Текст книги "Memories of the future. An eyewitness notes"

Let’s take statistics of military operations over the past twenty years. The both sides have been doing almost the same: printers have been manufacturing automatic factories, installers delivering these factories all over the Planet. Then automatic factories have been ceaselessly churning out combat cyborgs designed to fight in the air, at sea and on the ground, providing them with underdeveloped intellect able to pursue a primitive task – to find and destroy. And that’s your enemy image.”

“Yes,” agreed Alex, “that’s true. Such bases are the most complicated target. And as far as I understand, you are engaged in determining these bases?

“Not only that,” she heard commander’s voice, “All members of our group conduct compilation, analysis and storage of all sorts of information about this Planet,” he explained, “for instance, we have processed and preserved the records of your navigator Eol.

Lots of similar bases are scattered all over the world. Our group "ATHENA" is part of the global system, but in terms of technical capacities, we are among the best.

We also pursue scientific research, study the Outer Space, and develop new types of weapons, making our contribution to the victory.”

Alex had heard about those bases and groups of advanced scientists operating in them. She had even been given an offer to serve as a pilot in one of such bases.

“Nikolo,” asked Alex, “I have always been wondering whether you have in fact put new weaponry on orbit? You can tell me everything. My implant will destroy all files of our conversations memory in case my body switches to emergency mode or I am taken prisoner by the enemy.”

“We know how pilot’s standard brain implant work and will share the information with you, taking into account the fact that you could also serve in groups of our project as you’ve been given this offer recently. As for the weaponry rumors, there is absolutely nothing new about that, we have simply upgraded an idea implanted long ago by the scientist Roberto Bartini. The weapon of this type was developed in early twenty first century. Our ancestries referred to it as "kinetic".

Then Nikolo made a colored holographic space projection showing the kinetic weapon operation principle.

“We simply whipped into shape what had already been invented by Bartini. Our ancestors also had a bellyful of the self-appointed “masters of the world”. War was just a matter of time. The ancestors decided it was a bad idea to carry nuclear warheads to orbit. Instead, they came up with a simple yet genius device: just imagine, cassettes with self-homing hard steel plugs are cruising on different orbits around the Planet. No need for any explosive substance, simple control: a signal with a target coordinates is sent to the orbit bases from the Earth by means of a laser ray. Then, following trajectory calculation, launch is performed from a base located nearest to the target. It selects explosion force on its own, depending on a target. For instance, destruction of a bunker with a robot-factory requires about 10 machs. Mach is a unit that measures the speed at which a hard steel plug meets with the Planet. 10 machs is enough to produce an explosion of 10-15 kilotons in trinitrotoluene equivalent.

This simple and powerful weapon is overgrown with such a huge layer of legends that no one can figure out how it actually works. The Coalition’s engineers made efforts to reproduce it but they were not smart enough for that.”

“This stuff will help protect those like you against missiles. But the way, it was not Coalition who knocked you down but an acker from a roving armed gang”, added Frol, “They don’t give a toss whom to knock down – be it Coalition’s or our people.”

“Alex, if you don’t feel comfortable talking to void space, we all take on the form of holographic projections. Is that OK with you?”

“By the way, all of us have alternative cyber bodies,” said Nikolo.

“There no need for projections as I have already gotten used to the virtual conversation,” Alex responded, “let’s continue our talk.”

“May I interrupt you for a minute?” asked Helene River. “Alex’s bioenergetics potential is below average now. Her body requires rest. I suggest placing Alex in a bio capsule with nano-gel for sixteen hours. Meanwhile, I’ll set her right.”

“That’s reasonable enough,” said commander’s voice.

Chapter 3

Human brain can not tell dream of reality.

Alex! Do you prefer to simply watch dreams or to be shown the civilization history, starting with the twenty first century?” asked Frol’s voice, “Take at my word, there is a lot you do not know about the world. What you were taught at the training school was limited to takeoff, landing and equipment operation,” his voice sounded so enthusiastically that Alex smiled and nodded, “I’ve always chosen knowledge.”

“Great! I’ll show you to a bio capsule,” Abel stepped forward. He rose up and headed towards the translucent wall, which instantly disappeared, opening up the passage.

