Michael Brachman's Blog: Tales of the Vuduri
October 26, 2020
Interview with Rome II - Part 9 of 9
As Steve Fisch and I get the scripts ready to sell Rome's Revolution as a streaming series, he asked me for a lot of background information that I did not have. So I took some time out to interview Rome and Rei. Rome was very talkative so I had to break up her interview into two parts. Here is the final part of the second half of Rome's interview, part 9 of 9.
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Rome: I suppose. Anyway, we had a fight over money.
(Perry tilts his head.)
Perry: You mean, like Deucats? Like they use in Ur?
(Rome shakes her head)
Rome: No, not like that. Our argument was over the concept of money. I was trying to explain to Rei why it had no place on this world, on Earth, anywhere. He defended it and claimed why it was necessary under some circumstances. He stated that was what distinguished humans over animals. I told him that I thought his people were less civilized than animals. Before I met him, that is. I hurt his feelings.
Perry: Oof. So who won the fight?
Rome: No one. Our positions were irreconcilable, derived from our upbringing. We just agreed to disagree and dropped it. Like you said, Ur couldn’t work any other way so whatever. As long as it doesn’t lead to harm.
Perry: I hate to diminish your experience but that doesn’t sound like much of an argument.
Rome: It was at the time. But we just don’t bring it up anymore. So, does that satisfy you?
Perry: Yes. Thank you for indulging me. You really are a wonderful woman and I am honored to be able to call you my friend.
(Perry holds out his hand. Rome shakes it.)
Rome: Likewise. And like I said last time, please take care of my Library.
Perry: And like I said last time, I promise that I will.
(Rome chuckles.)
Perry: What’s so funny?
Rome: Nothing. I just remember when my children were younger, every time Rei and I left them alone, we had to remind them not to burn down the house.
(Perry laughs)
Perry: My parents always said the same thing and I expect I’ll be saying that to my children. (Perry nods.) Goodbye, Rome.
Rome: Goodbye, Perry. See you soon.
While this is the end of the interviews, I do have some more material to post. I'll try to get to it in the coming months.
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Rome: I suppose. Anyway, we had a fight over money.
(Perry tilts his head.)
Perry: You mean, like Deucats? Like they use in Ur?
(Rome shakes her head)
Rome: No, not like that. Our argument was over the concept of money. I was trying to explain to Rei why it had no place on this world, on Earth, anywhere. He defended it and claimed why it was necessary under some circumstances. He stated that was what distinguished humans over animals. I told him that I thought his people were less civilized than animals. Before I met him, that is. I hurt his feelings.
Perry: Oof. So who won the fight?
Rome: No one. Our positions were irreconcilable, derived from our upbringing. We just agreed to disagree and dropped it. Like you said, Ur couldn’t work any other way so whatever. As long as it doesn’t lead to harm.
Perry: I hate to diminish your experience but that doesn’t sound like much of an argument.
Rome: It was at the time. But we just don’t bring it up anymore. So, does that satisfy you?
Perry: Yes. Thank you for indulging me. You really are a wonderful woman and I am honored to be able to call you my friend.
(Perry holds out his hand. Rome shakes it.)
Rome: Likewise. And like I said last time, please take care of my Library.
Perry: And like I said last time, I promise that I will.
(Rome chuckles.)
Perry: What’s so funny?
Rome: Nothing. I just remember when my children were younger, every time Rei and I left them alone, we had to remind them not to burn down the house.
(Perry laughs)
Perry: My parents always said the same thing and I expect I’ll be saying that to my children. (Perry nods.) Goodbye, Rome.
Rome: Goodbye, Perry. See you soon.
While this is the end of the interviews, I do have some more material to post. I'll try to get to it in the coming months.
October 25, 2020
Interview with Rome II - Part 8 of 9
As Steve Fisch and I get the scripts ready to sell Rome's Revolution as a streaming series, he asked me for a lot of background information that I did not have. So I took some time out to interview Rome and Rei. Rome was very talkative so I had to break up her interview into two parts. Here is the second half of Rome's interview, part 8 of 9.
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Perry: And you find that satisfying, yes?
Rome: Totally. Since all the threats have passed, I feel like I am contributing more to the future than any of the adventures we had when we were young. And Rei, too. What he has done on this planet is the culmination of his background and training.
Perry: So, given the circumstances, did Rei aspire to fame?
Rome: No. Rei is just a wonderful, decent man. He was doing his part to save mankind simply by climbing aboard that Ark. His Earth was doomed. He didn’t think he would ever love again. Certainly not have children. He just wanted to go to the future and help everyone else. Never did he dream of what was to happen when he got here. Nor did I. But I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
Perry: It’s all so incredibly amazing and Rome, you are an amazing woman. (Perry looks down at his tablet.) Speaking of amazing women, mine is expecting me home now so unless there is something else, I think this is a good place to stop. We can continue some other time.
Rome: I wouldn’t want you to get in trouble because of me.
(Perry stands up. Rome stands up as well.)
Perry: I appreciate that. I… (He stops)
Rome: What?
(Perry makes a big show of closing his tablet to announce they are off the record.)
Perry: This is so inappropriate but…
Rome: What??
(Perry leans over and speaks in a lower voice)
Perry: Don’t tell my wife but you are literally the most perfect woman I’ve ever met. And Rei seems like the most perfect man. And the two of you were stuck together in a spaceship for nearly a year. Did you two ever quarrel?
(Rome laughs)
Rome: Not once during the entire trip. Since then, we’ve had our disagreements over the years but we’ve only had what could be characterized as an argument one time.
Perry: This is horrible but can you tell me what it was about?
Rome: Of course. And let me say first there was alcohol involved. We were at a luau with my relatives and we were drinking kefir, fermented cocoanut juice. I was a little what Rei would call tipsy at the time.
(Perry sighs)
Perry: Alcohol is often involved…
Tomorrow, the final part of Rome's interview.
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Perry: And you find that satisfying, yes?
Rome: Totally. Since all the threats have passed, I feel like I am contributing more to the future than any of the adventures we had when we were young. And Rei, too. What he has done on this planet is the culmination of his background and training.
Perry: So, given the circumstances, did Rei aspire to fame?
