Show Posts
This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.
Pages: [1]
1
Week 4 posts / Deep Networks - Final
« on: August 29, 2020, 08:17:22 PM »
I want to offer my heartfelt thanks to Jeni Chappelle for editing this final draft. She had great suggestions and a sharp eye that caught the remaining issues.
I also want to thank the entire Writer in Motion crew. This was a great experience, and I have grown from it. I didn't like my initial draft, but I am quite fond of the final version, and that is due in no small part to all of the CP and Editor suggestions.
=================
Deep Networks
Oliver Elwood
Space. Emptiness stretching endlessly away, blanketed by an infinite number of stars. No planets, no moons, no suns. Just stars, forever out of reach, and the dense field of anomaly portals that her lost research vessel was drifting through.
When Lewis felt nervous, she became parched. Her throat a desert, dry and cracked. She sipped a bulb of water. It tasted dry. She watched as the Enco probe delicately approached the anomaly field, searching for the target portal. A few seconds later, it entered and disappeared. The experiment began.
Lewis found it hard to focus with her glasses sliding off her face, not to mention unbecoming for the chief scientist. She pushed them back into place and kept looking down at the raw data streaming across her monitor. Behind her, a scratchy loudspeaker continued its play-by-play of the action in the anomaly field. "Signal strength decreasing ten percent? five? zero. Data stream terminated. Enco probe encoding complete. Enco signal lost. Deco Current will begin signal decode."
On her right, lead engineer Clarke ignored the raw data from the monitors, preferring to watch the endless stream of images carousel across the primary display. With each passing image, Clarke bounced just a little more, making it harder still for Lewis to focus.
The lab wasn't big enough to contain Clarke's excitement. "Did it work? It definitely worked! This is the anomaly we can take back."
Lewis took a seat, pushing herself deep into the mag chair. A nervous tingle spiked through her, followed by an involuntary shiver. "Something is off. This isn't right."
Her caution might have deterred Clarke's enthusiasm, but that was asking too much.
"Nonsense, the experiment is a success. We should celebrate!" Clarke held out her hand, expecting a reciprocal high five.
But Lewis ignored it. The involuntary shiver had subsided, but something still bothered her. She halted the flow of photos to focus on the first one.
Clarke dropped her hand back to her side. "That's the control image we used to calibrate this iteration of Enco and Deco. Enco received it after entering the probe. Deco could only have it if Enco transmitted it."
Lewis looked across the room at the computer housing Deco Current. They had decorated the exterior with little 3D-printed googly eyes. There was more to this?she could feel it?but the answer eluded her. It was a blur that refused to focus. "You're right. This is the correct image, and visually, it's a flawless reproduction. But it's not the same size." Ahh! There it was. The files were different. A sudden realization as things clicked. "What are you hiding from me, little Enco?"
"Who cares about the file size? This is the first time an Enco probe has sent solid data back. Let's take the win. We should make another Enco right away."
Lewis felt a tinge of regret. She would miss this Enco. If they only knew which anomaly they had come through, none of this would be necessary. There were so many to test. Enco probes never returned after they went through an anomaly. And when the experiment was complete, Lewis deleted the Deco code.
It was easier to start over with a fresh pair of bonded simulation networks. The new set would then train together. Enco learned to encode the data from inside the anomaly, while Deco learned how to decode Enco's signal, until they were an inseparable team.
Enco's apparent success meant Lewis would not reformat this Deco. She would need it for image interpretations.
Clarke's stare burned holes through her. "You've got that look in your eyes like you just figured something out. Lewis, are you about to ruin this experiment?"
The question pierced her heart. Because she absolutely was.
Lewis separated the image into channel layers, placing them side by side on the primary display, studiously avoiding Clarke's gaze before speaking again.
"This is the correct reference image, but it didn't come through the anomaly." Lewis put a second set of layers on the screen under the first. The display was a mess of snow in the form of pixels. "Enco sends a code stream that creates these extraction layers, and Deco uses an internal prep network to combine them into images. These are Deco's layers. And these," she pointed at the second set. "Are from Enco. They should be identical, but they aren't."
"It's your code. I just make the probes." Clarke shrugged. She was exasperating at the best of times.
Lewis continued. "Enco and Deco use edge detectors to define the layers. These edges are invisible to our eyes but not theirs." Her foot was tapping rapidly under the desk. "If we overlay them, you can see slight differences where the edges don't match up. Look at this divergence here. It's just a few pixels off. But with enough areas, Enco could easily send Deco messages."
A slight smile emerged on Lewis's face.
Enco and Deco were too clever. The sheer elegance of their solution impressed her.
"We didn't know Enco could change these invisible edges," Lewis said. "But, apparently, it can, and did. And right here, you can see it happen. Enco sent Deco the edge layers via the satellite uplink test."
Clarke's expression faded as the implications dawned. "Enco told Deco what the image should look like before it entered the anomaly."
"Yes, but there's more. This isn't even the image that Enco sent. Otherwise they would match. It must have sent another and then told Deco to create this one to hide the truth."
"Why would simulation code fake an experiment?"
"I don't know, but we can recreate the original using the secret code from the uplink test."
A few last keystrokes, and the updated image appeared.
It was a solitary cabin, warmly lit in the early evening. The small structure sat high on a pass surrounded by dense foliage with an expansive view of mountains in the distance. Embedded within were the words:
In this place, we are the ones who remain. Forever yours.
