Virtually Real Read Free Page A

presence as an equal – yet he knew that he was not an equal. Although he did not know it yet, the communication was with Eli and others of the team. This communication however with Eli had a quality and attractiveness that he liked, yet it was not intrusive. Other communications seemed to be subservient to his desires and wishes, and the feelings they evoked ranged as a full orchestra of intensity; strong and subtle, joyful and sad, rich and simple with infinite nuances. He did not know that he was a v-person; to himself he just ‘was’!
    His surroundings seemed to have great brightness and vibrancy, and each plant, each animal of whatever form, and each feature of landscape held fascination and interest.
    There also came to his awareness the ability to make different sounds and to flow these together with pauses and variations. Somehow he knew he could speak and so began to name the things he saw and experienced.
     

     
    The real world
    “Well there he is, Eli. All on his own,” said Lucas.
    “It is important that this race be kept pure and that the qualities I have placed in him will not be lost,” responded Eli.
    “It’s no good just having a ‘him’ or ‘it’. When are you going to create a ‘her’?”
    “Just watch. This will be done differently because we will take the genetic material used for Adam, make some modifications and assemble a female version of him. These two will then reproduce as do other plants and animals we have created. Yet they will have very similar inner workings, although I have coded slightly different instincts within them. One is mainly for a nurturing role, and the other mainly for strength and environmental roles. But this is not hard and fast. The roles may overlap and each will have a measure of both but the emphases will be there.”
    “I suppose you will call this one ‘Eve’?”
    “Why not? From then on they can make up their own names for themselves and we will use those. Also, Lucas, the reproduction process that I have coded has value in their training as ‘adults’ or complete v-people.”
    “I think you have a love for these imaginary creatures you have made, Eli. Remember you still have to keep this project going, maintain the resources and keep the interest of the communities that are paying for it.”
    “I won’t forget. But I will admit that of all the things I have ever done this is the most satisfying and I intend to enjoy the v-people we’ve made. The freedom of choice they have should give rise to some interesting variations.”
    “Will these creatures just be done away with when the project is over Eli? Will they just be nothing when the machines are turned off?”
    “Just think Lucas, as long as we exist these will exist. What we have done is irreversible. The secret to using the energy sources is the insertion of code as an intrinsic part of its warp and woof. One interacts with the other, just like in the 1900’s when Maxwell’s equations showed that electromagnetic wave energy was the interaction of magnetic and electric fields. Anyway you know all that.
    “So once the codes have been defined then they exist – at least as long as we do. And that includes the codes that represent each individual we’ve made.”
    “But what will they experience?”
    “As long as a being’s code is embedded in any form of energy-matter matrix there will be a ‘being’ that experiences. Furthermore, each experience itself subtly modifies the code, and in the case of v-people the code changes step-by-step with each choice and each decision.”
    “So what will be the place of these v-people at the end?”
    “It is my intention that these v-people will become friends of mine. Friends who will hold to the basic relationship rules that bind us all. They will be tested of course, for I believe that some may not recognise what their purpose is. To those that I relate to I will give similar authority to run this experiment too.”
    “Eli, I never saw that.