by Mark White
'Fount,' I said, seeing how it felt to say it out loud. 'Yes, that's good enough. So what's the next step?'
'The tack of taking a step back and looking at the Flood afresh, as if we knew nothing, certainly bore fruit in your last report. How about we do the same thing here for Raj Tamboli? Maybe if you do a report on him, from his time at Tethys to why the views of him changed after the Flood. As we know they went from hatred and condemnation to eventual understanding and grudging respect. Basically record anything that seems relevant to you. Find out if he had a white cat to stroke in his secret lair. Anything. It may help us uncover a link to some third party or group who have benefited from his actions and death. Deal?'
With my acquiescence, that was it for our meeting today. I won't bother you with the details of the rest of the working day, it was mainly gathering my thoughts ready for the Raj report. I set a lot of deep metadata correlation searches going so that I had lots of data waiting for me to analyse tomorrow. Actually most of it was ready today, but I wanted to start afresh, so I just made sure I had all I needed waiting ready for me in the morning.
So I decided to go home and chill and watch the next part of the Confluvium history VR drama. I'm getting closer to seeing Geraldine's portrayal, but as tempted as I am to skip ahead, I really ought to do the series justice by going through it in chronological order. Apparently my VR Tap infrastructure passed its diagnostics check with no issues once I finally got around to it yesterday. It's known in the trade as a glitch. Hey ho.
I'd enjoyed the first episodes of the Confluvium, covering our encounter with the first non-human sentient species. Imagine our luck in meeting them so close to home, galactically speaking, in the Proxima Centauri system on our first interstellar voyage after the invention of the bulk drive. It caused a lot of consternation that the life on their planet was so similar in many ways to that on Earth, so the theories of panspermia had a major resurgence. Could we have a common genesis? Well the jury is still out, but it was a little spooky how simian-like the sentient race were, closely resembling a thinner, more upright orang-utan with soft yellow down. Given the fact that they approximately resembled Earth-based primates, and came from Proxima Centauri, it seemed inevitable that a member of the species became known as a Proximate.
Their society was a largely agrarian, pre-industrial civilisation, without any significant global communication and huge regional variations in cultures; not dissimilar to how humanity was on Earth at the same stage of our evolution. Initial contacts with local leaders were variable in success. At best, there was friendly confusion and lack of understanding of each other. At worst, outright hostility, resulting in several deaths amongst the first contact mission, with an organised resistance to contact with us. It was clear a new approach needed to be taken in order to make any progress. It seemed a pity to come so far and then give up without establishing positive and friendly contact. So we kidnapped a few representatives and bought them back home for study.
How could we break down barriers of communication and bring a peaceful understanding between us and the Proximates? It took a while to come up with the right solution, but it seems so obvious in retrospect - exactly the same solution that bought peace to Earth, the Stream. So after investigating the differences in physiology, a variation on the original nanovirus was created and tested on our 'guests' with a surprising degree of success and seemingly less side effects. Communication was established, and after the initial hostility and suspicion, we suddenly started to get along with a common understanding.
So the great assimilation was planned - Flood Day 2, an unexpected sequel to the flawed original. It was a major undertaking - a large micro-satellite network was created around their planet to both deliver the nanovirus and also act as the interface to the Stream, provided by a distinct local Source created in the system. But it worked and, with a carefully staggered deployment occurring largely in the middle of the night, a very low casualty rate. Confusion was minimised and acceptance facilitated by a welcome message from one of our Proximate guests, learning the lessons from Raj's smug message after the original Flood.
And thus was born the Confluvium, two races joined by local Streams, with Sources that were synchronised periodically via drone ship. If only someone could get data communication working via the Bulk link rather than just matter transportation, we could synchronise in pseudo-realtime. Hopefully one day, once they work out why it doesn't 'just work' anyway, as the theory predicts it should.
