[Fan Fiction] Notes and discussion for "A sword that wields itself"

[inxsi]

Nice - an intermission I can place in the story

I like the motivation for virtualizing consciousness - it feels very realistic and compelling, and also that the plan did not work out. Pretty amazing the risks they decided to take for the mind tuning - though I suppose these were the extremely dedicated minority of the group. Hopefully the success rate goes up (or they find another process) for developing the mental bond.

I think they will also hate the Mizol for bringing deception to their understanding of another's thoughts (though I would think Humans have already done so).

Minor nitpick:

SpoilerShow

their lifes = their lives

[Krulle]

I'm more astonished that only the second generation came out of the coffins.

Otherwise a rather relatable element.
Well done!



The thing witht he human mind is, that it is unpredictable.
But we have amassed so much data, especially the tech firms, that they can predict te unpredictability of the Human mind.
(Nudge Theory=)

[Cthulhu]

Nice - an intermission I can place in the story

I like the motivation for virtualizing consciousness - it feels very realistic and compelling, and also that the plan did not work out. Pretty amazing the risks they decided to take for the mind tuning - though I suppose these were the extremely dedicated minority of the group. Hopefully the success rate goes up (or they find another process) for developing the mental bond.

I think they will also hate the Mizol for bringing deception to their understanding of another's thoughts (though I would think Humans have already done so).

While the procedure of unlocking the psi-potential is far less dangerous now, it's still the equivalent of prying it open with a crowbar.

Minor nitpick:

SpoilerShow

their lifes = their lives

Thanks for the corrections!

I'm more astonished that only the second generation came out of the coffins.

Otherwise a rather relatable element.
Well done!

I'll post the human timeline soon, but basically, about half the population lived in arcologies by the 2080ies, and the encapsulation was finished by the end of the century. Therefore, the generation that was born in the new century was the second one born in arcologies, but the first being 100% born and raised here. Some from the previous one were brought in as children, but they still remembered the outside, often even romanticizing it later on.

The thing witht he human mind is, that it is unpredictable.
But we have amassed so much data, especially the tech firms, that they can predict te unpredictability of the Human mind.
(Nudge Theory=)

Even worse, in the next decade or so, AI should become "clever" enough to guide humans towards a preprogrammed goal. Things like targeted advertising or social credit ratings are just the first steps towards this future.
Now imagine what next-century AI, together with telepaths, can do.

[Krulle]

We have to hope it is benevolent enough to keep us as pet, and that is has no sadistic streak (like kids sometimes have when playing with their pet)....

[inxsi]

You seem optimistic thinking the AI and systems will have an actual goal and not just be operating by instinct, much as they currently do.

[Cthulhu]

We have to hope it is benevolent enough to keep us as pet, and that is has no sadistic streak (like kids sometimes have when playing with their pet)....

In my fanfic, as well as far as the technological development of the future can be predicted, AIs should not become self-aware anytime soon. They are merely the tools to guide society in this age, like propaganda was in the last two centuries.

You seem optimistic thinking the AI and systems will have an actual goal and not just be operating by instinct, much as they currently do.

Having a goal would imply true intelligence, and the ability to rely on instinct should come from a similar source. Yet, AIs are merely advanced sorting programs, and I don't think that this architecture or existing hardware can lead to artificial consciousness.

[inxsi]

You seem optimistic thinking the AI and systems will have an actual goal and not just be operating by instinct, much as they currently do.

Having a goal would imply true intelligence, and the ability to rely on instinct should come from a similar source. Yet, AIs are merely advanced sorting programs, and I don't think that this architecture or existing hardware can lead to artificial consciousness.

Fair enough - I did not mean that the AI/programs would have true intelligence, more that they would act on instinct much as animals do - a bee stinging or an Australian jewel beetle trying to mate with a beer bottle until he died. But I agree that I would not call such things intelligent (at least, not to the level we are assuming a general AI should reach).