Rome: No. Rei is just a wonderful, decent man. He was doing his part to save mankind simply by climbing aboard that Ark. His Earth was doomed. He didn’t think he would ever love again. Certainly not have children. He just wanted to go to the future and help everyone else. Never did he dream of what was to happen when he got here. Nor did I. But I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
Perry: It’s all so incredibly amazing and Rome, you are an amazing woman. (Perry looks down at his tablet.) Speaking of amazing women, mine is expecting me home now so unless there is something else, I think this is a good place to stop. We can continue some other time.
Rome: I wouldn’t want you to get in trouble because of me.
(Perry stands up. Rome stands up as well.)
Perry: I appreciate that. I… (He stops)
Rome: What?
(Perry makes a big show of closing his tablet to announce they are off the record.)
Perry: This is so inappropriate but…
Rome: What??
(Perry leans over and speaks in a lower voice)
Perry: Don’t tell my wife but you are literally the most perfect woman I’ve ever met. And Rei seems like the most perfect man. And the two of you were stuck together in a spaceship for nearly a year. Did you two ever quarrel?
(Rome laughs)
Rome: Not once during the entire trip. Since then, we’ve had our disagreements over the years but we’ve only had what could be characterized as an argument one time.
Perry: This is horrible but can you tell me what it was about?
Rome: Of course. And let me say first there was alcohol involved. We were at a luau with my relatives and we were drinking kefir, fermented cocoanut juice. I was a little what Rei would call tipsy at the time.
(Perry sighs)
Perry: Alcohol is often involved…
Tomorrow, the final part of Rome's interview.
October 24, 2020
Interview with Rome II - Part 7 of 9
As Steve Fisch and I get the scripts ready to sell Rome's Revolution as a streaming series, he asked me for a lot of background information that I did not have. So I took some time out to interview Rome and Rei. Rome was very talkative so I had to break up her interview into two parts. Here is the second half of Rome's interview, part 1 of 9.
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Rome: Because everyone now knows that this life is all we have. Once we ascend, we become part of the whole. So the only thing you can do here in this world is live your life to the fullest here, during your one and only lifetime. Everyone is the better for knowing.
Perry: I suppose. Those are two, rather large accomplishments.
(Rome nods)
Rome: Yes. And he and Lupe built the First Contact Academy. That’s been critical in helping us reach out to other species.
Perry: So Lupe. That is her major accomplishment?
Rome: No. You are aware that Lupe prevented the Shell War from breaking out into a full-fledged Armageddon.
Perry: I’m only familiar with it at the most superficial level. What did she do?
Rome: She went behind, what was then enemy lines and established contact with the peaceful minority. She and my grandson Rory were instrumental in convincing them that the two Unions were better off together as friends rather than adversaries.
Perry: Wow. You put that together with your accomplishments and those of your family tree… You really are both figuratively and literally the mother of our civilization.
(Rome blushes)
Rome: I don’t know about that but I am the mother of two beautiful children. And grandchildren.
Perry: Speaking of which, you mentioned during our last interview, you were not supposed to become a parent.
Rome: Right. The Overmind of Earth was in charge of deciding that. And that was to be my destiny or not to be, to be childless. But those days are over. No more. Certainly not here on Deucado. Everyone has the freedom to do as they please, including having children. One caveat, though.
Perry: What?
Rome: When I say people are free to do as they please, that doesn’t mean they can bring harm to others. If we’ve done nothing else, bringing a sense of responsibility and accountability to all living beings, I would hope that would be our legacy.
Perry: Did you ever aspire to fame? To have that legacy?
Rome: Of course not. Had Rei not shown up, I would have served out my time at Tabit, returned to Earth and one day died along with everyone else. He changed the course of history.
Perry: I understand that. But given what you’ve done here. Don’t you think that was your destiny?
Rome: Not those things but if I look at it in the broadest of terms, I suppose what I have done here on Deucado is what I was supposed to have done all along. I look back on my training as a data archivist. I look at my time spent with Rei, to learn from him. I guess you could say that in the absence of other obstacles, I was destined to be a teacher and a librarian. To aggregate knowledge and make it accessible to others.
Tomorrow, part 8
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Rome: Because everyone now knows that this life is all we have. Once we ascend, we become part of the whole. So the only thing you can do here in this world is live your life to the fullest here, during your one and only lifetime. Everyone is the better for knowing.
Perry: I suppose. Those are two, rather large accomplishments.
(Rome nods)
Rome: Yes. And he and Lupe built the First Contact Academy. That’s been critical in helping us reach out to other species.
Perry: So Lupe. That is her major accomplishment?
Rome: No. You are aware that Lupe prevented the Shell War from breaking out into a full-fledged Armageddon.
Perry: I’m only familiar with it at the most superficial level. What did she do?
Rome: She went behind, what was then enemy lines and established contact with the peaceful minority. She and my grandson Rory were instrumental in convincing them that the two Unions were better off together as friends rather than adversaries.
Perry: Wow. You put that together with your accomplishments and those of your family tree… You really are both figuratively and literally the mother of our civilization.
(Rome blushes)
Rome: I don’t know about that but I am the mother of two beautiful children. And grandchildren.
Perry: Speaking of which, you mentioned during our last interview, you were not supposed to become a parent.
Rome: Right. The Overmind of Earth was in charge of deciding that. And that was to be my destiny or not to be, to be childless. But those days are over. No more. Certainly not here on Deucado. Everyone has the freedom to do as they please, including having children. One caveat, though.
Perry: What?
Rome: When I say people are free to do as they please, that doesn’t mean they can bring harm to others. If we’ve done nothing else, bringing a sense of responsibility and accountability to all living beings, I would hope that would be our legacy.
Perry: Did you ever aspire to fame? To have that legacy?
Rome: Of course not. Had Rei not shown up, I would have served out my time at Tabit, returned to Earth and one day died along with everyone else. He changed the course of history.
Perry: I understand that. But given what you’ve done here. Don’t you think that was your destiny?
Rome: Not those things but if I look at it in the broadest of terms, I suppose what I have done here on Deucado is what I was supposed to have done all along. I look back on my training as a data archivist. I look at my time spent with Rei, to learn from him. I guess you could say that in the absence of other obstacles, I was destined to be a teacher and a librarian. To aggregate knowledge and make it accessible to others.
