Part 19: Meeting of the Minds

Chapter 17: Meeting of the Minds


Mr. Hutama, your absence at the last three Central Planning Committee meetings has been noted with regret. What is the reason for this?


Look, it's nothing personal. I'm just... very concerned about the whole mass-uploading thing. That's all.




What are you concerned about, exactly?


It feels like too much, too soon. People are downloading their consciousness into badass robot bodies, which is great, but we're leaving a lot behind. When those bodies die, they just transmit to the nearest network node, ready to download again.




Until our income gets higher, I'm going to be building a lot of Nodes (visible west of the city here). They give more Science and Energy, and also heal units that end their turn next to them. Flavored here as soldiers downloading into new robot bodies.


You speak of the Apostles?


Sure, and the fact that you call them that adds a whole other layer to the creepiness. The SABRs too. I mean, yes, their single-handed destruction of a Great Worm was very impressive, but that's a lot of firepower to give any one intelligence, artificial or otherwise.








Not that we have much use for aircraft carriers on this map, unless our new cities come under attack.


Excellent. Time to leash the krakens.






That is a common concern among people born on Old Earth. You should consult the Memetwork to obtain comfort, as many of your brethren have.


The archive of the Memetwork's state machine is the single best resource for historiographical anthropology ever developed, and projective efforts on it give us tantalizing glimpses of the ideas of tomorrow, today.


Hutama, we have not forgotten what it means to be human or anything like that. Indeed, the chairwoman herself is an ideal human created by the Promethean project. I'd say we understand humanity far better than our neighbors, in fact.


...this creature somehow a "better" human for not being subject to the limitations of its exemplar? These questions are, to many extents, still not resolved. But the Promethean was created.

Devoid of DNA noncoding sequences and vestigial phenotypes (or with vestigial phenotype restored to functionality; the Promethean has a working appendix), the Promethean is a creature of profound beauty—not only in each individual human who shares its underpinnings, but in the way that the Promethean functions from the cellular to the holistic level. A Promethean moves with spare grace, sees the world in colors unknown to the old Homo sapiens, ages easily and slowly, retains her faculties through the lifespan, and, when the end comes, often has left behind a legacy that simply could not have been achieved by Old Man.


I didn't come here to... Nevermind. I'm here now, alright? Let's get down to business then, shall we?


As you wish. We shall begin with internal affairs. Prosperity is increasing exponentially. We are very fortunate to live in this time. Memetic theory and advanced local medicine keep us bound tightly, even though we are far-flung physically.


After building the Promethean.


After taking the Community Medicine Virtue. Health bonuses peak at level 40.








My networked weather controller satellites have brought the life satisfaction values of Janjira colonists to almost the levels of Freeland. As production of petroleum and titanium deposits on the continent reaches its peak, I will be able to field even more of them.






We are coming ever closer to mastery of physical life. Soon, all who wish to join us in Nirvana will be able to do so. All those who have already uploaded are currently enjoying an aeon-long sports party. Go Jimboomba Jabberwocks!


I have no idea what any of this means.

Supremacy level 10 (it didn't give me a picture for it since we passed it): "I dream of a day when our mortal form can stand beneath the skies of any planet without fear or apology." - Credo of the Superior Path


Neural Uploading gives a lot of Supremacy affinity, so it actually got us straight past level 10 to level 11.




Defense forces have benefited greatly from these advances, especially optical interfaces. Some who undergo optical surgery report occasional strange, surreal visions, but these have been proven to be ultimately harmless, and they are easily suppressed.










Picking surgery only for scientists just didn't seem fair. Plus, this stacks with the Panopticon bonus. Our units can now see infinity.


Using these implants, our covert agents were able to secure advanced nanotechnology from ARC research labs. Our prodigious production capabilities have allowed us to implement this technology quickly, but... Well, this should segue into the foreign affairs topic...






I'll field that one. At least I'm still needed as a diplomat, since the other colony leaders aren't quite ready to deal with you lot yet. So, yes. Our dear friend CEO Fielding found out about that little indiscretion. I was able to talk her down, but probably only because we trade so heavily with them. Also, several leaders are getting up in arms about our military attacking the aggressive fauna of this planet. Kavitha I expected that from, but even Elodie suddenly cares about them. I have no idea why.




Other than that, they're becoming quite advanced, each in different ways. Fielding has started talking like... well, like an Apostle. But their augmentation tech isn't nearly as advanced as ours. I mean, I expected that from Barre, with his obsession with the environment and that crazy biocomputer thing they have now, but not her. Not sure what's going on there.






...times yesterday? Did you know you were only directing 28 of those inquiries? Bytegeist anticipated the rest! Cross index to subroutines.

Bytegeist primary subroutines were first public with version alpha-0000030, University of Freedom Department of Informational Sociology. AI authorship classified. Human contributors classified.

You seem to be interested in the development of the Bytegeist! Others interested in the history of the Bytegeist have also researched sociopolitical theory and human/AI interactions. Would you like to know which friends of yours are interested in these topics? Would you like to meet some people who are also interested in this topic?

Thank you! Connecting you now. Your fortune is: Random gene makes something mean. Splice and dice makes something nice. Opening connection.

Yep, Barre built the Bytegest. Not sure why the tech for it is Harmony Affinity, but so it goes.












They're catching up to us, but thanks to the Memetwork, we can start this next part one Affinity level early...


Thank you, Hutama. There is one more bit of business we must discuss. I am sure you all remember the Lasercom project.






We have received a message back. The situation on Old Earth is... grim. Disease and starvation are rampant, and civilization is nearing total collapse.




I have anticipated this. Construction is already underway.


Construction? Of what?




Freedom.

The state of the colony:




Another station appeared for us to trade with/defend!


Virtues. Since our Culture gain is up to 150 per turn, please vote on two this time:

New:






Old:
Knowledge, Tier I:
Field Research (+30 Science from completing expeditions)
Creative Class (Extra Culture equal to 30% of positive Health)

Might, Tier I:
Military-Industrial Complex (+15% Military Unit production)
Survivalism (+25% Strength against aliens)

Prosperity, Tier I:
Frugality (+10% Food retained after city growth)

Industry, Tier I:
Scalable Infrastructure (+15% Wonder production)

Industry, Tier III:
Social Investment (+2 Production from Manufactories)
Superior Engineering (Orbital units stay in orbit 50% longer)



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