21 System version 1.10

I wanted to add an analysis feature to System. By focusing on an object or person, it would be thoroughly understood by System and uploaded to the VMD. I remembered how it felt to be recreated, and tried to focus on and captures the sense of existing, rather than dissolution to nothing.

"System, I'm about to upgrade you. Please upgrade yourself upon my verbal command of 'execute'."

"Acknowledged, Father."

So what did I want? A passive existence analysis would more than likely drive even System mad with enough time. Understanding everything completely all the time would put a lot of stress on its capacity and processing speed. It would need some hardware upgrades if it wanted to ascends to omniscience. So I would need it to be able to focus on a piece of existence that was before one of its bodies, or before someone linked to it like I was, and then actively trigger an existence scan.

While I was at it, though, I should try adding another feature that was along the same idea. I have had a bad habit of getting turned around on walks and drives. A minimap would be just the thing for me. However, I didn't need System's memory to be bogged down with maps of areas that were accurate down to the placement of each molecule. Such accuracy would be only temporary and a waste of space.

Therefore, I decided that it would create a Temp folder and a map folder in it's memory that would be kept separate from the VMD folder, user save file folder, previous version save file folder, and updated memory file folder. System would do an existence scan of a mile radius every time I leave the area of the former scan and save it under the user name in the Temp folder. As long as I remained in the area of the scan, System would devote a fraction of 1% of its processing power to populating the map details in the map file folder in the priority list order, meaning that an area I moved through in seconds would only show terrain, but an area that I spent days in might show the favorite area for the local tree squirrels to mate.

The priority and sort list I set as follows:

1. General terrain and roads.

2. Dwellings of sentient creatures.

3. Animal paths.

4. Local threats:

a. flora

b. fauna

c. terrain

5. Useful materials and deposits.

6. If there are buildings, their purpose.

7. Landmarks.

8. More specific terrain, etc. number of trees, bushes, and herbs.

9. Misc. details, etc. where the blacksmith met his wife.

By doing this, it would allow System to have a map that would take up less than a billionth of the memory that an actual scan would take up, yet still have lots of useful details.

In line with this idea, I decided to not upload random things to the VMD with the analysis function. Instead, I would have System create an analysis file of items scanned in the Temp folder with the file name username_analysis, and extract out the relevant information to dump into the requesters brain. Any subsequent scans would overwrite the scan file.

The final feature I wanted to create was a way to add new users to the System. First the System would perform an existence scan on the new user as to have a baseline to work with, saving it as username0 in the user save file folder. Then it could run simulations to show the best way to link a new user to it without any negative repercussions. A permanent mental link like that can cause mood swings, personality shifts, and even insanity if not done carefully. However, unlike me, for new users, System would make them part of it. They would have to work hard to earn their pay from System, while I, who made System part of me, am the employer in our relationship.

I kept in mind these changes and reached for the Chaos of Possibilities. "Execute." There was a shift within me as I felt System reach with me and change. There was almost no mental struggle to not become nothing, because System took the bulk of the strain from continuing to exist. I told System to back up its current state as System version 1.0.

I looked down. I'd been holding the sword for fifteen minutes, and Robin was looking at me worriedly from an inch away, her warm breath blowing into my face. It smelled like flowers. "What was that about?!"