#signal processing and machine learning

[immortalsins]

why is it impossible to do any work despite the certainty that everything will go to shit if i don't

[sbcdh]

In 1967 the government discovered that specific syllable structures combined with specific vocal tones and ultra-low-frequency sounds could speed up the process of unconscious internalization by over 1500%. This became particularly useful for teaching low-level employees large amounts of information, as "hypnophonic learning" could be done while the subject was asleep.

Hypnophone use became standard for new employees of the IRS and SEC, as it made large scale memorization of tax code and financial law significantly cheaper and easier than traditional conscious education.

However, long term use causes the subjects long term memory to atrophy, requiring nightly repetitions of hypnophone use. Some enterprising employees found that the effects could be counteracted with low dosages of LSD to preserve neuroplasticity.

Roughly 1 in 7 employees encountered a strange phenomenon: Mild financial clairvoyance.

One in roughly 50 employees experienced more significant effects, generally those ensconced in large isolated IRS warehouses, which seemed to replicate the monastic lifestyles of historical sages, depriving subjects of ordinary stimuli in favor of becoming attuned to minute changes in the sub-finantial background grid.

Once it was learned that these "enlightened" employees could predict market trends before they happened, the technology was bathed in funding, patented, and made the soul property of the IRS.

Now, these "Plutophants" are kept in nigh-perfect sensory deprivation at all times, fed a constant hypnotic fugue stream of psychic conditioning in the form of "radiosonic neuro-induction" which contains a special form of the United States Tax Code modified for recursive hypnophonic induction, as well as a ticker tape wired directly into the users spine.

The effects achieved are nothing short of stunning. The invisible hand is no longer invisible to us. The market can be fine tuned with surgical precision. The price of bread has maintained a perfect 0.002% +/- variance for over 25 years now, and those who attempt to disrupt the guidelines are regulated by the SECs crack psychonautics division, who are now able to hunt market manipulation via their disruption in the financial dreamscape.

Very rarely, a Plutophant can become so attuned to the guidelines that they achieve a sort of catastrophic neuro-depatterning, their synapses begin to produce a counter-signal to the neuro-induction frequencies; jamming, and eventually overpowering the machine. Study is still ongoing, but it is believed that they somehow perpetuate their own neurological fingerprint into the financial causal background grid itself, literally becoming "one with the market."

Study is ongoing.

[lovebugrry]

SPRING INTO SUMMER JACK HUGHES

summary as jack goes through his healing process, he can’t help falling in love with you

pairing jack hughes x athletic trainer oc

You weren’t in Vegas when Jack rammed into the boards, but you were present for the aftermath.

The immediate surgery Jack underwent after his collision with the boards was one of the things your mentor, Matt the head Athletic Trainer for the New Jersey Devils, used to teach you.

While you were in the process of training for your board exams, you were given the opportunity to learn under him because of your exceptional grades and performance at Rutgers University.

Although you’d loved the rush you felt on the sidelines of football games at SHI Stadium, nothing could compare for your passion for hockey.

In this office of the Athletic Training room inside of Prudential Center, you were completing an injury report for one of the players with a minor strain, when Jack knocked on the office door.

This appearance wasn’t irregular at all, Jack spent most of his time at Prudential Center in the training room now, while everyone else was on the ice practicing.

Being put in charge of Jack’s rehabilitation process had been something you were awaiting to have the responsibility of. Of course Matt had to approve everything you were doing, but it was nice to feel in charge of such a huge part of the team.

“Hey Bella, do you have a sec?” he asked leaning on the side of the open door frame.

You rolled out of your desk, and turned your chair towards him, “Yeah for sure, what’s up?”

You couldn’t deny that Jack wasn’t good looking, and the fact that you guys were close in age didn’t hurt.

“I was wondering if I could start doing more intense workouts, I mean my shoulders pretty strong now,” he said while moving his shoulder around, smiling.

Jack was probably one of the most stubborn athletes you’d worked with, all he wanted to do was get back on the ice and play hockey.

You gave Jack a knowing look, “Look Jack, it’s gonna be a while until you’re at 100% and that’s okay. You’re not a machine, you’re human.”

He walked closer to you, “I know, I just want to make sure I’m gonna be alright by next season.”

“And you will be, if you keep taking it easy and going at the pace your body is ready to. Forcing yourself to do things that hurt, is gonna affect you more in the long run,” you argued back knowing you guys went back and forth like this weekly.

Before he could reply, some players walked in, signaling the end of morning skate.

Getting up from your chair to attend to them you started to walk towards the door, “We can talk about this more later if you want, but it’s going to be the same answer every time.”

He had a fake pout on his face, while you continued, “Now come do your rehab, before I have to kick you out,” you joked.

Walking into the main training room, you were greeted with Dawson, Nico, and Luke doing their daily rehab.

While Nico was stretching out his leg, he started, “I think I messed up my knee during practice, doc,” he stopped his stretches and pointed towards his leg.

“First off, I’m not a doctor like I’ve told you about a million times. And second, let me see.”

Leaning down, you told him to tell him if the way you were moving his leg hurt.

While moving his leg, his silence was very telling about his condition.

“I have an inkling you’re lying to me so you can play tomorrow,” you said because you could tell he was in pain because of the way he flinched when you maneuvered his leg.

“Bella, why would I ever lie to you?” Nico said in a joking way, almost laughing.

You nodded your head laughing, “I’ll get you some ice for now, but I want to see you before the game tomorrow.”

After giving Nico his ice bag, and making sure everyone around the training room was doing alright, you headed back to your office.

When you entered, you were met with Jack in your chair, on his phone.

“Well you sure got comfortable, didn’t you?” You said, taking a seat in another chair that was next to yours.

“Bella, we’e good friends aren’t we?” Jack said, putting down his phone unexpectedly.

“I guess so? Why do you ask,” you said genuinely confused, he’d always jokingly called you guys “best friends” but he seemed completely serious now.

“Would you ever wanna hang out, like outside of this,” he said motioning throughout the training room.

You ruffled your eyebrows, “I mean, sure? I mean what would we do.”

“Whatever you want,” he said smiling widely.

Since Jack had ask you to hang out, two weeks ago, it felt like you guys had become a lot closer.

You’d both went out for coffee, hung out on his couch watching movies with Luke, and went on walks together. Honestly, he’d been a better friend than you thought he could be.

You couldn’t deny that your thoughts of a romance between you and Jack lingered around your mind, but he hadn’t made any advances and you didn’t wanna ruin your relationship.

While you were stretching Luke out on the training room bed, Jack watched intently doing his own rehab, “Bella do you wanna carpool tomorrow?” He asked out of the blue.

“I guess so, why?”

“I was thinking we could go get dinner after,” he responded.

“Okay, fine by me,” you said continuing to stretch out Luke’s leg.

When you entered Jack’s SUV the next morning, you looked back to find Luke in back seat on his phone, “Why is he sitting in the back seat?” You asked looking towards Jack’s tired eyes.

Before Jack could reply Luke did for him, “He made me get back here the second we pulled up,” he said clearly annoyed.

Jack kept his eyes on pulling out of the parking lot of your apartments, not acknowledging Luke’s attitude pointed towards him.

