Seeker

by Douglas E. Richards

“It’s very likely to be an unmanned . . . unoccupied,” she corrected, “probe. Although anything is possible. It could be a craft built by intelligent beings the size of fleas, who would find a ship of that size quite spacious. But we doubt it. So for the sake of this discussion, I think it’s safe to call it an alien probe.”

Cnsidering our brain size. Could biology actually aly allow for intelligent life in that flea size?

continued. “If nothing exists outside of yourself, if you inhabit the entire universe, if you are all there is—in all of time and space—then what do you have to compare yourself to? If you’re the only being in existence, you’re the strongest being there is, but also the weakest. The biggest, and also the smallest. Without contrast, nothing has scale. You’re everything, but also nothing. Worse still, you’re destined to go through infinity and eternity with no external stimulation of any kind.”

“The Androms proved to be too much of a pushover. The battle with them was too short, and too unfulfilling. A hard-won victory is the most satisfying kind. So the ASI is seeking an eternal war between it—a computer-based superintelligence—and a bio-based one. An epic struggle between a computer god, and the god-like species that humanity can become. Such a war will engage both. Give both purpose. Such a war will make existence interesting and challenging. And will prove to be critical for the well-being and continued growth of both.”