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    Contagion
    Contagion
    Contagion
    Ebook81 pages52 minutes

    Contagion

    By Joseph J. Bailey

    ()

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    About this ebook

    He woke to a dying world.

    AI's failing.

    Datastreams withering.

    The Verse crumbling.

    Populations shattered.

    Civilizations lost.

    And his thoughts were on his lost love.

    He had every right to be selfish.

    His self was all he had left.

    The nanoswarms had taken everything else.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherJoseph J. Bailey
    Release dateFeb 10, 2018
    ISBN9780989458276
    Contagion

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      Book preview

      Contagion - Joseph J. Bailey

      Ends Begin

      Al, increase the resolution on the lower left quadrant. His subvocalization, his thought, connected him, one mind to another, directly with his Linked personal AI.

      Al was such a part of him that he really didn’t need to fully describe his intent… but some habits die hard.

      Talking, even if only in his own mind, was one of them.

      Got it, Jim! The fully realized three-dimensional holographic sculpture rotated, pivoting gracefully about its central axis as Al manipulated the image.

      This commission touched him deeply, resonating in a way that few pieces did. Although he hoped others felt the same way about his Abstractions, one could never be quite certain.

      Different minds worked differently no matter how grounded in the commonality of virtual experience or shared mindscapes.

      To the casual observer, this Abstraction appeared to be a complex revolving liquid moving about a focal point, irregularly toroidal, made up of many independent flows, each perhaps an unfettered stream or series of small cascades rushing over hidden submerged rocks. All the while, the clear fluids composing the piece merged and diverged, reappearing and disappearing, weaving an intricate mosaic of light and sound, obscuring the liquid’s path and the piece’s depths, mentally engaging the viewer while creating an air of mystery and interest. Added to the soothing sounds of the moving liquids—each note altering the inner state of the observer—the core slowly radiated with gentle pulses of light, stimulating introspection.

      Within the field of observation and engagement, the Abstraction also monitored and subtly adjusted the mental and physical state of the participant along various sensory modalities.

      Orchestrating all these highly dynamic elements to induce the desired feelings of unbounded stillness in the observer was the primary purpose of this Creation and the principle challenge of its Creator.

      With a slight push, he adjusted the course’s flow, carefully monitoring the effects of the change on his own simulated intelligence, the representation depicted through Al’s Projection.

      Excellent, Jim! I think you’ve got it! Al’s encouragements were the words of an enthusiastic friend echoing through his consciousness.

      Apparently Al saw exactly what Jim felt. Or rather exactly what Jim’s Projected self’s mindstate felt.

      With a smile, Jim shut down his simulated mindstate, engaged the fully tweaked Abstraction, and said, I’m going in.

      Movement and light streamed before his eyes, a whirling vortex gently but inexorably drawing him in. Opening himself to the sensation, he let the play of light, sound, movement, and other stimulations run their course, his mind settling, his thoughts quieting, disappearing until all was light.

      Deeply settled, without regard to time or self, awareness expanded in stillness.

      The harsh, undeniable ringing of alarm klaxons ended his reverie.

      Jim! Jim! Wake up!

      Disoriented, unsure how much time had passed, he opened his eyes as his sensation of self slowly, reluctantly returned. The rotating luminescent Abstraction still filled his vision. Disengaging, he looked out the wall-to-wall window of his flat onto the cityscape far below to reestablish his bearings.

      What is it, Al?

      The FEEDs are flooded with emergency announcements of the highest priority. I have overridden your induced torpor. You’ve been out too long. Things are bad and getting worse. You need to tune in.

      With a blink of his eyes and a slight mental impetus, Jim activated his Net to catch the most appropriate FEED.

      Gazing out the window, he swam the Verse. The iridescent building were swathed in shimmering lights alongside cascades of growing things. The air itself gamboled with multicolored branches, halos, and fields of flowing luminescence—scintillating data feeds offering access to the dataverse.

      Selecting a particularly robust informational helix, his actions intuitively guided by Al, he dove in, quickly winnowing the data flows until he found one that met his needs.

      The disembodied face of a Projected reporter filled his mind’s eye, probably an autonomous AI monitoring the latest reports. I repeat, all citizens are asked to remain calm. Please stay home. Do not congregate. Rely on your building’s independent medical, power, and food supplies for your needs. Do not risk your health through over-curiosity and potential exposure.

      Still listening in real time, he asked, What’s this all about, Al?

      His tone serious, Al replied, Do you wish for me to translate a complete assessment to your mindstate directly?

      Jim didn’t want an influx of complex streams of data. He just wanted a straightforward answer. Just tell me please. Simply.

      "There has been an outbreak, Jim. Some kind of highly volatile contagion. One of the first major outbreaks appears to have been here. The source is, surprisingly, as yet unclear. It is, in fact, unlike anything we have encountered.

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