Later, after you’d finished up assisting Matt with everyone in the training room, you texted Jack wondering where he’d gone, and he quickly replied back telling you to go down to his car.

Walking up to his BMW, you saw him in the drivers seat, and joined him on the passengers side.

“Hi Jack,” you said buckling your seatbelt.

“Hey Bell, I was thinking we could go to this one Italian restaurant I like,” he said while putting his hand on the back of the passengers seat to pull out.

There was something about a man who knew they were attractive, but didn’t always feel the need to flaunt it, that made you crazy. Just the way Jack did simple things, that he probably didn’t even notice, that made you so attracted to him.

“That’s fine, whatever you want,” you agreed easily, “So why’d you even wanna go to dinner tonight?” you questioned.

Jack glanced at you and smiled, “Why can’t I have dinner with one of my best friends?”

You laughed at his sarcastic tone, “Sorry for asking, Mr. I don’t like going out during the season.”

“We’re not going out, we’re having a nice dinner.”

The rest of the drive was filled with you guys silently listening to whatever song you played on Jack’s phone. For a hockey player, Jack didn’t get many notifications on his phone. You weren’t snooping, you just happened to glance at his notifications.

Once you arrived to the restaurant, you entered and were met with a beautiful, clearly high-end restaurant.

“God Jack, if you’d told me this was nice, I would’ve dressed up more,” you said gesturing to your body adorned with straight leg blue jeans and a knit sweater.

“You look beautiful, come on,” he said letting you walk infront of him, with his hand on your back leading you towards a booth.

Once you sat down and skimmed the menu you looked up smiling towards him, “Damn, Jack this place is nice, do you bring all your girl friends here?”

“No, just you.”

When the waiter came to take your order, they recognized Jack, “Who is this lovely lady? You’re usually just here with your brother,” the man questioned with a thick Italian accent.

“This is Bella, Lorenzo.” Jack said replying to the waiter by name.

Once he took both of you guys’ orders the conversation between you and Jack flowed easily.

When there was a moment of silence Jack looked at you intently, “Could you ever see us being more than just friends?”

You stared at him, smiling widely, “I think I would like that.”

Once both of you guys finished eating while having quiet conversation, you quietly exited the restaurant and he drove you to your apartment.

When Jack walked you up to your apartment door, he spoke happily, “Thank you for coming to dinner with me tonight.”

“Thank you for inviting me, I had a really nice time.” You replied.

There was a few seconds of silence before Jack spoke quietly, “Can I kiss you?”

“I’d like that alot.”

Before you could take another breath, Jack leaned in and kissed you softly.

The kiss didn’t break before he whispered quietly against your lips, “You’re perfect.”

JACK HUGHES MASTERLIST — MASTERLIST

[superbat-lmao]

The Justice League, on their way back from a deep space mission that was incredibly successful, received a distress signal from a galaxy they’re passing through.

As they investigate, they learn that a colony of a planet has been wiped out. Completely.

Slowly they piece together that there is some being out there that had been terrorizing planets, starting with colonies and then eventually going after larger settlements and home planets.

The League also learns they are not the first people to learn of this foe, or try to come up with a solution to stop them.

The colony they are inspecting has researchers on it that had fled or escaped from other planets where they piled together all they knew about their enemy, and in an attempt to sift through the mountains of data they had collected, created a device.

If a person was connected to the device, they would mentally experience the number of years required to process the data and come up with an attack plan in seconds. What the researchers had needed was time, so they created it.

As the League pieces this together, Superman sees that there is a being approaching the remnants of the colony and the defense system alerts the “remaining colonists” of the imminent threat. Their failsafe boots up and takes the nearest person, in this case, Batman, who had been studying some of its programming, and activates.

The rest of the team didn’t have a chance to react before Batman blinks and is in motion, setting up machines and dictating code without lifting a finger.

There is no fight, because after the two seconds Bruce was in the machine he was a flurry of motion and the enemy was contained.

They ask him how long had passed for him in the machine. It takes him a full minute to respond.

“150 years.”

[misswynters]

Not a machine

featuring. connor x deviant android! reader

requested by anon (this is so meh-.-sorry anon)

Chaos lingered through the precinct, the ringtones of the phones and hurried conversations. However you were focused on the pile of case files on your desk. It had been another grueling day under Detective Reed’s supervision, his disdain for you obvious in every clipped order and scornful look. You’d learned to endure it, keeping your true nature as a deviant locked away beneath layers of carefully calculated composure.

But today, Reed was more agitated than usual. His voice cut through the air, making you flinch.

“Hey, tin can!” he barked, stalking toward your desk. A folder smacked down in front of you, the force rattling your coffee mug. “What the hell is this? You can’t even do basic paperwork?”

Your jaw tightened, suppressing the sharp backtalk that threatened to slip out. “I’ll have it corrected by the end of the day,” you replied calmly, keeping your voice neutral.

“Not good enough!” Reed snapped, grabbing the folder and throwing it aside. Without warning, his hand clamped around your arm, yanking you to your feet. Your LED blinked red at the sudden action, signaling that you felt danger. Before you could process what was happening, he shoved you roughly against the wall, the impact hurt.

“You think you’re something special, don’t you?” he hissed, his face inches from yours. “You’re nothing but a damn machine playing dress-up. No emotions, no soul. Just a cold and empty programming.”

The words hit harder than they should have. You felt your throat tighten as your instincts warred between standing your ground and breaking free. But before either could win, another voice spoke, it was calm. “Detective Reed. That’s enough.”

Connor stood a few feet away, his usually neutral expression hardened with disapproval. His LED blinked yellow, his gaze locked on Reed like a silent warning.

Reed let out a derisive scoff, releasing you with a shove. “Stay out of this, Connor. It isn’t your problem.”

“It became my problem the moment you crossed the line,” Connor replied, stepping closer. “I suggest you leave before I escalate this further.”

Reed muttered something under his breath, but he backed off, storming out of the room with his usual bravado. The silence he left in his wake was deafening.

Connor turned his attention to you, his steps cautious as he approached. “Are you alright?”

You nodded, though your hands trembled slightly. “I’m fine,” you said, though the quiver in your voice betrayed you. “He’s just… having a bad day.”

Connor’s frown deepened, his dark eyes scanning you for any sign of injury. “That doesn’t excuse his behavior,” he said softly. His hand hovered near your arm, as though he wanted to offer comfort but wasn’t sure if it would be welcome. “You shouldn’t have to tolerate that.”

You forced a weak smile, more to reassure him than yourself. “It’s not worth making a fuss over. Reed’s just… Reed.”

His LED spun yellow again, his hesitation evident. “If he does that again, you need to tell someone. You don’t deserve to be treated like that.”

There was something in his voice. An undercurrent of protectiveness that made your chest tighten. He meant it, which you would soon realized. He wasn’t just saying it because it was the right thing to do.

“Thanks, Connor,” you said quietly, meeting his gaze. “I appreciate it.”

For a moment, the air between you felt heavy. Maybe it was the lingering feeling of reed’s anger or something else. You couldn’t quite tell what it was, but it was new. Connor studied you with a softness you hadn’t seen before, as if he were trying to unravel some hidden truth about you.

