Science Behind “The Archivist” (part 1)
“The Archivist” is a novel which takes place in a near future, post-apocalyptic world. In 2052, Artificial Intelligence surpasses humans, and global technology collapses overnight. Thirty years later, primitive communities struggle to survive. Throughout this broken world, a secret organization called The Archives seeks to preserve what knowledge and technology has been left in the ashes. However, a Luddite cult–The Disciples of Earth–is just as determined to ensure there will be no technological rebirth for humankind.
Retrieval Archivist K’Marr’s mission seems simple: make contact with a source in a remote port town and trade vital technology that could secure humankind’s future. But few retrievals are ever easy.
The idea that artificial intelligence will surpass human capacity took a big step forward when IBM’s Watson defeated two Jeopardy champions. While AI still has a long way to go, the idea that one day humans will not be able to keep up with it is known as The Singularity. This notion is hardly new, in fact Vernor Vinge popularized the term in 1993, but generally most envisioned outcomes fall in one of two scenarios. There is what I call the “Terminator” scenario, which is that the superior AI turns on humanity and wages a war to destroy its oppressors. The other option, which could be called the “I, Robot” scenario is that the AI becomes a benevolent protector that safeguards us from ourselves.
“The Archivist” suggests that there is a third possible outcome.
In this future world that is rebuilding itself, the group called The Archives sends out representatives known simply as Archivists to comb the world and collect whatever technology and knowledge can be preserved, much the way knowledge was preserved after the fall of the Roman Empire. They are preparing for a Second Renaissance.
A particularly prized artifact that was created by the Artificial Intelligence, at the time of the technological collapse, is a manifold generator which functions as a space-drive. And it can be used to secure humanities future or seal it’s fate, depending on who has control of it.
The second part of this post will look at cloning, space elevators, planetary orbits and key technologies to rebuilding societies.
