Etranger

Appendix 2> Biyeon’s Records: The World’s Secret

“In this world, compared to ours in Episode 285, between the physical and logical aspect, only the logical aspect is slightly different, right?” Biyeon asked with a bitter expression. It was as if she had put something in her mouth and couldn’t swallow or spit it out.

“Yes, that’s the conclusion we’ve come up with. Thus, magic is possible in this world,” Miri stated. Miri looked uncomfortable. It was as if she felt that she couldn’t lose out to Biyeon. Either that or she had some sort of seniority complex.

“So, you’re saying that ‘thought’ could exist as its own existence? This is such an idealistic type of concept,” Biyeon stated.

“No, it just means that the physical worlds' atoms and the logical worlds ‘bit/byte’ reflect the larger overarching complexion of the world. Will and senses are heightened here compared to those in Episode 285. Would it make sense to say that the rules of the games are slightly different in this world?” Miri explained. Miri then smiled. She recalled the chaos and anxiety that she felt when she first realized this concept herself.

“One’s will has an effect on one’s physical body in a real way? This is a total magic fantasy world.”

“What’s wrong with a fantasy world? Why is only a physical existence recognized as the entirety of an existence? Think about it. Can things work with only the presence of hardware? The software, in other words, a logical structure, is also needed for things to properly operate.”

“Your analogy makes sense. However, an atom is something that exists in nature while a byte is something wholly manmade. How can we state that a byte truly exists?” Biyeon questioned.

“Geez, modern scientific thought and education really wreaked havoc on the open-mindedness and creativity of individuals. Okay, let’s dig deeper. Since you and San have already reached a level where you both can utilize magic, you should listen carefully to my following words. It should help you better understand what you possess,” Miri stated.

Miri confidently nodded her head to express that she’d soon start her lesson. Miri was an elementary school teacher back in Episode 285, so she was experienced in teaching concepts to others. She felt the fluttering of butterflies in her stomach. It was a common occurrence that happened when she came across an eager student who was passionate about learning. Biyeon was such a student for Miri.

“Magic… is it really possible?” Biyeon questioned.

“How can a 7th Stage of Acceleration person ask me that? We believe that the point after the 9th Stage of Acceleration is when one can utilize magic. That’s when one can start creating the basic materials of the natural world and actively interact with the natural physical components of things.”

“Have you ever seen anyone using magic?”

“No, I haven’t directly seen anyone using magic. However, the Fallen are all above the 9th Stage of Acceleration, and their power is known to originate from magic. They’re able to create something out of nothing. They’re able to do things that most prophets relate to as miracles.”

“Then have you Outsiders already explained how magic can exist within the construct of modern science?” Biyeon asked.

“It’s not based on science.”

“Then?”

“Math.”

“Math?”

“Yeah, the entire universe is based on math. No, it’s more appropriate to state that the universe is math. That’s what we Outsiders believe,” Miri replied.

“It’s like Pythagoras had crawled out from the dead. Anyway, is math different from the sciences?” Biyeon asked as she tilted her head. In Biyeon’s mind, math was what allowed science to develop. Miri shook her head.

“Math is the most powerful and error-less language. That’s why it’s often used to describe the phenomenon in nature, more so than any words, sentences, or paragraphs. However, the fundamental power of math is far deeper and stronger than that. Math is distinct from the natural physical existence of things.”

“Math is separate from physical existence?”

“Think about it. Do numbers or formulas have any existence? 1, 2, 3… rational numbers, irrational numbers, statistics, probability, graphs, equations, relationships… all these things exist within a fundamentally logic and deductive based structure. It’s like the absolute Idea of how Alice was able to exist as a copy of herself even after she entered a totally different world. Does that make it clearer? With this in mind, we can now determine whether physical existence or Idea is more fundamental, right?”

Biyeon mulled over Miri’s words. Science had gifted humanity with an understanding of the physical world. This was because science could accurately explain the phenomenon within the physical world. Thus, the existence of gods was thrown out the window and the consciousness of beings was interpreted as neurons firing within one’s brain.

However, math was based purely on axioms and logic, which together, created the Idea. Math was closer to being called an idealistic foundation compared to science. Then, since the two were diametrically opposed to each other, what would connect them?

