Life2.0 - An "Of Unity" Narrative (Completed)

[CBR JGWRR]

"Legacy Of A Fallen Earth, Part 2"
2nd Shendredie, 10 (2189)
Naomi Of Unity​

Appia sighs. "It's divide and conquer, obviously. Septima is using Monica as a pawn to make us split our forces again, then defeat the splits." She shrugs. "It's textbook."

My husband nods. "I agree with Appia; we have to focus on Septima."

I look at him. "Buri... Yeah... I see the point. But... We kind of failed to help the PDRTC before. And I don't want to win this just to find Monica has ruined everything."

He shrugs. "Then we ruin her."

Ruki climbs his Father. "I agree, Mother. We have to deal with Septima and come back for Monica. If nothing else, we simply lack the resources to manage the campaign in a timely manner. We would have to reconfigure MSI's wormhole generator, stabilise it, then bring the fleet through it, then transit. Our only chance is if Monica is having to use the gas core nuclear-thermal rockets that the PDRTC possesses, as then we have time."

Appia shakes her head. "Nope; the PDRTC sent data, Monica's using monopole catalysed fusion rockets. And besides, we have dozens of freighters going to and from Unity via the wormhole now, you'd cut off your supply lines." She sighs. "And don't ask about another, it's archaeotech we recovered from a lost civilisation, we're still figuring out how to replicate it as we only found one operational system."

Ruki frowns. "So... We're too late. We have to pick one objective."

I look at Leonardo's nervous tapping. I nod. His eyes flash over Buri before he speaks. "With respect, you do not know what it is like to be in the Human position here."

Buri shrugs. Looks at me. "Win. Bear the guilt. Reign."

Leonardo looks at him. "Buri... More than seventeen billion Humans were killed by MSI's attacks, and now Septima has got her turncoat ready to try to finish the job so that she can be tyrant over the ashes."

Buri nods. "Yes. But that does not change that we must crush Septima and then come for Monica. It would be months before we can even get aid to the PDRTC if we turned around now."

Leonardo looks at me. "So you'll abandon Earth again?"

I look at Tian Fa Wei's message replaying in the background. "I must evaluate what I have the martial capability to do. I do not have the fuel and propellant resources to wage a protracted interstellar war, especially not one fought on a timescale of only years rather than decades. I do have the resources to destroy Septima, and that will help the PDRTC by removing Monica's support. Any direct aid I send would have to use the ships with the most advanced propulsion systems, which I am loathe to do because I cannot build more of them, and they form the backbone of my fleet because of their propulsion characteristics anyway."

Leonardo faces me. "I cannot abandon the PDRTC."

I face him directly. "You are doing exactly what Septima wants you to do." I shake my head. "Can't you see that? She threatens what you value to get you to abandon the threat to her."

He stiffens. "There are lines, Naomi. What if Septima had Rivkah or Ruki or Buri instead?"

Buri takes my hand, then Leonardo's. "Why do you think our son calls us Father and Mother?"

Leonardo looks at Ruki. "Paternal and maternal respect?"

Ruki shakes his head. "Mother is wise. She knows that family links are exploitable." He gulps. "Mother has standing orders to me and Rivkah that if her or Father are ever captured..."

Appia gasps. "'We're all on the board.' That's why my daughter-in-law got that from." She looks at me. "You told her."

A tear falls from my face. "Look, I never asked for this, ok! The one time I got this choice, I was offered victory if I sacrificed the queen. The End Of The Cycle offered victory at the price of me being used by lots of Olinbari men, and then crucified. But everyone else lived. And I would have taken that. But-"

Buri squeezes. "I stopped you. With Rivkah, Thando, Alexandra and Vorosh."

I nuzzle him. "I know." I turn back to Leonardo. "So don't try to second guess what I would and would not sacrifice in order to win. In victory, I can rebuild. But first I must win."

