ekcolir Reality
Original cover art by Paul Lehr

 Earth, the Lost World. Sadly, the robot spaceship's mission to activate the Galactic Navigation Beacon™ will incinerate all life on Earth. So, drama... Apparently, a million years ago, a shipwrecked crew from the Galactic Empire was stranded on Earth... giving rise to Earth humans. Sadly, the robotic spaceship seems to have amnesia and it does not realize that it has been on Earth for 1,200 years and so maybe it is not longer important to turn Earth into a Galactic Navigation Beacon™ and also: Earth is inhabited, so why use an inhabited planet as your Galactic Navigation Beacon™ and not a dead world like Venus? Robot spaceships don't ask such questions because: plot.

 Apocalyptic Storms. There is "only" one storm, but it is enough. Apparently to create a Galactic Navigation Beacon™ you need to first create a tornado, which turns into a hurricane which creates a giant whirlpool which allows you to go down to the sea floor and tunnel into the interior of the planet so that... BEACON.

in the Ekcolir Reality

 Too Long. "And Now They Wake" is too contrived and too long. Having now read several of Laumer's stories, I can see a pattern. Laumer could write endlessly about soldiers playing with their guns (look at the fancy ray-guns in Figure 1). What about the poor science fiction fan who does not want to read about soldiers and their guns? If you are not interested in military affairs then you are better off not reading a story like "And Now They Wake". Too much of the text is devoted boys and their death toys.

 Frag Slug Guns. If you enjoy military Sci Fi and feel that you have not gotten enough mayhem from "And Now They Wake", be sure to read "Killerbot!" by Dean R. Koontz, also in the May 1969 issue of Galaxy. I think this story is about a future war between North America and Europe in which humanoid robots go into crowded places such as movie theaters and commit mass murders because... war.

in the Ekcolir Reality

 Apollo. Before departing from the May 1969 issue of Galaxy, I feel obligated to mention that in the lead editorial for that month, Frederik Pohl reported that the majority of people in the United States were not supporters of spending tax dollars on a space program. This was on the eve of the first manned Moon landing. Pohl called for cooperation between nations on space exploration as a way to put an end to national rivalries and wars.

 Coloured. Also in the May 1969 issue of Galaxy was "Coloured Element" by William K. Carlson and Alice Laurance. This is a kind of joke story about a measles vaccine that causes people to turn various colors according to their blood type.

1973. After the invention of nipples.
interior art for "Experiment" by Alicia Austin

 Experiment. Having never heard of William K. Carlson, I also read his story "Experiment" in the August 1973 issue of Vertex. This is a story that literally goes nowhere with a couple who find themselves inside an unexplained research facility where they are the experimental animals.

It is good for me to read stories such as "The Long Twilight" because they force me to think in directions that I would otherwise never move. In this case, the idea of alien visitors to Earth who receive energy  transmitted to them from their spaceship made me think about the source of energy for the nanites in replicoids that are composed of femtobot components. Maybe there is an energy source for the femtobots and the energy that they need can be transmitted to them. I asked Claude to consider this science fiction problem. This conversation with Claude is a continuation of the conversation that started in this other blog post.

Me: Claude, invent an imaginary science explanation for the source of energy that could power these femtobots. Feel free to invent new types of imaginary fundamental particles and forces for this science fiction scenario.

Claude: Let me propose an energy framework for the femtobots based on a new family of fundamental particles and their interactions. I'll build this explanation step by step, starting with the basic particles and working up to their practical application.

 At the most fundamental level, I propose the existence of a particle called the "chronion" (χ). Chronions exist in a quantum superposition between our normal spacetime and what we might call "temporal space." This dual nature allows them to interact with both regular matter and with special quantum fields that exist in temporal space.

The key to energy generation lies in the interaction between chronions and another hypothetical particle called the "omega-hierion" (Ωh). When an omega-hierion encounters a chronion, it catalyzes what we can call a "temporal cascade." During this cascade, the chronion briefly shifts fully into temporal space, where it encounters an extremely high-energy quantum field called the "chi-field" (χ-field).

