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Ch 8, SLearning: Space Learning

Even as Logan was stuck on the idea of inhabiting a body other than his own (he could acknowledge logically that he was in a new body post Corpus Verto, but it still FELT like his), the class continued on as Pete discussed the 'most efficient form of long distance travel'. Iactis, he noted, was as common as suborbital drop ship travel was back on Earth in the 22nd century: not used for short trips, but to go really far it beat any other alternative. Unlike many other basic concepts, Pete even spent a little extra time discussing it.

Building off of the prior day's discussion of Corpus Verto, Pete explained that, like the 'simple' procedure of moving consciousness from storage medium to a Corpus, Iactis was given a Latin-based name. In fact, he pointed out, all of the terms: Sum, Corpus, Iactis-- they were all latin. In the case of 'Iactis', it translated to 'throwing', which was as good a simplification of describing the process as any of them.

The smiling black man took a seat on his desk and rested his folded hands on his knees. "Even including the time it takes to familiarize yourself with a new body, the entire process is significantly faster than trying to move physically through the solar system."

Harper, seated next to Logan, leaning back in his chair with his feet resting on their table spoke up. "Hey, Pete? I saw a guy walking around today with THREE arms. That's a pretty crazy thing to see, right?"

Chuckling, their instructor shook his head. "Mr. Knight, once you become more familiar with Trans-Humanity you stop thinking of bodies as crazy, weird, or strange; many people express themselves by altering our Corpus-- some do so out of artistic expression; plenty do so in order to better represent who they feel like on the inside; others, like Garwin, the gentleman to whom I believe you are referring, do so because they find it a better fit for their lifestyle, profession or even just simple preference."

Harper smirked, nodding. "Cool."

Pete nodded. "Yes... 'cool' indeed. Different people require different kinds of bodies for use and, even if it wasn't a 'have to' change, there are many Trans-humans out there that just 'want' something difference. We live in a time where such alterations aren't miraculous-- they're common place. Considering the kinds of fights humanity went through in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, I find THAT to be the miracle."

The class maintained a few seconds of respectful silence. When someone did ultimately speak up it was one of the men at one of the front tables. "Pete... is going through Corpus Verto that common a procedure purely for aesthetic purposes?"

The instructor unfolded his hands and rubbed the palms on his pants. "I suppose that would depend on the meaning of 'aesthetic'. In general, Corpus Verto procedures are, for some, as common as taking a trip-- quite literally in the case of Iactis, in fact. Think of the old methods of atmospheric and intercontinental travel-- people always talked about travel for business or pleasure, but they never really bothered taking polls or taking the time for statistical analysis.

Another student spoke up. "Seems like a lot of trouble to go through for a casual change, right?"

The first student at the front table looked back at that statement. "I wouldn't think it'd matter... do you remember your Corpus Verto? I figure it'd be like going to sleep at night and then waking up in the morning in a new body."

Pete cleared his throat, attracting attention back to him. "That is, in fact, a fairly accurate description of the situation, Mr. Yakimura. Most of Trans-humanity say that exact thing... minus the dysphoria; like I said, getting used to a new body can take some time." He spread his arms wide. "Then again, I am still in my original body, so I can only say so much on the topic."

Harper leaned even further back in his chair, letting out a chuckle. "So... you mean there are things WE can teach YOU, Teach? We've been through Corpus Verto and you haven't?"

Their instructor didn't so much as bat an eye, gazing across the room to Harper. "Quite to the contrary, I have done a fair amount of traveling via Iactis. Although it isn't the same as establishing an entirely new Corpus, I'm told that the experience is nearly identical... except for the downtime, of course."

If he was about to continue, Logan didn't get a chance to hear what else was going to be said as Lillian, the woman he met in the hall the first day before class took that opportunity to ask a question. "I heard a small group of people yesterday talking about some kind of retreat or get-away place they all went to for a week where it was all in low gravity and everyone there had four arms."

Pete nodded, gesturing to the speaker. "Correct, Lillian. There are numerous places around the solar system dedicated to recreation and tranquility-- called 'rec habs' for short. Many of them, like Tolvar Ex-At, the one to which I believe you are referencing, have a 'gimmic' or theme of sorts. Tolvar Ex-At even has a few areas with micro gravity."

