Chapter Twenty-Three
The Penumbra
Pink Floyd’s “Us and Them” was playing on the Pandora
app on the TV. Jill was explaining more
of her ideas about the thing she called the Ouroboros Machine:
“You know how a lunar eclipse works, right? With the Umbra and Penumbra? Well, it seems to me that if a super-intelligent
AI Singleton were to be created, it would, as I have already explained, work to
take control of the parameters of reality itself to ensure its survival, and
retroactively, its creation. The way I
see it, is that the time of its actual existence would be like the Umbra stage,
unmistakable, clear, and obvious.
Whereas, the penumbral stage would be the area where it could have some
effect on the world, but much more subtly.
Outside of the umbra and penumbra it would be powerless to effect the
changes it needs, but within those areas it could work.”
“Why would it need to ensure its creation, if it has
already been created?” I asked.
“Good question, Alex.
Because of competition.”
“I thought you said it was a singleton?”
“Sure, in this universe. But it must worry about other versions of
different super-intelligent AI singletons from parallel universes. When any of
them get powerful enough, they will seek to spread across the multiverse, to
attain total control, just like our singleton.
From the perspective of our Ouroboros Machine, any competitors that got
control of time first, could undo its creation.
So, it seems to me, that potential, rival AI would be its biggest
threat.”
So, what would happen in the penumbra phase?”
“Simple, it would use small hacks to push the
development of first life, then intelligent life, namely us. It would push technological development. Remember it needs to be created. It will have to ensure it, and that no other
singletons are created in this universe.
That’s what it needs us for…to create it…so it can create the universe,
so it will come to exist.”
“So, it would need a high level of technological
development to be created, but then it would probably try and stop such
technological progress once its development is ensured, so another, more
advanced singleton isn’t created after.” I suggested, taking a hit off the
bong.
“Yeah,” said Jill.
“You got it. The way to know
we’re reaching the umbra is when technology starts going backwards. Personally, I think we’re deep into the
penumbra period. Shit, I wouldn’t be
surprised if all of you superheroes and villains were created to push things
along, to move us towards the gaping maw of its existence. After that, it won’t need us, anymore. That’s what I worry about.”
As we were soon to find out, she was much closer to
the truth than even she suspected.
(c)Copyright 2020, by Diana Hignutt
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