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The laptop was connected to the large TV monitor, which was mounted to the metal stand exactly at Grace’s eye level, exact eye level when he was splayed out on the floor with a couple of pillows under his back and neck for support.
It was funny how particular one could be about maximizing comfort levels for watching TV, when said TV was his biggest source of entertainment on the long-ass journey to Erid. Also, the best way to quench the never-ending litany of questions he got day in and day out from his alien roommate.
It was a great way to introduce Rocky to every type of earth element and culture and spark long curious discussions about everything and nothing, ranging from philosophical thought-provoking ideas to minor culture quirks in different civilizations.
Grace was also slowly realising just how unexplainable some elements of human culture and behaviour were, when questioned by an alien’s point of view. Rocky could never sit still during a movie or documentary video, Grace would often end up pausing the video till their long discussions across the xenonite wall came to a conclusion, which stretched a 2-hour movie into a 6 hour one. Grace wasn’t complaining, he was doing the things he loved most, teaching and passing the time on the long journey.
Like right now, the main character had just bought a bag of groceries, and the mundane chore had already spiralled into a discussion intense enough to pause the movie.
“Still not understand the use of middle rough frequency paper.”
Grace sniggered at the description. It was hard to think something as ubiquitous as money could become so absurd to explain.
“Money helps… moving resources around.” He said, “from people who have a lot to people who need it most. It works as a go-between. Instead of trading things directly, you trade money when you need.”
“Amaze. Humans have shared imagination. Everyone exchange piece of paper to obtain needful goods question? Everyone trust the middle rough paper.”
“How do Eridians do this?” Grace leaned forward. “Get food, water, shelter on a large scale?”
“We no use paper. Most resource are shared; we can get what we need from government. Other times we can exchange useful things.”
“Ah so like… barter? And your government works like a collective.” Grace shifted to face Rocky, this was getting interesting. “But how do you run a civilization with just that? What about those people who offer services but don’t know how to decide value? How does your government even know who needs what?”
“We all know. Everyone can share concerns as and when require, government can hold resources and give to whoever need.”
Grace raised his brows. If Eridians worked this efficiently to distribute resources, humans could definitely take notes. But it all sounded a little too perfect to be true.
“What if someone don’t want to give to government,” he asked, “can they take forcibly? Or do they compensate value in return?”
“Why would they not want to give question?” Rocky wiggled in confusion. “If someone has less, or has bigger family they need more. If we have more, we will give. If we need and someone else have more, they give.”
“So, you are telling me every person is so selfless? No one hoards anything?” Grace stared eyes wide. “I don’t believe that. Not a single person is selfish with your population of what, tens of millions?”
“There are some who don’t want to give.” Rocky admitted. “But they are few, and we know most of them. Easy to follow. Government has list of people who are known.”
“How do you even keep track?” Grace frowned in confusion. “Logistically I mean. When you are spread across an entire planet? You phone every person’s house and ask?”
“New word question?”
“Phone call, you can call someone long distance using a device called cell phone, no matter where you are on the planet.”
“Like radio question?”
“Kind of… yes actually, they convert sound to electric signal to radio waves.”
“Eridian also have long distance radio communication-“
“Wait, hold that thought. Let’s finish this first.”
Grace didn’t like interrupting, but he wanted one conversation to conclude before the next started. There would always be more time for s/ome other discussion. Rocky continued as before.
“About resource, we all communicate, large discussion, get everyone as ♫♫♫♫♫, people who need something can get into ♫♫♫♫♫ and tell the government bodies or people if they have any food, cloth, bigger house, education, broken fixing require, government can give but the quality is lower, some people prefer direct exchange with other people.”
Grace perked up. “What was that word?” He brought his laptop out; new eridian words were always exciting whenever they propped up.
“♫♫♫♫♫" Rocky replied, “Telling big group what you need, communication as group.”
“Like a meeting? Group discussion, many people get together to talk about one topic?”
“Yes… but no exactly” He tittered, waving his arms around, “Humans no have this? Share your thought direct to big group, lots and lots people share minds and understand what everyone wants to say.”
Grace’s jaw dropped.
This wasn’t what he was thinking… was it?
“You guys… you can read minds?” He said slowly, “like a big shared channel… for communication?”
“Yes, more effective for big group to ♫♫♫♫♫ than talk together.”
“No fudging way!” Grace almost yelled in excitement. “You guys figured out telepathic communication?”