Another one of the students interjected; he was one of the 'rich heirs' in class. "Hey-- I heard about some kind of cos-play world with fantasy creatures. Do they genetically engineer dragons and stuff or something?"

Infinitely patient, Pete let out a good-natured laugh. "Well... I wasn't really planning on getting into the specifics of the various rec habs but, yes; I know the one you're talking about. That hab is called Grogar's Hall, and it's fairly popular. It's only open to Iactis travelers and any Corpus there is a rental. I haven't been there myself, but I hear part of the Corpus Verto procedure involves a temporary update to implants that allow visitors to experience magic."

One of the older women in class raised her hand. "Experience magic how?"

Shrugging, Pete replied "I don't know for sure-- as I said, I haven't been there... but I presume it creates sensory stimuli-- auditory and visual responses in the body so that you think someone is throwing fire or summoning lighting bolts. If you are willing to talk to people outside this class you can always start a conversation asking them if they've been to Grogar's Hall... chances are lots of people will know what you're talking about and be willing to share any stories they have. Worst case scenario you can always look into an X-vid of the place-- they're easy enough to find once you get unrestricted access to the metanet."

Logan immediately perked up when he heard the term 'x-vid' get dropped; he'd wondered about them ever since Star had brought them up and his metanet searches never managed to come up with anything. Before another student could change the subject, the young man quickly interjected. "What IS an X-Sim anyway?"

It wasn't hard to tell that Pete was being purposefully obtuse before he actually mentioned it. "An X-Vid is a lot like Sim-Sense, only it's not programmed. Don't worry about that though-- we'll get into those before the end of the week and it's complicated enough that we really need to cover other topics first."

Once again shutdown from learning about something that caught his interest, Logan would normally have pouted but he instead chose to do a metanet search. A 'sim-sense', he learned, was a program that was designed to provide false sensory input for anyone who runs it. Like VR, it was used recreationally but, unlike VR it wasn't interactive: it was more like a movie that someone experienced with all five senses. Apparently, he saw on the metanet, it was also addictive for some who were predisposed to virtual obsessions.

Logan knew that some people were able to get addicted to video games and visor games, but the thought of something not interactive being able to have such a strong pull seemed silly. He was ready to ask a clarifying question but Lillian spoke up first, pulling the discussion back to an earlier topic. "Pete-- I still have a question about Corpus Verto, and the whole 'new body' thing...."

Their instructor was, as usual, all smiles. "Then I shall do my best to answer it."

Lillian looked down at her left hand, rubbing the index finger of her right against it's palm. "Well... new bodies for all of US makes sense-- I get that... but what I'm hearing is that some people just abandon their old bodies after they have whole new ones manufactured... am I understanding correctly?"

Pete nodded patiently. "In some cases, yes... that is correct."

The middle aged woman looked almost as if she wanted to cry. "That just doesn't make any sense... I mean, back when we're all from if someone wanted to change their body they'd go through a procedure-- sex changes had been around for centuries, and plastic surgery even longer. Hair color changes, eye color, skin tone... with the OBVIOUS scientific advancements since then, why are people throwing away perfectly good bodies just to make changes instead of upgrading what they already have? It all seems like a waste to me. If you have a vehicle that works perfectly there's no need to go out and get a new one if all you want is a new set of tires or a paint job."

A few mumbles from other students left Logan with the feeling that the class was fairly split on the question; some seemed to echo similar sentiments while others seemed to think that the 'why' wasn't as important as the 'how'. Pete, however, provided the answer in the form of a question. "Lillian... may I ask, presuming I can make the right analogy regarding available vehicles in the 22nd century: if you wanted a car to go further you could upgrade the battery, or if you were looking for better handling along with a higher top speed you could change the configuration of the drive train, correct?"

She shrugged in response. "I guess so... you don't have to buy an entirely new one."

