XX

Hughes Rian Hughes

Description

A "massive work of dizzying originality" (Boston Globe), XX is an inventive and boldly designed science-fiction epic by acclaimed graphic designer Rian Hughes-now in paperback The battle for your mind has already begun. At Jodrell Bank Observatory in England, a radio telescope has detected a mysterious signal of extraterrestrial origin-a message that may be the first communication from an interstellar civilization. Has Humanity made first contact? Is the signal itself a form of alien life? Could it be a threat? If so, how will the people of Earth respond? Jack Fenwick, artificial intelligence expert, believes that he and his associates at tech start-up Intelligencia can interpret the message and find a way to step into the realm the signal encodes. What they find is a complex alien network beyond anything mankind has imagined. Drawing on Dada, punk, and the modernist movements of the 20th century, XX is assembled from redacted NASA reports, artwork, magazine articles, secret transcripts, and a novel within a novel. Deconstructing layout and language in order to explore how ideas propagate, acclaimed designer and artist Rian Hughes's debut novel presents a compelling vision of humanity's unique place in the universe, and a realistic depiction of what might happen in the wake of the biggest scientific discovery in human history. Propulsive and boldly designed, XX is a gripping, wildly imaginative, utterly original work.

Informations

• Publié par: ABRAMS BOOKS
• Date de parution: 10 novembre 2020
• Nombre de lectures: 14
• EAN13: 9781647001193
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 4 Mo

