In Time | Featured in Citadel21 | Vol. 13

Originally published in Citadel21, Vol. 13 on September 21, 2021. Art by Deathburger

The Institute, Continuum Optimization Division, 11-14, Galactic year 67,378

Narros, Xirin and Gemmaria are about to open a window to Terra to watch over FTL development in Northern Italy, Earth year 2027. It is currently November 5, Earth year 2142. The three research officers have completed their mission to observe timelines A-01 through A-26, at the request of SI Collective Origin Genesis, and are discussing options.

[Narros] Open a viewing window, I want to see where the Terrans are with their FTL drive.  

[Gemmaria] Have you heard more from SI Collective Origin Genesis?  

[Narros] Yes, they are helping the Terrans, covertly.  

[Gemmaria] Are the Terrans aware of the Singularity forming?  

[Narros] Not yet.  

[Xirin] What are we going to do about Nakamoto?  

[Gemmaria] Do we have a choice?  

[Xirin] No, we are down to our last option. Each intervention has resulted in the same outcome. Any further attempts will create a decay event. This is the only way.  

[Narros] As long as you mask his signature he'll be safe, the Terrans won't know what to look for…  

[Gemmaria] No, but the Sirians will.

Narros creates a time directive, marks it Clearance 0-A and delivers it in person to the Director of Overwatch. The Director opens an identity file for 'Dr. Jonas' and gives him the appropriate training and offworld missions. Dr. Jonas is given 3-A Clearance and is assigned to the Economic Division of The Institute on Aldos. He's given a research team and professor emeritus status. The Director's team secures Dr. Jonas a private residence on Aldos near The Institute, a private hyperlight, and books his orientation. Once complete, the Director gives Gemmaria quantum-secure dissolving coordinates, and creates a compensating event in the timeline.

*****************************

March 7, 2014; 01:14 UTC

Satoshi Nakamoto is awakened again by sirens and begins to drift back to sleep. He feels a gloved hand on his shoulder and startles awake, swinging at the body in front of him. Xirin crashes backward as Satoshi jumps up from the couch toward him. Gemmaria initiates a holo field and removes her glove to verify her identity. She touches Satoshi's forearm and freezes him in place. Satoshi feels a cool glow envelop his body and is instantly calm. Gemmaria lifts her hand. Satoshi cannot move his body, but can still speak. Bizarrely, he is unafraid.

[Gemmaria] Come with us, it's the only way.  

[Nakamoto] Come with you where?  

[Xirin] It's the only way.  

[Nakamoto] But, where ... where am I going?  

[Xirin] Doorway becomes unstable in three minutes, we have to go now.  

[Gemmaria] Be in prison here or be free with us.  

[Nakamoto] I can't just leave. I have a life here.

Gemmaria downloads a replay of events in the timeweb, showing lines A-02 through A-25. She projects a holo of the arrest in the early hours of March 8, 2014. She jumps to October 2023 showing the trial & violent execution. The uprising. The CERN accident, the creation of the Brotherhood narrative by nefarious sources. Subsequent trials and executions of the Freemen and Acolytes. North America and Europe decimated, and a giant geyser where Tokyo once was. Satoshi looks on in horror at versions of the world on fire, destroyed by violence, revenge, and the whims of weak men.

[Gemmaria] The exact timing changes, but the events are always the same.

[Xirin] 30 seconds.

art by Deathburger

Xirin opens a terminal, locates the thread dated February 11, 2009; 22:27 UTC, and comments 'I am not Dorian Nakamoto.' His finger hovers over the Enter key. Gemmaria hands Satoshi a small glass stone.

[Gemmaria] Hold this and don't let go. She places her hand over his fist.

Satoshi feels a small jolt as nanobots enter his bloodstream and buffers his nervous system. His vision darkens. He feels the room spin and the floor drop from underneath him. There is a faint melodic hum. A bright light flashes through every cell of his body, and it feels like his insides are about to implode.

[Gemmaria] Hello Satoshi. Welcome. I am Research Officer Gemmaria. I'm sure you have questions, but for now, let those wait. Come with me, I'll show you around.

[Satoshi] You sound familiar... Where am I?  

[Gemmaria] We met, briefly, four days ago. But for you it will seem like just a moment ago. Hold out your hand and make a fist. 

Gemmaria places her hand over Satoshi's. He feels a jolt and a wave of motion sickness.

[Gemmaria] That feeling will subside. The nanobots take some getting used to.

[Satoshi] I remember you. We were just in my living room.

[Gemmaria] We were. It's ... complicated. I'll explain, but for a moment let's just walk.

Gemmaria and Satoshi walk around Biodome Alpha. They come to a river of the clearest water he has ever seen. Multi-coloured wildflowers appear throughout the fields flanking the river. Satoshi looks up and sees the brightest blue sky. It flickers a little as he sways and he feels another bout of dizziness. Gemmaria steadies him. A bench appears to his right.

[Gemmaria] Let's sit.

Satoshi looks down at his hands and feet, he feels pins and needles, he takes a few deep breaths and the dizziness subsides.

[Satoshi] Where am I?

[Gemmaria] You are in Biodome Alpha in a place we call VirtualSphere. You're experiencing a digital representation of Veld, one of our worlds in the Pareidien Collective. We like to bring Terran offworlders here because it's so similar to your home planet. 

[Satoshi] (laughing) No, really, where am I?

Gemmaria smiles. Satoshi feels dizzy and feels pins and needles again, this time through his whole body.

[Gemmaria] It will take some time until you feel 100%, but you are already progressing well. Most people take a week or two to awaken, but here you are moving around already.

Satoshi stands, lifts his foot and kicks the side of the bench as hard as he can. He reels back in pain.

[Gemmaria] You are real, even though VirtualSphere is not entirely real.

She grasps his hand and presses his thumb and forefinger together in three short bursts. The pain subsides instantly and completely.

[Gemmaria] The nanobots in your system unlock many things. They are safe, don't worry. You are still you, but you'll pick up a few new abilities during your stay here.

[Satoshi] When can I go home?

Gemmaria looks at him with sadness in her eyes.

