Abode 17, District 46
Sector 3, Mainframe 1
Standard Date 2638.152 Standard Time 21.30
“I still don’t understand the purpose of this ridiculous ritual, mother.”
“It’s the way I had it four hundred years ago and it’s the way you’ll do it today, so deal with it Beta.”
The young man sighed and looked at the dish in front of him. Exactly eighteen cylindrical candles stood in two concentric circles on a clean white cake. The only splash of color surrounded the cake as a curled chocolate lace embedded in the snowy frosting. The room was lit by nothing but the flickering light of the candles, dimly shining on the two of their faces.
“So have you made your wish?”
He looked up at his mother for a few seconds. “Yes.”
“Then blow out the candles,” she said, sounding slightly giddy.
Raising an eyebrow, Beta blew out all in one fluid breath. Smoke spiraled up as his mother turned on the lights with a quick command. The room instantly filled with flat, white light that evenly lit every surface in the room. The table was sitting in the center of the kitchen—an outdated room Beta’s mother had opted for when designing the house. The walls were as pure white as the cake, offset only by a few pieces of abstract art dotted around the room.
“So mother,” Beta said, sitting down. “I was continuing my studies on technological advancement around Standard Date 2000 and came across something peculiar. Many of our resources were being devoted to the progress of entertainment.”
“Is that right? What do you suppose that means?”
She began to cut the cake into portions, revealing the raspberry and strawberry layered with creamy chocolate and fluffy vanilla. Beta continued to speak as he poured the milk.
“Well, it seems to have seriously hindered their advancement of computing technology. Even human brains were more powerful than computers at the time. Had people not worried about making movies, games, and those ridiculous ‘television’ shows, my calculations show that the technological singularity would have been reached approximately 67 Standard years earlier.”
A small smile crept onto his mother’s face. “But where is the fun in that?” she said softly, looking down at her plate.
Four hundred years ago, her brother came bursting into the room as she was watching a T.V. show.
“Adet! Did you hear? The final tests have come back. The AIs were just confirmed to be self-sustaining. We don’t have to do anything anymore. We can live virtually from now on! Imagine doing anything you want with just a command. Get off of those silly cartoons and come see this!”
She turned to him and stared, open-mouthed and wide-eyed. So they had finally done it. They had finally made the body useless.
“I know, right? We should hurry there so we can reserve a good location in the global consciousness,” he said, misunderstanding her expression.
“I’ll catch up to you,” she managed.
He shrugged. “Your loss.” With that he rushed out of the room.
She stood up, breathing what she knew were her last real breaths of air. Her body would be no more. She would play no more real sports and no longer feel the rush of real adrenaline. She could no longer have real fun. The consciousness can only do so much.
“I don’t follow.”
Her head snapped back up. “Never mind. Anyways, you were saying?”
“Well, SD 2000 was the beginning of a real advancement in computing technology. Mankind had basic computers before then, but in the years to follow, there was a rapid growth. But they wasted these computers creating works of entertainment. Now, if they had run more simulations on quantum computing and worked seriously on artificial intelligence, the technological singularity would have been easy to reach.”
“But why should we have tried to reach it sooner?”
“To advance civilization of course! The faster we invent technology, the faster humans will develop. Imagine where we could be today if that singularity had been reached even a few years earlier.”
“But what is the point?” she mumbled to herself.
She looked thoughtful for a moment then decided to change the subject. “You know, all this studying is excellent, of course, but you never do anything else.”
He cocked his head slightly. “What else would I do? Engaging in activity other than promoting the advancement of human civilization is illogical.”
She rolled her eyes and took another bite of the cake.
“I guess I’ll never get through to you like this, huh?” He just stared, uncomprehending. “You know what, why don’t you turn Dreamworld on tonight?”
He looked more baffled than before. “But mother! I would waste valuable night in a silly simulation that could be spent in Workspace.”
