Let's talk tech (Now with Glossary)!

[YDV offline]

Eh... 80 seems like a lot to me, but I suppose it might work. Or perhaps it's a few modems every other section, or something like that.

You know what's been bothering me? If Hopper designed all this by himself, where in the WORLD would he get the resources? The Hermitage is a nice place, but I don't know about him being a millionaire...

Oh yeah! He was getting paid by Project Carthage. Erm... nevermind. Just answered my own question. ^^;

[TB3]

Remember though, if you can scrape together the resources to build a small scanner (basically steal your prototype from Carthage), you can make enough Exertanium to build a large scanner, and from there manufacture components for everything else - also you could make money with it but if Hopper took that route I think he'd be very careful in how he spent it - like bribing the land-agent to keep his mouth shut, and buying some commercial equipment to help build the complex.

As for the modems...well sadly at this point it becomes guesswork doesn't it.

Oh - we've passed 800 posts - GO US!

[Cassius335 offline]

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Well, a short one but I hope you found it suitable - as ever I hope you'll point out any errors so that they can be corrected.

Now, should I write a small piece on the hypothetical anciliaries level, or move onto PROCESSES: SAPS AND TAPS, which I hope could be a group chapter.

Cheers!

Kinda curious as to where Aelita and the towers fit in to that...plus what XANA's escape is going to do to his access to Lyoko

[comex offline]

By sensing electromagnetic disturbances in ZPS, the modem sensors can build a virtual model of reality - much like sonar and radar. It is through these modems as well that subjects are 'tagged' and tracked - by sensing the tiny ZPS distortions caused by neural patterns the computer can keep an eye on a number of targets, and also take 'snapshots' of those neural patterns for an RTTP. The modems can also relay data to these minds as part of the RTTP program.

But the subjects can't be tracked. In Revelation, Jeremie can find the cell phones but has no idea where Odd is; and obviously it would have been shown if Jeremie was able to track the gang's location. If the console is the hub, surely Jeremie would have worked hard to get access to that very useful feature!

Or would Jeremie need to activate a tower to get that info, which makes it Not Worth It And Maybe He Didn't Figure It Out Yet (tm)?

By the way, I assume that we're assuming that the "magic" stoppage of lasers in midair in, say, Satellite is a dramatization.

[DL offline]

By the way, I assume that we're assuming that the "magic" stoppage of lasers in midair in, say, Satellite is a dramatization.

Well it could be or just a side effect of the STM activating and begining to accelerate (in light speed thing moving look like they are standing still).

[comex offline]

But that effect is obviously before the point where, in Season 2, Jeremie decides whether e wants to RTTP or not. And XANA has no need to physically control the laser, just hack the satellite.

I haven't read into whatever rule anyway, but if the speed of light gets you infinity times mass or something, even a very small value is still very large when multiplied by inifinity.. i.e. how does using electrons help you get around the speed-of-light restriction? Doesn't speed of light cause a division by zero in some equation?

[TB3]

I've been thinking about the faster than light thingy and I've got a way to make it work (I'll modify the posts shortly but right now I'm shattered as I've written an entire fanfiction in the past few hours).

As for tracking - we know the subjects HAVE to be tracked for the RTTP to work, but it doesn't automatically mean Jeremie can access that program - make sense?

And yeah, the laser stopping is dramatisation - a laser CAN'T stop like that.

[comex offline]

What fanfiction? Please tell me what you've edited so I can edit the wiki too.

[TB3]

I'll edit the stuff later and then tell you kay - right now I'm chilling (and the fanfic was a script for an episode based on an idea by VChat).

[YDV offline]

By sensing electromagnetic disturbances in ZPS, the modem sensors can build a virtual model of reality - much like sonar and radar. It is through these modems as well that subjects are 'tagged' and tracked - by sensing the tiny ZPS distortions caused by neural patterns the computer can keep an eye on a number of targets, and also take 'snapshots' of those neural patterns for an RTTP. The modems can also relay data to these minds as part of the RTTP program.

But the subjects can't be tracked. In Revelation, Jeremie can find the cell phones but has no idea where Odd is; and obviously it would have been shown if Jeremie was able to track the gang's location. If the console is the hub, surely Jeremie would have worked hard to get access to that very useful feature!

Or would Jeremie need to activate a tower to get that info, which makes it Not Worth It And Maybe He Didn't Figure It Out Yet (tm)?