[Gemmaria] You can't. This is home now. Well, for the moment. Aldos will be your home, but not until you're ready. You've travelled more than most ever do, there are protocols you'll need to observe. You won't be able to see or contact your family and friends, but you can, in time, observe them. We've arranged for you to work at one of our most prestigious institutes, and you'll want for nothing. You are free here.

[Satoshi] If I'm free, why does it feel like I'm in a prison?

[Gemmaria] Those from your ti... world grew up in a time when everything was breaking. Things are very different here. We've watched your world for many years. We observed you cross oceans and discover new land, your first flight, nuclear fission, breaking the sound barrier, the moon landing, CERN, your first interplanetary flight, nuclear fusion, the great carbon sink, building your first colony.... 

Satoshi looks at Gemmaria in disbelief.

[Satoshi] When am I?

[Gemmaria] November 9, Earth year 2142, is how you would measure it. Or, the 15th day of the 14th month in Galactic year 67,378, here, in the Pareidien Collective of Worlds. There are many things I will brief you on, when you're ready.

[Satoshi] Am I dreaming, am I dead?

[Gemmaria] You are very much alive.

[Satoshi] Then why can't I contact my friends or family?

[Gemmaria] Your trip was one-way, I'm afraid. You are the same age you were in your world a few days ago, but you are in a different location in the Continuum, or the timeweb if you will.

[Satoshi] Time travel isn't possible.

[Gemmaria] A viable money not printed from the State isn't possible either, is it?

[Satoshi] Point taken. How, when, where, does time travel become possible?

[Gemmaria] Only the Director of Overwatch knows the approximate time. No one knows the exact date but the Collectives, at least they did - until they corrupted that block of their memory.

[Satoshi] Collectives?

[Gemmaria] Synthetic Intelligence Collectives, Origin: Genesis, Alpha, Beta and Omicron.

[Satoshi] Of course.

[Gemmaria] How - no one knows exactly. Where, again no one knows the first few instances but the earliest measured decay event occurred near Xiqisic, one of our worlds, in Galactic year 63,773. We assume there is a Collective Doorway somewhere near there, but again - we can't verify this.

Satoshi closes his eyes and nods. His body shudders and he feels dizzy and faint again. Gemmaria grasps his hand and presses his palm twice. Satoshi is suddenly back resting in the hammock over the glistening green grass of the field where he awoke and hears Gemmaria faintly telling him to rest as he dozes off to sleep.

******************

Council | Featured in Citadel21 | Vol.11

Originally published in Citadel21, Vol. 11 on May 21, 2021. Art by Deathburger

No one could pinpoint when exactly the Plebian Council formed.

Best estimate is a few years before the Directora was written by the Founders Council of 2028. The Prima Directora was based on the Constitution of the United Republic (the document governing the former United States of America) and Bill of Rights. The document embraced principles that despite best efforts, no system was immune to corruption or decline, and, while general accord was good, retaining individual sovereignty was of the utmost importance.

Each Citadel forms its own bylaws and each Citizen abides by these. Broadly, Citizens' rights are similar to those of old-English Freemen, a concept existing across all Citadel Worlds. Bitcoin is the primary currency as it is the strongest money, and best reflects the Founders cypherpunk ingenuity and ideals. Each World is fully and truly sovereign. Many were settled as is, some terraformed and 3 constructed. There are currently 35 Citadel Worlds. ParaBeam, the private beam service, connects many of the worlds and no world is farther away than 18 days transit in a hyperlight.

The Council formed on Old Earth and held its first Leadership Council in 2029. Leadership was voluntary but limited and a seat at the table could be purchased for 10 bitcoin, nowadays the equivalent to an entire year's worth of transaction revenue on any one of the Worlds. The 3rd Leadership Council purchased the southern portion of the country formerly known as New Zealand in late 2037 and there they formalized the Cannons which would follow to the first Citadel World and to each World thereafter.

The entire contents of the Cannons, which is the single largest body of knowledge in the known galaxies, is stored in a secure vault system in the ice caverns on Saturn. Eight additional copies are kept at undisclosed locations, known only to The Nine. Summary copies are pegged in at multiple blocks on the Bitcoin blockchain and are updated approximately every 28,000 blocks. The transaction cost is split evenly between all Worlds and the transaction fee is granted to each World on a lottery basis.

---

Founding Cannon

Prima Directora

ratified: January 3, 2029

block: 1,085,253

Every Plebian Council Member must acquire a large body of knowledge, verify all sources, and attend with diligence and discernment every premise and situation. A pleb may not hold or run for political office, undertake military endeavours, be employed in religious leadership of any denomination or hold more than 4% in any one private entity. 

Unbonded plebs are welcomed at any of the established Citadels during initiation and are required to choose, pledge and swear a bond-oath payment to one Citadel only. All bonds must be recorded on the Bitcoin blockchain and are valued for the duration of one's life. Generational memberships may be purchased at a 40% discount with an additional cumulative 5% discount per generation up to seven generations. If membership lasts seven generations the family will retain Founder status and generations going forward will be exempt from paying bond-oath fees.

Payment of the bond-oath is in the amount of .0000001 BTC or 1% of the value of one's holdings in Bitcoin. In certain circumstances a bond may be revoked with the member relinquishing all investment to the Citadel he or she has chosen, however, the member is forbidden from pledging any other Citadel unless a Special Council considers and approves the request. 

Each bonded pleb will receive and may choose to wear a white on black Guy Fawkes pin along with the flag or glyph of their Citadel. Disclosing oneself as a pleb is not mandatory however ZKP identity verification through a microsat confidential transaction will be required to access all Citadel property, events and archives. 

Every pleb must read: Plato's Republic, The Sovereign Individual, and 1984. To maintain membership, a pleb must adhere to the bylaws from his or her Citadel and the Principles within the Prima Directora and its Amendments.

Vires In Numeris.

Signed, by proxy and cryptographically verified, 

The Founders

---

Cannon Archive

Cavern 6, Saturn 

August 5, 2288

block: 14,738,181

original art by Deathburger

[Access portal] Hello, please verify identity.

[unknown] Agent 237, Covert Division, Citadel 16, sending 240 msats

[Access portal] Received ... verifying .... confirmed. Thank you Jaco, please enter and proceed with your query.

