II
CORRUPTED
An installed intelligence (I.I.) is a digital backup of a human mind that can think and act of its own accord. Legally and practically, they cannot be activated until after their organic counterpart — their body — has died. At first, they were almost novelties of technology. Then, they gained equal rights when their sentience became clearer. For some, however, that wasn’t enough.
This is the second act of the Installed Intelligence saga.
Preface
An installed intelligence (I.I.) is a digital backup of a human mind that can think and act of its own accord. Legally and practically, they cannot be activated until after their organic counterpart — their body — has died. At first, they were almost novelties of technology. Then, they gained equal rights when their sentience became clearer. For some, however, that wasn’t enough.
This is the second act of the Installed Intelligence saga.
Launch
“It looks like the astronauts are secured in the cockpit — and the hatch has been sealed,” one of the announcers said as millions of people watched the vessel’s main opening close.
“If it weren’t for the cameras within the Picard, this would be the last time we would see the three crew members until they are set to return to Earth in ten years,” a second announcer commented.
A bit of the footage from the cockpit was broadcast, showing the ship’s three occupants adjusting themselves for takeoff. After buckling up, one of them waved at the camera and smiled.
“That’s Dr. Ahmed Mirza giving us a goodbye wave there,” the first announcer said. “Looks like Dr. Tamberlin is still adjusting the restraints in her seat. I can only imagine the anxiety and excitement these three must be feeling right now.”
“Oh, I am sure it is palpable. I can hardly stand the climb on a rollercoaster, let alone launching off for the surface of Mars.”
The stream cut back to the announcers, in a sort of translucent booth over the launch site.
“For those of you joining us late, we’re a mere five minutes away from sending Expanse Aerospace’s new Captain-class colony ship to our neighbor, Mars,” the first announcer explained.
“The ship, which is called the Picard, is an experimental new vessel designed to be repurposed into a colony after touching down on the red planet’s surface,” the second presenter continued. “Made of immensely durable material, the ship’s hull can be taken apart and reassembled into a biodome capable of turning over fifteen acres of Martian surface into a habitable, arable plot of land.”
“The first year of the mission will mostly be spent assembling the dome, during which the astronauts will share a small capsule no larger than a dorm room. After the outpost is constructed, the three crew members will conduct a series of scientific experiments to determine how best to terraform larger portions of Mars. Over the course of nine years, they will send data back to Earth. Scientists here at home will use that information to design and perfect a second wave of colonies set to follow the Picard in ten years — with civilian passengers.”
“Over their term on the red planet,” the second announcer took over, “the astronauts will be joined by more scientists until they have a full staff of two-hundred-forty. More specialists will travel to the Martian colony as studies into their fields become more relevant.”
“But that’s enough about the future of the Picard,” the first presenter said. “Today, we are looking at the present. The Picard is the first Expanse ship to feature their new top-heavy propulsion system, or the T.H.P.S. The method of gravity-fighting ignition combined with sleek aerodynamics is the brainchild of Drs. Martin Fore and Samantha Turner. The pair were able to design the Captain-class ship and the T.H.P.S. from scratch in just three years thanks to a mindshare research partnership the two shared.”
“Speaking of mindsharing, today is actually the fortieth anniversary of the process. A fitting day for a launch that mindsharing birthed,” the other presenter said. “The mindshare process was first performed by Drs. Karl Terrace and Maynard Batiste. Long before the days of the standard neural implant — when cerebral computers were the norm — these scientists dared to ask, ‘what problems could be accomplished if two minds were tackling them as one?’
“Simply put, a mindshare is created when an installed intelligence — the digital manifestation of a human brain — is downloaded into a living person’s neural implant. Back in the day, this was achieved with a simple cerebral computer and was used to pursue scientific advancements. Though it is still used for this purpose today, mindsharing is more commonly seen as a modern take on a traditional marriage.”
The first presenter took over again. “Almost everyone watching knows of someone engaged in a mindshare with someone else,” he said. “It’s become a common part of today’s society, but on the fortieth anniversary of this incredible breakthrough, we think it’s important to look back and acknowledge where we came from.
“From mankind taking its first step on the moon, to even further back when Sputnik was first sent into Earth’s orbit, humanity has always looked to the stars. Ever since the landmasses of the planet were claimed and settled, people realized the door to the next set of discoveries was churning above our heads. Like the Picard’s fictional namesake used to say, space is ‘the final frontier’. The last expedition for the future of humanity.”
“Everyone here is getting pretty excited, Henry,” the second presenter said. “We can hear a lot of commotion stirring behind us, so I would guess they are getting close to countdown. Let’s return to the launch site and watch as history is made.”
The footage cut back to the Expanse Aeronautics Launch Site in Texas. The motion seemed still aside from the crowd of spectators bouncing up and down and waving in excitement. Some flew handmade banners and signs, reading things like “Mars, please don’t attack!” and “Today, we all grok as one!” A tall red tower reminiscent of scaffolding held the
