A Holiday Disruption

I will be going for a two-week holiday trip with my wife and some friends to Taiwan. We had planned this since the beginning of this year and booked our air tickets to get a better price.

So yeah, you won't be hearing from me for quite a while. Hopefully, the much needed break will rejuvenate my saturated brain and allow me personal time with my wife. We have not been on any overseas trip since I started out in my writing journey in 2016. I owed her this trip for supporting me quietly for the past seven years as I worked on my books.

Meantime, take care and come back again in two weeks' time, give and take a few days.

 

The Omega Base

Remember me stating my preference of 'base' over 'station' in a previous post? It's for good reasons. I envisioned Omega Base as a multi-level complex built inside the confines of a mountain.

Here are the details of its construct:

1. It has seven levels, accessible via two escalators (passenger and cargo) at opposite ends, with accompanying flights of stairs in case of emergency or breakdown.

2. The whole complex is illuminated by smart LED lights which transits from white during the day to amber warm in the night. Emergency dim lights kick in under reserve power in the event of a power outage.

3. Smoke detectors are installed in strategic locations which, depending on the type of fire and where it occurs, will discharge the appropriate extinguishing agent.

4. Top level: Hangar housing the Shadowhawk from which it launches via a controlled gate opening at the side of the mountain. A large stow area for maintenance and support equipment, furnished with a repair workshop. An adjacent assembly hall and a mission briefing room.

5. Second level: Recreation facilities (gym, swimming pool, arcade, etc.) and canteen.

6. Third level: Living quarters for the staff and crew, and an isolated quarter, exclusively for team STRATOS and Professor Bennett, Dr. Harper, and David.

7. Fourth level: Food supplies and personal items (clothing, toiletries, etc.) as well as fuel storage, properly delineated to prevent cross contamination.

8. Fifth level: Laboratories for robotics experiment and armament development, and an advance configurable design and production line for custom electronic and mechatronic manufacturing. A separate fortified compartment for team STRATOS to test out newly developed weaponry.

9. Sixth level: Power generator to supply electricity for the whole Omega Base, and a separate control center where team STRATOS, high-clearance security personnel, and Professor Bennett, Dr. Harper and David have exclusive access.

10. Seventh level: EVE's hybridized neural-quantum processing system is situated, with special cooling installation to stabilize the delicate qubits of the quantum computer.

Additional details for the control center situated on the sixth level:

1. It comprises a series of two checkpoints: first, a pin combination, and second, a face scan with a voice recognition.

2. In the center is a projected holographic wire mesh face of a woman (EVE), surrounded by six console stations manned by security officers monitoring various activities in each level.

3. An elevated platform where David carries out development work and code maintenance with special access privilege.

4. Seven cubicles spread around the room, one for each member, accessed via hand scan, to suit up and equip for mission.

And we're not done yet! Details are always evolving and subject to change as the story progress, so I may make alterations to suit different scenarios and happenings.

Now you know why it's so tough to write a hard sci-fi novel.

 

Some Details to Consider

The tough part in writing a hard sci-fi novel is getting the facts right, or at least not too far off-tangent so it's both believable and acceptable to discerning readers. I painstakingly went through a list of details that need to be considered, in order to arrival at Chapter 5.

Some of these include:

1. The selection of a suitable location for STRATOS operations. The geographical region must be chosen not just for its seclusion but also its centrality, which would allow the task force to reach any place in the country within an hour via a Mach speed aircraft.

2. Professor Bennett working in tandem with the various parties involved, to decide on the layout of the base facilities and the weapon machineries that would be installed onsite.

3. Construction of the secret base by contractors on a need to know basis, and the selection of candidates to form the task force team.

4. Collaboration of different defense industry companies to produce the aircraft, smart battle armor suit, and energy directed weaponry.

5. Ground crews, base security and maintenance staff enlisted into the program, etc.

And some. You get the idea. Boring stuff? I guess it's a necessary evil, but I'll try my best to make it concise and less of a drag. Promise.

And more details in the coming days. (Gotcha!)