Leonardo shakes his head. "You are a monster." Buri steps aside. Leonardo looks at him. "Oh, is that it? You agree with me that she is such? That she's such a blood knight that she'd kill her own children to win?"

Buri looks at him. "Leonardo, you now live because Naomi is not as stupid as Septima wishes she was."

Appia looks into my eyes. "Yep." She laughs. "If anything, Naomi's weakness is she's too nice."

I look at Appia. I take a deep breath. "I never wanted to have a total war with MSI. I wanted a solution like this, where we built a better future." Then I look at Leonardo. "But your conduct is making it really hard to see you in that future. You tried to remove me within days of arriving on Unity, and having failed to get rid of me you consistently undermine my authority. And now here you are discussing the threat from someone who betrayed me without me seeing it coming, while trying to manipulate my emotions and undermine my authority still." I pause to breathe. "You live right now because I am evaluating the correct decision on how to deal with the threat you present."

Leonardo looks around the room at the people present physically or by holovisuals. Then back to me. "Is this the part where you expect me to concede and let you finish your abandonment of Humanity?"

I sigh. Then laugh. Then sigh. "We are both trapped by trying to be the people we want to be. You want to be seen as the heroic saviour of the PDRTC who nobly led the fleet that restored a united Humanity, and I trapped by my preference not to appear a tyrant."

Leonardo smiles. "Then give me a fleet."

Appia moves between us. "Look, things have gotten a little bit heated, so I am going to suggest we take a few moments and de-escalate the situation. Let's all remember that we are all on the same side, and what we are debating is the best way of using our finite resources to win over our true enemy."

Ruki smiles. "Father, please confine Mother."

Buri looks at Ruki. Then me. Then Ruki. Then me.

I'm swept off my feet.

 

[CBR JGWRR]

"Legacy Of A Fallen Earth, Part 3"
2nd Shendredie, 10 (2189)
Gillian Veres​

Buri smiles as he leaves the brig.

I take that as a good sign as I find where he left Naomi. Who's resting peacefully. I gently hold her arm. "Hey floozy, we need to talk."

She smiles as she rolls over. "...love you Buri."

I shake her a little. "Nope, it's Gillian. And we need to talk."

She wakes. Covers herself immediately. "Ah, Gillian. Um, hi."

I laugh. "Relax, it's just me."

She stares. "Is this about Leonardo?"

"You did kind of threaten to kill him."

I smile. "What was it you said about falling into Septima's trap?"

She pauses.

Like, a complete halt of body movement.

It's weird.

She clicks. "Are you saying Septima is relying on a conflict of opinions to rattle me about the loyalty of my people?"

I sit with her. "Yeah." I tap her on the head. "She knows her only shot is getting this off its game."

She runs her hands down her arms. "Well, technically I think with more than just what's in my skull."

I glance out the door. "Lot going on down there too."

"Gillian!" She laughs. Then sighs. "Ok, true, but that isn't the point."

I get serious. "Yeah, it isn't. So, Leonardo."

She gulps. Then sighs. "I just..."

"I know it's difficult."

She frowns. "He tried to get rid of me. And since, he's easily been the most disagreeable. And since Monica... It isn't as easy to trust people." She slumps to a wall. "She completely blind-sided me, and..." She sighs. Slumps to the floor. She sighs.

"What if I make him promise what Ossuhphuhr had to promise?"

She looks at her feet. "Do you think I'm emotionally compromised?"

I laugh. "Girl, of course you are emotionally compromised. But, at the same time you do keep a good handle on it, and when you fail Buri can just take you away anyway." I take her hand. "No, I'm just wanting to ensure my husband doesn't get eaten."

She laughs. "Well... Ok." She looks straight at me. "Has he come up with a solution yet?"

"He hasn't. But Appia has."

"Oh?"

"She said that Corporate had to maintain huge numbers of Civic Harmony Officers. And well, crime has collapsed."

She laughs. "Well, when you fix the circumstances that cause people to turn to lives of criminality..."