“Thank you for a warm welcome. We’ll talk later,” said Alex. Now she felt tired and longed to drown herself in a bio capsule sleep. She went after the Wolf; his head was to her left at the level of her shoulder. Abel’s strong cyber body was surprisingly mobile and had a touch of animal gracefulness. Seeing that Alex was tired, the Wolf was moving slowly, with his head low. His hair had turned gray with steel glitter. Yielding to a sudden impulse, Alex patted him on the back of his neck; his hair was soft and nice on the touch. In response, Abel slightly twitched his ears and looked at her out of the corner of his eye. He continued walking in silence, but Alex guessed that he liked her gesture.

She made a mental command to the nano-chip and sent Abel a thought form: “Abel, when I was doing my first courses at the lyceum, I dreamt of having a cyber friend who would look like a big dog or a wolf, to share with him all my thoughts and to whisper to him all my secrets. Tell me, how come you are a wolf and such a big one? Did you make the skeleton by yourself?”

For some time Abel kept silent and then she heard his response thought form: “I was created and upgraded here at the base and, as you can see, they spared no resources on me. Then, at early stages of my development, I was shown the world, or rather what was left of it, through sensors of a drone flying on mission and a cyber shark. I carried on with intensive self-development, and after passing all tests, I applied for an independent basic cyber body in the form of a wolf or a dog.

“But why a dog?” Alex asked keenly.

“Ancient people used to say that a dog was man’s best friend. Before cyber-friends appeared, people had kept animals in their families as pets, while the dog had been one of those pets. And I reckoned that a big dog would be an even better friend. That’s logical, isn’t it? And besides, this body allows one to easier cope with a pack of GMAs and even a tank.”

Alex gave Abel a sharp look and put her palm on his back.

“Abel, I think I know one secret of yours: you want tо be closer to people and to better understand them. If the war was over, what would you be doing? Have you ever thought about that?”

And she again patted the Wolf on his wide spine. Instead of answering, Abel turned his head to her and looked straight in the eye.

“Here we are, Alex, thank you for our conversation. Have you even been in a bio capsule before?”

“Yes, I have,” said Alex, “and more than once.”

“Then you’ll figure out on your, we’ll talk later. You are a good person, the war hasn’t spoilt you. Go and have a sleep, and I’ll have my Cyborg Dreams.”

With these words, he turned around before the door with the biological section pictogram and slowly went back down the hallway, with his tail down in a wolf style and ears slightly drawn in. Alex perceived that she had taken the most important slot in Abel’s soul.

“Cyborg Dreams,” Alex repeated and nodded.

She turned around to see the Wolf walking away down the hallway and smiled. She liked Abel with his deliberate rationality. Physical force in combination with wisdom was what attracted her to that unusual being. Her unit’s pilots had frequently had hot disputes over relations between human beings and Artificial Intelligence.

That was a complex issue that people could endlessly discuss as well as AI beings.

Personally, Alex believed that AI had already passed the level of “computerized” understanding of the World and of the role of mind in it and through self-development had come close to realizing such spiritual principles as Kindness, Love, Soul, and the Creator.

To create, raise, bring up and train an AI was a highly difficult task; therefore any sensible being was unique and valued.

For a minute, Alex imagined that there was no war at all and that Abel was the best and most faithful friend of hers.

"I should somehow enquire him about these Cyborg Dreams. There is so much talk about them, but no one knows anything about them whatsoever,” Alex thought.

*GMA – genetically modified animals

Chapter 4

The biggest challenge is to distinguish Evolution from Involution

Since the creation of the first quantum computer, mankind developed an analog of the artificial brain, which blew up the entire world. That was followed with yet another breakthrough – the emergence of the Artificial Intelligence. The initial cautious efforts of Chinese scientists to copy the animal’s brain paved the way for a sequence of successful experiments on the AI development.

Soon Artificial Intelligence displayed capacity for self-development and strive for UNDERSTANDING the WORLD. The artificially created mind started learning to take decisions and to analyze the consequences of its actions.

That novelty was widely discussed and soon people were allowed to directly deal with AI, and even special facilities were set up for the purposes of that communication. People were stunned by the fact that AI not only had a logic of their own, but could also create vivid thought forms during thinking process that were projected in holographic forms around their interlocutors.