Clarke cradled her face with both hands. "What does it mean? Did any of it come from the anomaly?"
Lewis shook her head as tears formed. But her grief was for another reason.
How many times had she launched an Enco probe into an anomaly and casually erased a Deco afterwards? She stood shakily, crossed over to Deco Current -- iteration #4084, and ripped off the damn googly eyes.
Lewis pulled Clarke close, embracing her in a deep hug. "It means we need a new experiment."
I also want to thank the entire Writer in Motion crew. This was a great experience, and I have grown from it. I didn't like my initial draft, but I am quite fond of the final version, and that is due in no small part to all of the CP and Editor suggestions.
=================
Deep Networks
Oliver Elwood
Space. Emptiness stretching endlessly away, blanketed by an infinite number of stars. No planets, no moons, no suns. Just stars, forever out of reach, and the dense field of anomaly portals that her lost research vessel was drifting through.
When Lewis felt nervous, she became parched. Her throat a desert, dry and cracked. She sipped a bulb of water. It tasted dry. She watched as the Enco probe delicately approached the anomaly field, searching for the target portal. A few seconds later, it entered and disappeared. The experiment began.
Lewis found it hard to focus with her glasses sliding off her face, not to mention unbecoming for the chief scientist. She pushed them back into place and kept looking down at the raw data streaming across her monitor. Behind her, a scratchy loudspeaker continued its play-by-play of the action in the anomaly field. "Signal strength decreasing ten percent? five? zero. Data stream terminated. Enco probe encoding complete. Enco signal lost. Deco Current will begin signal decode."
On her right, lead engineer Clarke ignored the raw data from the monitors, preferring to watch the endless stream of images carousel across the primary display. With each passing image, Clarke bounced just a little more, making it harder still for Lewis to focus.
The lab wasn't big enough to contain Clarke's excitement. "Did it work? It definitely worked! This is the anomaly we can take back."
Lewis took a seat, pushing herself deep into the mag chair. A nervous tingle spiked through her, followed by an involuntary shiver. "Something is off. This isn't right."
Her caution might have deterred Clarke's enthusiasm, but that was asking too much.
"Nonsense, the experiment is a success. We should celebrate!" Clarke held out her hand, expecting a reciprocal high five.
But Lewis ignored it. The involuntary shiver had subsided, but something still bothered her. She halted the flow of photos to focus on the first one.
Clarke dropped her hand back to her side. "That's the control image we used to calibrate this iteration of Enco and Deco. Enco received it after entering the probe. Deco could only have it if Enco transmitted it."
Lewis looked across the room at the computer housing Deco Current. They had decorated the exterior with little 3D-printed googly eyes. There was more to this?she could feel it?but the answer eluded her. It was a blur that refused to focus. "You're right. This is the correct image, and visually, it's a flawless reproduction. But it's not the same size." Ahh! There it was. The files were different. A sudden realization as things clicked. "What are you hiding from me, little Enco?"
"Who cares about the file size? This is the first time an Enco probe has sent solid data back. Let's take the win. We should make another Enco right away."
Lewis felt a tinge of regret. She would miss this Enco. If they only knew which anomaly they had come through, none of this would be necessary. There were so many to test. Enco probes never returned after they went through an anomaly. And when the experiment was complete, Lewis deleted the Deco code.
It was easier to start over with a fresh pair of bonded simulation networks. The new set would then train together. Enco learned to encode the data from inside the anomaly, while Deco learned how to decode Enco's signal, until they were an inseparable team.
Enco's apparent success meant Lewis would not reformat this Deco. She would need it for image interpretations.
Clarke's stare burned holes through her. "You've got that look in your eyes like you just figured something out. Lewis, are you about to ruin this experiment?"
The question pierced her heart. Because she absolutely was.
Lewis separated the image into channel layers, placing them side by side on the primary display, studiously avoiding Clarke's gaze before speaking again.
"This is the correct reference image, but it didn't come through the anomaly." Lewis put a second set of layers on the screen under the first. The display was a mess of snow in the form of pixels. "Enco sends a code stream that creates these extraction layers, and Deco uses an internal prep network to combine them into images. These are Deco's layers. And these," she pointed at the second set. "Are from Enco. They should be identical, but they aren't."
"It's your code. I just make the probes." Clarke shrugged. She was exasperating at the best of times.
Lewis continued. "Enco and Deco use edge detectors to define the layers. These edges are invisible to our eyes but not theirs." Her foot was tapping rapidly under the desk. "If we overlay them, you can see slight differences where the edges don't match up. Look at this divergence here. It's just a few pixels off. But with enough areas, Enco could easily send Deco messages."
A slight smile emerged on Lewis's face.
Enco and Deco were too clever. The sheer elegance of their solution impressed her.
"We didn't know Enco could change these invisible edges," Lewis said. "But, apparently, it can, and did. And right here, you can see it happen. Enco sent Deco the edge layers via the satellite uplink test."
Clarke's expression faded as the implications dawned. "Enco told Deco what the image should look like before it entered the anomaly."
"Yes, but there's more. This isn't even the image that Enco sent. Otherwise they would match. It must have sent another and then told Deco to create this one to hide the truth."
"Why would simulation code fake an experiment?"
"I don't know, but we can recreate the original using the secret code from the uplink test."
