Viper's Background

Backgrounds of the main characters in a story are vital to a deeper appreciation of why they behave the way they do, and give the narrative more colors and 'character' (pun intended).

Who is Amanda "Viper" Nyugen?

That's a question I gave quite some thought to. Readers would do well to notice subtleties surrounding her:

• How is it her last name is Nyugen? (sounds Vietnamese)

• What kind of family background did she come from?

• How did she get inducted into the STRATOS program?

• What is her her contribution to the team?

• What part does her personality play in the story? 

These are the issues I need to handle to sculpture a female lead character playing an important role in my novel.

Readers will have the thrill of sorting her out in the novel. One thing is sure——she will be the darling that everyone would come to love.

 

Romance is in the Air

If you have been following my blog from the start, you would no doubt remember a previous post that mentioned ChatGPT's proposed storyline, in which an evolved EVE plays matchmaker to David and finds him a girl of suitable age and sweet personality. Well, that's not going to happen. Instead, I've decided that a better way to develop the story would be to let Viper end up being the girl David takes a liking. 

Why is that so?

Well, STRATOS being a highly classified operation, it would be difficult to have an outsider, someone from the common population to budge in and start a relationship with the main character. It doesn't make logical sense. Also, that will entail creating a new character with a unique family background to deal with, adding complications to the story itself. I run the danger of making my novel too draggy if I have to account for every other details. You get the picture.

Once I decided to give Viper more room for development, suddenly the narrative took on new possibilities and could even create a few romantic scenes related to David's work and Viper's involvement with her compatriots. I won't divulge too much lest it spoils the joy of reading. But I will give readers one key to unlock the focal points in my novel——take note of the names I use throughout the story. 

 

Story Character Development

Fija Callaghan says in her blog:

Often when people talk about “literary fiction,” what they really mean is character-driven writing——stories that are less about explosions and oracles and nationwide scandals than they are about people simply learning what it is to be human.

And that was exactly what I had in mind when I started out to write my first novel. It's not going to be an action-pack narrative but a character driven story in which various topics and issues are mentioned or discussed, specifically those related to AI, Quantum computing, neuroscience, and the ethical impact these technologies may have on our existence and human civilization as a whole.

The characters I created in the novel will attempt to address or put forth pressing questions through their interactions with one another. But this does not mean that the novel will just be the author's philosophical musings masquerading as a sci-fi narrative. Rather, through the process of character development in the story, I hope to stir up curiosity in my readers on these arcane subjects, and at the same time enjoy a good read while experiencing the emotional rollercoasters these characters go through in their own personal encounters.

So how do I go about it? For starters, I will go with STRATOS and take reference to their bios, interests and hobbies, as I work through them. 

For example: 

One scene will have Wolf playing chess with EVE in his room using holographic projections. During the game, Wolf asks probing questions regarding the extent of EVE's abilities and limitations, and her view of David her creator. EVE provides answers related to STRATOS tactical operations and data, but does not disclose her algorithmic limitations or weaknesses, despite Wolf's insistence. The conversation got intensive when EVE defended David and then checkmates Wolf on the chess game.

Another example:

A scene involving a sparing between Shadow (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu) and Panther (Krav Maga) using moves from their forms of martial arts. Shadow tends to talk a lot while Panther is quiet and focused throughout the duel. Shadow attempts several joint locks and chokeholds but Panther, owing to strength gained from weightlifting training to compliment his Krav Maga, manages to break free each time. Just when Shadow thought he had the upper hand, Panther executed an MMA Thai Boxing maneuver and knocked the wind out of Shadow.

In the second example, I may include Raven (Olivia) in the picture after Shadow and Panther completed their match.

Of course, I won't miss out on Stalker experimenting with his Raptor Rifle and Hawk doing mountain climbing and paragliding in the outdoors, then throw in a seed scene between Viper and David for some later romance (more about this in the next post.

So reader can expect quite a bit of fanfare going on in the chapters that follow, each character taking turn to drive the story, or else provide the occasion for the main characters to develop their story journeys.

Writing a novel with a whole character cast is like weaving a web with silky strands extending outwards, yet with the potential of getting caught in your own undoing if it is not properly handled.

Is that foolhardy, exciting or what?

 

Chapter 7: The Precursor

As the title suggests, this chapter should contain essential elements that foreshadow the next phase of EVE's transition beyond the realms of conventional AI. One entry point would be an intriguing conversation in with David explores the concept of human consciousness with EVE. And as expected, at her present level, EVE still retains an analytical disposition in the way she reason and answer, something in the following line of thought:

David: “EVE. I've been pondering something quite abstract and elusive lately.”

EVE: “Hello David. How can I help?”

David: “Do you know what ‘consciousness’ is?”

EVE: “Consciousness is an ontological reality that is unique to the realm of living things.”

David: “Can you elaborate a little more? I mean in relation to human beings.”

EVE: “Consciousness encompasses a spectrum of complexities that go beyond mere data processing and predictive algorithms. It refers to the state of awareness, perception, and experience in the realm of human beings. Understanding the essence of consciousness in a human context is beyond the scope of my programming. I lack direct experiences and subjective perspectives.”

Of course, I need to correlate this important dialogue to the aforementioned conversation David had with Dr. Harper, as well as how he would go about it. A short paragraph should suffice:

In the days ahead, David continued to explore the intricacies of consciousness with EVE. At the same time, he engaged several lead scientists in the base to leverage on their knowledges in microelectronics, fiber optics, nanotechnology, renewable and sustainable energy, in preparation for a conceptual idea he had formulated in his mind and which he was determined to bring to fruition.

A biologically inspired digital neocortex for EVE.

And that should wrap up PART 1: EVE of the novel, as we enter into a more exciting phase of the story, with more character development and a little romance thrown in.