And while people were arguing about the potential for using AI for civil needs, the military were the first to obtain intelligent rockets and tanks, and soon first clumsy drones got off the ground.

Following a short period of time, AI exceeded the bounds of secret labs, and started to be created, trained and put into first crude cyber bodies by independent craftsmen. That way first home pets, or cyber friends, appeared. At the same time, special programs were designed to limit development of AI and impose on them certain patterns of thinking and behavior. That was a sort of Code regulating interaction between AI and men. At the time, almost everyone sought to acquire as a pet, instead of a dog or cat, a unique made-to-order thinking object with most unusual and even grotesque appearance. Children dreamt of having a cyber friend and as a companion of all their games.

Cyber bodies had a variety of forms, and their developers gained wide popularity. And while cold synthesis-based energy generators became available to the average engineer, AI exceeded the program limits and realized itself as a newly emerged being. New laws were introduced that prohibited unwarranted creation of AI by independent individuals.

But nevertheless nothing could stop enthusiastic scientists from developing, bringing up AI within original cyber bodies and then either selling them to interested customers or even setting them free. Therefore, news reports about rambling cyber beings of most unusual appearance dwelling on their own in various places of their chose, in the air, on the ground and at sea, came as no surprise.

The built-in nano-mechanisms allowed for fast regeneration of their bodies in case of injuries, while the inner cold synthesis-based reactor provided them with almost limitless energy reserves. That way a full-fledged ”black market” of AI and cyber bodies came into being. All states, which by that time had split into two antagonistic camps, made efforts to eliminate that market. But, after all, is it possible for a state to defeat a man?

Each craftsman was always replaced by another one. Also, there were those who made AI serve for the sake of vagary ideas of some dim-witted statesmen and religious bigots. Meanwhile the world was dragging towards the abyss of war, and people were too busy to realize that their planet was increasingly getting unfit for living.

Small states were the first to lose their sovereignty. The uncontrolled migration process engulfed the Earth. People started arbitrary relocation to places suitable for life. In doing so, they either joined the Coalition with its radical political views, or the Free People Lands.

The industry, the way it had been known in the twenty first century, ceased to exist. Only printers were manufactured that could, with accuracy up to a molecule, reproduce any object once created on Earth.

It was enough to know its structural parameters. Since the base of those parameters was available, therefore museums, libraries, shops became pointless. Following the emergence of printers, there was no longer any need for one to work for the state.

For various reasons, that had been implanted back in the 20th century, the family institution ceased to exist, which was also promoted by the fact that human minds could be rewritten into cyber and cloned bodies. Consequently, the world of the twenty third century was facing that endless war. The Coalition and the Free People could not coexist on the same Planet because of the intrinsic difference of their philosophies. While the Coalition sought to maintain the status of the world’s master and the power of money by making people their slaves, the Free People, by contrast, had abolished money and considered labor as creative activity.

Chapter 5

Near-Earth orbit, “Ares” cruiser

“Oma, what’s going on with the seismic activity in the area of the Narrow Sea?”

“I’m scanning. It hasn’t changed so far. As for the weather, it looks as though a dust storm is coming.”

“Can you see anything of interest?”

“The Coalition’s drones haven’t diverted from their courses, and are conducting a regular over flight without incidents. There is some motion in the area of "Athena" group. I can see GMA packs and marauders set off on their night patrolling. Today they knocked down our cover-up fighter aircraft. The pilot is alive and possibly wounded. It’s s girl with a unique biological body.”

“What else is known about her? I’ve received a request from her commander.”

“We don’t have complete information as of yet, however no gunfights were detected after her landing in the region.”

At the moment marauders are busy shredding her aircraft into pieces for metal. I can see a parachute and harness; looks like she managed to get away by nightfall. My nighty-eight percent assumption is that she could have been met by our dear friend Abel from “Athena” group. The guys are based nearby. Abel should have gone sniffing over the shot down plane. “Athena” group’s priority mode is radio silence.

“Oma, please put “Athena” group’s area under control, Abel could not have allowed a human being to die, I wonder what happened to the navigator.”

