The basic concept of a big-rock-that-speaks is an intriguing start, rife with possibilities, but it's a letdown that it just turns out to be some guy hiding from a bog-standard All-Destroyer-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named (literally, I slumped and groaned aloud on reaching "TO HIDE FROM THE DARK ONES").
Please see what I wrote in response to the previous two comments:
"I know it is cliche, but only if you actually believe what -1 "tells" you. It could have no idea what it is talking about. It could be confused. It could be desperate for attention after who-knows-how long alone and cannot maintain its composure for long until it ends up sulking and moping (I particularly like this one). It could be lying. The Foundation might be misinterpreting the patterns completely; perhaps -1 is not sentient at all, and the patterns on 2929 are simply random (although extremely improbable) products of a probabilistic universe. The reader and the Foundation simply do not know." -ooblex, 2015
A big stone pillar that undulates and sometimes spikes 250 meters high has escaped notice by the mundane world throughout all of human history?
This is a very valid point, one I had come across when I had first started my draft. I considered tying in real-world local mythology, but I thought it might unnecessarily complicate things. I might, just might, put it in some time after I get back from my upcoming vacation.
A possibly Paleolithic individual, whose ancient precursor-Khoisan language almost certainly lacked a written form, communicates by transliterating its language in a "simple substitution" using binary code? A substitution of what — is it producing hexadecimal code for a Latin-alphabet phonetic spelling, or… what? It would be easier to believe if it just produced visible letters on its top surface.
OK, OK. I know there is no "Khoisan alphabet," or even a written form for Khoisan languages, excluding modern phonetic attempts. I chose to leave this plot hole where is because, to be frank, a majority of readers probably haven't even heard of Khoisan languages (that is not an insult to anyone), much less know that they do not have writing systems. I felt it would be unnecessary to maneuver around the discrepancy and that it would distract me from more important issues, of which there were many. I applaud you for being the first person to realize this issue and dub thee the Khoisan Knight. Congrats. :P Also, please keep in mind the culture, if any, that -1 possibly belonged to was bewilderingly and anachronistically advanced. That is part of what is so anomalous and mysterious about its origins.
This message in binary is "similar" to an unknown script? In what way?
I dunno. I don't speak Khoisan. I assumed I would be granted some hand-waving for that.
Given the message "SENDWAVES", was the researchers' first thought to use gamma rays? Did they try radio first, or even just a big set of speakers?
Good point. But due to how deep underground -1 actually is, gamma rays are really the only way to effectively transmit something to it (or at least the only one I could think of). This is the same reason why GRI was necessary.
Plan A is "a big tarp" and Plan B is "a 300m-high holographic projection"? What is a camouflage projection? Can it only be seen from directly above? What are their plans to hide this object from seismologists around the world?
It is more like Plan A is "a 200m-high holographic projection camouflage structure" with "a big suspended tarp," Plan A was scrapped for reasons detailed in the article (the tarp was shredded and it was out-of-date anyway, etc.), and Plan B is "a 300m-high holographic projection camouflage structure" and "make sure no one takes a picture of it from a satellite."
"Projection camouflage" refers to a real-world technology sometimes referred to as "Retro-Reflective Projection Technology." You might recognize a prototype example in the famous "invisibility cloak" device seen in this image. If you want to learn more about it, I suggest reading about it in the Wikipedia article on active camouflage. It is pretty cool.
Basically, the structure is like a fence surrounding the perimeter for the exposed end of 2929, so it would not stop views from above.
The tremors associated with 2929 are too small to be considered worthy of research to any competent seismologist. Even if the seismologist is not competent, would a seismologist really go to the site of a small tremor to somehow investigate? I highly doubt it.
What is noteworthy about the numbers mentioned in footnotes 2 and 3?
I wanted to further illustrate how perfectly crafted (if that is the appropriate word) 2929 is.
I was right there with you even despite some of the peculiar bits
What peculiar bits in particular?
Find some other identity and origin for the subterranean mass of post-perovskite and I think you can reform it into a winner.
The problem is, if I were to change the nature and origin of the subterranean mass of post-perovskite, how in the world would the Foundation be able to figure that out? Even in the article as it is, the Foundation doesn't really know what its nature is or its origins, the Foundation not knowing the latter of which I thought I made pretty clear with my final paragraph. The only things the Foundation has to go on are the patterns on the exposed surface of 2929, the GRI readings, and -1's vague and possibly false claims. The patterns tell them what -1 is "saying," the GRI readings tell them the shape, size, and composition of 2929 and -1, and -1's claims cannot be taken as truth for certain. So the Foundation can only speculate its nature and origins, and nothing more.
