[ SOPA/PIPA is hot in the air at the moment. Based on bombastic, over-the-edge assumptions regarding the outcome of the Act, I've created this random fiction out of a whim; No offense for any sides -- this fiction simply comes out as a result from a sudden inspiration from the SOPA/PIPA issues that are springing out everywhere... ]
[ ALPcNET || Set in a fictional alternate world called Ethel, in which there is an international tech industry appropriately named CENTRAL Technologies. Ethel is divided into three major continents and four minor continents; The major ones are: Briza, Terre, Solaris. Minor continents are: Granum, Spatha, Derein, and Bloed. CENTRAL branch are everywhere, with the Central Motherboard located in Inner Solaris, the world's capital. On current timeline, Central runs productions for physical User Terminals — another name for the Computer.
Networking services is globally provided by users-owned corporation TEN (The Ethel Networks), which runs two kinds of services: TENOS (TEN Overdrive Services), the global, free-to-use network connection, and TENO2S (TEN Overclocked Overdrive Services), the paid premium service specifically used by larger industries, which is impossibly faster and much more massive than the regular TENOS. ]
ALPcNET
Because ARPANET is Not Guilty
The year is now 12 AI.
AI? It stands for ‘After Internet’. Also shorthand for Artificial Intelligence, and the Chinese word for the most overused term ever known in human existence: ‘love’. We are now roughly 30 years ahead since the day of the internet’s black death. Nothing big happened, just some inexperienced scientists trying to see if they can alter Central Motherboard’s LPCAS—or Linear Post-Connection Addressing Systems—without confusing her Child Branches all over the world. They happened to fail, internet systems failed throughout the entire world, and the blooming community died in one night.
Good times.
Oh, I haven’t introduced myself, have I? I’m not quite comfortable giving my name to new guests…oh, my current network handle should do. Everyone calls me Alpaca. So hi, I am Alpaca! Nice to meet you, honored guest.
I see your expression there. Are you wondering about the network I mentioned just now? Hee hee, it’s alright, it’s a common reaction for folks who aren’t really catching up with the latest of the latest trends. No offense, by the way. Anyway, of course the internet wouldn’t simply be drifted out of existence just like that! We netizens knew better than just simply abandon our second life just like that. Would you like to hear more? I have so much free time at the moment, I might be able to tell you the entire detail. Of course, it might get a little long, but I’ll try to be as clear as I can…
You will? Goodness, such a noble soul…
Anyway, of course you remember the Black Death in a nutshell. Internet death. The end of internet. New World Order as we know it. Blahblahblah. Everyone had different nicknames back then, although in the end we all agreed on the name Black Death. The day when some people were stupid enough to meddle with the internet and end up killing it. Whoops. Poor souls had been, since then, eradicated from public vicinity by ‘mysterious aliens’, according to Ethel News.
Regarding the new world network…well, remember the sudden spike of suicides and drops of major companies around the entire world that happened back then? It was somewhat a result of the Black Death. There had been news about the LPCAS tinkering earlier in that time, and there had been massive resistance regarding the entire process. Central Tech. thought that the LPCAS tinkering would result in a generally more secure and stable network for everyone. Apparently it didn’t. A lot of netizens grieved so much they decided to hang themselves or jump off the nearest bridge. It was awful.
It was not too long after these times that programmers everywhere decided to stand up. Grabbed their beloved keyboards, prepared cups and mugs of coffee to turn into codes, and set up alternative power sources so they won’t become victims of sudden power blackouts…as awful as the LPCAS incident was, the resulting Programmers Unite programme was simply amazing. News on the programme spread mouth to mouth, mobile to mobile, and everyone were saying the same thing: ‘Support us programmers — we’ll rescue our connections from the depths of hell.’ Even technicians supported by helping building brand new satellites and all. And of course, in due time, they succeeded. Now, the entire world is running on a brand new network service called The Ethel Network Overdrive Services, or TENOS.
A cup of tea before we move on to TENOS, if I may? Thank you. Here, have one too.
Now, where was I…oh, yes. Black Death was somewhat our turning point. The short moment of blank network was the perfect chance of experimentalist programmers and scientists to apply a lot of otherwise impossible projects, ranging from Desktop Transfers to the ambitious Warp Project. By the time TENOS publicly runs, Briza Technological Corporations had already proposed a massive application of Warp2 Project, not to mention a pending draft patent for Time Warp Technology.
I think I should explain about Briza’s Techno Corps and their Warp Projects. Their previous, already-running project, the Warp Project, had made online shopping a true, real-time experience, by making transfer of goods via over-the-network mailing services. Warp2′s goal is to make teleportation possible; of course, through legal, charted gates. Time Warp Technology, as I previously read before, is a ‘new form of modern science that is currently being researched so that we can exploit the delaying nature of time in outer space to shorten the distance needed to travel between two points in space.’ I believe they’re still a few light years away from the realization, but I truly can’t wait for the results. At least Briza scientists are more competent than Solaris’ Central technicians.
Rather, hopefully Briza scientists are more competent than Solaris’ Central technicians. Can’t hope too much, can we?
Well, the grand outcome of the entire story, as you can see right now, is quite a network-driven world. It is now much easier for small companies to actually sell something, because over-the-network mailing services are actually much cheaper than actual postage services; the only problem we have with TENOS’ online posting at the moment is that sometimes big stuffs like cars tend to get stuck in the middle of the sending due to extra large Gigabytes. Not that it’s not resolvable, but it’s just annoying, really.
But all in all, perhaps those poor souls who used to work in Central should be forgiven. We wouldn’t be having our current technologies if it wasn’t for them back then, after all. What do you think?