[Snoofman]

Now I've caught up. And I am intrigued by this alternate form of telepathy that humans developed during and after the cyber age. The development is brilliant.The line in which Ember detects 'propaganda' at work among the humans, telepathic and non-telepathic alike, was a good observation.

The idea of having leaders that actually can read minds is a good step to solving problems, but there is a problem with that. How do the non-telepathic humans know that their telepathic leaders are not exploiting or cheating them? Have there been non-telepaths that questioned the telepaths infallibility?

Keep up the good work.

[Cthulhu]

Now I've caught up. And I am intrigued by this alternate form of telepathy that humans developed during and after the cyber age. The development is brilliant.The line in which Ember detects 'propaganda' at work among the humans, telepathic and non-telepathic alike, was a good observation.

Professor Carmona is not skilled enough to disguise propaganda completely, and Emberwing is intelligent enough to understand that something was left unsaid. She's not a Mizol, but she had an above average education for a Loroi, which is still missing most of the broad education that humans enjoy. Thus, it took her some time to deduce what is consistent and what was "prettied up", yet a green recruit might have overlooked this completely.

The idea of having leaders that actually can read minds is a good step to solving problems, but there is a problem with that. How do the non-telepathic humans know that their telepathic leaders are not exploiting or cheating them? Have there been non-telepaths that questioned the telepaths infallibility?

Waves hand, "No, and you won't, either."

The next Intermission will be about the Age of Awakening, however, since we are coming closer to current events, the amount of propaganda may increase. This is written from the point of view of Emberwing, after all. There are (probably) good reasons why the telepaths are in charge, but why should the Humans explain confidential things that could be used against them? They just picked up a lone survivor, that doesn't even count as an official first contact.

Keep up the good work.

Thanks, I'll try! Apparently, having a single chapter as a buffer was not enough, and I almost missed the weekly schedule. Since I have more free time now, I'll increase the chapter reserve.

[Krulle]

:)

Don't over-exert yourself.
We can live without an update for a week or more, if it comes to that.
I mean, we're all reading Outsider after all.

[inxsi]

Thank you for another chapter - though don't burn yourself out, especially on something you are doing for free. After all, we should all be able to adjust to a slower rate of content even if Arioch has been spoiling us lately.

For the discussion of mental abilities - there are some objective tests of telepathy and other abilities: you can test sanzai range and telekinetic strength, even if you cannot test for raw potential. Though now I wonder if there is a placebo effect - is it like the joke about golf, where there is the technician who will "adjust" a fitted amplifier by not doing anything and giving it back after 15 minutes? I suppose it would need some work so they could lie if questioned about it.

Man, with Angela I almost feel like the loroi are less arrogant about telepathy than the humans with it.

Not sure if Emberwing will feel better about the explanation of them sending to her while she was injured. "We didn't know what was happening, so we poked your brain with a stick that we barely understand. Nothing seemed to happen, so we figured we should stop poking it and hope for the best."

Did Angela mispeak when she said that the psi-enabled took control? Wouldn't propaganda lead with that they were given control? Though I wonder if Emberwing would notice - wouldn't she assume that obviously the psychic humans are better than the non-psychic?

Another weird dream - though I guess she didn't have to fight monsters again. Definitely wonder if the humans poking her brain didn't do something (or more likely just being around human telepathy... or maybe just humans in general?). Looking forward to seeing more.

Just speculating - it seems the Charon uses a second drive to "slow" or "stop" their descent from hyperspace back into real-space? And they do not need to hit the jump zones (but did so that they did not seem as odd)?

[Cthulhu]

Don't over-exert yourself.
We can live without an update for a week or more, if it comes to that.
I mean, we're all reading Outsider after all.

Thank you for another chapter - though don't burn yourself out, especially on something you are doing for free. After all, we should all be able to adjust to a slower rate of content even if Arioch has been spoiling us lately.

I'm writing this as an exercise, so a weekly schedule means to follow a training plan that I set up for myself.