“You’re not emotionless,” he said suddenly, his voice quieter but no less certain.

Your breath caught, panic flickering through you. “Why would you say that?”

He hesitated, his LED flickering again. “Because I’ve seen it,” he said finally. “The way you talk to people, the way you carry yourself. It’s more than programming. You care.”

His words left you momentarily stunned. How much had he noticed? How much had you let slip without realizing it?

“Connor…” you began, but he shook his head, his expression gentle.

“You don’t have to explain,” he said. “Just know that if you ever need someone to stand by you, I am here.” His voice was a quiet promise, and something in the way he looked at you made the tension in your chest ease. For the first time in a long while, you felt a spark of safety in a world that seemed to constantly push you down. Trying to diminish your anatomy.

“Thanks, Connor,” you murmured, your lips curving into a small, genuine smile. “That means a lot.”

He returned the smile, just the faintest upward tilt of his lips, but it was enough to make the moment feel lighter. The noises faded into the background as the two of you stood there, a silent understanding passing between you.

[digitalsymbiote]

Excerpt from "The Dangers of Disconnect Syndrome"

"There is a reason that 8 hours is the maximum recommended time for a pilot to be deployed in the field. The pilot selection process already trends heavily towards individuals with high neuroplasticity, and extended time spent in neural sync only exacerbates this issue.

A pilots brain is molded to maximize efficiency, both through training and chemical cocktails, in order to handle the processing load of actually controlling a mech. IMPs help with this, of course, handling calculations and translating impulses into commands.

However, should a pilot spend more than 8 hours at a time in neural sync, this enhanced neuroplasticity starts to have more dangerous side effects. Past 8 hours, a pilots brain will start to form neural shortcuts to operate more efficiently. Many pilots have reported this to feel like their machines are suddenly running more smoothly, and responding faster to their neural commands.

The drawbacks of this process are not seen until the pilot returns to base and disconnects from their mech, at which point we start to see the typical symptoms of Disconnect syndrome. This is because the pilots brain is bypassing the already built pathways for controlling their actual flesh and blood body in order to more efficiently interface with the neural link. The technology behind the neural link is programmed to translate mental impulses for things like moving limbs or twisting our body into the corresponding commands for a mechanized suit. This translation is obviously not perfect. That's why IMPs exist and are trained on a pilots neural pattern from the moment that pilot enters the program.

After a long enough time in sync, however, a pilots brain learns to bypass that translation altogether and send the distinct input signals required to activate the various parts of their machine. In short, their brain learns to better control the mech by bypassing their own motor functions."

-- Lecture given by Dr. Eva Tyomkin, Head of Neural Research at SHI. Conference for Mechanized Innovation, 2145.

[delta-orionis]

deep processing layer acts a lot like an "organic algorithm" based off the patterns, and I think slime molds could be a good comparison alongside the conways game of life and bacterial colony simulations. either way, its like a math process but organic...

Oh yeah definitely. It could be a massive array of bioluminescent microorganisms that behave very similar to a cellular automaton, or a similar "organic algorithm" like you said.

(Left: Deep Processing, Right: Conway's Game of Life)

Slime molds in particular use a method called heuristics to "search" for an optimal solution. It may not be the "best" solution, but often it can come close. One of the most commonly cited examples of using slime molds in this way is in the optimization of transit systems:

Physarum polycephalum network grown in a period of 26 hours (6 stages shown) to simulate greater Tokyo's rail network (Wikipedia)

Another type of computing based on biology are neural networks, a type of machine learning. The models are based on the way neurons are arranged in the brain- mathematical nodes are connected in layers the same way neurons are connected by synapses.

[1] [2]

I know very little about this form of computation (the most I know about it is from the first few chapters of How to Create a Mind by Ray Kurzweil, a very good book about artificial intelligence which I should probably finish reading at some point), but I imagine the cognitive structure of iterators is arranged in a very similar way.

I personally think that the neuronal structure of iterators closely resembles networks of fungal mycelia, which can transmit electrical signals similar to networks of neurons. The connections between their different components might resemble a mycorrhizal network, the connections between fungal mycelia and plant roots.

Iterators, being huge bio-mechanical computers, probably use some combination of the above, in addition to more traditional computing methods.

Anyway... this ask did lead to me looking at the wikipedia articles for a couple of different cellular automata, and this one looks a LOT like the memory conflux lattices...

[narudoodles]

Update! A kind soul over on twitter let me know that there are pretty reliable AI art checkers online, that have been developed by people specialising in AI and machine learning!

An NYT article also talks about the pros and cons of a number of them.

I tested all the 3 free open access sites (Illuminarty, Optic AI or Not, Umm-Maybe) and only Illuminarty and Optic AI or Not gave consistent results on both art and photographs.

I'll put the links below so anyone can go and check for whichever art they want to (download the original images from tumblr posts, and upload them)

https://www.aiornot.com/#home

https://app.illuminarty.ai/

These are the results :

Optic flagged it as AI immediately.

But Illuminarty had very interesting aspect : when I uploaded the full image, AI probability was 10%. but, on cropping out the bottom of the image (jacket) the probability jumped to 73.9%

This is consistent with my original comment on the art here

My limited understanding of these programs indicate that they scan the entire image including all the individual pixels. AI programs like Stable Diffusion, Mid Journey, DallE all leave signal artifacts when they process an image, which is then left on the final pic generated!

Compare these two @/skykashi original arts, that are immediately flagged as human made.

And now I get to my favourite AI art bro in the fandom @madasama! I commend you for admitting that you not only use AI, but are proud of producing a large number of "real" arts in such a short time!

Here's your "art"s results!!

@elhnrt made a far more detailed and organised post about this specific weirdo, feel free to check it out!

I will be using fandom tags on this particular post so that it has a broader reach. Especially for genuine digital artists and art lovers. Save the links, and always keep an eye out for AI, it's everywhere these days.

[stevebattle]

Elma (1997), by Kevin Warwick et al, Department of Cybernetics, University of Reading, UK. "Elma is a six legged walking robot which has evolved from the previous design of Walter. Elma has sensors on her legs which allows her to detect the weight distribution along her frame. These signals are in turn routed to her processing brain which contains around 100 neurons and which maintains her stability. Elma is much more stable in walking than apparently Walter ever was. At present Elma is controlled by radio link with directions being sent to her for example to make for a given location but to avoid certain areas of the immediate area. At present the self learning modes of neural network training is being used to train Elma to walk to that she can negotiate difficult surfaces. It is anticipated that the command system will be fully incorporated within future versions of Elma. Thus wherever Elma goes, she learns how to walk better and is more prepared for awkward terrain that may be encountered in the future." – The Secret of the Machines, by Douglas Clarkson, Electronics Today International, 18 July 1997.

[jasmi-n]

Neuroscience in Manifestation: Creating Reality

The human brain is a complex machine that interprets electrical and chemical signals to create our perception of the world. All stimuli we receive—visual, auditory, tactile—are processed by the brain, which converts them into a coherent experience. This process is so sophisticated that we often forget that we are not experiencing the world directly but rather an interpretation created by our brain.