By the way, I assume that we're assuming that the "magic" stoppage of lasers in midair in, say, Satellite is a dramatization.

If the cell phone's not sending out a signal anymore (I'm pretty darn sure his was destroyed), then it would not be making disturbances in ZPS, and therefore Jeremie wouldn't be able to locate it. And who even says Jeremie has access to the modems' programming? They're pretty autonomous, not to mention that it could mean disaster for Hopper if someone hacked the computer while he was trying to RTTP, so naturally he wouldn't have made it easy to just open a program that pretty much moniters the whole world.

[TB3]

Yumi did find Odd's cell operational, but as you point out Jeremie was not able to trace Odd using the computer (automated function), and thus had to hack the phone networks to trace Odd's cell-signal.

[animenologist offline]

Probably did it the same way lost people are located through the use of a cell phone. The cell phone gives off a signal, the signal is caught by multiple towers. Use 3 towers which is able to tell the distance a cell phone call came from through the tower. Find where the distances converge, and you have located their phone.

[TB3]

Thanks for that animenologist and I'll work to have the next chapter up on Tuesday or Wednesday.

EDIT: I've got spare time on Thursday so I'll do it then.

[YDV offline]

Probably did it the same way lost people are located through the use of a cell phone. The cell phone gives off a signal, the signal is caught by multiple towers. Use 3 towers which is able to tell the distance a cell phone call came from through the tower. Find where the distances converge, and you have located their phone.

Yeah, Triangulation. I was going to say that, but I wasn't sure if the computer located it by its signal alone or data from towers.

[TB3]

Well guys here's the next chapter, and I've also finished editing the other sections so I'll post those corrections tommorrow!

I hope you enjoy - we're now into Procedures

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PROCEDURES I: SAPS AND TAPS

As was highlighted earlier in the chapter dealing with Zero-Point-Space, electrical impulses in reality can cause a distortion in ZPS. Such a phenomena must have been a fantastic enticement to Franz to further examine the physics of the universe he had discovered, until he made the following deduction;

‘Once again a whole new door had been opened to me – much like how two black-holes can theoretically connect to form a wormhole bypassing the laws of the Space-Time-Continuum, two rifts in ZPS could be joined to form a passageway – one of zero internal length, but spanning a potentially infinite distance.

The key as I found was to ‘extend’ the unique electro-magnetic disturbances caused by a ZPS rift – and the distortions caused by external electrical forces proved the key. By manipulating electrical charges in reality that existed in the same environs as a rift, one could cause the rift to grow and expand in any direction within ZPS – much like forming an intricate glass ornament by carefully blowing into heated glass.’

In short, hopper found that if a highly charged electrical impulse passed a ZPS rift, the distortions left in its wake became an extension to the rift.

This diagram illustrates the effect. Here we have a ZPS rift opening through from reality on the left, to ZPS on the right.
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In reality a high-powered electrical impulses passes the rift.
--------------------------------->
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As the impulses passes it leaves a distortion in ZPS.
===========================>
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And the distortion and the rift merge.
=/////==========================>
|/////
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|/

Therefore as long as the distortion exists the rift will grow along it. But if the electrical impulse fades out, then the distortion ends and opens out into another rift back into reality.

---------------------------| End of impulse

===============| End of distortion and entry point into reality.

Hopper at first referred to this phenomena as ‘my wormhole’, but in order to prevent confusion with the ‘classical’ wormhole caused by the connection of two black holes, he devised another name.

Spatial
Anomaly
Passageway

Hopper quite quickly learned how to manipulate and guide his SAP, and also how to close one he’d opened.

Closure was simple – a large energy discharge in the vicinity of the original rift sunders the link and the entire SAP collapses.

Guiding it was more problematic, because since there is no resistance in ZPS the distortion caused by electrical impulses can accelerate ahead of the impulse itself! Hopper however was able to turn this to his advantage, as he could thus project an SAP to areas with no electrical wires to carry his impulse – outer space, the bottom of the sea, the inside of a human mind etc.

SAPs are also interesting in that their entry-exit points are two separate rifts, therefore they negate the matter/energy exchange rule of ZPS – matter can enter one end and emerge the other in it’s original form, and the same with energy.

Franz also had a later brainwave on how to create a unique SAP that moved in time rather than in space – a TAP or Temporal Anomaly Passageway.