Tomorrow, part 8
October 23, 2020
Interview with Rome II - Part 6 of 9
As Steve Fisch and I get the scripts ready to sell Rome's Revolution as a streaming series, he asked me for a lot of background information that I did not have. So I took some time out to interview Rome and Rei. Rome was very talkative so I had to break up her interview into two parts. Here is the second half of Rome's interview, part 6 of 9.
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Rome: We positioned our equipment at each of the five Lagrange points in the Tabit system, giving us an effective aperture of nearly 10 light hours across. With our interpolation algorithms, we should have been able to observe the events that occurred at Winfall roughly equal to observing the Sun from inside the orbit of Venus.
Perry: Surely that would have been enough to spot a Stareater.
Rome: You would think so but unfortunately, it couldn’t have been. Nobody knew what to expect. The geometry was all wrong. Based upon what we observed at Tabit, the Stareater would have come up from behind Winfall. All the crew at Escobar would have seen would have been the stars in the background being occluded and then Winfall disappearing. They couldn’t have known what they were looking at.
Perry: So what would you have done? If you were them?
Rome: Well, if we hadn’t packed up our equipment too soon and if Rei hadn’t come along, and we did observe exactly what I described, we would have come to the conclusion that we didn’t really know much more than we did before we left. We would have gathered up our equipment and flown even farther out and deployed our instrumentation with a much greater aperture.
Perry: And that’s what you think they did?
Rome: I don’t know. It’s the only thing I can think of. Space is a dangerous place. The longer and farther out you go, the greater the chance for disaster. That was one thing that the designers of Rei’s Ark got right.
Perry: That disaster is inevitable?
Rome: Exactly. Rather than sink their resources into building a super spaceship, the Essessoni built one as simply as possible and devoted their resources into making sure that each individual survived. The Vuduri are the opposite. If something happens to one of our starships, everyone aboard dies.
Perry: Do you think we’ll ever find out what happened to them? To the Cobol?
Rome: Maybe but for today, it’s just an unsolved mystery. I suppose you would say we were lucky that Rei came along and OMCOM got it into his electronic head to engineer the VIRUS units. While it created Planet OMCOM, it also allowed us to build and exploit the star probes and uncover the secret of the Stareaters.
Perry: Right. So… discovering and eventually making peace with the Stareaters. Do you think that was your greatest achievement?
Rome: No. Not at all. My greatest achievements are my children.
(Perry smiles.)
Perry: Wouldn’t every parent say that?
Rome: I suppose but I mean it literally. If it wasn’t for Aason, we wouldn’t be here right now. The Stareaters would have destroyed the Earth. And Aason went to Heaven to rescue his sister. The word he brought back has given everyone on every planet a renewed sense of purpose.
Perry: And why is that?
Tomorrow, part 7
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Rome: We positioned our equipment at each of the five Lagrange points in the Tabit system, giving us an effective aperture of nearly 10 light hours across. With our interpolation algorithms, we should have been able to observe the events that occurred at Winfall roughly equal to observing the Sun from inside the orbit of Venus.
Perry: Surely that would have been enough to spot a Stareater.
Rome: You would think so but unfortunately, it couldn’t have been. Nobody knew what to expect. The geometry was all wrong. Based upon what we observed at Tabit, the Stareater would have come up from behind Winfall. All the crew at Escobar would have seen would have been the stars in the background being occluded and then Winfall disappearing. They couldn’t have known what they were looking at.
Perry: So what would you have done? If you were them?
Rome: Well, if we hadn’t packed up our equipment too soon and if Rei hadn’t come along, and we did observe exactly what I described, we would have come to the conclusion that we didn’t really know much more than we did before we left. We would have gathered up our equipment and flown even farther out and deployed our instrumentation with a much greater aperture.
Perry: And that’s what you think they did?
Rome: I don’t know. It’s the only thing I can think of. Space is a dangerous place. The longer and farther out you go, the greater the chance for disaster. That was one thing that the designers of Rei’s Ark got right.
Perry: That disaster is inevitable?
Rome: Exactly. Rather than sink their resources into building a super spaceship, the Essessoni built one as simply as possible and devoted their resources into making sure that each individual survived. The Vuduri are the opposite. If something happens to one of our starships, everyone aboard dies.
Perry: Do you think we’ll ever find out what happened to them? To the Cobol?
Rome: Maybe but for today, it’s just an unsolved mystery. I suppose you would say we were lucky that Rei came along and OMCOM got it into his electronic head to engineer the VIRUS units. While it created Planet OMCOM, it also allowed us to build and exploit the star probes and uncover the secret of the Stareaters.
Perry: Right. So… discovering and eventually making peace with the Stareaters. Do you think that was your greatest achievement?
Rome: No. Not at all. My greatest achievements are my children.
(Perry smiles.)
Perry: Wouldn’t every parent say that?
Rome: I suppose but I mean it literally. If it wasn’t for Aason, we wouldn’t be here right now. The Stareaters would have destroyed the Earth. And Aason went to Heaven to rescue his sister. The word he brought back has given everyone on every planet a renewed sense of purpose.
Perry: And why is that?
Tomorrow, part 7
October 22, 2020
Interview with Rome II - Part 5 of 9
As Steve Fisch and I get the scripts ready to sell Rome's Revolution as a streaming series, he asked me for a lot of background information that I did not have. So I took some time out to interview Rome and Rei. Rome was very talkative so I had to break up her interview into two parts. Here is the second half of Rome's interview, part 5 of 9.
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Rome: Yes. It was place where you had to painstakingly prove that an idea originated with you. Like an audit trail. It was difficult and really fell out of favor. Most Vuduri just don’t bother anymore. It’s so much easier to let the Overmind do the thinking.
Perry: And that stifled creativity?
Rome: Exactly. And that’s why Earth has fallen behind technologically. All the major advances of the Vuduri people occurred before the Overmind was fully established. After that, it was only in areas that the Overmind deemed important. That’s why it took so long for it to research why the stars were disappearing.
Perry: Well you certainly took care of that, your expedition did. One wonders what would have happened if you had failed.
Rome: Everyone would have died.
Perry: It seems that that was kind of short-sighted to put the entire fate of mankind in a single mission.
Rome: The Overmind thought of that. No one really talks about it much anymore but there was a second expedition, a backup.