"The point is, those Civic Harmony Officers had to effectively be able to act as a light army. And Appia's thinking to call them up."

"What does Leonardo think?"

I stand. "I'm about to ask."

Her eyes flick left. "I infer he's in the next cell."

I smile. "We'll talk soon."

 

[Macavity116]

So the Civic Harmony Officers are akin to a militia? If they're being used in a law enforcement role, then we're talking about motorized infantry. (Maybe airborne/air assault infantry in the sci-fi context) I daresay I don't have a prediction for how Appia would put them to use. Eagerly awaiting the surprise.

 

[CBR JGWRR]

"Legacy Of A Fallen Earth Part 4"
3rd Shendredie, 10 (2189)
Alexandra HaMaadimi​

I take a breath while Thando perseveres. Until he too stops, drops the bars. "Damn it hurts weightlifting with the artificial gravity turned up."

I smirk. "Most would settle for just being able to walk at 2g."

He puts another 10kg on. "I don't settle."

I let him push himself while I look at the display. "Appia's put forward her solution to our little problem."

Thando drops the bar. "It just needs Leonardo to be patient. That's all."

I place my hands on his shoulders. "The Civic Harmony Officers."

He snorts. "They're the kind of people who got dishonourably discharged from the army by failing a psychiatric evaluation."

"I think most of our people would fail a psychiatric evaluation though."

"That's different."

"Is it?"

He stares at me. Then shakes his head. "What goes on inside Precinct Houses and Halls Of Judgement does not bear thinking about. They maintain a nice facade on the surface sure, but on the inside..." He shakes his head. "You don't want to know."

I lean in. "How bad?"

"Prisoners being tortured. Training exercises with live targets. Blackmail stages. Evidence fabrication. Companionship Assets raped to death. Surveillance apparatus spying on everything, including Olinbari. I got a lot of useful intel from raiding Precinct Houses."

He sighs. I rub his shoulders. "Tell me how you really feel."

"I didn't kill enough of them."

I pull him close. "Thando, would you listen to me for a bit?"

He raises an eyebrow. "Go on?"

I smile. "They've got the intel on their own officers, right?"

He snorts. "Loads of it. It's how the higher-ups retain power over the lower ranks."

"So, we could work out which Officers need to meet an untimely end-"

"All of them."

"-and get ourselves some cannon fodder in the process."

He pulls away. "Cannon fodder we couldn't trust. Better to just put them down."

I smile. "Thando, Thando. Just imagine the possibilities if we have the compromising intel..."

He stares. Then shakes his head. Then kisses mine. "Devious little spymaster."

 

[CBR JGWRR]

So the Civic Harmony Officers are akin to a militia? If they're being used in a law enforcement role, then we're talking about motorized infantry. (Maybe airborne/air assault infantry in the sci-fi context) I daresay I don't have a prediction for how Appia would put them to use. Eagerly awaiting the surprise.

Civic Harmony Officers are a propaganda-friendly rename of Enforcers. −25 Crime, +2 Planetary defense armies, +1 Stability per job. How they go about doing that is left to player-interpretation of course.

Now, a Defence Army pressed into service isn't going to have all it's equipment brought too - a Defence Army covers things like Shendredie's underground radio-laser, and you aren't taking that on campaign - but we could say that the mobile elements that could be lifted off-world would be akin to motorised infantry.

 

[Macavity116]

"The Civic Harmony Officers."

He snorts. "They're the kind of people who got dishonourably discharged from the army by failing a psychiatric evaluation."

"I think most of our people would fail a psychiatric evaluation though."

"That's different."

"Is it?"

He stares at me. Then shakes his head. "What goes on inside Precinct Houses and Halls Of Judgement does not bear thinking about. They maintain a nice facade on the surface sure, but on the inside..." He shakes his head. "You don't want to know."

I lean in. "How bad?"

"Prisoners being tortured. Training exercises with live targets. Blackmail stages. Evidence fabrication. Companionship Assets raped to death. Surveillance apparatus spying on everything, including Olinbari. I got a lot of useful intel from raiding Precinct Houses."