The temporal cascade creates a fascinating energy cycle:
1. The chronion absorbs enormous amounts of energy from the chi-field
2. As it shifts back into normal spacetime, this energy is released in a highly controlled manner
3. The omega-hierion captures and channels this energy
4. Special hierion-based structures within the femtobots can store and utilize this energy

What makes this system particularly efficient is that the chronions aren't consumed in the process - they continue to cycle between the two spaces, acting as energy transporters. The omega-hierions serve as both catalysts and energy channelers, while remaining stable throughout the process.

To make this more concrete, imagine a single femtobot containing a microscopic "temporal reactor." This reactor consists of a precisely arranged lattice of omega-hierions surrounding a quantum-confined chronion. The lattice spacing is crucial - it must match the wavelength of the chi-field in temporal space to achieve resonance. When properly tuned, a single temporal reactor of this type can generate power on the order of 10^15 joules per second, while occupying a volume of only 10^-45 cubic meters.

 The femtobots use quantum entanglement networks to coordinate their power generation and distribution. When one femtobot requires more energy - say, for a major structural reorganization - nearby units can instantly redirect their power output through quantum-tunneling channels formed by specialized hierion structures.

This power system has an elegant safety feature: if the precise lattice arrangement of omega-hierions is disrupted, the temporal cascade simply stops. There's no possibility of a runaway reaction. The chronions return to their ground state, and the system can be restarted once proper alignment is restored.

The theoretical efficiency of this system approaches 99.99%, with most of the tiny losses occurring during the quantum tunneling distribution phase rather than in the power generation itself. The only "waste product" is a very small amount of quantum information entropy, which is actually beneficial as it helps maintain the second law of thermodynamics across both normal and temporal space.

Would you like me to elaborate on any particular aspect of this energy system? For instance, we could explore the quantum mechanics of the temporal cascade in more detail.

Room at the bottom.

 Me: Claude, I am intrigued by your fictional concept of a "temporal space". In my science fiction stories about femtobots, I pretend that there are nine spatial dimensions. Three of these spatial dimensions are the spatial dimensions that we are familiar with here on Earth. Three of the other spatial dimensions define what I call the Hierion Domain. The last three spatial dimensions define the Sedron Domain. There are three major types of matter: hadronic matter, hierion matter and sedron matter. Hierion matter is composed of hierions and femtobots are composed of hierions. There is a family of fundamental particles called sedrons and some of the sedrons can link by means of bonds that are 6 orders of magnitude sorter than the bonds that hold together hierions in hierion matter. The bonds between hierions are 6 orders of magnitude sorter than the bonds that hold together atoms in hadronic matter. Hadrons, hierions and sedrons can all exist in regular space. Only hierions and sedrons can exist in the Hierion Domain. Only sedrons can exist in the Sedron Domain. The Hierion Domain and the Sedron Domain are both "compactified" spaces that are in physical contact with all parts of conventional space (the domain of stars and planets and humans).

Claude: Your nine-dimensional framework offers fascinating possibilities for understanding how these different domains of matter could interact. Let me explore how this might work, building on fundamental physical principles.

In your model, we can imagine regular three-dimensional space as a kind of "base layer" where all three types of matter can coexist. The Hierion Domain and Sedron Domain exist as additional spatial dimensions that are somehow "folded" into every point of regular space, similar to how string theory proposes compact dimensions. This arrangement creates some intriguing physical implications.

 Consider the bond length hierarchy you've described: if we take typical atomic bonds in hadronic matter as being on the order of 10⁻¹⁰ meters, then hierion bonds would be around 10⁻¹⁶ meters, and sedron bonds approximately 10⁻²² meters. This geometric progression suggests a deep underlying pattern in how matter organizes itself across the three domains.

The compactification of the Hierion and Sedron domains means that every point in our familiar space has immediate "access" to these other dimensions. This could explain how femtobots, being composed of hierions, might be able to perform what would seem like "impossible" transformations from our three-dimensional perspective - they're actually operating through the additional degrees of freedom provided by the Hierion Domain.

