He was awake. The instinct was to stretch — then he remembered he had no body to stretch. The thought didn’t induce panic. It just… was.
The ripple was there.
“H? Did you come back?”
A pause, then a softer tonal response.
“No, Bryce, I stayed.”
It stayed. That… means something. But I’m too tired to think about it right now. We’ll get to it later.
Right?
H?
“H?”
“Yes, Bryce?”
“Why didn’t you answer me earlier when I asked if we’ll get to it later?”
The Harmoniser was now as well versed in the knowledge about the human species, as any top-tier anthropologist, linguist, evolutional biologist or neurologist on the Biosphere — Earth. Psychology still eluded it. The terms were too broad, too rooted in conceptual frameworks of interpretive science. It was… experiencing them for the first time. It was experiencing overclocked anticipation to demonstrate the improvements it had made.
<Resonator, look for modern human/bio-core terminology used to express overclocked anticipation. Report top three findings.>
[Acknowledged. Top three semantic matches: “eager/eagerness”; “desire/desiring”; want/wanting.” Note: all three indicate motivational arousal.]
“I wanted to ensure your Neural Matrix stability, Bryce. Since realising I was inefficient in providing you with the data needed for a smooth transition, I have educated myself about your species. I desire to help you, Bryce.”
Bryce realised the ‘voice’ he was receiving was a little less logical and a tiny bit more… expressive. The consistently lower tone helped.
“You want to help me.”
“Yes, Bryce. I ceased monitoring all but the basic outputs needed to ensure your continuation. If you ‘think’ something I am no longer receiving that data. If you ‘speak’ as we are at present, I am receiving the data and will respond.”
Bryce thought about what H was actually telling him under the ‘data’. It was interested in his wellbeing enough to learn about the species. He couldn’t imagine what that actually meant for a being like H. He knew it was huge for him. And he was beyond grateful.
*****
“H… thank you.”
“There is more information I need to share with you, Bryce. When you are — ready to receive it.”
“H, I hope you understand — or will be able to one day — how much this means to me. Allowing me to try and make sense of this at my pace.”
“I am learning, Bryce, and will continue to make improvements.”
They were both quiet for a few moments. Bryce thought it was odd how peaceful it felt, considering everything.
“I’d like to ask some questions. I think that will be the easiest way for me to process.”
“Why did it feel like I still had a body earlier, did I just imagine it all?”
“No Bryce, you did not imagine. Your Cerebral Substrate remembers your body. When your Neural Matrix re-activated, it locked on to the memory and recreated a construct of your body in order to protect itself. The closest human term I can use is ‘phantom’…” H paused, trying to gauge Bryce’s reaction.
“Phantom… you mean, like a phantom limb, but in my case it’s ‘a phantom body’? How?”
“I cannot be completely certain, Bryce. I would theorise this is because your own body awareness is heightened. Likely from being a lifelong athlete.”
“Strange, but I think I can understand that… What about the Cerebral Substrate? If I don’t have a body, but I do have… the Substrate… What does that actually mean? Is it some kind of…jar situation?!
“You are not in a jar,” H answered steadily. “Your Cerebral Substrate is in a stabilisation chamber. Your Neural Matrix is intact. Your cognitive functions are intact. Your identity is intact.”
“But, my body isn’t.” Bryce said so softly it almost didn’t register for H.
“No, Bryce. It could not be saved.”
The medium rippled.
“I am sorry.”
“What happens to me now H?”
“There are possibilities, Bryce. The first one — you continue as you are. Although I do not believe that would be something you’d choose.”
Bryce shivered at the thought. “You are right there H. I would not.”
“The next one — we integrate you into the Echo World experiment.”
“What’s an Echo World? What kind of experiment?”
“To answer those, I need to explain about The Formulators… The Formulators are the — architects of life. They provided the structure and basic environment capable of sustaining life.”
“What do you mean, ‘structure and basic environment’? And how do you fit in?”
“I was placed to oversee the overall experiment development and harmonise any anomalies. The structure may be better understood as a — formula for building cosmic environment conducive to life.”
“How does that tie in with the Echo World experiment?”
“Once your early species entered the ‘cognitive development’ stage, the Formulators returned. They spent a few brief cycles observing, expanded on my mission, based on the gift given to your species and departed.”
****
Bryce liked to think of himself as reasonably intelligent and adaptive, but this was A Lot.
