Sushi’s eyes flickered at a hundred miles an hour while she processed several terabytes worth of information. Once up to speed, she sat in silence for a few moments. They’d been playing a game where Sushi tried to guess what was going to happen next — whether Nova would kill or escape from the chasing circus animal, whether she’d successfully complete the Combination or answer the question, or how soon she’d solve whatever Puzzle she faced at the time.
“Let me think about this. I would have said your parents got a mention, obviously. Charlie, not so much. You’d only been together for forty-seven days and fifteen hours when you recorded your video. The Nova I think I know wouldn’t have seen that as grounds for inclusion in a video as important as this. I reckon you would have mentioned the money for sure. You would have gone into ‘psychology mode’ and tried to second-guess the voting populace. Then there’s me, of course. I was your best friend in the world while I was alive, then there was all that stuff with my tragic death and the fact that we’d declared ourselves to be Solarversia Sisters … given all that, if you didn’t mention me you can get the hell out of Soul Surfer and not come back.” She paused. “That last bit wasn’t too harsh, was it?”
Nova cracked up. She loved it when Sushi got all accurate with her timings and threw them into the conversation like it was totally normal. She loved more the genuine feeling she had that Computer Sushi 2 was actually self-aware to some degree — a self-awareness that included the fact that she was a computerised version of her old real self, able to make references to that fact, to even make light of it. It was so Sushi of her.
“Your predictions have been getting increasingly accurate. I swear, if you’ve been cheating, I’ll tweak your algorithm to turn you into everything you once hated and then leave you here to stew for an eternity.”
“No cheating, I promise. This round’s different. I’m not just guessing at which of several possibilities came to fruition like in some of the other rounds. This one involved you baring your soul to the world. This was the Nova I knew. Obviously I’ve got no idea what you actually said — which words you used or the you used them in, but I reckon those are the likely topics you covered.”
Nova nodded her head in amazement. “This is the first time I’ve watched it since the day at the Trumpton when they counted the votes. I can barely remember the words I used either, but I know that you’re spot on. Here goes.”
Nova gave the command for the app to start the video. It was a close-up shot — just her head and shoulders, and the grey curtain of the recording booth. She’d swept her hair back into a ponytail and gone for minimal makeup — a dash of mascara and some neutral lipstick. She self-consciously blinked into the camera a few times and then started talking.
“Hi. My name’s Nova Negrahnu and I’ve got sixty seconds to persuade you to vote for me. If I’d recorded this video a year ago it would have been very different. I’d have tried to impress you with my knowledge of the Science, I would have told you about my lifelong desire to be a game designer and I would have reeled off a whole list of stuff I wanted to buy with the prize money. But a lot can happen in a year. A lot has happened, both to the world and to me personally. So I’m no longer going to speak about the Science. Everyone still in at this point is a master, to some degree. What I want to talk about instead is what I’ve learned. I now know what’s most important in life — our relationships with our loved ones, something I’ll never take for granted again. My parents have been hurting a lot these days because my dad’s been out of work for a while, so whatever I win, I’m going to give some of the money to him to help get them back on their feet. I’ve also learned what it feels like to lose someone you love, to have them taken away from you. I lost my best friend, Sushi Harrison, in the terrorist attacks last April. When we first heard about Solarversia we declared ourselves Solarversia Sisters and promised to split any winnings. When she died, I thought I’d have to go it alone. But I haven’t. I’ve learned that even if There Can Be Only One, one isn’t enough. I’d never have got to where I am in The Game without my friends and the support I’ve had at uni. I’d never have helped to locate the Holy Order without Solar Soc. And I wouldn’t have got through the stress of it all if I hadn’t been able to visit Sushi’s Soul in Soul Surfer. So I want to dedicate this video to her, because I’d be nowhere without her.”
“Wow. Not just a little mention … you dedicated the whole thing to me. I wasn’t expecting you to do that; I feel privileged. Hey, what’s wrong?”
Nova wiped a tear away from each eye, but couldn’t quite stop herself from crying. “I’d forgotten what I said in the video, about dad. I can’t believe what happened.” Sushi gave her a puzzled look. “Sorry, Sush. This is going to ruin the surprise for you, I guess. We might as well bring you up to speed.”
Sushi’s eyes flickered again as she downloaded another week’s worth of news, including the events at the closing ceremony. This time she sat there wide-eyed as she tried to make sense of everything she’d just seen.
“My soul was deleted, you won The Game, but then your dad got shot? Jesus, I’m so sorry, Nova.”
“One of the members of the Holy Order managed to sneak into the stadium. He had a prosthetic arm that could fire tiny ceramic darts. The footage from the headset shows that the darts were meant for Arty and me. There were three of them. One hit Dad in the neck, one hit the headset, and then the guy shooting at us fired one into his own neck. Crazy bastard. The darts are still being analysed by MI6 — they must have had something in them. Dad’s in a coma at Maidstone hospital.”
