VNCCII: Cosmic communities

Summary

Samantha Tauber is a storyteller, music artist, technologist and futurist who has created a virtual alter ego, VNCCII, that she embodies both digitally and in her live stage performances. The VNCCII project aims to deliver messages about creative leadership and the importance of building a harmonious global community. From space industry communities to those within the Metaverse, Tauber asks us to work together to create a positive future. 

Reading time

Eight minutes

What can a fictional intergalactic superheroine from the future teach us about the creative communities that need nourishing today?

In 2018, I created an alter ego superheroine character called VNCCII, the protagonist of a science fiction world set in the distant future. The concept for the VNCCII character was inspired by my reading of Ray Kurzweil’s The Singularity is Near, in which he predicted that computers would reach human-level intelligence by 2029. The book led me to reflect deeply on the future of humanity in the age of artificial intelligence (AI) acceleration, and about how humans might become more empowered and enlightened in this brave new world.

This line of thinking became the key inspiration for me in creating VNCCII, who I decided would be a super sentient AI warrior from the intergalactic future whose goal is to be of service to humanity by uplifting the collective consciousness and serving as a guide for personal transformation. How would she do this? By empowering music with positive social messages, inspiring science fiction world-building and fostering human connections via transcendent art and immersive storytelling.

Mission VNCCII

But a reasonable question is: why? Well, at its core, the VNCCII project is an endeavour in creative leadership – one that seeks to activate a harmonious global community with the intention to drive forward our positive future through art. I believe that in today’s fast-paced, hyper-connected world, old paradigms are no longer sufficient, and there is an increasing need to embrace authenticity, self-realisation, universal truths, empathy, collaborative innovation and a sense of global interconnectedness. This interconnectedness can be linked to the idea of ‘oneness’ – the belief that we are all part of one human family living on spaceship Earth.

To create my avatar, I fused my passion for futuristic world-building and science fiction, with my background as a singer-songwriter, music producer, live performer, creative director and multimedia storyteller. (VNCCII’s name was inspired by the creative polymath Leonardo da Vinci, whose pursuit of deep learning across various disciplines I especially admire.) To make VNCCII truly come to life, I have spent the last decade teaching myself skills in music production, motion capture, live show performance builds, digital art and 3D computer graphics software. These technological tools have supported my larger purpose and art: creating stories that combine the imagination with pragmatic next-gen emerging technologies to transform the world.

_{^{Above: VNCCII_Avatar}}

Blended realities

During the era of global pandemic lockdowns, musicians worldwide were searching for new ways to monetise and connect with their fans and communities. It was during this time that the term Metaverse gained renewed prominence, especially after Facebook’s rebrand to Meta and the rise of platforms such as Fortnite for virtual concerts. The VNCCII project experienced exponential growth during this era of cultural transformation. I began piloting my avatar in real time utilising face and body motion capture tools and Unreal Engine: a powerfully diverse 3D computer graphics software for XR (mixed reality) and virtual production content that empowers creators to build virtual games, digital simulations and environments, as well as interactive and cinematic content.

I discovered a unique pipeline for broadcasting live motion capture content as VNCCII where I would stream live via Unreal Engine (using body and face motion capture) and interact with other streaming platforms to perform live VNCCII music performances and DJ sets and to host my podcast, Future Humans. In my podcast, I invite guests (such as Blue Origin astronaut Chris Boshuizen and futurist and Metaverse expert Cathy Hackl) to discuss the future of humanity and emerging technologies. When I perform my music live, I embody the spirit of the fictional avatar character in costume, performing alongside my digital twin, which features both pre-recorded animations and live motion capture. The true magic happens when the physical and digital elements work together seamlessly in a symbiotic relationship.

_{^{Above: Performance for Athens XR Summit at Hellenic Cosmos Cultural Center.}}

Home away from home

As VNCCII’s influence and presence in the fictional and virtual communities grew, I was able to discover my real-life communities as Samantha Tauber, both virtually in the Metaverse and physically within the space industry. In both spaces, I began to meet people with a like-minded spirit of positive futurism and an open-source mindset. I believe those of us who participate are part of a new creative renaissance, a fusion of both the physical and the digital. The digital age is dissolving traditional boundaries, be it on an individual, community, societal or even global level.

