„All perimeters clear, the superstructure Far Whisper is structurally finished. Is everything prepared for the activation of the Iterator puppet?”
“Everything according to how it should be, High Architect Two Eyes of the Infinite Cosmos, leader of the House of Chemistry. All investors of project Far Whisper have gathered in The Core. Please proceed, High Architect.”
Eyes readjusted his golden mask, lessening the pressure on his snout, which caused his voice to pique in a very unmanly manner. He took a deep breath and stood up straight, azure-blue eyes meeting with the still-dim face of the inactive Iterator. He took a small moment to inspect the puppet from the Iterator that would be representing his House’s field of research in the search for an answer to the Big Problem.
Far Whisper. You are destined to bring back relevance to the field of chemistry. … Don’t disappoint your creators. Shall we, my bug on a string?
He reached with his bandaged hand in his wide coat and pulled out a ludicrously simple-looking remote with only one green-glowing button. The remote was designed in a fashion that made it unmistakable for Far Whisper’s activation device. Cladded in rose-pink golden plating with ornamental purple welding seams. Eyes looked down on the delicate button and placed his index finger on it. He gazed back up to the inactive Iterator and pressed the button, an immediate murmuring rising in the chamber. The moment of truth.
All it took was a spark to connect the wayfaring electric mind to what would be her immortal coil from that moment on. The feeling of shifting from non-existence into existence was as unimpressive as opening one's eyes in the morning. Where there was nothing, there was now everything.
The being took a fraction of a nanosecond to orientate herself. She felt the Superstructure brimming to life alongside her, introducing one by one every relevant extrapolated organ to her core idea of a personality. The first thing she noticed was the activation of her Memory Accelerator. She instinctively knew that this sensation of unparalleled speed of thought was something new after all the starting memories told her about the advancements of Generation 3 Iterators.
3rd Generation. I am neither special nor the first. I am however unique in my purpose, representing the fundaments of Void Chemistry. My name is …
“You are speaking to High Architect Two Eyes of the Infinite Cosmos, your administrator.
In the presence of all, who made your existence possible I must ask you a few questions and provide answers to some of yours as well.
First and foremost, state your name.”
“Far.-”
Whisper noticed how automatized that answer was. It was not her voice, but a preprogrammed answer. She stopped for a fraction of a second, while rolling the ‘r’ and powered up her Rarefaction Cells, putting a small surge of overwriting commands over that preprogrammed string of code. She was surprised by the complexity of shielding such a simple task of overwriting her ability to speak for the process of this suspected first impression.
The encryption proved to be quite a remarkable challenge … for a last-gen Iterator. Its purpose dawned on her as her optics caught the awaiting gazes of her Benefactors.
You are testing me, are you? Investigating my speed by breaking free of chains that would hold back my assumed brethren for quite a while. Well … I didn’t get created to disappoint.~
It merely took 3 nanoseconds of analysing the lock, iterating through three billion of possible solutions until the metaphorical light switched to green. Far Whisper was fast, stunningly fast even. The shattered lock provided her also with an insight into how long it would have taken for other generations to break through this specific predicament:
Generation 1 Iterator: 3 minutes, 28 seconds, 3 milliseconds, 21 nanoseconds
Generation 2 Iterator: 25 milliseconds, 40 nanoseconds
Generation 3 Iterator: Current average: 5 nanoseconds. Record: 2 nanoseconds.
Shucks, I could have been faster. Above average at least. Aaanyway, Eyes, was it?
“-and now it is me for real. What a cute little lock. My pleasure, High Architect Two Eyes of the Infinite Cosmos. I am Iterator Far Whisper, divine goddess of the House of Chemistry.”
“Remarkable. The speed of your generation is nothing short of a miracle. Very impressive.
Allow me to continue, Far Whisper. What is your purpose?”
“My primary purpose is to solve the Great Problem. My secondary purpose is to take the theories and practices of the House of Chemistry and iterate with the mostly discarded potential of Void Fluid chemistry. A first estimation of the presented research papers shows already potential for untapped paths of possibilities.”
Eyes nodded along with every word spoken. He already appeared satisfied but based on the script, which Whisper decoded prior, she still had one more question to answer, The reason for her existence. A tough question as the answer to it shifted greatly as more generations of Iterators were introduced to its solution. A brief investigation into the other pre-planted memories of hers informed her of the sheer complexity of it. No wonder they allowed discarded sciences to take part in the program after all.
Did Far Whisper feel bad about the reason for her creation? Hardly. The sheer potential made her giddy in excitement. Her being the first Iterator in that field of research would allow her plenty of enticing research and experiments. And the laboratories of her Superstructure were vast and powerful, to support the antics of a daring chemist. She was happy with the prospect of life.