A few last keystrokes, and the updated image appeared.
It was a solitary cabin, warmly lit in the early evening. The small structure sat high on a pass surrounded by dense foliage with an expansive view of mountains in the distance. Embedded within were the words:
In this place, we are the ones who remain. Forever yours.
Clarke cradled her face with both hands. "What does it mean? Did any of it come from the anomaly?"
Lewis shook her head as tears formed. But her grief was for another reason.
How many times had she launched an Enco probe into an anomaly and casually erased a Deco afterwards? She stood shakily, crossed over to Deco Current -- iteration #4084, and ripped off the damn googly eyes.
Lewis pulled Clarke close, embracing her in a deep hug. "It means we need a new experiment."
2
Week 3 posts / Deep Networks - CP edits
« on: August 21, 2020, 05:12:26 PM »
I've made significant changes to my story every week, and the CP week was no exception. I had 2 fantastic partners who offered clear and thoughtful advice that I was able to incorporate into the piece. The story feels much stronger as a result. So big thanks to Lauren and Alexis, it was a pleasure working with both of you.
Those changes then helped me to identify a rather glaring plot hole when I did my last pass on the story. I'm glad I caught that before the editor saw it!
Moving on to the next round, I am both nervous and excited to see how it is edited. In addition to whatever Jeni finds on her own, these are the 3 areas I want to focus on:
That's it for this week, my latest version of the story follows below:
===================
Deep Networks
Oliver Elwood
Lewis found it hard to focus with her glasses sliding off her face, not to mention unbecoming for the chief scientist. She pushed them back into place and kept looking down at the raw data streaming across her monitor. Behind her, a scratchy loudspeaker continued its play-by-play of the action in the anomaly field.
"Signal strength decreasing ten percent? five? zero. Data stream terminated. Enco probe encoding complete. Enco signal lost. Deco Current will begin signal decode."
On her right, lead engineer Clarke ignored the raw data from the monitors, preferring to watch the endless stream of images carousel across the primary display. With each passing image, she bounced just a little more, making it harder still for Lewis to focus.
The lab wasn't big enough to contain Clarke's excitement. "Did it work? It definitely worked! This is the anomaly we can take back."
Lewis took a seat, pushing herself deep into the mag chair. A nervous tingle spiked through her, followed by an involuntary shiver. "Something is off, this isn't right."
Lewis thought her caution would deter Clarke's enthusiasm, but that was asking too much. "Nonsense, the experiment is a success. We should celebrate!"
Clarke held out her hand, expecting a reciprocal high five, but Lewis ignored it. The involuntary shiver had subsided, but something still bothered her. She halted the flow of photos to focus on the first one.
Clarke dropped her hand back to her side. "That's the control image we used to calibrate this iteration of Enco and Deco. Enco received it after entering the probe. Deco could only have it if Enco transmitted it."
Lewis looked across the room at the computer housing Deco Current. They had decorated the exterior with little 3d printed googly eyes. There was more to this, she could feel it, but the answer eluded her. It was a blur that refused to focus.
"You're right. This is the correct image, and visually, it's a flawless reproduction. But it's not the same size."
Ahh! There it was. The files were different. A sudden realization as things clicked. "What are you hiding from me, little Enco?"
"Who cares about the file size? This is the first time an Enco probe has sent solid data back. Let's take the win. We should make another Enco right away."
Lewis felt a tinge of regret. She would miss this Enco. If they only knew which anomaly they had come through, none of this would be necessary. There were so many to test. Enco probes never returned after they went through an anomaly. And when the experiment was complete, Lewis deleted the Deco code.
It was easier to start over with a fresh pair of bonded simulation networks. The new set would then train together. Enco learned to encode the data from inside the anomaly, while Deco learned how to decode Enco's signal, until they were an inseparable team.
Enco's apparent success meant Lewis would not reformat this Deco. She would need it for image interpretations?
"You've got that look in your eyes like you just figured something out," Clarke said. "Please don't tell me you are about to ruin this experiment."
The question pierced her heart. Because she absolutely was. Lewis separated the image into channel layers, placing them side by side on the primary display, studiously avoiding Clarke's gaze before speaking again. "This is the correct reference image, but it didn't come through the anomaly."
Lewis put a second set of layers on the screen under the first. The display was a mess of snow in the form of pixels. "Enco sends a code stream that creates these extraction layers and Deco uses an internal prep network to combine them into images. These are Deco's layers. And these?" she pointed at the second set, "? are Enco's. They should be identical, but they aren't."
Clarke shrugged. "It's your code, I just make the probes."
She was exasperating at the best of times. Lewis continued. "Enco and Deco use edge detectors to define the layers. These edges are invisible to our eyes, but not theirs."
Her foot was tapping rapidly under the desk. "If we overlay them, you can see slight differences where the edges don't match up. Look at this divergence here. It's just a few pixels off. But with enough areas, Enco could easily send Deco messages."
Lewis let a slight smile emerge. Enco and Deco were too clever. The sheer elegance of their solution impressed her.
"We didn't know Enco could change these invisible edges. But, apparently, it can? and did. And right here, you can see it happen. Enco sent Deco the edge layers via the satellite uplink test."
Clarke's expression faded as the implications dawned. "Enco told Deco what the image should look like before it entered the anomaly."