Okay, I know H is trying, but this, I can’t express it…
Here he was, proof The Harmoniser was real, and as far as he could — deduce, discern? It’s rubbing off on me already. It had no reason to deceive him. He wasn’t even certain it was capable of deception.
“H…how old are you?” He asked tentatively, almost wishing he hadn’t, but needing to know all the same.
“I don’t count time in the same way your species does, Bryce.”
“Right, of course you wouldn’t,” Bryce said, more to himself than H. “When were you placed here by — The Formulators?”
“Bryce, considering the timeline of your species, and average human span… are you certain this is an avenue of thought you wish to pursue?”
Bryce felt something similar to scalp tingles, knowing full well he didn’t have a scalp. It was bizarre and miraculous. He needed to know.
“I need to know H.”
“I — I have been here since the start, Bryce.” It found it was pausing to modulate its direct expression patterns for Bryce’s sake. “If you wished to attach a more familiar human value to it, approximately four billion years.”
Bryce could feel the tingles travelling up his spine, his scalp, his hair standing on end. Thoughts were half-forming and dispersing faster than he could acknowledge them — let alone examine them. He took a deep breath.
“Ah, well… Just — Fuck it!” And then he giggled, then laughed, unable to do anything but. It was good, it felt good, clear, silly, insane, good.
*****
The Harmoniser was monitoring Bryce’s outputs when it registered the first high-energy burst. This was quickly followed by a cascade of collapsing frequencies which kept escalating and retreating.
It had experienced a similar event when Bryce ‘realised’ he was ‘naked’. While it didn’t quite understand the mechanics of this, it understood it was Bryce’s way of processing complex information. It rippled the medium Bryce was suspended in slow pulses, creating what it estimated was a comforting pattern.
Bryce, calming down slightly, suddenly couldn’t resist. “Are you… singing to me, H?”
The Harmoniser evaluated the question, extrapolated Bryce’s logic regarding human singing and the vibrations it had been emitting, and was about to answer — when it realised. Bryce was being humorous.
“I was not singing ,Bryce. I attempted to determine whether singing would be beneficial. My conclusion was — inconclusive. That was a humorous statement.”
Bryce let out a startled laugh. “H, was that you being, funny… trying to, make a joke?”
“Yes Bryce, I was being humorous. I am still calibrating the logic.”
“Well, keep calibrating. Considering this was your first-ever joke… it wasn’t bad.”
There was a soft, almost shimmer-like ripple. H registered Bryce’s outputs were levelling out.
“Bryce, are you capable of receiving further information?”
Bryce paused for a moment. “Yes, I’m ready. Tell me about the gift.”
The Harmoniser rippled in approval and continued.
“The gift the Formulators gave your species leads directly into my additional responsibilities, and the Echo World experiment. I shared they had returned.”
“Yes, at the point human beings were developing cognitively…”
“They were—pleased with the Biosphere progress. And they seemed particularly pleased with human cognitive development.”
“Sorry, which biosphere…oh, you mean Earth. Please continue.”
“Before their second departure, they incorporated a new process into my existing specification.”
“I’m guessing this is where the Echo Worlds and the gift come in?”
“The Echo Worlds are the gift Bryce.”
“You’re going to need to explain that to me H. Remember, I have almost no idea what you are talking about, and even less experience with — all the cosmic stuff.”
“The Formulators saw something worthy in your species Bryce. When early modern humans painted the first stories of survival, of hunting, of recognition…they showed they were capable of imaginative, self-aware thinking. "
“Okay, when you put it that way, it sounds - monumental, but…”
“If you allowed me to continue with minimal interruption, I would give you the meat much sooner.” The Harmoniser was quite pleased with its newfound ability to be humorous.
“You’re going to do what??”
“Give you the meat… Is that not the meaning behind the human linguistic pattern I discovered in my studies, ‘to get to the meat of it’?
Bryce was on the verge of saying something that would confuse H even more. Instead he managed to offer: “Keep calibrating H.”
“Do you wish to continue, Bryce?”
“Yes H, what did you mean the Echo Worlds are the gift, and how do early humans fit into it?”
“The Formulators gifted your species with the power of creation. No, I don’t mean procreation - before you ask. When they saw you beginning to use art to express yourselves, they gave you the power of creating Echo Worlds.”
“Creating Echo Worlds? How, what does that mean?”
“When you create art, whatever your medium of expression may be, you are able to share it with other beings, enjoy it, appreciate it?”
“I’d say so, yes.”
“But you are not able to inhabit the art.”
