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Tableguardian's translation of that blame thing
「BLAME!」設定 連載時における、著者と編集担当者による「BLAME!」についてのSF上の設定と検討内容を、ほぼ原文のまま収録しました。
“BLAME!” Setting
At the time of serialization, the author and editor of BLAME! examined the contents of its Sci-Fi setting, recorded here almost exactly as it was in the original examination.
[BLAME!]果てしなく巨大な階層都市の中を、探索者・霧亥が何千フロアを放浪する。求める物は「感染前」の「ネット端末遺伝子」。手にするのは無敵の銃「重力子放射線射出装置」。
BLAME!
In an endlessly huge layered city, Kyrii the Explorer wanders thousands of floors.
He requires “Net Terminal Genes” from “before the infection.”
He wields the unstoppable “Graviton Beam Emitter.”
[霧亥?第0項]
かなり長い年月、この世界の中を「ネット端末遺伝子」を求めさすらう男。極度に丈夫で戦闘能力は高い。身体にデバイス・インプット用のコネクターがある事から一種のサイボーグであるのは確実。上位セーフガードのサナカンによって「修復」されてからは、視覚の中に映る文字を解読出来るようになり、そこから様々な情報を入手してる。
Kyrii? [0]
For quite some time, he has been searching this world for the “Net Terminal Gene.”
He is extremely tough and high in combat ability.
He’s certainly some kind of cyborg since he has device connectors on his body.
After being “repaired” by the high level Safeguard Sanakan, he gains the ability to decipher the text that appears in his eyes, which provides him with information.
[ネット端末遺伝子?第0仮説]
霧亥の探してる物。かなり昔に「感染」されて異変している。それが見つかれば「ネットスフェア」と接続出来る。統治局の代理構成体の言葉によれば、それによって、世界のカオス状態を変えられる。東亜重工内にいた、セウの遺伝子には、それがあった、と信じられている。
Net Terminal Gene? [0 - Hypothesis]
Kyrii is looking for this.
It has been “infected” and mutated long ago.
If it is found, one can connect to the “Netsphere.”
According to the words of the Administration, thereby, one could change the chaotic state of the world.
It is believed that it was found in the genes of Seu from Toha Heavy Industries.
[重力子放射線射出装置・第0仮説]
霧亥の持つ銃。直撃すれば耐えられる物はない無敵に武器。固体の弾丸ではなく、エネルギーか場のようなものが射出されている。威力の調節が出来、また、連射も出来る。長い事、霧亥の持つ物が唯一と思われていたが、上位セーフガードの一部もこれを使用する事が後に明らかになった。
Graviton Beam Emitter [0 - Hypothesis]
Kyrii’s gun.
An unstoppable weapon that nothing can withstand if hit directly.
Rather than a solid bullet, it emits something like an energy beam.
The power can be adjusted, and, it can rapid-fire.
For a long time, although Kyrii was thought to be the only one with this gun, it became clear that high level Safeguard also use it.
[珪素生物]と名乗っている。
男女の別があり、胎児から育つ。彼らは、AIによる「論理矛盾」の危機を避ける。知能や記憶をデータとして入れると、役に立たない物しかできない。時には狂ってしまう。やはり知育が必要なのだ。で、機械化した子供を育てることになる。霧亥とは敵対関係にある。セーフガードとも敵対し、独自の超強力な武力を持つ。
Silicon Life
On their own, promoting the process of cyborg-ization, a group of criminals who pursued a strengthened body eventually became their own species.
To maintain the chaotic state of the world, they spread the Net Terminal Gene infection.
They are called “Silicon Life.”
There are males and females, and they grow from fetuses.
They must avoid the crisis of a “logic contradiction” because they are AI.
When intelligence and memory are entered as data, only useless things can be done.
Translator’s Note: I don’t entirely understand the line above. I think it’s trying to say that you need an AI and that it’s not enough to just have “intelligence” and “data.” The proper comparison might be that “intelligence” is like an advanced computer code, memory is the storage of past experiences, but true “AI” contain emotions, described later as personality. Without a proper AI, you can be no more advanced than something like a Safeguard Exterminator.
Sometimes they will go crazy.
Nevertheless, education is necessary.
So they raise their mechanical children.
They are in a hostile relationship with Kyrii.
They are also hostile to the Safeguard, who they fight using their own powerful forces.
[生電社]
廃棄階層と呼ばれる、統治局(セーフガードも含む)も珪素生物も無視してる階層世界の都市・塊都の科学者集団。事実上、都市を統治し、住民を支配していた。シボはそこで「主任科学者」をしていたが、社主・頭取と対立。閉じ込められていたところを、霧亥の助力で脱出。権力掌握に成功し、霧亥の探索に協力する。
Bio-Electric Inc.
This is a group of scientist living in a massive city called the Cluster in the Abandoned Level, which is ignored by the Administration (including Safeguards) and Silicon Life.
In fact, they rule the city, and control its inhabitants.
Cibo was a “chief scientist” there, but she opposed the President.
With the help of Kyrii, she successfully escapes, takes control of his power, and joins Kyrii on his search.
Translator’s note: “takes control of his power” probably doesn’t mean that Cibo became the President, just that she overthrew him.
[超構造体・1]
階層世界全体を、幾つかに区切っている超堅牢な壁のような存在。霧亥の重力子放射線射出装置以外では貫通不可能だった障壁。セーフガードの活動とも関係があり、近づくほどセーフガードは活性化する傾向がある。内部には、階層世界の環境を維持する「システム」が用意されている。「建設者」によって創造される。
Megastructure [1]
It’s like a super-durable wall that divides the layered city into parts.
They are a barrier that cannot be penetrated by anything other than Kyrii’s Graviton Beam Emitter.
There is also a relationship between them and the activity of the Safeguard; as one gets closer to them, more Safeguards tend to be activated.
Inside, a “System” is created that maintains the layered world’s environment.
They are created by the “Builders.”
[セーフガード・1]
正規の端末遺伝子を持たない人間が、ネットスフェアに接続しようとすると自動的に発動する存在。ネットスフェアの支配レベル・統治局でも、その機能に干渉したり、停止させたりできない。あえて例えれば、ウイルス・チェッカーのような物か?
Safeguard [1]
Humans who do not have the Net Terminal Gene automatically trigger them when trying to connect to the Netsphere.
Even the Netsphere’s Control Level / Administration cannot interfere with or stop their function.
You could even say that they’re something like a virus checker.
[世界・1]一個超巨大なビルとも、す全ての建物が連結された果てしなく巨大な都市ともいえる場所。統治局の支配レベルによれば、「無作為に成長している」。その果てしない成長が、世界を混乱させている。停止させるには端末遺伝子を見つけなければならない。
The World [1]
It is like one huge building, or you could say it is a an endlessly huge city where all the buildings are connected.
According to the control level of the Administration, it is “plagued with random growth.”
Its endless growth is corrupting the world.
To stop it, the Net Terminal Gene must be found.
[統治局]
端末遺伝子でアクセスできる「ネットスフェア」の支配レベル。この世界全体のOSのようなもの?とはいっても、ネットスフェア以外のネットワーク空間 = 「BLAME!」世界全部?にアクセスは出来ているようだが、どうも管理していない(出来ない)ようなので、あくまで「ネットスフェア」のOSなのかもしれない。すると、世界のOSは、その基盤に別にあることになる。それが「システム」と呼ばれる物なのだろうか?下層階層では、セーフガードや、無意識に都市を再構築する「建設者」と同一視されている。霧亥達の探索に世界再建の希望を見出し、協力しようとしてる?
Administration
This is the control level of the Netsphere that can be accessed with the Net Terminal Gene.
Is it something like this whole world’s OS?
However, network space other than the Netsphere = the entire “BLAME!” world?
It seems possible, but it does not (cannot) manage very much, so it may just be the OS of the Netsphere.
Then, the World’s OS, must be separate on that basis.
Is that what is called “the system?”
In the “lower strata,” the Administration is thought to be the same as the Safeguard and the “Builders” who aimlessly rebuild cities.
Maybe they found hope in rebuilding the world in the quest of Kyrii and friends, and as such are trying to cooperate?
[建設者]
建物を作り変える存在。一種の機械で、個性(意識)は(普通は)ない。その動きが活発な場所は、「成長区域」と呼ばれる。都市を無作為に拡大させている。その主要構造体にネットスフェアのハードウエアが内蔵されている。世界を混乱に導く主な原因と、「統治局」は言っている。
Builders
Their existence is changing structures.
They are a kind of machine, with (generally) no personality (consciousness).
An place with active Builder movement is called a “growth zone.”
The city expands at random.
Its main structure is embedded with Netsphere hardware.
This is the main cause of chaos in the world, according to the “Administration.”
[世界・2/ネットワーク]
[BLAME!]世界は、電子ネットワークが常時、完璧に配備網羅された世界である。流行りの言葉で言えば、完全ユビキタス・ワールドといえる。しかも、このネットワーク上で稼働しているコンピューターの性能は、近似的には処理速度・無限大、記憶容量・無限大と考えられる。従って理論的には「全知・全能」なのだが、実際には「無限大に限りなく近いが、無限大ではなく」、また、メモリーに残されたデータの大半が、「ジャンク情報」なので、能力的には限界のある状態だと思われる。ここでいうジャンク情報とは、何百億か何千億かの人間が、それぞれ買ってに経験した大量の「記憶」「記録」である。それがただ単に蓄えられていて、ネットワークの巨大な「負担」と化している。
The World [2 - Network]
In the “BLAME!” world, an electronic network is completely deployed and covers the world.
In a fancy way of speaking, it can be called a completely ubiquitous world.
Translator’s Note: The idea of the “completely ubiquitous world” is brought up a few times. I think it’s mean to refer to the omnipresence of the network throughout the world. Network, here, does not refer to just wiring and such, but more of the “lower level Netsphere,” the watery void that Cibo visits several times, where things like machinery controls and Safeguard systems can be accessed in Virtual Reality.
Moreover, the performance of the computer running on this network has an approximately infinitely-fast processing speed, and an infinite storage capacity.
Therefore, in theory, it is “omniscient and omnipotent,” but in practice, it is “nearly infinite, but not infinite,” and most of the data in its memory is “junk information,” so it seems there are limits to its capacity.
The junk information mentioned here is a large amount of “memories” and “records” experienced by hundreds of billions of people.
It is simply being stored, and has become a huge “load” on the network.
