Tales of the Vuduri: Year Two

by Michael Brachman

  When activated the dots use lasers to project a full keyboard onto a flat surface so you can type like normal without an actual keyboard:

  In Rome's Evolution, Rome learns to use this very quickly although its arrangement confuses her:

  “Where is the input surface?” Rome asked.

  “It’s a touch-screen,” Rei said. “But if you really need to do some typing…” He pressed the upper left hand corner and two thin laser beams shot out and stroboscopically drew a keyboard on the dust-covered surface of the desk.

  “Let me look,” Rome said. Rei stood up and Rome sat down in his place. She scratched her head. “The keyboard must have gotten damaged from disuse,” she said in a dead serious tone.

  “Why do you say that?” Rei asked.

  “Look at the layout of the letters,” Rome said, pointing at the glowing red virtual keys. “Q W E R T Y,” Rome read out loud. “A nonsensical arrangement.”

  Rei laughed. “Everybody says that before they learn to touch type,” he said.

  “What do you mean?”

  “They are arranged in the order of convenience.”

  Rome shook her head.

  “In my language, E is the most commonly used letter followed by T and the rest of the vowels. The people who designed the keyboard made it so that you did the least amount of work during the course of the day reaching the keys you use the most.”

  Rome finds this perplexing and she is not alone. The QWERTY keyboard still confuses people today but we touch-typists love it. Tomorrow I will give you the actual specs of the remarkable and powerful Essessoni computer.

  Entry 2-125: April 30, 2014

 

  The Essessoni Computer: Specs

  In 1995, Gordon Moore articulated a principle which became known as Moore's Law. It states: "Over the history of computing hardware, the number of transistors on integrated circuits doubles approximately every two years." However, by 2013, Moore's law was essentially dead as integrated circuit manufacturers hit the physical limits of silicon, electricity, heat dissipation and so on.

  In an attempt to increase computing power, the manufacturers started bumping up the number of cores (CPUs) to bring an element of parallel processing to ordinary PCs. However, unless the application you are running is programmed to use parallel processing, all it lets you do is run more tasks simultaneously. AMD has come out with a 6 GHz, 12 core processor and that should help some but they are still limited by physics and the speed of electricity.

  In the world of Rome's Revolution, all this changed in 2034 AD when a scientist named Bruce Radnor invented the quantum computer. This type of computational device used quantum effects to move data around nearly at the speed of light. In addition, the quantum changes were not limited to ones and zeros like today's digital computers. Some people equated them to analog computers. Moore's law kicked in again and by the time Rei Bierak took flight aboard the Ark II in 2067 AD, hand-held computers were far more powerful than anything ever dreamed of today. And much more fault-tolerant.

  So here are the specs on Rei Bierak's computer:

  30 cm (11.8 inch) touchscreen display with a resolution of 4096 x 3072 pixels

  Optional laser-projection keyboard

  1 PB of solid-state storage

  Solid state stereo speakers

  Rear and front facing 3D cameras

  Gigafi (similar to Wi-fi) networking

  Weight: .25 kg (8.8 ounces)

  Thorium batteries, never needs recharging

  Peripherals attach using inductive interface (no physical contacts)

  Quad ZX20 quantum computational cores

  As you can imagine, this computer is powerful! Do you have any idea how fast you could play FreeCell on this thing?

  Entry 2-126: May 1, 2014

 

  Rei’s Music Slab

  There are many themes in Rome's Revolution which are presented to form continuity throughout the series. One such theme is represented by Rei's music slab which is a solid state device, conceptually similar to an iPod. This device contained all of the music Rei ever loved burned into an integrated circuit which was embedded in a solid slab of silicon:

  The outer section was a pure mono-crystalline concentrator triple-junction solar cell. It is nearly 50% efficient in converting light into electricity. The front panel also has a dimly lit LCD panel built in which is touch sensitive. The file system allows you to search by genre, album title, recording artist or by any of a number of other criteria. There is also a randomizer option.

  Along the bottom edge is a powerful magnet and two inductive ports for attaching the earbuds. MINIMCOM was also able to rig a connector so that Rei could play his music for Rome during their year-long journey in the Flying House.

  Here is just a partial list of the times this music slab is mentioned:

  - Intro to Part 2 of Rome's Revolution.

  - When Rei and Rome returned to the Ark II to look for the data slabs in The Ark Lords.

  - In Rome's Evolution, Rei had to give up his sunglasses to account for the extra weight of the music slab.

  - Also in Rome's Evolution, Rei recalled his space walk to acquire the music slab.

  Tomorrow, I will give you the little scene where Rei received the music slab from his parents.

  Entry 2-127: May 2, 2014

 

  Rei receives his music slab

  As I mentioned yesterday, Rei's music slab provides a continuity from Rome's Revolution to The Ark Lords to Rome's Evolution. Here is the touching scene when Rei receives his present:

  After dessert, Rei’s parents ushered him into the spacious living room and made him sit by himself on the loveseat. Raul and Sally sat down on the sofa and held hands while Rei’s parents stood before him. Rei’s mother had her arms hidden behind her back.

