tanuneel
Aski has just finished reading Andre Gide’s Journals. And he is intrigued. His own daily log is automatically recorded- every thought, every impulse, every decision- on a chip, that he can readily access on a biocompatibly integrated monitor implanted on his left wrist. For instance, he could find out precisely what he was thinking at 23:59:25 hours on New Year’s Eve, 2612. Over a million nano-electrodes implanted in his brain are continuously recording the minute ‘action potentials’ emitted by individual nerve cells that constitute the electro-chemical imprints of his thought processes. And the neural code of these imprints are being decoded by a computer and transcribed into his Journal; all this without Aski’s active participation.
So the deliberate, selective recordings of Gide’s thoughts in his diaries has intrigued Aski: that one can choose to write about some things and not others, can rearrange the sequence of one’s thoughts and actions, and possibly, even introduce new elements to craft a narrative; the creative possibilities offered by such freedom has fascinated him. He is envying Gide. He is envying pre-22nd Century humans this freedom; and the ignorance that made it possible.
People in Gide’s times had access to only their conscious thoughts (and perhaps a faint inkling of the activities of their subconscious and unconscious minds). Aski, on the other hand, can view the whole spectrum of his cerebral activities- not just the 2% that make up the conscious workings of his brain.
But a 24-hour film recording of the goings-on at a street corner is so dull! How much more interesting the snipped-and-spliced reel that tells a tale! Like Gide, Aski wants to view his life as a story. He is considering the ‘authenticity over-ride’ option in his Journal settings that will allow him to manually edit the automatically generated first draft. He could also choose to not record his unconscious and/or subconscious thoughts. Aski is facing a dilemma. For in his society, a society that is founded on the cornerstone of sincerity, Journals are in the public domain. Anyone viewing his profile would know at once that Aski is presenting an inauthentic history of himself. Aski will have to pay a social cost: He will, almost surely, be fired from his job; some members of his family might disown him; his friends circle will shrink. He could become an outcast.
Does he have other options? Aski has finished browsing through the Galaxy Map. He has found a small community on an atmospherised moon where he could apply for admittance. This society is committed to the preservation and production of mystery. A majority of their members have chosen to disable their automated Journals. People relate on the basis of how they present themselves, and the process of getting acquainted with others have been restored to the pre-22nd Century levels of unknowing. Changing roles is encouraged (specialization is for ants). Their belief: faking is an art. The community calls themselves “The Counterfeiters”.
Aski’s application for immigration has just been accepted.
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So the deliberate, selective recordings of Gide’s thoughts in his diaries has intrigued Aski: that one can choose to write about some things and not others, can rearrange the sequence of one’s thoughts and actions, and possibly, even introduce new elements to craft a narrative; the creative possibilities offered by such freedom has fascinated him. He is envying Gide. He is envying pre-22nd Century humans this freedom; and the ignorance that made it possible.
People in Gide’s times had access to only their conscious thoughts (and perhaps a faint inkling of the activities of their subconscious and unconscious minds). Aski, on the other hand, can view the whole spectrum of his cerebral activities- not just the 2% that make up the conscious workings of his brain.
But a 24-hour film recording of the goings-on at a street corner is so dull! How much more interesting the snipped-and-spliced reel that tells a tale! Like Gide, Aski wants to view his life as a story. He is considering the ‘authenticity over-ride’ option in his Journal settings that will allow him to manually edit the automatically generated first draft. He could also choose to not record his unconscious and/or subconscious thoughts. Aski is facing a dilemma. For in his society, a society that is founded on the cornerstone of sincerity, Journals are in the public domain. Anyone viewing his profile would know at once that Aski is presenting an inauthentic history of himself. Aski will have to pay a social cost: He will, almost surely, be fired from his job; some members of his family might disown him; his friends circle will shrink. He could become an outcast.
Does he have other options? Aski has finished browsing through the Galaxy Map. He has found a small community on an atmospherised moon where he could apply for admittance. This society is committed to the preservation and production of mystery. A majority of their members have chosen to disable their automated Journals. People relate on the basis of how they present themselves, and the process of getting acquainted with others have been restored to the pre-22nd Century levels of unknowing. Changing roles is encouraged (specialization is for ants). Their belief: faking is an art. The community calls themselves “The Counterfeiters”.
Aski’s application for immigration has just been accepted.
Poll Rate this entry