 

Quantum Computers Revisited

We are hearing more and more about these amazing yet mysterious machines that promise computation performance of immense magnitude. But the average person is rarely concerned about what goes into its concept and design, much less how they operate.

I soon found out that these machines are classified broadly into three types, the third being the most powerful yet the hardest to build. Some of the big tech companies claimed to have 'successfully' built and experimented universal type of quantum platforms, but I surmised that these are just sensational statements aimed at bringing up their share values.

Still, I'm not perturbed by the seeming difficulties and challenges to create such a machine that can be put into use. It's not a matter of 'if' but 'when'. And judging by the increasing mentions in news and journals, it may not be long before we see some working models serving the general public, just like the supercomputers a decade or two ago.

Hopefully, the characters in my novel will beat the big tech to the game, first.

Chapter 4: A Special Invitation

I've watched a few movies depicting lead characters with scientific backgrounds being called upon by the Pentagon to highly classified meetings on matters related to national security or the survival of humanity. Somehow I imagined that perhaps one day I might do the same for my story characters, if I ever write a novel. Well, that day has finally arrived.

In the previous chapter, David expressed his desire to create an independent AI entity that can analyze and learn from related data it gathers from the real world. To which his mentor replied, "You’ll need a supercomputer to do that!"

And that is precisely what will happen in this chapter, when Professor Bennett was called to a meeting at the Pentagon by the Defense Secretary to discuss the feasibility of setting up a special task force to address the growing terrorism threat that is overwhelming the nation's homeland security. Besides a high-level homeland security advisor, there were a few other influential figures from the intelligence community and private sector present at the meeting.

As I see it, the Pentagon can assemble the best anti-terrorist team with the right skill set and training, but to effectively deploy these resources, it needed more than just soldiers and weapons. It needed top-notch hardware and intelligent software that can provide real-time surveillance, accurate predictions, and reliable support to the team.

That's where the Professor's expertise in Quantum computing comes in. But he can't possibly do it alone, so he robed in David and a close associate, Dr. Emily Harper into a partnership.

And so the deal was sealed as Professor Bennett reverted to the Pentagon within the agreed time frame. Once the Secretary of Defense gave the green light, work began in earnest.

At this juncture, technical details in the narrative and conversations are quite sparse. But they will become more involved once I get up to speed with my reading up on these specialized subjects.

 

Add-on Chapters

Have you ever found yourself in a tight spot, not knowing what to do next but then it worked out in the end? It kinda drives you crazy in the beginning and make you do things you don't usually consider, but looking back, you're kinda glad you did. Know what I mean?

Since completing Chapter 3, I saw a need to revise the novel's chapter organization to include several new additions. After going through my mind on the possible play scenarios, here's the revised storyline:

Prologue

PART 1: EVE

1. STRATOS
2. EVE
3. The Prodigy
4. A Special Invitation
5. The Inauguration
6. Friend or Foe?
7. The Precursor

PART 2: HAVAH

8. The Awakening
9. HAVAH

Seven seemed like a nice number for a chapter set under PART 1: EVE, and I might do the same for PART 2: HAVAH as well. Not sure if other novel writers also undergo the same kind of psychological gymnastics like I did. It can be quite daunting, even disturbing when you look at your storyline and wonder, "What do I do next?"

We'll see. Time for another coffee break.

 

Chapter 3: The Prodigy

I'm quite happy with the progress of my novel so far. In a way I was glad I did a revamp on the storyline, now that I could see where it's taking me on this journey of writing and discovering new things and ideas. In fact, it has become a motivating factor that keeps me going since.

So what can I write about The Prodigy, David Friedman?

Well, I could write about the following:

1. His upbringing as the only child from a famous Jewish family and whose parents are well-known in the scientific community.

2. His struggle with ADHD in the family, school and community.

3. His encounter and tutelage under Professor Alan Bennett, and how the latter discovered his ability to understand and formulate AI algorithms that led to the creation of EVE, with the help of Dr. Emily Harper's knowledge in neuroscience.

4. His fascination with infusing human consciousness, qualities and emotions to his creation, and how he accidentally discovered a breakthrough that led to the awakening of a hidden entity in EVE whom he dubbed HAVAH, and who only respond to him by that name after an iris scan and voice recognition.