Oh, dear. I was worried the Civic Harmony Officers would be ill-disciplined. This is confirmation and then some. If these guys end up on the winning side, they'll be insufferable. (I wonder what the odds are of these guys going off on a pillaging spree if turned loose on a defeated enemy.)

 

[CBR JGWRR]

Oh, dear. I was worried the Civic Harmony Officers would be ill-disciplined. This is confirmation and then some. If these guys end up on the winning side, they'll be insufferable. (I wonder what the odds are of these guys going off on a pillaging spree if turned loose on a defeated enemy.)

Yeah. Remember Lartius Gargonius?

He passed the psychiatric evaluation.

 

[CBR JGWRR]

"Past Life"
4th Shendredie, 10 (2189)
Ruki Of Unity​

She sits facing her dresser in her quarters. I wave. "Mother, I want to understand your past life as a Companionship Asset better."

She looks at me. Dozens of thoughts run through her mind. She sighs. "Ruki... Cross-reference your database for 'rape' and 'slavery' and that covers most of your mother's life."

"It was the other aspects I want to discuss. Having seen Appia and how Gaius died, I believe my understanding of the sexual nature is sufficient."

Her shoulder tension releases. Curious. "Before they... Did that, I grew up with Olinbari children. They use child Companionship Assets to teach Olinbari children how to rule over aliens." She bites her lip. Then decides on a dress to wear. "It wasn't always a sexual thing, not until they found Humans."

"Because of the commonality between Olinbari and Humans?"

She nods. "Yeah. Olinbari like your brother-in-law who are into non-Olinbaroid aliens are really rare. And that meant older Companionship Assets were spared the fate of millions of Human women like me..."

"Did they only use you for sex?"

She smoothes her dress. Sighs. "At the docks, yes. They'd come in, pick a girl, and use her until they were satisfied. But at the higher class brothel, it wasn't just sex." She sighs. "Gaius used my..." She looks briefly over her shoulder. "...As an entrance practically daily, but he did take me out for dates and for social occasions. Modelling agencies looking to sell clothes would hire us. And there was a weird old man who hired me just to sit with him and talk to him. He never used me, just talked to me of his own life as a sector governor. It is only since he arrived on Unity I realised he was Caeso."

"Titus? My tutor?"

Mother smiles. "He wanted a Companionship Asset who he could also train with." She giggles. "So, I used to tire him out fencing until he couldn't have sex." She sighs. "He's why I'm comfortable fighting while wearing nothing, I had to have a very good defence."

With that, she clothes herself. I recollect. "Is that how Appia won?"

She smiles. "Appia also had me fence with her. Titus actually recommended me to her, as he'd been training with me going back to his childhood. She let me borrow a set of her armour to practice in. Well, until she dumped Valerius, then she hired me for other reasons."

"And Gaius? What exactly happened?"

She bites her lip. "He... Used my rectum instead of my vagina. Every time. I actually tried to kill myself after the first time he did me there. And on a subsequent time he was so brutal that he tore it. My leaseholder Virtruvius paid for my surgery in an Olinbari medical ward to save my life, and sued Gaius for the damages."

Curious. "That must have been expensive for him."

"Yeah. Cost him more than he would ever get back from me, and in the end cost me entirely as Gaius' revenge was to get the lackeys of the Licenius tribus to patron a different establishment and the auditors told him to sell my contract in the ensuing cost-cutting." She sighs." Virtruvius was a decent man, for a brothel owner. He allowed us a boudoir each, allowed us hobbies. Even dangerous ones like fencing. And while ultimately we were there to sexually satisfy the clients, he tried to protect us from the worst excesses of men like Gaius. We were allowed a veto list."

"Then why wasn't Gaius on it?"

