by Rashid Ahmed
Shun explained, “It took Kei two entire eight-hour shifts of interaction with AL-I to arrive at a common digital information translation system. It began with exchanging information on the periodic table. I have a more detailed brief available separately for you to consume, but the synopsis of the interaction is this. AL-I’s language is DNA based. Or rather, a form of DNA. Unlike human DNA which contains four kinds of bases, the coding on AL-I’s language contains twelve. While combinations of the bases form strings, there are entire shorter strings attached to the primary string. It’s like tendrils on a vine, with each tendril containing numerous shoots. The problem is that each vine-like piece of code, is a packet of information for AL-I.”
“For us, our in-core AI data is passed along as pre-configured concepts or in human terms, ‘thoughts’. Each of our packets of AI thought, is between one to four gigabytes. In comparison, AL-I’s packets each contain an equivalent minimum of a hundred and fifty thousand gigabytes of data. To AL-I’s computing systems, we must seem like snails,” Shun said incredulously.
The AI went on, “At the end of the effort, AL-I provided a solution. It translated each of its packets into a series of our AI concepts. Following this, Átt’s crew and Kei have begun a series of information exchange sessions with AL-I. Fortunately, the machine-brain interface rings the ET vessel produced, for use by our crew, is able to inject thoughts directly into each users’ brain. For security, each of the crew had to learn how to use a connection acceptance protocol, which identifies the sender. So now during interactions with AL-I, every crew member can provide a voice description of their interpretation or understanding. Separately, Kei interacts digitally via a high capacity local EM transfer. Here’s the interesting part. AL-I is like a life-raft. The vessel contains thirty-six humanoid individuals who are essentially refugees transiting our solar system, in search of a new home in our galaxy the Milky Way. They’re from a system in what we’ve identified as the Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy. A galaxy which is being accreted by our own galaxy. The humanoids on AL-I are escaping an expected conflict between intelligent species from our own galaxy and theirs, which could spill over to their system.”
“Also,” said the AI, “while the Átt’s crew is getting more information, Kei is working on developing human usable hardware using AL-I’s designs. If our understanding is correct, this should enable us to communicate with the ET vessel, at interstellar distances, without lag.” Rafael’s interest instantly peaked. He quickly cut in, “I’d like to be kept up to date on the hardware development please.” The AI replied, “I’ll direct your request to the leadership team.”
Rafael had just arrived at Dr. Popov’s office. He knocked and entered. Shun or one of its mission AIs undoubtedly announced his presence to the priest.
Dr. Popov glanced up and said, “You’re up to date?”
Rafael replied, “Yes.” The transhuman was usually very concise.
“I’ve just got off a remote conference with Lýsi leadership and my counterparts at other facilities,” Dr. Popov said. He elaborated, “We’ve just added another wicked problem layer, to our Global Catastrophic Risk stack. The solar system is one of the closest systems to Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy. We’re closer to it than we are to the center of our own galaxy. Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy has a ring of about a billion stars, which has wrapped itself around our galaxy three times. It’s been in the process of being accreted or absorbed by the Milky Way, likely for millions of years. There may be numerous systems as close to, or perhaps closer than ours, between the two galaxies.”
The priest continued, “Initial information from AL-I indicates that there are multiple advanced interstellar species, involved in conflict between the two galaxies. We don’t yet know why or what it’s all about. However, given AL-I’s presence here, we can assume that the solar system has seen visitors before, and there could be more coming. The leadership team has had discrete conversations with their contacts within governments, militaries, agencies and research organizations, to get a feel for the direction we should proceed in. The interactions with external bodies have maintained hypothetical situations of course. No information on AL-I has been revealed during conversations, yet. Lýsi leadership agrees that we need to prepare for future extra-terrestrial interactions and possible conflict. Get your thoughts together on this. Meanwhile your training will continue here. Brush up on your war strategy. Your younger colleagues have been asked to come up with space defence suggestions. You too should contribute.”
The priest continued, “The principal coordinator for this is to be Gogh.” He smirked and clarified, “Yes, it’s a code name, and yes it’s like the painter. Gogh has just taken a sabbatical from his professorship at a technology university in Delft. As you’re aware that’s where our headquarters were located, before we became a decentralized organization.”
Rafael nodded. He understood the severity of the issue, and the uphill task. In the simplest terms, Earth’s resources were controlled by various governments. Many were against each other. The economies of these were based on consumerism, which was based on a capitalistic model, much of which was debt driven. This fostered a global culture of possession, greed, corruption, power consolidation and incredible amounts of waste. It’s unlikely the world would come together to deal with immediate problems, simply because there were vested interests. “But,” he thought to himself, “this is the way I think. Maybe there’s a different point of view out there.” He excused himself and left the priest’s office to grab a meal, shower and sleep. He’d had a long day punctuated with regular training and he’d think better once rested.