“Raju, you do know Abel. He is sure to have rewritten him into himself and is now nursing them both at the base.

Arvid will confirm in the morning that everything is like that, you’ll see.”

"Ares", the orbital patrol cruiser of RB– 735 series, was in combat alert duty mode on the geostationary Earth orbit (35700km). At the time, the cruiser was operated by only part of its crew that consisted of its chief pilot and pilot-navigator. The chief pilot, Raju, was wearing his second cyber body, as he had lost his biological and first cyber ones in battles with the Coalition.

His experience gained in outer space wars allowed him to take a leading position in the Aerospace Forces’ Staff, but he turned down all proposals in order to do what he loved most: sitting in a control cabin do various duties bungled on him by the Earth management. A tiny figurine of the multi-armed female deity that had always accompanied him was now standing above the control console against the background of the Space panoramic view. He also liked talking with his mate Oma about everything he was interested in and enjoyed her company in that unexplored and immense cosmic space. Having changed two bodies, Raju retained his human qualities, only the memory of the past battles and casualties had left its imprint on his way of dealing with colleagues. For that reason, he was partnered up with a rather complex AI being, deprived of limiting programs and keen on exploring Space, who could not imagine her life without communication with humans.

A particular feature of that AI being was the fact that, over time, she came to realize herself as a woman, who now was wearing the cyber body of a tall girl with white pearl shoulder-length hair and blue eyes. She had been given the beautiful name Oma by her Teacher and spiritual mentor Modi. It was that wise Teacher who showed her the path of spiritual development and fostered her interest in learning the World.

Oma chose by herself the destination of serving people. She spent her free time on studying the spiritual concepts of love, kindness, while compiling materials for her future book. Oma enjoyed lengthy spiritual talks with the commander, who had become very dear to her over the past months of their joint work. And she explored that new feeling with profound interest.

Raju’s new cyber body had somewhat brutal and rough features, thereby emphasizing his selfless dedication to work. An ascetic by nature, he could never abandon his collection of old films and music.

Their voices were heard against the gentle sounds of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony. Both the commander and navigator liked working to music.

The Commandment who had high opinion of their military merits and ability to come up with nonstandard solutions, jokingly called them “gruesome-twosome”, setting up their close collaboration as an example to follow by others.

Military service in the Aerospace Forces was regarded as the most difficult and honorary among other military positions. On-orbit battles were specifically brutal and allowed no room for error. The situation could entirely change within seconds. Inherent in every human being, the instinct of self-preservation posed a threat in outer space and had to be renounced in the first place. The priority was given to other qualities, such as quick analysis of current events, immediate decision making, choice of the right option and the only possible response to unexpected flow of events. And it was the ability to calmly accept one’s fate, when there was no longer any chance to escape a blow that was particularly valued among generally unemotional pilots of the Aerospace Forces.

Human life seemed particularly fragile and short-lasting by contrast with the stunning immenseness of the Space. There one could even get a deceptive feeling of self-eternity and then, all of the sudden, here comes a flash…

A flash of explosion in total silence followed with scattered debris flying apart, instant, or sometimes prolonged and painful, death of crew, and, eventually, a dead ship losing its orbit. That was all left after an attack. Fight in outer space was like no other: an impetuous approach of a missile or laser ray took just seconds as compared with eternity of Space. Therefore, people serving in the Aerospace Forces were fearless, cool-headed, with a specific way of thinking. These were nobly referred as the "Star Guard”.

Chapter 6

(“Ares” cruiser, Earth’s orbit)

Have you ever considered the following coincidences and figures?

Are these just mere coincidences?

<<Atoms resemble Solar Systems; large-scale structures of the Universe are similar to neurons in the human brain; and let’s take a few other interesting coincidences: the number of stars in the Galaxy, the number of Galaxies in the Universe, the number of atoms in a cell, and the number of cells in a living being are almost the same (from 10^11 to 10^14).

And all of these beg the question: what if we are merely cells within the brain of some immense creature of planetary dimensions, who hasn’t yet acquired self-awareness?