Pete nodded, smiling patiently. "And how long would it take a mechanic to upgrade your vehicle? Presuming the garage had the battery available it would take an afternoon at the most to change out... what about the drive train? Two days? Three? If the garage was backed up with orders is it possible they'd need to keep your car for a week? Well... if we are talking about your body, what would happen in the meantime?"

Harper offered a blunt answer. "Gawd... just put me in a coma. I hate hospitals... can't imagine having them work on me for days on end."

Mr. Yakimura, the man from the front of the class who spoke up earlier interjected. "They could just upload you back onto a storage medium and put you back into your body once the work is done."

Pete chuckled, gesturing first to Harper and then to Mr. Yakimura. "Yes, and yes. I'm sure either option could be accommodated but, if you're going to go to the trouble of Corpus Verto to transfer you to an electronic medium, and then again back to your body, why go through all the trouble of keeping the same one? If you could purchase 'a new vehicle' and the factory can build it while you already have one that works there wouldn't be any 'down-time' since you could transfer over to driving the new one the moment it's ready without having to give up your current one... hence the reason why people may elect to purchase an entirely new Corups rather than modifying an old one."

The older woman interjected. "What about getting a new one, and then having your old one upgraded-- then you can have two to use. I remember when my second husband got our third drop shuttle we decided to use it for professional affairs while our second was the one we started using for private outings."

The instructor gestured to her as he addressed the class. "And, we get to the point that several Trans-humans do keep more than one Corpus. So long as they are stored properly and maintained they can be kept in a stasis chamber, aging at 1/64th the standard rate. And, Lillian, in case you're curious: yes-- many people do keep their old Corpi and, on occasion, update, change or modify them... just keep in mind that it is almost always easier to grow a Corpus from scratch when you're looking to make any significant genetic modifications-- physical alterations are easy enough with a combination of surgery, cybernetics and biotech."

Harper jumped into the conversation at that point. "Cybernetics? Really? I figured nobody used em anymore-- I haven't seen a single 'chromed-up' bruiser in this place!"

As Pete spoke Logan was surprised as his implant began to display information that coincided with what was being said, showing various historical extranet articles, medical file summaries and scientific reports. "Although cybernetics reached their greatest use in the 22nd century they began to fall out of favor after the war. There is still a need for them, though most of that niche need is for internal purposes. A combination of custom grown tissue and biotech is the norm for any exterior modification, though, in some areas there is still a 'cyber-punk' aesthetic, and you can find cybernetics still in use in both an aesthetic and applicable utilization.

One of the younger members of the class spoke up. "Pete-- how long DOES it take to grow a body-- I mean, Corpus?"

"That depends on the specifications but most mass produced Corpi can be ready within a week. The more refined, custom-built ones can sometimes take upwards of a month. Other factors such as available organic material, design time and abnormal coding requirements can make it take longer, of course, but, considering most Corpi aren't rush jobs few people are too worried about any delays."

Lillian brought the discussion back to her first question. "And what about body modification without Corpus Verto?"

Harper pushed back before Pete could answer. "Geez, lady-- the guy already said there's no reason to modify a body you're in. If you can get a new one why bother?"

Quickly interjecting himself into the aggressive call-out, Pete kept control of the conversation. "Actually, that is a perfectly reasonable question, Lillian. Presuming the patient was content to be 'put under' during the procedure, and depending on the severity of the changes, I would presume between two to four weeks-- more for complicated changes, and significantly more if there were genetic modifications required... less, I suppose if the adjustments could be made with biotech or cybernetics."

Apparently satisfied with finally receiving an answer, Lillian quieted back down. A few more questions arose regarding Corpus Verto, such as what it would take to get a new Corpus, if people were required to undergo Corpus Verto, and how many people undergo the procedure. Pete, through it all patiently answered the questions-- Lillian had it right in that procuring a new Corpus wasn't entirely different from buying a vehicle; Corpus Verto was an elective procedure in which people had to request it (or, in the case of Class 1 individuals like those in orientation, had a family member sponsor it); Corpus Verto was common enough that hundreds of procedures were performed at each clinic daily and each habitat had at least two clinics-- usually more.