Waking early and undergoing his regular physical regimen followed by an enormous breakfast, Rafael spoke briefly with his parents in Havana, before they went to bed. He decided to meet Max, before his learning session on negotiation began, which Shun had lined up for him. While on his way, he looked through the updated information on Max. Entering the restricted section of the hospital, he entered Max’s room.
“Hello Max! Hope you’re feeling better this morning.” Rafael greeted the facility’s intruder. Max replied, “I’m being fed soups, something that tastes like pulped steak, juices and oats. It feels like space food.” Laughing, Rafael replied, “It is. Everyone admitted to our hospital, gets fed something like this. It’s highly controllable and is custom produced to meet your exacting needs.”
Max said, “Yes, the good medic Katrín told me so. She also mentioned it’s to motivate me to get better soon and eat regular solids.”
Rafael chuckled and said, “Our solid food is space-food too.”
Max went a shade paler and said, “Really? I’ll have to escape then!”
This quickly brought the conversation on to a more serious track. “Did you think through what I left you with yesterday?” Rafael asked. Without allowing Max time to answer, he continued, “You have a daughter who’s just finished university and has recently landed a job with a human right’s organization. She’s highly intelligent, motivated, driven and a natural leader. She’s obviously taken after you.”
Max stopped him, saying, “Why are we discussing her?”
Rafael replied, “Her, you, me, every person.” Max waited for him to go on, so Rafael continued, “The work being done here is aimed at mitigating and trying to solve the greatest problems the world faces. While we do that, we also work towards ensuring people, knowledge and resources continue to exist; no matter what. We do what’s right for the greater good, with the least amount of damage. And we go further. Because, our studies and analysis tell us that we’re on an irreversible self-destructive course.”
Max asked, “Destructive to whom? Are you talking about global warming? Economic bubbles? What specifically?”
Rafael answered, “All of it. An interweaving of issues and problems at a global scale. Problems which feed of each other, propagate fresh issues and allow difficulties to fester and manifest, without being suitably countered. Wicked problems.”
Max chuckl
ed and said, “The world has always had problems. Governments, corporates and people are all involved. Everyone is fighting the problems. You’re going to solve them all?”
Rafael replied, “The problems we’re tackling are largely unsolvable. That’s why they’re ‘wicked’. However, they can be mitigated. They can be managed. But given the state the world is in; it’ll take too long. I’m talking centuries. Most ongoing efforts may be already too late.”
“So, what is it, that you’re doing here?” Max asked. His agenda too, was to get as much information as possible. Here was someone who seemed willing to share. Perhaps he’d get more out of this than he expected.
“We have a hierarchy of wicked problems. Diagrammatically it’s shaped like a conifer. At the crown lies Global Catastrophic Risks or GCRs, the stuff of nightmare. There are certain scenarios which could lead to life being completely eradicated or brought dangerously to the brink of extinction. We prioritize our activities to counter GCR scenarios. For everything else, we undertake deep research and feed information via conduits to organizations, governments and individuals, who are equipped to take real-world action. However, other than GCR scenarios, we’re not actors on Earth. And, we try to represent all life.”
Max gave Rafael a sharp look and asked, “Who’s we? Who funds all this?” He was trying to get organizational information.
Rafael understood what was going on but was very forthcoming. He explained, “In a nutshell, no single entity. After World War II, a few people from various fields, governments and even corporations got together to discuss how we could avoid destroying ourselves. Numerous underlying issues which fed conflict were identified. This included resource availability, divisions between peoples, undereducation, possession and power; even greed. R&D programs were put in place, being run by people at the forefront of their fields to study the issues and long-term solutions, to turn these around. Not much funding was required because all the research was bundled into regular programs. Larger problems began to be recognized. Energy use for instance has contributed to rapid climate change. Life on Earth is not prepared for the rapidity of the change occurring.”
The young transhuman continued gravely, “But there are other scenarios which can affect us without much warning. Some of these are space-based dangers. We’ve been able to overcome monetary requirements while building a sizable but nascent infrastructure on and off planet. All aimed at preventing catastrophe. There’s also the risk of complete failure. An extinction level event. We have to backup life, intelligence, information and knowledge. So, we’re working towards that too.”
It sounded incredulous and Max thought, “These people are way over their heads. Without money, power and organization, whatever they’re hoping to achieve is going to take forever.”
That’s when Rafael interrupted his thoughts saying, “To give you some perspective, in value, our resources and worth exceed that of the top ten most valuable multinationals combined; by a third. You may be thinking about the kind of power that would provide to someone. Well, no individual or even group of people have absolute control. All our activities have pull and push. Our organization is adhocratic. We have multiple leadership roles. Decision making is distributed. Administration is automated. We have the best minds, people with exceptional technical knowhow; and cutting-edge computing. This makes us agile. It makes us able to absorb inputs and react at speed.”