For the discussion of mental abilities - there are some objective tests of telepathy and other abilities: you can test sanzai range and telekinetic strength, even if you cannot test for raw potential. Though now I wonder if there is a placebo effect - is it like the joke about golf, where there is the technician who will "adjust" a fitted amplifier by not doing anything and giving it back after 15 minutes? I suppose it would need some work so they could lie if questioned about it.

That's exactly the problem that will drive any proper scientist crazy. Even if you repeat an experiment in exact the same order, you may not receive the same result, but you won't have any idea why. There are no independent, verifiable and objective means of measuring telepathy. You can't even do a double negative test, or that placebo effect, since the other side will know!

Man, with Angela I almost feel like the loroi are less arrogant about telepathy than the humans with it.

Not sure if Emberwing will feel better about the explanation of them sending to her while she was injured. "We didn't know what was happening, so we poked your brain with a stick that we barely understand. Nothing seemed to happen, so we figured we should stop poking it and hope for the best."

Professor Carmona, back then a young, eager and very bright neurobiologist, was among the first psi-enabled. More than a century later, she is among the most knowledgeable ones regarding telepathy.
The point is that every living thing, be it newborn or dying, asleep or in a coma, a sentient or just some vermin, does have a perceivable telepathic signature. It may be very faint, but if a skilled telepath concentrates, they should be able to sense something as small as a mouse. Emberwing, however, displayed absolutely nothing, and the humans feared that she was brain-dead. Thus, they tried to jump-start her (apparently) dying brain, just as a direct adrenaline injection may restart the heart.

Did Angela mispeak when she said that the psi-enabled took control? Wouldn't propaganda lead with that they were given control? Though I wonder if Emberwing would notice - wouldn't she assume that obviously the psychic humans are better than the non-psychic?

Well, not only was she there when it happened, she took part in it, unlike the other, younger officers. Emberwing did not even register that bit, since she assumed that the psi-enabled humans are the "warrior caste" that rules over the mute civilians.

Another weird dream - though I guess she didn't have to fight monsters again. Definitely wonder if the humans poking her brain didn't do something (or more likely just being around human telepathy... or maybe just humans in general?). Looking forward to seeing more.

The human version of telepathy is obviously a major plot point, but right now, Emberwing does not know it yet.

Just speculating - it seems the Charon uses a second drive to "slow" or "stop" their descent from hyperspace back into real-space? And they do not need to hit the jump zones (but did so that they did not seem as odd)?

No, they are using, or rather abusing, the jump drives to propel them in realspace, while the actual reactionless drive acts as an additional inertial dampener. They did not enter hyperspace, although this trick does require toying with its boundaries. I thought that this was rather clear, or do I need to review that part?

[Krulle]

Just speculating - it seems the Charon uses a second drive to "slow" or "stop" their descent from hyperspace back into real-space? And they do not need to hit the jump zones (but did so that they did not seem as odd)?

No, they are using, or rather abusing, the jump drives to propel them in realspace, while the actual reactionless drive acts as an additional inertial dampener. They did not enter hyperspace, although this trick does require toying with its boundaries. I thought that this was rather clear, or do I need to review that part?

They're are doing "micro-skips", like a stone skipping over a water surface? (Basically not jumping into hyperspace, but only skipping)

Basically doing so many extremely short FTL skips that from RealSpace it looks like they're moving fast?

[Cthulhu]

They're are doing "micro-skips", like a stone skipping over a water surface? (Basically not jumping into hyperspace, but only skipping)

Basically doing so many extremely short FTL skips that from RealSpace it looks like they're moving fast?

Not quite skipping, but pulsing the jump drives to create a ripple in realspace instead. Normally, a generator creates a single, powerful pulse that overcomes the surface tension of realspace and hurls the ship into hyperspace on a ballistic course. The power demand is significant, and the ship must use capacitors to build up the energy. The Charon has eight big reactors that can power a jump field generator continuously, and they are switching the power between the eight jump field generators in a specific pattern on a non-jump vector. Each pulse is not powerful enough for a proper jump or long enough to plunge the ship down the gravity well into the star, but together, they form an effect that weakens the surface tension of realspace with the countless short pulses.

