Reporting it all to the Commonwealth diplomatic office...

But meanwhile, they learn what they can from conversations with O11.  It's a little one sided- 011 has very little curiosity about Humans. It is focused on returning home, and how it will do that, and if information seems to lead to answers in that direction, it asks.  Otherwise, it does not seem to care.

On the other hand, it shares information about the civilization that created it. There are limits. There are things 011 is unwilling or unable to discuss- technology, for one.  But you get the idea that they could have colonized beyond their star system, but never did.  And now, have no need or desire too, they have all found all the paradise they need.

The creatures that built the "ancestors" to 011 lived a long time ago.  011 never met them.  011 was built by machines who were built by machines who were built by machines.  The "Original Realspace Lifeforms" are far in the past.  They were shaggy furred creatures, adapted to a colder, drier climate than the one that nurtured Humanity.  They were very long lived, and looked something like large bipedal hairy groundhogs.  As the are currently represented in their virtual existence, their looks haven't changed- as far as they all know, they are still large bipedal hairy groundhogs, though there hasn't been one alive in... 011 is not clear on the time.  You get the feeling it must at least be in the tens of thousands of years since the last "realspace" creature of their kind died.

Sounds and vocal languages, as Humans have learned, are virtually universal among aliens.  Very few are naturally deaf.  Planets have atmospheres, physics demands that those atmospheres transmit sound, so life evolves to hear it, then make it. The sounds of the language tend to be those that go well with the acoustic properties of the atmosphere.  For these creatures, it was fairly close to Earth's.   So they had spoken language, and they had names.  As with most aliens, their word for themselves would translate something like "People" but as 011 manages to say in the Farm Game, it sounds like "Vigid".

So the Vigids were shaggy, cold adapted, long lived herbivores.   Like Earth beavers, they were into engineering long before they reached actual sentience.  Towns came first for them, then true intelligence.  They were social creatures, more so than humans- for Vigids, an introvert would be considered mentally deficient.

Perhaps the bonds they formed drove them to find ways to sustain them after death.

And perhaps the Vigid outlook is echoed in 011, who, judging by known records, is fairly friendly and outgoing for an alien computer program.  Although 011 is adamant that is not a Vigid and is not even sentient, none of the caretakers are.

(Hannah raises a small issue- How is it that the computer systems are not sentient but the "virtual beings" represented entirely within those systems are?  Isn't that a paradox?  011 has a ready dodge for this and every other issue it does not wish to address:  It is incapable of answering the question.)

And they deliver a report.

And await a reply.  When it comes, it is in the form of more questions.  It seems the local office does not know whether to assume that you have actually contacted an alien species, or merely communicated with a piece of lost alien technology.

The Commonwealth is a large bureaucracy sprawling across many worlds, and a desire for consistency and stability, coupled with the distances between stars, means that the more unusual a decision is, the longer it takes for it to happen.  The first instinct for many Commonwealth government officials is to pass it along to higher ups.

The Albatross is given a directive to wait, with no time estimate given.  Just a "We are working on it" from the local office at Merlin.

Waiting for the Commonwealth to come to a decision...

Contact with an uncontacted alien race is a Big Deal.  Heather knows this, of course.  There is a whole Commonwealth agency that does this.  It is entirely too easy to make cultural mistakes early on.  Different civilizations have different assumptions about what is right or wrong, and what is acceptable.  Lipaps accept that 99% or more of their juveniles will die before reaching adulthood- they consider this right and proper and several other civilizations, primarily the Oumo, did a lot of work to convince them that this is fairly unusual, and that most intelligent species will not look upon the deaths of their children as an important, wholesome, culling of the weak.

011 is too machine to be "nervous" but has increasing doubts about what to expect when the Human "specialists" arrive to take over.

Meanwhile...

There seems to have been a leak.  Suddenly, the ship is bombarded...

