Returning to Merlin
As they make their return to Merlin, Heather is able to gain more information about what kind of civilization created 011 and now apparently exists as virtual beings.
Or computer simulations of beings, from another perspective.
Or is there a difference?
011 is unable to supply some information- without access to a more potent computer system with astronomic information 011 cannot even begin to describe where in space its civilization is.
It cannot be too far away, as the Carelian ship did not have time to travel far before it began to lose control to 011. Carelian ships are on the whole slower than Human ships, and on long journeys they tend to be even slower, because they are traveling extremely long distances and must be frugal with fuel and other resources.
Getting a rough idea of the time and an estimate of how fast a Carinian "Junkyard B" could have been moving during that time, it is likely somewhere between 50 and 100 light years. That's too long for most Human ships to travel without refueling. The Crossers manage distances like that, and some other civilizations do it with ease. For Humans, only some specialized research and military vessels can make a run like that... and return.
There are several key turning points in the history of an intelligent species. Once this was pure speculation, now, with alien civilizations to study, it is science. One critical point is the development of "true" artificial intelligence, generalized machine intelligence that functions at or better than the intelligence of the civilization creating it. It is considered such a dangerous event that it is forbidden by the aliens who sponsored the transition of Humanity to a space traveling culture.
011's civilization took a different path. They developed AI technology and soon saw AI programs as a way to cheat death and live in paradise: they created themselves... or simulations of themselves... and moved into virtual worlds that catered to their whims.
According to 011, this wasn't the result of individuals thinking they would "transfer their souls" into a machine, there was nothing metaphysical about it. At first, they were fully aware that that the original biological being died. But they did it, at first, to preserve loved ones. They never had to say goodbye.
A curious but in hindsight predictable thing happened. These preserved virtual minds were such good copies that, from their own point of view, they felt what the originals did.
If you created a virtual copy of your dying mother, the copy loved you. Just as the biological beings did not want to say goodbye to the dying, neither did the virtual beings. So over time, they persuaded others: life is better this way, when your time comes, join us. Or maybe join us before your time comes... all that flesh is holding you back from really enjoying life.
There have been no biologicals for a long long time now. Each of the billions of virtual citizens has lived thousands of lifetimes- memories are periodically "renewed" (because how can you be an authentic simulation of yourself if you carry around thousands of years of memories in your head) and lifetimes reset. The virtual environments improved over time. Eventually, the AI masters discovered that the citizens were happier not knowing the environment was virtual, because as long as they knew, the knowledge that the world wasn't real could affect them. So eventually, as the lives were reset and the virtual environment became advanced enough, that knowledge was simply cut off.
They all think their lives are absolutely real.
Except for a few.
The AI programs realized that there would come times when decisions would have to be made that should be made by "real" members of their society. When this becomes necessary such as in contact with other civilizations, the AI's "activate" a few- virtual recreations of individuals who know they are virtual recreations.
According to 011, these are recreations of individuals who were praised for their wisdom in their original lives. When- if- true contact is made, it will be with these, not the four random and unlucky individuals currently dormant within 011's memory nodes.
All of that is way, way, way above 011's level, of course. 011 was just supposed to "manage" a few people, not make historical decisions or deal with aliens. This was all just a ridiculous accident.
However...
"Should your civilization choose to contact ours, which would be necessary for the return of myself and the four I care for, you would be most suitable for contact. It is logical, you have the most experience with us."