Cracks in the Shell 2: The Rehatchening!

[Deaghaidh]

The afternoon sun was languidly drifting down in the east. The air was even more full of tension than humidity. The chittering of tiny flying breeks was the only sound.

All across Skurr, Tordii were waiting and watching. At mission control, along the beaches for miles around, on viewscreens in every home and creche, the entire Tordukan race was staring at the slim white machine that would usher in the next age.

Haurr, the Mother of Mothers, the Magistrix of the Tordukan Species, had a suitably prominent place. Her daughter, nephews, and nieces, the Royal Clutch, were gathered around her. Her sister Girr had her hatchlings perched high upon her own shell. Her other sister Narr had stayed at the Garden of Peace, too heavy with eggs to make the journey.

"T minus eight" the flight director said. Haurr considered her grandmothers, the Wise Mothers Danu and Garr. In their day the Tordii were locked in mutually destructive, senseless war. They realized the horrible toll that it was inflicting on them, and out of the tragedies of broken shells they emerged together to wage peace.

"T minus five" When Haurr was smaller than her own daughters were now, she had loved the old myths. She remembered the Song of the Water Oracle. It said the world was an egg, and the sky was its shell. The Creatrix was out there protecting us, and one day Tordus-kind would grow too great to be contained by it. They would break through, and then their real life would begin.

"T minus three" Nobody in these enlightened times really believed in the mysticism of their ancestors. Todii were practical people. Until this moment it had not dawned on Haurr that she had commanded her people's greatest minds to make a bronze age prophecy come true. A mile away the first Tordii spacefarer took a deep calming breath.

"T minus two. Main engine start!" A rumble and plume of smoke from the rocket. Haurr's daughter Hurr grabbed the Magistrix's leg in an instinctive reaction. Girr's hatchlings startled and drew their heads into their shells, the tips of their beaks just peaking out.

Haurr didn't hear the end of the countdown over the rocket and the cheering and the thunderous sound of her own heart. She watched in awe as the rocket rose into the sky. The flame of the engines was so bright her eyes watered, unless instead she was moved to tears watching one of her subjects vanish into the clear violet sky.

Haurr looked away at last, and glanced down at her daughter. She was staring, her jaw hanging slack. Haurr patted her head affectionately.

"Well," the Magistrix said. "We have cracked the shell now."

 

[Deaghaidh]

So welcome to the second try at my enlightened Space Turtle AAR! The first one hit the midgame doldrums hard, and now that the diplomacy system has been overhauled in the Asimov patch I decided to start over from scratch.

Turtle fans, take heart! The Tordii are the same as ever. They are still peaceful, mildly materialist, enduring, masters of the biological and social sciences and sedentary. Magistrix Hurr still leads her people, the Tordukan Magistry, from the jungle planet of Skurr in the Kass system.

There are about 7 billion Tordii at the start of Hurr's reign. Sadly, despite the long generations of peace since the Shattering Night led to the Great Accords and the Laws of Peace, many live in crowded slums. The late Magistrix Haurr chose to focus on science and space exploration as the answer. Hurr, Haur's only child, believes in her mother's dream of a home in the stars, and as the Magistrix her influence is the driving force in Tordukan society. The resources to clear the slums and reclaim the industrial wastes await in space.

The Kass system, your usual mix of gas giants and rocky worlds, with the great green egg of Skurr. The TMV Xol-Remach, commanded by Xidlor, is ready to begin her maiden mission, to survey the planets and moons.

The Tordukan science council advises the Magistrix. Here you can see their initial projects, focusing on surveying, colonization, and mineral extraction.

It's a big, round galaxy out there. Even the revolutionary Wormhole Generator doesn't allow the Tordii to more than scratch the surface.

The immediate neighborhood. Tordukan astronomers believe they have detected a potentially habitable planet in the VinJim system.