Interview requests from Merlin media.  Just about every producer on Merlin, from major networks to local semi-professionals.  Offers begin to roll in, with rewards depending on how open and how exclusive the crew is willing to be.

Liz does her best to assure 011 that has his (and his charges) best interests in mind. With that she sends off a rather uncompromising, sternly worded message to her previous handlers in the Commonwealth letting them know that as she has established trust and rapport with the AI, she will act as the point of contact and liaison between 011 and the Commonwealth.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:52, Mon 01 Feb 2021.

In reply to Heather MacKenzie (msg # 127):

Einar seals the ship and refuses to discuss anything until the ship is cleared to make a statement.

In reply to Einar Karvonen (msg # 128):

"Need any assistance Heather? Or is the communication line open and functioning well?"

"At this time the Albatross is still in orbit, and neither the crew nor the Navy has been able to give us a report.  Rumors, however, still swirl about the ship's unusual mission, and the so called Rogue Carinian observed during the battle that crippled the frigate Guadalajara. Does the Albatross actually have a Carinian aboard?  In the absence of official spokespersons, let's talk to some experienced starship officers for their opinions.  Captain Becker, should we be panicking?"

"Well panic is probably too strong a word, but yes, I am concerned..."

 

Lacking real news, the media outlets on Merlin do their best to speculate and invent some.  The crew of the Albatross isn't talking... so the media writers invent their own scenarios. Curiously, the one young journalist who raised "what if it's something entirely new?" was quickly ignored, and that line of thought never returned.

The Navy arrives.. a little late to the party, but they have a lot to do.  "Secure the area" seems to be a natural inclination, and a squadron of warships continues on towards the encounter area shortly after arriving at Merlin.  Left behind is a transport and an old "Patrol Carrier", the Brittany.  The Brittany was built to act as mother ship for a squadron of reconnaissance craft which would spread out to cover a lot of distance- the ship would watch over Humanity's long exposed flanks that were too huge for the battle fleets to keep an eye on.

They contact the Albatross.  They would like to send over a contact specialist to talk to this "alien machine".

Boris notes with a quiet sigh:  we already did that.

"I'm good, thank you, Horace. We're still establishing trust and setting parameters for future discussions. If I need anyone you'll be the first person I come to," she told him, giving him a genuine smile.

Said smile vanished when she heard The Navy had arrived and wanted someone, a 'specialist', to come in and speak with 011. "Please alert the Navy there's an Ambassador and contact specialist on site who has established trust with the being known as 011. Tell them it's Heather MacKenzie and I guarantee once that get back to the brass that I've assumed command where this first contact scenario began playing out. Remind them I have a Top Secret Need to Know security clearance and have an established rapport with the being entrusted to watch over his charges."

The others on the Albatross have never actually seen this in action before... but as it turns out, Heather MacKenzie is actually a name of importance in the diplomatic world.

It's not just Heather MacKenzie, it's Heather MacKenzie!

In the field of alien contact, there is something of a paradox.  If you are out there on the frontier, you won't be immersed in the world of academics.  If you are an academic star, you won't be out on the frontier where first contacts occur.  There are plenty of diplomats who work with the known aliens.  They do so from the "comfortable worlds", heading out into the void only rarely.  Few do it out in the frontier.

This creates a problem for the Navy in this circumstance.  On the Albatross, you can imagine what they must be thinking, even though it's unsaid:  First contacts are delicate, and if we barge in and take over Heather MacKenzie's contact, we might screw it up and then... that would be bad.

It would be different if it was just scavengers or explorers or even quasi-respectable scientists like the Consciousness Research people.  Then, they would be taking over from people who might not know what they're doing.

The fame that comes from initiating a first contact is not nearly so intense as the infamy that results from screwing one up.**  Heather already has the claim to the fame...

The mental calculations on the Navy ship lead to the inevitable:  there is little to gain in taking over, and much to lose.  So their next question is:  "Do you need assistance with this contact?"

Followed by a discreet suggestion that just in case their is a threat of some kind, they stay very close.