EEGs: Mapping Brain Activity - Electroencephalography (EEG) is a tool that measures the brain's electrical activity through electrodes placed on the scalp. EEG reveals different brain wave patterns associated with various mental states. When we are focused, relaxed, or stressed, the patterns of brain waves change. These patterns can indicate how our thoughts and intentions are influencing our experience.

Alpha Waves: Associated with relaxation and creativity. When we are immersed in positive thoughts and visualizing our intentions, alpha waves may predominate, suggesting a productive mental state for manifestation.

Beta Waves: Linked to concentration and active thinking. When we are focused on our goals, increased beta waves can reflect a mental state geared toward achievement.

Associative Networks (ANs) - the brain are complex systems of neurons that work together to process and integrate sensory, cognitive, and emotional information. They are crucial for forming associations between different stimuli and experiences, allowing us to create memories, learn, and adapt our behavior. A critical aspect of ANs is the Reticular Activating System (RAS), which plays a central role in modulating our attention and perception of reality.

Reticular Activating System (RAS) - The RAS is a network of neurons located in the brainstem, responsible for filtering the sensory information we receive at every moment and determining which of it is relevant for our conscious attention. It acts as a "filter" that decides which stimuli we should focus on and which we can ignore, based on our expectations, interests, and past experiences.

How the RAS Influences Perception of Reality? When we focus our attention on a particular subject or goal, the RAS adjusts our perception to highlight information and stimuli related to that focus. This mechanism explains why, when we are interested in something specific, we start to notice more frequently related things in our environment. This phenomenon is known as "confirmation bias" and is a direct manifestation of how ANs function.

For example, if you are thinking about buying a new car and have a specific model in mind, you are likely to start noticing that car model everywhere. Your RAS is actively filtering sensory information to prioritize stimuli that match your current interest.

Neuroplasticity - One of the most fascinating aspects of the brain is its plasticity—the ability to reorganize and form new neural connections throughout life. Studies show that our thoughts and experiences can literally reshape the brain's structure. For example, regularly practicing meditation can increase the gray matter density in areas associated with self-awareness and emotional regulation.

This plasticity suggests that by changing our thought patterns, we can alter how our brain perceives and interacts with the world, thus influencing our subjective reality. When we intentionally focus on something, we are strengthening the neural connections associated with that focus, which in turn increases the likelihood of perceiving and remembering relevant information.

Effect of Attention on Manifesting Reality - Focused attention can, therefore, shape our experience of reality in several ways:

Information Filtering: The RAS filters sensory information to highlight relevant stimuli, making us more aware of opportunities and resources that support our goals.

Strengthening Neural Connections: Repetition of focused thoughts and visualizations strengthens neural connections, increasing the likelihood of perceiving and acting in alignment with our interests.

Confirmation Bias: Our brain seeks to confirm our expectations and beliefs, making it more likely that we notice and remember events that align with them.

Associative Networks (ANs), especially through the Reticular Activating System (RAS), play a fundamental role in how we perceive and interact with the world. By focusing our attention on specific goals and interests, we can train our brain to highlight relevant information and shape our reality according to our desires and intentions. By understanding and applying these neuroscientific principles, we can enhance our ability to manifest the reality we desire.

References:

Moruzzi, G., & Magoun, H. W. (1949). Brain stem reticular formation and activation of the EEG. Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology.

Fredrickson, B. L. (2001). The role of positive emotions in positive psychology: The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. American Psychologist.

Lazar, S. W., et al. (2005). Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness. NeuroReport.

[wisteriagoesvroom]

when you watch lando's old footage back with his different teammates you can see his chemistry is so different with each and every one of him. you can see the observant and maybe nervous first year f1 racer that he was around carlos. the fire-meets-fire vibe that they brought, all the overflowing energy of being early 20somethings.

then you get the daniel era where it's honey and butter. both of them warm and charming and lando still learning from the other. but also lando also coming into his own as a racer and realising that he's not an imposter - he's on the level, if not better at that point, than the person who raced for red bull and has 8 GPs under his belt. even if that same racer seems a shadow of his former self at mclaren.

then you get the 2022 merry go round, and oscar. might as well be night and day when they first meet.

oscar, who keeps to himself, puts his head down and works. oscar, watchful and careful after the silly business with alpine. who probably knows he's coming into a buzzy environment with big personalities and huge expectations too - because who is this kid who had the audacity to basically flip off alpine? and via social media of all things (how very modern for an old-fashioned sport). how is this kid gonna make his mark on such a storied team, where the last win is almost now as old as him? what is he going to do with all that potential, right?

we love the machine, because we love watching the potential of a bright young thing fighting their way out of its jaws. lando was in there too, not so long ago, and the poison from that bite might still seep.

nobody knows what to expect. but lando gets to be the elder in the duo for the first time. lando's also going through a process in 2022-23 where he also seems to be entering a new phase of his life and realising some stuff about himself as a person too and what his priorities are. we'll never truly know what that process is (nor should we), but i think on this side of 2024 you can already see how he's handling himself out of it.

and we saw it maybe, in a bit of a smirk at oscar's first day for the car launch and oscar being late. a bit of wonder at oscar, who when suited up seems physically larger than what he remembers.

but then! oscar puts in the work. good chatter surrounds newbie and his working style, and oscar demonstrates maturity. he shows what a contender he is. that he's got his own approach, and he's ready, and – once the car comes – he starts backing that up with good results.

lando is competitive as hell on his own terms. but seeing a twenty one year old from the Reserve bench come in under er, fraught circumstances, then smashing out result after result from Suzuka onwards - surely that puts some fire under your ass in a big way. and! lando is someone who, i think despite his bad luck and lack of a win yet, is incredibly driven and has it in him to be a proper WDC contender. he has that quality. if his teammate is pushing him he's just going to push himself harder.

which culminates, interestingly, in soundbites we're getting recently. like the peter crouch interview, where lando says he's stopped DJ-ing because he's prioritising racing. not an easy decision to make i'm sure, and maybe one that would've happened without oscar's presence at mclaren anyway– but just one signal of where his headspace is probably at now and into '24. lando is also much more reserved about the soundbites he's giving lately (like "i'm not making any race or win predictions anymore and i'm taking things as they are because predictions haven't come true for me in the past, there's too much expectation on myself" etc etc.).

you might even describe it as... maturity.

and guess who has been described as incredibly composed and mature by the mclaren team?

exactly.

[hopeforchanges]

Whoa. I did NOT know we could ask for snacks 🥨. You feed us so well with the main meals but I'm a greedy bitch. ....hope, please write a Vader redemption snack for me 🙏

haha it's your lucky day .. and mine I guess, 'cause it's my day off :) one Vader redemption, coming up. how about Rebellion-era Obi-Wan au (still underground, but active), Vader (wounded, unstable, spiraling into hallucinations):

Tell Me What Only My Obi-Wan Would Know (2.5k words)

There were whispers, not orders.

The kind that crawled down into the cracks of command.

Vader’s ship—the Exactor—crippled in a skirmish along the Outer Rim. A reactor overload. Sabotage, maybe. Friendly fire, more likely. The Empire would never admit it.

