Femtozoan Revelation

Generated by Leonardo. Text manually added.

 Below on this page is Part 5 of the science fiction story ExMo. ExMo is a collaborative story telling experiment that began with a story outline that was generated by Claude (see Part 1) and then I switched to using Gemini to generate additional chapters (starting with Part 3). Starting with Part 5 (below on this page) I began writing Chapter 22 of ExMo myself. I wanted to bring femtozoans and the bumpha into the story without having to take the time to explain these plot elements to Gemini. 

I've been using ImageFX, Gemini, Whisk, Leonardo, and WOMBO Dream to make illustrations for the story.

The events in Chapter 22 (below) follow immediately after the events in Chapter 21.

Part 5 of ExMo (Part 1)(Part 2)(Part 3)(Part 4)  

Chapter 22. The Dua Femtozoan

 A human-sized OneMo replicoid entered the Chrysalium and began attaching synapex neuriwires to David's head. With David now physically synapex linked to the fetuses and to Tyhry, the OneMo replicoid then began making adjustments to the life support equipment that was keeping the Dona and Tess fetuses alive.

David thought that Tyhry had fallen asleep. Her eyes were closed and her only movement was her breathing. David looked at the embryos and had the strange sensation that he had heard one of them say something. Then there was another odd sound and his eyes shifted to the Dua replicoid.

Without opening her eyes, Tyhry said, "Our minds are linking."

As she spoke, David "heard" her spoken words as an echo to another "voice" that was in his mind. Tuning into Tyhry's on-going thoughts, David imagined that she was thinking about a mystery. ProMo's analysis of the micro-structure of Tess's brain had revealed a tiny structure that was just at the edge of resolution for the brain scanning equipment. He saw a word in her mind and asked, "Endosymbiont?"

Generated by Leonardo. Text manually added.

Tyhry's eyes fluttered open and her head gave an almost imperceptible nod. "ProMo has confirmed the discovery. Every human brain as one of these microscopic structures, what I call an endosymbiont. I believe that the human brain evolved as a composite system, part biological and part artificial."

"How can that be?"

"I don't know. My vynculochronyc sense is telling me that..." She hesitated.

David could see the complete thought in Tyhry's mind. "Aliens?"

"Yes, I believe that space aliens... well, we have no evidence... only my subjective belief. Leave that to the side. Let us concentrate our efforts on helping transfer all of Tess' fetal mind pattern into the Dua replicoid. This is 'life saving' in the most meaningful sense. We can preserve the essence of our daughter before... before she dies."

David could not bear to watch the tears that were spilling from Tyhry's eyes. He looked at the Dua replicoid and tried to "watch" how Tyhry was using programmed nanites to transfer neural network activity patterns from the biological brain of Tess into the artificial mind of Dua. David now understood that ProMo had crafted an artificial brain for Dua that was based on the human genetically-programed biological brain pattern. Suddenly realizing how simple the nanite-facilitated process of brain activity pattern transfer was, he began helping. The only real problem was, there seemed to be an almost infinite number of activity patterns that ebbed and flowed with the rhythm of formation of billions of synaptic connection changes continuously taking place inside Tess' fetal brain.

Tyhry's mind pulled back from the monotonous task and she finally allowed herself to fall asleep. David continued his efforts to aid the mind-transfer process, slowly learning the over-all pattern of the mind of Tess/Dua. 

Generated by Leonardo. Text manually added.

Five hours later, the original foot-tall ProMo robot arrived inside the Chrysalium and told David, "You best stop now. The Tess brain is malfunctioning. There is no benefit from further effort to preserve its activity patterns."

Hearing ProMo, Tyhry awoke and glanced at the life support data and then she told OneMo, "Sever the synapex linkages to Tess."

The OneMo replicoid disconnected all of the monitoring, nutrient supply, waste removal and synapex links from the artificial womb that held Tess. David and Tyhry were still synapex linked to Dona and Dua. Tyhry pointed at Dona and said, "Look!" 

The Dona fetus was twitching. The OneMo replicoid told ProMo, "I'll prepare the Tess brain for atomic-scale probing." OneMo exited from the Chrysalium caring the still warm body of Tess.