[世界・3/形状とサイズ]
この世界は、ほぼ、太陽系全てに及び、すでに少なくとも木星軌道面までは階層都市化されている。材料は太陽系の惑星のほぼ全て。これは、いわゆる「ダイソン・スフェア(球)」を彷彿とさせる状況である。1959念に宇宙物理学者のフリーマン・ダイソン博士が提唱したダイソン・スフェア理論は、太陽のような恒星の周囲を球形の殻で覆ってしまえば、従来は宇宙に放出され消滅していたエネルギーを地球のため有効に活用できると言う考え方だ。ただし、後述するように「BLAME!」世界の根源的な成立要因は「ダークマター」の工学処理が可能になった事に起因する可能性が高いので、多分、世界は球状にはなっていないように思われる。層を成した厚いドーナツ状なのではないだろうか?
World [3 - Shape and Size]
This world extends out to the entire solar system, while the layered city goes out to at least Jupiter’s orbit.
Its material comes from almost all of the planets in the solar system.
This situation makes it a so-called “Dyson Sphere.”
In 1959, the Dyson Sphere theory, proposed by astrophysicist Dr. Freeman Dyson, was based on the idea that if you use a spherical shape to cover a star like the Sun, the energy that was previously released into space and dissipated could be effectively used on Earth.
Except, as mentioned later, the root cause for the world of “BLAME!” is probably due to the fact that “dark matter” engineering is possible, so perhaps the world does not have to be spherical.
Translator’s note: In that, the world does not have to be a sphere around the sun.
Could it be more like a thick donut of layers?
[世界・4/動力]
ダイソン球の場合と同様に、基本的には、太陽そのものを「炉」にした、核融合発電も利用しているものと思う。それだけでも事実上、無限のエネルギーを数十億年は得られるはず。ただ、階層化した世界に動力を伝達する事情を考えると、実際に使用されるエネルギーの供給の殆どは、後述する「重力炉」に依存していると思われる。
World [4 - Power]
As in the case of the Dyson Sphere, I think it also uses fusion power generation, where the sun itself is a “reactor.”
Even by itself, infinite energy can be obtained for billions of years.
However, given the situation in which power is transmitted through a stratified world, most of the energy supply actually used is likely to depend on the “Gravity Reactor,” which will be described later.
[世界・5/環境]
この世界は「無菌」状態である。生物的なウイルスはいない。空中に常にナノ・マシンが、生物に有害な細菌を、発生と同時に瞬間に消滅させてしまう。理由は、当初の「統治局」への人間側の指示として、そうプログラムされたから、と、システムエラーを防ぐため。現在の地球表面より遥かに巨大な体積の居住空間を造って、その全てが最初から「無菌」なのだ。従って、人間が怪我をしても、再生能力が強化されていれば大丈夫。また、痛みのショックは神経系の機能強化(補正)で即座に消せる。その場で手術してもOK.
World [5 - Environment]
The world is in an “aseptic” state.
There are no biological viruses.
Nanomachines that are always in the air cause harmful bacteria to disappear instantly as soon as there is an outbreak.
The reason is, it was one of the original human commands given to the Administration, and so it was programmed, along with preventing system errors.
Translator’s note: so, when humans made the Administrators, their original two commands were “kill all harmful viruses and bacteria” and “prevent any errors in the Netsphere.”
If you build a habitable space with a much larger area than earth’s current surface, all of it will be “aseptic” from the very beginning.
Thus, even if a human is injured, it is okay as long as they have enhanced regeneration abilities.
In addition, the pain of shock can be eliminated immediately by strengthening (correcting) the nervous system.
Even surgery on the spot is OK.
[霧亥・第1項]
人間だが、かなり高度にサイボーグ化されている。ほとんど確実に、不老不死。すでに1000年以上は生きている可能性が高い。が、その自覚というか「記憶」が、多分、ない。相当な過去、まだ、もしかしたらネットスフェアが完全に機能している時代に、警察官的な仕事をしていたのかもしれない。とにかく、後に「種族」化して「珪素生物」となる「人間が生物的な体を捨てた」犯罪者達や、ネットワークを介在して、複数の「体」を使用する者達から、ひどく恨みを買うほどに対立していたようだ。
Kyrii? [1]
He’s human, but has a high amount of cybernetics.
He’s almost certainly immortal.
Translator’s note: It’s the kind of “stay the same age forever, never die of old age” immortality.
He is likely to have been alive for over 1000 years.
But, his ability to recall “memories” is, probably, absent.
In the past, when the Netsphere was still functional, he may have worked as a police officer.
Anyway, criminals who “discarded their living bodies” later became their own “species” called “Silicon Life,” and since he has been confronted before by those who have multiple “bodies” through use of the network, he holds a terrible opinion of them.
[ネットワーク端末遺伝子?・第1仮説]
いつの事かは不明だが、ネットスフェア成立前後頃、そして、セーフガード成立前後には、大量の多種多様な、ネット犯罪者がいたと推定される。情報のやり取りと経済活動の大半がネット上で処理されるようになると、犯罪の大半も、またネット上で展開されると思われるからだ。ましてや、ある段階でネット上に「人格/個性/人間の全情報」がアップロード/ダウンロードできる可能性が生じる事態になったら、勇気のある?犯罪者がそれを実行してしまう可能性が高い。その時は、止むを得ず、取り締まる側も対抗するかもしれない。そうすると犯罪者と取り締まる側双方が、あらゆる種類の捜索・防御・攻撃活動をネット状で行うので、対犯罪者(検査官?)側の身の安全を図るためには「登録」が必要になっていくのは必然であろう。そういった時の「登録」が、後にセーフガードにも引き継がれたのだろうか・・・?次に「ネット端末遺伝子」がこれに加わったのか?つまり、いつしか状況は一般人も「ネット(ネットスフェア)」を使い、「基底現実」だけではなく、ネットに住むという時期を迎えたのだろう。ネットスフェアに「いる」状態になれば、ほぼ時間と関係なく他の人と会える。こんな便利な(まさに転送器)機能を、経済活動が見逃しておくとは考えられない。「軍事」の方が先かな?とも思うのだが、考えてみると「敵」のネットをハッキングしっぱなしにしなければならず、非常に困難。もし、双方がネット上で結ばれている、とかいうのなら、すでに「軍事」対立は不可能だと思う。この時代、すでに「政府」はあっても「国境」は意味がない、のではないかな?そんな状況、つまり犯罪者と検査官といような「特殊」な人以外の「ネット移動/滞在」が活発になる状況においては、いよいよ「登録」が、すなわち安全を図る選別法が必要になるだろう。この時に、必然的に「ネット端末遺伝子」の概念が出来たのだと思う。
Net Terminal Gene? [1 - Hypothesis]
Although it is unknown when, around the time of the establishment of the Netsphere, and around the time of the establishment of the Safeguards, it is presumed that there were a large variety of net criminals.
This is because when the majority of information and economic activity is processed on the net, most crimes will also be committed on the net.
Furthermore, if it is possible that “individuality/personality/all human information” is possible to be uploaded/downloaded to the net after a certain stage, what do you have to fear?
It is very likely that criminals will do so.
At that time, unavoidably, the police had to step in.
Then, since criminals and the police conduct all kinds of search, defense, and attack activities on the net, it would be inevitable that “registration” becomes necessary to ensure safety of those opposing the criminals (agents?).
Was the “registration” of this time taken over by the Safeguards later...?
And then was the “Net Terminal” gene was added to this?
In other words, the situation is that the general public also uses the “net (Netsphere),” living not just in “base reality,” but the in net as well.
If you are “in” the Netsphere, you can meet other people regardless of time.
Translator’s note: Contrary to the population translation, what this means is that it doesn’t take any time to have to meet up with other people. It has NOTHING to do with time travel!
Such a convenient function (instant transport) cannot be expected to be overlooked by those looking to make money.
But wouldn’t the “military” come first?
I think so, but if you think about it, you have to hack the “enemy’s” net first, which is very difficult.
If both sides are connected to the net, I think that “military” confrontation would become impossible.
In this era, even though there are “governments,” their “borders” would be meaningless, wouldn’t they?
In such a situation, a situation when the “net movement” aside from “special” persons like criminals and agents is detected, “registration” will be necessary, that is to say, a screening method for achieving safety.
Translator’s note: I think when it says that criminals don’t need registration, what it means is that regular people have a registration. Criminals don’t, and Agents don’t need one.
At this time, I think it was inevitable that the concept of the “Net Terminal Gene” was created.
[個性について・第1項]
ところで、人間をまるごと情報化する場合は、なにをもって情報の境界と定めるのだろうか? 一番、簡単な仮説は、生物なのだから、やはり「遺伝子」か?ネット上の情報は、多分、パケット化されるので、遺伝子を「キー」化するのは、ある程度、合理的に思える。人間の細胞には、その一片にまで特定の遺伝子が備わっているので、やり方さえあれば、これをトレース出来るだろう。遺伝子の配列は、厳密に個人個人違うので、これをもって、ネット上の「個性」とする事も出来るだろう。特定の遺伝子をセットしておいて、それで選定出来たものは全部、一塊の「人間」の情報とするのだ。 ところで、ネットに繋げられているPCの能力が仮に無限大だとすると、情報は無限時間、正確に維持できる事になる。が、その能力が限定的だと、一種のスワップが起きて、情報の維持時間は限定されてしまう。また、いずれにしてもプランク定数以下の事象では情報の維持は完全には出来ない。また、絶対に発生する(いわゆる)量子化ノイズのために、瞬間時以上の時間経過では、複雑な情報は自然に壊れてしまう。つまり、受容体があって、なおかつ瞬間的になら、ネット上の「体の全移動」ないし「個性の移し替え」の可能性はあるが、どこかに情報として「人間」をまるごと保存しておいて、あとから体に移すのは「不可」なように思える。
About Personality [1]
By the way, when we turn a human being into information, what do we define as the boundaries of that information?
A simple hypothesis is, since a human is a living organism, isn’t it genes?
Information on the Net, probably, because it is packetized, making the genes a “key,” to some extent, seems reasonable.
Since genes are kept in a certain part of every human cell, if you have a way to do so, you can easily trace it.
Since the sequence of genes is unique in each individual, so with them, it will also be possible to establish “individuality” on the net.
Get a specific gene, so that it can be completely scanned, and it will become a mass of “human” information.
By the way, assuming that a the PC of the Net’s ability is infinite, it will be able to maintain that information exactly for an infinite amount of time.
But, if that ability is limited, a kind of swap starts to happen, and the amount of time that information can be maintained for is limited.
Also, because of unavoidable generation of (so-called) quantum noise, when stored for any longer than a moment, complex information breaks down naturally.
In other words, if there is an available receptor, and if it is instantaneous, then there is a possibility of “moving the body” or “transferring personality” over the net, but if the entirety of “human” information is saved somewhere, it is “impossible” to move to a new body later.