And then we met the Sirians, unexpectedly found on an apparently inhospitable system in the Sirius A system. To everyone except the panspermian's relief, they looked nothing like dogs. In fact they definitely had nothing in common with Earth or Proximian life, looking a bit like an upright two metre high beetle, with a three-eyed giraffe's head and stork legs, living on a variation on photosynthesis. They were in an age somewhat equivalent to our Iron Age, and were celebrating their invention of metal weapons by non-stop conflicts and massacres. From our initial observations, they could have taught Attila a few lessons.
So it was decided that the safest way of progressing was…yes you guessed it…Flood Day 3. Unlike the third part of most trilogies, this was pretty successful and smooth, and transformed their warring culture. But I get ahead of myself, that's the topic of this evening's entertainment. I'm looking forward to seeing the full nuances of the early negotiations, and looking at a Sirian up close. Unlike the Proximates, I've never met a Sirian in person. They look fascinating. So I'm now going to settle down and relax in the virtual environment. I'll only report back tonight if something comes to mind.
Shit, I'm back. What happened there? I can't recreate it, but the Sirian looked at me. I paused it and walked around the Sirian to take a close look, as I was interested in its physiology up close. And it moved its head and looked at me. And it moved its mouth as if speaking. It's hard to say due to the difference in their appearance, but I could have sworn it said my name.
And now it feels unreal. I dropped out in panic, and went back in again and all was as normal. Did I imagine it? Is my growing paranoia causing hallucinations? I know it happened, but it's supposed to be impossible. The AI behind the VR drama playback is supposed to stop direct interaction, wherever you are viewing the scene. And it was paused. It's not possible, and yet I'm sure I didn't imagine it.
What do I do with this information? It's too bizarre I'm frightened even to admit it to Geraldine. As ever, I'm going to sleep on it and see how I feel in the morning. I tried to watch the end of the drama, but I wasn't taking it in, and kept pausing it to see if it happened again. So that's it for the night. I need to be rested to start on the Raj report tomorrow, and I think some medicinal relaxants may be required.
Shit.
Pool: Kofi Albus - 8th Sextilis 227PD
It was a bit of a rough night. I took a mild relaxant, but it took me a long time to switch off. It seems so trivial, a minor glitch in the VR playback, but it's really not supposed to happen. I think the fact that it happened while paused, and while I was studying the Sirian so closely, unsettled me even more. I know we're not supposed to be prejudiced against alien physiologies, but the Sirian did look so, well, alien. That coupled with the unexpected movement really spooked me. I'll have to get my VR playback checked again. Something isn't right.
So it's taken me a while to get going this morning, and I'm running late. No leisurely walk for me today, a quick dash to catch the shuttle and I'll be in the office looking for an intravenous caffeine supply. Please excuse the hasty log.
Right, I'm now settled at my desk, two cups of coffee inside me, and ready to start the Raj hunt. Think I'll start with the basics, look into his early life and personal interests, and move forward from there into his time at Tethys. I need something easy to start with this morning, so let's look at a quick biographical overview of the young Tamboli.
'Ah The Genesis of Saint Raj,' said a voice from behind me. 'I remember that book well'.
Shit, I hate
open plan offices. How does he walk so quietly? I know he's just being friendly, but this morning I really don't want the company.
'Good morning, Damon,' I replied. 'How are you this morning?'
'I'm great thanks, Kofi,' Damon said. 'I'm at a bit of a loose end this morning with both Geraldine and Gulzari busy, so I thought I'd come and pester you and see what you were up to. It's been over a week since we last chatted. So Geraldine got you looking into Raj Tamboli after your Stream history? She really likes digging over old ground.'
'Yes,' I said. 'As you know she's relatively fresh into the Decemvirate, and she's interested in the history of where some of our political structures come from. I think whenever she thinks of something that contains the word "history", she immediately thinks "I'll get Kofi to do that". I'm just looking into Raj's earlier life and how his interests may have fed into his later decisions and the Raj Doctrines. I always like starting at the beginning and work my way forward.'