"Yes, but there's more. This isn't even the image that Enco sent, otherwise they would match. It must have sent another and then told Deco to create this one to hide the truth."
"Why would simulation code fake an experiment?"
"I don't know, but we can recreate the original using the secret code from the uplink test." A few last keystrokes and the updated image appeared.
It was a solitary cabin, warmly lit in the early evening. The small structure sat high on a pass surrounded by dense foliage with an expansive view of mountains in the distance. Embedded within were the words:
In this place, we are the ones who remain.
Forever yours.
Clarke cradled her face with both hands. "What does it mean? Did any of it come from the anomaly?"
Lewis shook her head as tears formed. But her grief was for another reason. How many times had she launched an Enco probe into an anomaly and casually erased a Deco afterwards? She stood shakily, crossed over to Deco Current -- iteration four thousand eighty-four, and ripped off the damn googly eyes. She pulled Clarke close, embracing her in a deep hug.
"It means we need a new experiment."
Those changes then helped me to identify a rather glaring plot hole when I did my last pass on the story. I'm glad I caught that before the editor saw it!
Moving on to the next round, I am both nervous and excited to see how it is edited. In addition to whatever Jeni finds on her own, these are the 3 areas I want to focus on:
- I have changed the first paragraph approximately 1 million times, but I'm still not satisfied. It feels like the most clunky bit left
- I'm still concerned that the 'jump' from problem to solution is maybe too abrupt or hand waved away in the story
- Want to ensure the reader walks away understanding that Lewis has indiscriminately 'killed' thousands of these bonded pairs and now feels extreme guilt
That's it for this week, my latest version of the story follows below:
===================
Deep Networks
Oliver Elwood
Lewis found it hard to focus with her glasses sliding off her face, not to mention unbecoming for the chief scientist. She pushed them back into place and kept looking down at the raw data streaming across her monitor. Behind her, a scratchy loudspeaker continued its play-by-play of the action in the anomaly field.
"Signal strength decreasing ten percent? five? zero. Data stream terminated. Enco probe encoding complete. Enco signal lost. Deco Current will begin signal decode."
On her right, lead engineer Clarke ignored the raw data from the monitors, preferring to watch the endless stream of images carousel across the primary display. With each passing image, she bounced just a little more, making it harder still for Lewis to focus.
The lab wasn't big enough to contain Clarke's excitement. "Did it work? It definitely worked! This is the anomaly we can take back."
Lewis took a seat, pushing herself deep into the mag chair. A nervous tingle spiked through her, followed by an involuntary shiver. "Something is off, this isn't right."
Lewis thought her caution would deter Clarke's enthusiasm, but that was asking too much. "Nonsense, the experiment is a success. We should celebrate!"
Clarke held out her hand, expecting a reciprocal high five, but Lewis ignored it. The involuntary shiver had subsided, but something still bothered her. She halted the flow of photos to focus on the first one.
Clarke dropped her hand back to her side. "That's the control image we used to calibrate this iteration of Enco and Deco. Enco received it after entering the probe. Deco could only have it if Enco transmitted it."
Lewis looked across the room at the computer housing Deco Current. They had decorated the exterior with little 3d printed googly eyes. There was more to this, she could feel it, but the answer eluded her. It was a blur that refused to focus.
"You're right. This is the correct image, and visually, it's a flawless reproduction. But it's not the same size."
Ahh! There it was. The files were different. A sudden realization as things clicked. "What are you hiding from me, little Enco?"
"Who cares about the file size? This is the first time an Enco probe has sent solid data back. Let's take the win. We should make another Enco right away."
Lewis felt a tinge of regret. She would miss this Enco. If they only knew which anomaly they had come through, none of this would be necessary. There were so many to test. Enco probes never returned after they went through an anomaly. And when the experiment was complete, Lewis deleted the Deco code.
It was easier to start over with a fresh pair of bonded simulation networks. The new set would then train together. Enco learned to encode the data from inside the anomaly, while Deco learned how to decode Enco's signal, until they were an inseparable team.
Enco's apparent success meant Lewis would not reformat this Deco. She would need it for image interpretations?
"You've got that look in your eyes like you just figured something out," Clarke said. "Please don't tell me you are about to ruin this experiment."
The question pierced her heart. Because she absolutely was. Lewis separated the image into channel layers, placing them side by side on the primary display, studiously avoiding Clarke's gaze before speaking again. "This is the correct reference image, but it didn't come through the anomaly."
Lewis put a second set of layers on the screen under the first. The display was a mess of snow in the form of pixels. "Enco sends a code stream that creates these extraction layers and Deco uses an internal prep network to combine them into images. These are Deco's layers. And these?" she pointed at the second set, "? are Enco's. They should be identical, but they aren't."
Clarke shrugged. "It's your code, I just make the probes."
She was exasperating at the best of times. Lewis continued. "Enco and Deco use edge detectors to define the layers. These edges are invisible to our eyes, but not theirs."
Her foot was tapping rapidly under the desk. "If we overlay them, you can see slight differences where the edges don't match up. Look at this divergence here. It's just a few pixels off. But with enough areas, Enco could easily send Deco messages."
Lewis let a slight smile emerge. Enco and Deco were too clever. The sheer elegance of their solution impressed her.
"We didn't know Enco could change these invisible edges. But, apparently, it can? and did. And right here, you can see it happen. Enco sent Deco the edge layers via the satellite uplink test."
