Vyvani

“Humanity always progresses through stages. We have names for each of these, when the world endures a period of great upheaval. Oftentimes these upheavals are caused by the acceleration of technological innovation, and more often than not, they are accompanied by social unrest, almost always resulting in violence and death.

“We have names for many of these: the Industrial Age, the Atomic Age, the Space Age. The most recent ones in memory are the Algorithmic Age and the Quantum Age, as I am sure you know. The Industrial Age resulted in the birth of a handful of burgeoning superpowers, the climax of which came about in a series of wars which claimed the lives of countless millions. The Industrial Age gave birth to a new one in which the world lived in constant fear of total annihilation within the shadow of nuclear weapons. Countless proxy wars were fought in which each nation, reluctant to utilize the world-ending weapons at their disposal, but at the same time unwilling to relinquish the furthering of their own agendas, used the lands of other peoples as the battleground for their wars of ideology.

“But such innovation did not always have to result in catastrophe and devastation. The Atomic Age brought in its wake the Space Age, in which humankind reached heights unknown, when we were able to fly among the very stars which had captured the hearts and minds of our ancestors throughout all of history. Suddenly, nothing seemed impossible, and many began believing that there were no limits to human potential.

“But then came the following eras during which ideas were easily disseminated among the populations of the earth to degrees unforeseen. Traditional government processes proved too slow and lumbering to deal with the ever-changing world. Algorithms siphoned society off into sections we hadn’t even known existed, and each side fueled one another in the spread of each other’s ideas, to the great harm of many. That was when we discovered that traditional systems of government were no longer effective tools in determining the flow of society and its ideas. It’s easy for the government leviathan to govern what is tangible, but with the advent of technology, when the understanding of it requires the expertise of concepts which politicians cannot even hope to grasp—it birthed the question: can they truly regulate it?

"In some nations, governments took control of corporations to further surveil and control the lives of their citizens; other nations condemned such tyranny—but in these very same nations who thought themselves the bastions of freedom, tools which were used to spy on their citizens were merely marketed well, so that people purchased and partook of them seemingly of their own free will.

“And so eventually came about the Algorithmic Age, when corporations and governments formed uneasy alliances with one another in the governing of the people. Algorithms and the overseeing of them was left to corporations with government audits. Corporations gained more and more power as a result of laxing oversight. Politicians became no better than lobbyists and mouthpieces. Bribes weren’t considered bribes so long as the word itself was not used—humans are so lenient and apologetic so long as the act is not referred to by the terminology itself. We are creatures of extraneous justification, after all.

“The Chairmen of conglomerates became de facto warlords. They recruited Joryoku clans as their own private armies. People were left to the obsessive consumption of anything they desired—both organic and inorganic. Any who voiced their opposition were quickly silenced by the Joryoku clans. The situation was only exacerbated by the Quantum Age and the technology it brought about. It took a long time for the world to realize that algorithms were as effective as organic drugs in bringing about addiction, but by that point it was too late, and the government was in corporations’ pockets. Cybernetic narcotics, VR addiction, illegal adoption of bioEnhancements to accelerate and enhance the pleasure sectors of the brain—these are all problems rife in our society.

“There was one win—the outlawing of bioEnhancements, but time has shown that even that has proven a loss. The Joryoku now make up the majority of those who utilize them illegally, and that has only increased the corporate hold over our world. We now live in a society in which there is no delaying of gratification—we are no better than drones who are not even aware that we’ve been deprived of our freewill.”

Sabina blows out a long cone of cigarette smoke. She smiles apologetically. “Please allow me this. I’ve quit in the real world, but I need one right now.”

I think it ironic that she is succumbing to an addiction of her own while speaking of these things.

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“There is a close circle of researchers, of which I am a part, who believe in the principle called Freethink—freedom from the algorithmic determinism wreaked upon society by the corporations which have inserted themselves into the very fabric of our lives.”

Sabina places her hand on top of mine. “I can help you to be free of all these things, Vyvani. That is the reason why you are here—why you are a part of the Crystalline Towers. We were merely pushed ahead of schedule because of the radiation which now affects your brain.”

“And how will you do that?” I ask. As I speak, I realize that I do not have much time left. I can feel my cognitive functions failing—even now, my mind is stranded in a foggy mist, and I can barely remember the words I spoke mere seconds ago.