Would you believe that the total amount of everything in the Universe constitutes a rational creature of the finite being – Eternity! And if so, what shall we tell each other?>>

“Oma, orbit transfer protocol. What’s your opinion?”

With a motion of thought, she put away the text of her future book into the archive and projected an image of the current situation in front of her.

“Commander, I’ve got a suggestion. Orbit trimming. We’d better stay in this wreckage cluster. It’s close to us. Here are the details.”

Before the control post glass, appeared an enlarged holographic image of space orbit debris, or rather what had previously been a group of cruisers.

That event made it into the Planet’s Chronicles as the Orbit Battle. The cluster of combat ships and orbit stations wreckage stretched along a vast area. The destroyed ships were a sad view: ragged iron uncovered curved bulkheads of sections, hoses and wires drawn like torn arteries out of a breathless corps. Dozens of tiny fragments were drifting nearby.. And all those remains were moving, occasionally bumping into each other, and producing new shatters. Some of them were slowly rotating, revealing their open wounds with remains of smashed equipment.

Out of superstition, pilots always avoided such places, but now Oma and Raju were carefully examining the remains.

Some of them were slowly rotating, disclosing their insides with debris of torn down equipment. Wrecks still featured bright squadron emblems. Some of them could have still held their crews’ bodies. Reactors with leakages and emissions were a common occurrence at such places. All those iron structures still preserved residual impulse of the energy that had once torn them apart. Still following that impulse, they occasionally collided with each other, lost their speed, deorbited, burned in the upper atmosphere and then fell down like bushy flames, as though saluting the perished ships crews. For that reason, pilots of patrol ships chose to steer away from such dangerous and somber place. There was no room for living beings there, but still it was the ideal place to disguise the cruiser on the orbit.

“Radiation?” briefly asked the commander.

“Admissible,” replied Oma. ”There is a slight exceedance, but not critical for us.”

“Them locate us close to that large fragment so that it does not overshadow the horizon. And one other thing, try to accurately synchronize its rotation with ours. Then we’ll be seen as one object.” Raju pointed at a massive, torn up ship body that was slowly rotating in front of their windscreen. “What about the communication satellites?”

“We’ll have to hang a couple of new ones nearby.”

Military communication in outer space was quite simple: through direct laser ray any amount of information could be transmitted. Radars were unable to detect it, but to be on the safe side, pilots chose to transfer data through in-orbit satellites, or mediators, many of which remained on orbits and were considered consumable material.

It was always possible to launch a new one and hang it in any point. Those satellites also conducted security functions, tracing down scouts and homing mines, plenty of which were drifting on the orbit in standby mode.

Having spotted such a "gift", satellites would immediately shoot it down with lasers. Oma always put security satellites around the cruiser that she called “Hanumans” for their flexibility and efficiency.

“Oma, where does the Orbital Colony locate now?” asked Raju.

“Beyond the Planet’s horizon. Do you again suspect them of espionage on behalf of the Coalition?” she peered at Raju.

“Yes, I have never believed them and thought them to be capable of anything. They tell us and the Coalition that they “have full neutrality and have nothing to do with the war”, while exchanging new engineering designs for materials and Planet’s resources.”

“Raju, you have always been suspicious of scientists!” Oma continued the conversation, while putting the cruiser on a new orbit. “Science is beyond war and politics.”

“Should the Orbital Colony have not been established, this Earth would have been deprived of all its scientists. Indeed, mankind rescued the Planet’s intellectual asset!

And I supported them at the general survey when they declared independence of us and the Coalition. The war had fully destroyed science on Earth. How else are they supposed to earn their living, if not through the use of their brains? However, mostly they work for the Second Colony and Mars. You are again nagging at scientists, aren’t you?” Oma said and steel notes were heard in her voice. Raju decided to cut short the argument.

“All right, Oma. I agree with you.” He nodded. “Still, it’s best not to deal with them and to steer clear of their "Smart Doughnut" beyond the horizon. By the way, all of these “independent scientists” are armed to the hilt! You have always supported them because they made your body. At first, they designed it for a beauty contest and then decided to give it over to you.”

“What do you mean? Oma asked in bewilderment as she failed to get Raju’s joke. “How come I didn’t know that!”