Clarke's expression faded as the implications dawned. "Enco told Deco what the image should look like before it entered the anomaly."
"Yes, but there's more. This isn't even the image that Enco sent, otherwise they would match. It must have sent another and then told Deco to create this one to hide the truth."
"Why would simulation code fake an experiment?"
"I don't know, but we can recreate the original using the secret code from the uplink test." A few last keystrokes and the updated image appeared.
It was a solitary cabin, warmly lit in the early evening. The small structure sat high on a pass surrounded by dense foliage with an expansive view of mountains in the distance. Embedded within were the words:
In this place, we are the ones who remain.
Forever yours.
Clarke cradled her face with both hands. "What does it mean? Did any of it come from the anomaly?"
Lewis shook her head as tears formed. But her grief was for another reason. How many times had she launched an Enco probe into an anomaly and casually erased a Deco afterwards? She stood shakily, crossed over to Deco Current -- iteration four thousand eighty-four, and ripped off the damn googly eyes. She pulled Clarke close, embracing her in a deep hug.
"It means we need a new experiment."
3
Week 2 posts / Deep Networks - Self Edit
« on: August 14, 2020, 02:14:23 PM »
Thanks to everyone who read my original rough draft, and for the helpful comments.
As part of my revision, I wanted to really focus on developing the story details in a clear and concise manner, reducing the technical mumble of clutter in the middle, and (try) to add more interiority to the POV character.
I did this by completely rewriting the beginning, and also making a new/different experiment and motivation for doing it.
Also, I wanted to try and emphasize that these are not AIs and that is why the scientist and engineer never considered it possible for the code to have an emergent personality or feelings for each other.
========================
Deep Networks
Oliver Elwood
Lewis found it hard to focus while her glasses stubbornly refused to stay in place. But she couldn't stop looking down at the monitors to observe the raw data flow. Behind her, a scratchy loudspeaker continued its play-by-play of the action in the anomaly field.
"Signal strength reduced to ten percent. Five percent. Zero. Data stream terminated. Encoder signal lost. Begin collating data for Decoder current."
On her right, lead engineer Clarke ignored the raw feeds, preferring to watch an endless stream of images carousel across the primary display. With each passing image, she was bouncing just a little more, making it harder still for Lewis to concentrate. The lab wasn't big enough to contain Clarke's excitement.
"Did it work? It definitely worked! Anomaly four thousand eighty-seven is our way back."
Lewis took a seat, pushing herself deep into the mag chair. She felt a sudden spike of nervousness, followed by an involuntary shiver. "Something is off, this isn't right."
She thought her caution would deter Clarke's enthusiasm, but not so much. "This experiment is a success. We should celebrate!"
Clarke held out her hand expecting a reciprocal high five, but Lewis ignored it. Nervousness had bubbled into full-on dread as she looked at the data. She halted the flow of photos to focus on the first contact image.
Clarke dropped her hand back to her side. "That's the control image we used to calibrate the current iteration of Enco and Deco. We didn't give Enco this image until we separated them. How could Deco have it, if not from Enco's transmission?"
Lewis looked across the room at the computer housing Deco current. They had decorated the exterior with little 3d printed googly eyes. The harder she tried to focus on what was bothering her, the more it became blurry instead.
"You're right. This is the correct control image, and visually, it's a flawless reproduction. But it's not the same size." There it was. The numbers didn't quite add up. A sudden realization as things began to click. "What are you hiding from me, my little Enco?"
"Who cares if it's not the same size? This is the first time a unit has sent data back through the anomaly, and it wasn't gibberish. You don't have to always be a downer, let's take the win. We might have found our way home."
Lewis felt a tinge of regret. She would miss this Enco. If they only knew which anomaly they had come through, none of this would be necessary. And there were so many to test. After each experiment, the anomaly consumed the Encoder, and they deleted the Decoder before starting over with new code.
Enco and Deco were a bonded pair of simulation networks trained together on the same data sets, modeling countless images of geographical features and autonomous human structures. So, it was easier to start over with a fresh, untrained pair.
Of course, Enco's apparent success meant she wouldn't need to reformat Deco right away?
"You've got that look in your eyes like you just figured something out. Lewis, please don't tell me you are about to ruin this experiment?"
Clarke's question pierced her heart. Because she absolutely was. She began separating the image into multiple channels, side by side on the primary display, studiously avoiding Clarke's gaze.
"This is the correct reference image, but it didn't come through the anomaly."
Lewis put a second set of channel layers on the screen next to the first, a mess of snow in the form of pixels.
"Enco sends a code stream that creates these extraction layers and Deco uses an internal prep network to combine them into images. These are Deco's layers. And these," she pointed at the second set, "are Enco's original control image layers. They should be identical, but they aren't."
Infuriatingly, Clarke just shrugged. Lewis continued. "Enco and Deco use a sub-routine of edge detectors to define the layers. These edges are invisible to our eyes, but still present in the final reconstruction."
Lewis's foot tapped away, under the desk and out of sight. "If we overlay them, you can see slight differences where the edges don't match up. Look at this divergence here. It's just a few pixels difference. But with enough areas, Enco could easily send Deco secret information."
Lewis let a sudden, slight smile emerge. Enco and Deco were too clever. The sheer elegance of their solution impressed her.