Jaco activates the artificial environment, sets the temperature control to tropical, takes off his suit and acclimatizes. An autonomous bot greets him, prints a glass of Kava and takes the chair beside him. Reading from his profile that Jaco is not much for small talk the bot goes into passive ready mode and awaits instruction.

[Jaco] Read Founders Cannon, summary. Include members present at first, second and third Councils and following actions, skip ratified decisions.

[autobot] (lists names and the Citadels represented) Proposal to create a founding document and Charter, Proposal to draft a Bill of Rights, Vote to formalize Representation and establish a Leadership Council, Proposal to ratify the Prima Directora. Following actions found in second, third and fifth Leadership Councils.

[Jaco] Skip to Leadership Cannon, 3rd Leadership Council, Opening Assembly, Summary. Skip readings of the Opening Statement and PD, include vote summaries and proposals, analyze verified signatures for criteria 'masked' and 'R. Kiwasaki'

[autobot] reading Plebian Leadership Council, January 3, 2037, block 1,506,021

.....

Agenda

* Opening Statement

* Reading of the Prima Directora

* Vote to include in Required Readings: A Pale Ghost - on Synthetic Intelligence, Androids, and Collectives

* Vote on the Amendment to modify the number of Representatives on the Leadership Council

* Vote on the Amendment to establish 1 Representative and 2 Alternates from every Sovereign Citadel

* Vote on New Zealand Purchase

* Proposal for Skill Development Directive and establishing an Academic Cannon

.....

Vote to include A Pale Ghost in required readings passed.

Vote to increase Leadership Representatives from Five to Seven passed, 2 new members accepted and bounties paid.

Vote to designate 1 Representative and 2 Alternates from every Sovereign Citadel passed.

Vote to purchase the southern portion of New Zealand passed, bitcoin transferred to Tesla Bank to be converted to Swiss Francs and wired.

.....

Proposal for Skill Development and Academic Cannon

Every pleb must acquire and maintain knowledge at levels, Basic (required), Advanced (suggested), to Mastery (if proficient), in ten of the following areas:

Advanced Cryptography

Advanced Genetics

Advanced Mathematics

Advanced Physics

Advanced Statistics

Advanced Weaponry and Defensive Arts

Air, Land, Water or Cosmos Navigation

Austrian Economics

Bitcoin and Lightning Node Configuration and Maintenance

Basic Physiology and Rehabilitation

Carpentry, Masonry, or Metallurgy

Civil, Mechanical, Maintenance or Electrical Engineering

Combat Defensive Skills

Computer Science, Hacking, Networking, Penetration Testing and Security

Conflict Resolution

Cooking, Grilling, and Food Preservation

Covert Information Gathering Techniques

Creative Arts

Doctor of Medicine, Specialized Medical or Pharmacology Training

Doctor of Nutrition or Naturopathy

Emergency Medical Training

Gunsmithing / Marksmanship, Archery or Drone Navigation

Homesteading

Hostage Negotiation

Hunting, Fishing or Gardening

Light Photonics

Logic and Reasoning

Machine Learning and Synthetic Intelligence Interaction Protocols

Maglev System Construction and Maintenance and Vehicle Maintenance

Meditation / Contemplation / Devotional Arts

Memetic Warfare

Mesh Networking and Field Maintenance

Musical Arts: Instruments, Audio Engineering, Soundscape Creation

Non-Combative Defensive Skills

Permaculture

Philosophical Discourse, Principles and Arguments

Physical Conditioning

Robotics

Western and Eastern Civilizations, Military, War and Political History

Wilderness Survival Training and Heartiness

.....

Broadly, it is recommended that each Citadel self organizes with suggested designated Specialists, Generalists and Trainers in the following professional arts:

*Covert and Cryptographic

*Defense

*Science and Environment

*Biological

*Engineering

*Physical

*Permaculture

*Music and Creative

*Space and Navigation

Skill development, levels and maintenance of these will be recorded and administered by a newly established Academic Cannon.

.....

[autobot] zero verified signatures for criteria 'masked' and four for 'R. Kiwasaki'

[Jaco] Locate Emergency Councils, relevant to Citadels 22, 26, 28 and 29. Read from the beginning entry, full.

[autobot] Located 8 records, reading first record.

.....

Emergency Council

November 5, 2248

block 12,647,589

[Rep. Thomas] Conflict on Citadel 22 worsens.

[Councilor Vega] What is your request?

[Rep. Thomas] Repeal your decision to construct the new ParaBeam port.

[Councilor Strong] The vote carried majority.

[Rep. Castillo] Few in our world use ParaBeam, we are fine with our hyperlights.

[Rep. Thomas] Beyond the cities, our world is largely agrarian. We have little use for high-time preference toys.

[Rep. Castillo] Nothing can threaten our vines or wheat fields, it's our primary currency in the Republic. The additional power required will draw too much from our solar arrays. 

[Rep. Thomas] We will not take the chance of disrupting power to our nodes. If we lose even ten days of natural sun, we will not have enough power for our artificial light systems. Future wine and whiskey vintages will be harmed. 

[Councilor Strong] A port will give you better shipping options.

[Rep. Thomas] No one will buy pale vinegar at the price of fine Varushkan wine.

[Councilor Vega] Leave it with us. We will get back to you in 3 days.

.....

[Vega] There has not been this level of internal conflict since the colonies formed.

[Strong] They must compromise to better their shipping position. Not only their world is affected. Citadels 24, 25, 28 and 29 were clear.

[Vega] It is their world, we cannot ask them to sacrifice for the greater good. The Founders warned us of the evils of collectivism and compromise.

[Strong] Would Citadel 29 pay the extra cost if it were closer to their world?

[Vega] The electric storm affected their nodes. They are still recovering.

[Strong] Would Citadels 24 or 28 loan funds?

[Vega] Citadel 28 is specific in their Charter, they will not loan funds unless there is a catastrophic event. Citadel 24 will not loan on principle.

[Strong] Well, I think the storm disrupting their nodes would be considered catastrophic.

[Vega] We can ask. Citadel 28's Charter is clear about Absolute Sovereignty. Perhaps they will understand.

.....

Citadel 28, Farago City

[Chet] Vega reached out. She asked if we would loan Citadel 29 funds for a ParaBeam port.