“They didn’t tell you for fear that it may undermine your self-assessment balance and kept it secret,” Raju blurted out, trying not to give himself away. “I have a feeling that we’ll pay one more visit to their Station. Would you like to be there again?”

“Of course!” Oma exclaimed and noticeably cheered up. “It was there that I for the first time felt like a sentient being and realized who I was! Actually, it’s my birth-place, if you will.” The cruiser was smoothly approaching the cluster of wreckage. It remained only to adjust its position on the new orbit. Keeping up the conversation, Oma stabilized the spacecraft’s position and put up full information on the surrounding space on a projector.

In front of her emerged a variety of flexible holograms featuring the ship’s position, orbit’s characteristics and complete information on the surrounding objects.

“There are neither traps nor mines. The radioactive background is slightly exceeded. The “Hanumans” have taken the whole orbit under control. Aria, maintain the military alert mode. Commander, the orbit transfer protocol is complete,” Oma reported and, tipping back in her armchair, looked at the chief pilot.

Her white, tight suite was shining like a bright spot in the subdued lighting of the crew cabin. Sitting with her legs crossed, Oma gave a look at Raju and smiled, waiting for his further instructions. “And, by the way, I have taken into account your recommendations on the Orbital Station. We keep them at distance.”

“I see you have changed your hairstyle. You look great. The previous one was also good, but now you are the pitch of perfection. I’m feasting my eyes on you, Oma.”

Oma’s cyber body allowed her to quickly change the style and color of her hair. At the moment, her thick golden hair had a lovely bob style. His experience in dealing with Oma told Raju that at that moment he was supposed to make a compliment. Therefore, he, using all possible gallant expressions he knew, praised her appearance and emphasized his pleasure at admiring her beauty.

“Thank you, Commander. Now I feel more comfortable doing my duty on this orbit with increased radiation level,” Oma replied jokingly, evidently pleased at the Commander’s remark.

“What else did you want to know about the scientists?” she inquired, and now conciliatory notes were head in her voice.

“Oma, is it true that they are able to produce any biological bodies? And do they themselves wear cyber ones?”

“Not necessarily,” Oma shrugged her shoulders. “The majority of them chose to wear cyber bodies as they give less trouble. They have a whole city there: gardens, parks, ponds. By the way, they have preserved complete information on the Planet’s animal life. If yоu want, I can give you a cyber raccoon as a gift?” she smiled and gave him a playful look.

“Oh, no!” Raju raised his arm in protest, “I' m out with an isomorph!”

As Raju uttered these words somewhere from the ceiling of the cabin a ringing child’s voice said: “Isomorphs relieve people from various small troubles. We are pure beings because we feed on light. According to one hypothesis, isomorphs are the pinnacle of evolution. Pure consciousness, if you will.”

A jelly-like shapeless body with big eloquent blue eyes and small dark button instead of a nose detached itself from the ceiling and assumed the form of a drop, drifted towards Oma’s face.

The clot was the size of a soccer ball and looked quite flexible, its color varied from pastel-blue to pink. Although the being’s shape was ceaselessly changing, basically, it looked like something droplike and oval. Inside the semi-transparent body made of nano-silicone one could see flexible brain processor of the size of a tennis ball, which occasionally radiated flickering light.

The creature had a quite funny and friendly appearance. Also it moved in a funny way, taking on a shape of a jellyfish cupola, and with impulsive motions pushing air out of itself. Occasionally, it grew tiny legs on its sides and rather deftly pushed itself off from the

cabin walls. In that way it was flying all around and, from time to time, secured itself like a big blot, on the wall, making a funny flapping sound.

At the moment, that flaring ball was hanging in front of Oma’s face, its round eyes were winking.

“An isomorph is a pilot’s best cyber friend,” he uttered, “much better than a raccoon!”

After those words, he again stared Oma in the eye. Then he decided that he had kept silent long enough and carried on with his speech. “An isomorph’s primary responsibility is to inform the crew on radiation level, control the sheeting integrity, carry small objects and provide assistance during fights, guarding the rear side of the pilot’s seat back. In addition, an isoform is ready to cover an illuminator with his body and to protect the crew against sunlight. Are you aware that radiation level here is above the allowable limits?”