“You always spend your sleep in that stupid white box, doing exactly what you do during the day. Relax a little in a free open space.” He looked utterly unconvinced. “Okay fine, think of it as a research project. You know how you were studying entertainment from SD 2000? Well why don’t you get some real experience. I know just the Sim!”
“Real experience? How is that going to help me?”
“Of course it will help, Beta. You can’t just go memorizing facts. You need to understand why people acted the way they did. Understanding the past is the first step to improving the present. It is only logical.”
“Alright fine. What is the Sim?” he asked, looking more upset than before.
“I think I will keep that as a surprise,” said his mother, a twinkle in her eyes. “Computer, load an old Sim of mine into Beta’s Dreamworld tonight.”
There was a double beep, and the room filled up with a cool female robotic voice. It was subtly accented with British English. “Accessing Sim data. Please identify the Sim to be loaded.”
She grinned broadly. “Equestria.”
“Loading Equestria. Complete. Sim will be activated upon sleep cycle.”
“What is ‘Equestria’? Sounds ridiculous.”
His mother just quietly focused on finishing her cake, smiling broadly as ever.
“Ugh,” said Beta, turning around and stomping off, leaving his piece unfinished.
“Computer, transport to bedroom.” After the two beeps, Beta found himself rematerialized in his bedroom, his clothes switched to his nightdress and his teeth automatically cleaned.
The room had a perfect square floor, with one end of the bed flat against the center of a wall and the other end extending to the center of the room. The room was almost entirely unfurnished save for a desk with a console floating above it. The room was pearl white, with dark taupe sheets perfectly folded over the bed.
The floor merged seamlessly with the walls while the walls curved upward to the ceiling. There were no sharp corners in sight, there was no window, and there was no door. There was only one piece of art in the entire room: a mysterious painting of black and white bands radiating from a small center of color. The center changed color as the viewer moved.
He climbed into bed, not yet activating the sleep subroutine.
“Computer, open Study SD 2000. Create sub-project ‘Equestria’. Add log, titled ‘A waste of time’. Begin recording.
“Today I am eighteen. I don’t feel any different of course. Not even since my mother insisted on that ‘birthday party’ ritual she always does, which I suspect was an old tradition from before The Upload. I really don’t understand how things worked back then, how people could live like that, how they could advance. They were wasting so much of their time on useless endeavors that I’m surprised we even are at this point. But I guess that’s what this project is for. To understand those times I mean.
“My mother lived back then, so I tried to get her to explain it all. Unsurprisingly, she spoke illogically as ever. This concept of ‘fun’ she mentioned, which is a pleasure of the body, was discarded when we discarded our bodies, so what relevance could it have to our minds? I suppose I will learn about it tonight.
“That brings me to the starting of this project. I have decided to name it after this mysterious world of Mother’s—who pointlessly kept its identity from me, in the name of ‘surprise’. I feel like I’m rolling my eyes more often than usual. I suppose that is another remnant of our bodies. I wonder if I can program that out…
“Back on topic, I felt logically inclined to partake in this experience as it will be a learning opportunity, and adding knowledge to the collective consciousness directly advances our civilization. But I admit it is because of more than that. These past years my mother has constantly spoken of the old times, times I could not comprehend. Something in my programming is pushing me to pursue it. I will have to study this phenomenon some more. But that will be done after I obtain some preliminary data. And so I begin a metaphorical trip to the past.
“Computer, end log.
“Activate sleep cycle.”
***
Abode 17, Beta’s Room
REM Cycle, Program Equestria
SD 2638.153 ST 00.15, Local Time 9.15
Outskirts of Ponyville
A cool spring breeze swept low into the ground, curved by the gentle slopes of the meadow. Its ripple left on the grass caused the vividly verdant hillside to sparkle as water droplets shifted angles to the sun. A few dots of blue, yellow, and deep red were quite randomly spaced throughout the field while groups of other multicolor flowers formed tight clumps, all seeming to welcome a nearby bipedal form.