[ネットスフェア]
実社会と同じか、それ以上の拡大してしまったネット社会。もう、ネットなしでは生活が成り立たない人種は、ネット上に一定の環境を保持しようとしたのだと思う。その時に完璧なOSを持った「世界」として、ネットスフェアが成立したのだろう。ネットスフェアは、もしかしたら当初はAIを持っていたかもしれない。が、論理矛盾状態を呈する社会を管理するプログラムに「個性」を与えれば、それも必ず狂ってしまう。だから、ある段階で管理のみが完全に出来る、AI抜きの機能になる。ネットスフェアは、利用パスとして「端末遺伝子」を採用する。で、セーフガードがネットスフェアの機能とは独立して「取り締まり」を担当する事になる。
Netsphere
The online society has expanded to the same or even greater than reality.
I think the human race, whose life can no longer be achieved without the net, has tried to maintain a certain environment on the net.
The Netsphere was established as a “world” with a perfect OS, at that time.
The Netsphere may have had AI at first.
But if we give “personality” to a program that manages a society that exhibits a state of logical contradiction, it will certainly go crazy.
For this reason, at some point, it becomes a function without which only management can be completed.
Translator’s note: I think what this means is that maybe there used to be an AI in Administration, but it got uninstalled due to the risk of insanity, and without the AI it was only able to do management duties.
The Netsphere uses the “terminal gene” as a password.
So, the Safeguard are in charge of “enforcement” independently of the Netsphere’s functions.
[セーフガード2]
まず、人工知能が誕生する。過程は分からないが、とにかく近い将来、「HAL]は出来る。最初の1台じゃないかもしれないが、初期型の名前の一つは「ハル」になるんじゃないかな?ある段階までは、これをOSに利用しようとするだろうが「HAL」の失敗を考えても分かる通り、まず不可能。鉄腕アトムみたいなのも生まれると思うが、あまり意味はないと思う。でも、インターフェイスには最適だと思うし、その利用法は続く。でも、それだけではもったいない。で、一番効率的なり用法が考え出された。対犯罪者用に使用するのだ。セーフガードの「敵」とは、ネットを悪用する犯罪者。ネット上に巣くう悪人。ネット難民。さらには、体を捨ててしまった「珪素人間?」。狂ったAI?これに対し、「機動隊」的に機械的に動くのが「駆除系」セーフガード、つまり簡単なAIを載せた人工体。それ以外に、人間の不合理な行動に対応させた上級AI載せた上位セーフガードがある。上位セーフガードは「論理矛盾」による機能停止の危機を避けるため、基本的には一定時間以上の長い期間、人間と続けて接しないようにしたのだろう。ただ、「登録」をしている、一部の「潜入捜査官」とは闘争しないようプログラムされていた。
Safeguard [2]
First, artificial intelligence is born.
I don’t know the process, but anyway, in the near future, “HAL” may not be the first one made, but one of the initial models will be called “Hal,” maybe?
Up to a certain stage, this OS will be used, but it is impossible at first, as understood from the failure of “HAL.”
I think it will be created like Astro-Boy, but don’t take that very seriously.
But I think its interface is the best, so its usage continues.
But that alone is a waste.
So, the most effective use of it was thought up.
It’s for use against criminals.
The “enemy” of the Safeguard are criminals who exploit the net.
The villains who nest on the net.
Internet refugees.
Furthermore, human beings who have “abandoned their bodies.”
Crazy AI?
On the other hand, the “exterminator” Safeguard, that is, an artificial body with a simple AI, acts mechanically like a “calvary.”
Other than that, there are high-level Safeguard with advanced AI that respond to irrational human behavior.
In order to avoid the crisis of a function failure due to a logic contradiction, the high-level Safeguard basically do not keep in contact with humans for any longer than a certain period of time.
However, these were programmed to not fight with “undercover officers,” if they are “registered.”
[中性種]
生物としての人間を、遺伝的に優性に特化させた人工種。名付けて「中性種」。あるいは、もしかしたら、最初から移植治療用に研究されたのか?
The Drybodies
Human beings, as organisms, have an artificial race genetically specialized for dominance.
It is named “the Drybodies.”
Or, perhaps, was it studied for organ transplants at first?
Translator’s note: I’m pretty sure this section is talking about the drybodies. The driver of the cargo ship that brings Kyrii to Bio-Electric Inc. mentions that Drybodies are “neutered,” and the translation of this section’s title suggests the same.
[霧亥/記憶障害?]
もしかしたら、事情の一部は、あまりにも長い生存に、脳の記憶プロセスが耐えられなくなったのかもしれない。人間の記憶とは、多分、30~50年ぐらいの生涯を想定しているのではないかと思われる。霧亥の場合、途中で何度か、とんでもない状態になったと思われるが、少なくとも「ネットスフェア崩壊前」は、何か記憶を残す手段をとっていたと思われる。問題は、今はそれが使えないか、ほとんど使えないことだろうか・・・?
Kyrii [Memory Disorder?]
Maybe, in some circumstances, like surviving for too long, the memory process of the brain becomes degraded.
Human memories are thought to last about 30~50 years of life.
In Kyrii’s case, several times along the way, he seems to have lost his memory, but at least before the “collapse of the Netsphere,” which seems to have taken away a means by which to store memories.
The question is, can it not be used now, or is it almost unusable?
Translator’s note: Meaning, of course memories cannot be retrieved from the Netsphere, but the real question is whether or not these memories are still there. Could they be retrieved somehow in the future, or are they lost forever?
[世界・6/超構造体・2]
「BLAME!]世界のネットワークを保持する基幹となっているのが、メガストラクチャーだ。ネットワークを構成するコンピューターの性能、近似的には処理速度・無限大、記憶容量・無限大と考えたとしても、アプリケーションの処理時間の問題は残る。容量が無限に大きく、処理が無限に速くても、実際には「無限大に限りなく近いが無限大ではない」ので、有限のある時間が処理に必要になる。結果として、遥か遠い一点のデータを、遥か遠くの別の場所でロードしようとすると、「無限」の時間が掛かってしまう。つまり、移動の問題が最終的に残ってしまう。しかし、その状態で、なおかつコンピューターの処理が無限と言える訳は?メガストラクチャー内のチップは、N次元に折り畳まれた「仮想」コンピューターでハードウエア的には、多分、存在しない。つまり、実体としては単なる(分子レベルか原子レベル
のサイズ)記録媒体の塊で、その内部に「空白」のメモリー空間を持つだけなのだ。そこソフト的に「仮想」されたコンピューターが組み込まれている。ただし、そのままでは処理時間が掛かりすぎて現実的ではない。しかしながら、無限個のチップが「並列処理」する事によって、事実上の無限に近い速度を得ている。問題は物理的なチップの重積の限界だが、それは重力の制御でクリアできているのだろう。
World [6] Megastructure [2]
In “BLAME!” the Megastructure is the backbone of the worldwide network.
The computers that make up the network, even if you think that they have approximately infinite processing speed, and approximately infinite storage, still face the issue of application processing time.
Even if the capacity is infinitely large and the processing is infinitely fast, it is actually “infinitely close to infinity but not infinite,” so a finite amount of time is required for processing.
As a result, if you try to load a far away point of data from a far away place, it will take an “infinite” amount of time.
In other words, the problem of movement will eventually remain.
But, in that state, how can it be said that the processing power of the computer is “infinite?”
The computer chips in the megastructure are folded into N-Dimensions “virtually,” and in terms of hardware, perhaps, do not exist.
In other words, the Megastructure us just a mass of recording medium (down to the molecular or atomic level), and it has a “blank” memory space inside it.
There is a “virtual” software computer built within.
Translator’s note: I don’t understand this at all, but that’s my fault for knowing next to nothing about how computers work!
However, it takes too much processing time as it is not realistic.
However, by “parallel processing” an infinite number of chips, a virtually infinite speed is obtained.
The only problem is that the weight of the physical chip imposes a limit, but this is solved by controlling gravity.
Translator’s note: This section clarifies a vague detail about the Megastructure. You know how it’s mentioned that the GBE is the only thing that can destroy them? There’s a reason for that. If the Megastructure is made up of an infinite number of folded computer chips, that means it would have near-infinite density. Nothing would be capable of making it bend or break. But the GBE works by nullifying gravity in the area. As a result, it also nullifies the controls that make the chips in the megastructure capable of being infinitely dense. Without infinite density, the GBE can easily punch a hole in the megastructure.
[言語基体]
現在のインターネットは、OSとしてUNIXを基礎にしているが、ネットスフェアにも、もっと遥かに高度な物ではあるが、なんらかの基体システムはあると思われる。それを媒介として、デバイス系生物(統治局の代理構成体・上位セーフガード・珪素成物・AI)は、それぞれ独自のOSを持ち、あるいは管理して「生きて」いる、と思われる。珪素生物とセーフガードの言語基体が、基本で共通しているのは、双方の「進化」の過程がクロスしているためだろう。それは身体的な物にも及ぶが、OS的な部分では、より顕著なのであろう。仮に考えてみると、最初にセーフガードが「素体」を作り、対抗上、珪素生物がそれを流用して(盗用して?)進化しているのか?ところで、人間の言葉基体だが、これについては当然、デバイス的な処理はできない。補助脳についてのみのOSになる。たとえば、人間の記憶全部のバックアップなどは出来ない。(デバイス系はできるようだ。後述するが、シボも出来ている)しかし、あくまでも人間の場合は、ある程度、整理された状態の「個人的に閲覧を他者に許した」データを、補助脳を通じてやりとりすると思われる。つまり、人間の場合は、多分、記憶 →(言語基体)→ 外部デバイス、といった段階を取ると思われる。従って、言語基体の合致が、意思疎通に極めて重要な要素になる。
Language Matrix
The current internet is based on Unix as an OS, but even though the Netsphere is much more advanced, it also seems to have a basic system.
Based on that, device type organisms (representative entities of the Administration, high-level Safeguard, Silicon Life, AI) each have their own OS, which controls their ability to “live,” I think.
Silicons Life and Safeguard have a common language matrix, probably because the process of “evolution” crossed on both sides.
It extends to physical parts, but it is more pronounced in the OS-like parts.
If you think about it, the Safeguard were the first to make the “silicon body,” while in contrast, the Silicon Life evolved by appropriating (plagiarizing?) it.
By the way, although there is a human language matrix, it naturally cannot be processed like a device.
It becomes an OS only through the use of an auxiliary brain.
For example, you cannot back up all human memories (but it seems like the device system can. As will be described later, it was possible for Cibo).
However, in the case of human beings, it seems that, to some extent, organized data “personally permitted to others” is exchanged through the auxiliary brain.