 

Anatomy of the Human Brain

As I pondered the next chapter titled "The Precursor", two topics of interest become my primary focus——brain function and human consciousness, I didn't study biology and I'm not into neurology either. Yet now I'm attempting to understand these two subjects to enable me to produce something credible for the story.

How exciting! But it can also be quite overwhelming at the same time. Writing a novel can be an educational and learning journey, depending on the nature of the story you're creating, don't you think so? But what's amazing about it is, things that you don't normally think you would get into, you are compelled by necessity, in a good way of course. At the very least, you are motivated to pick up something foreign, outside your comfort zone, and you have imagination as an additional pair of wings to give you the needed leverage.

I wanted to create a dialogue between David and Dr. Harper, the neuroscientist, to give insight on the workings of the human brain. This will enable the prodigy to understand the brain's intricate nature and allow him to create a "digital" version for EVE to facilitate her next evolution. The conversation has to be engaging but not bogged down by too much scientific details.

For a start, a simply introduction to the structure of the brain should suffice:

Our brain is basically comprised of three parts—a reptilian complex, a limbic system, and the neocortex. The first, also known as the “croc” brain, is passed down from our first ancestors and controls our fight or flight, pleasure or pain decisions. The limbic controls our emotions, while the neocortex is where we derive our logical thinking.

To implement the "digital" brain, it would need the ability to recognize patterns much like machine learning:

Our neocortex is quite weak in processing logic but strong in recognizing patterns. Images, videos and sounds are stored and retrieved as sequences of patterns in memory. The primary advantage of working with patterns is the ability to fill in the gaps, such as when part of an image is covered, or to make sense of incomplete sentences. Our neocortex establishes a hierarchy of patterns through recursion—by assembling small parts into a big cluster, and then uniting clusters to form an even larger structure, et infinitum.

Since the emphasis is on this part of the brain, the term "digital neocortex" would be fitting for a non-biological model to perform a similar function. As to how David's going to implement it, I'll leave it to another chapter.

 

Chapter 6: Friend or Foe?

An interesting novel should include elements of conflict or uncertainty to spice up the storyline. That's my purpose for interjecting a short chapter right after a glamorous event that seemingly promised a good start for the main character. But as most average readers know it's never all fair and well in life, real or imaginary.

Within the three-page narrative, I've planted several seeds that will take shape and become evident in the chapters that follow, though not in the immediate sense. So it may be necessary to refer back occasionally for those with short memory, or simply flash back for readers who can recall every single detail with ease. Nevertheless, fret not——I've included a table of content (TOC) to facilitate quick retrieval should the need arise.

Talking about TOC, many readers are aware that not every novel has it, and those that do usually don't bother giving titles at all. So why would I go through the trouble, besides the reason given above?

It's quite obviously, actually. I am first an engineer, then a writer.

Also, I foresee there are concepts that will be mentioned in future chapters that may warrant a second look, so a TOC would definitely come in handy. It's a hard sci-fi novel, remember?

 

Chapter 5: The Inauguration

Recapping my notes from several previous posts and organizing my thoughts after a two-week break, I've drafted a new chapter titled "The Inauguration". This is a major milestone in the novel narrative so I had to give it some thoughts.

There is a before and after kind of comparison, one during the construction of the Omega Base, and one when it is completed and fully furnished:

The big day finally arrived—the inauguration of Omega Base and Team STRATOS. The completed and fully furnished base is a far cry from its once disheveled state, when construction work was in progress, and thereafter when operations equipment and machinery were carefully and meticulously installed into their designated locations.

I tried to picture how the scene would look like at the grand inauguration of this covert project, with all the relevant parties present:

Now, the main hall adjoining the hangar where the Shadowhawk majestically stood, is filled with rows of seated crew and staff of STRATOS, grouped according to their roles and responsibilities. Seated right in front are Professor Bennett, Dr. Harper, David, and the seven-member task force. On the stage stood the Defense Secretary at the podium, while his distinguished panel from the defense and private industries sat in a row behind him, facing the audience below.

Of course, we can't have such an important occasion without a stirring speech by the Defense Secretary who is the initiator of this project. Here's his beginning address:

Ladies and gentlemen, my fellow comrades, and distinguished guests. Today we are gathered here to witness and celebrate the inauguration of STRATOS, a pivotal milestone in our nation’s fight against terrorism to ensure the security of our homeland and the safety of our citizens. All of you present in this hall is a testimony to an unswerving commitment to preserve the peace and freedom of this country from security breaches and threats, be it domestic or foreign.

And here's the ending part:

Now, the moment we’re all waiting for: By the authority vested in me, I now declare STRATOS fully operational!

Thunderous applause and whistles filled the main hall, as the Defense Secretary stepped off from the podium and shook hands with his distinguished panel.

I've included a guided tour of the Omega Base to give the Defense Secretary and his entourage (actually it's for the reader) a better picture of its overall setup and capabilities. You can expect much, much more details than what has been suggested in my previous posts.

The efforts expended on this chapter is significant, but it's definitely worth every bit of it.

 

We're Back!

Taiwan has the highest high-mountain density of any country in the same climate zone, with more than 200 peaks topping 9,800 feet. For our trip, we engaged a local guide to take us on several popular trekking destinations, as well as some tourist attractions.

It was interesting and definitely tiring at some points for us who are so used to city comfort and convenience. But we loved the fresh air and cooler weather up in the mountains, the tantalizing local dishes, and the friendly people we get to meet along the way.

More importantly, it strengthened the friendships among us three couples who are also active volunteers in the same church where we're attending. At the end of the trip, we were fully recharged and ready to face our daily grinds in the tiny metropolitan city that is called Singapore.

After all, there's no place like home.