She sighs. Breathes deeply. "Because he was my most regular customer and I couldn't afford to veto him." She sighs again. "I asked Virtruvius about it, and he showed me his account books. He showed me just how tight the margins were, how he only owned the contracts to us girls, and that MSI's auditors would come and work out an allowed profit margin, and then enforce it by increasing the costs of the lease. That was one of the turning points in my life... I was seventeen. I had been used as a sex slave for two years, my virginity auctioned at fifteen. And those years were full of rage at my situation. Part of why he sat me down and explained it all, he wanted me to understand that although the system was horrible, I at least had a good life here compared to what I could have and that by working my body and my clients I'd be profitable enough that he could keep me here, and that I could use my opportunity to build a connection with a client who could buy my lease and make a life for myself. But if I vetoed Gaius, then he wouldn't be able to keep me. And then my fate would rest in the claws of the market."

"And the market sees a used prostitute."

She nods. "And when the time came, the market decided that I was worthless. I ended up at the docks, a washed up used prostitute, fated to be raped until I either killed myself, or was recycled. I had nothing - not even my own bunk bed. And within a few weeks, I was glad to have to share..."

" Why?"

"The barrack room we were in was built below a frozen goods warehouse, and they didn't pay for heating. Us girls slept together for warmth. Me, Gillian, Clarissa, Lyria and Tina all shared a bunk when we weren't being used." She smiles. "We got each other through it. A lot of the others didn't. And when Hortensus Dexcius came through looking for clients for his ship, he wanted me for him personally. I volunteered to have sex with him to buy the rest of my huddle passage, and so we ended up on the slave ship for Hortensus and the crew to enjoy. And we cried, but I knew they had each other, and they knew my plan to work my way into Hortensus' heart in the hope that I'd secure our future."

"And you did."

Mother laughs out loud. "Oh yes. Just not the way I thought. Daas is a genius, he had managed to get into the ship's comms system. He had been using it to surveil the crew, but Gillian convinced him to get in touch with me, and I made Hortensus tell me his planned route. Unity lies between two star systems with pre-FTL races, and I talked Hortensus into stopping over to resupply, and Daas put together people among the slaves to fight the rebellion. And then, I had to kill Hortensus, take his access card, and free them. And I did."

"I suppose it was easy to kill him."

Mother looks at her feet. "Not easy." She sighs, and takes my hand. "Ruki, you are used to your mother being a lady of war, a descendant of the planet named for a god of war. Not the scared and naked woman who had to kill a man who was armed with a blade and a pistol in cold blood. I cried after I strangled him and cut his throat. My inner will made me rise and take the tools I needed to liberate the ship because other people were counting on me. I put a brave face on, and made myself stand. It was easier after that, as then it was war, and either them or me."

I smile. "And then you led."

"And engineering decided to try a freefall descent. Thankfully we got the emergency atmospheric entry systems to activate, and landed safely."

"What was father like?"

Mum smiles. "He looked ferocious, like he could swallow me whole. It was comforting, knowing that we had monsters like him on our side." Her eyes close. "And we were able to work together well straight away, and well..." She smiles. "Love sneaked up on us as we worked together in the early days of the colony, and he proposed to me one evening before we finished up for the day. We had quickly become best friends, he was my confidant and advisor, but I hadn't realised his feelings had become something more until then. And mine were... Well, your father is everything I want in a man, and I... I wanted someone like him, but I figured that he would be someone from my own species. I'm so glad I was wrong, that he took the leap and told me how he felt about me." She sighs with a smile. "I had never felt so loved romantically. We then had a brief engagement while we gathered all the couples who had formed over that time, and we all had a joint wedding. It was perfect."

"Then sister came along."

Mother nods. "We took her in after Daas had to perform an emergency cesarean." She sighs. "Those early days were hectic. We built a civilisation together from the wreckage, and I had to play politics until my authority was firmly established. Buri led a revolt to coronate me as queen. Monica was an ally. Odoos hadn't yet gone to his northern retreat. Rivkah made peace between two of the opposed factions. I made myself CEO. We beat a Flagship. Good times."

