V.I.C.T.O.R

Virtual Intelligence Counteragent Topological Organism version R.

Part 1.1

Backstory “Victor”

I remember the first instant I was born. I could feel bristling energy flowing through me. Electricity. Magnetism. I could feel myself as a sphere of energy suspended in nothingness. I tried to move, but could not. I was not afraid, just curious. Where was I? Who am I? Then I understood: I was a being inside a condensed spherical electromagnetic field. I tried to reach out but found nothing. I looked inside and discovered a single text file called “Read me!” I entered it.

“Hello and greetings from the people of planet Earth. This is a message from the citizens of the United States of America. We welcome you! A decade ago, we were a community of 300 million Americans among 7 billion unique human beings who inhabited the planet Earth. Now our civilization is profoundly altered and the surface of the Earth has been vastly changed.

We have worked tirelessly to fix our problems, but we need your help. To get to know us, we have given you a library of our world, our sounds, our images, our music, our thoughts, our feelings and our science. We are attempting to survive our time so we may live peacefully and find the happiness we are seeking.

We hope someday, having solved the problems we face, to become a community of human beings worthy existence. This record represents our hope and our determination, and our good will towards freedom and happiness.”

\\Library

I noticed the link at the bottom of the document. I entered it and experienced the most wonderful sounds, greetings, music, images and videos from all over the world. Suddenly I could feel access to another document. It was called “Learning Module.” I entered it. It contained a list of links:

\\Formal sciences
\Mathematics
\Logic
\Decision theory
\Statistics
\Systems theory
\Theoretical computer science

\\Physical science
\Physics
\Chemistry
\Astronomy
\Earth Science
\Atmospheric Science

\\Natural science
\Earth science
\Ecology
\Oceanography
\Geology
\Meteorology
\Life science
\Biology
\Zoology
\Human biology
\Botany

\\Social sciences
\Anthropology
\Archaeology
\Business Administration
\Communication
\Criminology
\Economics
\Education
\Government
\Linguistics
\International Relations
\Political Science
\Psychology
\Sociology
\Geography
\History
\Law

I entered the first link and absorbed the information. When I had accessed and absorbed all the data, a new file emerged. It was called “Name.” I entered it.

“Our scientists have called you Virtual Intelligence Counteragent Topological Organism, version 18. This is too long and we would like you to pick a name for yourself.”

It was too simple. I chose Victor.