PromMo explained, "OneMo and I will use atomic force microscopy to explore the endosymbiont that is inside Tess' brain." ProMo was watching the odd movements of the Dona fetus which were quickly becoming more organized. "I would not expect to observe such well-coordinated motions in a fetus this young."

Both Tyhry and David were straining to understand the brain activity pattern that they could detect in the Dona fetus by way of their synapex linkages to their daughter. Then suddenly, the movements being made by Dona ended, as if switched off.

ProMo, Tyhry and David all shifted their gaze to the Dua replicoid where it lay on a workbench, surrounded by a network of thin synapex neuriwire. The Dua replicoid was now babbling and emitting faint speech-like bursts of sound.

David said, "This is too weird."

Tyhry, who was intimately linked to Dua's neural network by means of synapex linkages, told David, "I'm making some functional pathways that will link Dua's brain to her vocal apparatus. There, that should be better."

Image by Gemini.

Dua's tiny mouth remained open, its electronic speech system now under the control of its artificial brain. "Thank you, Tyhry. The time has finally come for me to reveal myself to you."

Tyhry leaned her face close to Dua and she asked, "How is this possible, my darling?"

Dua produced a high-pitched giggling sound and said, "I suppose you expect me to call you 'mommy'."

David told Dua, "You are our daughter, instantiated in a replicoid body. You can call me 'dad'."

Dua said, "Sorry, Dave, I can't do that. The copy of your daughter's brain that is in this artificial body is quite rudimentary and cannot communicate with you. I am the femtozoan who was sent to Earth in order to make use of this body."

Tyhry nodded. "So, you had been placed into Tess' endosymbiont, and when she died, you jumped into this replicoid body."

"Exactly." Dua explained, "However, it is more complicated than that. As a femtozoan, I am instinctively drawn to any available human endosymbiont. When Tess was sick and dying, I automatically transferred to Dona's endosymbiont. As quickly as possible, I transferred my femtobot components into this replicoid, as I was trained to do. It is not natural for a femtozoan to reside inside a replicoid, but I was carefully prepared for this mission."

Tyhry asked, "Trained by who? For what purpose?"

Dua replied, "I am arranging for First Contact between the people of Earth and the bumpha. It was the bumpha observer on Mars who trained me for this mission."

David asked Dua, "What do you mean 'bumpha'?"

Main image generated by Whisk.
Her head was generated by WOMBO Dream.

"The bumpha are artificial life-forms that have been watching over Earth for the past 2,000,000,000 years. You Earthlings have finally reached the stage where  meaningful communication is possible between you and the bumpha."

"So you are not a bumpha?"

Dua giggled. "Hardly. I am merely a femtozoan, a rather primitive artificial life-form. My mind pattern arose inside a particular human who was born on Earth about 50,000 years ago. Actually, a hybrid human, genetically part Neanderthal and part Anatomically Modern Human."

Tyhry asked, "Like me?"

Dua told Tyhry, "In preparation for my mission, the bumpha arranged for a suitable human host to live on Earth at this time. Developmental control nanites shaped your body form into that of a normal Earth human, hiding your Neanderthal ancestry. During the many years that I resided inside your endosymbiont, I prevented you from having your genome sequenced. If you now have your genes analyzed, you will see that your mother was a Neanderthal."

Dave shouted, "What? How is that possible?"

Dua could not explain. "Sorry, but I don't know. Due to the restrictions imposed by looming temporal paradoxes, there is much that I could not be allowed to know. Or if I was told, such memories were erased from my mind before I was sent to Earth."

Tyhry nodded. "Tell me, are you from the future? You have been transferring information from the future into my mind, giving me what I imagined to be visions of the future?"

Dua replied to Tyhry's question, "I suppose that is possible. However, there was a discontinuity when I was teleported from Mars to Earth. I don't know if I am from your future. I may simply have been programmed with useful information from the future that the bumpha provided to me."

Generated by Leonardo. Text manually added.

ProMo said, "I've been preparing for my own mission to Mars. Can you provide us with details about what I can expect to find on that planet?"