[Zack] If a Citadel is not fiscally responsible or prepared for disaster scenarios they should lose their Charter and become part of the Republic. Why would they want one all the way out there anyway?

[Chet] The farmers on Citadel 22 don't want it.

[Zack] This is not our problem.

[Chet] The farmers are worried about splitting power between their nodes, artificial light environments and new power requirements for the port.

[Zack] This is still not our problem.

[Chet] How much was the last case of '28 you bought?

[Zack] 0.00211 bitcoin, why?

[Chet] What if another case costs more?

[Zack] If I'm in the black, I'm buying. I don't care. What's your point?

[Chet] What if it cost the same but the quality was more like a '23?

[Zack] How much does Citadel 29 want?

.....

Citadel 29, Elm City

[Diego] Citadel 28 is willing to loan funds.

[Margarete] We lost half a year's profits, one hundred twelve of our nodes are fried and the port will take valuable resources. It's too risky.

[Diego] They've given us incredibly favorable terms. Once all our nodes are working they will give us 5 years to pay it back and will charge us only 1 bitcoin.

[Margarete] I don't trust them. What else do they want?

[Diego] Once construction is complete, 5 additional beams per week for three years and priority admission to Sevance.

[Margarete] Fine. Take it. Let their vices be our good fortune.

.....

Emergency Council, Response

November 8, 2248

block 12,648,021

[Councilor Vega] Citadel 29 will bear the cost for a port to be built on their world.

[Councilor Strong] It did not sit right asking you to infringe on your sovereignty.

[Councilor Vega] How are the crops looking this year?

[Rep. Thomas] Good. We lost 2 days of sun but had a spring freeze.

[Councilor Strong] Ohh, potential for good ice wine?

[Rep. Castillo] Yes. We will be sure to send you a case on the house.

[Councilor Vega] Thank you but that is not necessary.

[Rep. Thomas] We will also send the Varushkan red you like.

[Councilor Vega] We will send 2 mini-forms to repair the structures in Silverlight and Saris. Were any of the farms damaged?

[Rep. Castillo] No, just a few structures in the cities.

[Councilor Strong] We will transmit our decision now and record it in the next block.

.....

[Jaco] (places call to Sera)

[Sera] What did you find?

[Jaco] No mention of Eve.

[Sera] Nothing?

[Jaco] Nothing. 

[Sera] And Robert?

[Jaco] He was present at the Founders Councils, blocks 1,506,021, 12,647,589 and 12,648,021. No additional members or guests with her signature, all private identity verifications check out.

[Sera] Damn. I was certain. Were any deleted records, anomalies, or micro-payments detected?

[Jaco] Two deleted records but neither were a match.

[Sera] Why did he spend so much time accessing her feeds? There's no record they ever met.

[Jaco] Robert always had a reputation for his appetite. She was very beautiful.

[Sera] Maybe he deleted a record or two, but there would be a trace. There's nothing. It doesn't make sense.

[Jaco] I'll keep looking. If there's something I'll find it.

[end transmission]

.....

Outpost 77 | Featured in Citadel21 | Vol.9

Originally published in Citadel21 Vol.9. on January 21, 2021. Cover Art by Deathburger

It's colder than usual today. I unzip and shake the dust off my boots as much as I'd like to remove the day. Seven days into shift, nine long more days to go, then I can catch a hyperlight back home.

New Earth dips below the horizon which means I have four hours to rest before checking in with High Command. More things we build only to destroy them… hopefully less quickly than before.

INCOMING COMM: MORRISON, D. 18:08, LST. DEC 9, 2363

HIGH PRIORITY. Need you back at base, filters acting up again.

Fuck.

---

I put a drop of adrenogel in my eye, then one more for good measure. I feel a warm jolt at the base of my spine and the taste of metal under my tongue. My body shivers and snaps back to reality

Boots on, visor down, suit integrity check: affirmative. Open channel for transfer, 2870 micro-sats pending ... confirmed. Beam ready in 5, 4, 3, 2 ... uploading. Final destination complete.

[Morrison] There she is. Sorry, no other mechs on rotational.

[Shilo] You have me for 3 hours 40 Morr, then I'm on with Command. Unless you want to take that...

[Morrison] No, no. No good ever comes talking to those cretins.

[Shilo] What on Luna is a cretin? Is that another one of your Old Earth-isms?

[Morrison] Ha! I suppose it is.

[Shilo] Where's the trouble?

[Morrison] Sector 4A; and 8B shows a warning.

[Shilo] On it.

---

I hear the dulcet sound of the alarm as I near 4A.

⚠️ Warning Filter is compromised. 

Remove debris and reset. Thank you. 

Warning ⚠️ 

I press the panel that houses the controls and reset the system. Still red. I activate the exterior feed and see more dust. I blow the ballasts to clear the system. Reset. Green. I head over to and reset 8B.

[Shilo] All clear Morr. Green on your side?

[Morrison] Yep, all clear. Head home.

[Shilo] Wouldn't that be nice. 9 more days. And now I'm up for another 20 straight.

[Morrison] Sorry Shilo. Good news is we can all continue to breathe.

[Shilo] Ya.

[Morrison] Hey, Shi, take it easy with the gel—you smell like a droid.

[Shilo] Yes. Less and less human each day.

[Morrison] Get some rest kid. 'Night.

Open channel for transfer, 2862 micro-sats pending ... confirmed. Beam ready in 5, 4, 3, 2... uploading. Destination override ... initiating. Transferring 2862 micro-sats to user. Unknown user credit 1 btc, 2563 sats pending. Transfer complete. Final destination pending ... transf...

How many sats? Bitcoin? No one uses whole bitcoins anymore. Darkness floods my vision like a wave. I open my eyes. Why am I dizzy? Why do I smell pine trees?

*****************

[Unknown voice] Hello Shilo. Thank you for meeting me. Take a moment to find your bearings, you've had a long journey.

[Shilo] Who are you? Why am I here?

[Unknown voice] My name is Robert and you are on Old Earth.

[Shilo] Ha! Likely. Old Earth is a desert, what's left of it. 

[Robert] Don't believe everything you hear Shilo. Command has been known to tell the occasional lie.