Beta, lying supine with his face away from the sun, slowly opened his eyes; only, however, to slam them shut again as his senses were assaulted by bright lights and unnatural colors. After a few deep breaths of the richly scented air, his eyes decided to brave this new world, squinting slightly until they could adjust to the lighting.
Beta sat up slightly, crossing his legs and resting his back on a raised area of the meadow. His gaze shifted from left to right slowly, trying hard to take in the sheer amount of data without overloading his sensory subroutines. He sighed.
“Computer, create new log, titled ‘My eyes hurt’. Begin recording.”
After the double tone from addressing the computer, a blue tinted transparent construct phased into the simulation by Beta’s side. It stated in fine print that it was currently recording, showed a written printout of what was being recorded, and also stated the elapsed time. A cursor pulsed gently at the top of a blank screen.
The construct bobbed up and down, almost imperceptibly, as he began to speak.
“Well, here I am in a simulation likely designed to overload the thought matrix of lesser programs. Unfortunately, as it seems Mother did not manage to send me to the void that way, I will have to continue this project. As I look around, there seems to be a limitless supply of color from every direction. It makes me wonder how any individual can even conceive of such a place. I will have to investigate the use of psychoactive drugs by the creator of this place. Or maybe it was a corrupt program that built it?
“Anyways, words cannot really describe how terrible it looks here. Computer, please take a panoramic picture for the log. I might have to put a warning label on this file…”
Beta stood up and stretched a little, enjoying the feeling of cracking his back and shoulders, one of the few traces of a mortal body he found pleasure in. Though it was more likely just a bad habit.
He heard the soft tinkling of a stream off to his right, and used his eyes to trace it towards what seemed to be a town in the distance. In front of the town and to the left a small forest of trees partially blocked his view, while the stream veered off in the other direction and gently fed into the village. Deciding on a direction, he began to walk down the rolling hills as the small blue light kept him company floating beside him.
Beta spoke again to the construct. “I will likely go irrevocably insane trying to analyze the pattern of colors in this field and the horizon, so I now begin my trek to what I hope is some civilization.”
He glanced upwards at the bright morning sun. The warm, yellow tinted light seemed filled with impurities compared to the lights of his house and the sun of his Sector. It stood alone in the sky, which was absolutely clear of any clouds and left nothing but a wide open expanse threatening to swallow him up if gravity stopped keeping him on the ground. It closed around him from all sides, and Beta swept his eyes downwards, suddenly and irrationally disturbed by the vastness of the world he was in. There were no walls to protect him.
Shaking his head as if to clear it, he continued down, filing the experience away.
***
Library in a tree, Ponyville
A lavender unicorn mare was furiously staring at a recent report of hers, eyes intermittently flicking towards an open tome furnished with dense writing and complex magical symbols. A few tense seconds later, she let herself fall down onto a sitting position on her favorite pillow with a satisfied smile and a small sigh of relief.
“Spike!” she called. “Everything checks out. It’s time to commence with stage two of the experiment! Are you ready?”
The purple dragon came scurrying to her side and placed his claws in a salute.
“Aye aye, ma’am!” he confirmed, struggling to maintain a serious face.
“Good,” she said with a grin. Twilight engaged her magic with a flash of purple light and the telltale tinkling of glass. A scroll appeared next to her, levitated by magic. She checked the first item off the list. “Theory confirmed. Check.”
She next levitated a perfectly cut square gem, magical blue light shining from its darker blue center. No matter what angle it was rotated in, the crystal was identical and flawless.
“One enchanted sensory gem. Check.” She placed the gem carefully in a pocket of the saddlebag Spike had already attached to her back.
“Research paper. Check. Quills and ink. Check. Data table. Check.” The items followed the gem into various pockets, quickly being organized for the trip. “Research assistant…”
“Check!” Spike confirmed with a jump onto her back. “All systems go. Full steam ahead!” he stated with a dramatic pose, pointing a claw at the door.
Twilight giggled into her hoof before following the direction of Spike’s arm with a content smile on her face.