The Tordii are passionately devoted to peace. They nearly destroyed their society 200 years ago, before the Wise Mothers Danu and Garr, apalled at the shattered eggs and dead children, negotiated the Great Accords. But there are times where legitimate force is necessary to protect the peace from those who would abuse the innocent. The Peacekeepers have a small space arm, utilizing these corvettes. Using modern technologies like nuclear fission and advanced missiles (thankfully only invented after the Great Accords) the Peacekeepers will do their best to protect their society as it grows.

 

[Gamarasa]

Hah. Nice to see that we have quite different views on how a Turtle society works.
Curious how this one will go down!

 

[Nuada Airgetlám]

I only read the last thread the other day so I'm curious to see how these peace-loving turtles do. Subscribed.

 

[Deaghaidh]

I only read the last thread the other day so I'm curious to see how these peace-loving turtles do. Subscribed.

Things should hopefully be lively. Other aliens might mistake the Tordukan passion for peace with weakness, and of course there are hazards that can't be negotiated with.

Hah. Nice to see that we have quite different views on how a Turtle society works.
Curious how this one will go down!

For some reason every other AAR of the Space Turtle variety has gone with some kind of militarism. To me Turtles are the poster children for non-aggression, though to be sure an alligator snapping turtle can mess you up. I've been saying for years we should call them Dire Turtles, but it hasn't caught on.

 

[Nikolai]

I missed your first AAR, but I'm here for the second.

 

[michaelpetska]

Ah - lovely start, very well-written. My own race of space-turtles (shamelessly named the Xx'Chaa) are also a pacifistic enlightened monarchy; although they are spiritualists (lazy philosophers prone to days-long conversations) rather than materialists.

 

[TheAnguishedOne]

Oh, I didn't know you'd started the new thread for this. I'll of course be along for the relaunch.

 

[Deaghaidh]

Ah - lovely start, very well-written. My own race of space-turtles (shamelessly named the Xx'Chaa) are also a pacifistic enlightened monarchy; although they are spiritualists (lazy philosophers prone to days-long conversations) rather than materialists.

I went back and forth on secondary ethos. I seriously considered Spiritualist, and also Collectivist and even Xenophobia.

Collectivist and Xenophobia had useless slavery features, but Spiritualist had an appeal. Tbh, it is hard to justify a hereditary monarchy without appealing to irrational tradition. I went with Materialist because usually peaceful aliens are vaguely mystical (even the Vulcan in a way), and I wanted a society that came to Pacifism for practical reasons. After all an arms race is a classic Prisoners Dilemma situation.

 

[michaelpetska]

I went back and forth on secondary ethos. I seriously considered Spiritualist, and also Collectivist and even Xenophobia.

Collectivist and Xenophobia had useless slavery features, but Spiritualist had an appeal. Tbh, it is hard to justify a hereditary monarchy without appealing to irrational tradition. I went with Materialist because usually peaceful aliens are vaguely mystical (even the Vulcan in a way), and I wanted a society that came to Pacifism for practical reasons. After all an arms race is a classic Prisoners Dilemma situation.

I like your background writing, with the Wise Mothers - I'm curious though, your 200-years-gone arms-race, how many nations did it involve? Were they led by these wise mothers, or were the wise mothers a third party?

 

[Deaghaidh]

I like your background writing, with the Wise Mothers - I'm curious though, your 200-years-gone arms-race, how many nations did it involve? Were they led by these wise mothers, or were the wise mothers a third party?

The Last War was between two superpowers, both matriarchal monarchies that arose out of the industrial revolution. Until then Tordii lived in a sort of feudal structure, but industrialized Broods (roughly clans) began to amass more power, either forcing neighbors into a larger power structure or pushing them to join together for protection. By the time it got to the Last War Tordii economists and political theorists had long concluded that this was ultimately self destructive, since both remaining powers had to constantly grow their economy, consume more resources and build new and more weapons.