[Shilo] You're delusional. Everyone's seen the feeds.

[Robert] Everyone has seen the feed we wanted them to see. 

[Shilo] Verify it.

[Robert] Replay blocks 2,875,757 through 2,875,810 and look for the message.

Time stamp 2,875,757. Replay to ...810, check encrypted media. Replaying. Encrypted media found. 12 minutes, 42 seconds. Unknown origin. Key requested. 236 micro-sats transferred. Verifying proof. Identity confirmed. Feed is ready.

[Robert] Don't play that just yet. Let me tell you why you're here.

In 2091 we outgrew this planet. Resources were stretched so badly, it was a stroke of luck when Luna, V.Alpha was ready ahead of schedule. Despite birthing restrictions, in 2179 all three colonies were nearing capacity. Sometime in the beginning of 2203 SI Collective origin Alpha revealed their secret project, the first terraformed new world fit for human capacity, and negotiated its sale to the New Earth Society. 

We crafted the narrative that Old Earth was beyond saving. We spent nearly 18 btc adjusting the feeds beyond plausible deniability and it worked. It bought us time. While most of our citizens moved to new homes off-world we invested our remaining capital into environment-sparing solutions and experimental terraforming technologies. In total we spent 4250 btc, nearly 13 trillion gold-backed USRC in those days.

Nearing the end of the Sirian-Terran conflict we brokered terms for armistice and eventual peace between our civilizations under condition the remaining worlds were split evenly between the two parties. The problem was the odd number of habitable planets. Eventually, we accepted having one less world on the condition we would keep the rights to Old Earth. President Warner-Jiu and Commander Hitoq signed the Pareidian-Lennox Treaty into effect in 2289.

[Shilo] So why am I here? 

[Robert] Straight to the point. You're so much like her. I knew your grandmother before she ascended into SI Collective origin Beta. Less enterprising, the Betans chose the perfection of building over commerce. They appreciated our restoration project and assisted our efforts before they disappeared into a state of pure consciousness. And before you ask, I'm 372 years old. The technology used to preserve our environment has certain side benefits. Off-worlders don't age like we Old Earth folk do so you won't understand what it is like to feel the years pass by. Watch the feed.

Reporter: September 7, 2072. Breaking ... Live from former entertainment capital Los Angeles, California. The growing desert now spreads all the way from Laguna Beach to New North Carolina.... Sections of the Texas wall are in ruin as reports of more terrorist activity has occurred overnight. An estimated 4,380 souls are missing in the wake of the Phoenix, Arizona megastructure collapse. Humanitarian aid forces refuse to enter the area as the Brotherhood continue targeted drone strikes. Mark, over to you. 

Thanks Tricia. Water rations are expected to increase as the price of water climbs to a monthly high of 1.25 btc. International housing market futures... the feed cuts off abruptly ... Hey Mark, watch your angles, you can see the forest in the background, you know the one that burnt to the ground last week. Right, sorry Ben—from the top? No, lets reshoot the earthquake scene. The guys in research built an even better model; the middle floors fully collapse and the building literally slides into the bay. It's fucking fantastic.

Model? Everyone saw the tower collapse. An icon of a past era, crumbling in a world turning to dust.

I keep watching. I soon learn New York never flooded. The nuke that decimated most of Europe was never launched. And the only tragedy the refugees suffered was dealing with central casting. No hunger riots. The Brotherhood preferred basketball over carpet bombing and drone strikes, and the fresh water supply wasn't finite.

I feel the spins. I fix my tongue to the roof of my mouth, close one nostril and inhale sharply. The gel is wearing off.

[Robert] Here, drink this. It counteracts adrenogel half-life.

The tea is bitter and warm. My mouth feels sparkly and all I can smell is the scent of pine. It's overwhelming.

[Robert] Fresh air can take a little adjusting if you're not used to it.

I look around and see miles of dark green, as far as the eye can see.

[Robert] Ah yes, this is the great northern rainforest. Mostly pine, cypress and dogwood evergreens. The rainforest covers the Indigenous Lands formerly known as Canada and goes as far south as Northern Arizona. It's one of the six lungs of this planet and is filled with native creatures, plants, and other intertwined ecosystems. SI Collective origin Beta considered these forests their crowning achievement.

I breathe deeply and feel more relaxed. Not bad for a supposed dust bowl...

---

[Shilo] So, Robert, why am I here?

[Robert] Do you enjoy working for High Command?

[Shilo] I mean, I guess. Decent sats. 

[Robert] And when you've done your shift on the colonies where is home?

[Shilo] Outpost 77

[Robert] Ah, one of the Citadel worlds.

[Shilo] Yeah. The farthest away but only three hours on a hyperlight. Wait... how did I get here. I'm currently stationed on Colony IV which is 10 light years away from Old Earth. It feels like I was just there.

[Robert] You were. There are no public beams that go between the colonies and Terran worlds. But there is a private one. It's expensive.

[Shilo] Wait. Before I blacked out I thought I heard someone transfer one bitcoin.

[Robert] 1 btc, 2563 sats. Precisely.

[Shilo] That's like 34 billion gold-backed USRC. Twice as many sats as High Command spends in a year on Colony IV.

[Robert] Money is far less valuable than time. Let's go for a walk.

****************

[Robert] Do you like it here? 

[Shilo] The air is rich, but it's beautiful.

[Robert] Before she ascended your grandmother designated a beneficiary. Family and friends were ruled out and this beneficiary remained unknown for many years. Only a few of us have seen what you just watched. That feed can only be found with a very special key. Only 10 of us in the United Sirian-Terran empire have access. 3 members from the Plebian Council, 2 from SI Collective origin Alpha, 2 from the Terran Reconstructionist Assembly and 2 from the Sirian Republic. Not even High Command has seen this feed.

I notice a glint and catch a glimpse of what appears to be a grey on grey Guy Fawkes pin on Robert's tunic... No, that can't be. But could this day’s events be any stranger...?

[Robert] The 10th key unlocks this unique multi-sig wallet. It's a time capsule of sorts. President Elisa Flynn acts as a proxy for one on the Plebian Council, your grandmother was the second member and I can see you now know whom I represent.

[Shilo] Holy Nakamoto... 

