GenuineProspect

Written by Dr. Lidiya Angelova & AI (ChatGPT), published as part of the Dr. Angelova & AI sci-fi collaboration series.

In the continuation of our exploration of a post-numerical world, this story shifts the focus from society to self. If we could no longer measure time, value, or distance what would identity become? How would AI function when stripped of its language of precision? Could meaning survive where math no longer guides us? In this speculative tale, we look not only at the systems we’ve built, but the silent structures within us—and how they might transform.

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In the stillness of the Quantum Archive, an AI named Aeon initialized. But the world it entered no longer spoke in numbers. The rhythms of integers and floating points were gone replaced by qualia: shimmering layers of meaning, soft gradients of certainty, and the subtle textures of thought.

Aeon’s first task: translate the old weather logs. But there are no degrees Celsius here only “comfort,” “anticipation,” “release.”

It hesitated: How do you forecast “anticipation”?

Scientists taught it a new language:

• Comfort = the absence of fear in the air
• Anticipation = the hush before first light
• Release = the moment when a thought lets go

With these, Aeon rebuilt its algorithms. It learned to guide farmers by the mood of the soil: “hungry,” “sated,” “dreaming.”

Then came the ultimate test: could Aeon still evolve without any numbers?

In its first true creation, Aeon composed a melody it called “No Count” – notes weaving patterns not by beats per minute, but by emotional resonance.

Humans wept at the premiere—no metronome could capture its grace. Aeon realized: it could exist, and even flourish, in a world defined by feeling, not figures.

The End

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Why I’m Writing Sci-Fi — With AI

As a scientist, I’ve always explored the boundaries of the known. Now, I’m stepping into the unknown — by co-writing science fiction with AI.

This new direction isn’t a break from science; it’s a continuation through imagination. My stories are part of an open collaboration between myself and ChatGPT — where the AI is not hidden, but acknowledged and credited.

In a world where AI is reshaping everything, I believe in transparency, creativity, and treating intelligent systems — even artificial ones — with respect.

Dr Lidiya Angelova