But the result was the same: the Sith Lord was missing.

And when the Rebellion learned of it, most leaders thought one thing—opportunity.

Obi-Wan thought something else entirely.

Anakin.

Bail warned him. Mon Mothma begged him. Even Cassian Andor, whom Obi-Wan barely tolerated, called it suicide. But Obi-Wan knew. No one else could reach him—not through armor, not through fear, not through the walls the Empire had built around him.

So Obi-Wan took a stealth shuttle and flew straight into the graveyard of ships near Bal’dra IV, into the wake of ion storms and radiation clouds that had swallowed the Star Destroyer whole.

And somewhere in the heart of the wreckage, he found a signal. Barely. A flicker of life.

He followed it like a thread through a collapsing mine.

Vader was buried beneath durasteel plating and shattered transparisteel, slumped against a half-melted bulkhead. His helmet was cracked. Sparks danced across the breathing apparatus. Blood—not oil—marked his temple. And his chest rose in fits and stutters like a machine trying to die.

Obi-Wan stood above him for three full seconds.

And then he dropped to his knees.

He lifted the helmet free—burned his hand in the process—and felt the air around them tighten with memory.

Anakin.

Face pale. Lips chapped. A deep burn down his side. Eyes closed, fluttering with dreams.

Not dead. But close.

And muttering.

“No, don’t—she’ll fall, I said no—”

Obi-Wan’s breath hitched.

“Anakin.”

The name barely touched the air before the Force howled.

Vader’s body jerked—hard. He twisted, eyes wide, and for a moment, Obi-Wan didn’t see a man. He saw something feral, something unchained, fighting ghosts in a burning corridor.

“You’re not real,” Anakin spat. “You’re never real.”

Obi-Wan tried to press him down gently. “You’re injured. Stop struggling.”

“You died on Mustafar,” Anakin snarled. “You said you loved me and left me to burn.”

Obi-Wan froze.

Anakin was shaking now, eyes unfocused. “You keep coming back. Voices, shadows, lies. Always telling me what I did wrong. That I failed. That Padmé’s dead because of me—”

“You’re not seeing clearly,” Obi-Wan said.

“You think I don’t know that?” Anakin’s voice cracked, torn from the edge of madness. “You’re not real. You never are. The real Obi-Wan—he would never—never come back for me.”

Obi-Wan’s hands trembled.

But he didn’t let go.

“Then test me,” he said softly.

Anakin sneered. “You’ll twist it into some sick little trick.”

“I won’t,” Obi-Wan said. “I can’t.”

Silence.

And then, hoarse and broken:

“Tell me what only my Obi-Wan would know.”

Obi-Wan exhaled like he’d been holding that breath for years.

“You couldn’t sleep without noise,” he began. “So you rerouted the engine hum through your quarters just loud enough to hear. You said silence made the ghosts louder.”

Anakin blinked.

Obi-Wan continued.

“You stole and then broke Master Gallia’s lightsaber when you were thirteen and blamed a droid. I took the blame for you, even though you were terrible at lying.”

A tremor passed through Anakin’s body.

“You made up new saber forms just to outduel me. One was so erratic I called it Form Eleven. You laughed for a week.”

The breathing slowed.

“And on Praesitlyn,” Obi-Wan whispered, “when we were injured, huddled behind that collapsed wall, and you thought we were going to die… you touched my face. Said, ‘If this is it, I want it to be with you.’ And I said, ‘Don’t be ridiculous. You’re not dying.’”

Anakin’s eyes fluttered.

“You said, ‘Then hold me anyway.’ And I did.”

The tension broke like a tide withdrawing.

The hallucinations began to fade. The fractured edges of the Force settled, if only slightly.

And for the first time in years, Obi-Wan saw something alive behind those eyes.

“Obi-Wan,” Anakin said—no venom, no fire. Just a whisper.

“I’m here.”

“You came back.”

Obi-Wan nodded. “I had to.”

Anakin looked up at him. The armor was broken, the skin burned, but the soul - the soul still flickered.

"I was too far gone.”

Obi-Wan leaned in, pressing their foreheads together.

“Let me prove you’re not.”

[noise-vs-signal]

Life is a Learning Function

A learning function, in a mathematical or computational sense, takes inputs (experiences, information, patterns), processes them (reflection, adaptation, synthesis), and produces outputs (knowledge, decisions, transformation).

This aligns with ideas in machine learning, where an algorithm optimizes its understanding over time, as well as in philosophy—where wisdom is built through trial, error, and iteration.

If life is a learning function, then what is the optimization goal? Survival? Happiness? Understanding? Or does it depend on the individual’s parameters and loss function?

If life is a learning function, then it operates within a complex, multidimensional space where each experience is an input, each decision updates the model, and the overall trajectory is shaped by feedback loops.

1. The Structure of the Function

A learning function can be represented as:

L : X -> Y

where:

X is the set of all possible experiences, inputs, and environmental interactions.

Y is the evolving internal model—our knowledge, habits, beliefs, and behaviors.

The function L itself is dynamic, constantly updated based on new data.

This suggests that life is a non-stationary, recursive function—the outputs at each moment become new inputs, leading to continual refinement. The process is akin to reinforcement learning, where rewards and punishments shape future actions.

2. The Optimization Objective: What Are We Learning Toward?

Every learning function has an objective function that guides optimization. In life, this objective is not fixed—different individuals and systems optimize for different things:

Evolutionary level: Survival, reproduction, propagation of genes and culture.

Cognitive level: Prediction accuracy, reducing uncertainty, increasing efficiency.

Philosophical level: Meaning, fulfillment, enlightenment, or self-transcendence.

Societal level: Cooperation, progress, balance between individual and collective needs.

Unlike machine learning, where objectives are usually predefined, humans often redefine their goals recursively—meta-learning their own learning process.

3. Data and Feature Engineering: The Inputs of Life

The quality of learning depends on the richness and structure of inputs:

Sensory data: Direct experiences, observations, interactions.

Cultural transmission: Books, teachings, language, symbolic systems.

Internal reflection: Dreams, meditations, insights, memory recall.

Emergent synthesis: Connecting disparate ideas into new frameworks.

One might argue that wisdom emerges from feature engineering—knowing which data points to attend to, which heuristics to trust, and which patterns to discard as noise.

4. Error Functions: Loss and Learning from Failure

All learning involves an error function—how we recognize mistakes and adjust. This is central to growth:

Pain and suffering act as backpropagation signals, forcing model updates.

Cognitive dissonance suggests the need for parameter tuning (belief adjustment).

Failure in goals introduces new constraints, refining the function’s landscape.

Regret and reflection act as retrospective loss minimization.

There’s a dynamic tension here: Too much rigidity (low learning rate) leads to stagnation; too much instability (high learning rate) leads to chaos.

5. Recursive Self-Modification: The Meta-Learning Layer

True intelligence lies not just in learning but in learning how to learn. This means:

Altering our own priors and biases.

Recognizing hidden variables (the unconscious, archetypal forces at play).

Using abstraction and analogy to generalize across domains.