Perry: A backup? I’m afraid I don’t know anything about that. Tell me more.
Rome: As you know, we were sent to Tabit, which was 10 light years under the Galactic Ecliptic, aboard the Algol which is the flagship of the Vuduri fleet. Another crew was sent to Escobar, 12 light years above the ecliptic, aboard the Cobol, another starship.
Perry: I’ve never heard about the Cobol. Is that still around?
Rome: No. It never returned. The crew never returned.
Perry: What happened to them? Do you think it was a Stareater?
Rome: Possible but unlikely.
Perry: Do you have any guesses?
Rome: A guess? (Rome sighs.) I can guess.
Perry: What?
Rome: The Cobol was not as powerful as the Algol. It wasn’t quite as fast. It left Earth about 10 days before we did. It was led by Commander Cassi. There were only 60 Vuduri aboard.
Perry: And do you think they made it? To Escobar?
Rome: I don’t know. But if they did, they would not have experienced as much time dilation as us. Which means after they deployed their equipment, it’s possible that they were still ready to observe the disappearance of Winfall, unlike us. Stupidly, we had just finished packing up our equipment when the event occurred.
Perry: Well, if they were able to record the event, then it seems to me that they would have come home sooner.
Rome: No. Quite the opposite.
Perry: I’m confused. Why not?
Tomorrow, part 5
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Rome: Yes. It was place where you had to painstakingly prove that an idea originated with you. Like an audit trail. It was difficult and really fell out of favor. Most Vuduri just don’t bother anymore. It’s so much easier to let the Overmind do the thinking.
Perry: And that stifled creativity?
Rome: Exactly. And that’s why Earth has fallen behind technologically. All the major advances of the Vuduri people occurred before the Overmind was fully established. After that, it was only in areas that the Overmind deemed important. That’s why it took so long for it to research why the stars were disappearing.
Perry: Well you certainly took care of that, your expedition did. One wonders what would have happened if you had failed.
Rome: Everyone would have died.
Perry: It seems that that was kind of short-sighted to put the entire fate of mankind in a single mission.
Rome: The Overmind thought of that. No one really talks about it much anymore but there was a second expedition, a backup.
Perry: A backup? I’m afraid I don’t know anything about that. Tell me more.
Rome: As you know, we were sent to Tabit, which was 10 light years under the Galactic Ecliptic, aboard the Algol which is the flagship of the Vuduri fleet. Another crew was sent to Escobar, 12 light years above the ecliptic, aboard the Cobol, another starship.
Perry: I’ve never heard about the Cobol. Is that still around?
Rome: No. It never returned. The crew never returned.
Perry: What happened to them? Do you think it was a Stareater?
Rome: Possible but unlikely.
Perry: Do you have any guesses?
Rome: A guess? (Rome sighs.) I can guess.
Perry: What?
Rome: The Cobol was not as powerful as the Algol. It wasn’t quite as fast. It left Earth about 10 days before we did. It was led by Commander Cassi. There were only 60 Vuduri aboard.
Perry: And do you think they made it? To Escobar?
Rome: I don’t know. But if they did, they would not have experienced as much time dilation as us. Which means after they deployed their equipment, it’s possible that they were still ready to observe the disappearance of Winfall, unlike us. Stupidly, we had just finished packing up our equipment when the event occurred.
Perry: Well, if they were able to record the event, then it seems to me that they would have come home sooner.
Rome: No. Quite the opposite.
Perry: I’m confused. Why not?
Tomorrow, part 5
October 21, 2020
Interview with Rome II - Part 4 of 9
As Steve Fisch and I get the scripts ready to sell Rome's Revolution as a streaming series, he asked me for a lot of background information that I did not have. So I took some time out to interview Rome and Rei. Rome was very talkative so I had to break up her interview into two parts. Here is the second half of Rome's interview, part 4 of 9.
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Rome: Let’s call the Espansor bands level 4. They let you go beyond the spoken word. You can access thoughts and feelings. In our particular case, all the way down to the soul. (Rome sighs.) Aason learned how to do this without the bands during his search for Lupe but the internal experience is essentially the same as the bands.
Perry: And the next level?
Rome: The next level, level 5 would be what the Vuduri experience. Total immersion. Your thoughts, and the occasional feeling rare as they are, are shared by all, all the time.
Perry: Is there a level 6?
Rome: There is but I have never experienced it myself. Aason told me that when he was in Heaven, for the briefest of moments, he was in contact with a being beyond reason, beyond comprehension. And for that fleeting moment, everything that ever existed fit into place. It was only a flash and when he came back, Aason had a lot of trouble articulating it. Even when I was in Lupe’s mind, after they returned, I only got a hint of what he experienced.
Perry: OK. Is there anything beyond that?
Rome: Not that I know of.
Perry: OK, so where does your mind reading fit in?
Rome: I was born a connected Vuduri and I can still connect now if I so choose. But the mind reading, it’s like a level 4. It’s like the Espansors, maybe a little less so. Less speech-like, more imagery and feelings but not as immersive. That’s why I say it was pretty easy (Rome smiles), once I was trained.
(Perry leans forward)
Perry: Can you read my mind right now?
Rome: To some degree.
Perry: So what am I thinking?
(Rome leans toward him and rests her hand on his shoulder)
Rome: Like I said, it’s not so much verbal as it is imagery, with feelings. Right now you are engaged, even slightly excited over this interview but you’re also distracted. Your mind is not just here but on the things you were doing but had to stop to meet me. Now you are thinking, this is pretty clear, that this is a little invasive. Now you are actually getting just a bit frightened.
(Rome removes her hand from his shoulder and leans back.)
(Perry takes a deep breath.)
Perry: Yeah, I can see that. I’m glad I didn’t think of anything embarrassing.
(Rome winks at him.)
Rome: You can see why the Vuduri were spiraling to their ultimate doom. Everyone being inside your head teaches you to not be terribly creative for fear of embarrassment. I mean, what if you think of something stupid. It’s very inhibiting. And that lack of creativity made its way to the Overmind which, in turn, controlled the minds of many Vuduri. For some brave souls, sometimes, if they had an original idea and felt the need to claim ownership, they had to go to Mind Court.
Perry: Mind Court?