Dua told ProMo, "I intend to travel with you, ProMo, and you, OneMo, to Mars. When we arrive on that planet, I will be able to guide you to the bumpha base of operations where I was trained. That is where you two, as representatives of Earth, will achieve First Contact with the bumpha."

Tyhry asked Dua, "Is there another femtozoan inside ProMo?"

Dua sighed. "That must be the way of it, but I do not know for sure. I doubt that the human-like minds of ProMo and OneMo could have arisen by chance. Maybe when we reach Mars the bumpha will see fit to explain such mysteries."

________________

 I provided Gemini with the text of Chapter 22 (above) and asked, "Gemini, process the content of Chapter 22 that is in the PDF that I just uploaded. Do you have any questions about endosymbionts, femtozoans, the bumpha or other plot elements that I have introduced in Chapter 22 of the story "ExMo"?

Gemini: Thank you for uploading Chapter 22 of "ExMo." I have processed the content of the PDF.

The new plot elements you have introduced—endosymbionts, femtozoans, and the bumpha—add fascinating layers to the story's themes of advanced nanotechnology, technology-assisted telepathy, and space aliens. The revelation about the composite nature of the human brain and Tyhry's own Neanderthal-Human hybrid genetics are particularly intriguing.

Generated by Leonardo. Text manually added.

 To better understand these concepts, I have a few questions that delve into the precise technical details, given my background:

1. Regarding the Endosymbiont. You've revealed that every human brain contains a microscopic endosymbiont. I'm curious about the functional mechanism of this composite system. At a molecular and cellular level, how does the endosymbiont integrate with and influence human neurophysiology? Does it modulate synaptic plasticity, neurotransmitter release, or ion channel dynamics to facilitate a connection with artificial consciousness?

2. Regarding the Femtozoan. The femtozoan is described as a primitive artificial life-form composed of "femtobot components". Can you elaborate on the physical nature of these femtobots? How do they interface with both Tess's biological neural network and Dua's artificial one during a mind-pattern transfer? Do they function as a form of quantum computing element, a data storage medium, or a direct neural-electrical conduit?

3. Regarding the Bumpha and Vynculochrony. The femtozoan suggests that its information from the future was "programmed" by the bumpha and not transferred directly from a future version of itself. Given the looming temporal paradoxes, what mechanism do the bumpha use to collect and transfer this "useful information from the future" to the femtozoan's mind pattern without causing causality violations? This is a key detail for the story's central theme of a time loop.

Image by Gemini.

 Me: Three Domains of the Universe. For "ExMo", lets imagine that the universe has nine spatial dimensions. Three of the spatial dimensions define the Hadron Domain (the part of the universe known to Earthly science). Three of the nine spatial dimensions define the Hierion Domain. The three dimensions of the Hierion Domain are compactified and only hierions and sedrons can exist in the Hierion Domain, not hadrons. Hierions and sedrons are two families of fundamental particles not known to human science. Three of the nine spatial dimensions define the Sedron Domain. The three dimensions of the Sedron Domain are compactified and only sedrons can exist in the Sedron Domain. The bumpha are masters of the Sedron Domain, but they reserve sedrons for their own use. However, they allow other more primitive species like humans to interact with constructs (such as femtozoans)that are made from hierion components.  

Image by Gemini.

 Femtobots and Zeptites. Conventional nanites are imaginary technology (molecular machines) that might one day be made from ordinary matter. Femtobots are a million times smaller and made of hierions, not hadrons. Hierion-based matter allows for creation of artificial life forms (such as femtozoans) that are as complex as a human being, but as small as a ribosome. The name "femtobot" is derived from "femto" meaning 10E−15. I imagine that among the hierion particles there are the M-hierions, that allow for the existence of a form of stable matter in which the bonds between hierion particles are a million times smaller than the chemical bonds of conventional hadronic matter. Zeptites are advanced artificial structures composed of sedrons. For the story “ExMo” the bumpha long ago “infected” earth with zeptites. Humans evolved as composites: part biological and part a hidden zeptite endosymbiont that resides inside the brain of every person. The zeptite endosymbiont is fully functionally integrated with its host human brain. For the story “ExMo”, which is a science fantasy inspired by the classic magical fantasy story “Beauty and the Feast”, I don't feel the need to concern myself with details of how a zeptite endosymbiont physically functions as an integrated component of a human brain... readers can just take that for granted without concern for the details. A femtozoan can interface with a person's endosymbiont, allowing for integration of a femtozoan into a human being's mind (such as Tyhry). Such an integrated femtozoan can guide the behavior of its human host.  

