Hive Mind
06.30.11
The noose is prepared, and I can’t wait to climb on the chair and put it round my neck. I can’t take it any more. Perhaps the young ones can find a way to adapt to this condition. I certainly hope so, otherwise it could signal the end of the human race.
The Occipital implant was the first to be released after highly successful human testing. Its earliest adopters – some sort of hippie commune, surprisingly – reported an increase in togetherness; they raved about the joy of being able to share what they could see while connected to a LobeNet. A commune member who was lucky enough to witness, say, a baby bird cracking out of its egg could publish this image so that all those networked could share in the experience as if they had been there themselves.
On the strength of this, LobeNets started springing up all over the place. People unable to climb mountains could experience first hand the view from the top of Mount Everest – though not, unfortunately, the mountaineer’s exhilaration. This was the natural next step for the technology. The Frontal/Parietal implant was the next to be developed, and the LobeNets were fused into one overarching network. Humanity could pool together their thoughts and emotions and this heralded a true period of enlightenment. Advancements in science and technology increased by a few orders of magnitude with great minds compounding each other via CerebNet, while wars were abandoned as we finally realised we were all…well, human.
Oh, we were one big, happy family. Until the Temporal implant.
No one could confirm why this one went so wrong. Theories abounded – a bug in the implant; a software virus, perhaps released by some of a small number of objectors to CerebNet. All were discounted however, and humanity now agrees that it is the very nature of memory that caused the issue: its fluidity, its treacherousness.
All other elements – thoughts, visual stimuli, reasoning – were controllable. It was each human’s conscious decision to upload these to CerebNet or download them from it. Not so memory. The jokes started straight away of course, as they are wont to do even in the most terrible circumstances. “Memory leak” became the most overused phrase, but the joke was on us because that was exactly what it was. Removal of the implants did nothing to stop the issue; by that point, it was already too late.
I stand on my chair and put the noose around my neck. I am terrified of dying of course, but the memories that float through my head uninvited spur me on. I see a child I may never have had, a mother that may not have been my own. I remember being in love with someone I could never have met. I no longer know who I am and I cannot bear it.
I have one final hurdle to get over before I can find peace; one final insult to add to the injury of my mind. For when I kick aside the chair I’m standing on, it won’t be my life that flashes before my eyes – it will be other people’s.
Related Posts:
Tags: Brain, Flash Fiction, fridayflash, Frontal Lobe, Occipital Lobe, Parietal Lobe, Science Fiction, Temporal Lobe, Writing
I thank my fellow writer/#fridayflash’er Mark Kerstetter (@markerstetter on twitter) for inspiration for this piece. In a previous #fridayflash of his, there was the line: “What if, just before the taxi hits, a life passes before your eyes, but it’s another life?”
Mark’s story can be found here: http://markerstetter.blogspot.com/2011/06/mockingbird-sings.html
This is one of the things that troubles me about the Singularity… what if I don’t WANT to become one with the rest of humanity?
Well told tale.
I don’t think it’s too long before people in their virtual existence hunger will be able to buy off the peg memory apps. Like Tony I despair of our hive species sometimes
Oh WOW. That was incredibly insightful! And just think, the memory of dying will belong to others too…
I like this a lot. And I can imagine the jokes: “I need to hit the head… my memory needs to take a leak….”
I like this story a lot! Someone will have his death memories, too.
And so, I’ve inspired a vision of insanity. So glad to be of service.
Really, I’m seriously flattered to have inspired you. There’s a reason why, when you don’t post for weeks or months, readers come back in droves like you’ve never left: you’re simply one of the best of the fridayflash writers, period. Thanks Maria!
Scary stuff, can imagine the rush of other peoples memories filling your mind, the future of social networking I guess, pretty topical with google+ launching.
Maybe our implants are malfunction in tandem. I also went invasive this week, Mazz, but gyrated to the introversion rather than the failure of extroversion. If we swap implants, do you think we’ll form two happily functioning folks? Not dystopias, not even utopias, just… topias?
Wow, this was amazing. Excellent concept, brilliant idea, great blend of psychology and social networking. One of your best!
simply wild – absolutely love LobeNet
Our greatest gift? Individuality.
Another insightful, elegant and cleverly-crafted tale.
Brilliant Maria!
Incredible idea. Loved the names of the implants.
Loved the line: …we were all…well, human.
Great idea.
A really good twist on the future of Twitter!
One thought – with shared minds, would suicide be possible? Would ppl rush to save you? Hmm… Could ppl start to push weaker minds into suicide?
Blimey, this idea has strong legs!
Great job. Like being assimilated. Don’t think I would want that.
Awesome story, truly awesome. First thought I was was the Borg and assimilation. I can’t imagine anyone wanting this, but that’s me. Well told.
PLEASE tell me this is part of/beginning of a novel?
Consider. Really.
Very thought-provoking story Maria, and more than a bit scary too.
Wow, Maria. So many issues, although the central question is perhaps as old as human beings were first aware of their stream of consciousness as their own; the birth of individuality, the birth of the concept (or at least the feeling) of self. How to have an individual (and identity) and not feel apart from the whole? How to feel, understand, and see the connection to other human beings (and all there is) without some type of violence done to self-identity? The role of memory, in forming identity every moment of our lives…There’s more here to unpack–very insightful, thought-provoking.
Nice, a succinct and updated way of showing our habitual rush to enjoy something new, oblivious to the dangers that later reveal themselves…
You’ve seen this, right?
http://gizmodo.com/5813821/scientists-create-first-memory-expansion-for-brain
What a terrifying tale Maria! And you told it so very well, gave me chills. Bravo!
This is a story told really well and I think it is in part your use of great scientific-sounding, futuristic names for the implants which makes it such a success. Scary glimpse of a possible future.
Excellant story, and utterly chilling – the whole idea is both imaginable and terrifying. Nicely written x
Oh well told story, the intermingling of humanities thoughts, so that individuality is lost. A chilling thought indeed…..
Omg! That’s creepy, so wrong! I couldn’t live like that…haunted by faces I’ve never known. Wow. That’s a mind f*ck. (Please excuse my language.) I think this is one of my favorites of yours. Very cool.
How long before we’re there? People talk about putting microchips with all our information under our skin…how long till we sacrifice humanity for greed and convenience?
Wow, this is scary. *shudders* Amazing story, Maria! You master the pacing in a way that leaves me drooling all over the keyboard. And the concept? Wow!
Is your previous absence due to novel writing? I sure hope so! Can’t wait to see how you put all that together in a long piece.
Awesome premise. You capture the essence of the hive losing it’s mind.
Another brilliant piece – great work. Love the emotions, humor and the style.
This is a crazy, disturbing and wonderful idea. And what an awful price to pay. Your final line is perfect.
A well crafted and scarily real scenario. We cling to our individuality yet flirt with the power of the collective.
Adam B @revhappiness
A great story and a great idea.
This is brilliant, quite brilliant. Great concept and chillingly executed.
Really great story, absolutely terrifying too. Well done.
I liked this story actually, it was quite interesting.
So then. Where is this new story you promised to put up? I came here with good intentions – don’t make me go back to just looking at your pictures every so often.
New story coming up at 9pm tonight 🙂