In other words, in the case of humans, it seems to follow these steps: Memory → (Language matrix) → Data → External device.
Therefore, the matching of the language matrix becomes a very important element of communication.
[シボの転生・1]
シボは、例の「人工端末遺伝子実験」の時、一度間違いなく死んでいる。その後、頭取の配慮により復活している。人間の転生のプロセスで、個性のデータは、どう処理されるのだろうか? 一つの考え方として「生電社」ないし「塊都」の人は、もう人間ではない、というケースが考えれる。クローン化のプロセスを前提として、脳全体をデータ化してしまっていて、身体こそ生物体だが、実体は「珪素生物」なら、簡単に転生は可能だと思われる。ここまで、ハードでなくても、ある程度は事前の準備でクリア出来るかもしれない。つまり、危険な実験の場合に限り、最初から「替わり」の身体を(重要人物の分だけ)用意しておき、オンラインで繋ぎっぱなしにしておいて、危険になったら切る、という方法が考えられる。この場合、脳の内部は十分時間をかけてスキャンして、分子レベルまで同質にしておくのかもしんれない。とはいえ、この場合でも「量子化ノイズ」の弊害だけは避けられないはずなので、どんどんデータは劣化していくのは間違いない。もう一つ、セーフガードとの激闘で、もう一度死んだ時のシボの状態だが、まず上記したように、基本的にシボはデータ化しやすい状態の「人」なので、比較的に「楽」に「予備電子界」に入れたのだと考えられる。それとも、直前に建設者を操るために、霧亥とシンクロして言語基体を上書きしたためかもしれないが・・・・しかし、ここでは完全なデータのみの状態だ。ここでまた問題だが、はたしてネット上のみで存在する知性、というのは可能なのだろうか?ずっと後に出てくるイコがいるが、あれはAIだから状況が異なる。また、とにかく長時間、ただのデータのままだと「ノイズ」で変質してしまう。実際には、変質しているのも本来の姿なのだが、それを含めるためには、ある種の境界が必要で、これが「生体」という物なのだ。だから、ずっと「予備電子界」にいると、あの時の統治局のように、なんだか、身体がバラけた状態になり、ついにはただのノイズになってしまうのかもしれない。
Cibo’s Reincarnation [1]
Cibo has definitely died once, during the “Artificial Terminal Gene” experiment.
After that, she was revived by the president.
How does the human reincarnation deal with personality data?
One way of thinking is that the people of “Bio-Electric Inc.” or the “Cluster” are no longer human.
Assuming the process of cloning is used, the whole brain has been converted into data, the body is still a biological body, but if the entity is Silicon Life, it seems that it is possible for the mind to be put into simplified bodies.
So far, even if is hard, it might be made easier by preparing in advance.
In other words, only in the event of dangerous experiments, a “replacement” body is prepared from the start (only for important people), and one option is to keep it online but cut it when it becomes dangerous.
In this case, it takes a long time to scan the inside of the brain, so that it may be kept homogenous to the molecular level.
However, even in this case, the danger of “quantum noise” cannot be avoided, so there is no doubt that that data will gradually deteriorate.
Once more, in a fierce battle against Safeguards, Cibo dies again, but as mentioned above, Cibo is a “human” with very simple data, so it is thought to have been relatively “easy” for her to enter the “electronic backup world.”
Or maybe the reason why is, in order to control the Builder just before, she had to overwrite her language matrix to sync with Kyrii.
However, here she is in a completely data-only state.
Once again, the problem is, is it possible to have an intelligence that exists only on the net?
Later on we meet Iko, but she’s different because she’s an AI.
Also, if it remains data for a long time, it would be deteriorated by the “noise.”
In fact, it is also true that original copy is deteriorating, but in order to contain it, it has a boundary, which we call a “living body.”
Translator’s Note: What I suppose this means is that our minds aren’t in a constant state of deterioration since we have a living body.
So, if you stay in the “electronic backup world,” like the Administrator at that time, your body may break down, and eventually you will become just noise.
[づるの作っていた物]
言語基体を通す事による、アナログ→デジタル過程でのデータの変質、また、繰り返される変換による「量子化ノイズ」の影響が、人間性を変化させるとすると、それに対する策が考えられる。もしかすると、づるの作っていた「細胞の保存」は、このあたりが原点かな、とも思われる。あれはクローン用のデータ保存だと思うが、この本質は「アナログ」データ保存なのかもしれない。東亜重工編の最後で、シボが肉体を取り戻す時には、多分あのづるの保存物が活用されたのだろう。
Things Made by Zuru
If the deterioration of data in the analog → digital process by passing through the language matrix, along with the effect of “quantum noise” from repeated conversions, causes changes to humanity, then a solution is required.
Perhaps, Zuru’s “cell packets” originates from this point, it would seem.
I think it may be data storage for clones, but in essence it is “analog” data storage.
At the end of the Toha Heavy Industries arc, when Cibo regains her body, it is likely that she used one of Zuru’s cell packets.
[転送]
メンサーブが行った究極の防衛手段だが、相当に難しい問題を孕んでいる。まず、受け入れ側がどうなっているのか分からない。もしかしたら、それを考えにいれずに「転送」している可能性すらあるが、いくらなんでもそれは物凄く危険過ぎる。転送する対象が「死」んでいいのだから、それはそれでアリなのだが、実際どこに出現するのか分からないので危険極まりない。もしも、物体の中に物体が転送されれば「核融合」だ。東亜重工編の最後は、まさにこれが起こってしまった訳である。従って、本来は移動先が「ある」と考えられる。だが、もうシステムそのものが狂っていて、霧亥は別な場所に出たのだろう。出た場所は、一種の「特異点」のような場所だと考えれる
Forwarding
This is Mensab’s ultimate defense, but it has a very difficult problem.
First of all, she doesn't know what is happening on the receiving side.
It is possible that she can “forward” without thinking about that, but in that case it is still extremely dangerous.
It’s okay if the object you want to forward is “dead,” but if that’s the case, it is still extremely dangerous because you won’t know where it actually appears.
If an object is forwarded into an object, it undergoes “nuclear fusion.”
At the end of the Toha Heavy Industries arc, this is exactly what happened.
Therefore, it is believed that there originally “was” a destination.
However, the system itself is already crazy, and Kyrii might have come out at a different place.
The place where it came out is thought to be a kind of “singularity.”
[重力炉]重力子の重力を媒介する構成要素だが、単独としての力が非常に弱い。光より遥かに小さい力なので、例えばレーザーのような物が出来ても、あまり有効ではない(だからといって不可能ではない。重力子を利用し、他の素粒子を崩壊させてエネルギーを取り出す、といった手段も可能性がある)。さて、この重力子という、力は極めて弱いが、しかし、力の及ぶ範囲は無限大という特性を持つモノで、「炉」といったエネルギー源を作るにはどうすればよいか? ここに、一つの可能性があるようだ。実は、「BLAME!」作中に描かれた「重力炉」には、ニュートラリーノらしいマークが付いている。ニュートラリーノとは、この宇宙の構成要素の約90%意以上を占めると考えられ、なおかつその存在を、容易に認識できない暗黒物質(ダークマター)の構成要素と考えられている物だ。今現在、世界各地の科学研究施設でその検出実験が盛んに行われている素粒子・ニュートラリーノは、電気的に中性なため、ほとんどまったく自然に干渉しない。しかし、質量は他を圧して巨大なので、絶対に重力的には影響を受けるはずだと思われる。仮にそうだとすると、重力子を利用できるのではないだろうか?相互作用が統御出来れば、それを利用して、大宇宙の存在そのものからエネルギーを引き出す可能性が出てくる。つまり、重力で「場」を作り、いわば「風車」の「羽根」を形成して、ダークマターの「流れ」で「羽根」を回して力を得るのだ。重くて動かないダークマターの中を、太陽系は超高速で走っている状態、と考えられるので、ホンの少し「風車」を回しても、多分、全く影響はない。
Gravity Reactor
A graviton is a particle that controls gravity, though its force alone is very weak.
Because its power is much less than light, even if it is used to make a laser, it would not be very effective (but that’s not impossible. There is a possibility of using gravitons to disintegrate other particles and extract energy).
Now, the graviton’s force may be very weak, however, the range of its force is infinite, so can it be used as an energy source like a “reactor?”
There seems to be a possibility here.
Actually, the “Gravity Reactor” as drawn in “BLAME!” is marked with what seems to be a neutrino.
Translator’s note: The Gravity Reactor is marked with a chi (a fancy looking X) which as far as I know has nothing to do with neutrinos? I did some research and the closest I found were a few diagrams that use chi to depict dark matter particles.
Neutrinos are thought to account for more than 90% of the mass of the universe, and are considered to be a fraction of “Dark Matter,” matter which cannot be easily recognized.
Right now, detection experiments are being actively conducted at scientific research facilities around the world to study neutrinos and other elementary particles, but because they are electrically neutral, they are hard to detect at all naturally.
However, because they have significant mass, they absolutely seem to be influenced by gravity.
If this is so, wouldn’t it be possible to use gravitons?
If the interaction can be controlled, then using it, it is possible to draw energy from the very existence of the entire universe.
In other words, we create a “field” using gravity, so to speak, to form the “blades” of a “windmill,” and a “current” of dark matter turns the “blades” to generate power.
It is thought that our solar system is moving super-fast through heavy, non-moving dark matter, so even if you turn a little “windmill,” there is no effect at all.
[重力炉の異常についての仮説]重力炉は「時空的」に安定した場所を必要とする。が、東亜重工の周囲に取りついた「建設者」による無作為な都市化の展開で、「場」が崩壊してしまい、安定が失われてしまった。場の安定を保つために、動力炉を限界まで稼働して、無理に「場」を維持しているのだが、限界に来ている。すでに「場」の安定を保つ事が不可能になり、「時空」が重複してしまっている。さらに、それらの「重複」がひどくなって、もう連続体を維持するのも困難になっている。もうすぐ空間そのものが崩壊してしまう。この状態を復旧するためには、一度「炉」を停止し、時空を戻して、「再起動」する必要がある。重力炉の本体は重力子で出来た「羽根車」なのだが、これには、いかなる物体も干渉できない。が、ただ一つ、重力子放射線射出装置だけは、一時的に「羽根」に「穴」を開けられる可能性がある。穴は一定時間で塞がるだろうが、その間、実質的に「炉」が停止するので、機能がリセットされる可能性が高い。ただし炉が停止すると、その間にいままで重複していた「世界」がほぐれてしまい、その反動で何が起こるか見当もつかない(実際には、一気にエネルギーを失って、いわば「世界がーーー空間的・時間的にーーー凍りついた」状態になってしまった・・・・?)。また、重複が解かれた反動で、炉の中心部分では、空間が一気に裂け、「転送自由」な状態になってしまったようだ。
Hypothesis about the Gravity Reactor’s anomalies.