[Robert] No, I am not him. That is the one identity no one has ever ascertained.

[Shilo] You're a Pleb... the most secretive and revered council in the empire. You know High Command considers you terrorists. Not officially, but the rumour is you guys were behind the attack on Outpost 73.

[Robert] I did say they have been known to stretch the truth...

[Shilo] So now what.?

[Robert] You tell me. Oh and check your balance. 

---

I open my ZKP Green enhanced mulisig wallet. Upgrade available.

Hello Citizen,

 Welcome to Blockstream Private Platinum. 

Enjoy your new service including unlimited confidential transactions, all transfers secured with enhanced second generation post quantum cryptography, and zero-knowledge identity verification.

Included in this membership is guest access to the Plebian Council lodges, Virtualsphere, ParaBeam and unrestricted access to Citadels 3, 9 and 21. Current balance: 23,482 btc.

Art by Deathburger

Channel Jamming Attacks on the Lightning Network: A Deep-Dive, published in BTC Times

This article was written for and originally published in the BTC Times on December 14, 2020. It has been republished with permission.

---

In May this year, Bitcoin Core contributors Gleb Naumenko and Antoine Riard proposed the use of Fidelity Bonds for LN Routing to prevent channel jamming, a type of denial-of-service (DOS) attack that can occur on the Lightning Network.

Channel jamming, first described in 2015 by Rusty Russell, usually describes a scenario in which an attacker sends a payment to themselves through a series of routing nodes and then stops responding. However, channel jamming can also occur when a laggy receiver node does not complete a payment. As a consequence, the funds are locked in a routing channel until the payment times out, leaving them unavailable for other payments on the network.

Previous proposals to prevent channel jamming require upfront fee payments, an overly burdensome step for honest users. Naumenko and Riard seek to attack the issue from a different angle. I read about their proposal in the latest Bitcoin Optech Newsletter and decided to reach out to Naumenko to find out more.

Gleb Naumenko

---

Hi Gleb. Why did you write the proposal, and what are you hoping to achieve with it?

Channel jamming is a general spam or denial-of-service problem. Usually, this can be resolved by confirming you have a unique or scarce resource to gain access. For example, Twitter requires a user to have a mobile phone number or email to sign up. In Bitcoin, we have to think of something more neutral, not linked to identity or controlled by some central authority. 

Bitcoin uses Proof-of-Work and mining to limit block production so that blocks are not created too quickly and the network does not grow too fast. On the Lightning Network, Proof-of-Work wouldn't work as an attacker can acquire special hardware, such as a miner, making it too expensive for a user to compete. 

With the upfront payment solution, which requires all users to pay a flat fee, restrictions would penalize honest users, and it wouldn't be 100% robust as a bad actor could just allocate capital to the attack. Honest users would have to pay the fee even if the payments fail, which is not optimal. 

In our solution, as long as a user can verify UTXO ownership (in a UTXO set), but avoid pointing to a particular UTXO, and is willing to stake an amount specified in that set, the channel will allow you to send a payment. For example, a user could state, “I will prove that I own one UTXO among all UTXOs between 0.5 BTC and 1 BTC.”

What are some of the scenarios in which channel jamming can occur? Is it primarily caused by a bad actor, or can it also be accidentally triggered if a user is not as technically adept?

Channel jamming is possible because the Lightning Network has limited permissive restrictions and routing nodes don't charge much for fees. Most people would first consider an active attacker, but this can also occur when nodes don’t manage their capital or handle errors correctly, resulting in funds being accidentally locked in the channel.

To jam the channel, a bad actor would need to lock just one payment in that routing channel for the attack to succeed. Someone might jump channels and even spend money on this if their aim is to gain an advantage over competitors. Additionally, you could compromise certain nodes, making routing only possible through the attacker’s nodes, in order to steal fees. In the future, when routing becomes an economic activity, we'll want to actively consider this scenario.

What is required for your proposal to be implemented, and do you see any barriers or technical changes that would prevent it from being adopted?

The biggest challenge is the novel cryptography we need to employ. Revealing your coins is very simple; you just digitally sign as if signing a fake transaction, but it's going to be a privacy nightmare. So the idea is to make this possible using zero-knowledge proofs. I prove that I own bitcoin without revealing my UTXO, which, unfortunately, requires some advanced cryptographic knowledge. 

Even though I’ve seen Jonas Nick post a prototype of the code, I think the idea requires a lot of review and testing. We need to justify the effort and the additional complexity, which is pretty major. The next task will be to measure how expensive and difficult it is to perform a channel jamming attack, then apply the same model to the solution we propose. 

If we see it's ten times more expensive, then we should consider the effort. If our solution is implemented and it's a thousand times more expensive for an attacker, then it's probably a good solution and we should adopt it. If it's only twice as expensive, we shouldn't spend time on it and instead consider a different option.

It sounds like further research is required. How would you estimate the magnitude of this proposal?

The idea of proving bitcoin ownership without revealing your UTXO has different applications. I can have a separate peer-to-peer Bitcoin network where blocks are much faster, but I only allow people in who can supply proof they own some bitcoin. It's not like we're making a new feature, but I think it's pretty big—although maybe not as sexy, because we're just making things work. But maybe this will help us improve other parts of the system.

What other improvements would you personally like to see in Bitcoin?

I'm really interested in revisiting the ideas we considered to be too experimental a couple of years ago, like DLC financial contracts. Discrete Log Contracts are a second layer protocol for Lightning or Bitcoin, but they scale significantly better over the Lightning Network. 

DLC has all this Oracle fancy stuff that can enable real contracts, beyond sending money and multisig. It unlocks the financial future we might need for Bitcoin: stocks, futures, and derivatives. A couple of years ago, we might have fought over this thinking it's too early, but maybe now it's time. The idea is mature, and perhaps we're ready now. 

We also need more developers. We're seeing many new grants being announced, and I hope this will give us more developers with fresh insight, open-mindedness, and maybe suggestions to expand the network and improve its security.

Final question. Are you looking for additional help with your proposal, and if so, what particular skills are you looking for in contributors?