“What is word before communication?”
“Telepathy, mind to mind communication without talking. How does that even work? Do you connect neurons or something? That’s so cool!”
“Not discovered,” Rocky spoke in amusement, “known, biological, possible from old old old Eridian generations.”
Grace looked at him like he was told gravity isn’t real on Erid.
“Hold it, hold it…you are telling me Eridians evolved to have mind-to-mind communication? Anyone can say anything with just sharing minds?” he jumped up in shock.
“Why would you even need to evolve speech communication,” he rambled further, “It is so cool! But it makes no sense if you can just connect minds with another Eridian!”
“No, very difficult.” Rocky explained, “we cannot connect mind one to one. Very unstable.”
“But you can communicate as a group?”
“Yes, bigger group can share mind.”
Grace was still wrapping his head around the idea.
“You can connect as a group, but can’t just talk to one person, like private telepathy?”
Rocky paused for a bit.
“Difficult. Possible, but cannot hear properly. Like random noise. When more numbers join we can understand what others are saying. Easier to-” he shifted on his feet, trying to find the words to explain, “-make stable structures with many many units, organs with cells. Think together.”
“So… like neurons making a combined brain?” Grace blinked in confusion.
“Not exactly, but can be.”
“In this shared mind, do you hear lot of thoughts from everyone at once? How do you make sense of them?”
“Not single. Thoughts overlap, form patterns, dissonant when not structured.” Rocky spoke fast, clearly excited to tell Grace, “Patterns form when different thoughts come together. We can know what direction everyone is thinking toward.”
“What kind of… patterns?” Grace breathed out, feeling a little out of his depth.
“Meaning together becomes…stronger.” Rocky explained further. “If more thoughts align resonance is stronger. Work till all thoughts align to get best course of action. Every collective decision is taken together this way. Government run smooth, people get what they need.”
Grace stayed silent for a while. “That’s…” he laughed in amazement “…one of the craziest things I have heard. How have you never mentioned this before about Eridian culture?”
Rocky did the 5-shoulder shrug he had learnt the first day they met, it was funny how many mannerisms they copied from each other over time.
Grace sat on his nest of pillows, head swimming with all that he had learnt. The movie stayed forgotten. Sharing thoughts as an ad-hoc hivemind, the way Eridians ran civilizations was so unlike what he had ever even heard of.
And the way Rocky described it, Grace could almost imagine a choir, different voices coming together in just the right harmony to make something greater than their individual parts. Thoughts align to form something bigger and more harmonious. The difference between making noise and making music.
"My word for this should be... hivemind? no, thrum." He noted in his laptop. It came the closest in meaning to what, he was sure, was a much more complicated phenomenon.
He still had so many burning questions in his chest. Meanwhile Rocky had picked up another of his projects and started to work, moving his tools and screws around to make space for bags of Xenonite to make- something. Again. The alien surely knew how to keep busy.
“So…do you guys make collective decisions about everything? Do communities just- sync up?” He turned to face Rocky, hugging one of the pillows. “doesn’t that slow you down? Everything has to be approved by everyone right?”
“Yes. Slower is safer. We make collective decision so everyone agrees to move forward in same way. Less mistakes, less risk.” Rocky answered as he went around mixing the Xenonite.
“And if people don’t agree?” Grace prodded, “even if whole cities link minds, every single person would not agree with every decision.”
“Some people not agree,” Rocky said, “Thrums are unstable when people not agree. We thrum until patterns show good resonance, thought structure is stable. Stable thought means everyone is aligned with one decision. Easy to follow.”
Grace hummed, in part understanding and part confusion. He felt like lot of things were being lost in translation.
“Does everyone thrum for every single problem?”
“No, thrum need lot of energy to maintain. And trust in community. Not everyone join in every single one. People only go for thrums that are useful to them, or they can contribute.” Rocky explained, as two of his hands processed the liquid Xenonite through metal molds to set.
Grace sighed, what he wouldn’t give to multitask this efficiently while holding a heavy conversation.
“Most small problems solved by small communities, bigger by cities. Too big thrum, too many minds together can cost lot of energy. Overwhelming for all involved.”
Rocky stilled, screwdriver frozen mid-air, as though remembering something.