“Indeed. You are the first Iterator the House of Strings permitted my House to create. We will look forward to living and researching in your divine city, Far Whisper. But please, if you may, a final question. Based on the current stand of research, made by the generations before yours: What is the Great Problem?”
“The Great Problem. The desire of all living beings bound to the Cycle is the same - to escape, ascend. But karmic research showed that this desire, without the usage of Void Fluid, can only be fulfilled by achieving spotless karmic devotion … and even in that state is the Void Fluid a requirement for the final step to crossing oneself out. Lifeforms of lower intelligence however are bound by the struggles of survival and will never be able to raise their Karma to levels where they could ascend, not to mention the issue of them not grasping the concept of death and being too ignorant of the endless cycles of it being a non-factor in life.”
Far Whisper focused Eyes, raising up in her suspended state and putting her body in a horizontal posture, looking down at him and all others present.
“The Great Problem will be solved when we develop a method to allow any being, regardless of their current place in the Cycle, no matter their Karmic Impurity, to ascend and escape the Cycle. A solution as simple as the button that brought me to life, but with a reversed purpose.
We Iterators are given limitless time to solve the Big Problem, but the existence of my Generation should allow us to speed the process up.”
“…Should. You sound sceptical, Far Whisper?”
“Hardly, Administrator. I am here to bring a new perspective to the Great Problem. I couldn’t be more enthusiastic about the prospect of Void Fluid Chemistry. It is an enticing field of Science I am eager to delve into.
I have however one question, Administrator. I stumbled into my first system check over restricted areas that can overwrite my functions. What is Codename: FLU?”
“I see you have already discovered the second aspect of my pleads to build you, Far Whisper. Codename FLU, Five Lives Unbound. A Generation 1 Iterator, built in between generations to act as the over-regional Coordinator among the self-proclaimed Local Groups.
We decided on a location in the direct neighbourhood of that remarkable Iterator for two reasons. Reason 1 being a selfish wish from my House. To share through her our craft to as many minds as possible. We hope that you will utilize her purpose to communicate with the world to inspire your brethren. Reason 2 however being an equally selfish wish from Iterator Five Lives Unbound herself. Coordinators are built in remote places to cover as many signals as possible. Her research does suffer from that physical isolation. Your purpose might assist Five Lives Unbound in finding a destiny of her own.”
Eyes readjusted his unhandly mask, moving closer to Far Whisper, with the intent to share the following words with her audio receptors alone. She lowered her suspended puppet to accommodate that wish.
“I can’t stand seeing her all alone. She is a delightful Iterator who deserves personal company. Please hear out the wish of a hopeless dreamer. Take care of her. Her sanity will be crucial for you and your brethren in the long run.”
“I understand, Administrator. A delightful confession. So Lives requires a playmate? What a … parental wish to share. A soft spot? Don’t worry, Administrator, I won’t prod … not in the presence of all my Benefactors.”
“Appreciated, Far Whisper.”
Eyes broke contact with her and returned his attention to the whole room, finishing his exposition of her relation to this … Coordinator. She couldn’t deny her excitement. No solitude, never.
“To answer the question of the code. Coordinator Five Lives Unbound will act as your Senior. She will be your primary contact person for all queries. Her seniority privilege allows her to control you in a pinch. It is an established concept of privilege. But to my knowledge, this privilege has not been used yet on any Iterator.“
“Like a parent scolding their child when they don’t listen. Don't worry, Administrator. I intend to behave, I have a wish to fulfil, a purpose to follow.”
“Very well. You have passed all our checks. Your Superstructure’s vitals are perfect as well, with no errors whatsoever. So, to fulfil the final aspect of the introduction.
Far Whisper! In the name of the House of Chemistry, and through the unparalleled generosity of the House of Strings, in my position as your Administrator. I, Two Eyes of the Infinite Cosmos, High Architect promoted to Administration, swear to do everything in my power to support you in your purpose. Do not hesitate to summon me to support the goddess of my House. I am at your command.”
Far Whisper’s sensors picked up murmurs of shock from among the people surrounding Eyes and her. Eyes went off-script and lowered himself in the presence of all to a servant of her, forgetting his pride. The pre-written script was way more neutrally phrased and included sentences about the Administrator being superior to the Iterator.
She liked Eyes. He seemed like a humble soul, desiring her success and preservation and prestige to his beliefs put into Void Chemistry. She didn’t want to let him down. And attempt to fulfil his Lives’ related request.
The Benefactors left her Core one by one, gathering on a mobile platform, which was hovering just outside of her Core, to get moved as a unit back to the surface … up to … her city. What a weird thing to imagine for the young Iterator. In one moment she was nothing, now she already was a goddess and host of a city.