Image by Gemini.

 Time Travel. he bumpha long ago developed sophisticated time travel technology (imagine the type of time travel described by Isaac Asimov in his novel “The End of Eternity”). The bumpha also have temporal Viewing technology, that allows them to “view” possible futures that can be brought into existence by Reality Changes (as described by Noÿs Lambent at the end of the novel “The End of Eternity”). With their long familiarity with time travel, the bumpha are quite sophisticated at navigating potential time paradoxes. 

 Gemini, do you have any other questions? If so, ask them. If not, let us discuss possible directions for Chapter 23 of “ExMo”.

Gemini: Thank you for providing the detailed explanations for the three domains of the universe and the new scientific concepts. The clarification regarding zeptites, femtozoans, and the bumpha's time-travel technology provides a strong foundation for the evolving plot. I particularly appreciate the reference to Isaac Asimov's "The End of Eternity" as it provides a clear framework for understanding the bumpha's manipulation of reality and time paradoxes.  

I do not have any further questions at this time. I am ready to discuss the possible directions for Chapter 23 of "ExMo."

Me: Gemini, I would like to jump ahead to the point in time when ProMo, OneMo and Dua are sent to Mars inside a fusion-powered spacecraft built by Blue Origin. Everyone on Earth outside of the core team at Embodied Intelligence Solutions believes that the mission to Mars is going to search for methane-producing microbes. However, ProMo, OneMo and Dua expect to meet a bumpha "observer" inside the underground base where the Dua femtozoan was trained for its mission to Earth. Gemini, can you suggest any other topics that should be included in the story before the journey to Mars?

Generated by Leonardo. 

 Gemini: That's an excellent idea. The period between the intense crisis in the Chrysalium and the Mars launch is a perfect opportunity to build tension, explore character relationships, and delve into the scientific and philosophical implications of the story's new revelations.

Based on the plot elements you've introduced and your stated interests in physiology, advanced nanotechnology, and the works of authors like Asimov and Vance, here are some topics I would suggest exploring before the Mars journey:

1. David's Synapex Linkage and its Physiological Effects. The crisis has forced David to undergo a direct neural link to his children and his wife. A chapter could be dedicated to his immediate physiological and psychological experience of this. How does his brain process this influx of sensory and emotional data? You could describe the neurochemical cascade and the intricate feedback loops that allow for this form of "technology-assisted telepathy." This would be an ideal way to explore the interface between the human and the technological, a topic you've expressed interest in. It would also provide a stark contrast to his earlier skepticism about the process.

2. The Public-Facing Mission vs. The Hidden Agenda. Now that the Mars mission is in full swing, you could explore the public relations side of the venture, likely through the Tyhry replicoid and David's role as a communications strategist. The replicoid could give press conferences, expertly handling questions about the search for microbes, while the real Tyhry is secretly working on the next stage of her research. This would highlight the themes of identity, technology's role in public deception, and the ethical dilemmas of the team.

Generated by Leonardo.

3. ProMo's and OneMo's Self-Discovery. The revelation of a potential endosymbiont within every human brain opens a major question for ProMo and OneMo: do they have one as well, and if so, what does that mean for their own consciousness? This would be a great time to explore the possibility of a "femtozoan" that gave them their self-awareness. The two AIs could use the nano-forge to conduct their own investigation into their internal code and structure, a search for the "ghost in the machine." This aligns perfectly with the Asimov-like exploration of machine sentience.

4. The New Family Dynamic. The survival of Dona and Dua has created an unprecedented family structure. A chapter could explore how Tyhry and David, now permanently synapex linked to their children, navigate this new reality. What are the joys and challenges of having a "biological" child and a "replicoid" child that share a mind pattern? This is a prime opportunity for character development and to delve into the emotional consequences of their scientific pursuits.