“Should I tell you something that’s even more confusing? Once we started using equations, like the quadratic equation, in the 20th century, we started to make clearer, better definitions of natural phenomena. This was because the simplistic nature of an equation never failed an experiment or test. Maxwell utilized math and electricity to find Maxwell’s Equation, and Einstein used math to uncover his theory of relativity. Do you know what happened afterward? There was a fierce competition to find and define the mathematical formula to explain how the entire universe worked.”

“The theory of everything?” Biyeon asked.

“Yes. That was the process wherein the source code of magic was found,” Miri answered.

“Source code?”

“Let’s be entirely objective. Let’s throw away our prejudices and expectations and just focus on the essence of a question. Since math is the entirety of Idea, it can describe and explain every natural existence and phenomenon. For the scientists in the 21st century, all that was needed was Idea and the right tools to understand the existence of anything and everything. All the theories, laws, and rules found in science were just tools to better understand Idea. Hence, Idea is more fundamental than science.”

Biyeon felt shocked as a large construct in her mind started crumbling.

‘Math is objective. It will always return the same answer. The physical world is more prone to estimation and rounding errors. There probably is an absolute answer in the physical world, but it’s hard to calculate. If Idea and science, which both existed from different points, both set off to explain the physical world, which one would we find to be the most fundamental?’

“Thus, Idea existed from the beginning, and Idea created the existences of the physical world. Is that the premise of your argument? And Idea is based on math?” Biyeon cautiously asked.

“No, there are two more things that are needed. The existence of the basic building blocks that can create an existence. And the power to connect Idea with the physical building blocks. Furthermore, those three things probably exist as parts of one entity.”

“The Creator? The trinity? Are we going into religion now?”

“Oh, we actually thought it was closer to Eastern mysticism than Western religion. He’s called the Creator, which is something more usual in eastern societies than in western societies. The Creator possesses both yin and yang, representing the duality of Idea and physical building blocks. The Creator would then be the power to connect everything,” Miri said, finishing with a giggle.

“But how are you sure the Creator exists?” Biyeon asked.

“He’s someone who exists beyond the ‘event horizon’. It’s impossible to prove his existence with the tools we have at our disposal. But I believe he exists. That’s the best I can explain it.”

“You’re avoiding the main question, right?”

“It’s impossible for something that lives in a two-dimensional space to describe something that exists in a three-dimensional space, right? But one never knows… you and San may be able to reach the 12th Stage of Acceleration, what we believe is the last stage, and meet the Creator. Anyway, the four of us in the Outsiders believe that there is such an existence.”

“The Creator?” Biyeon asked. Instead of answering, Miri just nodded her head.

“We also want to see you two using magic. That would also prove our theories correct. We’ll be proven correct once you can make something from nothing,” Miri stated.

“But… how does Idea create existences?” Biyeon asked in a serious voice. The question was at the heart of her inquiry. It was also the most uncomfortable question for all scientists. This was because there was no theory that could explain the connection between Idea and physical existences.

“Do you believe in physics-based theories?” Miri asked.

“There’s conjecture and experimentation, and when they fall together, things get proven… At least, they provide something to base one’s perspective and understanding of the world. So, I do believe in physics-based theories.”

“Then, based on a shadow, can you recreate the color and shape of the image that cast that shadow?”

“That’s impossible,” Biyeon answered.

“That’s right. It’s impossible. So, don’t rely on physics-based theories too much. Your mind is creating the illusion of understanding through cognitive thought and experience. Any principle arising from physics-based theories is just touching the edges of the third dimension. Since you’re on the cusp of understanding the fourth dimension, you’ll probably soon understand what I’m saying,” Miri stated.

Biyeon looked over at San and caught him yawning. That was San’s true image. Would San have been able to stop that yawn from happening if he wanted?

Biyeon asked Miri another question, “And even if I reach the fourth dimension, that probably isn’t the end either, right?”

“Of course. If one can’t see through all the dimensions, then one must rely on mathematics. We call that math ‘spells’. You two need to find out what those spells are,” Miri replied.

“Magical spells? Damn it. So, I need to start studying math again?” San butted in. His eyes were watery after yawning. His voice was slightly whiny. Miri gave a bitter smile before answering, “You two have created your own Awakened skills, what’s so scary about a little bit of math? Did you think the first-dimension math lines were the essence of all things?”

