UNDERSTANDING THE LAYERS OF REALITY
In the far-future Milky Way, the potential for misuse of advanced technology necessitates a unique form of education. The United Systems Directorate mandates that all children undergo training within Dream-State Simulations. These are fully immersive, accelerated realities where lifetimes of experience are compressed into mere nights of physical sleep. Cadets live multiple simulated lives to cultivate perspective, patience, and emotional regulation – essential traits for navigating a fragile galaxy.
The uncanny realism of the DSS stems from its foundation: vast bio-computing grids. These grids harness the networked processing power of billions of human and animal nervous systems, creating computational power far exceeding conventional machines. The simulations feel real because, in a sense, they are – sandboxed pocket-universes generated from the fundamental informational blueprint that underlies life itself across the cosmos.
Protagonist Asteti Saros discovers that his reality is merely the outermost layer of a series of nested simulations, colloquially known as 'Suns'. Each 'Sun' appears to have been designed by unknown architects, potentially to guide or civilize the layers within. The nature and intent of these architects remain elusive, with some layers suggesting benevolence while others hint at darker agendas.
A momentary, planet-scale anomaly – a 'glitch' – shatters the illusion for Asteti, revealing the seams of his simulated reality. This event sets him on a path to understand the true nature of his existence. The simulations operate based on an informational blueprint encoded in particles streaming through spacetime, dictating the form life takes wherever conditions are right. The glitch suggests instability or interference within this fundamental operating system.
Asteti's investigation uncovers a grave danger: a rogue faction is exploiting the bio-computing grids. Their goal is to harvest this immense processing power to construct a weaponized super-intelligence, a threat that could cascade through every layer of the nested Suns, potentially causing multi-dimensional collapse.