by Zen, Raeden
V
VITAMIN T: synisms designed to alter impulse waves sent into the ZPF from neurochips and from the transhuman consciousness; typically administered by a liquid dropper into the eyes, where the synisms can directly access the brain. Used primarily by the Liberation Front to elude the tenehounds.
VITAMIN X: also called Vitex; contains synisms designed to reduce the transhuman body’s need for oxygen; not intended for long-term use; typically administered by a liquid dropper into the eyes, where the synisms can directly access the brain and body. Used primarily by exiles in the Lower Level.
W
WARNING COMMUNIQUÉ: also called a Warning; the severest form of censure issued by the Office of the Chancellor; typically requires a majority vote by the supreme ministry.
WAVEFUNCTION: synonymous with “the atom.” (See collapse of the wavefunction.)
WAVE-PARTICLE DUALITY: a photon, an electron, an atom, a molecule, in principle any object, can be either compact and in one place or a wave widely spread out. You can display an object to be bigger than Masimovian Tower or smaller than an atom; you can choose which of these two contradictory features to demonstrate, for the physical reality of an object depends on how you observe it. (See collapse of the wavefunction.)
WESTERN HEGEMONY: the United States of America and its allies during the Second Hundred Years’ War.
Z
ZEROPOINT ATTACK: an attempt by hackers to use the zeropoint field to destroy a quantum network or system.
ZEROPOINT DISK: also called a z-disk; a storage device that could only be activated using the ZPF.
ZEROPOINT FIELD: also called the ZPF or the field; the subatomic world through which all matter in the cosmos is connected. Transhumans learned to access and manipulate waves within the electromagnetic ZPF in order to achieve telepathy, telekinesis, interstellar communication, interstellar travel, and time travel.
ZEROPOINT WALL: a part of the ZPF manipulated in order to block unauthorized access or communications.
Acknowledgments
First of all, thank you for taking the time to read The Phantom of the Earth. None of this would be possible without you! Thanks to my friends and family for your support and patience during this process. Thanks to speculative fiction authors David Brin (The Postman, Uplift Saga), who read the first chapter of The Song of the Jubilee and offered writing advice, Jason Gurley (Eleanor, Greatfall), who designed the book covers, and Tammy Salyer (Spectras Arise Trilogy), who copyedited the manuscripts. Thanks to Mike Corley for creating the maps. Thanks to Penn State-University Park astrophysicist Dr. Zachary Prieskorn for reading several drafts, providing scientific and editorial perspective, and forming the space and time travel appendix. Thanks to Harvard University synthetic biologist Dr. George M. Church for searching the manuscripts for opportunities and offering scientific suggestions. Thanks to Columbia University synthetic biologist Dr. Harris Wang for meeting with me to discuss the project. Thanks to iGEM participants Clay Swackhamer (biological engineer), who read the manuscripts and provided scientific and editorial feedback, and Michael Easterbrook (chemical engineer), who read The Song of the Jubilee and The Gambit with Perfection and supplied scientific suggestions with a focus on the Reassortment Strain. Thanks to Matt Harkenreader (nuclear engineer) for helping me flesh out the terraforming appendix. Thanks to Victoria Chen (science engineer) for reading the first three books and providing scientific and editorial perspective on The Song of the Jubilee. Thanks to the Chinese University of Hong Kong iGEM team for sending me their updated research on synbio data storage (E. cryptor). Thanks to my beta readers: Amber Triplett, Bill Sullivan, Carl Nelson, Casey Miller, Cheryl M-M, John Boettcher, Joyce Gravino, Karen Klink, Kathryn Cunningham, Kelsey Mecher, Laura Johnson, Lauren Stoolfire, Michelle Hofacker, Natalie Hughes, Rowena Hoseason, Veronica Sardo, Violet Lauderdale, and Yulande Lindsay. Thanks to my concept artists Daniel Kvasznicza (300, Arkham Origins) and Juan Carlos Barquet (The Origin Mystery). Thanks to Polgarus Studio for formatting the books for publication. Special thanks to my editor, Erin Wilcox, without whom this project would never have been completed.
While synthetic biology and other technologies are treated fictitiously in The Phantom of the Earth, I delved into many excellent nonfiction models for inspiration. The most influential sources included: Regenesis: How Synthetic Biology Will Reinvent Nature and Ourselves by George M. Church and Ed Regis, PhD, The Field: The Quest for the Secret Force of the Universe by Lynne McTaggart, More Than Human: Embracing the Promise of Biological Enhancement by Ramez Naam, Prehistoric Life: The Definitive Visual History of Life on Earth by DK Publishing, and Algorithmic Puzzles by Anany Levitin and Maria Levitin. Other sources that helped me apply concepts of earth science, theology, martial arts, what could happen to the planet’s surface if humans suddenly disappeared, exoplanets, quantum physics, classical physics, metaphysics, and time include The Earth Machine: The Science of a Dynamic Planet by Edmond A. Mathez and James D. Webster; Time Travel and Warp Drives: A Scientific Guide to Shortcuts through Time and Space by Allen Everett and Thomas Roman; The World Without Us by Alan Weisman; Quantum Enigma: Physics Encounters Consciousness by Bruce Rosenblum and Fred Kuttner; Exoplanets: Finding, Exploring, and Understanding Alien Worlds by C. R. Kitchin; God’s Universe by Owen Gingerich; The God Theory: Universes, Zero-point Fields, and What’s Behind It All by Bernard Haisch; The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi; “Wormholes, Time Machines, and the Weak Energy Condition” by Michael S. Morris, Kip S. Thorne, and Ulvi Yurtsever, published in Physical Review Letters; and A Question of Time: The Ultimate Paradox and the Secrets of Consciousness, a compilation of articles from Scientific American. Discovery Channel’s Inside Planet Earth and National Geographic’s Down to the Earth’s Core also influenced details inside Vigna and Earth. Note: any egregious errors beyond what would be considered acceptable artistic license in applying the science or technology to The Phantom of the Earth are my own.