“What the hell are you talking about? There’s ninth-dimensional math? Screw it, I’m having none of it. If I can do it physically then that’s another question, but using my head isn’t an option,” San answered as he looked over at Biyeon. Biyeon nodded her head as if in agreement with San’s assessment. They both didn’t have very good experiences with math during their lives.

“Don’t be so afraid. Math can be expressed physically as well. The body can react and move through multiple dimensions even without the brain fully understanding what is going on,” Miri explained.

“…”

“A human’s physical body is the perfect analog computer. The body already is preset with math. Every second of your life, there’s a calculation going on within you, right? The one thing you two must resolve is…” Miri explained.

“Our body is a computer?” San cut in.

“Yes, but the true question that must be resolved is not about the body being a computer… it’s about how Idea can be affecting us at every moment, all the time,” Miri stated.

Biyeon had to agree with Miri’s last statement. Biyeon experienced it also in her life. Gamma and X-rays, ultrasonic sound, and even the singular particles that bombarded a human’s skin every second of the day… all these things pointed to another world, another microcosm universe. All these universes possessed different worlds, each different from the other. Moreover, all those things were affected by and reacted to Biyeon’s decisions and movements. Was it something like a complex system of spiderwebs interconnecting everything together? If she shook, did everything shake as well?

“Then, is the world we live in an illusion?” Biyeon asked Miri.

“Hey! Biyeon! Why are you asking me something you already know the answer to? Over the past five hundred years that we’ve spent on this planet, we’ve realized that our human Awakened senses can directly affect and change the world we live in. It’s like looking into a pond at my own image being reflected and then swiping the water’s surface to scatter the image into smaller parts before reforming. A more meaningful question is whether our view has changed or if we ourselves have fundamentally changed. Right? What was real?”

“What’s your conclusion?” Biyeon asked.

“If we can’t decide what is reality, we should just accept both as possibilities. The observer can affect the image and the image can affect the observer. I believe that this world works in tandem and symbiotically with humans. That’s why the awakening of humans was such a revolutionary event,” Miri argued.

“Honestly, I think your theory that the observer is able to affect this world is a bit too much. Then, if humanity ceases to exist, does the world also cease to exist? I’ve also read Einstein’s argument with Boar, and I’ve also learned about Schrodinger’s cat, but I never thought I’d hear those arguments again in this place,” Biyeon said with a sigh.

“Oho! You knew? Yes, my conjecture is very similar to those concepts. I’ve come to conclude that I agree more with Boar than Einstein. The relationship between the observer and the subject can’t be separated. Whether that’s the limit of our abilities to recognize or the conditions set by the world is another matter. Anyway, humans are important. Humans connect the physical world to the world of concepts.”

“Let’s say a world of concepts exists. How would you go about to prove its existence? You’re telling me that you need to just accept it since you can’t gauge it or prove it, right? Accept it under the guise of magic? Isn’t this an absurd claim?” Biyeon countered.

“Well… let’s return to the original question. Do all existences have to be made up of physical parts? Is logic and thought just images and mirages that are created by our brains?” Miri asked as she giggled once more.

“I guess energy exists without a physical state. I’m not sure if energy is physical or not,” Biyeon responded, unsure of her answer.

“Energy? Energy is the ability that allows work to be done. Does ability have a physical presence? Potential energy, kinetic energy, heat energy… all those things don’t have mass or weight. In other words, they don’t possess the properties that would make them physical existences. They only exist because we’ve created experiments that prove they exist. So how can we dare say that they ‘exist’? Thus, energy is closer to being a theoretical existence rather than a physical one.”

“But we can observe it in the physical world.” Biyeon countered.

“Can’t theories be observed in the physical world? Then, are economic movements also like energy? Do atoms exist but bytes do not? To me, the world is infinitely more easily explained through bytes than through atoms,” Miri explained.

“Then, based on what you stated, all physical existences are illusions, right? Things that possess weight and mass, even if we can touch them, right?”