“Biggest thrum ever was for Astrophage problem. Almost whole planet came together, all cities, local clusters, science hubs and astronomy hubs all joined. So much fear, so much tension.” He gave a slight shudder, “thought patterns not align, no one agree on solution for many many many days. Horrible waiting so long, not knowing what to do and where to proceed.”
Grace stayed silent. He too remembered well, the hype, the doomsday predictions, the constant current of anxiety in his veins for years aboard Stratt’s Vat, every time he thought about astrophage and how it could be a disaster for human survival.
“But you did do it.” Grace spoke after a while. “You guys decided a course of action, made a ship, sent it to Tau-Ceti to find answers, and now are going back with the solution.”
“Yes yes. True. We are going back. We will tell them, and Eridians find solution for you too.”
Rocky went back to fiddling with his tools, alongside paying attention to the movie on his textured screen. The MC had gotten into an accident, but Grace was barely paying attention. Something prickled at the back of his mind.
No…they wouldn’t, right?
“Rocky…”
“What?”
“What happens to those people who don’t agree with something? Those who have different ideas, suspicions about something others believe as correct, who don’t like the systems in place right now?”
“Pattern dissonant, unstable. Group thrum till stable.”
“No I mean, are the ideas removed entirely? Or are the individuals convinced by the group? Or does the group take them into account and decide? Or they split into two groups?”
“No no split. Group decide if idea is better, more stable, better for the situation, if agree then take decision on new idea.”
“But what if the group does not understand the idea, what happens if the old ideas are known…already familiar, and the new ideas create confusion because people don’t know about them yet? What if the group eliminates the idea without even giving it time for consideration?”
Rocky paused. Grace could tell he had struck something deeper within him.
“New idea…explained, group try to understand, integrate in decision if required, if aligned.”
“What if it if directly contradicting the existing idea?”
“Then removed. Group move forward with correct action.”
That word, 'removed'. Grace felt something cold wash over him.
“Correct action is the one that the group decides together.”
“Yes.”
“How do you know it is correct?”
“Because the group decides to move forward with it. So correct.”
“What if the group’s idea is the wrong one?”
Wrong idea cannot be stable. If stable then correct.”
Grace pinched his nose, getting frustrated at the circular logic.
“Rocky… if everyone thinks the exact same thing, and everyone agrees on everything, there is no one for resistance. No one to tell you to reconsider your logic. No room for growth, for improvement of concepts. Of science. Science develops at the contradictions. Someone has to tell you if you are wrong.”
“Yes yes, group says if you are wrong, if you can refine your idea. Ideas build on top of each other. New ideas, thoughts built on existing thoughts, science progress when people build on top of another.”
“But if you outright refuse to accept the consensus, or contradict something, the group removes the idea so there is no…instability. Then there is no wrong idea.”
“Not remove, integrate.”
“But it still won’t be the same.”
The conversation had only increased the unsettling feeling in his chest.
“So Rocky, tell me this…” Grace asked slowly. “You said the Eridians would do anything to help me survive.”
“Yes. Smart smart Eridians will help you make food, live on planet. You no die.”
“And I believe I would come as a surprise to everyone, contact with intelligent alien. I know Earth would definitely freak out knowing about you guys.”
“Yes yes. Definite. No one seen aliens before. They will do thrum for whole planet to figure out what to do, who you are, what you need.”
Grace rubbed his face. His chest tightening painfully.
“What happens if the thrum, the group of Eridians decides that they want nothing to do with me, they would rather let me die, so that they don’t have to deal with me.”
“Will not happen. Stupid decision. Thrum will not take decision that does not help you. You help whole Eridian species. Find solution for astrophage problem and bring back to Erid. We will do everything to help you live.”
“Yeah but…” Grace struggled to explain, the dread washing over him completely, “what if they are afraid of me, or think I am a threat. What if they decide as a group that I am not allowed near the Eridians and let me die, or worse kill me?”
Rocky started fidgeting nervously.
“I no let that happen. I will convince everyone that you are smart, brave, good good good alien-”
“Rocky you just said, your groups are difficult to convince of new ideas, and my presence will defy lot of their existing concepts.”
“No, stupid stupid Grace, no one will think you as bad, you save planet, you save Eridians.” He paced around, voice turning sharp.
“But if it happened, then no one can question it. It would mean that everyone agrees that I am a threat to Erid.”
That hit hard. Rocky went very very still. Grace looked at him, unnerved.
“Not possible.” He said, voice small but determined. “I will fight whole planet if I have to. Good good good alien save our species, no one will refuse to help you.”
