The Amnion

[Revan]

The Amnion, an endlessly interesting subject of speculation and incomprehension they are...

While reading the Gap, I have always tried to figure out how exactly they "think". Or why they behave and go about doing what they do.

For example, how do Pheromones influence their behaviour, what significance do they play? Why don’t they use pro-nouns such as “I” or “Me”, except when they are an incomplete Amnioni with human characterises?

All of these questions have been asked before within the books, I am merely repeating them so my point may be understood.

They are genetically coded to behave the way they do, yet this in itself brings forth more questions; does it mean they have no minds of their own? They are merely slaves to how the genetic material is formed? Is that why they don’t use such words as “I”? Is it, in fact, they have no personality or individual thoughts that are not already “programmed” into their genetic material?

This supports and denies both explanations that are offered to us in the excellently written Ancillary Documentation.

The "Hive-mind" is the first explanation we are offered;

One postulated what was sometimes called a 'hive mind'. Drawing analogies from certain species of insects, this theory suggested that all Amnion partook of a communal intelligence which has it's physical centre or nexus, it's 'queen', somewhere deep in alien space. Individual members or units of this mind had a separate corporeal being, but no separate thoughts or volition: instead each was effectively a neuron or ganglion of the hive mind, transmitting data inward - and action outward.

The second explanation:

The opposing hypothesis held that the Amnion were driven, not by a collective intelligence or hive mind, but by the essential coding of the nucleotides which comprised their RNA. They have no human-like abstract concepts for the same reason that they have no human-like pronouns: they needed none. Their imperialism was genetic in content as well as in form; in inspiration as well as in effect. Commandments analogous to the human lust for reproduction impelled their actions. They were unified and moved by impulses at once more profound, more global and more imaginable than the directive of some impossibly distant - as well as impossible homogeneous - 'queen'

Which theory is true, do you think?

I really am not sure; though I would lean closer to the latter explanation than the former. There is heavy evidence that supports this theory.

The first is the Mind/Union.

What is this? What does it mean, and what duties does this 'Mind/Union' perform?

I will give you a couple of quotes that mention, and give us some abstract clue as to what the 'Mind/Union' of the Amnion is:

Sorus:

'Damn it,' she objected, knowing that objection was hopeless, 'you're days away from getting a message to the Mind/Union. How can you take a risk like this on your own? How do you know the Mind/Union will approve?'

'To "approve",' he (Marc) added, 'is not a concept which has meaning in relation to the Mind/Union.'

Notice that "in relation to the Mind/Union". What does that exactly mean? Does it suggest that the Mind/Union doesn't change or interfere with decisions that other Amnioni have made? Surely if their was a queen, the Amnion would need to know what and how she would act.

(I am aware I'm asking a lot of questions, and not offering many answers... this is just a post of my thoughts)

Another factor opposing the Queen theory is distance. Surely distance plays a part of the 'hold' the queen has on her separate units?

From one of the quotes above:

Individual members or units of this mind had a separate corporeal being, but no separate thoughts or volition

Ah, but Marc Vestabule does have separate thoughts and volition; he is as impelled as any Amnioni in their goals, but his remaining human memories allows him to take action and think differently than any other Amnion; for example, when he intends to apply the mutagen to Warden:

'It is a handicap for us that we do not understand deceit. Lies are not' - he seemed to search his memory - 'conceivable?' - he nodded at the choice - 'not conceivable among us. Our communication rests on smell as well as on sound, and to some extent on vision. Pheromones do not lie. Hue and shade do not lie. For that reason we are alone in this chamber. Other Amnion would be distressed by our discussion.'
Distressed to be in the presence of treachery -

As you see, Marc took proposed to take action that no other Amnion could take, which directly opposes the theory of the 'hive mind'.

(I do have more to say, but my time is running out)

Based on this evidence; I conclude that it must be the second explanation that is offered to us, to be true. Nevertheless, there are still many unanswered questions about the Amnion. I'll leave those to you.

[Nathan]

I agree, the second explanation is certainly more likely! Didn't Marc Vestabule have an instant communication device that he took with him aboard Soar/Gutbuster? Why would he need it if he was part of the hive mind?

[Usivius]

I am one of those people who likes it when all 'unneccessary' elements of a story are left a mystery. It does not matter to the thrust of the story and what it hopes to achieve, however interesting the Amnion are. I like that all the information we have about them is through heresay. It really keeps them mysterious and frightening.
Your comments about how individuality, or lack thereof, are depicted, is good. I think that the Amnion in the long-run, would be doomed if they integrated human knowledge and understanding with their own. 'Doomed' only in the sense that their 'hive-mind' way of life would change. I think the 'human' way of thinking woud eventually 'corrupt' their usual pattern of social integration. Of course, this could have an alternative effect of making them Amnion smart with human intuition and craftyness... eesh!

