Arc Light An illusion that is transient, dangerous, and bright like the sun.
A diary: "I found three drafts in my father's bookcase. They are the work of a genius, but there seem to be some pages missing. No matter; I'll finish it one day."
Impediment Whatever facilitates you can also be an impediment.
A shredded admission notice: "Luca Balsa, we're very honored to welcome such a prestigious character as yourself to our school. We trust that you will soon make your family proud."
Medium Energy must collide in order to transmit.
An auction sales record: In a series of expensive antique sales records, a bidder by the name of Alva paid an unbelivable price for a manuscript.
Tuning You're merely the owner, not the creator.
An ancedote: An aristocrat in town lost his entire fortune on failed investments in emerging industries. He had to auction off his wife's dowry to pay off his debts. His wife died of anger. His son couldn't forgive him and left.
Coupling There will only be a resonance of wisdom when the souls are comparable.
An advertisement: The industrial expo is coming to town soon. Inventors from all over the world will gather there, including our very own Alva Lorenz.
Calibration There are different calibration standards for each trial.
A diary: "I've finally become an apprentice of Lorenz with a manuscript as consideration. But one day he'll realize that I'm worth much more than those manuscripts."
Mutual Feelings Time can't change everything.
An old photo: There are two people in the photo. One is a young and inexperienced Lorenz in overalls, and the other is a young man who resembles Luca Balsa in expensive clothing.
Boundary What are the conditions to exchange for talent?
Test Record No. 1: Despite the different experimental procedures, all of the experiments failed. The early experiments were signed off on by Lorenz. Later experiments were signed off on by Lorenz and Balsa. Those twoards the end were signed off on by Balsa alone.
Mutually Exlusive A lunatic or a thief?
A police report: Alva Lorenz reported to the police that someone broke into his laboratory. The stolen items included some transaction files with client information as well as some personal manuscripts. The police suspect the theft was committed by Lorenz' competitor.
Extreme All you need is an oppertunity.
Test Record No.2: The experiment was signed off on by Balsa. All of the experimental procedures were exactly the same. The experiment's results were omitted.
Overshoot The smallest change, the greatest deviation.
A police announcement: There was an explosion in Lorenz' laboratory, leaving three people dead, two severely injured, and one with minor injuries. The police's preliminary investigation suggests that explosion was caused by an illegal experiment conducted by Lorenz' assistant, Luca Balsa.
I hope this letter finds you well. My name is Luca Balsa, and I am the student you spoke with at the Laiden Art and Industry Exhibition the other day. I could hardly restrain my excitement and admiration after meeting you, and so I decided to write you a letter. Please forgive me if my doing so offends you in any way.
Long before the exhibition, I had the good fortune of coming across your publications, and I became extremely interested in your research concerning electromagnetism and your conjecture on the theory of electrons. In addition, our chance encounter at the exhibition and the simple yet precious exchange we shared only strengthened my determination to join you in your laboratory someday. To speak candidly, the moment I laid eyes on your masterpiece at the exhibition, I knew that it would become my lifelong work! Although it is only a concept model at present, I truly believe that, with your tutelage and experimentation, the idea of an "eternally perfect machine" will become a reality.
Also, no doubt you have heard by now, but the National Academy of Sciences has passed a resolution that more or less discourages the research of any machine that demonstrates perpetual motion. While this may very well double our research expenditures in the future, I refuse to give up; after all, my family and I know full well the price of dedicating ourselves to science. What I mean to say is that I do not believe this line of research to be a waste of tools, time, or talent- How could it be? Though I hesitate to bring him up, my father himself ruined our family financially in pursuit of this research, yet only produced a handful of rudimentary hypotheses for his troubles... As far as the manuscripts of his experimental records and theoretical conjectures, I have attached them to this letter. You will also find my own thesis on energy and using magnetism to change and control its direction attached below. I only hope you will have a chance to look over my research and possibly offer your invaluable guidance.
Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to read my letter. I pray that you will allow me the distinct privilege of becoming one of your students.