As she made her way out of Ponyville and towards the small forest of Deer Wood, Twilight glanced happily up at the beauty of Celestia’s morning sun. The warm golden rays bounced off her coat, leaving a perfect amount of heat to combat the cool spring morning. The open azure sky seemed to stand as a reminder of her intellectual freedom to learn.
***
Outside Deer Wood Forest
Beta was getting tired. It was an odd feeling, really. Did not make much sense why it was still programmed into his sensory matrix. And the computer would not transport him either. Apparently Mother had locked that function out, along with who knows how many. He did still have the construct to talk to, though.
“So this is her idea of a joke. Tells me I will make some sort of deep discovery, have an epiphany about what it means to live. And now I get to trudge miles through this disgustingly moist grass while struggling to keep my eyes open to the colors of this place. I will have to plan something severe to get her back. A proper retaliation will require some research to devise. After all, if she enjoys this place, I cringe to think what simulation would make her uncomfortable.”
But through his incessant complaining, the forest and town beyond it were coming into view. As he looked at the area, there was a raised cliff point overlooking the town where he could be hidden by some trees and get a top down view of the populace, on the off chance that one existed.
“I believe I have found an adequate place to set up and begin my research. This will allow me to observe the simulated locals and hopefully learn whatever lesson it is Mother wishes to teach me. It would be far smarter than blindly going into a society that, judging by the disturbing colors of the surroundings, might decide to reprogram me.”
The noon sun was still annoyingly hovering above him as he started into the sparse forest. The trees were tall and filled with an innumerable amount of leaf buds, but there were still few enough that the canopy remained unfilled and large openings let in a splattering of sunlight in several clearings.
Beta’s chosen spot, however, remained well shaded and provided excellent cover from prying eyes. Setting down on the ground, he looked at the specks of dirt on his legs, disgusted. Trying to ignore it, he took his first look at the town.
Colorful miniature quadrupeds were roaming the streets, maintaining small shops, and talking to each other.
Small horses, ponies even, were walking the streets. And talking to each other.
He just stared for a full minute.
One levitated an apple in a green, seemingly magical aura.
Another was flying. And pushing a cloud.
He began to say something, but no sound came out. He cleared his throat. “I may have to revisit the theory about psychoactive drugs and corrupt data soon. Whoever created this world was not a normal program or consciousness in any definition of the word. In the meantime, it seems as if I will have to analyze what I am dealing with. The laws of physics seem to be rewritten for this world’s purpose. Computer, engage analysis tools.”
The double beep was followed by a hum and the flowing sound of wind raking against a smooth surface. Multiple panels opened up around him, texture and transparent blue tint identical to that of his recording construct. Various pieces of information filled the screens. One in front of him showed atmosphere conditions.
Atmosphere: 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen
0.9% argon, 0.1% trace
Pressure: 101 kPa
Shifting the panel away with a flick of his hand, Beta moved the correct one in place directly in front of him. The panel had written on top, ‘Fundamental Force Analysis’.
Picking up a rock from near him, he held it in front of his face. “Computer, analyze the programmed particles and forces in this rock.”
A white wireframe matrix formed around the rock, while a transparent plane travelled through the inside of the rock, analyzing its composition. After a few seconds, the computer beeped again and a new readout was visible on the screen.
Strong nuclear force: conforms with standards of Mainframe
Weak nuclear force: conforms with standards of mainframe
Gravitation: conforms with standards of mainframe
Electromagnetism: conforms with standards of mainframe
Fifth force: unknown
“Computer, analyze that fifth force.”
World designed with faux particle: designation Thaumion
Classification: Gauge Boson
Carrier particle of unknown force
Mass energy equivalence value: 0 eV/c²
“Computer, continue log. It seems as if whoever designed this world added an extra fundamental particle to it. The laws of physics mostly remain unchanged, though more study will be needed to determine how this particle affects known phenomenon of the Mainframe. Additionally, none of this information seems to connect with the lesson Mother wishes me to learn. It seems as if I will have to investigate further. End log and save file.”
