GLOSSARY:

anima (n.) : the measurable soul.

borehole (n.) : (of chronotics) a narrow tunnel of eliminated chronal strata now occupied by undecided future spacetime with a new “present” layer at its bottom. This new layer is causally isolated from the rest of present spacetime.

cenote (n.) : a sinkhole in chronal strata.

compact (adj.) : (regardinrg noöses) a mind that wields a “life sized” scale of computational power, i.e. comparable to local wildtype brains.

chronal strata (n.) : sedimentary past spacetime.

chronotics (n.) : the study of the growing block universe.

colic (adj.) : possessing wetware.

large (adj.) : (regarding noöses) a mind that wields above a wildtype scale of computational power, such as via a tight network of compact minds.

mesh (n.) : a type of colic wetware that requires permanent encasement and life support.

mustard (n.) : a seedlet specialized in detecting and filtering semiohazards.

noösis (n.) : (plural: noöses) a mind with an anima.

nootics (n.) : the science of mental architecture.

seedlet (n.) : sapient artificial intelligence.

semiohazard (n.) : a set of information that, when encoded into a stimulus, may evoke a destructive response in a perceiver.

Throneroom (n.) : the coronal home planet.

wildtype (adj.) : (regarding genetic or nootic condition) occurring in nature.

Psychesoma — Struggling ex-model in neutral nation. Currently housed by Noumena while they financially, physically, and emotionally recover.

Noumena — Fortress of a person with an unknown job. Philanthropic streak. History of violence.

Boytoy — Drafted US soldier. Future fodder.

MOUS — Heavily mechanically augmented reconnaissance agent. Hardly conscious.

Intel — Nootically engineered info absorbtion agent. Gleefully passionate about dossier construction.

Molar — Lethal close quarters combat agent. Dozy until activated. Apathetic but easy to control.

Sunflower Florets 1 & 2 — Entwined mesh clones of a single genetic donor who was an esteemed pilot. Grown as expendable pilotware for a spy jet.

Sunflower Floret 3 — The permanent onboard seedlet overseer of Florets 1 & 2. Tentatively emotionally attaching to the meshes.

Balanceaban — War logistics and research manager for México. Dislikes human suffering so has prioritized weapon lethality.

GOSSIP RING — Surveillance satellite housing a dozen nootically linked meshes.

Cygnet — US tactical and civic health coordinator seedlet. Young (~3 years old) and panicking at its insurmountable task of saving the collapsing nation.

GOD’S FAVORITE — Cenote sensor with a seedlet-human mesh operator system. Designed to blast chronal strata with high energy particles to create boreholes.

Last Lamb — High-volume scientific testing mustard. Public figure known for their regular communication of semiotic research.

Little Bell — Software systems analyst for The Pursuit of Sleep superproject. Lost and vulnerable to addiction.

The Harvest — Senior magazine editor for the Ministry of Arts. Mother of Little Bell.

I love seeing cygnets get up and walk around with their goofy little chicken wings. Adorable. The other older babies were sunning their legs