Point 4 is going a bit too far and fast, I reckoned. But there is no harm listing it down when inspiration dictates it, else I might risk losing it after some time.

For David's upbringing, I postulated the following family background:

From an early age, David was surrounded by the echelons of scientific discourse. The walls echoed with discussions on quantum theory, genetic advancements, and the mysteries of the universe. His parents, esteemed figures in physics and biology, nurtured his curiosity, filling the family library with volumes that transcended his age.

As for his struggle with ADHD:

However, as David navigated his formative years, it became apparent that he was different. ADHD, an enigmatic force that fueled his creativity and focus while defying the conventional structures of learning. His parents, despite their scientific prowess, grappled with understanding and addressing the challenges their prodigious son faced.

I'll need to link him up with a physicist professor somehow. It should not be too difficult:

The turning point arrived when Professor Alan Bennett, a quantum computing specialist, visited Boston to give a lecture. Intrigued by the reports of this prodigious young mind, he soon sought out David. Their encounter became the catalyst for an extraordinary partnership. The professor, recognizing David's unique gifting, became his mentor.

Under Professor Bennett's tutelage, David's understanding of algorithms evolved into a mesmerizing art form. The professor, himself a legend in the realm of quantum computing, was astonished by the prodigy's ability to grasp complex concepts that eluded even seasoned researchers. It was during one such visit to David’s room that the seeds of EVE were planted.

Of course, reader can expect an interesting conversation going between the two as the professor witnessed firsthand David's self-assembled AI system with a rudimentary but impressive model of EVE. But I'm not going to divulge anything here lest it spoils the fun.

It's always a good thing to keep the anticipation high for a novel that promises nothing less than an engaging (and hopefully exhilarating) read.

 

The Dynamic Trio

Three characters I envisioned that's going play major roles in the novel are David Friedman, Professor Alan Bennett, and Dr. Emily Harper. As such, I need to create specific bios for them and give them each a face as well.

Again, after searching through virtosmedia's portfolio of free images on 123FR.com, here's the sweet deal:

David Friedman (The Prodigy):

Age and Background: Early twenties, Jewish.

Role in STRATOS: Lead AI Developer, Creator of EVE.

Description: Strikingly intelligent with unruly brown hair and an ever-present look of intense focus. His ADHD, once considered a hindrance, became a wellspring of creativity in his pursuits.

Professor Alan Bennett:

Age and Background: Late forties, physicist.

Role in STRATOS: Quantum Computing Specialist.

Description: Distinguished and unassuming, with greying hair and a perpetually thoughtful expression. Professor Bennett's expertise in quantum computing was instrumental in realizing the hybrid architecture of EVE.

Dr. Emily Harper:

Age and Background: Late thirties, neurologist.

Role in STRATOS: Neurology Consultant.

Description: A pragmatic yet empathetic presence with a keen interest in the interface between artificial intelligence and human cognition. Dr. Harper's insights into the human brain's workings influenced the design of EVE's neural-inspired architecture.

 

What is ADHD?

An interesting aspect of writing a novel is getting to learn new things, especially if the characters in your story happen to possess certain qualities that are uncommon to your usual daily experience and encounters. It forces you to do some research in order to make your narrative of the characters come alive in the pages. 

What is ADHD? Before that, I only knew its an acronym for Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. In truth, the traits associated with ADHD can be both positive and negative. People with ADHD can be incredibly successful in their lives if steered in the right direction.

The positive qualities of people with ADHD are likened to superpowers and include:

• Creativity and spontaneity
• Astounding problem-solving skills
• Possess endless amount of energy
• Are hyper-focused in what they put their mind to do

People with ADHD also face a couple of challenges

• Easily distracted, hyperactive and impulsive
• Live in a world of their own
• Have a hard time following instructions
• Can be impatient and inattentive at times

Hmm... sounds like the perfect description for the main character in my story, alright. I'm sure there's plenty of room for David's development, especially when HAVAH finally come into the picture.

Hey, stay focus and don't skip too far ahead already!