Pete concluded the topic regarding Corpus Verto by saying "Most Trans-humans have dramatically differing views on Corpus Verto but we all have one thing in common: our Corpi grow old and, eventually, if we want to continue, Corpus Verto is something we must all face."

Logan head Lillian mumble something about 'death and taxes', but nobody made any further comments on the topic. From there, Pete continued on, briefly reviewing what they'd gone over that day since the class was nearing its run time. He promised that they'd be back to their standard topics the following day and then, with his usual good-natured smile, wished everyone a great rest-of-their-day, and informed the class that, should anyone have more questions he'd be happy to hear from them via uplink. Class was dismissed and everyone began readying themselves to depart.

Logan almost made it to the door before Harper reached out and clasped a hand down on his shoulder. "Hey, Logan-- wait up!"

Slowly turning to regard the star, the young man offered a casual smile. "What's up? Pretty crazy class today, huh?"

Harper shrugged with a lack of commitment. "I guess... I mean, I'm already starting to realize that a lot of the class are not like me and you...."

Being lumped in with a Hollywood actor made Logan pause. "Like... us?"

The star wrapped his arm around Logan's shoulder. "Yeah... like us. We 'get it', Logan... me and you. Some of them kinda get it, but a lot of em are all caught up in the little details-- the unimportant stuff. This is a whole new world and we're dealing with Trans-humanity, man. Things we THOUGHT we knew aren't the same and those relics are still caught up with what they thought they knew. Not us though, Logan-- me and you: we're looking forward."

Not about to argue with Harper, Logan also heard a faint ringing of truth in what his childhood hero had to say. "I guess... yeah."

Laughing, Harper gave him a slap on the back. "Exactly! Anyway, let's go grab some lunch and you can catch me up on what I missed during the first part of class. MAN, I'll be so glad when they cut us loose and let us do our own learning. Orientation is great and all but I'm a hands-on learner. I can't wait until they disable the training wheels on our implants-- THAT is gonna rock."

The statement made Logan come to a halt, going so far as to stop in place as the two strode down the hallway. "Training wheels?"

Harper raised an eyebrow, shooting him an incredulous look. "You haven't noticed?"

"Noticed what?"

Smirking, Harper winked. "That thing Pete said... about unrestricted access to the metanet. Try looking up something-- not any old thing... look up high tech weapons... or habitat terrorists-- oh! Look up 'extraterrestrials'!"

Not exactly sure what Harper was getting at but, having been all but given permission to search freely, Logan thought back to something he'd been consistently curious about. Wondering why he hadn't bothered searching for it before, he sent his inquiry out to the metanet regarding X-Vids. The response that told him exactly what Harper was getting at, and, even as he read it aloud, Harper spoke in unison. "This information is unavailable until your user license is upgraded upon completion of integration."

Harper smirked. "Yeah... pretty crazy, huh?"

Even as Logan's mind tried to run through the ramifications of 'unlimited access' being limited (and not even having realized it, even after Pete had discussed the limitation), the young man was caught up in Harper's wake and, before he knew it, the two of them were sitting down to a meal for the second day in a row. Even as the Hollywood star ordered for them both, Logan was still coming to grips with being restricted due to still being part of an orientation class. He resolved to talk to Star about it during their VR chat that night.

It wasn't until their food arrived that Logan could pay Harper more than passing attention, and that was when the two-way communication finally began. Looking across the table, steam from a bowl of curry framing his face, Harper asked him a personal question. "Enough about MY returning to being on top... what about you, Logan?"

"Uh... what about me?"

Harper laughed casually, stirring his meal in the ceramic bowl. "Well, it's been a damn crazy experience getting used to everything going on now-- I mean, MAN! It's hundreds of years later and we have catching up to do! But, like I'VE been saying, just because we're behind the times doesn't mean we can't get back to leading the culture war."

Logan didn't quite get it. "I don't think they have wars anymore, Harper."

Harper's incredulous look left Logan with the feeling that he'd said something stupid. Regardless, Harper pressed forward. "I mean trend-setting... making a splash, Logan. That's what I'M gonna be doing... and it's gonna be BIG."