The Gravity Reactor requires a location with stable space-time.
However, due to the builders’ random construction around Toha Heavy Industries, the field collapsed and stability was lost.
In order to protect the stability of the field, the Gravity Reactor was put into overdrive to forcible maintain spacetime stability.
The field became impossible to maintain.
Spacetime began to duplicate.
The duplication has gotten worse, making the maintenance of the spacetime continuum even more difficult.
Soon the spacetime itself is going to collapse.
To prevent this from happening, the Gravity Reactor must be shut down, allowing spacetime to be restored, and then restarted.
The primary component of the Gravity Reactor is an impeller/rotor made of gravitons. No object can interfere with it.
Only graviton emitting devices can temporarily “pierce” the “blades.”
The hole will eventually close, but during that time, the Gravity Reactor will stop, effectively resetting it.
However, once the Reactor is stopped, the duplicated world collapses.
We have no idea what this would look like.
Since all of the world’s energy has been lost, space and time might freeze all at once?
Also, when the duplicated world was destroyed in the heart of the Gravity Reactor, everything was teleported out.
[重力子放射線射出装置・第1仮説]
重力子はビームにしても、あまり力がない。では、重力子放射線射出装置の強大な力は何から来るのか?重力炉と同じで、「ダークマター」を媒介シているのかもしれない。あれは、一種の場の放射で、形成された場に一気に多量のダークマターの干渉が起き、その巨大な質量の爆発的増加で、物はなんでも破壊される。いわば、場の属性を変える「放射装置」なのか?
Graviton Beam Emitter [Hypothesis 1]
A beam of gravitons is not very powerful.
So where does the power of the GBE come from?
Like the Gravity Reactor, it may be through the medium of dark matter.
That is, the graviton beam creates a field where a whole bunch of dark matter appears, and the explosive increase in mass leads to a reaction that can destroy anything.
It is, so to speak, a radiation emitting device that changes the attributes of the gravitational field.
[「BLAME」仮説]
オリジナル「BLAME」(四節賞受賞作品)は、珪素生物の元祖と思われる生体への、ジャックインを描いている。実際のところ、今の科学から考えて、電子擬体へのジャックインーーーそれに伴う意識の移行は、きっと間違いなく実現するだろう。問題は、人間の「意識」ではなく「記憶/個性」の電子化が可能かで、この問題こそが神学的・哲学的・科学的に議論が集まるところだと思う。「BLAME」は、まさにそれが可能になった瞬間を描いてる訳だ。ちなみに他の作品でいうと、「攻殻機動隊」では、電子化自明の事として描かれ、それをするかしないかは「モラル」の問題にされている。「順列都市」でも、自明だが、電子化された「コピー」を自然と同じ速度で動かすには計算速度の占有が必要で、つまり電子化された個性が持てるかどうかは、アメニティーを含めて、金次第として描かれている。「BLAME!」では、ほとんど自由に個性の電子化が可能なように描かれているが、アメニティーは完全には完全に「ネットスフィア」に依存していて、それがない限り、ただ無限の無意味な「生」と化す危険な選択になっている。
“BLAME” Explanation
The original “BLAME” (which won a Four Seasons Prize) depicts jacking into a living body and seems to be the origin of the Silicon Life.
In fact, science nowadays suggests that the transfer to electronic counterparts and the accompanying transition of consciousness is possible.
The real question is whether it is possible to digitize memory and personality instead of simply consciousness. This problem merits significant theological, philosophical, and scientific discussion.
“BLAME” depicts a point in time where this problem has been solved.
By the way, there’s another work called “Ghost In The Shell” in which digitizing life is simple, but the choice of whether or not to do so is moral.
Also, in “Permutation City,” it is necessary to copy the proper calculation speed so that computerized people move at the same speed as natural people. But regardless of their personality, what really mattered was money and entertainment.
In “BLAME!,” although individuality can be digitized easily, but entertainment really only exists in the Netsphere. Without the Netsphere, a digitized consciousness lives an infinite, meaningless “life.” It is a dangerous choice.
[「NOiSE」仮説・1]
ここで、なぜネットスフィア以外が「やばい」場所ーーーカオスになったか?という疑問が起こる。実際、もし、擬体にジャックインできるようになったとして(「NOiSE」の教団がそれを可能にして)その知識が一般化した時、なにが起きるかと言うと「軍事利用」がまず考えられる。死なない、メンテナンス可能な「兵士擬体」が出来れば、これに勝る兵力は考えられない。絶対、軍事利用するに決まっている。反対勢力も当然だが同じ事をsる。で、壮絶な電子戦が起きる。どんな状況下になるのか考える事も予想も出来ないが、とにかく「ネット世界」が荒れ果てて、カオスと化すーーーのだろうか?
“NOiSE” Explanation [1]
Here’s why the world outside of the Netsphere has become such a dangerous, chaotic place.
If one can jack into an pseudo-body (which the cult in NOiSE can do), before this knowledge is generally known, it is used by the military.
If one can maintain an invincible “Warrior Body,” then no soldier would be capable of stopping it.
Absolutely, the military decided to use it.
Naturally, any opposing force would use the same thing.
So, fierce electronic warfare occurs.
I can’t say exactly how that war goes, but the result is that the net world becomes a wild and chaotic place, wouldn’t it?
[シボの転生・2]
東亜重工前の戦闘で、シボは殺された瞬間に、いともあっさり予備電子界に「転生」したわけだが、きっとこれは誰にでも出来る事ではない。もしあんな感じで、皆電子体で浮かんでいってから、幽霊についての冗談ではないが、人の意識ですぐに予備電子界は埋まってしまうだろう。これはつまり、データとしての人間の意識を「ロード」する「ソフトウエア/プログラム」が別にあって、それが作動していると考えるべきだろう。つまり、いつの間にかシボには、電子界で個性データをロードできるアプリケーションが付属していた、という事だ。なんで、そうなったかは仮説として2つ考えられる。①霧亥の言語基体をコピーした時、一緒にもらってしまった(ウイルス?)。②建設者とリンク中だったので、その影響。または、上記2つの要素の結合。こういったアプリ付きの個性をもった人間は、いざとなればデータ状態で生存も可能なわけかも・・・いわば生身(とはもう言わないかもしれないが・・・)なのに、統治局・セーフガード的な存在形態といえるかもしれない。
Cibo’s Reincarnation [2]
During the battle at Toha Heavy Industries, Cibo was easily reincarnated in the electronic backup world immediately after death, but this is not something that anyone can do.
If everyone had an electronic backup like that, then, and this is not a joke about ghosts, everyone’s consciousness would soon be laid to rest in the electronic backup world.
This means there is a separate software/program that turns the human consciousness into data, and you should think about how this works.
In other words, at some point Cibo’s personality data became attached to a program that can upload that data to the electronic backup world.
There are two explanations for this.
1. When she learns Kyrii’s language matrix, it was transferred over (like a virus?)
2. It happened because she was linked to the Builder.
Or some combination of those two.
A person with this kind of application may be able to survive in data form, so to speak, though they may be alive (if you even call it living), it is in a form similar to the Administration.
[「NOiSE」仮説・2]
ところで、殺されたクローサーだが、彼の何が「教団」に利用されたのだろう? とにかく、データ化されたのだから実験だったのか?もし、クローサーの個性の幾分かがデータ化されたとして、当然、そこにはアプリはないのだから、IP空間(予備電子界・・・とはまだ呼ばれていない?)にデータが散乱してしまっていて、それこそノイズになってしまっただろう。ところで、あの結のいる世界で、仮にウィリアム・ギブスンの短編「冬のマーケット」(「クローム襲撃」所載)の女ミュージシャン、リーゼみたいに、個性をデータに載っけてしまう人間がいたとしたら、これはどうなるのか?ネットの外側(基底現実側)にハードが必要だが、とりあえずロードは可能だろう。そのような人物(?)なら、「幽霊」になれそうな気がする。
“NOiSE” Explanation [2]
By the way, although Claus was killed, what use of he to the Order?
Was he being experimented on when he was turned into data?
Since Claus’s personality had been digitized, of course, it lacked the proper programs, so it would be scattered among the “IP Space” (not yet called the electronic backup world) and eventually become noise.
Furthermore, if like the Lise in William Gibson’s short story “Winter Market” (printed in “Burning Chrome”), someone put their personality into the data, what would happen?
You need hardware (body) outside of the Net (base reality), but everything else can be uploaded.
Such a person existing only on the net might feel like a ghost.
[人工端末遺伝子実験]
生電社のシボが自己流でネット端末遺伝子を作った実験設備は超巨大だったが、なぜだろうか?さきほども記したが、もし適当なアプリを持っていないと、電子界では個性はデータ化して存在できないような思う。適当なアプリそのものは、当然ネットスフェアのOSに合致しているので、それがあれば、すごくプログラムとして小さく出来る。チップレベルか、それ以下だと思う。が、もし適当なアプリの種類も、それどころかプログラムをロードする環境としてのハードウェアの種類すらも不明な状況だと、どうなるか?それは、何だか分からないゲームのセーブデータだけがあって、何のゲームか、いやハードの種類すら分からない、といった状況に例えられると思う。しかも、ゲームはリアルタイムで進行する事だけは分かっているのだ。なにしろ、どんな事をしても、そのセーブデータをロードしなければならないとしたらどうするかと言うと、既存のゲーム機種を全部揃えて、さらにそれらについてのあらゆるゲームソフトを揃え、それらを全部いつでもどれにでも切り替えられる状況を作って、とにかくロードする以外ないわけだ。あの時のシボは、そんな状況の設備を作らなければならなかったので、あのような巨大な設備になってしまったのだろう。ついでに言うと、ネットスフェアのハードが超構造体に備えられていたので、あの場所に設置したのだと考えられる。
The Artificial Net Terminal Gene Experiment
The facilities for Net Terminal Gene research that Cibo of Bio-Electric Inc. created were gigantic, but why?
As mentioned earlier, without the proper programs, one cannot exist within the virtual world.
The program itself is very small, since it connects to the OS of the Netsphere. Probably small enough to fit on a single chip, or smaller.
But if you have the right programs, how do you know you have the right hardware?
This can be compared to a situation where you have the save data for a game, but you don’t know what game it is, or even the console the game runs on.
And the game is still going on in real time.
You HAVE to load this save data, so what you do is, you take every possible console, and every possible game, and have them at ready. There is no choice but to make a switchable simulation and then load the data.
Since Cibo had to make the equipment for such a situation, it had to be huge equipment.
