The Avatars Remember Nothing pdf or html

The Picnic: July 2110

Stacks of plates sat on tables. Ice chests of cold drinks dotted the lawn. Technicians from Event Recording and Virtual Simulation, Inc., swarmed about the perimeter of the picnic area. Mobile micro-sensors, scattered everywhere, signaled each other in preparation for archiving the event for history.

Amanda joined the guests queuing for last-minute bio-checks. For her, this family reunion was a dangerous mistake. She waved to her parents in the distance. Their fortieth anniversary -- her attendance was required.

"You're crazy to let ERVS do this, Mom," she had warned. "The personal avatars they create aren't just toys that look and act like us, they're living beings."

From The Avatars Remember Nothing, S. Gill Williamson

The Observers: In Jurassic time, when dinosaurs reigned supreme, an alien civilization of microrobotic natural historians arrived on earth. Unnoticed, they have recorded the earth's history in magnificent detail. They have observed without interfering.

But government engineers in Arizona have invented something new and dangerous. The alien observers must finally introduce themselves to the human race.

Matthew Crigler, a young geophysicist, is the first person to meet the Observers. He becomes a reluctant advisor to the aliens and their plans for a gentle introduction. No amount of advice can save the human race from the chaos that ensues.

"Our colony will leave the solar system and head outward, away from the center of the galaxy. The goal is to be in position at the galactic outer edge where we can start recording the collision of the Andromeda Galaxy with the Milky Way. The collision will start in about two billion years."

J. P. Graves-bot was struck by the magnitude and daring of the project. "Nothing like thinking ahead," he said.

The Observers, Chapter 19, "Five Hundred Years Later"

For a free copy of the The Observers click here: Download PDF

iUniverse has published a paper back edition of The Observers (ISBN 978-0-595-39478-4). An E-Book version is available at the publisher's site.

Kindle Edition is available through Amazon, as is the paper back edition (cover shown to the left). There is a thoughtful review on Amazon by a Ms. Olive Branch "Olivia," La Jolla, CA.

Barnes and Noble also carries the book online.

"Keep track of your infant or toddler, anytime, anywhere with a CMSS sensor system. Shaped as attractive mugs, our baby monitors start at only $40."

The Observers, Chapter 5, "Human Subjects, September 7-10"

Is there already a civilization like the Observers somewhere in our galaxy?

Far from being unlikely, the existence of such a civilization is a natural consequence of the laws of computer science. The Drake equation L-value of the Observers is essentially infinite, with signals theoretically detectable but far below the threshold of SETI detectors.

The most advanced such robotic civilizations are probably recording and studying the history of the universe--a challenge uniquely complex enough to force them to continue to evolve as societies. Within a few hundred years we will be able to create our own version of the Observers. There are many possible ways this could happen. The Avatars Remember Nothing gives just one possibility.

As the universe ages and expands, civilizations of intelligent biologically-evolved beings will become more isolated in space-time. Their only hope of learning about the early development of our universe may be from contacts with robotic guardians of history such as the Observers.

See the Author's Notes for The Observers for more discussion (p. 163 of pdf download, p. 147 of paperback).