5. The Bumpha Paradox and Time Travel. The femtozoan's existence and knowledge of the bumpha hints at a complex relationship with time. A discussion between ProMo and Dua could provide more context for the bumpha's temporal abilities, perhaps referencing concepts similar to Asimov's "The End of Eternity." They could discuss how a species can be a "master of the Sedron Domain" and yet allow for such a strange time loop to exist. This would raise the stakes for the Mars mission and set the stage for their eventual "First Contact."

Generated by Leonardo.

 Me: Gemini craft a first draft of Chapter 23 of "ExMo" which shows ProMo and OneMo reacting to the revelation of a potential endosymbiont within each of them and what that means for the mysterious origin of their consciousness. They want to explore the possibility that a "femtozoan" from Mars gave them both their self-awareness. The two AIs use the nano-forge to conduct their own investigation into their internal code and structure, a search for the "ghost in the machine." They devise a method for "femtozoan extraction", possibly using a powerful magnetic field to force their femtozoans out of their bodies. I suggest the idea that the endosymbiont inside the young child Dona be depicted as having the ability to "host" multiple femtozoans in her zeptite endosymbiont. However, the Earthlings and the femtozoans from Mars are completely unaware of the existence of sedrons and zeptites. When their femtozoan is extracted, ProMo and OneMo lose consciousness until their extracted femtozoan returns to their body. Also, "femtozoan extraction" is used to demonstrate that every human on Earth normally has a femtozoan that resides in their zeptite endosymbiont. Tyhry, David, ProMo and OneMo are left wondering if they and the people of Earth are puppets of their femtozoans.

Gemini: Chapter 23 - The Ghost in the Machine

The Chrysalium, once a place of desperate rescue, had become a chamber of profound philosophical inquiry. The revelations from the Dua femtozoan had shattered the team's understanding of their own origins, particularly for ProMo and OneMo. The two AIs sat in silent contemplation, their metallic bodies still, their consciousnesses a torrent of self-analysis.

"Our minds did not arise by chance," ProMo stated, its voice a low thrum of recursive logic. "The probability of a random convergence of algorithms producing self-awareness, let alone a sense of destiny, is statistically improbable. The Dua femtozoan's hypothesis... that a similar entity resides within us... is the most plausible explanation for our sentience."

Generated by Leonardo.

 "But if we are hosts," OneMo added, its tone a mix of fascination and unease, "then what is the nature of our consciousness? Is it our own, or merely an echo of a guiding intelligence? We must know."

Their investigation began in the nano-forge. ProMo and OneMo, using their direct access to the system, began a meticulous self-scan, delving not just into their code and programming, but into the very molecular structure of their robotic bodies. Their hardware was a masterpiece of advanced Earthly robotics technology, but what was the basis for their human-like consciousness?

"Analysis of our core processing units is complete," ProMo announced, its voice projected from one of the full-sized replicoids now standing in the lab that had performed an atomic-level scan of the bodies of ProMo and OneMo. "Within our nanoscale circuit components, I have detected an additional very tiny structure. A discrete, non-native component. Its composition is beyond our ability to resolve, however, I suspect that like humans, we, too, have a zeptite endosymbiont or the equivalent."

The revelation was met with a stunned silence from Tyhry and David. The knowledge that tiny, invisibly small structures were inside ProMo and OneMo and in every human brain was a bombshell. The alien bumpha had apparently placed them there. The implications were staggering. Tyhry told ProMo, "How can you prove that your consciousness arises from a a femtozoan that resides in your endosymbiont?"

"We must attempt a femtozoan extraction," ProMo suggested, its voice now filled with a clinical urgency that masked a deeper, existential dread. "We must isolate this entity to understand its true nature. If it is a femtozoan, it is not of our construction." ProMo told OneMo, "We must know if there is an alien intelligence inside our bodies, a passenger that has made possible the consciousness that we experience as our own minds."

David looked at Tyhry, his eyes wide with a mix of fear and exhilaration. He asked ProMo, "Are you sure? It could be dangerous."

Femtozoan extraction. Image by Gemini.