Tomorrow, part 5
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Rome: Let’s call the Espansor bands level 4. They let you go beyond the spoken word. You can access thoughts and feelings. In our particular case, all the way down to the soul. (Rome sighs.) Aason learned how to do this without the bands during his search for Lupe but the internal experience is essentially the same as the bands.
Perry: And the next level?
Rome: The next level, level 5 would be what the Vuduri experience. Total immersion. Your thoughts, and the occasional feeling rare as they are, are shared by all, all the time.
Perry: Is there a level 6?
Rome: There is but I have never experienced it myself. Aason told me that when he was in Heaven, for the briefest of moments, he was in contact with a being beyond reason, beyond comprehension. And for that fleeting moment, everything that ever existed fit into place. It was only a flash and when he came back, Aason had a lot of trouble articulating it. Even when I was in Lupe’s mind, after they returned, I only got a hint of what he experienced.
Perry: OK. Is there anything beyond that?
Rome: Not that I know of.
Perry: OK, so where does your mind reading fit in?
Rome: I was born a connected Vuduri and I can still connect now if I so choose. But the mind reading, it’s like a level 4. It’s like the Espansors, maybe a little less so. Less speech-like, more imagery and feelings but not as immersive. That’s why I say it was pretty easy (Rome smiles), once I was trained.
(Perry leans forward)
Perry: Can you read my mind right now?
Rome: To some degree.
Perry: So what am I thinking?
(Rome leans toward him and rests her hand on his shoulder)
Rome: Like I said, it’s not so much verbal as it is imagery, with feelings. Right now you are engaged, even slightly excited over this interview but you’re also distracted. Your mind is not just here but on the things you were doing but had to stop to meet me. Now you are thinking, this is pretty clear, that this is a little invasive. Now you are actually getting just a bit frightened.
(Rome removes her hand from his shoulder and leans back.)
(Perry takes a deep breath.)
Perry: Yeah, I can see that. I’m glad I didn’t think of anything embarrassing.
(Rome winks at him.)
Rome: You can see why the Vuduri were spiraling to their ultimate doom. Everyone being inside your head teaches you to not be terribly creative for fear of embarrassment. I mean, what if you think of something stupid. It’s very inhibiting. And that lack of creativity made its way to the Overmind which, in turn, controlled the minds of many Vuduri. For some brave souls, sometimes, if they had an original idea and felt the need to claim ownership, they had to go to Mind Court.
Perry: Mind Court?
Tomorrow, part 5
October 20, 2020
Interview with Rome II - Part 3 of 9
As Steve Fisch and I get the scripts ready to sell Rome's Revolution as a streaming series, he asked me for a lot of background information that I did not have. So I took some time out to interview Rome and Rei. Rome was very talkative so I had to break up her interview into two parts. Here is the second half of Rome's interview, part 3 of 9.
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Perry: Obviously that didn’t happen. Or did it?
Rome: Goodness no, Rei convinced her that he had a better way.
Perry: How could he have known? Did he really have a better way?
Rome: Ultimately, yes. We actually accomplished two goals by extraditing the Darwin people to Helome. We made our planet here safer and they got the influx of genetic material they wanted.
Perry: But with the advent of the 25th chromosome, the Onsira threat has been eliminated.
Rome: True. But nobody knew it at the time. Plus, Virga found love for the first time in her life. A very strange concept for pure blood Vuduri. She’s always been grateful ever since. We’ve seen her several times since then along with her husband, Rei’s Captain Keller. And their children. They always receive us with a warm welcome.
Perry: Got it. It started out rough and ended well. What other times did you think you would fail?
Rome: Well, when the Darwin Virus Strain 5 exploded inside MINIMCOM, I thought we had lost our best friend forever. We didn’t. When Captain Keller kidnapped Aason and my mother, I was worried we wouldn’t be able to defeat them. When Dan Steele and David Troutman tried to blow us up, I was worried we wouldn’t be able to catch them. When Reema and the Onsiras took Aason and my parents hostage, I didn’t know if we would be able to rescue them.
Perry: There certainly have been a lot of kidnappings in your storied history. Why do you think that is?
Rome: That one is easy. It’s because love is the most powerful force in the universe. Threatening someone with harm to their families can get anyone to do anything, no matter how dastardly. It’s called extortion. Look what it did to the K’val. Molokai turned them into serial murderers because of their love for their families. That wasn’t their nature. After that was over, they became the most wonderful and caring of allies. Sh’ev is a dear, dear friend of Aason’s. And B’shev is one of Rory’s best friends.
Perry: I see what you mean. Our families are our single most irreplaceable commodity. I know I would do anything to protect my parents, my wife, my children.
Rome: Exactly.
Perry: In order to capture the would-be assassins and save your son, as I understand it, you had to become a mind-reader. Was that difficult for you?
(Rome laughs at a private joke.)
Rome: In the spectrum of the ways to communicate, it was actually fairly easy.
Perry: Can you elaborate?
Rome: Of course. I’ll give you a scale. Let’s call this (Rome waves her finger back and forth toward Perry and herself), you and I speaking to one another, let’s call that level 1. We can also communicate remotely, using electronic devices, let’s call that level 2. Anyway, because of OMCOM’s meddling, Rei, myself, my children, all acquired what Rei calls cellphones in the head.
Perry: I’m not familiar with that term, cellphone. What does it mean?
(Rome purses her lips)
Rome: Rei said back on his Earth, they had hand-held devices called cellphones… but I never really got a clear explanation of the derivation of that word. No matter. Let’s call that level 3. It’s still just EM-mediated speech. In our case, it just so happens that the electronics are built into our brains.
Perry: I understand. What is level 4?
Tomorrow, part 4
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Perry: Obviously that didn’t happen. Or did it?
Rome: Goodness no, Rei convinced her that he had a better way.
Perry: How could he have known? Did he really have a better way?
Rome: Ultimately, yes. We actually accomplished two goals by extraditing the Darwin people to Helome. We made our planet here safer and they got the influx of genetic material they wanted.
Perry: But with the advent of the 25th chromosome, the Onsira threat has been eliminated.
Rome: True. But nobody knew it at the time. Plus, Virga found love for the first time in her life. A very strange concept for pure blood Vuduri. She’s always been grateful ever since. We’ve seen her several times since then along with her husband, Rei’s Captain Keller. And their children. They always receive us with a warm welcome.