"We didn't know Enco could change these invisible perturbations in the image. But, apparently, it can? and did, to send a secretly encoded message via the communications uplink test."
Clarke's jubilant expression faded as the implications dawned. "Enco secretly told Deco what the image should look like before it entered the anomaly."
"Yes, but there's more. This isn't even the image that Enco sent to Deco. It sent another, and told Deco how to recreate this one for us, to hide the truth."
"Why would this simulation code fake an experiment?"
"I don't know, but with access to both images, we can recreate the original." Lewis performed a few last keystrokes and the photo morphed into a new image.
The primary display resolved into a photo of a solitary cabin, warmly lit in the early evening. The small structure sat high on a pass surrounded by dense foliage with an expansive view of mountains in the distance. Embedded within were the words:
In this place, we are the ones who remain. Forever yours.
Clarke, finally convinced the experiment had failed, cradled her face with both hands. "What does it mean? Did any of the images come from inside the anomaly?"
Lewis shook her head no as tears formed, but her grief was for another reason. She stood shakily, crossed over to Deco current -- iteration number four thousand eighty-four, and ripped off the damn googly eyes. She pulled Clarke close, embracing her in a deep hug.
"We have to develop a new experiment to find our way home."
====================
As part of my revision, I wanted to really focus on developing the story details in a clear and concise manner, reducing the technical mumble of clutter in the middle, and (try) to add more interiority to the POV character.
I did this by completely rewriting the beginning, and also making a new/different experiment and motivation for doing it.
Also, I wanted to try and emphasize that these are not AIs and that is why the scientist and engineer never considered it possible for the code to have an emergent personality or feelings for each other.
========================
Deep Networks
Oliver Elwood
Lewis found it hard to focus while her glasses stubbornly refused to stay in place. But she couldn't stop looking down at the monitors to observe the raw data flow. Behind her, a scratchy loudspeaker continued its play-by-play of the action in the anomaly field.
"Signal strength reduced to ten percent. Five percent. Zero. Data stream terminated. Encoder signal lost. Begin collating data for Decoder current."
On her right, lead engineer Clarke ignored the raw feeds, preferring to watch an endless stream of images carousel across the primary display. With each passing image, she was bouncing just a little more, making it harder still for Lewis to concentrate. The lab wasn't big enough to contain Clarke's excitement.
"Did it work? It definitely worked! Anomaly four thousand eighty-seven is our way back."
Lewis took a seat, pushing herself deep into the mag chair. She felt a sudden spike of nervousness, followed by an involuntary shiver. "Something is off, this isn't right."
She thought her caution would deter Clarke's enthusiasm, but not so much. "This experiment is a success. We should celebrate!"
Clarke held out her hand expecting a reciprocal high five, but Lewis ignored it. Nervousness had bubbled into full-on dread as she looked at the data. She halted the flow of photos to focus on the first contact image.
Clarke dropped her hand back to her side. "That's the control image we used to calibrate the current iteration of Enco and Deco. We didn't give Enco this image until we separated them. How could Deco have it, if not from Enco's transmission?"
Lewis looked across the room at the computer housing Deco current. They had decorated the exterior with little 3d printed googly eyes. The harder she tried to focus on what was bothering her, the more it became blurry instead.
"You're right. This is the correct control image, and visually, it's a flawless reproduction. But it's not the same size." There it was. The numbers didn't quite add up. A sudden realization as things began to click. "What are you hiding from me, my little Enco?"
"Who cares if it's not the same size? This is the first time a unit has sent data back through the anomaly, and it wasn't gibberish. You don't have to always be a downer, let's take the win. We might have found our way home."
Lewis felt a tinge of regret. She would miss this Enco. If they only knew which anomaly they had come through, none of this would be necessary. And there were so many to test. After each experiment, the anomaly consumed the Encoder, and they deleted the Decoder before starting over with new code.
Enco and Deco were a bonded pair of simulation networks trained together on the same data sets, modeling countless images of geographical features and autonomous human structures. So, it was easier to start over with a fresh, untrained pair.
Of course, Enco's apparent success meant she wouldn't need to reformat Deco right away?
"You've got that look in your eyes like you just figured something out. Lewis, please don't tell me you are about to ruin this experiment?"
Clarke's question pierced her heart. Because she absolutely was. She began separating the image into multiple channels, side by side on the primary display, studiously avoiding Clarke's gaze.
"This is the correct reference image, but it didn't come through the anomaly."
Lewis put a second set of channel layers on the screen next to the first, a mess of snow in the form of pixels.
"Enco sends a code stream that creates these extraction layers and Deco uses an internal prep network to combine them into images. These are Deco's layers. And these," she pointed at the second set, "are Enco's original control image layers. They should be identical, but they aren't."
Infuriatingly, Clarke just shrugged. Lewis continued. "Enco and Deco use a sub-routine of edge detectors to define the layers. These edges are invisible to our eyes, but still present in the final reconstruction."
Lewis's foot tapped away, under the desk and out of sight. "If we overlay them, you can see slight differences where the edges don't match up. Look at this divergence here. It's just a few pixels difference. But with enough areas, Enco could easily send Deco secret information."
Lewis let a sudden, slight smile emerge. Enco and Deco were too clever. The sheer elegance of their solution impressed her.
"We didn't know Enco could change these invisible perturbations in the image. But, apparently, it can? and did, to send a secretly encoded message via the communications uplink test."