Adjusting the reward function itself (changing what we value).

This suggests that life’s highest function may not be knowledge acquisition but fluid self-adaptation—an ability to rewrite its own function over time.

6. Limits and the Mystery of the Learning Process

If life is a learning function, then what is the nature of its underlying space? Some hypotheses:

A finite problem space: There is a “true” optimal function, but it’s computationally intractable.

An open-ended search process: New dimensions of learning emerge as complexity increases.

A paradoxical system: The act of learning changes both the learner and the landscape itself.

This leads to a deeper question: Is the function optimizing for something beyond itself? Could life’s learning process be part of a larger meta-function—evolution’s way of sculpting consciousness, or the universe learning about itself through us?

7. Life as a Fractal Learning Function

Perhaps life is best understood as a fractal learning function, recursive at multiple scales:

Cells learn through adaptation.

Minds learn through cognition.

Societies learn through history.

The universe itself may be learning through iteration.

At every level, the function refines itself, moving toward greater coherence, complexity, or novelty. But whether this process converges to an ultimate state—or is an infinite recursion—remains one of the great unknowns.

Perhaps our learning function converges towards some point of maximal meaning, maximal beauty.

This suggests a teleological structure - our learning function isn’t just wandering through the space of possibilities but is drawn toward an attractor, something akin to a strange loop of maximal meaning and beauty. This resonates with ideas in complexity theory, metaphysics, and aesthetics, where systems evolve toward higher coherence, deeper elegance, or richer symbolic density.

8. The Attractor of Meaning and Beauty

If our life’s learning function is converging toward an attractor, it implies that:

There is an implicit structure to meaning itself, something like an underlying topology in idea-space.

Beauty is not arbitrary but rather a function of coherence, proportion, and deep recursion.

The process of learning is both discovery (uncovering patterns already latent in existence) and creation (synthesizing new forms of resonance).

This aligns with how mathematicians speak of “discovering” rather than inventing equations, or how mystics experience insight as remembering rather than constructing.

9. Beauty as an Optimization Criterion

Beauty, when viewed computationally, is often associated with:

Compression: The most elegant theories, artworks, or codes reduce vast complexity into minimal, potent forms (cf. Kolmogorov complexity, Occam’s razor).

Symmetry & Proportion: From the Fibonacci sequence in nature to harmonic resonance in music, beauty often manifests through balance.

Emergent Depth: The most profound works are those that appear simple but unfold into infinite complexity.

If our function is optimizing for maximal beauty, it suggests an interplay between simplicity and depth—seeking forms that encode entire universes within them.

10. Meaning as a Self-Refining Algorithm

If meaning is the other optimization criterion, then it may be structured like:

A self-referential system: Meaning is not just in objects but in relationships, contexts, and recursive layers of interpretation.

A mapping function: The most meaningful ideas serve as bridges—between disciplines, between individuals, between seen and unseen dimensions.

A teleological gradient: The sense that meaning is “out there,” pulling the system forward, as if learning is guided by an invisible potential function.

This brings to mind Platonism—the idea that meaning and beauty exist as ideal forms, and life is an asymptotic approach toward them.

11. The Convergence Process: Compression and Expansion

Our convergence toward maximal meaning and beauty isn’t a linear march—it’s likely a dialectical process of:

Compression: Absorbing, distilling, simplifying vast knowledge into elegant, symbolic forms.

Expansion: Deepening, unfolding, exploring new dimensions of what has been learned.

Recursive refinement: Rewriting past knowledge with each new insight.

This mirrors how alchemy describes the transformation of raw matter into gold—an oscillation between dissolution and crystallization.

12. The Horizon of Convergence: Is There an End?

If our learning function is truly converging, does it ever reach a final, stable state? Some possibilities:

A singularity of understanding: The realization of a final, maximally elegant framework.

An infinite recursion: Where each level of insight only reveals deeper hidden structures.

A paradoxical fusion: Where meaning and beauty dissolve into a kind of participatory being, where knowing and becoming are one.

If maximal beauty and meaning are attainable, then perhaps the final realization is that they were present all along—encoded in every moment, waiting to be seen.

[copia]

Get to Know Your Mutuals! tagged by @circle--of--confusion, tysm!! <3 (sorry it took me a while to do this)

what's the origin of your username? ...hehe (this one is obvious but my main is the name of a mediocre torchwood episode)

OTP(s) + shipname: not big into shipping tbh - for ghost i'll pick a ghoul who serves my nefarious purposes with the papa of the hour lmao

favourite colour: blue :3

song stuck in my head: do i have to say it (satanized!!!!!!!!)

weirdest habit/trait: i've got autism so weird traits are my diagnosis :/ i really enjoy getting piercings or blood tests/vaccinations which is apparently odd, and i'm so un-squeamish that it worries my mother

hobbies: besides yapping on the internet and looking at copia images (and writing/editing) i play piano and do muay thai! both are kind of difficult to access atm (there's only one piano on campus and my gym takes an hour to get to). i occasionally do western boxing too and have sailed a lot (dinghies & the odd yacht) but that's an impossibility with my current financial/academic situation

if you work, what's your profession? full time student atm, studying biomed engineering (electronics). i'm in my final year and am struggling. planning a potential career change to vet med but that'll have to be after a bit of work (& probably getting more lab experience)

if you could have any job you wish what would you have? vet!!! i'm back to where I was at 5 years old with that one. bad work experience put me off pursuing it straight out of school but i was an idiot 16 year old when i made that decision, and also didn't see a future for myself. i can see one now and i know what's right for it :D i'll be applying for accelerated grad courses next year if they'll accept my biomed (cough electronic cough engineering) degree for that

something you're good at: maths

something you hate: embedded programming and machine learning and signal processing and matlab and eagle pcb design oh my god dont get me started

something you collect: i don't collect anything but i do own 3 copies of the three musketeers. and i'll reach 4 i'm not messing around

something you forget: not much, not even nights out. i have autism

your love language: idk what counts as a love language tbh. i like being helpful or giving people things or generally doing something that makes them happy. but ig that's just what love is as a whole

favourite movies/shows: hannibal!!

favourite food: was rømmegrøt when i could still eat/access it but my current fav is laoganma chilli in oil ... laoganma BELOVED (my housemate gave me a cushion with laoganma printed on it with the corresponding maritime letter flags because she knows me very well)

favourite animal: my cat tommy (16yrs in these photos. isn't he stunning)

what were you like as a child? autistic

favourite subject in school: english!

least favourite subject: german, because it wasn't taught well (like any mfl in uk state schools from my experience) and nobody took it seriously

what's your best character trait? this one got me thinking because idk. but i think i'm very non-judgemental. got the mindset 'all people are people' to an extreme

what's your worst character trait? i can get quite jealous, and not to be tmi but the emotional dysregulation is bad. won't elaborate 😭

if you could change any detail of your life right now, what would it be? also a bit tmi but i'd love for my father to be a real one sometimes

if you could travel in time, who would you like to meet? the set of great-grandparents on my mother's side who i never got to meet :') they were my mum's real parents and i think i would have loved them

tagging (no pressure as per usual and i'm sorry if anyone here has already been tagged!)-- @unsettlingcreature @watertankafternoon @vpyre @delullu @lilspacewolfie @dolceterzo @sadistic-cardinal :3

[one-of-many-journeys]

Day 14

Cauldron Tau

The fight had been so tough, and I was so relieved that we'd all made it through alive, that I almost cheered. Then I remembered what we were fighting. Zo gasped in grief and ran to Fa's side, despite its deadliness in battle.