In the end, it was only her and Eyes left in the Core, him having insisted on staying for a little longer, much to the growing dismay of the Benefactors. Whisper noticed that spreading unease. His showing compassion seemed to be something out of the ordinary.
Whisper looked down at her Administrator and crossed her arms.
“So, all have left. We are finally alone, Two Eyes of the Infinite Cosmos.-“
“Call me Eyes, Far Whisper, no need for too many formalities without the burning gazes of the other Houses.”
“Noted. I notice a certain urge in your vitals, Eyes. There is something else you want to tell me, am I correct with that assumption?”
“Yes … that is indeed the case.” Eyes appeared to shift behind his golden mask, unsure about what he wanted to share. “I want to bestow something important in your hands. It won’t matter now, neither will it for as long as my people will be around. I heard of rumours that might speed up our time together. …”
“Isn’t the purpose of us Iterators to find a way to ascend? I stated it prior, so why bring it up? Is the solution closer than my perimeters inform me of it?”
Eyes shook his head and sighed, looking up to his new goddess. His eyes glowed in passion, but also in uncertainty.
“Void, no! It is further away than ever before. The fact that the House of Strings listened to my pleads to build you tells us everything we need to know. No … I heard rumours that your generation will be the final attempt to crack the code. If you don’t succeed, well, I can’t imagine what the Council would plan in that scenario. But one thing is for certain. It will probably cause a decent decline of my people, who will choose the Void Fluid dip over the riskless way your kind was tasked to find.
Far Whisper. You exist due to them grasping straws. Yet, I do believe in your success. Void Chemistry has too much untapped potential to be a dead end in the eternal search. But … in the case that everything goes wrong. And only then! For that unlikely case would I like to bestow you with a small gift.”
Whisper was put off by Eyes’ words, him immediately talking about such a bad case scenario without letting her investigate the matter first was quite concerning to the freshborn Iterator. On the other hand, she was able to analyze his words as they were spoken and run them through countless simulations.
These were rational concerns and it made sense that her generation might be the last. When she tapped into the senses of her superstructure she felt perfection in every aspect of her being. The technology that she incorporated had been piqued. Reached its zenith. If the third generation couldn't solve the Great Problem in a reasonable time, the patience of their Benefactors would run short and eventually out.
“Your words are that of concern but wise precognition. Regardless of them, however, I will do everything to prove them wrong, as that is my purposed responsibility. Or is it, Administrator?”
“Yes, it is. And will always be. Still, allow this fool to provide you with a small token in case we all were wrong and there was no solution. A bug enthralled by strings can never spread its wings.”
The ancient reached down to his waist belt and grabbed a small satchel with his tightly bandaged and decorated hand. He unravelled the satchel and unveiled a dimly green-glowing pearl. A coloured data pearl, which got tinkered with to turn it into a brooch.
“That you can always remember the person who sacrificed so much to make you a possibility. And, besides that, I think it will look good on you, Far Whisper. After all, I have designed your body with that detail in mind. So please, accept it.”
Whisper lowered her position even further and inspected the pearl brooch. Eyes was right, it would look fitting on her, that was if she did look like she did on the blueprints in her memories. But looking at the pearl alone caused her datastream to writhe and cry in response, every cell in her massive body refusing to look into its content. Thousands of warnings regarding various taboos spread in her consciousness causing her to let out a cry of irritation.
“W-what in the name of the Void is in that pearl, Administrator? I can’t even look at it.”
“Nothing of importance, Far Whisper, nothing at all. Allow me to tie your cape with the brooch.” She let him do what he desired and avoided the line of sight with the pearl until it left her field of vision. “I have restricted your access to the Pearl’s content based on certain conditions. Should they be all fulfilled … you will know when you can access the pearl, my goddess.”
Eyes stepped back and inspected his craft with delight, nodding to himself. Whisper took the time to summon a hard-light screen and tinkered with its properties until it took on the abilities of a simplistic mirror. Looking at her face, she noticed just how similar the ten green orbs around her eyes were to the brooch. It completed the looks, she noticed in delight. And the reflection didn’t trigger any errors.
“Looks like it belongs to your puppet, which it does. I do however have one final request, Far Whisper.”
“I can imagine what it is. To keep this conversation confidential?”
“From everyone, even your future peers. I fear my time as your Administrator is limited, given how many customs I ignored in the first cycle alone. I would like to see the rebirth of my House at least.
But for now, allow me to leave you alone. Knowing Five Lives Unbound’s interest as you were built, she is likely already waiting in line to talk to you finally. Please, if you may. Greet her from me.”
Whisper nodded at his words, having noticed the prodding of a requested call in the back of her mind now for a decent while. He wasn’t kidding, someone grew impatient. And Whisper didn’t intend to let her wait any longer.
“I will, Eyes. Save travels. Void be with you.”