[Cail]

I always thought of the two options as either the "Aliens" mindset: malevolent beasties controlled by a queen, or the "Borg" mindset: mindless automatons answering to a collective intelligence with no thought of their own.

I think the Amnion are nothing if not malevolent.

[Dawngreeter]

Wow, that’s some question Martin. I have always considered the Amnion comparable to the Borg in regards to their collectivity. Maybe it's that only some of the special Amnion has the ability to communicate over long distances with the Hive, I don't know. I think that maybe the Amnioni genetic explanations are a combination of the two the theories you have listed. Some are designed as direct communication units and the others are semi-independent pre-preprogrammed drones that refer to the direct communicator when need be?

But I agree that their constant goal of introducing a human gene into their mutation in order to further their infiltration and domination of humans can really only cause them confusion and discord, at least until really refine it. Maybe creating a breed of renegade confused good/bad prototype batch would be their first creation. Either way they are truly a great & unknown enemy with excellent possibilities.

[Nav]

It's a very interesting question and one that I think should make its way into the GI at some point.

My first thought was that every amnioni (with the exception of Vestabule and his ilk) had an identical mind, copied from a single core hive-mind to which new information is added from the collective experiences of the race, much like the Borg. For me this justified the crystalline-resonance transmitter aboard Soar, as two identical minds (or crews of identical minds) would work perfectly in concert provided they both had access to the same information regarding their situation. Milos would need to keep in touch with Calm Horizons not to issue instructions, but simply to keep the defensive updated on the situation with Trumpet and Punisher. With access to the same data and knowing the resources they had available, both crews would take the required actions without need for instructions.

Where this theory falls flat, however, is that we witness an amnioni 'speaking' to other amnion in its presence on more than one occasion. If the above theory were correct, two amnioni in the same place would never need to converse.

[Revan]

I think the Amnion are nothing if not malevolent.

A typical human reaction to anything alien to itself. No species or persons are just one thing; the Amnion, though apocryphal, is no different in relevance to this.

I do not think they are 'malevolent'. The Amnion are merely behaving the way their genetic code requires them to behave; they cannot do otherwise, unless, like Marc, who was tainted by his human memories.

They keep their bargains, how can this be malevolent? Mind you, taking into account that they cannot do otherwise, is it unmalevolent?

I do not think so. I don't think malevolence comes into their goals. I do not think they sit there thinking they want to wipe us out for the fun of it. They are merely behaving as they are coded to.


I agree with some of the points made. One that springs to mind is that if the Amnion were to finally understand and act the way we do, they would become different. Marc demonstrated that his human memories enabled him to be treacherous; so the Amnion would become completely different to what they were, if they were able to come to understand humans fully.

I find it curious that human memories were the reason Marc was able to be treacherous. If the Amnion can be summed up as 'malevolent', what should we be summed up as?

[IrrationalSanity]

No point here, just some random thoughts on this topic...

There is some individuality in an Amnion, as they have a caste known as "Decisives". For example, Marc Vestibule was "invested with decisiveness" for the duration of that particular mission. Not quite the same as a leader, more of a "first among equals". Any Amnioni could be normally be decisive, but if all of them were, there would be chaos.

In addition, the introduction of "normal" Amnion DNA into a non-Amnion creature produces an Amnion. Non-human conversions resulted in creatures that (apparently) are not of the same calibre as converted humans. Extremely intelligent, according to the text, but not quite there. Introduce the DNA into a human, however, and it appears that you enable some kind of link into the full Amnion Mind/Union.

[Darth Mole]

I've read a bit of Richard Dawkin's an evolutionary biologist. His book The Selfish Gene is a real eye opener.

Imagining the Amnion as a type of hive society, with either one or more 'Queens', it becomes easy to imagine how an amnion might think.

Evolution is a competition between genes, it's not the survival of the individual that matters but rather the survival of the gene - which means the survival and reproduction of the individual, and family members.

Hive workers do not reproduce, therefore their value is soley for the survival of their queen, which contains the same genes and does reproduce.

Thinking like this it's quite easy to understand how a worker amnion would have no personal worth apart from a fierce loyalty to the queen. The genes that produce these traits are more likely to survive.

If an amnion had individuality, it would have greater self worth and would be less loyal to the queen, which would not help the survival of it's own genes.

As the queen evolves and circumstances produce greater intelligence, the workers are likely to also gain intelligence. They share genes with the queen after all, and if the queen has more complex needs - which drives intelligence- then more complex communications would arise.

Sorry for waffling, but it's quite interesting to me.