**Of all the known alien civilizations, the Mimosans are the most paranoid about messing up a communication with an alien being, and so they have a reputation as the galaxy's preeminent contact and diplomacy specialists.  The down side is that Mimosans communications are so detailed and precise, to prevent accidental misunderstanding or insult, that a good portion of it is actually complex and very redundant formal set theory, and very tedious.

"Assistance is neither required nor requested at this time vis-à-vis the contact however, I could use a shielded, high-powered computer with a lot of memory and processor power and no way of connecting to other systems either wireless or via a connection," Heather sent back.

She hit the internal comms. "Hey, Boss. A Navy ship is going to be dropping off a system with more power that I can move our guests into. They'll also remain close but not too close in case we run into any issues."

Those things just don't grow on trees.**  Portable high power shielded computers aren't things everyone carries.

But very fortunately, the Brittany does.  It's normal mission is to be mothership to a group of scout craft, sweeping through the long, lonely stretches of space core-ward from the Main Line, seeking signs of Carinian intrusion, or... whatever.

The scout craft are sophisticated little beasts, designed not for surveying planets to detect the faintest traces of signals and power emissions from alien ships, while staying as stealthy as possible themselves.  It's a delicate game- generally, the first thing a scout craft does when detecting a possible contact is quietly and gently position itself so that if the contact looks back in the direction of the scout craft, it is looking directly at a star.  At the same time, it aims its array of powerful sensors at the contact.  It is designed to detect and analyze the weakest, most ambiguous signals without being compromised itself.

Naturally, to do this, the scout craft has a high powered, very shielded computer.

They get to work on cleaning the computer on a scout craft, erasing all the data and software of possible military use.  It's full of advanced military signal processing stuff and they are in no mood to turn that over to an alien... even one talking to Heather MacKenzie.

They can clean the computer, they can isolate it, but removing it from the scout craft is a difficult procedure.

So they have a question.

They ask if this is a time sensitive matter.  If so, they will simply send over the whole reconnaissance craft.  Albatross has a big cargo hold.







**(Several alien races would dispute that point.  That's not the issue)

Einar waits on the navy to come with their aid with the alien, not sure when that would be. He gives Heather everything she needs that HE can provide.

With the Navy's aid, they set up a better isolated computer system for the alien to use.

When they mean isolated, they mean isolated.  When they learn that the alien is actually a computer system more advanced than any Human system, isolated means "away from an inhabited planet that it could somehow exploit by sending out subtle signals we don't even understand".

It means leaving, for now, the convenience of Merlin, as well as the salvage technicians.  The have been paid... of course they see potential bonuses here in making themselves available to the media.  The Navy folks advise against it.. but there's only so far they can go.  Things tend to "slip" when there's exciting news and money involved.  And as every government learns eventually, too much "information management" can lead to rumors and wild theories filling the void left by a shortage of actual information.

They expect it's only a matter of time before everyone knows that an exotic new alien civilization has been discovered- one which apparently exists only as a massive computer simulation.

Speaking of which...

011 finds the capabilities of the Navy's computer much more acceptable.  It meets the minimum standards for the "insertion" of its people.  It is not home, though.  It is strange and alien and lacks many things, for one, the billions of other Vigids.

011 is in something of a dilemma.  It understands what Heather is trying to do, which is communicate directly with it's people.  But by putting them in this environment, it would be violating a rule- the Vigids, except for a chosen few, cannot know that they are in an artificial environment because they would not have "true" lives.  And yet, without that, how can it return home?  But with that.. .how could it return home, carrying four lives that have been changed by "real" information?  They would not be permitted to rejoin.

Exploring the human game environments, it seizes upon an idea.

Backup points!