This is so-far limited to only reverse trips in time, though a TAP moving forwards in time may be possible with extensive work and planning – this could be achieved by having an impulse constantly in motion, circumnavigating the planet and when the impulse stopped the resulting SAP would stretch from the point and time of origin to wherever and whenever it stopped - data could pass through and arrive in the future and vice versa (thus this SAP becomes a TAP in name if not in substance) – the power drain however would be phenomenal and multiple things could go wrong in the years the SAP spends travelling randomly to nowhere.

SAP GENERATION
SAPs originate from the factory’s modems as discussed above, however there have been two means to date of achieving them. For now we shall refer to these as LEGAL and ILLEGAL.

A Legal SAP is where the computer has been instructed to generate one – this occurs on a frequent basis, mostly as an automated function of the RTTP feeding memories to target minds, and of course to monitor those minds.

In these cases the computer simply releases a large impulse of power from the capacitors, and then guides that charge to the modems where the high voltages and Exertanium wires create a ZPS Rift through the Hopper-Casimir effect. The impulse is then directed into external networks through another SAP, building it’s own behind it (thus creating an SAP within a SAP), and guided by the computer to the desired exit point. When the distortion, accelerating ahead, reaches the exit point the impulse is split into multiple smaller charges, the distortion collapses and the exit point opens.

All of this is automated, the computer simply being told where the exit point needs to be, and at some point Franz probably possessed the command codes to create SAPs freely – those codes however are lost and the only other means of taking full control of the supercomputer – the keys to Lyoko – are currently divided in two.

Thus, whenever an SAP is needed by a user and not as part of an automated program, illicit means are needed to create one. This is mostly done by XANA and once by Jeremie.

A small signal is sent by the user from the computer into external networks, and then flies through those networks leeching power. When enough power has been drained from these networks the impulse is directed back to the modems by the user and then BAM(!) a rift opens, and just like a legal SAP it is guided to the exit point by the same impulse that created it.

SAP APPLICATIONS

The SAPs are invaluable, both for good and evil purposes – and we’ll now cover their three most seen functions – monitoring, their role in the RTTP, and spectre generation.

MONITORING
Of course saying that this is a ‘most seen’ function is moot as it’s a quiet function that rattles on behind the scenes, though occasionally signs can be seen of it in action.

In short this is what age portion of the modems are constantly doing – while others hack mobile phone networks and the internet, a large number just monitor ZPS.

To achieve this a rift is opened inside the modem with no SAP connecting it to an exit point – the modems then monitor the fluctuations of ZPS in the vicinity of the factory and then all that data is run through a set of extremely complicated algorithms, filters and processes which separate and isolate all the electrical signals in the Billancourt area which push and pull at ZPS.

This might not sound particularly useful but when all that data is complied into a model it allows the supercomputer to build a virtual model of the area around it, and Jeremie has been seen using this multiple times like a combination map and sensor array to track XANA’s activity in the real world.


This screenshot nicely shows the model on the right hand screen – with focus on Billancourt (bottom), and a plan of the nuclear power plant (middle). Also noticeable is the hacking of a local cell network as evidenced by Ulrich’s com-screen.

Other applications of this model are to home in on telecommunication signals in the area which the computer can hack – allowing a constant stream of intel for XANA and Jeremie and learning material for Aelita in Season One.

Security also plays a part – the model serves like a motion-sensor coupled to security cameras, alerting Jeremie as to when someone enters the factory facility, the sewer tunnel and it would seem, the grounds of the Hermitage.

Another application of course is to help support the other SAPs – large electrical disturbances in reality could damage or destroy SAPs in the area with negative outcomes, and so the computer uses the model to monitor for ‘hot-spots’ where disturbances are likely – one major hot-spot is the nuclear plant, where the voltages in the generators and transformers are very extreme, thus why the plant often appears on Jeremie’s screen as the screenshots above and below show.


Another example showing the nuclear plant and Billancourt close-ups

The last monitoring aspect of the computer is to keep an eye on activated programs that intrude into reality and also those that interact with it – by isolating individual neural webs it can thus tag and keep track of all who interact with such a program, and this comes in handy with the RTTP.

These monitoring capabilities when added together make a formidable spying-tool. Quite what range the modems possess though is unknown. Judging from the image of a globe frequently seen on screen though, it would seem the modems can monitor any position on Earth. It is unlikely though that they continually monitor every square inch on the planet though, merely that Jeremie could shift the focus if he wanted to. Since this globe image is also seen when an RTTP is triggered it seems the computer makes a global scan for ‘tagged’ individuals. This is backed-up by a line of on-screen coding referring to the RTTP and a ‘Global Scan.’