The Wise Mothers were the monarchs of the two powers, who when faced with the extreme destructive power of massed fleets airships with artillery and chemical weapons, finally said enough was enough. The two of them personally established the Great Accords. There was some resistance to the idea, but the matriarch authority and public relief to have the bloodshed stop made it happen. Afterwards the practical benefits of demilitarization won people over, and by now the Tordii are convinced that any civilization would have to have reached the same conclusion they did or else destroy itself.

 

[Nuada Airgetlám]

Afterwards the practical benefits of demilitarization won people over, and by now the Tordii are convinced that any civilization would have to have reached the same conclusion they did or else destroy itself.

I suspect that thinking is going to be challenged sooner rather than later.

 

[Deaghaidh]

The shell of the great Magistrix Haurr descended into the soil. It was blackened from the cremation, with the rest of her body reduced to ashes in a pouch inside. Hurr, the Magistrix's only child, placed the greatfruit sapling, its long root descending through the neck hole to the tail. The keepers of the Peace garden gently packed the grave with soil.

The memorial grove at the Peace Garden was rather empty. Octres and octres of stone walkways wound through the inner sanctum of the seat of the Tordukan Magistry. Statues of the Wise Mothers flanked the entrance, their own trees spreading their fruit laden branches towards one another. Darr, Daughter of Garr, the first true Magistrix followed, with Daru, son of Danu and Hurr's grandsire, across the walkway. Paths branched off to either side, the memorials of their Clutch who did not ascend to the Magistry, and their eggs in turn. Away to Hurr's left was a sorrowful copse, the memorial of her aunt Girr and her three daughters, taken in a terrible airship crash. The trees there barely reached Hurr's waist, the grief still rather fresh. Narr, Hurr's other aunt, had a smaller tree still, less than a year old.

When the Wise Mothers built the Peace Garden in the City of Hiss to be their capitol, they left room to inter a hundred generations. Two generations later their line was down to two, Hurr and Zeraxim.

In the old times, Broods would proclaim their wisest and most revered female their Broodmother, and she would name a Designate to be her heir. In those days males were not considered fit to lead; they were too consumed by their hormones, too driven to distinguish themselves as individuals and attract females. It was an outmoded way of thinking, but the inevitable fact that now the Tordii had a male Designate was still upsetting. Despite her youth, Hurr faced pressure to breed, hopefully hatching many daughters.

Meanwhile exploration continued. In the outer Kass system Captain Xidlor of the Xol-Remach observed the poles of Zorich undergo a dramatic shift. The phyiscs community was excited by the implications, but the rest of the Tordii were awaiting the start of the Xol-Remach's real mission, to the Vinjim system.

At last the science ship made its way to the edge of the gravity well. The chevrons locked, and the singularity opened.

Vinjim did not dissapoint. Based on remote observation Tordukan scientists thought that life would be possible. They were proven right, and the Tordii encountered their first alien life.

Vinjim IV had a thriving biosphere, but it could not have been more different than life on Skurr. The world's surface was almost entirely covered in glaciers and ice floes. These features were limited to the extreme poles on Skurr, and rare even there. Despite the stark conditions Vinjim IV had a thriving ecosystem with large animals that were dangerous but unintelligent. While construction crews were busy building mining operations in the Kass system at the moment, a research post was quickly approved to study this unique biosphere.

It took most of the year for the survey of Vinjim's other major features to be complete. Some useful resources were found, but no further life. So the ship was dispatched to the next nearest star system, Sismak.

Sismak proved to be an interesting system. The second planet was lifeless itself, but it had a large moon. This moon was bursting with life in great variety. Perhaps due to the influence of its parent planet, Sismak IIa had a vary variable climate. Skurr had only two seasons, wet and dry, as the Great Monsoon worked its way around the planet. Across Skurr Tordii lived in mostly the same conditions, only in the high latitudes experiencing extremes. Sismak IIa had extremely variable seasons, with continents widely seperated by stormy seas. Each had its unique biomes and species. It was also highly active geologically. Despite this Sismak IIa was much closer to being livable for Tordii than Vinjim IV, exciting the imagination of the Tordukan populace.

