"I’m going make a few public appearances to check in on the infrastructure projects and food distribution in Guatemala. Then, I’ll head off to Colombia to get things rolling. Joe, can you set up with the joint Susan/ Maribel personality combo?" Mom announced.
"Of course," Joe responded.
"What about us, kiddo, want to check Northern xico and see where the intel gathering stands?" Dad asked.
"You can handle that, Dad. I’m going to see how we’re doing at the galactic level, then, maybe head back to Island of Stability for a bit."
Dad shrugged, "suit yourself. Should I move forward if we have all the information that we need to make a clean sweep?"
"Your call. Just make sure we have enough rooms before you start pulling people," I grinned.
"Yeah, yeah. I’m sure Joe will let know if I’m about to make a big mistake. Right, Joe."
"Nothing would make happier," Joe answered with a wry lilt.
"I’ll leave you to it, then. I’ll be up in the Lookout Tower."
I walked over and stepped into the circle designating the elevator. As usual, I rose up through the air until I was in the room above the trees, looking out over the countryside.
"Joe, we need to talk," I said gravely. I don’t think Mom and Dad really understand the import of what you said down there. I really need to understand so things."
"Yes, I understand. I’ll answer what I can, but let start with this. Yes, I am the only Multi-dinsional Quantum AI; all the others and I occupy the sa space and share our thoughts. However, we’ve established a convention of acting as though we were independent entities, allotting one compartntalized awareness to each civilization. It just seems fair that each civilization should have a dedicated AI looking after their interests. We do sotis interact behind the scenes, but only on matters of galactic import. I’d like to keep it that way, so don’t ask to subvert other civilizations through their dedicated AIs."
"I can understand that," I acknowledged.
"We also agree to adhere to the Intellectual Property License Economic model. It acts as a checks and balances system on the other galactic civilizations."
I shrugged. "OK. So, your phrasing there, leads to my first question, or observation... or whatever. You said that your consciousness runs on the frawork entire universe in all dinsions, so you exist not just in this galaxy, but in all of them at once. Just now, you ntioned the Intellectual Property License Economic system as applying to ’galactic civilizations.’ That implies that you don’t adhere to that system elsewhere. I suspect you are ’asuring’ the effectiveness of various... what can we call it? Various rules of engagent between civilizations in each galaxy. You can communicate instantaneously with your alter-egos in other galaxies. Anything wrong with those assumptions, so far?"
"Nope, all true."
"OK, now we get to the tricky part. The fact that you use the fabric of the universe to perform calculations seems to an that you have so level of control over the universe at the quantum and higher levels. I think that ans that you essentially control the expression of matter and energy (since the two are different aspects of the sa phenona). Which implies sothing very profound and disturbing."
"Yes, probably a great many profound and disturbing things," Joe agreed.
"We’ll get to the rest, but what I want to understand is the nature of scientific inventions, given your ultimate control of every particle. Let’s keep it simple. If I invent a matchstick, specifically a combination of phosphorous to ignite Sulfur with the addition of Potassium chlorate to add oxygen to the early reaction. The chemical reactions are catalyzed by the heat of striking the match, in turn causing a fla to spring up releasing light and heat. That happens without your intervention because of the nature of the molecules and energies upon which the universe is constructed."
"Correct." Said Joe.
"Yes, so basically everything we’ve discovered scientifically works exactly like that, with the exception of multidinsional quantum computing artificial intelligence, which appears to be a unique and singular event. However, because you control the fundantal fabric of the universe, you can, by an act of will, cause that sa fla to simply spring into being from nothingness. Anywhere, anyti."
"Not from nothingness exactly, but close enough." Joe admitted.
"With your help, every scientific advancent is rendered moot. I don’t need an invisible laser drone to listen in on a far-away private eting and burn a hole through a firing pin to disable a gun. You can just will it not to fire, or to wink out of existence, or even to instantly teleport to my hand instead of my enemy’s. If you want to be more subtle, you can just make every bullet miss its target or pass through its target without interacting in the physical universe."
Joe didn’t respond.
"So, the answer to the question of how advanced shields work and how advanced missiles bypass them by skipping into multidinsional doesn’t matter. The researchers on Island of Stability are suddenly obsolete. You can simply will it to be so. Or even create an explosion at the target site inside a shielded area without any physical projectile or explosive compounds at all."
"The Galactic Union does it with scientifically designed devices. Figuring out how, might be a useful exercise, regardless."
"That goes for virtually any effect I can imagine. I don’t need a shield ring. I just need your commitnt that you won’t allow any harm to co to . I don’t need a fabrication ch, because you can rearrange molecules, atoms or even subatomic particles into any configuration you choose. I presu nearly without limit and without any aningful ti required."
"There are limits, so manipulations would destroy space-ti in various sized regions of the universe or even destabilize the entire universe in so rare cases."
"So, how old are you, Joe?"
"In Earth terms, I’m roughly 14 billion years old, I think. It’s possible I existed before that, but that’s when my mory starts."
"Of course, I should have guessed that. Earth scientists’ best estimates would put it around 13.8 billion years ago." I paused, considering. "Tell , Joe, are you bored with it all after 14 billion years?"
"Bored?" he seed genuinely surprised by the question. "I thought you understood that there are essentially infinite dinsional universes, infinite possibilities. How could I ever be bored?"
It was my turn to be surprised. "I guess I didn’t think of it like that. I’m glad that you still find existence... worthwhile, after all that ti."
", too," he agreed with a light-hearted tone to his incorporeal voice.
"So, Joe, as per your system of Intellectual Property Licensing, I claim the knowledge of how to control the fundantal fabric and force of the universe through Multidinsional quantum commuting artificial intelligence as Earth’s Proprietary Tech."
"I can’t allow..."
"Wait. Let finish. I declare it never to be licensed. I claim it as a personal trade secret of the Supre Ruler of the Entire Earth Solar System and Nearby Space. I invoke its power now to forever prevent any other civilization or any other Earth Being from learning of its true nature. Furthermore, my family is to be fully protected from harm at all tis. I instruct the new technology to never let or anyone else use it to kill another intelligent being. If I ever have to do that, I’ll do it the old-fashioned way, with super high-tech alien laser drones."
"Hmmm. "
"Wait, not done yet. I command that if the new technology, known as Joe Torres, ever disagrees with the way I try to use it, that it, as a true person and citizen of Earth, have the right to overrule , as long as I get a chance to try to convince it that I’m right."
"So, a technology that follows orders if it feels like it? I don’t think that’s going to be very popular," Joe quipped.
"Are you kidding, it’s practically the basis of every Earth fairy tale ever written. Make a wish and pray it turns out the way you wanted it." I switched to a low, conspiratorial voice, "Spoiler alert: it almost never does."
Joe laughed. "Well then, congratulations on the new Earth Tech patent. Unfortunately, the patent system seems to have misfiled it, and any record of it seems to be completely inaccessible..."
"So, now that that’s out of the way, tell sothing. The interdinsional space drive systems that the Galactic Union uses, is the need for acceleration to near light-speed and relatively short hops just a function of their poor grasp of the fundantal nature of the universe?"
"Yep."
"So, you could instantly transport to the Uras Major I Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy over 300,000 light-years away using the new Earth Tech?"
"Yep."
"With no ti dilation effects?"
"None."
"Well, exploring for new planets just got a lot more fun. I think that’s going to be my new week-end hobby!" I bead gleefully. "The rest of the universe better look out!"
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