“I never said that they were illusions. We interact with the physical world through our senses. Based on our evolutionary development, we’ve come to prefer using weight and mass as measurements rather than bytes. This was because our brains preferred that form of interpreting the physical world. However, I believe that energy is a more foundational principle than weight or mass. Einstein had already proved the equal relationship between mass and energy through his famous theory of relativity, E = mc2. Since the equation has proven the existence of energy, now all that’s left is to understand what this energy is. Energy is the product of force times distance, so, now all that’s left is to figure out what force is.”

“Damn it… this is getting more and more complicated. I never imagined that I’d be studying physics in this world,” Biyeon muttered.

“In physics, there are four main forces: gravity, Maxwell’s electromagnetism, weak forces like x-rays, and strong forces like atomic energy. If you dig deeper into each of these forces, a surprising conclusion can be reached,” Miri stated.

“…”

“General relativity states that gravity is affected by acceleration. To be more specific, it’s the curvature of space. Yeah… the curvature. If one folds a two-dimensional piece of paper in half, then both ends will meet in the middle, right? The reason those two points can get close to each other is because of gravity. In the third dimension that we reside in, we can’t sense the folding of space, so we just interpret that force as a ‘pulling force’. In this scenario, what is real?”

“Gravity and the curvature of space… that makes sense,” Biyeon was starting to accept Miri’s interpretation. Biyeon had also sensed a change in her senses once she attained the 5th Stage of Acceleration. She started to observe the curvatures that existed within the lines of objects. She could see the numerous lines that connected those objects to space…

Miri continued, “Gravity is the most reasonable force for us to understand. The other three forces possess more abnormal properties. In quantum mechanics, the forces are explained as the relational space between two particles, which is denoted in terms of a statistical value. Does that make sense? Force is like an infinite-sided die that can return any value. The returning value could be affected by other dimensions. In the end, force might just be the geometrical total force of all dimensions that can be exhibited in one dimension.”

“…”

“Now, what’s left? Once we do away with the real, what’s left is space, dimensions, and their relationships. Humans determine those relationships. In quantum mechanics, based on what the observer wants to observe, the relationship changes. The world only shows what the observer wants to see. I believe this is the fundamental existence of the physical world. The relationship between the world and the observer. Or in other words, the relationship between humans and the world. What do you think? It’s frighteningly beautiful, right?” Miri concluded.

“So… based on your summary, you’re saying that everything I see and feel is all illusions or parts of a large thing that exists within multiple dimensions, right?”

“Yeah, to be more exact, it’s the remnant parts of a larger whole that was created in a multi-dimensional universe. Since we started down this road, let me continue a little further. Let’s take for example the basic building blocks of physical objects, atoms. If we separate the atom, we’re left with the neutron and electrons, right?”

“Right,” Biyeon answered.

“But did you know that the distance between the neutron and electron is a tremendous difference? If we compare the atom to a soccer field, the neutron would be the size of a peanut in that soccer field. Most of the space within the football field is just empty space. If we dig deeper into neutrons, we get quarks, which are about the size of electrons. If we dig deeper, we’re left with pure waves of high energy.”

“So, what you’re saying is that this beautiful world is just a holographic illusion of a larger reality?”

“Yes! My conclusion is that the atom is just a pool filled with the multi-dimensional energy (relationships) of the universe. That atom contains the infinite waves of energy that produce physical existences and destroys, bringing chaos. These atoms become the building blocks that we accept as representing the world. Thus, the world that we sense is just a small fraction of what exists. Even our sight is limited to the visible spectrum, and our hearing can only hear up to the 20 kHz level. Since you’re an Awakened, you can probably sense a greater range of light and sound, right?” Miri asked.

Biyeon cautiously nodded her head. Ever since she Awakened, her senses had rapidly expanded. The world became much larger and more detailed than before. It was larger than what Biyeon had ever imagined. That didn’t mean that the world was physically larger but that it was theoretically and imaginatively larger in scale. For Biyeon, the world became… a fantasy world.

“Then, are you saying the Creator created this multi-dimensional universe, and provided us with the bytes (Idea) to see and interact with the world?” Biyeon asked.

“I think we can assume so. It can be more than that as well. Or, since he’s someone who can create relationships, he may be utilizing humans to create and expand the world further. He might not be done creating.”

The evening had deepened. However, their conversation continued. Their conversation was like a new adventure to both parties. A new perspective about the world. A new understanding of the relationship between humans and the world. Furthermore, a clue on how the world wanted them, humans, to develop.