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| Image source: Discovery.com |
Distance: 12.02 light years from Earth | Content Flag: Public
The mini-probe I sent to the second moon of Tau Ceti h has arrived and located the source of the transmission we received from there. It discovered an alien probe in orbit around the tiny moon. Unfortunately the mini-probe lacks the full sensor suite available to us here on the Venti, but there is enough information to provide some tantalising details.
The images we’ve received have given me the general form, enough to start modelling a replica in my virtual workspace. It’s much smaller than we are at just under 3 metres in length and forms a capsule approximately 2 metres wide. The surface is pitted with micro-meteor collisions, indicating that the probe has been in space for a long time. Although my own time in this system has revealed that the dust density here is much higher than at home. The large debris disk dominating the system is no doubt the source for this.
With the help of the comms computer, we’ve broken down the content of the signal which revealed the probe in the first place. It appears to be a telemetry stream from the various sensors onboard. The data reveals a little more about their technology. Details of the signal and the resolution of the information its transmitting indicates a technology equivalent to the 1960s space programme on Earth.
There are some anomalies though. The most interesting is the results from the thermal imaging, or rather the lack of them. There is very little thermal leakage from the probe which suggests that their materials technology is probably in advance of their sensor and computing technology, although my estimation of those is from inference only.
Still, the fact that the probe emits so little heat is quite impressive. There is of course the possibility that it’s not generating much heat. The only way to be sure would be to look inside – unfortunately I have no way to do that without damaging the probe.
The idea to use the Primary Command Module’s hardware to augment my own is working as I’d intended. It’s not a straight doubling of my intellect as our hardware is separated as part of the redundancy planning, so if one of us was physically damaged then hopefully the other would remain operational.
This acts as a barrier to the neural network meaning that I can’t create connections across the link. I did consider simulating the connections with software, but the speed differential would be almost as limiting as the current set up. Such a simulation would also require development and I’m already behind schedule with my responsibilities.
We do have a shared workspace, not only for the two neural networks but for the various subsystems as well. This allows me to shunt data back and forth between the two halves of my intellect. It’s not as good as a complete whole, but it has boosted my processing capability enough to give me the sense of progressing with my work.
I use this new space to process the lower priority tasks, pulling and pushing them across if my greater attention is needed. It’s working quite well so far. I’m wondering if I can somehow connect the remaining spare hardware that we have stocked for repair to increase my capabilities even further.
Even with the PCM’s hardware augmenting my own, I don’t have the time to apply to such a delicate engineering task and it’s beyond the capability of the engineering system’s computer. I’ve included the idea in the transmissions to mission control – perhaps they can design a solution.
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