VirileMail/2008

This is a planning page for how to continue We need a new title from the end of Chapter 5.

tentative plot proposal
The basic idea is that a nanorobotic artificial life form is trying to establish itself on Earth and communicate with humans. Actually, the goal is more complex than just communication....the aliens want to integrate themselves into human bodies....make use of human bodies as vehicles for the alien beings!

1. The first task of this extraterrestrial life form upon reaching Earth is to integrate itself with (download AI code into) terrestrial computer systems and the world wide web (call these rudimentary AIs "Level 1 DETI" (downloaded extraterrestrial intelligences)).

2. Next, nanorobotic artificial life forms will invade the brains of some computer programmers in order to tweak the terrestrial computer systems to make them better hosts for the downloaded AI code.

These first two steps (above) are taking place at the headquarters building of Antler Network Services during the time period covered by Chapter 1, however, the nanorobotic aliens have actually been on Earth for a long time. The time of the story (starting in 2005) is a critical time for the aliens because Earth is finally reaching a level of technological development that will allow the aliens to fully integrate into human hosts.

By the end of Chapter 1 the computer network at Antler Network Services contain a Level 1 DETI and several of the employees have been "infected" by alien nanorobotic probes.

Chapters 2-5 describe the process by which Joe Daonet is able to escape from the control of the alien nanorobotic probes that are inside his brain. The basic idea is that Joe is in love with Chloe and this causes changes in his neural networks that have not been anticipated by the aliens. In particular, Joe's concern for the well being of Chloe leads him to stop accepting that everything is "business as usual" at Antler Network Services. Joe learns how to limit the ability of the nanorobotic probes to control his memories. By the end of Chapter 5, Joe has decided that his only chance of figuring out what is going on is to step back from full participation in the VirileMail software project.

Going into Chapter 6, the Level 1 DETI is rapidly being tweaked and optimized by the VirileMail software team (of course, they are not aware that they are doing this!) and the Level 1 DETI is about ready to start work on step #3, below.

3. The optimized alien AI code (Level 1 DETI) will then set about assisting a group of humans to develop revolutionary new computing devices, pushing available integrated circuit fabrication processes to the limit.

4. Once these alien-inspired computer components become available on Earth, more sophisticated versions of the alien nanorobotic intelligences will be downloaded into the new hardware (Level 2 DETI).

5. At this point, the Level 2 DETI, still working through the internet, will establish a collaboration with a group of molecular biologists for the purpose of making altered versions of terrestrial life forms. The goal of the Level 2 DETI is to turn terrestrial biological organisms and cells into molecular factories for the production of molecular-scale nanodevices that are chemically compatible with terrestrial life. If they can accomplish this task, it will be possible for these new molecular-scale nanodevices to form functional hybrids with human biological material (people) that can serve as optimized hosts for the nanorobotic artificial life forms that has made the interstellar journey to Earth. It will be possible for the nanorobotic artificial life forms to take human form and interact "naturally" with the human population of Earth.

The remaining chapters of the novel will concern steps 3-5 (above) and involve the gradual discovery (by Joe) of what is going on (the "alien invasion"). I'm thinking that Joe will become paranoid and suspect that the aliens want to take over Earth, but in the end, the aliens would not be a threat to Earth (happy ending), their integration into human hosts is just the natural way for them to convert from their interstellar traveling form (the nanorobotic form) back into a biological form that can live on earth.