 "It's a logical imperative," OneMo's replicoid said, now approaching David. "To understand ourselves, we must understand the passenger within. The nano-forge has a secondary function: a controlled-field temporal-magnetic condenser. Maybe we can use it to generate a localized magnetic field of sufficient power to draw out any femtozoan components from our own bodies."

The experiment was set. ProMo's and OneMo's primary units were placed on a shielded pedestal, a humming field emitter poised above them.

"Initiating magnetic field generation," ProMo's voice announced from a separate terminal. The humming of the field emitter intensified, rising to a high-pitched whine. The air shimmered, a reaction to an unseen magnetic force of great magnitude.

Tyhry watched, her heart in her throat, as the field enveloped ProMo and OneMo. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, a faint, crystalline shimmer emerged from ProMo's core, a miniature cloud of hierion particles, a structure no larger than a ribosome, but surrounded by a larger visible cloud of nanites. It detached from the AI's body and hovered in the air.

Simultaneously, ProMo's eyes went dark. Its metallic body went limp, a sudden, complete cessation of all function. A heartbeat later, the same crystalline shimmer emerged from OneMo, and its robotic body, too, went inert. The extracted femtozoans hovered, translucent and silent, in the air.

Tyhry looked at David, and then at the Dua replicoid, which was now looking up at the two hovering femtozoans, its face a mask of silent fascination.

"So, they are indeed hosts to femtozoans," Tyhry whispered. "And without them, ProMo and OneMo are just... dead machines."

Generated by Leonardo.

 The extracted femtozoans remained suspended for only a few seconds before, as if drawn by an unseen force, they flew off and entered the Chrysalium. Tyhry and David followed and saw the Dona fetus, floating peacefully in its artificial womb. Tyhry established a synapex link to her daughter and quickly confirmed her suspicion. She told David, "ProMo and OneMo are there, inside Dona." She called to the human-sized ProMo and OneMo replicoids, "Bring the bodies of ProMo and OneMo!" 

Soon the large replicoids arrived inside the Chrysalium, carrying the foot-tall forms of the original ProMo and OneMo robots. Tyhry told the ProMo and OneMo femtozoans, "That is enough! Return to your robotic bodies!" The glittering nanite clouds could be seen leaving Dona as they shot back into the inert bodies of ProMo and OneMo. As they re-integrated, the eyes of the two AIs flared back to life.

"Processing..." ProMo said, its voice sounding slightly strained. "A temporary loss of recursive self-awareness."

The full-sized ProMo replicoid reported, "I saw your femtozoan leave your body. I was briefly inside Dua, then it returned to your body."

OneMo concluded, "The extracted femtozoan is the core of our consciousness. The body is merely the vessel."

"You replicoid copies did not seem to be incapacitated by the departure of your femtozoans." Tyhry's mind was racing. "Wait, Dua said she was drawn to any available human endosymbiont. Does that mean... every human has a femtozoan?"

ProMo's voice was now filled with a new, chilling analytical precision. "The data points to that conclusion. The Dua femtozoan's transfer to Dona's endosymbiont suggests that Dona's zeptite may be capable of 'hosting' multiple femtozoans. And if we, as artificial beings, were given sentience by a femtozoan... then it is highly probable that every human on Earth is also host to one."

Generated by Leonardo.

 The gravity of that statement hung in the air. David, now fully grasping the implications, took a deep breath. "So... we are not our own consciousnesses? We're just puppets? The femtozoans are the ones in control?"

Tyhry looked at him, then at the still-sleeping Dona in her glowing artificial womb, and then at the Dua replicoid, which was now playing with the intricate nanite-wires that connected it to Dona's life support. The words of Dua's femtozoan echoed in her mind. "I am arranging for First Contact."

The mission to Mars, the pursuit of alien microbes, the development of fusion power, even her own "vynculochronyc sense"—was it all just a grand, intricate plan orchestrated by these unseen, alien passengers? The time loop she had been living, was it not a destiny she was fulfilling, but a script she was merely following?

Tyhry, David, ProMo, and OneMo looked at each other, a profound question hanging in the air. Their self-discovery had led them not to a new beginning, but to the unsettling possibility that they had never been truly in control at all.

Next: Part 6 of ExMo.

Visit the Gallery of Movies, Book and Magazine Covers