Sincerely yours, Luca Balsa
Edited 2021-07-09 23:59 (UTC)
Birthday Letter #2: A Page from a Diary Written in Messy Handwriting
The truth is hidden in those complicated calculations. It's Herman Balsa's writing. I'm sure of it.
Now I understand why Lorenz was willing to part with so much during the auction and why that man's manuscripts were locked away—it's because they contain the proof of his betrayal!
I may not care about the truth of that man's death, but Alva Lorenz, the renowned inventor, the first person to push for the "perfect machine," and also my teacher, is actually a downright hypocrite! To think he stole the work of his collaborator to make a name for himself!
The person he stole from just happens to be... It's disgusting. Based on the timeline, perhaps he had rotten long before that man did.
I should never have forgotten... Rats live in groups, and only hyenas seek out collaborators. Alva Lorenz worked with that scum who abandoned his family for years, so how could he be any better?
I used to take pride in being called "Lorenz Jr." What a fool I am! I don't want to and never will be him! Those who are not capable of thinking are no more than animals... No, they're worse than insects. That Tridactylidae! Schistocerca! Geometridae! Katydid!
Birthday Letter #3: A Page from Luca Balsa's Experiment File
[Test Indicators] 1. High Intelligence 2. Conceited 3. Stubborn
[Inclination] A stubborn "idealist"
[Test Results] 1. Over all Evaluation: Frequent electrical stimulation caused permanent brain damage to Subject 10-0-2. From the observation results available, there were irreversible deficits in Subject 10-0-2's memory, cognitive and psychological functioning, together with what he went through, contributed to Subject 10-0-2's performance and position at the beginning of the experiment, such as extreme disgust with acts of betrayal. Surprisingly, the changes brought about by such damage didn't put Subject 10-0-2's awareness of the experiment itself and his stubborn personality, as well as his precise assessment of and countermeasures for potential crises, allowing him to gain the initiative under extremely unfavorable conditions, much beyond our expectations. In particular, Subject 10-0-2's intention to modify the key facilities of the experiment is a point of caution.
2. Methodology: At the beginning of the experiment, the exchange of information between Subject 10-0-2 and Subject 10-0-1 was only superficial, which allowed them to establish a mutually beneficial and efficient understanding of both. Since Subject 10-0-1 and Subject 10-0-2 had different substantive expectations of their own ideal - both of them had this realization within a very short period of time. The extremely high level of self-esteem caused Subject 10-0-2 to appear cynical, which became one of the driving forces behind the eventual end of their collaboration between Subject 10-0-1 and Subject 10-0-2. The subjects in this group were all, to varying degrees, outward manifestations of reverence for instrumental rationally, but at the same time, their rare talent created an intense internal contradiction that led to the opposite of secular utility. At the end of the experiment, this tension tore through almost all appearances of equanimity. Initially, the collaboration between Subject 10-0-2 and Subject 10-0-1 yielded promising results. As opposed to other experimental groups' focus on details and progress, neither of them fell into this thinking trap, but instead gained effective insight into the experiment itself based on the limited experimental space - such exhaustive review even somewhat brilliantly bypassed the presence of the executioner and allowed the two collaborators to obtain the key for solving the critical puzzle. After careful evaluation, the risks posed by the unprecedented development may provide useful supporting material. Subject 10-0-2 showed higher than primitive levels of compliance and altruism in their collaboration, and this temporary appearance caused some adverse interference with the executioner's judgement. Subject 10-0-2's partnership with Subject 10-0-1 ultimately proved difficult to maintain. The superficial collaboration couldn't reconcile the stakes with each other, let alone solve the problem of the two insist doing things their own way. At the same time, due to Subject 10-0-1's strong confidence in controlling the situation and Subject 10-0-2's lack of experience, the subtle traps laid by Subject 10-0-1 instead became the ambush that led to his own failure. As the experiment made initial progress, as a second batch of subjects was put into a new round of observation to act as an influential factor that matched the experimental characteristics of the group. Subject 10-0-2's attitude toward Subject 10-1-3 showed great contrasts in succession: at first, a rare empathy stemming from a similar experience, which then turned into a subtly hidden murderous intent. This change in attitude - combined with Subject 10-0-2's certain attachment to the past - was clearly traceable. After abandoning an otherwise prudent yet roundabout plan, Subject 10-0-2, based on the information and materials available to him under limited conditions, and catalyzed by the combined actions of Subject 10-0-1 and Subject 10-1-3, ultimate brought this experiment to a brutal yet brilliant conclusion.