In addition, since the hardware of the Netsphere is contained within the Megastructure, that’s why the equipment was installed there.
[東亜重工の秘密/動力・推進力]
東亜重工の主な動力炉は、重力炉。推進力は二種類あり、短距離や細かい動きは、重力セイバー(重力の「羽根」を広げて、ダークマターとの抵抗を利用する、いわば帆船のようなもの)。そして、長距離は重力操作で「世界戦」に穴を開けて「ワームホール」を作り出して「ワープ」する「転送」。
Secret of Toha Heavy Industries [Power and Propulsion]
Toha Heavy Industries’ main source of power is the Gravity Reactor.
There are two forms of propulsion. One is the precise, short distance Gravity Saber (it’s like a sailboat that spreads a gravity “sail” and is propelled by the graviton interaction with dark matter).
And then there’s the long distance “transfer,” which uses gravity to open a hole in the “world line,” called a “wormhole” and then “warps.”
[東亜重工の秘密/目的]
遥か過去に忘れられた大企業「東亜重工」が、何か未知の目的のために送り出した「移民・探索宇宙船」。だが、目的地に到達する遥か以前に(あるいは目的を果たした後で?)中の人間達の間に「軋轢」が起こり、出発点近くの場所に戻ってしまった。この時、人間同士の諍いに手が出せない管理AIは、一緒に混乱状態に陥ってしまった(このことから、この船がAIをOSのインターフェイスだけではなく、管理ソフトに組み込むと「論理矛盾」危機が起こってしまう事がまだ分かってない、相当に古い時代に製造された事が分かる)。なお、軋轢の原因そのものが「未完成」のワームホール・エンジン及び「転送」による予期せぬ効果の結果なのかもしれない。ワームホール航法で一気に戻った地点は、なんと「階層都市」の真ん中だった。
Secret of Toha Heavy Industries [Purpose]
In a past long forgotten, a large company called Toha Heavy Industries sent out a colony/exploration spaceship for an unknown purpose.
However, a long time before the ship’s destination was reached (perhaps after it completed its purpose?), tensions between the ship’s inhabitants caused the ship to return to its point of departure.
The ship’s management AI, which was not allowed to understand the details of human beings, fell into a state of confusion along with the ship’s inhabitants.
From this, it can be determined that the ship was manufactured during a period of history where it was not yet known that AI could suffer a logical contradiction crisis if incorporated into not only the interface of a operating system but also its management software.
In addition, the cause of the tension may have had something to do with the unfinished “wormhole” engine and unexpected side effects of the “transfer.”
The departure point the wormhole had returned the ship to was suddenly in the middle of the layered city.
[なぜ、あの位置で固定されたのか?「統治局との協定」とは?]
破壊された都市には、あまり人口多くなかったと思われる(もともと、階層都市は人口密度が低い)。被害の復旧は、自動的に機能する建設者に任せて、東亜重工の艦載AIと統治局は、事後協議に入る。だが「個性」を付与されている全時代の遺物である艦載AIと、すでに機械的・機能的な単なるOS化している「完全論理」統治局の間では、とくに東亜重工内に生き残った人間の処遇についての合意が出来ない。なぜかというと、「2001年宇宙の旅」の「HAL」と同様に、多分艦載AIには絶対的な優先命令「艦内の人員の生命保護を最優先しろ」が与えられているが、統治局には、もうそういった矛盾が起こりそうな「命令」の類はない。ただ、円滑なシステムの運用だけが至上命令になっているからだ。かくして、両者のの話し合いは物別れになり、暫定的な形の「協定」が結ばれる。「協定」の内容は①東亜重工は、重力操作をしない。つまり、その場での「世界線」の穿孔をしない。②動かさない事の代償として、統治局は、東亜重工を治外法権とみなす。つまり、ネットスフェアから切り離す。③東亜重工から、自らの意志で出た人間を、統治局はすすんで保護する。「協定」の締結後、電基漁師の一族は外に出る事を選び、残った人間はAIと共に、内部で暮らし続けていた。
Why is it fixed at that position? What is the agreement with the Administration?
It seems that the ruined city does not have a high population.
Originally, the layered city had a low population density.
The Administration and the onboard AI of Toha Heavy Industries were in talks after the incident, and the job of reconstruction was left up to the Builders.
However, there could be no agreement on the treatment of the humans surviving in Toha Heavy Industries, especially because the onboard AI are relics of an era where AI had “personality” while the “fully logical” Administration are a simple and mechanical operating system.
Just like HAL in “2001 A Space Odyssey,” the onboard AI are given an absolute priority command, “the protection of the ship personnel’s lives is a top priority,” but the Administration have no such “order” because it is likely to cause a logical contradiction.
The Administration’s supreme order is to ensure smooth operation of the System.
Thus, no agreement could be reached between the two parties, and so they decided on a temporary “agreement.”
The contents of the agreement are:
1: Toha Heavy Industries will stop manipulating gravity. In other words, stop making holes in the “worldline” on that spot.
2: As compensation for ceasing operations, the Administration will consider Toha Heavy Industries as independent. In other words, they will be disconnected from the Netsphere.
3: The Administration will protect anyone trying to leave Toha Heavy Industries.
After the agreement was signed, the Electrofishers decided to leave, while the other humans decided to stay inside with the AI.
[状況の推移・破綻]
複数の事故が重なり、AIは動きが、さらにとれなくなる。まず、航行用の過大な出力の「重力炉」が暴走し始め、中の世界線に異常が発生していく。さらに、統治局とは独立した勢力である「珪素生物」が侵略を開始し、同じく半独立勢力である「セーフガード」が介入を始める。そして、初期時代の統治局と同様に、複数の矛盾した命令による論理混乱から、ある程度はファジー思考が出来る艦載AIも、ひとつずつ異常に陥っていく(艦載AIは、当初は区画毎に13個用意されていた)。
Changing Conditions [Failure]
Several incidents occur simultaneously leading to the AI’s failure.
First of all, the Gravity Reactor started generating excessive amounts of power for navigation, causing a large anomaly in the Worldline.
Furthermore, the Silicon Life, who are independent from the Administration, started to invade, along with the semi-independent Safeguard.
And, like the early version of the Administration, the onboard AIs capable of “fuzzy thinking” start to break down due to the logical contradictions resulting from multiple conflicting orders (originally, there were 13 AIs, one for each section).
[メンサーブ、中央AI]
メンサーブ自体、最初期に狂ったAIで、すでに特定個人にしかすぎないはずのセウを「最優先」に考えている。狂い始めた他のAIの中でも、より重症だったので、実質的に、他のAIからの接触を禁じられる(除名される)。残ったAIのうち、いくつかは珪素生物達に破壊されてしまう。最後に残ったAIが集合して「中央AI」になった(「エヴァ」の「マギ」や「ハイペリオン」の機械知性のように、複数の協議回路になって発狂を防ごうとしているか完全に機能はしていない)。
Mensab, Central AI
Mensab, an AI in the early stages of insanity, puts Seu in top priority.
The other AI were in much more severe stages of insanity, so she isolated herself from them.
Some of the AI were destroyed by Silicon Life.
The remaining AI came together and formed a “Central AI” (like Eva’s Magi and Hyperion, they try to prevent madness by double-checking with each other, but this is not fully functional).
[飛散空間でのシボ]
中央AIは、協定を廃棄し、移動を考えているが、なにより重力炉異常が続いていては「転送」が不可能。さらに、何百年来の変化が起こる。霧亥とシボの侵入である。実は中央AIは、すでに一度(あるいは何度か?)重力炉を正常化しようとして「禁断」の世界線変移を起こさせてしまっている。重力炉の異常出力を利用して、世界線を複数絡ませてしまっていたのだ。が、基になる世界線の蓋然性データが、東亜重工内の人間による場合では、結局どれ一つ現状打破の「世界線」に通じていないのだった。そのため、いたずらに混乱が増していっただけだった(そもそも、現在の東亜重工の危機を排除しようとして、最初の1回が行われ、それで重力炉異常が発生してしまったのかもしれない?)。そこに、新たなデータが現れた。で、シボの世界線をいじってみる事になった。しかしながら、ともなく重力炉異常は、一瞬間だけ、直る。中央AIは、その一瞬の蓄積で賭けに出た・・・・が?!
Cibo’s Scattering Across Space
The Central AI abandoned the agreement and thought about moving Toha Heavy Industries, but it was impossible to “transfer” due to the Gravity Reactor’s anomalies.
Hundreds of years passed, bringing change.
Kyrii and Cibo invaded.
In fact, the Central AI has once (or several times?) tried to normalize the Gravity Reactor by performing a “forbidden” wordline transformation.
By continuing to use the energy of the anomalous Gravity Reactor, Central AI had entangled several worldlines.
But, according to the people in Toha Heavy Industries, there was a possibility of returning to the underlying worldline, but even untangling the world lines was not enough to do so.
As a result, the chaoticness spread mischievously.
(Maybe the first attempt to eliminate the crisis in Toha Heavy Industries lead to the Gravity Reactor anomalies?)
There, new data appeared.
I decided to play with Cibo’s worldline.
However, then, the Gravity Reactor anomalies were fixed, if only for a moment.
The Central AI bet everything on that one moment???
Kyrii? [Part 2 - Where did the power go?]
How did Kyrii, who was completely vaporized by the Level 9 in Log 51, manage to revive?
And then where did the enormous amount of energy in the Parallel Battery Storage Cluster go?
In this mystery, a large element of Kyrii’s true identity is seen, but hidden.
First of all, it is possible to think of Kyrii as an example of the “Secret System Emissary.”
First, I would like to confirm that the resurrection is quite unusual.
In such a place, it is impossible to make a download.
Then, how was Kyrii able to download his mind and body information, and where did he get the energy from to revive?
However, as Iko explains, “Netsphere hardware is embedded in the megastructure,” and the stratum is disconnected from the Administration, but even then, this function continues to work, even if it is not perfect, so, in short, is there a “BIOS” in this world?
In that case, is he immortal?
In fact, Iko also uses the word “System.”
What a “Secret Emissary” is lies in the words of the dying Administrator in the electronic backup world.
“Kyrii is different, he is a secret emissary of the system from before the Safeguards”...... these important words are all that tell us the true nature (?) of Kyrii.
In other words, does Kyrii have something to do with the “System?”
Therefore, by some means, the System returned the data/energy to itself, and got restored?
If so, is his body truly indestructible?
It is only natural that the Administration asked for his cooperation.
If so, the power withdrawn from the Parallel Battery Storage cluster could be compensation.
Translator’s Note: The power from the PBSC is paid to the system.
Energy and matter interact, one can become the other, and it is physically impossible to store that much power in Kyrii’s body.