Extrait

POST-DETECTION PROTOCOLS
Daniel Nov k scanned down the list. Of course there were protocols. Someone, somewhere, always thinks of these things, even if they have no idea what, in practice, might actually happen. Gives everyone involved the impression that they re in control, that they know what they re doing, that the usual rules still apply.
That this does not, fundamentally, change everything.
Daniel had once helped write a leaflet entitled How to Protect Your Family in the Event of a Nuclear Exchange . While the graphic descriptions of radiation poisoning had not made it through to the final draft, an illustration of a relaxed nuclear ( hah ) family hiding under the kitchen table and an acknowledgement that the banking system may suffer some disruption had. Deliberate misdirection, designed to avoid panic? Or simply the human inability to fathom the true impact of events, even as they unfold around you? He would, in the weeks and months ahead, be reminded more than once of that leaflet and its naive optimism.
Daniel had convened an impromptu meeting of staff in the otherwise empty caf of the Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre. Built to serve the rising number of curious visitors, it had a commanding view of the Lovell Telescope s impressive 250-foot dish, held aloft on a whitewashed steel lattice. Lit by the low morning sun, it resembled an enormous game of KerPlunk set up for play. Along the wall, seven clocks gave the present time in GMT , Jodrell Atomic, Local Sidereal, and on Venus, Mars, Jupiter and the surface of a black hole, where it was currently ten past one, and, Daniel imagined, lunchtime . . . though for a black hole, it was always lunchtime. They tended to have an appetite.
His staff were all present: Leonie Orlov, George Pallenberg, visiting Canadian Freeman Craw, bemused University of Manchester intern Eliza Adams. Admiral Albert Fitzwilliam, of course, his close friend and second-in-command for more years than he could remember, plus a handful of others he only worked with indirectly. They had all been briefed. Forbidden from discussing their findings with anyone outside their small group until he could figure out what they should do, Daniel had confined them to the building. All those present had acquiesced to the virtual quarantine, a state of affairs that his commandeering of Jodrell s Planet Pavilion Caf and its catering services he hoped might mitigate. Today the Discovery Centre, its displays, the Orrery, the gift shop and the grounds themselves had remained closed to visitors, and two staff had been posted at the main gate to cheerfully turn people away.
He had his laptop open in front of him and was skim-reading a PDF . The staff struggled to hear him over the crash of cutlery. His thinning grey hair, still peaked to a Brylcreemed quiff, was combed neatly back over his ears, framing his angular but kindly face; his lively engagement belied his approaching and long-postponed retirement, one that now looked likely to be pushed back yet again. As always, he wore an immaculate 1950s-cut bespoke suit in thornproof Harris Tweed and a vintage silver Dan Dare tiepin; forty years ago, he d not have looked out of place as a daring young chap on a recruitment poster for Bomber Command. His voice still held the precise and measured BBC diction that seemed a perfect fit for Jodrell Bank s unique place in British history, one that had begun in 1945 and was still very much unfolding.
So . . . this is what the best documentation I can find online has to say about our, uh, our situation. Are you all ready for this?
Albert, standing behind him with a cold coffee in a mug with the dish-and-star Jodrell Bank logo, had already glanced through the first paragraph over his shoulder. Go on. Read it aloud.
Protocols for an Extraterrestrial Intelligence Signal Detection
One wonders how they intend to enforce all this. Right, so-
We, the institutions and individuals participating in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, recognize it as an integral aspect of the peaceful project of space exploration, a project undertaken for the common benefit of all mankind. In consideration of the profound significance of detecting evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence, even though the probability of detection may be low-
Ha.
-we restate the objectives which commit parties to the Treaty to inform the Secretary General of the United Nations, as well as the public and the international scientific community, of the results of their space exploration activities.
Leonie Orlov leaned forward and spoke through a mouthful of almond croissant. Do we have the Secretary General s number? Is there a link?
Daniel held his hand up for silence. Recognizing that any initial detection may be incomplete or ambiguous and thus require careful examination as well as confirmation, and that it is essential to maintain the highest standards of scientific responsibility and credibility-
Responsible and credible. That s us.
Albert. -we agree to observe the following principles for disseminating information in regard to a putative detection of extraterrestrial intelligence, colon.
Then there s a list. 1 . Any individual, public or private research institution or governmental agency that believes it has detected a signal from or other evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence, open brackets, the discoverer, close brackets, should seek to verify that the most plausible explanation for the evidence is the existence of extraterrestrial intelligence rather than some other natural or anthropogenic phenomenon before making any public announcement. If evidence indicating the existence of extraterrestrial intelligence is ambiguous, the discoverer may disseminate the information as appropriate.
He glanced up from his screen to see the others watching him intently. Eliza raised her hand. She sensed that the veterans present knew little more than she did. Excuse me. Somehow I thought dealing with this eventuality might be part of, you know, your training , or something?
Daniel couldn t help but smile. You re learning something important today about the way science happens. If we could see into the future, we d be astrologers, not astronomers. Take notes. And then when you re in my position, you can do better. Where was I?
2. Prior to making a public announcement, the discoverer should promptly inform all other observers or research organizations that are parties to this declaration so that those other parties may seek to confirm the discovery by independent observations at other sites, and a network established to enable continuous monitoring of the signal or phemonemon, sorry phenomenon. Breathe, Daniel. Parties to this declaration should not make any public announcement until it is determined whether it is or is not credible evidence for the existence of extraterrestrial intelligence. The discoverer should inform his/her relevant national authorities.
3. After concluding that the evidence is credible and after informing other relevant parties of this declaration, the discoverer should announce the discovery through the Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams- telegrams? When was this written? -of the International Astronomical Union, and inform the Secretary General of the United Nations in accordance with Article XI of the, capitalised words, Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space comma, still capitalised Including the Moon and Other Bodies end capitalisation.
Sounds like they were trying for some kind of acronym: TPGA? TOPGAS? EAUOOSITMAOB? Eearghoositonmaboob? Heh-
OK, Al. Anyway. Because of their demonstrated interest in and expertise concerning the question of the existence of extraterrestrial intelligence blah blah - I m skipping a few sentences here - a confirmed detection of extraterrestrial intelligence should be disseminated promptly, openly, and widely ummhum. The discoverer should have the privilege of making the first public announcement.
Daniel looked over the top of his glasses at Leonie, who was grinning inanely. I have to admit, I didn t think it would happen exactly like this.
4? No, 5. All data necessary for confirmation of detection should be made available to the international scientific community through publications, meetings, conferences, and other appropriate means. Including, one presumes, telegraph.
And-slash-or carrier pigeon.
The discovery should be confirmed and monitored and any data should be recorded and stored permanently to the greatest extent feasible and practicable, in a form that will make it available for further analysis and interpretation. Let s assume they mean digitally, on the internet. These recordings - recordings, like on cassette tape? This Alien mix tape should be made available to the international institutions listed above and to members of the scientific community that s us for further objective analysis and interpretation.
6. If the evidence of detection is in the form of electromagnetic signals as opposed to a letter, Post-it, or telepathically induced message from Xenu the parties to this declaration should seek international agreement to protect the appropriate frequencies by exercising procedures available through the International Telecommunication Union.
Daniel opened another browser window and cut and pasted the name into Google. The International Telecommunication Union do still exist. They have a great Gerry Anderson meets Tom Corbett, Space Cadet style logo, it has to be said. Immediate notice should be sent to the Secretary General of the ITU in Geneva, who may include a request to minimize transmissions on the relevant frequencies in the - the Weekly Circular.
Albert convulsed, involuntarily spraying coffee onto Daniel s screen. He gulped, then wiped his mouth on his sleeve. Weekly - flippin - circular ? So what, we type it up, photocopy it, staple it together like a parish magazi