The Global Scan

RETURNING TO THE PAST
It has already been covered how the STM generates a TAP, but SAPs play a large role as well.

Firstly it is through the SAPs that memories of people outside of the supercomputer are obtained – at the point where Jeremie begins the actual RTTP through the SAPs a ‘snapshot’ is taken of the neural patterns of all tagged humans (it is likely that non-humans like Kiwi and zombified Odd/Jim etc are not included) – at this point the global scan takes place to locate all those neural-webs.

It is the data from these snapshots that is sent back to the past via RTTP, and then when those arrive in the computer they are directed into the minds of the appropriate individuals via SAPs which are generated briefly and then closed.

One instance where this went wrong though was in ‘Ghost Channel’, where XANA bugged the data in the future so that when they arrived in the past via TAP the minds and memories of Odd, Ulrich and Yumi were diverted to a holding-pen on Lyoko.

However because the automated program had been duped by XANA, the SAPs to their past-bodies were still generated and because no data was coming through, malfunctioned and sucked their bodies into ZPE space much like a scanner would, destroying them in the process.

This episode also raises some interesting thoughts as to how the RTTP functions – only Jeremie noticed that Yumi, Ulrich and Odd had vanished – no-one else reacted so clearly they did not simply ‘vanish.’

It seems likely (taking this into account) that the RTTP implants memories several hours before Jeremie’s entered coordinates, possibly compensating for a period of time where the new neural patterns integrate into the pre-existing ones – therefore Ulrich, Yumi and Odd’s bodies were probably destroyed hours beforehand and never arrived at class – Jeremie at the time might have been worried but it would only be after his memories realigned that he panicked, since he now possesses two conflicting memories – one where the guys were at class, one where they were not.

SPECTRE GENERATION
Spectres are multifunctional devices, capable of possessing humans, controlling mechanical and electrical devices and forming new constructs such as Polymorphic Clones.

They are all however comprised of the same thing, atomic nano-machines known as ‘routers’, which are constructed in the following method;

First, XANA or Jeremie must illegally create an SAP – which travels to it’s destination and then opens – the split segments of the impulse used to guide the SAP meanwhile return to the modem and recombine into another large charge, which is used to create an ZPS rift literally on top of the SAP entry point.

Thus a set-up like this is created.

---|---|===================|

From left to right, ZPS rift, entry point, SAP, exit point.

Now XANA can feed the remnants of the impulse (supplemented with further small impulses) into the first rift, which it is exchanged for matter – by controlling that exchange XANA builds millions of his router machines, which then stream down the SAP and emerge at the exit point as an amorphous mass known as a spectre.


Having looped through this alarm clock to create an SAP, the impulse returns to the factory, creates a rift, is converted into routers and returns to the clock to emerge as a spectre

CONCLUSION
As can be seen the SAP is a simple concept, but it’s applications are many and varied. However the ability to use them to their full potential has been removed from the hands of both the kids and XANA, though he has still found a way to exploit the concept. Hopefully the kids themselves will soon be able to use these systems to even the battle-ground.

Outside of their conflict, SAPs have numerous uses, not just in espionage and military fields but also in scientific research, communication and the supply of electricity, water and other supplies over great distances without needing to build powerlines, pipes etc. to convey them.




END OF ENTRY

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Shoot me down in flames guys! Next up is PIXELISATION AND POSESSION! And I'l really want your help for that!

[Taelia offline]

*applauds* Bravo! Nice work!

[animenologist offline]

Very nice.

A few quick comments, another example of how the SAPs are used as monitors include Tip-Top Shape in which case, Jeremie used an SAP to create a spectre use on Odd, and then used some extra energy to create a SAP to link up either to the console, or to the restricted access part of the supercomputer. It was there that Jeremie was able to monitor his vitals.

At the same time, if what you inferred is true, that a large electrical discharge would collapse the SAP connecting 2 points, it would also explain why XANA was unable to sever the connection between them, since trying to discharge the SAP to Odd runs the risk of discharging his SAP.

It would also explain the multiple times an electronic device was used to stun a possessed person, like Jeremie's EMP, the electrical wires Ulrich used in "Is Anybody Out There?", and the defibulator Odd used in "Contact".