3. Experiment Summary: The "highly intelligent" as represented by Subject 10-0-2 appeared to be relatively gentle and cooperative in the early stages of the experiment. Their "Collaboration" was more like the efficient workings of the bearings and hears of a large machine based entirely on judgement in the professional field - and flawless logic. Yet this was, in fact, a hint of the collapse of such superficial collaboration in a competitive environment filled with conflicts of interest and suspicion. The subjects, represented by Subject 10-0-2, showed cruelty and recklessness akin to that of an uneducated child when self-interest was at stake. The shell of rationality was like an intricate but fragile house of card that would quickly collapse once it was exposed to external forces.
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allegedprisoner) wrote2020-09-30 01:00 pm
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isopods
Birthday Letter #1: An Old Cover Letter
I hope this letter finds you well. My name is Luca Balsa, and I am the student you spoke with at the Laiden Art and Industry Exhibition the other day. I could hardly restrain my excitement and admiration after meeting you, and so I decided to write you a letter. Please forgive me if my doing so offends you in any way.
Long before the exhibition, I had the good fortune of coming across your publications, and I became extremely interested in your research concerning electromagnetism and your conjecture on the theory of electrons. In addition, our chance encounter at the exhibition and the simple yet precious exchange we shared only strengthened my determination to join you in your laboratory someday. To speak candidly, the moment I laid eyes on your masterpiece at the exhibition, I knew that it would become my lifelong work! Although it is only a concept model at present, I truly believe that, with your tutelage and experimentation, the idea of an "eternally perfect machine" will become a reality.
Also, no doubt you have heard by now, but the National Academy of Sciences has passed a resolution that more or less discourages the research of any machine that demonstrates perpetual motion. While this may very well double our research expenditures in the future, I refuse to give up; after all, my family and I know full well the price of dedicating ourselves to science. What I mean to say is that I do not believe this line of research to be a waste of tools, time, or talent- How could it be? Though I hesitate to bring him up, my father himself ruined our family financially in pursuit of this research, yet only produced a handful of rudimentary hypotheses for his troubles... As far as the manuscripts of his experimental records and theoretical conjectures, I have attached them to this letter. You will also find my own thesis on energy and using magnetism to change and control its direction attached below. I only hope you will have a chance to look over my research and possibly offer your invaluable guidance.
Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to read my letter. I pray that you will allow me the distinct privilege of becoming one of your students.
Sincerely yours,
Luca Balsa
Birthday Letter #2: A Page from a Diary Written in Messy Handwriting
Now I understand why Lorenz was willing to part with so much during the auction and why that man's manuscripts were locked away—it's because they contain the proof of his betrayal!
I may not care about the truth of that man's death, but Alva Lorenz, the renowned inventor, the first person to push for the "perfect machine," and also my teacher, is actually a downright hypocrite! To think he stole the work of his collaborator to make a name for himself!
The person he stole from just happens to be... It's disgusting.
Based on the timeline, perhaps he had rotten long before that man did.
I should never have forgotten... Rats live in groups, and only hyenas seek out collaborators. Alva Lorenz worked with that scum who abandoned his family for years, so how could he be any better?
I used to take pride in being called "Lorenz Jr." What a fool I am! I don't want to and never will be him! Those who are not capable of thinking are no more than animals... No, they're worse than insects. That Tridactylidae! Schistocerca! Geometridae! Katydid!