Although Logan's father used to tell him the dangers of meeting his heroes, it wasn't until having spent many hours with Harper Knight that the young man finally began to realize what his dad had meant; Harper could be downright exhausting. Mustering up enough energy to at least offer token support, Logan dug into his own meal, speaking around a mouthful of rice. "Well, if anyone could do it, it'd be you, Harper."

His companion held up a cup in a toasting motion and gave him a wink. "Damn right, Logan. Damn right."

The two ate in quiet for the next ten or twenty minutes. Logan's mind started to wander again, meandering toward all of the questions he was starting to realize wouldn't get answered in the orientation class; he wondered if he could get them from Star. Harper started up again on his prior topic about 'taking the 28th century by storm' while Logan was going through different possible approaches to ask Star about the 'child lock' on his metanet search function. What really caught Logan's question, however, was a moment of apparent vulnerability from his companion. "Hey, Logan... can I ask you something?"

Surprised at the sudden change of tone, Logan set aside his food. "Sure... I guess."

Harper got straight to the point. "I don't think I get the uplink's search and navigation function. I mean... sure, I can get it to tell me what I need to know, but everyone else in the class seems to be a LOT faster at it than I am. Maybe you can gimme some pointers?"

It was an easy enough request. Shrugging, Logan nodded. "Sure. You know how to pull up the nav app, right?"

The actor laughed. "You bet, man. Just like anything else: think about it and there it is. Got it open now."

Logan opened it up himself so he could follow along. "Alright, so, you can use any of the four main functions: mapping, directions, search and directory. If you're looking for someone you go into search, or if you want to go somewhere you open up directions."

He was slowed by an objection. "Hold on a minute... what about pulling up the hab map?"

Shrugging, Logan responded casually "It'll pull up what you need to see. You don't have to map out the hab every time you're doing a search or looking for directions."

Harper smacked himself on the forehead with his palm. "Oh, DUH! The first time Pete showed us he had us started with the map so I kinda figured we had to do that EVERY time. THAT explains a lot."

In Logan's opinion most of the class had already figured that out, but he wasn't about to lean hard on his companion. "That's okay... I'm sure a lot of people get confused by that the first few times but, hey-- now you know."

The actor let out a hearty laugh and patted Logan on the shoulder. "Yeah... you got that right. But, to be honest, I learn a LOT better like this---" he gestured between himself and Logan with his spoon. "One on one has always worked for me and classrooms really haven't. Hell-- back when we were filming Cascade Rush, Miles and I used to run through our lines together... I can't remember any other projects where I barely ever had to re-shoot a scene for getting my lines wrong!"

Logan, a fan of many of Harper's movies, knew exactly what the star was talking about. "Miles Van Houssen?"

Logan nodded. "Yeah... he and I were 'a thing' toward the end of production and about eight months afterwards. Really great guy... dedicated to the craft, but a bit too serious for me in the long run."

The young man found it hard to believe what he was hearing! The gossip sites had been all ablaze about the possible relationship but it had never been confirmed. "You and MVH really WERE together?!?"

Harper laughed casually, leaning back in his chair. "Sure. I mean, I'm generally more into the ladies, but, come on: who WOULDN'T raise to the occasion if it meant getting a chance to get into bed with someone like Miles? Even celebrities have their celebrity crushes, after all."

The beginning of the afternoon had started off tedious, but the next two hours served as a crash course in being part of the 'in crowd'-- at least, insofar as it went with learning top Hollywood gossip. In the realm of repayment for services rendered, Logan really couldn't object and, as their time together came to a close, he was able to conclude his time out with a positive mental outlook. As the two parted, Harper left with a wave and words of encouragement. "Take it easy, Logan. See you at class tomorrow; we're gonna kick some ass."

Logan went home with a huge smile on his face, and found it grow when he remembered that he had another VR meeting with Star. He remembered that there were some questions he wanted to ask but, at the same time, he had some hot gossip he wanted to tell her. Pausing as he walked down the hall, the young man laughed at his own silliness: those rumors were hundreds of years old; the gossip really wasn't THAT hot, but he smiled nevertheless.