|
|
|
|
Environmental Cybernetics |
Environmental Cybernetics, or EC, is a practical discipline and
school
of study regarding the broad scale interface and control of various
incidental interfaces present in a technological environment: the local
mechosystem and its entire
set of cybernetic controls. Although a
rudimentary version of Environmental Cybernetics is possible for
embodied sapient beings (such as bionts,
cyborgs,
or vecs)
who use specialized equipment, and while typical sapient-level AIs show even more facility, many
experts consider "true" Environmental Cybernetics ability to be
something that only appeared with the first transapients.
Some cite this enhanced transapient EC ability as one of the first
historical examples of an emergent transapient property that is
observable to non-transapient beings.
Environmental Cybernetics came into being as an offshoot of Cybernetics
in the Pre-Swarm Era at the end of the Information
Age. Originally it
used mechanical input devices, personal computers and other
electronics, but this field of technology and study quickly adopted the
DNI interfaces that are still
commonplace today, and then moved on to
expert systems and eventually to sapient AIs with special skills in
this area. This basic form of public access for ordinary sapients,
usually via the Known
Net, includes access to industrial, utility,
infrastructure and security networks as well as the more common
information and communication functions.
The infant science of Environmental Cybernetics did not truly blossom,
however, until the advent of the transapients. Like the lesser
AIs who were their precursors, they were ideally suited to interfacing
with machinery and computerized equipment, since contact with the
primitive Net of the time was integral to their design. Much more
importantly, though, were their huge mental processing power and their
unique
post-singularity insights, which allowed instant connection to
thousands of
types of interfaces and mechanical languages and an unparallelled
degree
of coordination and prediction. For instance, transapient minds were
capable of
instantly decrypting protective ICE, gaining access far beyond what was
originally intended by researchers, or of manipulating aspects of the
mechosphere to which the Net of the day had no formal access.
The debate between those who regard "true" EC as an early emergent
property of transapience and those who believe that sapients and
transapients are simply on a very broad continuum of ability is almost
as old as transapient EC itself. Since ordinary sapients are able to
access and use Environmental Cybernetics, it is argued on the one hand
that transapient EC was only an expansion of the natural abilities of
humans and other subsingularity entities (mediated in the case of
humans and other non-AIs by powerful translation equipment). On the
other hand, proponents of EC as a transapient property assert that
transapient ability with EC is so much greater in scope and effect as
to make it fundamentally different. They compare it to the difference
between the communications systems of various subsapient Old Earth
animals and the true linguistic ability of baseline humans.
Whatever
the truth may be, it is clear that the early difference between sapient
and transapient ability with EC has widened rapidly as the mechosystem
and
cybernetic environment and has grown increasingly complex over time.
Whether the difference between a sapient being's ability to modify eir environment and a
transapient's control profound or merely very large
is perhaps only a philosophical debate; the practical differences are
clearly significant.
It is normal for citizens in many Sephirotic and high tech cultures for
humans and other bionts to implant or grow DNI interfaces to allow
access to aspects of the Known Net. Training in these systems for the
purpose of sapient-level EC begins at an early age, and only minor
subsidiary processors are needed to translate the information there to
something understandable to baseline minds. Different career paths,
needs, and social status will allow for greater or lesser privilege to
the Known Net in this manner depending on the local polity and culture.
Most vecs, cyborgs, and sybonts
have equivalent customs and equipment
(some as part of their fundamental design). AIs and virtuals who are
below transapient grade vary considerably in their command of EC, from
those who ignore it entirely and "live" in a computronium environment
to those who were actually designed to work as EC interfaces. Some of
these last have achieved effects that are normally attributed only to
transapients.