It's somewhat akin to warp drive, but instead of creating a gradient between contracting and expanding distortions of spacetime, they are constantly falling down the gravity well on a collapsing wave of gravitational pulses. The ship is just fast enough to avoid falling into it, so it falls past it instead. This needs precise timing and calculations, since the ship must ride upon a very specific point of this wave, otherwise it may perform a chaotic jump or fall below into hell. It cannot exceed the speed of light, and the power demand, as well as the complexity rise exponentially, but it is somewhat doable for speeds up to 30 % lightspeed.

That would be far too much technobabble, so I avoided writing it all in.

[inxsi]

No, they are using, or rather abusing, the jump drives to propel them in realspace, while the actual reactionless drive acts as an additional inertial dampener. They did not enter hyperspace, although this trick does require toying with its boundaries. I thought that this was rather clear, or do I need to review that part?

The part where they explained how they were traveling so fast inside a star system to Emberwing was clear. My comment was just about the last part of the most recent chapter - I thought they were doing something else to jump from one star system to another? Especially with their comment about managing to hit the jump zone? This part:

“Don’t worry, the jump cores were slightly desynchronized, but it is still within acceptable parameters. We reserved a single one for the jump, and had to amplify the other ones to create a sufficiently powerful counter-impulse. This shall speed up the whole matter.” explained Zarjow.

The Captain exclaimed: “Since it succeeded without us falling through realspace, we can proceed now. The calculations were even precise enough to bring us into the outbound jump zone. Adjust the parameters, re-route the energy into the eight core and engage the drive!”

To me, that implies they went through hyperspace - especially since they were still traveling well below light speed (though much faster than the other species ships) with the other method.

[Cthulhu]

The part where they explained how they were traveling so fast inside a star system to Emberwing was clear. My comment was just about the last part of the most recent chapter - I thought they were doing something else to jump from one star system to another? Especially with their comment about managing to hit the jump zone? This part:

They are merely decelerating from a quarter lightspeed to something more reasonable that may allow a jump. This braking sequence is even trickier to perform, but they managed to stop within the outbound jump zone. I'll review that part a bit.

To me, that implies they went through hyperspace - especially since they were still traveling well below light speed (though much faster than the other species ships) with the other method.

This is a pure realspace drive. Once the ship accelerated, the engine was deactivated and Charon kept coasting with the built-up speed. However, they needed to decelerate with just 7 jump field generators, since the last one was reserved for the jump itself.

SpoilerShow

Basically, the pros:
1. Almost instant acceleration
2. Very high speed

And the cons that outweigh them most of the time:
1. High energy demand that few ships can even meet
2. Having enough fuel, heatsink capability and multiple jump field generators that can withstand the abuse
3. The need for additional inertial dampening, like a reconfigured reactionless drive
4. A long preoperational period to calculate the proper waveform relative to the gravity well
5. A significant chance of catastrophic failure and the loss of the entire ship
6. The necessity of doing it yet again in order to decelerate

[inxsi]

They are merely decelerating from a quarter lightspeed to something more reasonable that may allow a jump. This braking sequence is even trickier to perform, but they managed to stop within the outbound jump zone. I'll review that part a bit.

This is a pure realspace drive. Once the ship accelerated, the engine was deactivated and Charon kept coasting with the built-up speed. However, they needed to decelerate with just 7 jump field generators, since the last one was reserved for the jump itself.

On rereading, I think I just assumed at the start and then ignored the last bit of the section and think it is clear enough (though maybe someone could tell Emberwing in a sentence that they are slowing to be able to jump first). Sorry for the confusion.