Sabina’s next words are halting, as if she fears the response she might receive. “Through our research in the Crystalline Towers, we have discovered a way for you to live wholly within the system.”

I frown. “Meaning…”

“Meaning, we will be able to transfer your memories, the workings of your mind, all of it, into this place. You will no longer require the organic. You will no longer be at the mercy of fools who try to harm you. You will be above them.”

I struggle to understand what she means by this. My mind is failing. I find myself unable to make any decisions. I cannot bring myself to work through such complex concepts. I squint my eyes as I attempt to make sense of what Sabina is saying.

Sabina seems to notice the deteriorating state of my mind. “Vyvani. You don’t have much time.” I look into her eyes, and I am surprised to see the soft light of pleading within them. I am almost afraid to admit it: I realize she may care for me. Perhaps she does not do these things merely out of the need for the gratification of her intellectual curiosity, but because she wants me to continue living, no matter what. Perhaps, in a way, this is how Shora felt when confronted with her decision.

I allow myself to sink back into my bed. “Do what you need.” I have resigned myself to my fate. Everything is in Sabina’s hands now. I close my eyes and allow my mind to drift into a numbed state of rest.

***

I wake on my bed. Everything around me seems familiar and just how I left it. Sunlight streaks through the windows. I search my surroundings to see if Sabina is with me. She is nowhere to be seen. I check the time, and I realize that I may not see her until tomorrow, if she means to keep to our routine.

I wonder how long I’ve slept. I climb out of bed and make my way through my mansion. Something feels…different. It is the strange forlornness one feels when they have just woken from a nap in the middle of the night, only to discover that no one else is present in the house. It is an emptiness I am unable to explain. But my mind…My mind feels explosive, and I have never been more alert. I can remember everything as clearly as if it were yesterday. Recalling things is easy, simple, as if everything is stored and easily accessible.

I walk through the doors of my mansion and out into the streets. The sun has begun to set. Orange, purple, and blue streak across the sky as cloudy fingers extend their reach across its length to signal the onset of evening. I look up towards the pinnacle of the Crystalline Towers—the light of the bloody sun glitters from their surface.

The city sprawls before me. I can…understand it. It is as if, past the steel and concrete and glass, the structures have been raised with code, endless lines of code. Initially I am taken aback, but the more I read into it, the more I can understand the principles through which this place has been constructed. I can see the code which makes up the inner workings of this world. I can touch the logic which determines the order of things. I can trace the schema of this place.

Curiosity tugs at me.

I reach with my mind, and I discover the physics engines which define my movements and the laws of this virtual city. I wonder if what I am about to do is possible. Even as I attempt it, a part of me still doubts.

I was wrong to doubt.

I release a scream of elation as I soar through the air, defying what should be possible. I can fly. I have manipulated the code that Sabina’s team has programmed, and I am flying through the sky. I remain floating in the air. I once again grapple with the code, and suddenly the farthest reaches of the city sprawling before me begin to rise, rise and rise. It begins to fold like a corner of paper being lifted by the wind. It appears like an urban tsunami, a wave of buildings being lifted into the sky. The two sections fold upon one another, and I halt the movement once they meet at a ninety-degree angle. The sky is nothing but city and buildings, and I am the one who has made it so.

I laugh.

I am a god in this world. I can manipulate it at will. I descend back onto the ground and land in front of the Crystalline Towers.

“Are you enjoying this?”

I turn to see Sabina standing behind me.

She smiles.

I smile back. “What have you done?”

“Your mind has been copied into this place, Vyvani. In a way, you’ve been stored into the database. You are now a part of the system, and it is a part of you.”

“So…I’m like a computer,” I say.

“In a way,” Sabina says. “But you are so much more than that. You have all the speed and power of a sentient AI, but you yet retain that one thing that AI will never have—personality and humanity. AI will forever be AI, but you are Vyvani, your mind copied into the inorganic. You have that spark that differentiates man from machine, a uniqueness that machine may never imitate.” She smiles and approaches me. She lays a hand on my arm. “You will soon realize the full extent of your power. And I will help you harness it.”

I clench my fists in anticipation.

The Crystalline Towers loom behind us, crimson in the light of the failing sun.