  “What’s up?” he asked trying to peer behind his mother.

  “We got you a little going away present,” his mother said bringing her hands forward. She was holding out a box, roughly four by six inches, wrapped in gold foil. She handed it to Rei.

  “Oy,” Rei said, hefting the present. “You know I’m so close to my weight limit as it is,” he opined. “What is it?”

  “You know we’d never spoil a surprise,” Rei’s father said. “There’s only one way to find out so go ahead and open it.”

  Rei tore open the paper. Inside was a shiny white cardboard box. Inside the white box was gray foam packing. And in the center of the foam packing was a gleaming, dark silicon blue rectangular object. Rei took it out of the box and inspected it along all sides.

  “Is this what I think it is?” he asked, with a broad smile on his face.

  “Yes!” his mother said. “It’s a custom-built solid-state music slab, completely solar-powered. The earpieces clip on magnetically. It has no moving parts and they assured us it would survive for a thousand years. It’s all your music in one tidy package!”

  Rei jumped up and hugged his mother and father. “This must have cost you a bloody fortune,” he said giddily.

  “Well, actually, you paid for it, buddy,” Edward said. “We didn’t need your cash. We wanted to put some of it toward something that will remind you of us whenever you get to where you are going.”

  “This is amazing,” Rei said. Then he frowned. “I think this is going to put me over, though, weight-wise,” he muttered.

  “It’s already taken care of,” his mother replied reassuringly. “We called down to Houston and gave them the exact weight of the slab and the headphones. They said you’d be over by not even fifty grams. They suggested you get rid of your sunglasses and that would be enough. What do you think? Is that OK?”

  “Sure,” Rei said. “This thing is worth a hundred pair of sunglasses.” He sat down to examine the present more closely. He reached into the box, fished out the set of earbuds and placed them in his ears. He held up the other end of the cord, examining it closely. He found that merely waving the connector near the proper junction point on
the slab caused it to snap in place magnetically. Rei pressed the upper right hand corner of the device and the front face lit up. The dim integrated menu displayed a variety of ways to access the music. He studied the symbology then instructed the slab to pick a song at random. Immediately he heard the stirring tones of “I Know You’re Out There Somewhere” by the Moody Blues. As the music rose, he pressed the volume up control until it was blasting in his ears.

  “This is so sleek,” he shouted without realizing it. Everyone laughed at his inappropriate tone. Seeing their mirth, Rei grinned then removed the earbuds. He detached the connector and carefully placed the slab back into the foam packing along with the earbuds.

  “Thank you, so much,” he said in a normal voice. “I’ll treasure this always.”

  “We’re very proud of you, son,” his father said. “Use it in good health.”

  We know that it was very important to Rei and provide a gateway for Rome to begin learning about music and the Essessoni culture in general.

  Entry 2-128: May 3, 2014

  What was in Rei’s locker?

  We have been made aware since the beginning of Rome's Revolution that the passengers aboard the Ark II were very limited in what they were allowed to bring on the trip. The problem was weight and having enough fuel to make it to the stars.

  In The Ark Lords, we found out that the actual weight limit was 20 kilograms which equates to about 44 pounds. So what did Rei take that weighed that much?

  It was mostly clothes. The clothes themselves were vacuum-sealed to preserve them and guarantee that they took up the minimal amount of room. In addition to regular clothing, Rei had the super-exotic version of a Gortex jacket as well as an ample supply of underwear and socks. He also brought along a number of polymer books because nobody thought that paper would last several centuries.

  He also brought his tablet computer and his music slab and earbuds. He also brought a lightweight, collapsible transit:

  Rei was a general purpose engineer and surveying was one of his jobs. In addition to the transit, Rei also brought along eating utensils, a polymer mug, a ceramic knife and an all-purpose tool kit.

  The only thing he did not bring, which he eventually came to regret, was a pair of sunglasses.

  Entry 2-129: May 4, 2014

 

  Gene Pozniak's The Music of Distant Spheres

  The other night, at a meeting of the Philadelphia Science Fiction Society, I got a chance to meet another up and coming novelist by the name of Gene Pozniak. He wanted someone from the club to read his new novel, The Music of Distant Spheres but he couldn't garner much interest. I went up to him after the meeting and discussed Rome's Revolution with him. We agreed to swap books and reviews.

  I think I got the better end of the deal. Gene's novel is only 178 pages and I was able to finish it in about two evening's worth of reading. When he received his copy of Rome's Revolution, his first comment was "Got it! Wow! 500 pages!"

  Gene's book is very interesting with some genuinely novel ideas about physics, the Big Bang, string theory, entanglement and the nature of the universe. In the end, I gave him four stars because the prose was a little dense to wade through. Here is my review:

  At first, this book doesn’t seem like science fiction. There are no stereotypical little green men or ray-guns or spaceships but it is hard science fiction nonetheless. The author has clearly thought up a novel concept in physics and worked through the ramifications of such a concept both on a very personal level as well as on a cosmic scale.