That would also mean that as a function of deactivating a tower, the tower tells the supercomputer to give off a discharge to collapse the SAP between the supercomputer and whats it controlling. Otherwise, XANA would be able to reconnect the connection just by activating the tower all over again. But XANA never did use another tower to take care of Odd in Revelation, if that is the case.

I still question the destruction of their bodies from Ghost Channel. It seems odd that if that were the case they would run up against 40+ Blocks so recklessly like that. Especially since they have trouble taking on groups of 5 or less, and some of the characters more prone to devirtualization than others (Odd). It could be possible that the supercomputer is able to compensate by materializing the body using left over energy from another source. Basically materialization, except the computer recognizes them as human and so the full blue-prints are right there and with no missing fragments so they wouldn't be linked to the supercomputer as Aelita formerly was.

Just a few ideas, may have more later.

[TB3]

Excellent points - I'd point out though that if Ulrich Yumi and Odd's bodies were sucked into ZPS, a considerable amount of energy would have been displaced back through into the modem and probably sent off to the capacitor - that could be used to devirt them at the end, or Jeremie could RTTP back to before their bodies were destroyed.

Oh and I forgot to add that bit about Odd - I don't think there was a direct SAP link to him (aside from the ones to the routers which XANA has taken over), but since he now qualifies as a 'program' the computer would be monitoring him carefully through the modems - does that work or do I sound like a know-it-all?

And thanks for the bit about 'counter possessee' electric shocks, I'd actually forgotten about that.

Also brilliant about the tower deactivation, it actually also adds a bit more drama to everything - Aelita's not just turning something off, she's also DESTROYING something else!

Well next up is pixelisation and possession - anything specific you;d liek to put in or do you wanna try your hand at writing it guys?

And I can't wait for more of yur ideas animenologist!

[YDV offline]

All very, very, very nice.

Although that explanation of how SAPs were generated sounded like it might've confused someone not used to our theory a little, but for the most part it was okay.

I pretty much agree with what you said, animenologist. I think that does explain why using electrical devices stuns a possessee.

Actually, what I thought happeend with tower deactiation is that after severing the connection (perhaps like you said), the computer "quarantines" the specific tower, or perhaps all of them, from that program-- this doesn't mean XANA can't activate it again, it just means he cannot use the same method of attack.

Perhaps it signifies to the modems that this specific SAP signal going here from this tower is 100% illegal and doesn't allow it to be carried out, but more probably it is contained within the software.

Erm.. I believe animenologist is more proficient in Pixelization than I am. ^-^;

[TB3]

Thanks guys - and as YDV says this is getting increasingly heavier as time goes by, so at the end I'd love it if you could all help me translate the essay into layman's terms!

You might be interested to know that all of the essays currently add up to just over 13,000 words and take up 41 pages on MS word in double-spaced size 9 verdana font with all the pictures removed.

[Taelia offline]

Wow, that's hefty. Can't wait for more.

[Cassius335 offline]

Nice.

and sucked their bodies into ZPE space much like a scanner would,

That... has possibilities.

Thanks guys - and as YDV says this is getting increasingly heavier as time goes by, so at the end I'd love it if you could all help me translate the essay into layman's terms!

You might be interested to know that all of the essays currently add up to just over 13,000 words and take up 41 pages on MS word in double-spaced size 9 verdana font with all the pictures removed.

Don't suppose you could send it to my e-mail (with pictures; zipped, presumeably), please?

[Chad Rains offline]

same here. I'd like a copy as wll if its not a problem for you. Just think of it as a "multi-destinational backup"

[animenologist offline]

I still think that the supercomputer forcefully shutting down an SAP is more logical after a tower deactivation. If the supercomputer quarantined certain actions from occurring again, that doesn't explain how he performed the same attack (although with different monsters) in A Bad Turn and False Start. And multiple times, XANA has used a polymorph which have similar properties to each other, including their supernatural powers and the ability to shape-shift. And if an SAP was still connected to Odd, why use a polymorph to kidnap him, and not just the existing SAP to attack him from there. The link is still connected, if he can't drain him, why not give him a attack him with through another method from within instead?

Probably as soon the article is finished, I can probably keep a copy, clean it up a bit, and send it to everyone who asks. If we can get more help, we could make a 2nd "Dummies" version for the un-initiated. And we could name it "Lyoko for Dummies" . Although, you probably could also get it as we're updating from comex's wiki.

[TB3]

And of course we'll send a copy to Moonscoop and see what they think.

Right - I'll format up what I've got so far and send you guys a copy - I'll also try and write the posession entry tnoight!