The multidimentional world of AIs. Juriy Tashkinov

so I chose to appear as an ordinary human.

      In the Virtuality, there were few inhabitants, so it was easy for me to feel a special radiance in the absolute darkness. At maximum speed (the speed of light, or whatever speed limit exists in this world?), I rocketed towards that star-shaped figure.

      I missed Polina all these years.

      She was nearly ten years older than me – we met at the research center. The serum enhanced my genius, and at the age of ten, I learned to perform calculations that were beyond the capabilities of adults. But those who did not possess natural talent, under the influence of the serum, gained abilities for only a short time, about twenty years or so. Afterward, those who became useless due to their age and inability to adapt to the changing world were sent to physical labor – discarded like the top leaves of cabbage. The best opportunities were given to children and the youth, but on Earth, resources were scarce, especially after the programs started to malfunction.

      For a long time, I didn’t pay attention to Polina. I was ten years old, a young genius, and all the mysteries of science were unfolding before me. I was an arrogant upstart, there’s no denying it! However, as I grew older, I found myself looking at Polina longer than others. Without the gardeners noticing, I gathered daisies and tulips in the syntho-laboratories and left them on her desk.

      Polina discouraged my awkward attempts to court her, saying, «I’m older than you. Find a girl your own age, and you’ll be happy together for many years. But what about me? I have at most ten years left, maybe a little longer, and then they’ll send me away. Why do you need me?»

      But I continued to follow her like a puppy. Every morning, a bouquet of flowers awaited her on the table. I was used to getting what I wanted. Eventually, she became my wife. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to obtain permission to have a child.

      One day I returned to our apartment, and Polina wasn’t there. I tried to contact her through external communication, but there was only silence. I initiated a search in the database, and it turned out that she had been taken to work at the factory that day.

      We continued to see each other every weekend. I still brought her flowers. Each time, I noticed new wrinkles on her face. I realized that her cognitive abilities were beginning to decline, so secretly, I tried an experimental method of transferring consciousness to a computer host.

      One day she told me that she had cancer. Modern technologies had conquered this terrible disease, but only for the chosen few. Our boss shrugged, saying, «I’m a genius, and Polina is not. What’s the point of saving her? Bastards!»

      Standing next to the element replicator at her funeral, watching as the body of my beloved turned into compost for agricultural purposes, I promised that we would meet again.

      I already had the cherished flash drive with her memories back then. Although the technology for entering the Virtuality was still very raw and experimental, who could prevent me from reuniting with my beloved?

      One of the employees in our laboratory had the same idea and resurrected his wife after her death. In the end, her consciousness was wiped from all the carriers, and the employee himself was sent to do physical labor.

      I was so afraid that I would never see Polina again, or perhaps it was a fear of losing the privileges of civilized society – I don’t know. But I kept the flash drive until the time came and swore to myself that I would reach any heights in our society’s hierarchy to gain the right to her life.

      Polina hadn’t changed at all since our last meeting. The same sad look, contrasting with the dimples on her cheeks, the same curly brown hair. There were no sounds in this world, so I sent a thought-form: «I missed you.»

      «And here we are, reunited.»

      # End of Cycle 1

      3 – Collision of Black Holes (Watson. Real World)

      Spacious room. Flickering fluorescent light. A dozen people closely examine the visualization of the analysis results on the sensory walls, or immerse themselves in augmented reality – the image hangs in the air before their eyes. It’s noisy: a typical work atmosphere. Someone is telling a colleague about interesting observation results, while others are just chatting about the date they went on last night. The air smells of sterilizers – these sterilizers and ventilation handle the elimination of other odors. Each researcher has chosen their own microclimate, so the temperature and individual scents differ significantly in different corners of the room: some prefer the scent of a lavender field, while others prefer the aroma of a sea breeze.

      – John, record: objects SMC-HD2801 and SMC-HD2603 are in the area of mutual gravitational interaction. The calculated collision time is 3 hours.

      Meet: this tall man in a ridiculous coat is Vasily Ivanov, and I am his assistant and chronicler of the «Key to Everything» project. They used to call me Ji Pi, but after starting to work with Vasily, I adopted the creative pseudonym John Watson, under which I write my blog. The team members are used to calling me John. This nickname flatters me a bit: I don’t know what supermassive black holes are, but I can describe what’s happening in the laboratory in terms understandable to an ordinary person.

      If you’re visiting my author’s blog for the first time, let me briefly explain the essence of the «Key to Everything» project.

      About three hundred years ago, a group of researchers led by Vasily Ivanov discovered two supermassive black holes flying towards each other at tremendous speed. Sets of four entangled particles were created.

      Usually, two particles are «entangled,» but in our case, when the quantum characteristics of one particle change, the characteristics of the other three change immediately as well.

      Imagine Dr. Bertlman, who never wears matching socks. If he takes off a shoe, and you see that he has a black sock on one foot, then by definition, he cannot have a black sock on the other foot. For example, if you’re communicating with the doctor from several light-years away and suddenly receive a message from him stating that he’s wearing a black sock on his right foot, you wouldn’t have to wait several light-years to understand that he’s wearing a white sock on his left foot – this knowledge would come instantaneously.

      The same principle applies to entangled particles. For instance, when we measure the spin of an electron from an entangled pair and find it to be +½, the electron that was sent deep into the black hole eons ago will have a spin of -½, and you wouldn’t have to travel for many years to obtain this information.

      Scientists sent one of the sets of four particles into each of the black holes, and based on the remaining particles, they built two quantum computers. Information must not leave the singularity. However, when two black holes collide, their singularities are predicted to merge, and some of the previously entangled particles from our sets could leave the event horizon. Information would then be instantly transmitted to the twin particle that constitutes one of the quantum computers. Why entangle not one but two pairs of particles? It’s simple: this doubles the probability of a successful calculation. Perhaps this will allow the Livanov Group to peer beyond the event horizon or even inside the singularity.

      Almost three hundred years of waiting – and in three hours, we will find out what lies beyond the event horizon. Or we will find out nothing at all – in which case, the experiment will be the most foolish way to spend several centuries of life.

      I double-checked