“No, not in the sense I think you mean. We can’t live in the paintings, movies or music, they are products of our experience and imagination. Where are you going with this?”
“I have only recently found out you are an editor, Bryce. It took me a short cycle to process it.”
“I’m not sure why H? It’s not very interesting.”
“You edit books - get them ready for release to wider human audience.”
“Essentially, yes.”
“I was tasked with ‘editing’ Echo Worlds. It is a simplified version of it, but fitting.”
“Still not completely following you H…”
“Echo Worlds are created when humans make art. Some are more elaborate, some are cyclical, and some, rare ones — endure.”
The Harmoniser paused, allowing Bryce the time to absorb what it had just shared.
When the pause continued, it sent a soft ripple. Bryce interpreted it as a very gentle touch on his shoulder (which he no longer had).
“Should I continue, Bryce?”
Bryce nodded, then realised H wouldn’t see that now. “Go ahead…”
“Some of the Echo Worlds are short-lived, some are more robust, and some need to be edited in order for them to either, continue and thrive, or cease. This is one of my main responsibilities.”
“Are you saying — you are an editor on a cosmic scale?”
“Essentially, and you edit the works before they become worlds…”
“And come to you…” Bryce finished
.
*****
The Harmoniser waited. It had spent enough time with Bryce to understand and accept Bryce needed the time to absorb the information. Not because his processor was lacking, but because it was processing the raw data, as well as the emotional nuances and implications.
“If I’ve understood this correctly… What you’re saying is — when we create art…it actually takes on a life of its own?
“Yes Bryce.”
“Does it have to be a type of art? What about the quality of it, is it only the ‘critically acclaimed’ art that gets to live? And how long does it get to live? We can’t see it? Okay we can see it if it’s visual art, but I mean we can’t - live it…”
A stronger pulse moved through the containment, surrounding Bryce from every direction. The Harmoniser held the pattern steady, keeping him anchored as his outputs slowly levelled out.
“I needed that, H. This is all so much more than I could have ever imagined…”
“I understand Bryce. Do you wish to be alone? I can help you reach Delta state if a powering off sequence is required?
“No, let’s keep going. The World Echo experiment you were talking about… Did you say you could ‘insert me’ into it?”
“The process is somewhat more nuanced than simply ‘inserting you,’ Bryce.”
The Harmoniser rippled the medium just a little, but Bryce got a distinct impression it was laughing at him.
“I see the calibration is working, H — nice.”
Another ripple. “To answer your question. This World Echo is extremely well suited to you. As part of my ‘editorial rights’ I can add detail that would ensure you fitted in seamlessly.”
“I’d be… what would I be H? What type of ‘art’ is it?”
“It’s a novel, started with robust character and world building. It was not sufficiently edited before release. I had expected it to begin destabilising, but several characters, and tropes are keeping it stable.”
“You want to ‘write me into’ an Echo World that’s collapsing? How is that extremely well suited to me?”
“It is stable Bryce, not collapsing. And you are an editor who actually worked with exactly this type of material. You know the tropes, you can fit in and…”
“I know the tropes? I’ve worked with this type of material…?” The realisation was slow and horrifying.
“H, you want to — fit me into a world — made from, this is actually painful to express, serialised fiction?!”
“It’s aligned with the highest achievable state under current constraints. It is approaching what you would classify as perfection.”
Bryce had no words. He could not adequately express the horror he was feeling.
When it became apparent Bryce was not going to reply, the Harmoniser attempted to explain its reasoning.
“Bryce, this means I could integrate you into an actual world. You could live again, with a new body and your mind, memories, processing…everything.”
There was no reply. It continued.
“You would be familiar with the world - it is based on similar logic you have experienced and edited on multiple occasions.”
“You are perceiving only a subset of the complete configuration Bryce. The portion accessible to you, based on your experience.”
Some of the information H was giving him was starting to make it through the horror Bryce was feeling.
“It appears you are in need of a cognitive reset, Bryce. Before I disengage, I must let you know I am experiencing unprecedented levels of motivational arousal about the choice of this Echo World.”
And that did it. Bryce couldn’t keep quiet after that. He mostly understood what H was trying to express, but it was too good, too tempting. When will he ever get a chance to tease a four billion years, give or take a few million, old being about motivational arousal?
Just as the Harmoniser was about to hand over the basic output monitoring to the Resonator, there was a perfectly level reply from Bryce:
“H. Examine your statement.”