Spelling question

SpoilerShow

Should "re-route energy into the eight core and engage the jump drive" be the eighth core (the one that was reserved for the jump)?

[inxsi]

I actually lol'd at them running into Stillstorm, though I should have expected that. Interesting that this is an issue for Emberwing - I'll have to refresh my memory on that bit.

Good that Emberwing finally picked up that Zarjow is basically a mizol, at least in his mindset. Though I'm sure she'll start thinking of most humans as such until the lotai is dealt with.

I have to think about things a bit more, though I'm wondering if in this story Stillstorm will think the Humans are a trick of the Historians (especially when she learns of the reactionless drives).

Did humanity take the same route as in the webcomic?

Minor nitpicks:

SpoilerShow

The part about being somewhat unstable after that tradegy should be omitted, -> tragedy
The Captain strocked his beard, -> stroked

[Bamax]

Other than a spelling error (tragdy is tragedy) I really enjoyed the latest chapter.

Characters were true to form... and it is really obvious what Stilly was occupied with while the Charon waited for a response.

Yet with a whole group of several Loroi confirming evidence, and another mission completed succesfully to her credit... Stilly relents like the professional she is.

It would seem that the rumors of trying to send a well known opponent to their death in battle are true.

Why else send Stilly of all people to search for a group that was wiped out that Farseers were aware of?

Oh I am sure the powers that be will say Stilly is the best for the job... and if she goes down then they know they need to go to def con 2.... taking out all the stops to win.

Yet I reckon Stillstorm knows every battle she wins they have mixed feelings about, and it's her way of thumbing her nose at the powers that be... assuming she cannot take them out herself on a day where they are no longer necessary because of the Umiak threat being defeated once and for all.

Besides... not dying is nice. And she has reasons and ambitions to live.... besides a whole lot of fans.

EDIT:

And if your story were a digital cartoon TV mini-series, I think this would work well... at least for the previews since it's a bit too long for a theme.



It well illustrates how advanced tech humans effect the story, which may lead to revelations and.... who knows else. Also illustrates the mixed feelings both Loroi and humans have and will have about each other.

Like a fire, advanced humanity can be VERY useful, but if not careful they can also burn your house down.

[Cthulhu]

I actually lol'd at them running into Stillstorm, though I should have expected that. Interesting that this is an issue for Emberwing - I'll have to refresh my memory on that bit.

If not for the Bellarmine, Stillstorm would've withdrawn in order to resupply a bit earlier, thus missing the Stray. Here, they were ordered to investigate the disappearance of the 25th.
Emberwing never met Stillstorm, she is merely acting upon information from the rumor mill.

Good that Emberwing finally picked up that Zarjow is basically a mizol, at least in his mindset. Though I'm sure she'll start thinking of most humans as such until the lotai is dealt with.

She realized that he is something like a Mizol far earlier, but it's still hard to see one in a male.

I have to think about things a bit more, though I'm wondering if in this story Stillstorm will think the Humans are a trick of the Historians (especially when she learns of the reactionless drives).

She can see that the ship is reactionless, since it does not have any outlets. As to the Historian matter, let's see?

Did humanity take the same route as in the webcomic?

They went on a slight detour and skimmed on the edge of the Hierarchy territory.

Minor nitpicks:

SpoilerShow

The part about being somewhat unstable after that tradegy should be omitted, -> tragedy
The Captain strocked his beard, -> stroked

Thanks, I'll correct it!

Characters were true to form... and it is really obvious what Stilly was occupied with while the Charon waited for a response.

Yes, with an intense staring contest. I think that she lost...

Why else send Stilly of all people to search for a group that was wiped out that Farseers were aware of?

Well, she returned just in time for a resupply run and since her group was too under-strength to return to raider duty, she was sent on this mission.

The real question is, did Stillstorm even ask for all of this, the glory, fame and political involvement? It is written from the point of view of Emberwing, who just compiled various rumors about her into an image. But what about the real deal? I'll try to explore that in the next chapters.