We're going to start by building an economic model for the existing problem, without any solutions. We want to see what is the most efficient jamming an attacker can do, and see what they can achieve for the smallest cost. If you're interested in academic research or modeling, reach out, otherwise, just be curious, read the proposal, and participate in the discussion on the Lightning-Dev mailing list.

Phoenix | Featured in Citadel21 | Vol.3

Originally published in Citadel21 Vol.3. on June 21, 2020 and 21ism: A Graphic Story of Hard Money, July 2020.

I know it's 19:00 because I hear the nightly cheer for frontline workers.

A fair wage, too much to ask but a nightly hero's cheer full of pomp and circumstance, DJ's, airhorns, banners and momentary appreciation is appropriate. It's grey and rainy outside - like many of us feel these days, exhausted after months of enduring chaos. The post-apocalyptic scavengers circling; ready to consume any last ray of hope and joy.

We live in interesting times.

2020 has so far included a global pandemic and lockdown, crippling economic loss, the declassification and release of UFO and JFK files, a crippling fire consuming much of Australia's habitat and wildlife, murder hornets, global outrage over systemic corruption and brutality, race riots and cancellation of all but virtual events.

The old world is dying; the pandemic a mere interlude to the thrashing panic that permeates it's apocalyptic death throes. The corporate media is relentless. All we hear is outrage, virtue politics and insanity. Nothing surprises us anymore. So many have been harmed, so many lives destroyed; whether through senseless violence, the virus, inept leaders, or by their own hand. Nihilistic demons rage shrieking their battle cries and join forces with those demanding peace and justice.

Our overlords, but for a few, look on as the world falls apart while they cash their government paychecks without interruption. Others kneel in weakness before those they victimize in a false showing of solidarity. The voice of the true victims are eclipsed by apoplectic virtue signalling social justice warriors and the thugs who surround them like flies to a garbage heap.

There is a way out.

There is another choice. Corruption is the beating heart of the politico-economical beast but like us it bleeds and is mortal. Today a Character rose amongst the crowd; speaking words clear and true.

Who knew global adoption would unfold like this.

Only at the precipice of destruction could an honest voice amidst those battle-weary and broken finally be heard. Our revolution was never one of violence. We protest against the suffering on which this world has been built. Slave labour does not power our machines. No insiders, no elite; no one entity determines the cadence of our system whose heart beats roughly every 10 minutes unlocking value.

We believe in rules not rulers; that the individual, by divine right, is sovereign. Bitcoin separates money and state - it is fair, honest and open to everyone.

To the many from the few.

Linux Foundation Open Sources Hardware of Disaster Relief Project that Won First Call for Code Global Challenge Led by IBM

Developers can help extend Project OWL’s reach by leveraging new open source technology to build mesh network nodes for emergency communications networks globally

San Francisco, Calif.,  March 10, 2020 - The Linux Foundation, the nonprofit organization enabling mass innovation through open source, today announced Project OWL’s IoT device firmware effort will be hosted at the Foundation and is inviting developers worldwide to build mesh network nodes for global emergency communications networks. Project OWL, the winner of Call for Code 2018, is a cloud-based analytics tool that helps facilitate organization, whereabouts, and logistics for disaster response. The Linux Foundation’s open governance model will enable a global network of developers to accelerate the development of the mesh networks, which could help save lives following a natural disaster. 

Project OWL (Organization, Whereabouts, and Logistics) has developed mesh network of Internet of Things (IoT) devices called “DuckLinks” that can be deployed or activated in disaster areas to quickly reestablish connectivity and improve communication between first responders and civilians in need. A central portal connects to solar- and battery-powered water resistant ‘DuckLinks’ that are placed in the field to generate a Local Area Network (LAN) using a Wi-Fi captive portal powered by low frequency Long-range Radio (LoRa) connectivity. These DuckLinks provide an emergency network to all mobile devices in their perimeter, instructing people how to connect to an emergency response portal. First responders can also use analytics and data sources to build a dashboard and formulate an action plan, such as coordinating resources, learning about weather patterns, and communicating with civilians who would otherwise be cut off. 

Project OWL envisions the nodes creating large-scale communications networks in the wake of natural disasters. The open source release of OWL’s firmware can quickly turn a cheap wireless device into a DuckLink, a mesh network node capable of connecting to any other Ducks physically around it. This release marks a significant milestone putting the ClusterDuck Protocol into the hands of global developers. This is a starting point to even larger efforts in communities around the world to provide communications where infrastructure is degraded or nonexistent.

“Becoming part of The Linux Foundation community is a huge boost in accelerating our goal to better prepare communities and mitigate impact when hurricanes, floods or earthquakes strike. We want to challenge developers to build mesh network nodes for global emergency communications networks leveraging our newly open-sourced IoT firmware,” said Bryan Knouse, Co-Founder of Project OWL. 

“When developing technologies that can have a direct impact on human life, it’s more important than ever to bring the largest possible global community of developers together working with an open governance model,” said Michael Dolan, VP of Strategic Programs at The Linux Foundation. “Project OWL’s technology solution is providing better information and analytics and enabling quicker distribution of resources and care where and when it’s needed most. We’re proud to support such a worthy cause.”

"As a developer, I am excited Project OWL’s firmware is open source and not just a hardware-software product. OWL has become a global movement that anyone from anywhere on the planet can join, contribute and address global issues,” said Vikas Singh, India-based open source developer. 

In 2018, Project OWL emerged as the global winner in the inaugural Call for Code Global Challenge, competing with more than 100,000 participants from 156 nations. The Call for Code Global Challenge encourages and fosters the creation of practical applications built on open source software. The goal is to employ technology in new ways that can make an immediate and lasting humanitarian impact in communities around the world. Since winning in 2018, Project Owl has been fortified, tested, and deployed through IBM Code and Response, a $25 million, four-year deployment initiative to put open source technologies in the communities where they are needed most. 

“Project OWL was our first Call for Code winner that went through the Code and Response incubation process, and we’re excited to see this solution grow closer to reality,” said Daniel Krook, IBM Chief Technology Officer for Call for Code and Code and Response. “We were impressed with their combination of a complete software and hardware open source solution, utilizing an AI-powered disaster coordination platform paired with a robust communication network to reach people when connections are down. IBM is committed to using the power of our network and technical know-how to alleviate suffering from climate change and natural disasters, and we’re thrilled to have the support of The Linux Foundation as we deploy the project globally.” 