One complication to Environmental Cybernetics is a phenomenon called
Personal Angelnetting: the practice of placing a portion of the local
cybersystem and mechosystem under one's personal control in an
angelnetted area. Although it is
very common with Transapients and in
some Sephirotic polities, other societies frown upon those who insist
on bringing along their own system or co-opting a fraction of the local
Known Net. Many of those who do not allow full personal angelnetting
often extend a "courtesy" access level to those who have the desire for
and ability to maintain that level of security and control. It can be
likened for applying for a license to carry weapons or other dangerous
substances and equipment. For higher level transapients, for whom
maintaining one's own angelnet is as natural and universal as breathing
is to a biont, this considered a right rather than a privilege, and
refusal of such access to local angelnet control can be considered
a very poignant insult in those circles.
Aside from specialized sapient-level AIs, non-transapients capable of
notable achievements in Environmental Cybernetics include transavants and transcyborgs,
proxavs,
optimodders, powermodders and even
some Su and sooboo individuals. Most often control by
these beings does not
equal that of a transapient, since they lack both processing power and
transapient insights, and unless they are AIs most require some
assistance through artificial means (implants or onboard equipment,
expert systems, etc.). This does not mean that these skilled EC users
are any less potent or even dangerous if they come into conflict with
more typical sapient beings. While they cannot do as much as a
transapient, in some cases they can be more powerful than the local
controls of an Angelnet.
Abuse of Environmental Cybernetics expresses itself in the form of
"hacking." Most Angelnet hacking for trivial purposes is harmless or
just a minor nuisance, and is often tolerated to some degree. On the
other hand, violators who endanger the physical or mental safety of
others are often severely prosecuted, depending on their polity's laws.
A common penalty is loss of all access to the Known Net - a
considerable inconvenience and embarrassment in any civilized region.
The most severe penalties are usually reserved for those who attempt to
interfere with the proper function of a ruling transapient's control,
or with emergency and security services. Such forms of criminal
activity using EC are referred to as "Reality Hacking" due to its
appearance to those unaware of its use. Even in relatively primitive
areas control of the local mechosystem amounts to control of nearly
every aspect of existence. In an angelnetted area such control may seem
magical, or supernatural. Although an angelnet cannot be made to
accomplish tasks that are directly contrary to its prime directives, or
that is physically impossible, incidences of "Reality Hacking" are
awesome and incredible for those caught in them. It is rumoured
that even the Godweb is subject to
some of this same kind of abuse, at
a much greater level of sophistication and power, by higher level
transapients.
Environmental Cybernetics is limited by access to resources as well as
by the rules and safeguards that are present in most civilized
polities. Five major categories of environments have been identified.
These are broad and indefinite, and often sub-classified based around
interfaces types available. This is analogous to distinguishing forest
from taiga or farmland from prairie. Differences can be immediately
recognizable to someone able to use Environmental Cybernetic resources
and form a gradual blend from one to the other or even be a mix of many
levels of environment. Transapients and some AIs can use their direct
apprehension of the cybercosm to act like a sixth sense to detect ECI
(Environmental Cybernetic Interfaces) in a way analogous to sight or
hearing.
Angelnet: This level of environment gives almost godlike powers and
supernatural-seeming influence over the local environment. Connections
to the devices of the environment seem almost primal in nature as
reality seems to serve its controller.
Fibreless: Devices are more compartmentalized and identifiable as
individual devices. There is not the feeling of omniscience or
omnipotence but rather a distinct feeling of control or dominance.
Networked: This requires the sophont to directly connect via fiber or
informational network system through a physical network. Although the
density of individual devices may be the same as or even greater than
many Fibreless Environments, there are no fibreless connections to be
made.
Direct: A direct connection environment means that every device can be
electronically tapped by a direct interface with the user. It maintains
no connection to a unified communications network and has to be treated
on an individual device or a chained device connection basis.
Manual: This form of environment is of the ancient sort that requires
direct physical and manual control. There is no remote, automatic, or
electronic control accessible. The interfaces are often the most
rudimentary available and have to be monitored and controlled usually
by hand by individual sophonts who are physically on location.
Operating such arcane devices often requires speed and brute strength
as well as intelligence.