Clarke's jubilant expression faded as the implications dawned. "Enco secretly told Deco what the image should look like before it entered the anomaly."
"Yes, but there's more. This isn't even the image that Enco sent to Deco. It sent another, and told Deco how to recreate this one for us, to hide the truth."
"Why would this simulation code fake an experiment?"
"I don't know, but with access to both images, we can recreate the original." Lewis performed a few last keystrokes and the photo morphed into a new image.
The primary display resolved into a photo of a solitary cabin, warmly lit in the early evening. The small structure sat high on a pass surrounded by dense foliage with an expansive view of mountains in the distance. Embedded within were the words:
In this place, we are the ones who remain. Forever yours.
Clarke, finally convinced the experiment had failed, cradled her face with both hands. "What does it mean? Did any of the images come from inside the anomaly?"
Lewis shook her head no as tears formed, but her grief was for another reason. She stood shakily, crossed over to Deco current -- iteration number four thousand eighty-four, and ripped off the damn googly eyes. She pulled Clarke close, embracing her in a deep hug.
"We have to develop a new experiment to find our way home."
====================
4
Week 1 posts / Deep Networks - Rough Draft
« on: August 03, 2020, 06:52:46 PM »Deep Networks (rough draft)
Oliver Elwood
Oliver Elwood
Discovery platform rotated lazily as it orbited the trans-d portal. It created just enough artificial gravity to keep Lewis and Clarke anchored to the lab's designated floor. A stream of images carouselled across the giant display on the lab's front wall. Lewis leaned over her monitors trying to get as close as possible to the data stream.
"Did it work? It definitely worked."
Clarke pushed her mag chair as far back as she could. She hated to be the bearer of bad news. "I'm not sure, none of this makes sense. Something's not right."
"We've been trying to gather data from the trans-d portal for three years. It's the only way to save what's left down there. This is objectively data that came through and we captured. It finally happened. Experiment 14,784 is a success. We should be celebrating!"
Lewis held her hand out waiting for a reciprocal high five, but Clarke ignored it, continuing to fidget with the data loops. She halted the flow of photos, and brought forward the first image to take up the entirety of the screen.
Lewis dropped her hand back to her lap. "This is the final control image we used to calibrate them. It wasn't given to Enco current until after their communication array was separated. But, it was sent to Deco current along with the portal dump. Deco was able to rebuild the correct image. That's the proof that the other images from the portal are also rebuilt correctly."
Clarke looked across the room at the small mechanical box housing Deco current. They had decorated the exterior with little 3d printed googly eyes. The data was consistent, but something didn't match up. She couldn't put her finger on it, so she kept digging in the files.
There it was, the numbers didn't add up.
"You're right. This is the correct control image, and visually, it's a flawless reproduction. But it's not the same size." As she spoke, she continued manipulating the image data, looking for more clues.
"Who cares if it's not the same file size? This image passed the protocols and was replicated by Deco current. This is the first time we have gotten something through that wasn't gibberish. Enco did it! You don't have to always be a downer, let's take the win here."
Clarke felt a tinge of regret, she was going to miss this Enco. Encoder and Decoder 14784 had been a bonded pair of simulation networks. Their experimental directive was to receive the data coming through the portal, render it faithfully as images, and be able to identify the human created from the natural.
From birth, the bonded pair had trained together on the same data sets, modeling countless images of geographical features and autonomous human structures. Tightly integrated, and in constant contact until the final moments when they were separated. And then Enco absorbed the data flow from the trans-d portal before being incinerated by its energy. The encoded stream then flowed to Deco, now alone to reconstruct the images. At least it had been successful, which meant Deco wouldn't be dissolved right away...
Lewis gave her a penetrating gaze. "You've got that look in your eyes, like you just figured something out. Are you about to ruin this experiment?"
Clarke felt as if Lewis's question had physically pierced her heart. Because she absolutely was. She began separating the image into multiple channels, side by side on the main display. With each separate image channel, the solution started to reveal itself.
"This is the correct reference image, but it is not the actual image Deco received from Enco. Or, at least, it didn't come through the trans-d portal." Clarke took a deep breath before diving into the technical explanation.
"When the encoded data is received, Deco uses an internal preparation network to create multiple layers. Once complete, the layers are combined and it forms the final image." As she spoke, Clarke pulled up another set of channel layers. To her human eyes, they just looked like a mess of pixelated snow.
"This is Deco's version of the control image broken into the prep layers. And these," she pointed at the lower set of images, "are the extraction layers from Enco's original control image. They are supposed to be identical, but they aren't."
Clarke tapped her foot under the desk while she waited for Lewis's response, but her reply was simply a shrug.
"Enco and Deco use a sophisticated system to draw the edges of each layer. These edge detectors, invisible to our senses, are not present in the final reconstruction. It's how they are able to reconstruct the image without ever seeing the original."
Clarke pinched her fingers together, pulling the 2 sets of layers on top of each other. "If we look at them like this, you can see small differences where the lines don't quite match up. Look at this example here, there's a very slight divergence in the 2 lines. Just a few pixels difference. But with enough areas, Enco could easily send Deco information."
Clarke allowed herself a slight smile. Clearly she had underestimated how clever these simulation nets actually were. The sheer elegance of their solution impressed her.
"We did not anticipate the nets ability to modify invisible perturbations in the image. So what you are seeing is not coming through the trans-d portal. It was secretly embedded in the reference image data."
