The desk I’m sitting at has two large screens. One is showing the power consumption figures for the link, complete with constantly updating details on the stability and speed of the data connection and the frequency response of the whole system. The other is a set of environmental monitors showing the electro-magnetic and gravitational energies being produced by the existence of the link.

I hadn’t thought of it when we entered, but I’m pleased to see that everything is well within safe limits. The link itself appears, at first glance, to produce very little electromagnetic radiation. There are no hard x-rays or gamma-rays to worry about. In fact, there’s not even much visible light. Almost all the energy is in the longer wavelengths and the rooms are shielded to block most radio wave frequencies. I knew this, but it is nice to be reassured.

“Argus, Can you see if Jordan is available?”

<Call connecting now, Aidan.>

“Hello Aidan. Are you getting settled in yet?”

“Morning Jordan. I’m actually in the lab right now. It’s a little overwhelming. I had no idea that we would have our own Singularity Link to work with.”

“Well, I for one am glad you’ve made it this far. I’ve spent a week struggling with something and really need all the help I can muster. That means you.”

“No problem, Jordan. What are you having trouble with?”

“Well, I was thinking about the energy usage of the Link. I don’t know how much you’ve thought about it, but so much of it seems to just be wasted.”

“That’s incredible. I am literally sitting here looking at the electromagnetic output figures for our link.”

“So, you see what I mean. We pump megawatts into the system to set up the singularity and then it works fine. It just pumps most of the same megawattage out at the other end as radio waves or light.”

“I’m assuming we collect some of that energy and re-direct it back into the power grid?” I ask him.

“Yes. It’s naturally not very efficient though. Also, much of the very low frequency stuff just can’t be blocked and vanishes into space. If you could see inside the walls of the lab, there are all sorts of absorbers and pipes and stuff, just to try and trap the energy and re-use it.”

“Right. So, we’re losing a great deal of energy for no obvious reason other than the fact that it’s how a singularity appears to behave?”

“Yes, Aidan. That’s exactly the point I’ve been stuck thinking about. I have an idea that, if we can somehow manage to make better use of the energy that we pump into the system, then we can use the existing power levels to increase the size of the singularity’s event horizon.”

“Okay, consider me intrigued Jordan. Can I help with anything immediate, or do you just want me to brainstorm this a bit?”

“Well, it’s only your first full day. Why don’t you think about it a little and, in the meantime, you can get yourself familiar with the controls and systems in the lab.”

“Sounds like a plan. How do I find out what all these screens actually mean?”

“Argus, can you give me control of an overlay with Aidan, please?”

<Yes, Jordan. Just a moment.>

<Aidan, Argus has requested permission to use your visual cortex.>

“Go ahead, Nexima.”

“Okay, Aidan, this will be a lot easier than you trying to follow my vision share. Argus will monitor my hands and then display a pointer on your visual cortex like this!” As Jordan tells me what is going to happen, a bright spot of light appears to touch the leftmost screen in front of me.

“Jordan, are all the stations laid out similarly?”

“Yes, each one is pretty much identical. Sometimes a user will move the displays about a little, but they always keep them in the same order.”

Over the next hour or so, Jordan walks me through the basic interface for our Link. He explains the many displays and sub-screens that allow us to manipulate the parameters of the Link in incredible detail. It’s a lot to take in, but nothing is so complicated that I feel I’m in danger of forgetting about it.

“I see that some of these parameters are locked within limits, Jordan?”

“Yes, Aidan. Anything that has been deemed dangerous or in general is considered to be outside our permitted parameters will need approval before we can change things. Argus will get a decision in just a couple of minutes if we ever need to make such a change.”

“I see. Well, I don’t think I can absorb much more in a single session.”

“No, we’ve done a lot. You will think about our problem before we talk again, won’t you Aidan?”

“Yes, of course. I’ve already been thinking about it while we’ve been working.”

“Do you usually multi-task like that?”

“Well, I can to a degree. I have always been able to absorb information and think about something different at the same time.”

“Wow. I wish I could do that. I have to concentrate fully on a single thing at a time.”

“It’s not really a blessing. I often got pulled up in school for writing an essay for one subject while sitting in class for a totally different one. Only getting an A+ on all the appropriate tests had any positive effects.”

“Consider me envious just the same. It’s getting late for me. I’d better get going. We’ll talk again tomorrow, Aidan.”

“Okay Jordan. Speak tomorrow.”

I quickly check the displays to make sure we’ve put the link back as it should be, but apparently Jordan is doing it from his end as I can clearly see a few parameters change as I watch. I head off towards my office, stopping at the canteen to grab a sandwich and a soft drink before I get to my own space.

I think Jordan already knows me quite well. He has surely read my personal profile, just like I’ve been given access to his. He knows what I’m good at and now he’s planted this seed of a thought into my head It is going to grow and grow until a solution makes itself known, hopefully fully developed. The problem seems like a simple one, but I’m already sure that the solution will be far from simple.

Our knowledge of gravity is still limited, despite the best part of four hundred years of continuous research. Once we had confirmed the existence of gravitational waves with equipment barely sensitive enough to detect the waves from colliding black holes, we could at least come up with a workable theory of gravitation as a quantifiable force.

Naturally, sensors improved and our understanding grew, but progress was pretty slow for a very long time. Of course, the 21st century collapses and the pandemics didn’t help this situation at all. The science fiction dream of artificial gravity remains just that, a dream. We have neither the materials or the know-how to create a field of anything like that scale and complexity.

It took another 250 years or so to be in a position to use energies that we understood more fully to create the tiniest of gravitational singularities and make the technology of the Link possible. Now we, and in particular Jordan and I, had to come up with a way to increase the size of this singularity almost infinitely.

Ideally, we need some way to contain the energy output from the singularity and then use the contained energy to magnify the effects of the singularity itself. Something in my thought processes is telling me that this is possible, but I really can’t see how that might be at the moment.

As well as I know my own thoughts, these ideas can be elusive. What usually works, if anything is going to work at all, is for me to just give it some time. This one may need a very great deal of time.

Nothing really comes to mind, despite an afternoon of deep thought passing by like a blur. It must be getting close to the end of the working day when I’m pulled from my thoughts.

<Aidan, Call from Martin Kinnin>

“Accept the call, Nexima”

“Hey Aidan, how’s work doing?”

“It’s good, Martin. Well, as good as first days can be I suppose.”

“Are you near to finishing? A few of us are at the beach if you want to join us.”

“I can finish. I’m just sitting in the lab and thinking anyway. Are you surfing?”

“We sure are. I’ve a spare suit and board if you want a lesson?”

“Yes, I’d like that. I need a change of pace to wind down. Where are you?”

“Right where we met yesterday. Come on down. We’re having a barbecue on the beach later and I’m sure we can manage to feed one more mouth.”

“Okay, I’ll see you in a few minutes.”

“Argus, I’m leaving for the day.”

<No problem, Aidan. Have a good evening.>