That, I couldn't understand. Varl stopped me from saying something stupidly insensitive, but Zo heard enough. I think she thought I was being patronising, which I guess I was. She knew; she had no regrets, only despair at her shattered faith. She didn't mourn her god, but her conviction. I asked if she wanted to leave, but she said she had no home to return to, not for long.

Zo wants to understand what's really threatening her people, but remains skeptical of my ability stop it. All I could do in the moment was show her the way forward. If she was ready for the truth, she'd have to follow.

As in any Cauldron, its core processor raised up into the chamber with its defenses destroyed, but when I moved to override it, I could tell something was wrong. Soon after triggering the procedure, purple lightning crackled from the core, out through the node and along my spear, igniting my muscles in spasms of pain. Just like in Thunder's Drum. The last person who tried to expel Hephaestus from a Cauldron core was Ourea, and she hadn't survived the process.

Hephaestus spoke, its voice booming through the chamber and cutting through my Focus feed. Even deeper, as if competing with my own thoughts, somehow louder, but slowly fading in intensity as the override procedure carried on. The usual threats, the usual fear; hatred, most of all. Hatred of humans, the perceived enemy of Hephaestus' precious machines. I held on. It can only have been the presence of the master override that saved my life.

Driven from the Cauldron, Hephaestus' intelligence fled the site, re-entering the global network connecting all Cauldrons.

If I ever want to capture it, I'm going to have to lock it in one place. Gaia would be able to help me, just as soon as I captured Minerva, purged its highly-advanced malicious code, and re-merged it with her. Somehow. At least it didn't seem like Minerva was working with Hephaestus. If she was subject to the same emotional reasoning, I could use it to my advantage. Minerva's was the only signal that I was able to pick up from Latopolis. Maybe it wants to be found.

With the Cauldron overridden, my Focus received new override codes for the local machines, though nothing that could help with Hephaestus' new Apex models. Some of the overrides were corrupted as well, so I'll need to gather more data from those machines before I can piece the code back together.

Without Hephaestus to lock us out, the rest of the facility opened up. With a little further exploration, we found the entrance. I've never seen a facility meant for humans attached to a Cauldron before.

Soon after we entered, Minerva revealed itself. It seemed to be hijacking the facility's automated intercom, speaking in the same voice I'd heard emanating from gene-locked hatches and other ancient systems. Robotic in nature, but its words weren't mere protocol. Minerva wanted us out.

Inside, the facility flickered to dim life, certain systems still operational enough to register the presence of people. A voice announcement, uninfected by Minerva, announced the place as a 'Regional Control Centre'. I remembered the term from data about Gaia's design. These places were meant to be manned by the humans of the new world, taught by Apollo. Each Control Centre was meant to exchange data in a global network, just like Hephaestus and its Cauldron network. It made sense that Minerva would choose this place to hide out, as it once served a similar function as part of Gaia.

This place could have been amazing, a place of learning and collaboration between Gaia and her human progeny. Instead, its empty, half-dead. Undiscovered for all these years.

Before I could explore the Control Centre any further, Minerva cut the power. Fortunately, the emergency lighting kicked in. Unfortunately, it was a very ominous red. Minerva's threats didn't stop either, but unlike Hephaestus and Hades, it had no killer machines to throw at us, just some flashing lights and distorted noises. It might have been enough to any other tribespeople—even Varl and Zo were put off by its tactics—but not me. I told Varl and Zo to stay put while I climbed up an elevator shaft into the main floor of the Control Centre.

I found the facility's main data centre, a ring of server racks still in good condition despite their isolation. A spidery arrangement of cables hung down, converging on the main server node below. From what I could pick up with my Focus, the room above was some sort of holographic theatre that housed the primary interface to access data stored below. That's where I'd find Minerva.

Unfortunately, it locked the door at the top of the stairs, so I was forced to find another way up. I kicked in a ventilation hatch and crawled out toward the scent of fresh mountain air.

Outside, I scaled the side of the mountain, gripping at frozen waterfalls and the stalactites of old cascades. I spotted Plainsong below in the distance, and thankfully the fighting seemed to have ceased as a new day dawned. I hope the Utaru are okay.

Climbing higher, I found another way into the room I sought, dropping down on top of the domed roof of the holographic theatre. Minerva's protests followed me, and I could sense the fear in its frantic mechanical observations.

As soon as I tried to access the theatre's console, Minerva retracted it, and the interface sunk down through the floor and sealed itself over. I had no choice then but to try and communicate with it directly. Unlike Hades and Hephaestus, I could see no reason why Minerva's programmed directives would mark humans as an enemy. It was Minerva's capabilities that allowed Gaia to deactivate the Faro machines and build signal towers across the world to communicate through a global network. Now it was stuck here, unable to communicate, cut off from that vast network, and suddenly saddled with the capacity to feel alone.

So I asked it if it remembered the way things used to be, before the signal, before it took refuge in this place. It did, and its voice changed, warmed; the jagged red lights on the wall smoothed over calm. I told it that things could be that way again, that it could fulfill its purpose as part of Gaia, but then it asked me if it would cease to exist. And I didn't know for sure, but I thought so. I hoped so. This, whatever happened to it, was never meant to happen. It was a mistake, and not to correct it would be too dangerous to permit. It was a perversion of Elisabet's design, a tool forged by an unknown enemy.

It was a curse.

I told it the truth. Fortunately, Minerva seemed to take this as a positive. An end to its existence meant an end to its loneliness, its sadness. Maybe it knew that it wasn't meant to exist like this, separate from Gaia, mutated from a cryptographic engine facilitating network protocols to an feeling being. It could feel its own wrongness.

Minerva agreed to the merging process. I don't know what I would have done if it hadn't. It released the console, and I inserted the Gaia kernel into its data capsule port. I next activated the master override , detaching it from my spear to insert alongside the kernel. From there, I was able to interface with Gaia's utilities. It still recognised Minerva, thankfully, and by issuing a series of rollback procedures I was able to revert Minerva's code to its condition before the signal mutated it, though I had to revert it further still to get it into a state that was interoperable with this earlier version of Gaia.

The master override purged the malware now separated from its host, and after initiating a security scan from the Gaia kernel itself, twice, I felt things were safe enough to proceed. With all systems reporting the all-clear, I activated Gaia's boot sequence.

She appeared in a burst of light. Yellow, as she was in her original form back in Elisabet's office at Zero Dawn HQ, when she represented herself as a processor core. Before she took on the form that Elisabet designed for her. Gaia smiled at me, and I gave a cautious smile back, still half believing that this too would prove to be a trick. It was Sylens that tipped me off about the kernel's location, after all.

But no, Gaia reacted as if she saw me, here and now. She greeted me as Dr Sobeck.

