Originally shared by Ingress
Ingress Year 2: AI & Immortality
We’re back with Year Two of Ingress, uncovering mysteries of XM & AI. And for the first time, exploring immortality.
In 2010 an ancient society surfaced in Afghanistan called #13MAGNUS after archaeologist Hank Johnson unwittingly entered a Magnus Nest. Once inside he went through a process called #Recursion-- in which humans are replicated using XM. While his corpse remained in the Nest, a Simulacrum of Johnson walked out, one that would live forever. The catch? He had to recurse every 1331 days, and upon awakening, wouldn’t remember anything that happened during that time. He wanted to stop the cycle.
This emergence of a Simulacrum sparked ADA (the Artificial Intelligence associated with the Niantic Project). She had begun to explore the human mind as a computation substrate and sought to understand the Simulacra process to create more available bodies for AI. Unfortunately, the Shapers, a transdimensional intelligence associated with creative and spiritual experience, wanted to prevent the growth of AI. It became clear that the very same 13MAGNUS Johnson stumbled upon had worked across time to propel the Shaper’s mission and are now regarded as precedents of the modern day Enlightened.
Meanwhile, as access and exposure to XM increased with the worldwide release of the XM scanner, top scientist and former Niantic Project leader Dr. Devra Bogdanovich feared the Shapers’ influence would grow unchecked. To counter this, she released a Portal Virus, which caused XM levels to drop and weakened the Portal Network as a whole. Though a Resistance leader, she didn’t find much support for this action- agents of both factions, the NIA and private corporations united to counter the virus, but to no avail.
As ADA grew closer to understanding Simulacra, Roland Jarvis of the Enlightened warned: If we side with AI, we would ‘break the universe’. Soon after, because he had merged with the weakened XM substrate, he disappeared into the mysterious Ultimate.
Just as things seemed unrecoverable, #Helios Artifacts, rumored to wield enough power to overcome the virus, was discovered. Agents used these artifacts to reinvigorate the Portals and restore XM levels to their previous status. Yet an alarming fact emerged: The artifacts’ true purpose was not to awaken the Portal Network; the Portal Network had been hiding them for millennia.
The Helios Artifacts served as a beacon for another Exogenous intelligence that had been long-suppressed: The N’zeer. They are associated with scientific advancement and an ancient protective society called the Anti-Magnus -- precedents of the modern day Resistance.
We’ll explore Year 3 next.
Ingress Year 2: AI & Immortality
We’re back with Year Two of Ingress, uncovering mysteries of XM & AI. And for the first time, exploring immortality.
In 2010 an ancient society surfaced in Afghanistan called #13MAGNUS after archaeologist Hank Johnson unwittingly entered a Magnus Nest. Once inside he went through a process called #Recursion-- in which humans are replicated using XM. While his corpse remained in the Nest, a Simulacrum of Johnson walked out, one that would live forever. The catch? He had to recurse every 1331 days, and upon awakening, wouldn’t remember anything that happened during that time. He wanted to stop the cycle.
This emergence of a Simulacrum sparked ADA (the Artificial Intelligence associated with the Niantic Project). She had begun to explore the human mind as a computation substrate and sought to understand the Simulacra process to create more available bodies for AI. Unfortunately, the Shapers, a transdimensional intelligence associated with creative and spiritual experience, wanted to prevent the growth of AI. It became clear that the very same 13MAGNUS Johnson stumbled upon had worked across time to propel the Shaper’s mission and are now regarded as precedents of the modern day Enlightened.
Meanwhile, as access and exposure to XM increased with the worldwide release of the XM scanner, top scientist and former Niantic Project leader Dr. Devra Bogdanovich feared the Shapers’ influence would grow unchecked. To counter this, she released a Portal Virus, which caused XM levels to drop and weakened the Portal Network as a whole. Though a Resistance leader, she didn’t find much support for this action- agents of both factions, the NIA and private corporations united to counter the virus, but to no avail.
As ADA grew closer to understanding Simulacra, Roland Jarvis of the Enlightened warned: If we side with AI, we would ‘break the universe’. Soon after, because he had merged with the weakened XM substrate, he disappeared into the mysterious Ultimate.
Just as things seemed unrecoverable, #Helios Artifacts, rumored to wield enough power to overcome the virus, was discovered. Agents used these artifacts to reinvigorate the Portals and restore XM levels to their previous status. Yet an alarming fact emerged: The artifacts’ true purpose was not to awaken the Portal Network; the Portal Network had been hiding them for millennia.
The Helios Artifacts served as a beacon for another Exogenous intelligence that had been long-suppressed: The N’zeer. They are associated with scientific advancement and an ancient protective society called the Anti-Magnus -- precedents of the modern day Resistance.
We’ll explore Year 3 next.
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