diff --git a/csys.lisp b/asys.lisp
similarity index 69%
rename from csys.lisp
rename to asys.lisp
index 7db5d52..6590d96 100644
--- a/csys.lisp
+++ b/asys.lisp
@@ -1,15 +1,15 @@
-;;;; decons/csys - cybernetic communication systems
+;;;; decons/asys - asynchronous actor systems
 
-(defpackage :decons/csys
+(defpackage :decons/asys
   (:use :common-lisp)
   (:local-nicknames (:actor :scopes/core/actor)
                     (:util :scopes/util))
   (:export #:neuron #:synapse
-           #:forward
+           #:forward #:cumulate
            #:set-content
            #:inhibit))
 
-(in-package :decons/csys)
+(in-package :decons/asys)
 
 (defun neuron (proc &key state syns env)
   (actor:create 
@@ -22,9 +22,16 @@
 ;;;; simple default / example neuron processors
 
 (defun forward (msg state syns env)
+  (format t "*** forward ~a ~a~%" msg state)
   (dolist (s syns)
     (funcall s msg)))
 
+(defun cumulate (msg state syns env)
+  (setf state (+ state msg))
+  (if (/= 0 state) 
+    (forward state state syns env))
+  (lambda (msg) (cumulate msg state syns env)))
+
 ;;;; publish/subscribe - pubsub service
 
 ;;;; helpers for operations on complex messages (with content and customer slots)
diff --git a/decons.asd b/decons.asd
index 918212c..b1d4627 100644
--- a/decons.asd
+++ b/decons.asd
@@ -5,10 +5,10 @@
   :license "MIT"
   :version "0.0.1"
   :homepage "https://www.cyberconcepts.org"
-  :description "Deconstruction as a method for implementing machine intelligence."
+  :description "Deconstruction as a method for implementing machine un-intelligence."
   :depends-on (:alexandria
                :scopes-core :scopes/test)
-  :components ((:file "csys" :depends-on ("mlx"))
+  :components ((:file "asys" :depends-on ("mlx"))
                (:file "mlx" :depends-on ("recurse"))
                (:file "recurse")
                (:file "xplore"))
@@ -18,6 +18,6 @@
 (defsystem :decons/test
   :depends-on (:decons)
   :components ((:file "test-decons")
-               (:file "test-csys" :depends-on ("test-decons")))
+               (:file "test-asys" :depends-on ("test-decons")))
   :perform (test-op (o c) 
     (symbol-call :decons/test-decons :run)))
diff --git a/test-asys.lisp b/test-asys.lisp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7c89886
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test-asys.lisp
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+;;;; decons/test-asys - tests for the asys (asynchronous actor systems) package
+
+(in-package :decons/test-decons)
+
+(defun probe (msg state syns env)
+  (let ((t:*test-suite* env))
+    (== (actor:content msg) (pop state))
+    (lambda (msg) (probe msg state syns env))
+  ))
+
+(defun test-asys ()
+  (async:init)
+  (test-neuron-basics)
+  (async:finish))
+
+(deftest test-neuron-basics ()
+  (let* ((prb (asys:neuron #'probe :env t:*test-suite* :state '(43 44 9 13)))
+         ;(syn (asys:synapse prb (asys:set-content #'1+)))
+         (syn1 (asys:synapse prb #'1+))
+         ;(syn (asys:synapse prb (asys:inhibit)))
+         (fw (asys:neuron #'asys:forward :syns (list syn1)))
+         (syn2 (asys:synapse fw #'1+))
+         (cum (asys:neuron #'asys:cumulate :state 0 :syns (list syn2))))
+    (actor:send fw 42)
+    (actor:send fw 43)
+    (actor:send cum 7)
+    (actor:send cum 4)
+    (sleep 0.1)
+    (actor:stop prb)
+    (actor:stop fw)
+    (actor:stop cum)
+    (sleep 0.1)
+    ))
diff --git a/test-csys.lisp b/test-csys.lisp
deleted file mode 100644
index a6fbc47..0000000
--- a/test-csys.lisp
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,25 +0,0 @@
-;;;; decons/test-csys - tests for the csys (cybernetic ommunication systems) package
-
-(in-package :decons/test-decons)
-
-(defun probe (msg state syns env)
-  (let ((t:*test-suite* env))
-    (== (actor:content msg) (pop state))
-    (lambda (msg) (probe msg state syns env))
-  ))
-
-(defun test-csys ()
-  (test-neuron-basics))
-
-(deftest test-neuron-basics ()
-  (let* ((prb (csys:neuron #'probe :env t:*test-suite* :state '(43 44)))
-         ;(syn (csys:synapse prb (csys:set-content #'1+)))
-         (syn (csys:synapse prb #'1+))
-         ;(syn (csys:synapse prb (csys:inhibit)))
-         (fw (csys:neuron #'csys:forward :syns (list syn))))
-    (actor:send fw 42)
-    (actor:send fw 43)
-    (sleep 0.1)
-    (actor:stop prb)
-    (actor:stop fw)
-    ))
diff --git a/test-decons.lisp b/test-decons.lisp
index d509c08..ace4797 100644
--- a/test-decons.lisp
+++ b/test-decons.lisp
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@
 (defpackage :decons/test-decons
   (:use :common-lisp)
   (:local-nicknames (:actor :scopes/core/actor)
-                    (:csys :decons/csys)
+                    (:async :scopes/util/async)
+                    (:asys :decons/asys)
                     (:mlx :decons/mlx)
                     (:r :decons/recurse)
                     (:xplore :decons/xplore)
@@ -19,7 +20,7 @@
     (test-recursive)
     (test-line)
     (test-quad)
-    (test-csys)
+    (test-asys)
     (t:show-result)))
 
 (deftest test-xplore ()