Perry: Got it. It started out rough and ended well. What other times did you think you would fail?
Rome: Well, when the Darwin Virus Strain 5 exploded inside MINIMCOM, I thought we had lost our best friend forever. We didn’t. When Captain Keller kidnapped Aason and my mother, I was worried we wouldn’t be able to defeat them. When Dan Steele and David Troutman tried to blow us up, I was worried we wouldn’t be able to catch them. When Reema and the Onsiras took Aason and my parents hostage, I didn’t know if we would be able to rescue them.
Perry: There certainly have been a lot of kidnappings in your storied history. Why do you think that is?
Rome: That one is easy. It’s because love is the most powerful force in the universe. Threatening someone with harm to their families can get anyone to do anything, no matter how dastardly. It’s called extortion. Look what it did to the K’val. Molokai turned them into serial murderers because of their love for their families. That wasn’t their nature. After that was over, they became the most wonderful and caring of allies. Sh’ev is a dear, dear friend of Aason’s. And B’shev is one of Rory’s best friends.
Perry: I see what you mean. Our families are our single most irreplaceable commodity. I know I would do anything to protect my parents, my wife, my children.
Rome: Exactly.
Perry: In order to capture the would-be assassins and save your son, as I understand it, you had to become a mind-reader. Was that difficult for you?
(Rome laughs at a private joke.)
Rome: In the spectrum of the ways to communicate, it was actually fairly easy.
Perry: Can you elaborate?
Rome: Of course. I’ll give you a scale. Let’s call this (Rome waves her finger back and forth toward Perry and herself), you and I speaking to one another, let’s call that level 1. We can also communicate remotely, using electronic devices, let’s call that level 2. Anyway, because of OMCOM’s meddling, Rei, myself, my children, all acquired what Rei calls cellphones in the head.
Perry: I’m not familiar with that term, cellphone. What does it mean?
(Rome purses her lips)
Rome: Rei said back on his Earth, they had hand-held devices called cellphones… but I never really got a clear explanation of the derivation of that word. No matter. Let’s call that level 3. It’s still just EM-mediated speech. In our case, it just so happens that the electronics are built into our brains.
Perry: I understand. What is level 4?
Tomorrow, part 4
October 19, 2020
Interview with Rome II - Part 2 of 9
As Steve Fisch and I get the scripts ready to sell Rome's Revolution as a streaming series, he asked me for a lot of background information that I did not have. So I took some time out to interview Rome and Rei. Rome was very talkative so I had to break up her interview into two parts. Here is the second half of Rome's interview, part 2 of 9.
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(Perry just shakes his head. He scrolls through his tablet computer until he comes to a marker.)
Perry: Here we are. The last time we spoke, you had explained how you ended MASAL and reached a peace accord with the Stareaters. Plus Darwin. And the Sipre. You certainly have had a lot of adventures although none recently. Do you miss them?
Rome: I really want to say no but there is a tiny part of me that did enjoy them. At least looking back on them now.
Perry: Because each of them had a successful conclusion?
Rome: I suppose. Mostly because Rei and I work so well together. We lean on each other. We solve problems together. He’s been my rock for most of my adult life. Not only do I love him, but I trust him absolutely. And he trusts me. That was a hard-won lesson.
Perry: How so?
Rome: Growing up, as a Vuduri, trust was a foreign concept. Everybody was inside everyone else’s head so the thought of someone doing something unexpected was impossible. Then my Cesdiud. At that point, I lost all of my trust in everyone. Rei included. But that didn’t last long. I loved him enough to trust him, then eventually Ursay then others. Take the Deucadons, for example. They are wonderful people and have been through so much. But when I first met them, I had no idea.
Perry: Even so, your time on Tabit, Deucado and Earth. All sound like they had a good outcome. Was the end of any of your other adventures ever in doubt? Did you ever think you would fail?
Rome: Oh, my goodness, most all of them. When we were buried in it, most times I didn’t think we would come out on top. I told you last time, in my utter naiveté, I took on the Overmind of Deucado. As soon as I was in, I knew I was overmatched but I never let that show. It worked out but I didn’t know it at the time. As I matured, at least I had enough sense to be worried.
Perry: So what other times were you worried? Can you tell me which specifically?
Rome: Which times was I not worried? That would be easier. When we first uncovered the Darwin people, they nuked my Library. It was only luck that we were not killed. When Rei and I went to Helome, I thought for sure I was going to lose my Rei, mau emir, to Virga.
Perry: Virga. I’ve heard of her. She’s quite famous in her own right. She led Helome to becoming a free-thinking member of the Union.
Rome: Yes. But she wasn’t always that way. When I first met her, she was the enemy. She was going to steal my husband! Now she is one of my dearest friends.
Perry: How did you turn her around?
Rome: When she first kidnapped Rei, she wanted to use him for his genetic contribution.
(Perry looks confused)
Rome: She wanted to mate with him.
Perry: I take it that upset you.
(Rome huffs)
Rome: Of course! But her reasons were noble. To stop the Vuduri on Helome from eventually all becoming Onsiras, the Overmind decided they had to migrate to becoming mosdureces, like me. They needed, uh, primitive DNA. So Virga figured what could be more primitive that a living fossil, my dear Essessoni husband.
Tomorrow, part 3
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(Perry just shakes his head. He scrolls through his tablet computer until he comes to a marker.)
Perry: Here we are. The last time we spoke, you had explained how you ended MASAL and reached a peace accord with the Stareaters. Plus Darwin. And the Sipre. You certainly have had a lot of adventures although none recently. Do you miss them?
Rome: I really want to say no but there is a tiny part of me that did enjoy them. At least looking back on them now.
Perry: Because each of them had a successful conclusion?
Rome: I suppose. Mostly because Rei and I work so well together. We lean on each other. We solve problems together. He’s been my rock for most of my adult life. Not only do I love him, but I trust him absolutely. And he trusts me. That was a hard-won lesson.
Perry: How so?