'That makes sense.' He always seems to say that. 'As it happens, that something I know quite a bit about. As you can probably tell, I'm quite a Raj devotee.' How did I know he was going to say that too? Sorry, I must be charitable. It's just that he can be such a, oh you know, helpful person.
'You know he was fascinated in the history of the Roman empire from quite a young age? You can tell how keen he was - he went to the trouble of learning Latin so that he could read original texts himself, rather than relying on translations and interpretations. He fell in love with the works of Catullus and Virgil in particular. Have you read his auto-biographies?'
'No' I said, although they were on my reading list. 'What about them?'
'They're definitely essential reading, especially for us Tambolists.' Oh Jove, they've even got a name. 'He named them after a poem by Catullus, which for him was so simple and yet so powerful.'
'His early life and journey into adulthood was covered in "Odi et amo". Possibly the least interesting in terms of direct events, but it set the seeds for the passions which guided him throughout the rest of his life.'
'The middle work in the trilogy was "Nescio", which covered the time from when he joined Tethys right through until after he became their CTO. He had a major crisis of confidence during this time while he was looking for the right direction for Tethys, but once he formed his vision of what the Stream should become, there was no turning back. It's a fascinating read, and I find it to be really inspirational.'
'The final volume was published only a year before the Flood. "Fieri sentio et excrucior" was his lament at what the world was becoming, his despair at the darkness to which the human spirit could descend when driven by nationalistic fervour, and his determination to do everything he could to bring humanity back to the light. This one in particular has been crucial for scholars in understanding Raj's motivations leading up to the Flood. The retrospective understanding of this book drove the rehabilitation of Raj's reputation after the chaos of the Flood.'
'You've done a report on him for Gulzari too haven't you? I bet you're quoting it to me again,' I said as light heartedly as I could.
'Ah yes you guessed. Sorry I do go on a bit, as I say, Raj Tamboli is very important to me. I'd be interesting in reading your report when it's complete, I always find every perspective on his life fascinating.'
Well at least he's stopped talking, but what should I say? 'I'll have to ask Geraldine. She likes to control the flow of information between offices herself, as you know. Nothing personal, I just don't want to tread on anyone's toes accidentally.'
'Makes sense.' There we go. 'Have you read his "Marcus Aurelius" novels?'
I thought he'd finished. 'No, I tend not to read many novels, although I must admit many historical texts are largely fictional works written by the winners.'
'Ah well you should read these. Many of the names we now use for our government and posts, such as Decemvir, and my Lictor title were originally revived in these books.'
'One aspect of Roman history that most fascinated and frustrated Raj was the way the western world plunged into the Dark Ages after the fall of the empire. Although the continuing advances in the Arabic world, especially in mathematical disciplines, meant that the phrase "Dark Ages" was a typically western-centric one, he always wondered where we'd be today if the Roman Empire continued to evolve. If it carried on being a stabilising and modernising influence across wide areas of the world, fighting off the barbarian hoards, how advanced technologically and socially could we be today?'
'So in his late teens, he wrote a trilogy of novels exploring this alternate history, purely for his own interest and amusement. Yes, he was that kind of child. He started from the pretext that Diocletian was killed by Carinus in the Battle of Margus, so the Diocletian reforms never happened. The Emperor Carinus died relatively young however, but it was his visionary son Marcus Aurelius who took the Roman empire in a new, more secular, direction. The stories that spring from that pretext over the next few hundred years are fascinating.'
'Despite his age and the naivety of the writing, his novels were well thought through, and were very popular once published after he became famous. They inspired many variations and sequels from other authors too, but they're not really worth your time.'
I tried to not let my eyes glaze over. 'Thanks, I'll take a look when I have time. He does sound a precocious child.'
He smiled. 'I'd prefer the word "gifted".'
