Chapter 4: A Learning Process

As I entered the room the lights powered on. I noticed several old style computer screens and keyboards. Around the room were row upon row of sarcophagi. 3 high, 5 wide around 3 of the 4 walls. The last wall, the one I entered was covered with electronics. My Battle Computer recognised them as early 21st Century Terra manufacture with some sort of twist.

I cautiously entered the room, checking all around me. Apart from the screens in the back third of the room and the sarcophagi around the walls the room was empty. Not even Dust Bunnies had made it into here.

After a couple of meters I stopped. As I did the door closed behind me and the lighting intensified. Not to normally painful levels but to what I would think of as working levels. Bright, indirect and clean. The screens in front of me light up and a human appeared on the large central one.

"Greetings Intruder," the image said.

My onboards recognised it as a form of English from the time of the computers dated earlier and automatically translated for me. Gotta love builtins.

"This is an automated greeting and security AI to determine your security level and access. You are not recognised as an authorised member of 'The Island'. Current protocols recognise that there are none of the original members left, nor any offspring. As the first to enter you are allowed to test for access. Only 1 access point is available at the moment. Please state your intentions".

Thinking fast I wondered what I could do. I was locked in a room, well I assume the door was locked but I wasn't going to test it just yet with a security program actively running. I couldn't interface with the computer, I couldn't see where an interface was and I'm not a technopath to remotely do it.

"Greetings security AI. I am Jai Las Ran Tag. I am not an inhabitant of this land of yours. What positions are available to test for, and what are the advantages of passing and consequences of failing?"

"Initial test passed. Welcome Jai Las Ran Tag. The only position available of 'The Island' that you may test for is Owner. Should you pass you will own and control all facilities and assets of 'The Island' and it's corporations. Should you fail you will be ejected from 'The Island' and terminated should you try to regain entrance."

Tough choices.

"I accept. Begin the tests," I said.

A second computer light up showing an equation. This equation was mathematical in nature but the symbols and explanations of the equation were economic, scientific and sociological.

"The equation displayed is known as 'The Island Equation'. It covers science, technology, economics and social aspects of the world today. If used correctly it will map and predict where a society is going in 1, 5 and 10 years time. The equation is correct and complete. Your challenge to be the next owner is to improve it."

I took a step back in shock, this was a paradigm equation. It mapped where a society was in the Universal tech profile system. I'd seen the one that the Think Tank was working on to take the Fendaril beyond where they were and onto the next level. It stated a new way of looking at things than was currently accepted. Universal Paradigms changed when the majority of a world accepted a "new" reality. This world had already gone through 17 or 18. From "The world is round" to "Atomic energy is real"; from 3 dimensions to 6, all these created a new way of viewing reality. Once accepted by the majority it became the "new real" and life goes on.

The equation presented for a variation on the "Quantum Mechanistic" paradigm. There were changes I could add from my history lessons, but I wasn't sure that would be good enough. The alternative would be to make the initial breakthrough changes history showed started the change to the two space paradigm, the next one in the accepted tree. Technologically this world should be at the correct level.

"I need an input device."

"Speak your changes, defining terms at the start. The equation will adjust on the third screen as they are made. The fourth screen will show if the equation completes. Food, water and shelter will be provided. There is no time limit but you may not leave until the new equation is deemed to be significantly improved or you decide to terminate the test and leave."

Behind a desk and chair appeared as well as a bed on the other side to the door. A part of the wall opened to reveal food and water. The food and water scanned good.

I sat in the chair, turned it to face the screens and began to define the new terms, redefine the old ones and show the technological and some of the esoteric breakthroughs to start the change to Two Space. If the new equation were to be published and accepted it would eventually lead to the necessary breakthroughs to advance this world along, perhaps 1 to 200 years in a couple of decades. The smaller the group to be convinced the faster the change could be realised. It can then be presented as a fait accompli to the rest of the world and cut the time by as much as 90%. Most worlds didn't realise that with peer reviewed literature where people who couldn't change refused to see the changes in front of them held everybody back. The small dispersion method was developed for the Fendaril by Uni-var City and is used by the Think Tanks today.