Shun spoke into Rafael’s earpiece, making him pause. A short moment later, Rafael looked into Max’s eyes and said, “You’re here at a defining moment in history. It seems we have a scenario of mind-bending severity. I’ve got to go now, but I’ll leave you with this. What would you do to protect your daughter? What would you do to protect the world she lives in? Think about it!”
Max considered all this. He was still finding it difficult to absorb the scale of what the boy had described. But he was intrigued. He had a job to do for now. He would do it. Then he would consider the bigger picture.
Shun was speaking into Rafael’s earpiece while he walked to the learning centre. Rafael had a multi-monitor console hooked up to the group’s network there. The AI said, “We’ve received an update from Kei. Átt’s crew has collected a massive amount of information about AL-I’s occupants in the last sixteen hours. This includes specifications on developing our own interstellar communications capabilities and technologically superior quantum computing. Your request to be kept abreast on the technologies has been approved by key members of group leadership.”
The AI continued, “AL-I has been in intermittent communication with its home system. It had entered the solar system through what’s been interpreted as a wormhole, with an opening just sixty AU from the Sun, north of the Kuiper Belt. AL-I was studying us for aggressiveness. It was awaiting a probe’s return, before it approached the Sun to use as a gravity slingshot towards another wormhole South of the solar system’s elliptic. It appears, that wormhole leads to Beta Hydri, a star 24.3 lightyears from ours. According to information provided, the species originally occupying the system, migrated towards the interior of the Milky Way some time ago. But that’s not the most important bit of news.”
Shun went on at a brisker pace now, “AL-I had left a set of autonomous satellites circling the endpoint of the wormhole on the solar system’s side. These were meant to help in expanding the wormhole’s size for larger refugee vessels to transit. The satellites are disguised as asteroids, just like AL-I is. There are a set of these on the other side of the wormhole as well; many more in fact. The ones on the other side have picked up a hostile, armed, deep-space recon-drone heading towards the wormhole. The wormhole is invisible, unless you know it’s there by communicating with the satellites. AL-I has communicated to us, that the drone might pass through into our system.
“Do we know anything about the drone or its makers?” Rafael asked.
Shun replied, “This type of drone has been identified to us. It belongs to the Gigils, a species unknown to us. They’re a species which extensively uses automation and advanced artificial systems. I’ve slotted them at type III-minus on the extended Kardashev scale, considering their materials science capabilities. They have a few type IV-minus capabilities as well, such as the ability to manipulate individual subatomic particles. They appear to attack or at least subdue all unrecognized technology or species.”
“How long do we have?” Rafael asked.
Shun elaborated, “The drone is expected to enter and transit into our system within six days. After that, it may require a little time to chart its whereabouts. Unknown how long before it’s a threat.”
As Rafael got to his console he exclaimed, “This really is mind-bending. We’ve got to get ahead of this. Connect me to Max.”
Wormhole
North of Solar System’s Ecliptic.
The ET vessel began a hard acceleration, once it had communicated to Átt’s crew that there was a hostile armed deep-space drone, making its way toward the wormhole. It was uncertain whether the armed drone was aware of the wormhole. Kei explained, “AL-I communicated that it had taken a long period of time, for the wormhole to expand to a size that allowed a vessel like itself to pass through. Prior to this, only exploratory probes were able to traverse. Some of these had studied the solar system, its occupants and had found the wormhole connecting through to Beta Hydri, below the system’s ecliptic.” It added for the benefit of anyone on the crew who may be unaware, “Beta Hydri is a G2 IV star, about ten percent larger than the Sun. Its 24.4 lightyears away and can be found in the Hydrus constellation, when viewed from Earth.”
Sven and Crystal were aboard AL-I, which was approaching a point above Mars’ orbit aphelion, at 1.6 AU. AL-I indicated its intensions to the team aboard it. It was going to accelerate and exit the solar system quickly. The ET vessel manufactured four transportable units for the crew of Átt. A pair of interstellar communication devices, a processing module and an information storage system. The storage system allegedly contained a copy of all AL-I
’s data. It also physically modified the drone which Kei was using to interact with AL-I, upgrading it for real-time translation and data processing. The ET vessel indicated, this was an exchange in good faith, for passage through the solar system and for continued goodwill.
Crystal called out to Sven. He was engrossed with the screens on the work surface, in the center of AL-I’s cavernous hanger. She said, “The objects this vessel wants us to have, are ready. They’ve detached themselves from the floor, from which they were formed. I’ve just been advised by the vessel to exit quickly.”
Sven replied, “I’ll be with you in a moment. The vessel is preparing attachments for the machine-brain interface devices as well. They will allow us to interact with the processing and communication units it’s given us. One attachment for each of the crew, shaped just like the original head-rings. It’s letting me know that the rings will also allow us to transact with the satellites left by it in our system, via the communications unit. Oh! And, with other tech in its home system. Got the others’ rings. Let’s go.”