'Of course his interests varied as he got older. He developed a passion for all forms of live theatre. That's somewhat ironic as the rise in AI driven VR entertainment after the Flood has reduced the opportunities for actors to earn a living. He probably foresaw what was going to happen, which is why he left so many legacies to fund live theatre. Hence despite the death of old-style television and movie theatres, there is still a thriving live theatre industry, largely thanks to Raj's foresight.'
'His biggest success of course has been the resurgence of musical theatre writing through the Sondheim Institute that he founded. His most guilty pleasure was A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, combining his love for all things Roman and Sondheim. Oh well, nobody's perfect, not the best Sondheim show. Have you ever seen A Little Night Music? So wonderful.'
'Sorry' I replied, trying to think of a way to make him shut up. 'I'm not actually a great musical fan.'
He raised his eyebrows and looked at me. 'Oh well, each to his own.'
'Thanks for all that. It's certainly given me some good places to start in my research. I'm sorry, but would you mind if I got on with it now. I've a lot to do today.'
'No worries,' he said. 'I hope we can chat again soon. Good luck with your research today, such an interesting topic. I'm so glad Raj is held in higher regard these days.'
Phew, he seems a nice guy, but he does go on if you pick the wrong topic. Still, he means well so I'll cut him some slack, especially as some of the things he's told me have been useful. Enough distractions for the day, I'm going to cut down on logging and concentrate on research for a few days. My report can summarise things, unless I uncover something that needs a bit more investigation.
Pool: Kofi Albus - 12th Sextilis 227PD
Well that's been an interesting few days researching Mr Tamboli. I'm not sure what to make of it, but I hope it all starts to make sense when I finish writing up the report later. One of the most intriguing aspects is the way Raj created a series of internal Tethys research projects that seemed benign and minor on their own, but when put together were critical components of what happened on Flood Day. Such a well organised and thought through scheme, you can't but admire the homicidal maniac.
There were a few projects he started that I still can't make sense of though. They may have been dead ends, or have a purpose that I'm completely misunderstanding, but they're loose ends. I don't like loose ends, I can't help but pull on them until they either unravel or get inextricably knotted together with everything else.
For most of these odd projects, I could largely work out wha
t they were about, even if I couldn’t track down the results. The exception were the three projects that were in the field of neuroscience. All I could find were the code names of three projects; Project Minsky, Project Reid and Project Heath. Having hit a dead end with these, I remembered Doctor Mauro Sosa at the DJ Institute, and gave him a call yesterday. Now he knows I’m not investigating him for anything, and I’ve given him a bit more notice, he was much friendlier when I spoke and arranged a meeting for today. Obviously he’s still hoping that I can put some research money his way too. I think I’m grasping at straws a little, as if it’s not in the Stream, I doubt whether he knows anything, but it’s worth a try. Anyway, the walk to his Institute is very pleasant, and it’s a lovely way to start the day.
'Good morning, Doctor Sosa,' I said as he approached me in the pristine reception area.
'Please, call me Mauro,' he replied, shaking my hand warmly. That’s a good start, a bit more hospitable since last time. 'I don’t supposed you’ve come to tell me Geraldine has decided to fund me in investigating anything yet?' he continued, smiling. I could tell it was partly in jest, but also to hint that his goodwill and cooperation won’t last indefinitely unless I deliver something in return soon.
'Unfortunately not, but I did mention your name to her, and told her of your problems in getting funding. She was definitely open to funding some research, but not until I’ve dug a bit deeper into what’s going on,' I said.
'No worries, sounds like it’s in my best interests to help you anyway then,’ he said, still smiling ingratiatingly. ‘I have a snippet of information for you. Let’s go to my office.'
That’s interesting. I could see he was pleased with himself and wanted to impress me. I’ll take what I can get, so I followed him out of a door at the rear of the reception. As soon as we left the public area, the difference couldn't be more marked. The corridor was grubby, beige and poorly maintained. He must have seen the expression on my face as my eyes wandered over the flaking paintwork.