Rome: Growing up, as a Vuduri, trust was a foreign concept. Everybody was inside everyone else’s head so the thought of someone doing something unexpected was impossible. Then my Cesdiud. At that point, I lost all of my trust in everyone. Rei included. But that didn’t last long. I loved him enough to trust him, then eventually Ursay then others. Take the Deucadons, for example. They are wonderful people and have been through so much. But when I first met them, I had no idea.
Perry: Even so, your time on Tabit, Deucado and Earth. All sound like they had a good outcome. Was the end of any of your other adventures ever in doubt? Did you ever think you would fail?
Rome: Oh, my goodness, most all of them. When we were buried in it, most times I didn’t think we would come out on top. I told you last time, in my utter naiveté, I took on the Overmind of Deucado. As soon as I was in, I knew I was overmatched but I never let that show. It worked out but I didn’t know it at the time. As I matured, at least I had enough sense to be worried.
Perry: So what other times were you worried? Can you tell me which specifically?
Rome: Which times was I not worried? That would be easier. When we first uncovered the Darwin people, they nuked my Library. It was only luck that we were not killed. When Rei and I went to Helome, I thought for sure I was going to lose my Rei, mau emir, to Virga.
Perry: Virga. I’ve heard of her. She’s quite famous in her own right. She led Helome to becoming a free-thinking member of the Union.
Rome: Yes. But she wasn’t always that way. When I first met her, she was the enemy. She was going to steal my husband! Now she is one of my dearest friends.
Perry: How did you turn her around?
Rome: When she first kidnapped Rei, she wanted to use him for his genetic contribution.
(Perry looks confused)
Rome: She wanted to mate with him.
Perry: I take it that upset you.
(Rome huffs)
Rome: Of course! But her reasons were noble. To stop the Vuduri on Helome from eventually all becoming Onsiras, the Overmind decided they had to migrate to becoming mosdureces, like me. They needed, uh, primitive DNA. So Virga figured what could be more primitive that a living fossil, my dear Essessoni husband.
Tomorrow, part 3
October 18, 2020
Interview with Rome II - Part 1 of 9
As Steve Fisch and I get the scripts ready to sell Rome's Revolution as a streaming series, he asked me for a lot of background information that I did not have. So I took some time out to interview Rome and Rei. Rome was very talkative so I had to break up her interview into two parts. Here is the second half of Rome's interview, part 1 of 9.
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This interview takes place about 10 days after the first session. Again, the interviewer is Perry Chung, son of Paul and April Chung, two of the original colonists from the Ark II.
Perry: Thanks for notifying me that you were here. I must confess you caught me a little bit unprepared. I had to sort through my notes to figure out where we left off.
Rome: It’s OK. Take your time. I apologize for springing this on you but I happen to be back on campus. It was unexpected for me as well. I had the time. I figured, why not?
Perry: I’m just curious, why are you here? I mean it’s great but I was thinking it would be a little while before we saw each other again.
Rome: Me too. I thought I was retired. (Rome laughs). No, really. They’re getting ready to open up the new astro-geophysics lab and they were having a problem with the environmental controls. So of course, they called me.
(Perry tilts his head)
Perry: What kind of problem, if I may ask?
Rome: When they went to hook in the system to the Library OMCOM, he balked at the idea. They needed me to come back and, oh, I don’t know, talk him into it?
Perry: I don’t understand. It’s a computer. Isn’t that its job?
Rome: Yes. But you must understand, while we refer to most artificially intelligent distributed computers as OMCOMs, we use the term generically. But this particular one’s lineage is different. He was not built. He is actually a portion of Planet OMCOM and arrived here fully formed, already sentient. Along with the memrons, he inherited a little bit of attitude as well. He can be a bit prissy at times.
(Perry squints)
(Rome leans forward.)
Rome: (in a low voice) He said he had better things to do than be a glorified thermostat. (Rome raises her voice back to a normal level.) I had to come and explain to him that his charter encompasses not just his needs but all of mankind and this was one need that he had to take on to further his mission.
Perry: And it worked?
Rome: Begrudgingly, yes. He’s not a bad sort. He just needs some hand-holding occasionally.
Perry: Well good for you. It doesn’t seem like computers should give us a hard time about such things.
Rome: I agree. That’s why I came to talk to him. My husband calls me a computer whisperer.
Perry: I don’t understand what that means.
Rome: Neither do I, really. Most of his colloquialisms, I can figure out but my husband says a lot of things. Sometimes, while I understand each of the words individually, the context throws me off. In this case, I suppose if computers had ears, this would be the equivalent of me whispering in its ear.
Tomorrow, part 2
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This interview takes place about 10 days after the first session. Again, the interviewer is Perry Chung, son of Paul and April Chung, two of the original colonists from the Ark II.
Perry: Thanks for notifying me that you were here. I must confess you caught me a little bit unprepared. I had to sort through my notes to figure out where we left off.
Rome: It’s OK. Take your time. I apologize for springing this on you but I happen to be back on campus. It was unexpected for me as well. I had the time. I figured, why not?
Perry: I’m just curious, why are you here? I mean it’s great but I was thinking it would be a little while before we saw each other again.
Rome: Me too. I thought I was retired. (Rome laughs). No, really. They’re getting ready to open up the new astro-geophysics lab and they were having a problem with the environmental controls. So of course, they called me.
(Perry tilts his head)
Perry: What kind of problem, if I may ask?
Rome: When they went to hook in the system to the Library OMCOM, he balked at the idea. They needed me to come back and, oh, I don’t know, talk him into it?
Perry: I don’t understand. It’s a computer. Isn’t that its job?
Rome: Yes. But you must understand, while we refer to most artificially intelligent distributed computers as OMCOMs, we use the term generically. But this particular one’s lineage is different. He was not built. He is actually a portion of Planet OMCOM and arrived here fully formed, already sentient. Along with the memrons, he inherited a little bit of attitude as well. He can be a bit prissy at times.
(Perry squints)
(Rome leans forward.)
Rome: (in a low voice) He said he had better things to do than be a glorified thermostat. (Rome raises her voice back to a normal level.) I had to come and explain to him that his charter encompasses not just his needs but all of mankind and this was one need that he had to take on to further his mission.
Perry: And it worked?
Rome: Begrudgingly, yes. He’s not a bad sort. He just needs some hand-holding occasionally.
Perry: Well good for you. It doesn’t seem like computers should give us a hard time about such things.