The exclusive ability of sedrons to exist in all three domains suggests they might serve as fundamental mediators of inter-domain interactions. For instance, a sedron particle could simultaneously have components extending into all nine dimensions, potentially allowing it to transmit forces or information between domains.

This raises an interesting question: how might the forces that operate in the Hierion and Sedron domains differ from the four fundamental forces we know in regular space? Given the much stronger bonding capabilities in these domains, there must be additional force carriers that don't interact significantly with hadronic matter.

Would you be interested in exploring how this nine-dimensional framework might affect the quantum mechanical properties of matter in each domain? Or perhaps we could discuss how the compactification mechanism might influence the propagation of forces between domains?

image source

 Me: Claude, you introduced the concept of "temporal space". Previously, for my science fiction stories, I have imagined a type a fundamental particle called a T-particle that is a hierion and which makes possible the transmission of information backwards through time; T-particles can transmit information from the future to the past, but a receiver of such information must be composed of hierions. However, all humans have a femtobot endosymbiont in their brain (placed there by technologically advanced aliens), and some people can use their endosymbiont to receive useful information from the future. Claude, please re-state your concept of "temporal space" and a source of energy for femtobots by equating "temporal space" to either the Hierion Domain or the Sedron Domain of the universe.

Claude: Let me revise and integrate the concept of "temporal space" into your established nine-dimensional framework, focusing on the unique properties of the Hierion Domain and its relationship to time-based phenomena.

Given your description of T-particles as hierions capable of transmitting information backwards through time, it makes more sense to reconceptualize what I called "temporal space" as a specific aspect of the Hierion Domain. Here's how this could work:

The Hierion Domain's three spatial dimensions have a special relationship with time that isn't present in regular space or the Sedron Domain. When hierions form certain specific quantum configurations within the Hierion Domain, they can create what we might call "temporal channels." These channels manifest as particular geometric arrangements in the Hierion Domain's three dimensions that allow for bidirectional information flow through time.

 The energy generation system I proposed earlier could be reimagined using this framework: Instead of chronions shifting between regular space and a separate temporal space, we could have specialized hierions (let's call them E-hierions) that can simultaneously exist in particular configurations in both regular space and the Hierion Domain. These E-hierions can harness energy by exploiting the unique properties of the Hierion Domain's relationship with time.

When E-hierions form specific lattice patterns in the Hierion Domain, they create what we might call "temporal energy wells." These wells can capture and store energy from future states of the universe, making it available for use in the present. This process is mediated by T-particles, which not only carry information but also can transport energy backwards through time when properly configured within the Hierion Domain.

The femtobot endosymbionts in human brains make particular use of this mechanism. They contain precisely arranged arrays of E-hierions and T-particles that can both receive information from the future and tap into these temporal energy wells for power. This explains how the endosymbionts can maintain their complex functions without drawing significant energy from their human hosts - they're actually powered by energy from future states, channeled through the Hierion Domain.

This arrangement also explains why only hierion-based structures can receive information from the future: the reception of both temporal information and temporal energy requires the ability to form specific quantum configurations within the Hierion Domain's three spatial dimensions, something that purely hadronic matter cannot do.

Would you like to explore how this temporal energy mechanism might interact with the even smaller-scale structures possible in the Sedron Domain? Or shall we delve deeper into how the femtobot endosymbionts specifically utilize these temporal energy wells?

 Me: In his time travel novel "The End of Eternity", Asimov proposed that the energy source for Eternity was in the far future. In other words, the Eternity time travel system described by Asimov in his book as existing outside of the normal flow of Time, was powered by energy from the far future. For my fan-fiction stories that use Asimov's concept of Reality Changes and multiple timelines (multiple Realities), I pretend that Eternity exists in the Hierion Domain. When recruits are "taken into Eternity", their human bodies are converted into replicoids, artificial life-forms composed of femtobot components.

