Amara had built systems. Sensor networks monitoring ecosystems across continents. Data architectures processing terabytes in real time. The BEEGL navigation infrastructure that let six humans perceive through billions of years of accumulated record.
This was different.
"Walk me through it again," she said, staring at the specifications ARCHIE had generated. "From first principles."
"The equation establishes that matter, energy, and information are convertible states of a single conserved quantity. At sufficient energy densities, information can be imposed on matter. Structure can be written into physical form."
"Written how?"
"Three mechanisms, working in concert. Acoustic holography—interference patterns of sound waves creating three-dimensional pressure fields that position particles with nanometer precision. Femtosecond laser plasma—ultrashort light pulses ionizing air into conductive pathways for electromagnetic field manipulation. Optical binding—light's momentum holding particles in stable configurations against thermal disruption."
Amara pulled up the research literature. All three technologies existed. Acoustic holography in medical imaging. Femtosecond lasers in eye surgery. Optical binding demonstrated in laboratory settings.
The Cethren weren't giving them alien technology. They were showing how to combine human technologies in ways no one had imagined.
"The energy requirements," she said. "For imposing organized form at biolo…