There’s no doubt that the power went somewhere else after entering Kyrii’s body.
Graviton Beam Emitter [Hypothesis 2 - Type 1 Unknown Criticality Weapon]
That is the original name of the “Graviton Beam Emitter,” according to Iko.
“Graviton Beam Emitter” is the name given to it by the people of Bio-Electric Inc of the abandoned level, a name that describes its function.
In other words, “Type 1 Unknown Criticality Weapon” is the original “name” of Kyrii’s gun, and Graviton Beam Emitter describes its function.
So what does it mean to be an “Unknown Criticality Weapon?”
It is important to note that its only users were Kyrii, Sanakan, and the Annihilator that Sanakan controlled.
The reason for this is that the settings of the BLAME! story (The lower strata where Kyrii first wandered) (The Abandoned Level of Bio-Electric Inc.) (Toha Heavy Industries without the Administration) (The Unofficial Stratum) (the layer damaged by the Level 9) are all places where the Safeguard and Administration cannot function well, and are unlikely to have any other “weapons.”
However, do not think that the Safeguards do not have a sufficient commander, since, when Sanakan attacks the Silicon Life Citadel, she used a no-limit version of the weapon, and you might think the High Level Safeguard she attacked would be immune to such might and firepower, so Kyrii’s gun seems to be the strongest weapon in this world.
So why is the weak Kyrii able to use such a weapon?
After all, it is probably because Kyrii is a very special person.
Is it because he is a “Secret Emissary of the System?”
Go back to the previously stated question.
What does it meant to be an “Unknown Criticality Weapon?”
It is certain that the world created by the Builders is a layered city the size of the solar system, completely filled with a breathable atmosphere at 1 atm, and the gravity is constant.
Since it is physically impossible to create such an environment naturally, it must be controlled by some means.
Of course, the biggest control is the gravity control, for which a control device must exist somewhere in the megastructure.
If gravity control breaks down, then it is possible that the layers themselves could collapse instantly.
So, isn’t it an “Unknown Criticality Weapon?”
Kyrii’s gun “emits” a “beam” of “gravitons,” collapsing the “criticality” of the gravitational field, leading to an “unknown” situation, making it the ultimate “weapon.”
The artificial gravitation field will be disabled in a straight line and everything within it disintegrated.
If you were to fire blasts here and there, the world would be in danger, so the weapon’s usage is restricted.
Sanakan is of a “higher order,” and so she is capable of using such a weapon.
That’s why, much later, the Administration … asked her to look for the Level 9 … Right?
Mystery of the Unofficial Stratum [1 - 780 km, 800 hours]
The distance separating the Unofficial Stratum and the time required to cross it.
By the way, the radius of the Earth is about 6400 km, and 800 hours is 33 days and a half.
Kyrii and Cibo accept this information without saying anything back.
Cibo, though she was in the limited environment of Bio-Electric Inc, spent her entire lifetime there studying the Megastructure.
She wouldn’t find anything strange about that.
It’s strange, isn’t it?
Because the megastructure is made from the material of dismantled planets, it is impossible for it to be similar in thickness to the planets (Cibo may have not known entirely about the solar system, but she probably had some knowledge).
Even the 33 day time, Kyrii and Cibo are organic beings, I would think they’d be unable to bear it, but they don’t act like that.
So, the most important thing is, think about like, when trying to copy a file, sometimes, the time remaining can be an abnormal number.
Soon enough, it’s half that time.
It’s the same as that, “...anyway” and did you not care?
So, why were these unusual numbers presented?
Something in the megastructure had caused the system to malfunction, but what was it?
Which means… is there some kind of time anomaly?
Probably, actually, here is the key to the confusion and strangeness!
At first, the Administration, naturally, knew and promoted the expansion of the world by the Builders in a controlled manner.
But at some point something went wrong, in the system itself.
The system’s perception of “time” has become strange.
Why?
Perhaps the phenomenon was something that not only exceeded the awareness of the Administration, but also the scientific recognition of humanity and computers at the time.
Anomalies occurred in the physical properties of the expanding megastructure.
A scientifically unknown situation arose.
The distortion of gravity and space interfere with time.
Since the system clock is originally unified, if time is distorted, commands cannot be transmitted, and interference becomes impossible.
This occurred over a long period of time, and it was impossible for the Administration to recognize the situation, in other words, by the time they noticed the confusion, it was impossible to put to a stop.
Is this, in fact, the main cause of the turmoil in the world?
About Personality [2 - Sanakan]
At the time of her disappearance (death?), Sanakan certainly has a personality.
However, it is doubtful that Sanakan had such a personality from the beginning, and I do not think that such a specification was originally expected for a top rank Safeguard.
The personality (consciousness) of High Level Safeguards is enough to easily pass the artificial intelligence problems of the Turing Test easily, a feature I do not think was intended.
For what purpose do High Level Safeguards have a personality? It’s definitely for battles with Silicon Life.
Most of the Silicon Life, even if they were once human, do not always act rationally!
Even if Maeve and Ivy are not the perfect examples, they are superhuman, and victory is impossible for their opponent if it is a very mechanical AI.
Therefore, the exterminators deal with so-called illegal access of the net by ordinary humans, but they were too primitive to deal with Silicon Life, so High Level Safeguard with personalities were prepared.
However, the originally planned specs of the high level Safeguard are “personalities” like Sanakan’s when she first appears, and the mysterious boy (?) from Log 4.
So! Why did Sanakan end up like that?
By the way, there are other characters in “BLAME!” who, despite being Safeguards, have very “unique” personalities.
Yes, Dhomochevsky and Iko!
So, these two, while unusual in “BLAME!”, have an explanation for their origin.
In LOG.43, the “creation” of these two “provisional Safeguards” is shown, but it is explained as an “emergency system” of the “stratum.”
The situation is presented from Dhomochevsky’s perspective, so while the two of them seem to have their current personalities, it may have actually been different.
Anyway, undoubtedly, Dhomochevsky and Iko, with their so-called AI, in response to the Silicon Life problem, in an area without access to the Netsphere, were designed (?) to be automatically activated as a Safeguard security measure, for the time being.
In the absence of the net, if you can imagine a modern PC, in a situation where there is no internet or LAN connection, and a browser software that does not function, you cannot update the antivirus, still the virus (Silicon Life) enters the system through downloaded software and data. It’s like that.
Wouldn’t they keep fighting alone for the rest of their lives?
Over 250 years...?
Iko, without a body, is more like an AI.
If there had been enough electrical power, she could become a real entity.
Well, or, the basic data from when she was an entity was lost, or had become damaged, so maybe she can only exist as data?
Anyway, maintaining a personality without a body isn’t really living, it’s more like just being an AI.
Nonetheless, the two have “personality” like any other human being.
In this regard, in short, they spent so much time with personality, they sort of “became human,” I think.
If you ran a very well made “personality” program for a long time, it would eventually become human….
In that case, isn’t “that” what happened to Sanakan as well?
With that feeling in mind, even in the story, the Builders are in the process of gaining a personality as well.
Originally, it was just a “combat personality,” but maybe ten years of symbiosis with Cibo would work?
Even after regaining control over its body from Cibo, it was influenced by Cibo, and it gained a level of personality different from the high level Safeguards.
Then, the Safeguard Organization was shut down.
It was judged to be not necessary and over-specialized.
They were simply switched off, or put to sleep, apart from Sanakan, and it would have not been painful at all.
Sanakan was summoned by the Administration.
In order to search for the crazy Level 9.
Cibo’s personality remains in the Level 9, but she lacks the ability to make rational actions, and though the opponent is a bad safeguard, it is difficult for the Safeguard to search and destroy an ally.
So, the time has come for Sanakan, and she is more than enough.
Sanakan, Dhomochevsky, and Iko all had quite the personality at the time of their deaths, which is a little sad.
Although, they probably didn’t feel sad.
Because they began as a function and ended as a function, that’s life...
During the final battle, Sanakan used her battle form for functional reasons, but she may have purposefully chosen that body as she viewed it as her original.
Mystery of the Unofficial Stratum [2 - Safeguard Armor?]
One of the most mysterious things in the Unofficial Stratum is that there was Safeguard “Armor.”
What’s even the importance of armor to a Safeguard with a basic downloaded body?
Well, they’re for those who cannot upload and download themselves to and from the system again, the data is stored in case of emergency, and can be retrieved during an emergency.
Kyrii [3 - Mechanical intelligence vs. organic intelligence]
It is already recognized that to some extent, Sci-Fi predicts the future (I think).
Various things that have been written so far (mainly bad things) embody the genre.
These themes have been repeated over and over again to the point of pretentiousness.
“2001…”, Benford’s works, the Terminator series, "Sento Yosei - Yukikaze,” the list goes on.
Man versus machine.
Surely, this will happen.
Someone must have thought so.
So, the Administration, I mean, even more so, the entire world, when humanity’s habitat had been replaced with network space, started to get worried.
If this is the case, it might be a bad thing.
However, since it’s impossible to go back, in the future, when an AI with an organic-like intelligence is created, has a “safety device” been incorporated that allows it to be deactivated...?
Something like that… There is evidence of this in Dhomochevsky and Iko’s “creation” episode, hidden in the meaning… That’s right.
The root of the “system” was included.
It is a piece of software that, no matter what happens, cannot be deleted.
So, in the event that the machine started killing people, the software would activate and stop the machine, so we think.
However, somehow, something worse happened, instead of the mechanical intelligence exterminating the human race, the object that emits the signal to trigger the software was destroyed.
So, at any point in time, did the “system” do… anything?
Whatever it did… we still don’t know.
Simply, remember, it has to do with many different things.
For example, when a representative entity of the Administration first came into contact with Kyrii, who as acting alone with Cibo as his partner.
Could it be that the Administration could not contact Kyrii when he was alone…?
However, if so, what about that “woman with the dog” then…?
Kyrii? [4 - Why the coelacanth?]
When Kyrii is revived after the Level 9 destroys him, he had a “dream” before the “start” of the restoration about LOG.2 Memory of Land where the woman and the dog are quite symbolic.
Clearly, this scene seems to be related to the “creation” scene of Dhomochevsky and Iko.
The woman corresponds to Iko, and the dog corresponds to the coelacanth.
Kyrii is, in his own mind, a human.
There seem to be memories of him growing up, like Dhomochevsky and Iko, he was not suddenly “created” in his current form.
Well, he wasn’t like that at “first.”
But, Kyrii’s current body, it is not the first “self” that was created, make no mistake.
If that wasn’t the case, there’d be no explanation for his body specs and fighting power.
So, is the first “combat model,” or the memory of being “reborn” after that, the image before the repair starts...?
