| Virtual | |
|---|---|
| [[|250px]] Servers Primarily Used by Virtuals | |
| General information | |
| Status | Thriving |
| Homeworld | Ahdm'pya |
| Type | Computer |
| Symmetry | Asymmetrical |
| Diet | Vigorivore |
| Lifespan | Indefinite |
| Other distinctions | Non-organic |
The 282.4 billion-strong physical face of the Zambarau Concord Mbili is just the tip of the iceberg. The virtual spaces of the Concord, contained in a highly developed network of computing systems found all over the civilisation, are more populous by several orders of magnitude, and represent simulated regions much larger than the physical Concord itself.
Population[]
Virtuals represent the most diverse of the two classifications of intelligent life that can be found in the Zambarau Concord Mbili (the second being Artificials); technically, AI and ZI can be classed as Virtuals, but this article only refers to sapient-level intelligences, though many aspects of Virtuals also apply to AI and ZI, and even some Artificials.
It is almost impossible to quantify the number of Virtuals in the Zambarau Concord Mbili simply because many Virtuals call the concept of individual identity into question - Virtual consciousness is plastic - Virtuals can be copied, merged, split apart or connected into pseudo-hive minds. Virtual consciousnesses can be structured very differently, calling into question the definition of what a conscious individual is. Are mass produced Virtual copies separate individuals? Are backups of Virtuals separate individuals? Is a Virtual distributed between computers across a solar system still a single individual? These are all challenges faced by a hypothetical 'virtual census'.
In theory, the extensive computing nodes in the system of Sthillisk alone have the capacity to store 27,700 trillion trillion Virtuals, but in reality, only a small fraction of processing power in the Zambarau Concord Mbili is used to sustain Virtuals, and of this, only a small fraction actually consists of Virtual minds (the rest performing support tasks such as processing simulated environments in which a Virtual may live). In reality, it is likely that the Virtual population of the Zambarau Concord Mbili is on the order of quadrillions, at the very least. Some Virtuals even exist for a fraction of a second, as part of some task or experiment, though such activities are limited by the Noosphere for ethical reasons.
Consciousness[]
Virtuals may have a significantly different consciousness from physical beings, as they live as data in a very different environment. A Virtual may have mental processes which simply don't exist in physical beings, such as emulation and ghosting, while they may also be without mental processes which many physical beings have (such as smell or taste processing). Other Virtuals may have aspects of their consciousness which simply cannot exist in the physical world, only simulations; this includes, for example, being able to perceive four dimensions of space. As the physical world only has three dimensions of space, such mental processes can only apply in specially designed simulated realities.
Despite the above, most Virtuals have consciousnesses akin to those of physical beings, as most Virtuals simply exist in simulations of the physical world, because the virtual spaces of the Zambarau Concord Mbili are orders of magnitude larger than the physical spaces. Most Virtuals keep to the simulations that are similar to the physical world because they don't intend to spend their whole lives in simulations. Most active Virtuals temporarily 'upload' themselves into physical bodies at some time in their lives. For a Virtual to expand their consciousness in such a way as to limit their involvement in the physical world, they are limiting their physical freedom (this problem generally doesn't apply to superior AI and ZI).
Virtual Spaces[]
The Virtual Spaces are the simulated realities in which most Virtuals live, and can be most broadly defined as being the processing structure which feeds sense-data into the Virtual consciousnesses. This generally takes the form of some physical space-based simulation; sometimes these are simulations of actual places within or outside the Zambarau Concord Mbili, but most often they have been constructed from scratch by either AI, ZI, Zambarau or a large group of very bored and creative sapient individuals. Simulations rarely conform exactly with the rules of the physical world, and usually allow the inhabitants to make alterations to suit their needs, gaining the Virtual Spaces the (not necessarily true) reputation among the less knowledgeable that they are some sort of utopia. Some simulated worlds even have a currency in the usage rights of such editing abilities.
Some Virtual Spaces, however, are not based on reality, and have completely different laws of science. These are often novel sources of innovation, as the different logical systems and modes of sensory input mean that thinking is usually done in very different ways than in the physical world. These Virtual Spaces are usually less well known, as, by their nature, they are more alien than anything that could be found in this universe.
Resimulants[]
Perhaps one of the most famous types of Virtual, a resimulant is a simulation of a personality that does not exist; usually a dead consciousness that was not backed up. Resimulants are different from resurrectants, which are beings that possessed an exocortex (most of their mental processes take place outside of their brain), so that they become a Virtual when they die - resimulants, however similar they appear, are different people from the personality that they are simulating.
A resimulant is usually created by an AI, ZI or expert system; details throughout the life of the person to be resimulated, such as memoirs, travel records and surveillance data, are uploaded onto a computer, along with their genetic data and, most importantly, memories of the person from the people who knew them. All of this data is used to piece together the most accurate representation of the person's personality possible, which is then resimulated as a Virtual; as resimulants are most often created at the request of Artificials (Virtuals are always backed up, and the Zambarau and Samakiwadago receive special treatment from ZI), resimulants are usually downloaded into physical bodies, though not always.
Resimulants do not need to be based on real people, but fictional characters as well, instead using descriptions of the fictional character from various media, along with a genetic template and information from the mind of the author. During the First Expansion Era, resimulation was used to turn many stories into fully resimulated worlds, following the ideal that 'stories should be lived, not told'; some more mischievous AI and ZI have even used transmissions from other civilisations to resimulate famous personalities, and even stories. In many polities, Erudite Tales is a hit, with a fully resimulated Virtual Space created from media collected over the years.
Resimulants have varying rights depending on their polity; in some parts, they are seen as being the same person as the person that they are based on, in others, they are classed as being completely separate individuals. Many unoriginal stories have been created around resimulants, usually following the premise that a mourning family decides to resimulate a dead loved one, only to slowly realise that the resimulant isn't the 'real Mel'. Many variations of this premise have been created, such as climatic fisticuffs between the resimulant and some inexplicably introduced resurrectant - needless to say, the whole idea has become a tired cliche.