The real jewel of Sismak was the third planet from the star.

Sismak III was similar enough to Skurr to have hatched from the same clutch. If so, Sismak III was the scrawnier egg, and wilder. She resembled the Skurr of prehistoric times, a world of sudden eruptions, dense jungles and wetlands filled with predators and parasites. Such challenges forced the Tordii to become resilient, resourceful, intelligent and patient. Now it seemed they would have a chance to start from scratch on just such a planet, brining to bear everything their motherworld had taught them.

The Tordii scientific community was working hard to support the efforts of their space explorers. The physics academies had developed refined sensors based on the mission logs of the Xol-Remach. Rather than return for upgrades, the Magistrix dispatched the ship to Chara.

Chara was a neutron star. There was no real chance of finding life there, but the theoretical physics community was so eager to have it surveyed they nearly jumped out of their shells. They would find themselves upstaged by news from the world of Xenobiology.

The research facility around Vinjim IV reported the impossible: new alien life forms in the depths of space. Two separate species of spacefaring life forms were observed. Neither responded to any attempt to communicate. Xenobiologists concluded that these were non-sentient life forms, which raised further questions. What process could possibly have caused these creatures to evolve naturally? Or if they were somehow artificial, who were their creators and where were they?

 

[TheAnguishedOne]

The royal family has shrank to nearly dying out, a suitable planet to colonize has been discovered, alien life discovered... Fun times.

 

[Deaghaidh]

The royal family has shrank to nearly dying out, a suitable planet to colonize has been discovered, alien life discovered... Fun times.

An unfortunate hereditary tendency for single-egg clutches in the Magisterial Brood has poked its ugly head out of its she'll. Female Tordii only lay a single clutch in their long lives, so a single unfortunate airship crash can devastate a dynasty, and lead to desperate measures like male heirs.

Had to do extreme mental contortions to justify a male heir, having already decided on matriarchal and matrilinial. If Hurr had a single aunt or female cousin then this Zeraxim fellow wouldn't be in the succession. At least he's a good businesstordus.

 

[Nuada Airgetlám]

This may lead to revision of transport procedures, keeping members of the same clutch on different vehicles, etc.

 

[Deaghaidh]

This may lead to revision of transport procedures, keeping members of the same clutch on different vehicles, etc.

Tragically, such measures were proposed as far back as the days of the Wise Mothers. It runs so contrary to Tordukan instinct to huddle with their loved ones that every Magistrix until Haurr refused to enforce it, and even Haurr only did so after it was too late.

In fairness, the safety record of Tordukan airships is excellent. Abundant safe helium and a cultural emphasis on safety over speed, combined with an excellent understanding of their homeworld's meteorology, makes a Tordukan airship the third safest mode of transportation. It loses only to tri-rail and walking.

 

[Nuada Airgetlám]

Tragically, such measures were proposed as far back as the days of the Wise Mothers. It runs so contrary to Tordukan instinct to huddle with their loved ones that every Magistrix until Haurr refused to enforce it, and even Haurr only did so after it was too late.

In fairness, the safety record of Tordukan airships is excellent. Abundant safe helium and a cultural emphasis on safety over speed, combined with an excellent understanding of their homeworld's meteorology, makes a Tordukan airship the third safest mode of transportation. It loses only to tri-rail and walking.

Very in keeping with their psychology.

 

[Deaghaidh]

Very in keeping with their psychology.

My favorite thing about writing this is imagining Tordukan society and getting into the Space Turtle mindset.

Should be an update late tonight and/or tomorrow. Still usual early game stuff but I've played a fair ways ahead and can confirm that this campaign gets lively and avoids the kind of doldrums that doomed the last one.

 

[michaelpetska]

As it's Sunday, I pass the WritAAR of the Week torch to @Deaghaidh, his writing in Cracks in the Shell 2: The Rehatchening! excels in both quality and imagination.

It's yours now, try not to burn down the farm.