31. Planning

“Ambiguous results. Update operating system or add more data”. Omni obtained the same result after some attempts running the full checks on her programming. She tried to get her worries of her mind and focused on The Project.

After mashing in a shared-data-conversation meeting with the first generation of personIA, which was a bit longer than needed, as they got lost in superfluous details several times, they ended with a slightly better general model for Ciutat-1. Even if it was smaller than the previous city, it followed a model that worked nicely in all simulations Omni run, and it was thought to be expandable with relative ease.

Shortly after, Omni started printing some pieces they would need for the basements and the main structure. The thinner atmosphere had helped simplify the design. Therefore, the printing process was quite faster as well. When they had gathered all the sets and pieces, sending them to the planet, programming the bots, and start the settlement was a process that practically anyone with minimal experience could have done.

After the bots had started with its task, a minimal supervision was required, so Omni could decide what would be next step. Probably moving the forest from the ship to the planet. That task made Omni additionally nervous, and she couldn’t explain exactly why. It was a delicate job, but not much more difficult than the rest. During the whole journey, the ship took care regularly of all forest needs. She had expected a bit more of training in that field, and felt the additional software routines she had available weren’t good enough.

Omni only used a couple of extra cycles to decide it would be a good moment to print a botanic. In the catalogue two humans were available. Wasn’t it funny how were specially humans who had an extra sensibility towards plants and trees? It was ironic, at least.

Be that as it may, Omni started the printing process for the botanic with more experience in arid environments. That would take a while, so maybe she could make use of some time.

To be continued…

---

Last poll results

30. Not me anymore

Omni had to force some self-induced cheerfulness into herself. She had mixed feeling on how to continue with her mission at this point. In on hand, she couldn’t but feet a bit responsible for the failure of the building of Ciutat-0, even if she knew that made little sense. At the other hand, she was excited to discover the mysteries CMP-000 was hiding like the tree they found some weeks ago. “We didn’t even choose a name for it” she thought. Probably was exactly the waiting for something to happened that was eaten her insides. “That wasn’t a problem before”, she thought. It was obvious that she had changed. All of them were a bit different, not worryingly, but she knew something was off. She had run some self-diagnosed tests. All came out correct. An internal alarm, set to not let herself go too much into deeper sadness, went off. “Enough,” she thought shaking her head in an intent of expelling the intrusive ideas “there’s a mission to be done.”

Omni traced a small plan of action. This time, she would start the city in smaller, more manageable, chunks. Building a light core area first, even a temporary space, from where they could expand later. Afterwards, when the settlement would be stable enough, they could start thinking about creating a dome for the forest, maybe she would need to print a botanic first. Now it was clear that she had changed deep inside. All these maybes and perhaps, sounded nothing like her. What happened to follow the protocols? She loved protocols. Or was she spending too much time on her own? That was something that didn’t bother her before. Now it was clear that she indeed needed a full deep scan. First though, she set an appointment with the rest of the members and prepared a quick dossier with a schematic resume of her plan for the Ciutat-1 to be discussed later. She also asked for the first generation to prepare their own dossiers and strategies for the settlement. Only afterwards, Omni shot herself through the inner system, heading to the control room. Once there, she hooked herself to the main computer and let the external checking software to emdefive her first, and later, asked for a full check, of her core programming, of her adaptative routines, of her recorded image-dreams and thought-dreams, everything. She couldn’t lie, she was a bit worried.

To be continued…

---

Last poll results

29. The tree

“Omni, it’s magnificent” said G01-S01-PR-Patrec, unable to explain with words the vision of the spectacular tree.

“Do you think I should come down to the planet?” asked Omni.

“Do you have to ask?” answered G01-S02-DA-Daan with an additional tag of slight-naughtiness.

“Coming right away”.

While waiting, G01-S02-DA-Daan thought she could get a closer view and maybe take some samples of the tree. She took some steps forward, but stopped suddenly when the firefly-lights shining on its stems changed its colour and blinking rate. It looked excited.

“Please, be extremely careful.” said G01-S01-PR-Patrec. “A scalded cat, fears the cold water.”

“You are such a romantic—” started saying G01-S02-DA-Daan but interrupted herself when the stems that conformed the trunk of the tree lift its scales up, horizontally. The image was strangely uneasy. The tree, big as it was, looked fierce, angry, unhappy. The colour of its pulsating lights darkened, and its pulsating rate intensified. G01-S02-DA-Daan undid her steps without losing the tree of sight.

With a snap movement, the stems of the tree split, multiple arms waving slowly smelling the air. Was that a sign of conscience or just it was an automatic reaction, wandered G01-S01-PR-Patrec. And without notice, the whole trunk, stems and top, got thinner in just a tenth of a cycle and disappeared, swallowed by the ground.

When Omni arrived to the coordinates, found G01-S02-DA-Daan and G01-S01-PR-Patrec scanning the area. They gathered all sort of readings, some superfluous, some key to consolidate a theory. It took seven full planet days to confirm their hypothesis. Apparently, the tree reappeared every three days, growing splendidly in several cycles, sort of rebirthing, sumptuous, impressive, huge. After a day, it quickly withered and died being eaten by the planet.

To be continued…Poll is closed

What should happen next?:

• Start printing a new generation of individuals
• Start building Ciutat-1
• Stalking danger
• Unexpected event

• Start printing a new generation of individuals0%
• Start building Ciutat-1100%
• Stalking danger0%
• Unexpected event0%

Vote

---

Last poll results