011 informs Heather and the others:  "I will create an environment suitable for the expression of the four individuals for whom I am caretaker.  When we return to our system, they must be restored to their current status.  All that they learn must be forgotten.  The environment will use the farm game theme as a base.   You will continue to experience it as a farm.  I can make the four Vigids approximate true Vigid appearance if you wish, or anything else.  But they will experience it differently.  Their experience will be in a Vigid agricultural facility approximating your farm.  They will not see you as you are but as Vigids as well.  I will use their memories to create images for them.  This is my attempt to reduce the shock.  I will create this environment now.  When it is done and you are prepared, you may enter the environment and communicate."

Horace just watched Heather work in wonder, not knowing how she could do it. He had great respect for her.

011 has one more condition...

"When you enter the farm environment to speak to my people, I cannot be there as well.  I am prohibited from revealing to them that they are in an artificial environment, therefore, I am prohibited from revealing my own existence.  They must not believe that the techniques of synthetic computation and simulation are as advanced as they are.  If that happens, it may inflict unnecessary distress on them, and I cannot allow this.  If you require me, communicate with me in this interface.  I can suspend all processes in the farm environment at any time. This will cause the subjective experiences of the Vigids to be suspended as well- they will experience no passage of time until processes are resumed.

"We may begin the new farm environment at any time, if you tell me how you wish to perceive them."

Up until now, 011 and Heather have been engaging in what is mostly a one to one meeting between two civilizations:  Heather, representing all of Humanity, and 011, representing the Vigids.

011 announces it perceives and imbalance.  If it is to place its four Vigid.. persons?.. intelligences?.. simulations... it seems there are no words that precisely define what they are.  But if 011 is to place them into the simulated farm environment, it is only fair that while Heather has broader access to Vigids, they get broader access to humanity.

Thus, the opportunity to engage in this contact is extended to others.

And yes, it may be that Heather is the only one with professional contact training.  On the other hand, none of the Vigids are.  Vigid "personalities" live multiple lifetimes, and are then recycled and restored to run again.  They are immortal.  But, their memories are not.

Of the four Vigid personalities currently stored, one is currently a juvenile, yet to experience its full life.  Another, according to 011, is in its later years, having had a family and spending much time devoted to the collection, breeding, care and display of exotic, colorful, aquatic creatures.  The others are adults and the parents of the juvenile.  One has a profession that sounds like "maid" but is apparently something of much higher status among the Vigids.  The maintenance of orderly and hygienic conditions in homes is considered a high art.

They are just four unfortunate, random beings who were stolen from their civilization by the interference of the Carinian- none are in any way professionally prepared for an encounter with an alien race.  In fact, the Vigids are not even aware aliens exist.  The caretakers are, but within the simulated environments the Vigids live, there are no aliens.

In reply to The Boss (msg # 139):

Are we still playing, or are we done now?

The question is, who is left here and what do they want to do?

I see three real options at the moment:

1)  Follow up on these strange virtual existence aliens, wherever that goes.

2)  Make some use of the brief fame and celebrity as word of this spreads- over Merlin first.

3)  Try to get back to ordinary business.

and 4

If there are only one or 2 players left, try to combine with the other group.

In reply to The Boss (msg # 141):

Those would work. Heard from Heather?

I’m here. Life has been pure madness for the past few months but I yet live.

In reply to Heather MacKenzie (msg # 143):

:-) Great! Healing yet or are you good now?

Some lingering physical and mental issues from the accident (PTSS) but I'm doing much better than I was before. Thank you for asking. :)

In reply to Heather MacKenzie (msg # 145):

Don't be afraid to talk about it, it helps healing. Glad you're doing better! We can hook back up in game and continue on soon.

"I am ready when you are, 011. As for how they will appear - please make them appear in forms they would find familiar so the forms they wear now. Too great a change may cause damaging cognitive dissonance," Heather told 011.

"Everyone be ready: this is truly First Contact."

Alwin observed quietly, aware that this was an important moment where much could go wrong if not approached properly.

In reply to Heather MacKenzie (msg # 147):

Horace waited impatiently, a lot of anxiety! but he waited with confidence in Heather!