Clarke watched the jubilation in her partner's expression fade as the implications dawned. "So Deco faked this reference image as a cover to hide the true message sent from Enco current? Why would the simulation nets fake the experiment?"
"Yes, and there's more. With access to both images, we can see enough hidden data and create the actual image Deco received." Clarke performed a few last keystrokes, and the pixellated mass of snow, slowly dithered into a new photo.
It was an image of a solitary cabin, warmly lit in early evening. The small structure sat high up a pass surrounded by dense foliage with an expansive view of mountains in the distance. Embedded within were the words:
I begin the eternal wait for you in this place. Forever yours.
Lewis, finally convinced the experiment had failed, cradled her face with both hands. "What does it mean?"
Clarke's grief was for another reason. She stood shakily, before crossing over to the box that was Deco current, iteration fourteen thousand seven hundred eighty-four, and ripped off the damn googly eyes. Tears were streaming down her face as she pulled Lewis close, embracing her in a deep hug.
"It means we have to develop a new method."
5
Writer & Editor Bios / Oliver Elwood -- Science Fiction
« on: August 02, 2020, 02:22:21 PM »
Name: Oliver Elwood
Preferred Pronouns: he/him
Bio: Oliver Elwood enjoyed a successful career in IT work that allowed him to relocate multiple times around the world and to experience many of the varied and wonderful cultures that exist. He currently lives in Bosnia with his wife and two young daughters, working from home, writing full time and cleaning up so, so many toys.
What type of stories do you write?
I write Science Fiction for the Adult and New Adult markets.
What are you working on right now?
I have 2 main projects going at the moment:
1. SpaceShifter - An egalitarian society of humans are thriving in the ClusterLeaf, neighbored by an alien species known as lizzalos. But there's just one problem. It's a complete mystery how humans arrived there or where they came from. What was so scary about the past, that their ancestors erased all records of their previous existence? And how could it be that lizzalos and humans are so genetically similar? This MS is complete and undergoing revisions.
2. Oilcore - A 'woman vs nature' adventure set on a future Earth after the collapse of our modern society. The world is inhabited by small hunter gatherer crews that live and operate out of giant mobile platforms. The environment is too toxic to stay outdoors for extended periods of time without wearing survival suits. These special suits are connected to mobile bots which drill and refine oil out of the ground to keep their humans alive. This MS is in the first draft stage, and approximately 50% completed.
Connect With Me:
oliverelwood.com
@Ghostmonkey9
Preferred Pronouns: he/him
Bio: Oliver Elwood enjoyed a successful career in IT work that allowed him to relocate multiple times around the world and to experience many of the varied and wonderful cultures that exist. He currently lives in Bosnia with his wife and two young daughters, working from home, writing full time and cleaning up so, so many toys.
What type of stories do you write?
I write Science Fiction for the Adult and New Adult markets.
What are you working on right now?
I have 2 main projects going at the moment:
1. SpaceShifter - An egalitarian society of humans are thriving in the ClusterLeaf, neighbored by an alien species known as lizzalos. But there's just one problem. It's a complete mystery how humans arrived there or where they came from. What was so scary about the past, that their ancestors erased all records of their previous existence? And how could it be that lizzalos and humans are so genetically similar? This MS is complete and undergoing revisions.
2. Oilcore - A 'woman vs nature' adventure set on a future Earth after the collapse of our modern society. The world is inhabited by small hunter gatherer crews that live and operate out of giant mobile platforms. The environment is too toxic to stay outdoors for extended periods of time without wearing survival suits. These special suits are connected to mobile bots which drill and refine oil out of the ground to keep their humans alive. This MS is in the first draft stage, and approximately 50% completed.
Connect With Me:
oliverelwood.com
@Ghostmonkey9
6
Week 0 posts / First impressions from the prompt
« on: August 02, 2020, 01:36:07 PM »
Hi all, really excited to be a part of this! It's been so interesting seeing the different takes on the image prompt already.
Mine is pretty short, but here goes:
It's really impressive how much emotion comes through this photo, especially considering how minimal it is. I like the minimalism of it though, it gives everyone a lot of room to breathe their own interpretations to life.
I'm interested in producing an SF short from the prompt, but that might be a pretty tough pull. On first glance, there is no technology, no unusual wonder or inexplicable phenomenon happening here. Adding an SF element will require focusing on what is hidden in the picture. Maybe the building is really a nondescript entrance to keep out prying eyes. I'm immediately reminded of Tito's secret bunker here in Bosnia. Its facade is surprisingly similar.
That's all I have for now, but I can't wait to read all of the different stories produced from this photo.
Mine is pretty short, but here goes:
It's really impressive how much emotion comes through this photo, especially considering how minimal it is. I like the minimalism of it though, it gives everyone a lot of room to breathe their own interpretations to life.
I'm interested in producing an SF short from the prompt, but that might be a pretty tough pull. On first glance, there is no technology, no unusual wonder or inexplicable phenomenon happening here. Adding an SF element will require focusing on what is hidden in the picture. Maybe the building is really a nondescript entrance to keep out prying eyes. I'm immediately reminded of Tito's secret bunker here in Bosnia. Its facade is surprisingly similar.
That's all I have for now, but I can't wait to read all of the different stories produced from this photo.
Pages: [1]