Topic Actions

Topic Search

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 22 guests

Can you merge a PICA's experiences back to the human?

This fascinating series is a combination of historical seafaring, swashbuckling adventure, and high technological science-fiction. Join us in a discussion!
Can you merge a PICA's experiences back to the human?
Post by clancy688   » Sun Feb 23, 2020 1:09 pm

clancy688
Captain of the List

Posts: 557
Joined: Mon Aug 29, 2011 5:05 pm
Location: Ingolstadt, Germany

Heya,

I've recently started listening to the Safehold audiobooks. And I've noticed something which kinda confused me.

Somehow, I always had the impression that you could "reintegrate" the memories of a PICA back into a human. But now that I've listened to the first few chapters of "Off Armageddon Reef", I've noticed that there's actually no mention of this at all.

And this confuses me. I don't see any way the PICAs are useful in the way described in the books if there's no way to reintegrate their memories into the human.

--> PICAs are "expensive toys": Nimue for example uploaded her mind into her PICA to make a hang-gliding trip in the Andes. But this only makes sense if human-Nimue will get the experiences afterwards. If she's just sending her PICA with a copy of her mind on the trip, and the PICA's experiences are gone afterwards, it's like she never did the trip at all (except if she's a 24th century Instagramm star who needs the pics for her feed). Why should someone send a copy of them on a pleasure trip if they won't get the pleasurable experiences afterwards? That makes no sense at all.

--> PICA personalities are getting deleted after 10 days: I'm not sure how you guys are ticking, but I'd be slipping into a full-on existential crisis if I'd wake up and someone would tell me "Whatever you do, you're gone in ten days." Like, what the fuck? If my memories get merged back into human me ten days later, okay... I can deal with it (though I'd still have qualms about this instance of me). But if there's no way to reintegrate the memories back, then every PICA who wakes up essentially has a terminal disease and ten days to live, because afterwards this instance of their personality (the one which *counts*, from the perspective of the mind inhabiting the PICA) is going to be dead.



So... did I miss something? Is their text evidence about reintegrating memories?
Top
Re: Can you merge a PICA's experiences back to the human?
Post by Dalin   » Sun Feb 23, 2020 2:24 pm

Dalin
Lieutenant (Junior Grade)

Posts: 32
Joined: Thu Feb 16, 2012 4:07 pm

Yes, you missed it. About seventh paragraph of PICA introduction.

The analogue could operate the PICA, without worrying about risk to the owner's physical body, and when the PICA returned, its memories and experiences could be uploaded to the owner as his own memories.
Top
Re: Can you merge a PICA's experiences back to the human?
Post by Dilandu   » Sun Feb 23, 2020 3:40 pm

Dilandu
Admiral

Posts: 2536
Joined: Sat May 07, 2011 1:44 pm
Location: Russia

You clearly missed it. It was essentially explained in all details in first book, with the general description of Nimue.

Only last-generation PICA are able to do this, if I recall correctly. The previous were essentially the extension of human body - they worked only in constant connection with the owner's brain.
------------------------------

Oh well, if shortening the front is what the Germans crave,
Let's shorten it to very end - the length of Fuhrer's grave.

(Red Army lyrics from 1945)
Top
Re: Can you merge a PICA's experiences back to the human?
Post by clancy688   » Sun Feb 23, 2020 5:46 pm

clancy688
Captain of the List

Posts: 557
Joined: Mon Aug 29, 2011 5:05 pm
Location: Ingolstadt, Germany

Ah okay, then I missed it indeed. Thanks!
Top
Re: Can you merge a PICA's experiences back to the human?
Post by Keith_w   » Sun Mar 01, 2020 6:51 pm

Keith_w
Commodore

Posts: 976
Joined: Tue Apr 10, 2012 12:10 pm
Location: Ontario, Canada

clancy688 wrote:Ah okay, then I missed it indeed. Thanks!


I haven't listened to the audiobooks, but is it possible they edited that paragraph out due to length?
--
A common mistake people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools.
Top

Return to Safehold