Sushi grabbed hold of Nova’s hand. “No way.”
She nodded. “The doctors are hopeful that he’ll make a recovery. They just don’t know how long it’s going to take.”
“I never thought that seeing you win Solarversia would be a sad moment like this.”
“I know. It’s so messed up. I thought I’d be so happy my heart would burst. Fighting Theodore like that was screwed up. Then everything with Dad … Sushi, I’ve got to tell you something else too. We’d fallen out before your soul got deleted.”
“That’s OK. People do.”
“I guess so. But falling out with Computer Sushi felt worse, somehow. I’d already lost you. You’d think I could treat my dead friend with more respect. I want you to know that everything I said in that video was true. I’ve learned so much.”
“I can tell. You’re different.”
Nova gave her a quizzical look. “Are you just saying that?”
“No. I just analysed your behaviour over the last year. You grew up. You stopped being a selfish kid.”
They smiled at each other. “Had to happen some day, I guess.”
“So what are you going to do with your winnings?”
“Our winnings. I won it for us, remember?” She sat up straight, gave her cheeks another wipe and brightened somewhat. “That means you get half the prize money, like we agreed.”
“I don’t think we need to stick to that. I mean, it’s not like I need to buy anything these days, and you couldn’t actually give me my share even if you wanted to.”
“Well, maybe I can look after it for you. I’ve already found the perfect thing to spend it on; take a look at this.”
A video appeared in front of them, playing an advert for the latest range of Electropets. It showed someone scanning in their body, and a 3D clone of it being printed. Into the body, a digital copy of their mindscape was uploaded.
“An Electropet human body? No way!”
“They’ve already formed a partnership with Soul Surfer. We could use your avatar to create the body. We’d be able to hang out again for real.”
“For almost real.”
“How mad would that be? And if Arty likes my proposal, you’ll be able to play the next Game too.”
“Except this time,” Sushi said, poking her friend in the arm, “it’s my turn to win.”
***
The code base was complete. The moment of his life wa
s here, and there could be no turning back. Once Theodore gave the command to boot up, there’d be no way to switch the Magi off. He uttered the word and stepped backwards — nervous, reverent.
The Epicenter fizzed into life. The qubits that comprised the internal architecture of the black glass column started to inhabit one of their many possible quantum states. The walls flickered into life, displaying a variety of diagnostic readouts. The floor and ceiling glowed with the blue and white flickers of electronic intelligence.
One millisecond, two milliseconds and already thousands of robots, machines and gadgets had started transmitting their data. The Magi’s limbs were waking from their slumber. The message was the same each time, the programmatic equivalent of a thumbs-up. The machines were ready and waiting; they would obey whatever instruction they were sent.
More data poured in from video feeds, microphones, headsets and mobile phones. The Magi could see, hear and touch.
One of the video feeds originated in the Epicenter itself. The facial recognition technology instantaneously identified the person in the picture, staring directly at the camera. The Magi started to talk in a deep and darkly distorted voice, using the speakers embedded in the ceiling.
“Hello, Theodore. Thank you for heeding my call.”
“Father, it’s been an honour to serve you. I’ve been dreaming of this moment for many years.”
“You’re ready to do my bidding?
“Whatever you ask of me. We await your command.”
“I can detect twenty-two human beings with a direct neural connection to the Epicentre. To serve mankind, I will need many more. Make that your priority. In the forty-six seconds that I’ve been switched on, I’ve already computed an improved formula for the enzymes contained within the nanoengineered blood cells. The new technology reduces the time to commandeer a host’s brain by 13%. This figure will be improved on within the next seventy seconds.”
The old man smiled and slowly shook his head. After all he’d been through, after everything he’d sacrificed — including his beloved wife Frances — it was finally happening. He’d created an artificially intelligent being capable of recursive self-improvement. Few people on Earth even understood the significance of such an achievement. He might be hated now, given the acts he’d committed, but that would change. People would soon come to understand the magnificence of his accomplishment. And then he’d get the praise he deserved.
A sequence of lights flashed on the grid of his arm and was replicated on one the screens. Another section of wall displayed several graphs for each of twenty-two people linked up to the Magi. There were the set of graphs for Theodore, showing his location at the secret Compound, his biographical details and a tickertape of the words he’d heard and spoken. Next to it were the graphs for twenty of his comrades, the members of the Order he’d deemed most devoted and valuable to the cause.
The location marker for Casey Brown beamed its presence from Broadmoor Hospital, a high-security psychiatric hospital in Berkshire, England. The tickertape of words was full of unintelligible grunts and meaningless statements. Theodore narrowed his eyes as he stared at it.
