Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/02/11
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]łCaptain Picard! Long range sensors pick up signs of an unknown lifeform.˛ łBring us into orbit, Mr LaForge˛ łData, can you identify this lifeform?˛ łIt is a Borg-like collective, Sir. They are in constant mental contact with each other and they share all their thoughts and emotions. They call themselves Luggers.˛ łLuddites, you mean, Mr Data?˛ łIncorrect, Sir, They are Luggers!˛ łWhat are they doing? Can they de dangerous?˛ łI am not sure, but they seem to babble, Sir!˛ łBabble Mr. Data?˛ łYes Sir, they are communicating through a primitive technology about a large number of unrelated topics, that seem to repeat every 8 months, 3 days, 6 hours and 13 seconds. They are a very closed society and do not assimilate knowledge from other cultures. In fact they refuse to accept new knowledge and seem to internally generate their own concepts which they presumably value highly.˛ łYou mean Mr Data that we are dealing with a non-learning culture?˛ łEffectively, yes Sir. The repetitious nature of their conversation does indicate an unwillingness to expand their knowledge and experience.˛ łCan you identify a leader with whom we may discuss their situation. They may be in danger when they encounter the Borg.˛ łNo Sir, the Borg will only assimilate a culture when they can add to their own knowledge. This culture does not offer the Borg anything they might need. There is no leader, either, Sir. Some individuals are more expressive and express themselves more often, but they seem not to be valued any higher than the others.˛ łIn fact a very democratic or even anarchical type of society. Can they evolve?˛ ł Hardly Sir, they lack the necessary tools and infrastructure to become a mature society. Nothing indicates they would prefer that.˛ łData, can you identify a pattern in their doings?˛ łDifficult to say, Sir. On the one hand they talk at length about weapon systems, idicating a violent nature, but on the other hand they indulge themselves in obsolete topics, that have lost meaning in our age.˛ łExample, Mr Data?˛ łAt this very moment they communicate about a topic called łDOF˛, that is part of applied geometrical optics, which has no meaning to us anymore, as we use fotons as the base for our imaging systems, and we are in particle and electron optics. There is no consensus however, as they lack a common base of scientific knowledge and the structure of their debate is reminiscent of a fairy tale: full of surprising twists, but without any regard for facts. Based on my predictions, they will close the topic soon and start it again in 11 months, 12 days, 9 hours and 15 seconds with an error margin of 0.03 percent.˛ łWell Mr Data, will they survive?˛ łPositive, Sir, They have effective cloaking devices and shielded themselves from outside sources by some peculiar human habits˛. łYes Mr Data, I am familiar with these. So let us leave this sector. Mr LaForge, warp 6.˛ łRed alert, red alert, the Luggers have infected our computer systems! We cannot leave. Abandon ship!˛ Erwin