“You realise you are contradicting yourself?” Grace spoke quietly.
Rocky didn’t respond immediately.
Grace leaned back against his pillows, unsettled. The TV kept running on a scene neither was focusing on. For a long moment neither of them spoke.
“I…not understand. ” He said after a pause, clicking his claws, deep in thought. “If group is always correct, I should agree with group. But Grace also correct.”
Something softened in Grace. His friend was struggling to hold on to both points, challenge something fundamental in his thinking.
“It’s Ok to not understand.” He said even though he didn’t feel it, “we can figure something out. We always do.”
“Humans are good at this.” Rocky angled his carapace toward Grace, “Figure things out. Make ideas along the way. Action even when not sure what to do.”
“I guess so.”
“How humans act without correct pattern question.”
“Maybe, because…” Grace stared to his side, thinking, “Waiting for a correct pattern, perfect idea can take way too long. And often we don’t get one. So, people try different things. Some work some don’t.”
Rocky tapped his fingers on the floor.
“High risk. Inefficient.”
“Absolutely.” Grace let out a short laugh. “Very messy. People fight over lot of things. Ideas get rejected all the time. But also…sometimes we get some unexpected things out of it.”
“Your people fight…it is like unstable pattern question?”
“I…guess so. And they don’t get resolved immediately. People can have strong opinions about some idea. Sometimes one will impose on the other. Other times they just…agree to disagree.
"mmm..." Rocky wiggled in discomfort.
“But it works. Different groups can test out different ideas. Competition between groups can help them maximize efficiency. Other groups can copy a better design or idea if it works well.”
“So…” Rocky considers, “like parallel process. Many many process together.”
“Yeah.”
“Unstable. Messy for people to work.”
“It may be.” Grace smiled. “But when one process fails, it doesn’t take the whole group down with it.”
That landed heavier than anything before.
Rocky tapped aimlessly with a screw. Grace waited patiently for him to say something.
“When we get back to Erid,” he said finally, “Our people will organize big thrum. To understand you, help you.”
"Yeah." Grace nodded.
“I will join. I will share everything about you, how you help me, how you save Erid. Good good good human.”
“Rocky…” Grace looked away, glad that the alien could not see his red face.
“I can have more influence if I am at high level of respect. Hope I may be famous so I can help you get everything you need. But not all agree immediately.” Rocky spoke with cautious cadence. “There will be always noise in the start, before it can become final pattern.”
“That noise might be my best shot bud.” Grace muttered.
“Noise…” Rocky repeated quietly.
“Noise need time to settle, so more people can understand.” Rocky seemed to be talking more to himself, another habit he had picked up from Grace
He shifted to ‘look’ at Grace.
“Need more time to stay with uncomfortable idea. Stay… without early integration.”
Grace could feel something loosen in his chest.
“I will ask for time. More cycles, more understanding. I will try, do anything for friend Grace to live. My people will take care of you.”
Grace blinked, the tension in him softened listening to Rocky be so fiercely on his side.
“Thanks buddy.”
The words hung in the air between them, uncertain but not without promise.
Rocky would fight for him; he had no doubt. But he wasn’t the one who had to be convinced. Somewhere out there was a whole world whose claws held Grace’s ultimate fate.
For now, all he could do was pass the time. And hope. Together they had already come this far against all odds, maybe a little more was not too much to ask.
Rocky started tinkering again while Grace tried paying attention to the movie. He had no idea now what was happening. There were three people going in a car arguing about their next course of action for- something.
“Humans…” Rocky said, “able to hold dissonant thoughts…and still function.”
“Barely, you should see our internet sometime.” Grace mentioned in an offhanded gesture toward his laptop. “Absolute chaos.”
“New word question?” the alien perked up instantly.
Grace groaned out loud. “No…we are not doing that right now.”
“Is it like Eridian group thrum?”
“No not at all… it’s like a collective space for sharing.” Grace regretted starting the conversation. “I’ll explain later Rocky.”
“Sharing like middle-rough paper?” Rocky pointed to his textured screen; someone was paying the cab driver in the movie.
“This again?” Grace sighed in amusement, he should really start translating middle-rough as green in his mind.
“Yes. Humans argument, conflict of ideas, several small patterns. But how they trust paper to share resources to share question?”
Grace paused the movie again. They were going to be at this for a long long while.