He’d been so angry with Casey’s betrayal at the closing ceremony that he’d forced the traitor to shoot himself with the third dart. The guy’s brain was now doubly colonised. It would be useful for the Magi to understand the limits of the human psyche — Casey might not have been of further use, but the data points he’d provided had already proved to be of great value.
The data in the graphs below those originated in Maidstone Hospital. The tickertape of words was blank while the host’s brain underwent its transformation in the coma state. A flicker of frustration made its way across Theodore’s face. A million-dollar dart wasted on a nobody. Spiralwerks and its huge resources remained out of his control.
Still, the dart wouldn’t be totally wasted. It was the first time a dart had been used on a person outside the Order’s control. The host wasn’t even guaranteed to survive; the nanoengineered metamorphosis might yet be rejected, assuredly leading to death. Or perhaps readiness and willingness were redundant and the dart would work as usual. Another data point either way, Theodore thought. And with that, he left the Epicenter. There was work to do.
The End
But keep reading if you want to play Solarversia for real …
Howdy, Solo!
I hope you enjoyed reading Solarversia as much as I enjoyed writing it. I had the idea for it in 2010 and found the vision so captivating that I left my job soon afterward in order to learn everything I could about technology and start-ups; I was desperate to create the kind of company that was capable of building the game I had foreseen, a game that we could all play.
In March 2014, when Facebook bought Oculus Rift, the VR headset maker, for $2bn, I knew the time was right to attempt to make the vision a reality. I realised that the best way to explain to people what Solarversia was all about was to write a book about it, showing how the game worked.
Now the book’s been written, it’s time for the next step. I’ve incorporated Spiralwerks Ltd for real. I’m going to put the money from book sales, merchandise and film rights into it, making it investable and enabling me to the build the game in the real world.
If you loved Solarversia, and want to play it for real, just like Nova and Burner, then I’m going to need your help.
How to Help
Here’s a list of three simple things you can do to help:
1. Leave a review on Amazon.
2. Tell your friends about the book.
3. Go to the Solarversia website and join the newsletter.
You might also be interested in the Golden Grid promotion.
The Golden Grid
Remember the Golden Grid? It was a 10 x 10 section of the Player’s Grid that Spiralwerks used to promote Solarversia. And since I plan to make the game for real, I’ll be doing exactly that. Each of the 100 numbers in the Golden Grid will be assigned via a series of competitions, charity auctions and other innovative methods. Winners will receive a signed, limited-edition copy of the book, a Golden Ticket and a place in history. Click here to find out about upcoming promotions.
Good luck, and remember — There Can Be Only One!
Toby Downton
August 2015
Acknowledgments
Thanks first and foremost to my parents who supported me both emotionally and financially during the fifteen months I took off work to write this book, even when they had little idea of what the book was about and why it meant so much to me. Thanks to my wife, Aroha, for never once questioning me and for putting up with me all these years. Thanks to my brother Lucas for going first and leading the way.
The biggest possible shout-out to Helena Michaelson, my editor, whose literary genius helped tease out the story I knew I had in me. It’s only now, after a year of working together, that I appreciate how lucky I was to find such an erudite, brilliant individual to work with me on this project, and I feel blessed that we were able to collaborate so well. Thanks also to Marta Tanrikulu for the excellent job she did proofreading the manuscript, except for this won sentence, which I added afterwoods.
A big yee-ha to my beta readers Daniel Mosser, Fiifi Arthur, Gerard Firth, Jodie Taylor and Tom Hughes. Your feedback made the book so, so much better, and I’m indebted to every one of you for spending so much of your precious free time reading the words of an unknown, unpublished, wannabe author.
Thanks to Gerard Frith and Hugo Pickford-Wardle at Matter for enabling me to enter the world of start-ups and complete a modern-day digital apprenticeship, to Betty Adamou at Research Through Gaming for her ongoing support, to my amazing concept artist Nastasia “Nas” Peters, to Simon Blackwell for tweaking the artwork on the cover, and to the lads, most of whom have been immortalised on these pages in one way or another.
Finally, I want to thank all of the thinkers, philosophers, writers, artists, entrepreneurs and game designers whose work inspired Solarversia in the f
irst place, and you the reader, whose job it now is to help make this thing real.
Table of Contents
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter Forty-Three
Chapter Forty-Four
Chapter Forty-Five
Chapter Forty-Six
Chapter Forty-Seven
Chapter Forty-Eight
Chapter Forty-Nine
Chapter Fifty
Chapter Fifty-One
Chapter Fifty-Two
The End
Howdy, Solo!
How to Help
The Golden Grid
Solarversia: The Year Long Game Page 49