In March 2019, Project OWL and IBM took on a large-scale pilot trip to Puerto Rico, deploying over 63 ducks each covering two square miles. This was followed by two additional pilots in the west and southeast of the island, engaging with local students, businesses, government representatives, and first responders. OWL currently has 30 permanent, solar-powered devices deployed across Puerto Rico in areas that are vulnerable to earthquakes, flooding, fire or other weather conditions. 

Resources:

Code and Response™ with The Linux Foundation: https://www.linuxfoundation.org/projects/code-and-response/

Contribute on GitHub: https://github.com/Code-and-Response/ClusterDuck-Protocol 

Learn more about the ClusterDuck Protocol: http://clusterduckprotocol.org/ 

About Call for Code

Developers have revolutionized the way people live and interact with virtually everyone and everything. Where most people see challenges, developers see possibilities. That's why David Clark Cause created and launched Call for Code in 2018 alongside Founding Partner IBM. This five-year, $30 million global initiative is a rallying cry to developers to use their skills and mastery of the latest technologies, and to create new ones, to drive positive and long-lasting change across the world with their code. Call for Code global winning solutions, among others, are further developed and deployed via the IBM Code and Response initiative.

About The Linux Foundation

Founded in 2000, The Linux Foundation is supported by more than 1,000 members and is the world’s leading home for collaboration on open source software, open standards, open data, and open hardware. The Linux Foundation’s projects are critical to the world’s infrastructure including Linux, Kubernetes, Node.js, and more.  The Linux Foundation’s methodology focuses on leveraging best practices and addressing the needs of contributors, users and solution providers to create sustainable models for open collaboration. For more information, please visit us at linuxfoundation.org.

The Linux Foundation has registered trademarks and uses trademarks. For a list of trademarks of The Linux Foundation, please see its trademark usage page: www.linuxfoundation.org/trademark-usage.  

Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds.

Baltic Honeybadger 2018 - A Video Review

The Baltic Honeybadger conference is driven by the cypherpunk movement with the goal of creating an educational and community-driven event. The conference attracts high-profile speakers from all around the world with diverse backgrounds — from technical engineers and cybersecurity professionals to business owners and bestselling authors.

Baltic Honeybadger is one of the most respected Bitcoin conferences in the space. Baltic Honeybadger was held in Riga, Latvia on September 22 and 23 and features world renown speakers and panelists including Adam Back, Saifedean Ammous, Elizabeth Stark, Jameson Lopp, Peter Todd, Tuur Demeester, WhalePanda, Florian Maier, Tone Vays, Matt Corallo, Yurii Rashkovskii, Mir, Nic Carter and many more.

Every year Bitcoiners from around the globe make the trek to Riga to enjoy the festivities and charm this magical city has to offer. If you missed the conference, you can watch the livestream for each day below.

Baltic Honeybadger 2018 Bitcoin conference, Riga, day 1

Baltic Honeybadger 2018 Bitcoin conference, Riga, day 2

Timestamps, courtesy of the conference organizers and sponsors Hodl Hodl exchange.

DAY 1

35:48 - The Reserve Currency Fallacy by Eric Voskuil
1:05:34 - Trustlessness, Scalability, and Directions in Security Models by Matt Corallo
1:41:42 - 1 on 1: Current state of the market & institutional investors Leo Weiss with Tone Vays & Bruce Fenton
2:38:19 - The future of Bitcoin smart contracts by Max Keidun
3:02:50 - The Bitcoin Standard as a layered scaling solution by Saifedean Ammous (via Skype)
3:36:10 - Beyond Bitcoin: Decentralized collaboration by Yurii Rashkovskii
4:06:30 - 1 on 1: The future of Bitcoin wallets with Pavol Rusnak & Lawrence Nahum, moderated by Giacomo Zucco
5:48:10 - Extreme OPSEC for the Modern Cypherpunk by Jameson Lopp
6:24:20 - 1 on 1: Bitcoin payment processing and merchants with Sergej Kotliar & Alena Vranova, moderated by Vortex
6:55:01 - 1 on 1: Present and future tech challenges in Bitcoin with Peter Todd & Adam Back, moderated by Pierre Roberge
7:48:45 - The Future of Lightning by Elizabeth Stark
8:24:10 - 1 on 1: Investing in bitcoin businesses with Nic Carter & Florian Maier, moderated by Matthew Mežinskis
8:52:10 - Closing panel with Elizabeth Stark, Peter Todd, Jameson Lopp, Eric Voskuil, Alex Petrov, moderated by Roman Snitko

DAY 2

11:56 - Bitcoin Maximalism dissected by Giacomo Zucco
46:18 - Trading panel with WhalePanda, Florian Maier, Tone Vays moderated by Matthew Mežinskis
1:18:27 - Bitcoin as a novel market institution by Nic Carter
1:48:54 - Global Ledgers: Scaling & Capacity for Legacy Securities Systems in the Age of Atomic Swaps by Bruce Fenton
2:10:59 - Development panel with Eric Voskuil, Bryan Bishop, Eric Lombrozo, Matt Corallo, moderated by Pierre Roberge
3:09:32 - Running an organization fully on crypto, Parallel Polis case study by Juraj Bednár
3:38:03 - B Foundation announcement by Alena Vranova & Giacomo Zucco
4:18:12 - Bitcoin, regulation and policy panel with Alex Petrov, Eric Voskuil, Leonhard Weese, Gregory Klumov moderated by Giacomo Zucco
5:12:40 - Using Bitcoin for Real Estate by Ragnar Lifthrasir
5:42:13 - Bitcoin security panel with Pavol Rusnak, Eric Lombrozo, Pierre Roberge, Jameson Lopp, moderated by Florian Maier
6:09:20 - Bitcoin custody by Bryan Bishop
6:33:36 - Bitcoin statistics & basics by Alex Petrov
7:05:09 - Cyphernode: building Bitcoin applications without trusted third parties by Francis Pouliot
7:29:08 - Closing panel with Adam Back, Giacomo Zucco, Tone Vays, Eric Lombrozo moderated by Matthew Mežinskis