  The protagonist, Barbara Smith, has had a very rough life. So much so that her entire personality is encased in layer upon layer of protection mechanisms. However, as she envisions a new way of postulating reality and the structure of the universe, she is forced to become more and more engaged with other humans. Her entry into the real world and interactions with people lead her to salvation. Her inner demons are slain in a very satisfying conclusion but not remotely in the way you’d expect.

  It’s hard to not go into more detail without spoiling the tiny joys each page brings. The author takes a great deal of time in describing the microscopic events leading up to Barbara’s macroscopic epiphany. The physics behind Barbara’s journey are rock solid, as far as I can tell, making this the hardest of hard science fiction. Equal attention is paid to the psychology and motivation behind each of the main characters and they act very consistent with their background.

  The writing is very polished, perhaps even a bit dense but I assure you that wading through it is worthwhile. If you are looking for some science in your science fiction, you’ve come to the right place.

  If you get a chance, check out Gene's book. (After you've read Rome's Revolution, The Ark Lords and Rome's Evolution of course!)

  Entry 2-130: May 5, 2014

 

  Secrets of the Lost Ark - Part 1

  In Rome’s Revolution, all of the interactions between the 21st century Essessoni (Rei) and the 35th century Vuduri (Rome) were because the people from our time were transported to the stars in huge vessels called Arks.

  Forget the title of this article. To be clear, they weren’t really lost. Even Ark IV, currently MIA, will be on display in the upcoming novel The Milk Run. So I just picked the title of this article because it was cool and reminds you of Indiana Jones. Anyway, the point of these next few articles is what was really in the Arks.

  We know from Rome’s Revolution that they carried transports which were “inflated” when energized by power rods. We also know they carried particle beam drillers which could be converted to very powerful cannons, highlighted in The Ark Lords. They also carried laser masonry levels which could be converted into laser pulse rifles. And don’t forget the mini-nukes, one of which was used to destroy Rome’s first Human History Library.

  Finally, we know that they had storage lockers. In a previous post, we covered what Rei took along in his locker and we also know they carried the data storage slabs which encapsulated all human knowledge up to the time the Arks left. Near the middle of Rome’s Revolution, Rei also mentions that they carried seeds and animal embryos.

  So given this catalog, is this enough to start a colony and support 500+ people? No way. There is so much more required. Let’s follow how the Arks were supposed to land and what the revived colonists did both right after they were resuscitated and longer term.

  We know that the first event in establishing the colony was the landing of the crew compartment by the command crew. This first stage was successful on Arks I, Ark IV (well, you’ll find out in The Milk Run) and Ark V, the Stealth Ark. For Ark II, they used a rather unconventional method landing and brought down both the crew compartment and the cargo compartment at the same time. This was covered in Part 2 of Rome’s Revolution. Ark III did not fare so well. Because the ship was damaged, the command crew had to reverse their capsule and use the SSTO booster as a gigantic retrorocket to allow for reentry. The command crew died and the people who eventually became known as The Deucadons were left with only the clothes on their back.

  Tomorrow, we'll cover what the plan was for establishing a colony on a new world if everything went right.

  Entry 2-131: May 6, 2014

 

  Secrets of the Lost Ark - Part 2

  After the first aero-braking reentry maneuver, the command crew would look for an ideal place to set up a colony. This would mean relatively flat ground (good for farming), near fresh water (a necessity), hopefully near some woods or whatever passed for trees on the ground to provide building material for shacks, cabins, whatever. Also, if possible, they’d land near the ocean so they’d be able to harvest materials from the sea.

  Once the command crew landed, they exited the command capsule and went into the crew compartment and started the reanimation sequence on several of the sarcophagi. Once those people were awake and had their wits about them, they would then proceed to reanimate the rest of the crew in stages. We know from Rome’s Revolution that many of them had
back pain, sometimes extreme, but nobody had planned for that.

  As soon as a colonist was revived, they would need water, stat. We know from Rome’s Revolution, Part 1, that the lower section of the sarcophagus contained sealed drawers with a change of clothes, water, some rations and so on. Kind of a survival starter kit. This would get them through the first 24 – 48 hours.

  Once that process was underway, the command crew would detach the lead capsule. Along with several volunteers and a handful of power rods, they would fire the SSTO rocket and return to orbit, eventually rendezvousing with the cargo compartment. One space walk later, the propulsion module was detached and they proceeded to fly back down with the cargo compartment which actually a bit larger than the crew compartment.

  To be kind, I’m sure they tried to land as close to the crew compartment as possible. The sections of Ark I were about two miles apart. Ark II, well both sections belly-flopped down together. Ark III never recovered their cargo section. Ark IV, as we will learn, was a little worse. The two sections were about ten miles apart. Ark V, the Stealth Ark that carried the Ark Lords, they were only a few hundred yards apart.

  Tomorrow we will discuss the "perfect" mission, i.e. what was supposed to happen after both sections of the Ark landed.

  Entry 2-132: May 7, 2014

 

  Secrets of the Lost Ark - Part 3

  What are the things people need to survive? Food, water, shelter. Let’s take Ark IV as kind of the median. The command crew landed the cargo compartment and returned to the crew compartment with the newly awakened colonists to get some help.