Welcome to Immersion, you have reached Strata 5
To function correctly, humans depend almost entirely upon memories. Memory is an integral part of human cognition allowing individuals to recall and draw upon past events to frame their understanding of the present. Memory also gives individuals a paradigm through which they make sense of the future. Memories are tried and tested experiences where deep knowledge and understanding are fostered. The future becomes less of an unknown with an arsenal of information based on what we remember. Memory can also be evolutionary, cultural, and non specific, based on a collective experience of tragedy, persecution or success.
A machine that remembers too little will not be able to do anything that requires connecting past experiences to new ones. Many droids are prone to catastrophic forgetting as they attempt to sift through relevant data. But machines can also over-learn causing an implosion of ideas and leading to gross malfunction. Humans are able to pick and choose their memories for a better life, even false memories have proven to be advantageous for emotional balance.
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Renyke attempted a face-recog on the woman but the makeup or tattoo caused a data malfunction. Flex, the one with probable knowledge about trusting her, had disappeared amongst the crowd.
After a lingering interlude for summing up dangers but with no logical conclusion, Renyke followed his guide with some trepidation. The woman was effervescent and attractive, seemingly unfamiliar attributes. Such exuberances were not encouraged in the Midcasts. But Renyke was nonetheless drawn to her fervour.
Market traders were selling live animals, electronic devices, even people selling workers by the hour for anything from labouring to singing and sexual services.
Renyke was unsure if he had ever had any experience of these scenarios. Whilst some things he felt confident about knowing, that humans walk on two legs and the such like, the sense of place was poignant and yet just out of reach, ungraspable. Had he been here before after all he wondered?
'What's with the frown Mr?' The woman seemed empathetic.
'I don't know, something familiar maybe, here, this street.'
'Well stranger, aint no-one seen yo walking the slow walk, or talking the fast talk here before. I never forget a face.' The woman was staring into Renyke's eyes, as if she searched for something.
The woman greeted traders and passersby, she was known here. Momentarily Renyke felt a sense of welcome at least, if not belonging.
They arrived at a unit with barricades and metal shutters. It was constructed from an old underground train carriage, probably from the twenty-first century.
'Here we go,' the woman said.
'That's 50 G-bits for getting you here Mr.'
'I have to get some money first,' said Renyke
'Plus, I don't know how to get the money. What do I need, I have no ID?'
'You don't need ID here Mr. This is the *hiddens' zone, the Urchs got no ID. No ID, no problem.'
'Well. how do I get money?' asked Renyke, now confused about accessing anything that may be stored in his POS and still dubious about sharing his identity.'
The woman laughed.
'Ya gotta put sometin' up my friend.
'Like my coat?' asked Renyke.
'Na, not in the bank! Your software, course, or hardware, or files, whatever.....just plug in, give some data, get some g-bits innit. They take apps, software, POS.....
Day to Day Data..... is their wayta.....
.....hahahahaha.' The woman cackled, then sighed, 'I'll take you in OK, I know the banker.'
Renyke pondered the likelihood of a successful transaction inside and nodded.
The woman bashed on the metal door and a hatch opened.
Dark peering eyes checked them up and down.
'Not the animals', said a loud booming voice after tentatively opening a heavily armoured door.
Inside was well guarded by large-framed menacing characters. They were standard issue security droids, the like of older versions that had been discontinued and recalled, disassembled and disposed of. Security in the Midcasts was controlled by forcefields and lasers with little need for big ugly droids any more.
Renyke was ushered to a small cubical with an array of plugs and wires.
The woman gestured he should go in as she waited near the door. Renyke tried to call on past experiences to understand the situation but it was futile. There was nothing he could access.
POS was glitching.
Everything in the cubical looked antiquated, probably from the early tech years.
There was a chair and Renyke was motioned to sit down.
He hesitated.
'How does it work?' He asked a large droid.
The droid seemed stupefied, slow and sluggish, as if he had been drained of power. He spoke slowly with slurred words. There were intermittent beeping noises and error warnings coming from inside his head.
'Here is the current exchange rate,' said the droid, pointing to a monitor with flashing figures. 'As soon as you are plugged we see what you got and make an offer. Then we transfer. You get a voucher here.'....he pointed to a small printing machine, 'then take it over there and get g-bits or s bits.'
There were hundreds of wires and plugs seemingly for extracting and monitoring every device from the last couple of centuries. Anything from antique video machines to digital clocks seemed to have a lead on offer.
Renyke spotted the mark 3 Droid Cable and shuddered.
He checked his applications. Then all the add-ons. He checked for any temp files he could get rid of. Then he checked the POS and asked if there was a clean-up they could run.
System is currently set to factory install. Removing program files or data could be detrimental to smooth function....this action is not supported.....
more searching......then finally
one file found
unknown origin
possible memory file from last OS
surplus to current operational needs......unable to access file contents
The big droid began clicking its fingers slowly and grimacing. His equally thug like colleague approached and joined in.
The woman, looking restless, ushered Renyke to hurry up
Can we operate without it? Renyke asks POS'
There is a 50% likelihood of continuum and 50% likelihood of severe malfunction....
To be continued
© 2023 Sarnia de la Maré FRSA
Links to episodes of Immersion written and illustrated by Sarnia de la Maré FRSA, published by Tale Teller Club