Rome: I agree. That’s why I came to talk to him. My husband calls me a computer whisperer.
Perry: I don’t understand what that means.
Rome: Neither do I, really. Most of his colloquialisms, I can figure out but my husband says a lot of things. Sometimes, while I understand each of the words individually, the context throws me off. In this case, I suppose if computers had ears, this would be the equivalent of me whispering in its ear.
Tomorrow, part 2
October 17, 2020
Interview with Rei - Part 10 of 10
As Steve Fisch and I get the scripts ready to sell Rome's Revolution as a streaming series, he asked me for a lot of background information that I did not have. So I took some time out to interview Rome and Rei. Here is the final part of Rei's interview, part 10 of 10.
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Rei: I have no clue. Like I said, sometimes he did things because he liked us. He always thought of Rome as his mother. And I was the first human being to ever treat him like a being, not machine. And we executed his plan to ascend to become Planet OMCOM. Maybe this was his way of saying thanks. I don’t know. And it’s not like I can ever ask him.
Interviewer: Do you find this upsetting? That he manipulated you so?
Rei: A guess to some degree. But I can’t change it now so there’s no sense in crying over spilt milk. And to a large degree, it has enhanced our lives. Let’s just say I am ambivalent but I don’t obsess over it.
Interviewer: You certainly have had your share of adventures. Was this something you were used to?
Rei: Hardly. My life back on Earth was as plain of a story as you’d ever want to hear. My first adventure was going to be shot to another planet. All we need was air, water and some soil to grow our crops. Never did I dream I’d fall into the hands of some mind-connected dispassionate people, meet the love of my life, fight an Overmind, have to tow my Ark halfway across the universe, vaporize an insane computer, stop a war, make friends with the Stareaters, have to fight my own people, almost get blown up, killed, suffocated, the list goes on and on.
Interviewer: How has all of this changed you?
Rei: when I first left Earth, I was nobody special. I am not a natural born leader. I was more of a competent follower, happy to complete my tasks. I was not a fighter. I was gun-shy from a love affair gone wrong. I won’t say I was a mess but again, I just wasn’t anyone special. Now, well now, I don’t take anybody’s word for anything. I don’t know if that is good or bad. I’m not a violent man but I’ll do whatever I have to, to protect the love of my life, Rome, and my family, mankind, life itself. I have dedicated my life to doing what is right and I now trust my own, internal moral compass to guide me.
Interviewer: You have just stepped down as Coordinator of the Galactic Union. That would imply that you are a leader.
Rei: Agreed. I said I wasn’t a natural-born leader. Those lessons were hard-won.
Interviewer: Anything else?
Rei: Yes. It’s an incredible universe. If it wasn’t for that accident with that asteroid 1400 years ago, I wouldn’t be here today. I am the luckiest man in the world, the galaxy, to have found my soul mate and a society that is blending the good parts of the old world and new. Meeting new species and reveling in our diversity. I am very happy to be alive and very happy to be here. It’s been an amazing ride, one that I could never have dreamed of.
Interviewer: Well, thank you, Coordinator Bierak, I mean Rei. It has been an excellent interview. I truly appreciate your insights into how we got here. The entire Union owes you and your wife a debt that can never be repaid.
Rei: It was my pleasure. But to get another take, you really should interview Rome. After all, it was she who changed Vuduri society forever. It was Rome’s Revolution.
Interviewer: I will absolutely do that. Thank you again.
Tomorrow: part 2 of Rome's interview
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Rei: I have no clue. Like I said, sometimes he did things because he liked us. He always thought of Rome as his mother. And I was the first human being to ever treat him like a being, not machine. And we executed his plan to ascend to become Planet OMCOM. Maybe this was his way of saying thanks. I don’t know. And it’s not like I can ever ask him.
Interviewer: Do you find this upsetting? That he manipulated you so?
Rei: A guess to some degree. But I can’t change it now so there’s no sense in crying over spilt milk. And to a large degree, it has enhanced our lives. Let’s just say I am ambivalent but I don’t obsess over it.
Interviewer: You certainly have had your share of adventures. Was this something you were used to?
Rei: Hardly. My life back on Earth was as plain of a story as you’d ever want to hear. My first adventure was going to be shot to another planet. All we need was air, water and some soil to grow our crops. Never did I dream I’d fall into the hands of some mind-connected dispassionate people, meet the love of my life, fight an Overmind, have to tow my Ark halfway across the universe, vaporize an insane computer, stop a war, make friends with the Stareaters, have to fight my own people, almost get blown up, killed, suffocated, the list goes on and on.
Interviewer: How has all of this changed you?
Rei: when I first left Earth, I was nobody special. I am not a natural born leader. I was more of a competent follower, happy to complete my tasks. I was not a fighter. I was gun-shy from a love affair gone wrong. I won’t say I was a mess but again, I just wasn’t anyone special. Now, well now, I don’t take anybody’s word for anything. I don’t know if that is good or bad. I’m not a violent man but I’ll do whatever I have to, to protect the love of my life, Rome, and my family, mankind, life itself. I have dedicated my life to doing what is right and I now trust my own, internal moral compass to guide me.
Interviewer: You have just stepped down as Coordinator of the Galactic Union. That would imply that you are a leader.
Rei: Agreed. I said I wasn’t a natural-born leader. Those lessons were hard-won.
Interviewer: Anything else?
Rei: Yes. It’s an incredible universe. If it wasn’t for that accident with that asteroid 1400 years ago, I wouldn’t be here today. I am the luckiest man in the world, the galaxy, to have found my soul mate and a society that is blending the good parts of the old world and new. Meeting new species and reveling in our diversity. I am very happy to be alive and very happy to be here. It’s been an amazing ride, one that I could never have dreamed of.
Interviewer: Well, thank you, Coordinator Bierak, I mean Rei. It has been an excellent interview. I truly appreciate your insights into how we got here. The entire Union owes you and your wife a debt that can never be repaid.
Rei: It was my pleasure. But to get another take, you really should interview Rome. After all, it was she who changed Vuduri society forever. It was Rome’s Revolution.
Interviewer: I will absolutely do that. Thank you again.
Tomorrow: part 2 of Rome's interview
Tales of the Vuduri
Tidbits and insights into the 35th century world of the Vuduri.
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