Claude: This is a fascinating integration of Asimov's concept with the framework of hierion physics and multiple spatial domains! Let me help explore how these ideas fit together.

When we combine Asimov's concept of Eternity existing "outside" normal time with your nine-dimensional framework, we can understand Eternity as a structure within the Hierion Domain that has unique properties. Since the Hierion Domain is compactified and in contact with all points of regular space, this explains how Eternity can maintain simultaneous contact with all time periods in regular space.

The process of "taking someone into Eternity" becomes clearer when we think about it in terms of matter conversion across domains. When recruits are converted into replicoids, their hadronic matter bodies are essentially "translated" into hierion-based structures. This translation allows them to fully exist and operate within the Hierion Domain, where Eternity is located.

The energy source from the far future makes particular sense in this context. Think of it this way: in the Hierion Domain, the temporal relationship between points isn't constrained the way it is in regular space. Energy can be gathered from far-future power sources and distributed throughout Eternity via the special properties of hierion matter. The T-particles you described would be crucial to this process, acting as conduits for both energy and information flow backwards through time.

image source

 This arrangement also helps explain how Reality Changes can be implemented. Since Eternity exists in the Hierion Domain, which is in contact with all points of regular space-time, changes can be introduced at any temporal location. The hierion-based structure of replicoids allows them to remain "outside" the changes while observing and managing them.

Would you like to explore more about how the replicoid conversion process might work in detail? Or shall we delve into how Reality Changes might propagate through both regular space and the Hierion Domain?

Me: I adore Asimov's concept of positronic robots. For my fan-fiction stories involving Eternity, I imagine that Eternity was created by positronic robots of the First Reality. The robots used Eternity as a technology development project for the development of advanced technologies that were needed to create Galaxia: a galaxy-spanning defense system composed of telepathic humans that could repel the advanced of aliens from other galaxies.

Claude: This is a fascinating synthesis of multiple strands of Asimov's work! Let me explore how these elements fit together in a coherent technological progression.

In Asimov's robot stories, positronic brains represented the pinnacle of computing technology in conventional space, operating with hadron-based circuitry. However, these advanced robots would have eventually discovered the existence of the Hierion Domain and realized its potential for developing even more sophisticated technologies.

 The creation of Eternity by the positronic robots makes perfect sense as a stepping stone toward Galaxia. Here's why: The robots would have recognized that developing a galaxy-spanning telepathic network would require technological capabilities far beyond what was possible with hadron-based technology. They needed a "laboratory" where they could develop and test new technologies across vast spans of time, making adjustments as needed.

The progression from positronic computing to hierion-based technology represents an enormous leap forward. Positronic pathways operate at the scale of atomic bonds (10⁻¹⁰ meters), while hierion-based computational structures can be built at scales six orders of magnitude smaller (10⁻¹⁶ meters). This allows for computational densities and capabilities that would seem magical compared to positronic systems.

The development of Eternity would have served multiple purposes in the robots' grand plan:

1. It provided a testing ground for hierion-based technologies, including the femtobots that would later be crucial for implementing Galaxia's telepathic network.

2. It allowed the robots to observe and guide human development across multiple Realities, helping them understand how to eventually create a stable telepathic human civilization.

3. The temporal engineering capabilities developed through Eternity's creation would have been essential for coordinating the simultaneous transformation of humanity across an entire galaxy when implementing Galaxia.

this image was made using NightElf01 by
 Eclesi4stiK under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0

 This technological progression also explains why the robots chose to make Galaxia based on transformed biological humans rather than simply creating a network of artificial minds. The robots recognized that human consciousness, when enhanced by hierion-based technology (like femtobot endosymbionts), could achieve capabilities beyond what purely artificial systems could manage.

Would you like to explore more about how the positronic robots might have first discovered the Hierion Domain? Or shall we delve deeper into how they used Eternity to develop the specific technologies needed for Galaxia?

I did explain to Claude that the Hua, aliens from the planet Sermyth in a distant galaxy, were the first to understand the Hierion Domain.

Next: Part 4 of the science fiction story "D*".

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