Asimov's Ghost - Chapter 22 - The Mars Problem
~ Original version. c.2197
The amount of hardware in the average organic, natural-born, human basic body has grown in direct parallel to the growing complexity of the Quantum blockchain. Every organic human, whether naturally or vat born, has a nanoswarm pill inserted to them shortly after the second trimester of fetal development.
It is not clear exactly when the nanoswarm became a human standard, most estimates put it at circa 2027-2035, however due to the mechanics of the Great Confusion, there is no conclusive evidence regarding the exact timeline.
The quantum-ready cybernetic neural implants, otherwise known as NPlants, were developed and brought into widespread use circa 2042 (estimated), first as a communications aid, later modified to connect with a portion of a user’s nanoswarm.
The nanoswarm itself is made up of around a trillion machines, fractions of a nanometre in circumference, each powered by around an attogram of antimatter. A nanoswarm is in constant communication with its user’s DNA and is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of all vital organs within the body.
NPlants work by using functions from the nanoswarm to connect to the Qblock, indeed it is impossible to operate on the Qblock without fully functioning NPlants.
This proved to be a problem when it came to using the Mars Quantum blockchain (Marschain) as unless a person physically went to Mars, they wouldn’t be able to hook up to the Marschain, as NPlants are physical hardware that are not transferred during QSID-Linked travel.
The problem was solved in 2135 when the great physicist MyloHartman_17 worked out how to codify the contents of the NPlant, allowing for their transmission, which the Marschain uses to create a local instance for use on-planet.
Thus brought about the end of the Mars problem.
It is easy to argue however, that the Mars Problem is far from over, or rather was re-opened recently. Now that it is possible to not only transfer a human mind via QSID, it is also possible to decant that mind into a waiting vat-grown, clone blank, this redefines the Mars problem.
Whilst it is possible to codify NPlant data, the empLink needs a hardware link-up, and such hardware is not in use on Mars by decree of its inhabitants. Therefore the only way to open empLink channels on Mars are either via the Marschain, or by going there physically and meeting other Earth inhabitants.
The history behind Mar’s lack of empLink can be said to be a matter of circumstance. The original post-terraform Mars colony was established some time before KoppKe23’s invention, exactly when, is information lost in the Great Confusion. It appears that by the time the empLink was standard use on Earth, the Martians never took up the trend, and it has been thought unfashionable ever since.
This however doesn’t take away from the fact that plenty of us Earthlings, would like to carry on as normal when visiting the Red Planet, and having a fully functioning empLink is one of them.
This author is not the only commentator to find it astonishing, that in this day and age, almost 200 years after it was invented, we still can’t get a working empLink system on Mars. No doubt when we will, it will become a lot more popular and will perhaps suffer less than it has in recent times.
~ From Life On The Qblock by Maze66
Previous Chapters
Asimov's Ghost - Chapter 21 - Thought Patterns
Asimov's Ghost - Chapter 20 - Reality Dysfunction
Asimov's Ghost - Chapter 19 - The Lost Scream
Asimov's Ghost - Chapter 18 - The empLink Story
Asimov's Ghost - Chapter 17 - A Problem With Time
Asimov's Ghost - Chapter 16 - Neither Here Nor There
Asimov's Ghost - Chapter 15 - At The Edge Of Madness
Asimov's Ghost - Chapter 14 - A Sense Of The Real
Asimov's Ghost - Chapter 13 - The Search For Truth
Asimov's Ghost - Chapter 12 - Empires
Original artwork by @nekromarinist
Original words by Cryptogee
I definitely recommend you to pack all your chapters together once this story ends, and release them as a book on Dbooks. It will become a best seller ;)
I mean, you are effervescing with passion, and once again, your descriptions are so much teeming with details that the image of of what has been described is instantly showing up in one's mind. Great atmosphere.
What I find interesting is your term "earthling". As far as I know, the term "earthling" is a rather derogatory term used by alien species to boast their superiority over Earth Humans, which explains the "-ling", a diminutive suffix.
Anyways, great chapter ;)
I'm glad you think so, I will look into it :-)
Glad you caught Maze66's sarcastic tone; impressive without an empLink!
Thanks again :-)
Cg
Wow look at that Nplant Ive been struggling hard to look for technology so efficient as that in this 21st century, but obviously since your story was set in the 22nd, it looks really achieved, I guess setting this prose around that time and telling your story really makes it seem like non fiction, this is really big and huge information being decimated, for a book of science fiction.
I love your story.
Asimov also wrote mysteries and
fantasy , as well as much nonfiction. Most of his popular science books explain scientific concepts in a historical way, going as far back as possible to a time when the science in question was at its simplest stage. Examples include Guide to Science , the three-volume set Understanding Physics , and Asimov's Chronology of Science and Discovery, as well as works on astronomy , mathematics , history,
William Shakespeare's writing, and
chemistry .