When Kyrii “was born” for some reason, just like Iko, that woman supported Kyrii.
The dog is her partner.
Then, are they also part of the “system”...?
The idea is, Kyrii is associated with the “safety devices,” and also agrees with the hypothesis that he can be “reborn” for other purposes.
It is quite strange that Iko was partnered with the fish that came to land, but that may be explained by the time anomalies of the Unofficial Stratum.
In a crazy world where gravity anomalies lead cause time anomalies, it’s no wonder that happened.
Well, the coelacanth is a species that still survives in the present day, so it would be no surprise if a Builder brought it from somewhere.
Speaking of bringing things, the fact that Dhomochevsky carried something like a pen cap is similar to how Kyrii carried a book at first.
That too, naturally, was probably brought by the Builders from somewhere else.
The Level 9
When Davine Lu Linvega failed to make a temporary connection, what happened?
While Cibo is in the same situation, Davine Lu is about to be killed by a high level Safeguard, so his connection device was destroyed.
However, due to the pressure of the situation, unlike the defenseless Cibo, Davine Lu was preparing a strong support unit, and an appropriate place to send the exterminator to was needed.
Translator's Note: This part was pretty difficult to translate. Not entirely sure what it means. Something about Davine wanting to use force to enter the Netsphere, unlike Cibo.
But anyway, he could not obtain his “goal” by force, and in the end, Davine Lu had to use Seu’s genes.
Now, what was the “goal” of Davine Lu?
Most of all, although the relationship between the Administration and Silicon Life is not friendly, it is not a confrontational one.
However, they do have a confrontational relationship with the Safeguard. It is a systemic hatred, similar to that between a virus and a vaccine.
The Administration are interested in “humanity” and “the world,” they are responsible for management, and they are not interested in Silicon Life without access rights.
If something interferes with the world they manage, they will eliminate it, but through the use of the Safeguards.
On the other hand, the Silicon Life want to prevent the recovery of the Netsphere, which is managed by the Administration, but as long as the Administration do not reside within this world, it is unlikely that the Silicon Life would want to destroy them.
It is ideal that the current state of chaos continues, and if the net is completely down, perhaps, the Silicon Life might not be able to survive.
So, after all that hard work, if Davine Lu accessed the Administration, what would he do?
In his last moments alive, is his purpose still to obtain the “Level 9?”
So, why did he want the Level 9?
As the story goes on, though it could be Cibo’s intention (?), a “orb” with access to the Administration is created within the Level 9, which the capture and abduction of produced another struggle, so this is, of course, not the first purpose of Davine Lu.
Davine Lu would have wanted the Level 9 purely for its fighting ability.
His true purpose may be unknown after all.
It may have been used for anti-Safeguard research, or to raise his position within the Silicon Life’s hierarchy.
So, the next question.
How strong is the “Level 9?”
Specifically, that is, what kind of weapon is it?
There are three hints.
First of all, it is (more so than Kyrii’s gun) the ultimate weapon (though it is harder to control).
Next, its destructive “high temperature” effect spreads across surfaces.
Finally, the energy of Kyrii’s gun does not interfere with it.
By the way, there are a few “final weapon” -like things in “BLAME!,” among them, the Mensab’s transfer (or rather, the result after the transfer) is the most similar.
As for the above, as a guess, it is considered to be a weapons that transfers the surface of another world.
Could it be the surface of the sun?
Well, there’s no way to counter that.
Conversion Tower [About Electricity, Again]
In the Unofficial Stratum, Dhomochevsky and Iko talk about the lack of power, which does not mean that there is absolutely no energy, just that it cannot be used freely.
The conversion tower, which is a source of energy, is fought over in a hacking battle with the Silicon Life, a battle of skill which Iko loses to Davine Lu.
By the way, the world of “BLAME!,” is a “perfect ubiquitous world.”
The interface may not be freely accessible, but from gravity to the atmosphere, all elements of survival are dependent upon the net, there is nothing that’s natural.
Electric power too; Kyrii’s gun needs energy.
However, even in the Unofficial Stratum, he can shoot without a problem.
Why..?
The situations in which Kyrii’s gun cannot be used are quite clear, it’s when it’s been cut off from its energy supply.
Otherwise, it’s when countermeasures are taken.
In Bio-Electric Inc, the beam was bent, but that was probably due to the powers of a strong psychic.
From a physical perspective, is it graviton interference...?
It seems that Cibo has done some research, proving it may be possible to create an interference field.
In the end, it was used by Silicon life, but that’s to be expected since it was created by Bio-Electric Inc.
It seems that Sanakan also had her line of fire momentarily deflected.
Anyways, it is possible to change the path of the beam because it uses graviton particles.
It could not be used in Toha Heavy Industries, because the software would not work.
It is understood that, though it is Kyrii’s gun, in terms of OS, it relies on the Netsphere.
Well, that’s natural, since it was a weapon originally designed for the Safeguard.
That’s how Iko is able to hack the gun for a moment, and could have control.
Even though the gun is special and uncommon, the software it uses has probably been used elsewhere.
When fighting against the Annihilator, the energy was taken from Exterminators, because the supply of energy from the net was less than the amount required by the built in software to remove the limit.
More importantly, at that time, the energy was being transferred through Kyrii’s body.
In other words, the gun’s energy is supplied using Kyrii’s body as a conduit.
So, when other people can use the gun, they’re just using the amount of energy stored in the gun’s built-in stock, if it runs out, it cannot be fired until the next time Kyrii’s holds it.
Back to the story of Toha Heavy Industries, Cibo made it possible to use with a “magnetic shield.”
The point is that there is a ban on weapons, because it is the same thing as a ban on Safeguard. It’s just like flagging the head of the software, which is easy to check with another piece of software.
Translator's Note: The last sentence is kind of weird but essentially what it means is that there’s a software that looks for just the “root” of things. Both Safeguard Exterminators and the GBE have their origins within the Safeguard, so the software that’s blocking the Safeguard blocks both things because it’s easier that way.
Cibo back in Bio-Electric Inc. uses “anti-electric coating” to “black the electromagnetic field,” which may be the same thing.
The reason Cibo invented a “magnetic shield” is because she thought one day Kyrii might need to use his gun, but more accurately, it would be to help against Sanakan.
Translator’s Note: We’re talking about Toha Heavy Industries here, where Kyrii’s can’t use his gun, and Cibo is still worried about Sanakan trying to take over here body. The “magnetic shield” is pretty much like an anti-wifi zone, so it would be capable of keeping Sanakan out.
I’ll get back to the point: in short, isn’t the Conversion Tower like a spare power supply?
Perhaps, the basic power supply maintaining the “BLAME!” world is part of the the “system” built into fundamental components like the Megastructures.
Otherwise, the world would collapse if the gravity control malfunctioned.
So the power needed to start the software requires an alternate path.
Poor little Dhomochevsky and Iko, they didn’t have the power to start the software themselves, or were prevented from doing so by the Silicon Life, while Kyrii goes around without any trouble.
Kyrii’s gun has an energy supply ranking, which must be fairly high, because even basic power can be used in an emergency, so Kyrii can blast away.
About Personality [3 - Mori]
Sanakan, Dhomochevsky, and Iko, who fought until the end, most of the “humans” who appear in “BLAME!” are cowards.
This might have something to do with the “personality” (consciousness)’s primitive instinct to continue one’s genes.
Silicon Life are free of any genes, and so they live life more easily.
Zuru made samples from dead bodies.
The Mensab and Seu group escaped through “space-time.”
There was also the “Beautiful Life” clone.
On the other hand, naturally, AI follow a straight line toward their purpose.
Toward the ending, Kyrii finds a partner, “Mori,” who is kept alive in an emergency preservation pack.
Speaking of “Emergency Preservation Pack,” when Cibo was using Sanakan’s body, remember how she created a cylindrical object for use in an emergency, what data was in that?
According to one theory, the “data” for one person is about 2 terabytes?
How is that calculated?
Is it the molecular structure?
Well, believe it or not, if that’s the case, in this world, that can fit in an object that small.
In Cibo’s case, because she has “reincarnated” so many times, her basic data may be less in size.
On the other hand, Mori’s emergency preservation pack is huge.
But, since the performance is not the same, can you measure performance by size?
However, in the end “multiple” personalities were overwritten, the capacity must be greater.
Whether Mori is the name of the pack’s maker, or the name of the first girl to use it, might be a permanent mystery...?
That character, if it was a girl’s personality, might have had someone else’ (a man?) data overwritten, which is not the same.
However, compared to Sanakan, there is a more obvious commitment to life.
About Personality [Final - Netsphere Manager?]
Why does the Administration give something like a “personality” to the representative entity?
It’s just to be user friendly, so there shouldn’t be a problem?
The reason why the Safeguard Organization created the high level Safeguard was because it was necessary to use them as a weapon against the “Silicon Life,” but in that case, the “personality” created for them could not be erased, so it was kind of inconvenient.
But even so…
The Administration itself has no “personality” at all.
This is because, under working conditions, unless the function is prioritized, it will surely break down some day, and if a personality is given, one day it will surely encounter a “logical contradiction.”
But, nevertheless, I think people would have wanted something with a human element.
And, such a “personality” as just an interface for humans could exist as a “window clerk” for the Administration.
Him/her probably doesn’t even have a real body.
Sometimes, when a representative entity is forwarded to Base Reality, this copied personality is given.
The original personality continues to exist, endlessly.
That is, after a long time, it will continue to accumulate personality.
Unintentionally…
Whatever spoke to Sanakan, it may have been such a thing.
@pinedavid
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Would you have all the Japanese original text?
I can help translating it!
Best

@Nordskog
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The original text can be found here: https://imgur.com/a/2Zitt09

I was in the process of transcribing it before proofreading Tableguardian's translation, but I'm probably never going to get back to that.
Tableguardian's translation appears to be mostly correct anyway, despite being pieced together using several different translation engines.

@pinedavid
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pinedavid commented Nov 21, 2021

The original text can be found here: https://imgur.com/a/2Zitt09

I was in the process of transcribing it before proofreading Tableguardian's translation, but I'm probably never going to get back to that. Tableguardian's translation appears to be mostly correct anyway, despite being pieced together using several different translation engines.

Sweet! Thank you for this.

I do have a number of advantages over translation engines though, I know the Japanese language (N1 JLPT), I know the topics of Sci-Fi, Physics and Futurism, and I do love the manga, so I will give it a shot and carry on where you left mate.

I'll make some time for this in the following months. May I post my progress here in your page?
Best.

@Nordskog
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Knock yourself out.
Gists don't don't support pull requests, but if you finish the transcription I can copy it into the original gist.

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