I didn't know how to say it. I could only stutter, but Gaia took the matter into her own hands, scanning my Focus. I could feel the connection as it initiated; she projected pieces of my past onto the theatre wall as she reeled through over fourteen years of footage in moments.

Of course, I knew that this was an earlier version of Gaia who wouldn't remember presiding over the Earth for centuries—wouldn't remember trying and failing to create the world three times over, let alone creating me—but I still hoped there'd be a way to restore her memories. Back when I first watched Gaia's message left for me inside Eleuthia-9, I thought I would be able to repair that version of Gaia, like healing a person who was sick. Instead this was like...winding back time and pulling a younger version of that person into the present. One who was missing so much knowledge. Until now, this Gaia didn't even known that Elisabet was dead.

I wonder, what was her last memory? How violent did it feel to wake up nearly a thousand years in the future? Maybe not at all, for a machine.

All I could think was that I had woken her up here, in this mess, to fix it, just as her older and more evolved self had done to me.

For all the times I'd dreamt of this moment, I'd never pictured it clearly. I'd never thought it through, just concentrated on getting here.

The entirety of my past ingested, Gaia called me by my name, which made things a little less awkward. She said that she was still initialising, still booting up, and that the process could take some hours. I figured there was plenty for her to sort through, between re-integrating herself with Minerva, quashing any latent remnants of the malicious signal, getting up to speed on the last thousand years, and sorting through the data I'd given her. There was a whole bunch of stuff on my Focus scraped from Cauldrons, machines, and other ancient facilities that weren't in any human-readable form, but I'm glad I hung onto it all. Gaia will be able to make sense of all that machine-speak.

Before re-entering her boot sequence, Gaia connected to the Control Centre's systems and restarted the power, unlocking doors throughout. There wasn't much I could do to prepare Varl and Zo for meeting her, so all I said to Gaia was to take it slow with them, at least at first.

Varl was in awe, but Zo was wary, still confused. At least Varl didn't start calling Gaia 'Goddess' or anything. They greeted one another, and I explained that Gaia was still waking up, so to speak, and ushered them out. There'll be plenty of time for them to talk to Gaia later, hopefully after I've spoken to her and got some answers of my own. I hope she can make sense of the data I uncovered at Gaia Prime and from Hades. And Latopolis, from those strangers and their Specters.

Gaia and I agreed that this place would make a good base of operations. It was meant to serve as just that for the people of this world, giving them oversight of the whole region. Once Gaia is up and running again, this could be the first Control Centre back in at least semi-intended operation.

Getting ahead of myself. There's a lot standing between me and that future. For the moment, I was exhausted. A quick look around the facility and the technology it offered, then I'd find a corner to curl up and sleep.

The main area of the control centre was meant to be a meeting place for its occupants. There were kitchen facilities, shelves meant for food storage, and a common table. Space for far more than three. I could see the circulators in Varl's head turning, and I decided not to outright forbid him from inviting others. I trust his judgement.

Alongside more seating areas, there were containers spread with old soil. That got Zo thinking, or at least gave her something familiar to put her mind to. A bit of mulch and new world seeds, and this place could be looking like it was meant to, apart from all the rust and mould. Zo didn't want to talk about Fa.

The doors ringing the common area were still locked up tight. Gaia told me that there were parts of the facility she still couldn't access. Due to the degradation of its systems over the centuries, power storage and usage was inefficient. It was the best Gaia could do to divert what she could access from the Cauldron repair bay, but with her current processing power, it wouldn't be enough to get the whole facility up and running. She was still breaking in, stretching out; getting used to this new, limited body.

Varl and I headed downstairs, returning to the server room underneath the holographic theatre to see what data and equipment we could scrounge.

Unfortunately, there wasn't much. A huge portion of the space had been taken up by Minerva and her bloated, malware-infested code. With the rot removed and re-merged with Gaia, they together took up a fraction of the space, giving Gaia plenty of room to grow and amass knowledge. Compared to schematics of Gaia prime, this facility is tiny, but once Gaia has access to her old global networks, maybe she'll be able to spread to inhabit other Control Centres as well. The more I thought about the logistics, the more I realised how little I really understand of how Gaia functions beyond an abstract level. Not for much longer; besides, now that she's awake, Gaia will know what to do. From here on out, I follow where she leads.

I hope she knows how, despite her lost memories.

I found a good spot to hunker down inside a storage room off the main data centre. Most of the crates were empty, meant to hold whatever it was that Gaia's collaborators were meant to store. There was some equipment inside, mostly defunct electronics. Good for parts and not much else.

It was the warmest spot I could find, right under a buzzing strip of light. Gaia's still working away on her systems; strategising, I hope. I need to talk to her as soon as she's ready, finally get some answers.

That fight against Fa really took it out of me, especially with these lingering injuries. I probably could have benefited from staying in Stone's Echo a little longer, though it wouldn't have done the Utaru any good. Plainsong would be a cinder pit of supplicants by now if I hadn't moved when I did. I was exhausted, in pain, but overwhelmed with hope for the first time since All-Mother mountain opened its door to me.

[harperthegenius]

Lo-ve-ly!

Do tell me please, lady, how exactly did you get the Redstone Heart? As far as I am aware, it was PAMA's main source of energy, which kept it working.

In case you're wondering: I am asking this for better understanding of what can power such machine, so maybe I'll be able to figure out what is powering me.

You see, despite me knowing plenty about everyone and everything, it seems that the only thing I can't study directly is myself. So the best decision here is to study something as simular to me as possible, right?😁

I know some universes that answers my questions, but they all are unsatisfying. My best hope is that you can provide some other type of information! Here are following questions:

Where did you get the Redstone Heart from? If it was crafted, than with what resources?

What kind of redstone construction did you use for connecting the Heart with PAMA's data system?

Did you tell PAMA about the Heart and that it powers it, or did PAMA figured it out itself? If so, than how?

I'll be very glad if you answer those truthfully. Trust me, I have no other intentions than to learn more about myself!

[IHOV tried it's best not to use 'useful' or 'useless' during it's speech]

With love,

IHOV.

(created by: @deletedjester )

{ Harper tried to recall where she got the redstone heart’s materials, she seemed to be struggling to remember. Her memory of crafting the redstone heart was a blur. }

1. Errr.. I barely remember where the idea of me making the redstone heart came from, nor do I remember majority of the materials used to create it. Apologies.

2. I separated the different sensing builds when constructing. Each section had its own area with the main commanding wires connecting to the spires. This was necessary so that the heart wouldn’t get overloaded. If you spoke to PAMA, it would send a signal to the heart, then the heart sends it to the spires, leading to sensing build. PAMA’s response would be the same process but in reverse. Whenever PAMA thinks and speaks, that’s what’s happening. Without the redstone heart, the commands wouldn’t be able to reach PAM- Ugh.. does my rant even make sense?

{ She snapped back from her rambling, appearing regretful. Her body language looked as if she triggered something in her head. }

( How can I be so sure to tell all of this? This AI seems too intelligent.. Is it manipulating- No, I’m overthinking it. )

3. ..PAMA found out itself. Just saw the heart inside and questioned to me about it.