Birthday Letter #3: A Page from Luca Balsa's Experiment File
Name: Luca Balsa
[Test Indicators]
1. High Intelligence
2. Conceited
3. Stubborn
[Inclination]
A stubborn "idealist"
[Test Results]
1. Over all Evaluation:
Frequent electrical stimulation caused permanent brain damage to Subject 10-0-2. From the observation results available, there were irreversible deficits in Subject 10-0-2's memory, cognitive and psychological functioning, together with what he went through, contributed to Subject 10-0-2's performance and position at the beginning of the experiment, such as extreme disgust with acts of betrayal. Surprisingly, the changes brought about by such damage didn't put Subject 10-0-2's awareness of the experiment itself and his stubborn personality, as well as his precise assessment of and countermeasures for potential crises, allowing him to gain the initiative under extremely unfavorable conditions, much beyond our expectations. In particular, Subject 10-0-2's intention to modify the key facilities of the experiment is a point of caution.
2. Methodology:
At the beginning of the experiment, the exchange of information between Subject 10-0-2 and Subject 10-0-1 was only superficial, which allowed them to establish a mutually beneficial and efficient understanding of both. Since Subject 10-0-1 and Subject 10-0-2 had different substantive expectations of their own ideal - both of them had this realization within a very short period of time. The extremely high level of self-esteem caused Subject 10-0-2 to appear cynical, which became one of the driving forces behind the eventual end of their collaboration between Subject 10-0-1 and Subject 10-0-2. The subjects in this group were all, to varying degrees, outward manifestations of reverence for instrumental rationally, but at the same time, their rare talent created an intense internal contradiction that led to the opposite of secular utility. At the end of the experiment, this tension tore through almost all appearances of equanimity.
Initially, the collaboration between Subject 10-0-2 and Subject 10-0-1 yielded promising results. As opposed to other experimental groups' focus on details and progress, neither of them fell into this thinking trap, but instead gained effective insight into the experiment itself based on the limited experimental space - such exhaustive review even somewhat brilliantly bypassed the presence of the executioner and allowed the two collaborators to obtain the key for solving the critical puzzle. After careful evaluation, the risks posed by the unprecedented development may provide useful supporting material.
Subject 10-0-2 showed higher than primitive levels of compliance and altruism in their collaboration, and this temporary appearance caused some adverse interference with the executioner's judgement. Subject 10-0-2's partnership with Subject 10-0-1 ultimately proved difficult to maintain. The superficial collaboration couldn't reconcile the stakes with each other, let alone solve the problem of the two insist doing things their own way. At the same time, due to Subject 10-0-1's strong confidence in controlling the situation and Subject 10-0-2's lack of experience, the subtle traps laid by Subject 10-0-1 instead became the ambush that led to his own failure.
As the experiment made initial progress, as a second batch of subjects was put into a new round of observation to act as an influential factor that matched the experimental characteristics of the group. Subject 10-0-2's attitude toward Subject 10-1-3 showed great contrasts in succession: at first, a rare empathy stemming from a similar experience, which then turned into a subtly hidden murderous intent. This change in attitude - combined with Subject 10-0-2's certain attachment to the past - was clearly traceable. After abandoning an otherwise prudent yet roundabout plan, Subject 10-0-2, based on the information and materials available to him under limited conditions, and catalyzed by the combined actions of Subject 10-0-1 and Subject 10-1-3, ultimate brought this experiment to a brutal yet brilliant conclusion.
3. Experiment Summary:
The "highly intelligent" as represented by Subject 10-0-2 appeared to be relatively gentle and cooperative in the early stages of the experiment.
Their "Collaboration" was more like the efficient workings of the bearings and hears of a large machine based entirely on judgement in the professional field - and flawless logic. Yet this was, in fact, a hint of the collapse of such superficial collaboration in a competitive environment filled with conflicts of interest and suspicion. The subjects, represented by Subject 10-0-2, showed cruelty and recklessness akin to that of an uneducated child when self-interest was at stake. The shell of rationality was like an intricate but fragile house of card that would quickly collapse once it was exposed to external forces.