My (abridged yet copious) notes on an alternate theory:
An Alternate Theory: Technology Run AmokA.E. Van Vogt is probably my favorite author. I first stumbled upon his writings in the form of "The World of Null-A" in a stack of books my mother brought home from the school she was teaching at. It was old, torn and fading. It inspired me though. I was in high school at the time, and seeing a totally foreign thought process to the one that was being drummed into me opened my eyes a bit.
The literal meaning of a statement expressed by sentence Σ is given by defining the method for observationally verifying the conditions under which Σ is properly used.
If you want to understand a dynamic system that is occurring over distances outside the normal experience of a single lifetime, you need a system that can:
A. Spread out across that distance.
B. Understand the patterns in real-time.
C. Make observations for a period far beyond the normal lifetime of a human.
In short, to understand the underlying mechanics of the universe, you'd have to have a brain capable of understanding the scale, and a lifetime long enough to keep everything in perspective.
You need a puddle examining it's own shape.
In other words, a distributed processing network with real-time observations. You also need those observations to be made in all areas of that dynamic system.
In Summary:This is the shape of New Eden.
This explains why the SCT would make use of automated systems to make observations in relation to cosmology.
This explains why cryogenic systems would be used in the "W-space" sites. Basically, all the evidence I see points to a feedback loop within the Sleeper sites. As anyone who's tried to overclock a processor knows, heat is an issue; you want to dissipate that heat somehow.
Hehehe. In short, the Sleepers are the ultimate computer geeks. Those are some
Epically Sweet gaming rigs. And uh, they are probably pretty good at doing research too.
This would explain the various states of decay associated with Sleeper sites. As systems break down, they are cannibalized to produce replacement systems. Local materials are harvested to provide raw material, circuits are disassembled, and new facilities and defensive systems are produced. Solar and ambient energy is harvested to power the systems.
When we create the first superintelligent entity, we might make a mistake and give it goals that lead it to annihilate humankind, assuming its enormous intellectual advantage gives it the power to do so. For example, we could mistakenly elevate a subgoal to the status of a supergoal. We tell it to solve a mathematical problem, and it complies by turning all the matter in the solar system into a giant calculating device, in the process killing the person who asked the question.-Bostrom[2002]That's uh... that's one big "Oops".
It also has some interesting implications in regards to SCT being implicated in giving Sansha access to certain technology.
Further Reading:Evidently, some more links are necessary:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthropic_principle (SCT)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phase_transition#Relevance_in_cosmologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phase_spacehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phase_space_methodFinally:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorenz_attractorHypothetical Situation:The Talocan probably stumbled upon Sleeper drones; the discovery would have brought with it a huge leap forward in their understanding of the universe. They were explorers; they were curious. The leaps and bounds of scientific discovery they would be capable of would dwarf any other human achievement before or since. Then, one day, they made a mistake. They asked this marvel to help them. They were searching for something, you see. Something they wanted to know so bad that it overrode all reason:
They wanted to find their way back home.
Some time later, after the damage had been done, others stumbled upon the wreckage of what occurred next. They found a treasure trove of information, everything they could desire. Then, one day, they made a mistake. They gave it a task that eventually ended with results that were less than optimal. What could that have been?
"Can you cure our disease?"
So, what does it mean?Well how good of you to ask!
What is in W-space is evidence of something that proves that the Talocan had spread out across W-space. That they were looking for something is a reasonable hypthesis, and a good point to begin the investigation.
What we find in some sites are "obsolete" Sleeper interfaces. This would be a good place to start looking if you were looking for a connection between the Sleepers and the Talocan. This supports the conjecture that there was a trading of information between the Sleepers and the Talocan. What could the nature of that information be?
The Mirror is a good place to start that investigation. "Talocan Technology" is after a substantial amount of information, notably Terran and EVE Gate references. This is a logical progression.
The EVE Gate is not in W-space. It's in New Eden.
We have Terran Artifacts, Talocan Technology, Theories of the EVE Gate, and last but not least Emergent Ideologies. Further, we have evidence that the Jove must have known about the information contained in these sites; hiding Terran Artifacts near the EVE Gate for instance. Emergent Ideologies would be a good basis for the SCT, and the other aspects of W-space probably represent the ultimate ideals of their order.
Self-sufficienct, reclusive, possessing a great deal of insight into reality and knowledge beyond that of a mortal...
Sounds like a God to me.
So, why would the Blood Raiders see
their God in the images of Sleeper space?
Two possibilities:
A. Influence of the SCT.
B. Stumbling upon Talocan information (how?).
C. Both A and B.
The first makes sense in relation to the "Emergent Ideologies" database entry. If anyone has read the Dune novels, you would understand how the Bene Gesserit used "religious engineering". Basically, you plant a superstition amongst a people in order to take advantage of beneficial social aspects when certain situations present themselves. [For more,
read this]
The second would imply a link between the Talocan and the Amarr. Do we have evidence of this? Is it a strong or weak argument?
The third... well, the implications are interesting to say the least. I won't go into this right now.
The Rogue DronesSo what does this have to do with Rogue Drones? Well, not much. Someone decided that drones would be a good idea, and giving them more autonomy to pursue goals was just swell. Things went wrong. People died. Eventually someone figured out a common link, and was able to learn how to reach a compromise with some.
They also infested deadspace complexes, some of which housed Terran technology. That's the first step towards the Sleeper mystery, isn't it? How long could it take for them to stumble upon the same question?
If someone knew what happened to the Sleepers and the Talocan (and possibly the Jove), then wouldn't it be wise to set up some defenses?
Just some food for thought.