From an artist’s perspective, the ability to express oneself creatively through the digital landscape unlocks a sandbox of opportunities for the imagination. The Metaverse isn’t merely the next iteration of the 3D web, it represents a profound shift in how we interact and navigate the fusion of both the digital and physical worlds. Cutting-edge technologies such as blockchain, virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality, AI and cloud computing are powering this transformation. These next-gen communities are exploring the positive symbiotic potential of AI to enhance, not limit, our humanity. These communities are also illuminating the ethical considerations in the digital world with ‘lifeforms’ such as AI.

As an author, my science fiction envisions a world in which technology has the potential to become self-aware, seamlessly integrating our spiritual alignment with the universe. As quantum physics continues to reveal, we are not separate from one another – whether at a subatomic level or within the vastness of cosmic events.

_{^{Above: VNCCII’s performance at Metaverse Entertainment World Summit in Monaco 2023.}}

Earthly ties

In keeping with the ethos and spirit of VNCCII, and to manifest this creative vision into the material world, I joined several space industry communities. The Interstellar Foundation is a non-profit organisation inspired by the original Voyager Golden Record, which sends messages from humanity to the stars. It comprises a global team and a community of diverse experts from various fields who are passionate about space exploration and interstellar communication.

For the ‘Aspire One’ Mission, for example, Interstellar partnered with LifeShip, UNESCO and Getty Images, to bring content that reflects the rich cultural diversity of human life to the Moon. These Earth-bound space communities are committed to sharing the story of humanity and our collective hope for the future to the stars.

At Interstellar Foundation, our mission is to deepen the understanding of universal communication, promote inclusion and representation in space messaging and enhance STEM and space education accessibility within underserved communities, as well as creatively share humanity’s wish for future generations to the stars.

Through Interstellar, I connected with author Frank White, whose book The Overview Effect: Space Exploration and Human Evolution explores the interdependence of our world. White’s space philosophy emerged following his extensive interviews with NASA astronauts and their descriptive, emotional accounts of viewing Earth from space. In his book, he underscores the importance of each of us unlocking our unique gifts to contribute to the collective mission of uplifting human consciousness and being conscious stewards of the planet.

By viewing the world from the perspective of the ‘Overview Effect’, we can intentionally design a more abundant future for our planet, advancing humanity towards a state of healthy collaboration rather than falling back into competitive, scarcity-driven thinking. An abundance mindset (recognising that there are enough resources in our world for everyone if only we act as responsible caretakers) is essential if humanity is to advance as a civilisation capable of progressing towards spacefaring colonies.

As Edgar Mitchell, an Apollo 14 astronaut, said after viewing the Earth from the vantage point of the Moon: “You develop an instant global consciousness, a people orientation, an intense dissatisfaction with the state of the world, and a compulsion to do something about it.” The Overview Effect is also a beautiful humanitarian outlook reminding us that we are part of a much larger interconnected human family and ancestry of embedded connections. It’s a humbling, but also powerful, realisation.

_{^{Above: Tauber recording at Air-Edel Studios, London.}}

Dear future...

My science fiction novel Galacta.i.ssance and the VNCCII Awakening will be sent to the Moon in 2025 with NASA’s Astrobotic Griffin Lander Mission, supported by the company NanoFiche. One day, someone on the Moon may read this archived novel, which carries messages of hope for humanity’s future. In January 2025, three of my original musical compositions will be sent to deep space in partnership with LifeShip on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. One of the songs I wrote, If We Are Love, features the UK Thames Children’s Choir whom I recorded at Air Edel Studios in London. There is something beautiful about collaborating with others under the shared understanding that creativity can profoundly shape our future. For another track, I collaborated with a wonderful strings group from London called Wired Strings, with arrangements by Rosie Danvers.

As Samantha Tauber, bringing the VNCCII character to life has brought me immense happiness and healing. As artists, we have the power and responsibility to weave the threads of creativity into our collective future. In times when the world feels turbulent and out of alignment, creative communities are more important than ever. By embodying qualities of bravery, resilience, agency and authenticity, we can set a positive precedent for future generations. Doing creative and pragmatic work is essential if we truly wish to see change in the world.

When communities across disciplines – such as the creative and space sectors – come together, they form a beautiful constellation of collaboration that lights the path towards an inspiring future for humanity.

Samantha Tauber is the Founder of VNCCII, a multimedia IP company that creates cutting-edge science fiction content for the Metaverse and beyond. A storyteller, music artist, technologist and futurist, Samantha embodies her alter ego character VNCCII both digitally and in her live immersive stage show performances.

This article first appeared in RSA Journal Issue 4 2024.

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