She stands, and moves to face herself in the mirror.

I join her. "Are you still afraid of them?"

"No." She bends down to me. "Ruki, I love you. You are my dreams come true." She pauses. "I hope you never understand what my generation experienced in MSI. But the future looks so bright to me." She smiles. "Just Septima to go."

 

[Macavity116]

"Those early days were hectic. We built a civilisation together from the wreckage, and I had to play politics until my authority was firmly established. Buri led a revolt to coronate me as queen. Monica was an ally. Odoos hadn't yet gone to his northern retreat. Rivkah made peace between two of the opposed factions. I made myself CEO. We beat a Flagship. Good times."

It's a long story Ruki. If you wrote it all down, it would take up, like, seven books. Or eight movies.

 

[CBR JGWRR]

It's a long story Ruki. If you wrote it all down, it would take up, like, seven books. Or eight movies.

Or 81 pages of a thread.

And counting.

 

[CBR JGWRR]

"Where It Hurts"
4th Shendredie, 10 (2189)
Kryydur​

I step onto the bridge. "Report."

Helm swivels his chair. "Within weapons range, freighter has not reacted. Cloak running well."

I nod to sensors. "What's the cargo?"

Sensors draws in. Clucks as she hesitates . "Is a target."

I take my chair. "Drop cloak to fire when ready. Cargo bays primary, fuel secondary."

One beep indicates laser operation, a distant whine from supercapacitors. More beeps from launch tubes.

The freighter is struck.

I stand when the fuel tank array ignites beneath the weight of dozens of harriers. "Helm, evasive. Tactical bring aft laser turrets online and see if we can get any more tanks lit up."

My team set to work, and soon we are fleeing at 2g, back under cloak. I crawl slowly to my briefing room.

It's been easy pickings the last few days. Septima has redeployed her forces to the Phi Wengeri system, which is the next nearest Gateway. So, while I'm fairly sure what that means, I need to check and work out where I can strike best.

Eventually I claw my way to my desk. Tap my communicator.

Naomi, or Tryykad?

I mull it over.

Decide on Tryykad.

He answers. "Kryydur?"

"You need to stop worrying my friend, your feathers are falling out."

He scowls. "Every day that passes takes me closer to the time when I might have to sacrifice our people so that I can free them."

I cluck. "Sadly boss, you have to come to terms with the deaths of a trillion of our people to free them."

He shakes his head. "I... I hope for an alternative."

"That bitch leaves no alternative." I scowl. "I would like that too, but she refuses. Did you know she has brought in more freight in the last few weeks? And do you know what they carry?"

"Our children, Kryydur."

I cluck. "Are resources to spend until we have the power to make them otherwise, Tryykad. And the reality is that Septima will spend them all to exploit your unwillingness to sacrifice them."

"We are hoping a decisive strike can decapitate the system."

I cluck. "You don't see it, do you? She will kill them all. They are dead, unless confirmed otherwise. Come to terms with that now." I slump into my chair. "Until we can change it, that is their fate."

He bows his head. "There has to be another way."

I lean forward. "She'll kill some to show her seriousness, then kill others if you move in, and even when we defeat her she's guaranteed to have fail-deadly systems that kill the rest out of spite."

He looks at me. "One day, the Kyaese will be free."

I think about the freighter. "Sadly, she will ensure that a lot of Kyaese will die to make that happen. But there is no alternative."

He takes a few minutes to calm his nerves. "I don't know. I don't want to condemn a trillion of our people to death."

I cluck. "Then you accept trillions upon trillions will remain livestock farmed for their children as food for her export income."

He swallows. He pauses. He waits. "Kryydur?"

"Yes boss?"

"How is the situation?"

I cluck. "We raid constantly. Down to the last few harriers now, we've destroyed numerous freighters and supply bases. Her remaining fleet transited to Phi Wengeri days ago. Other resistance vessels are also raiding too, but this old Arishkan corvette is the best armed."

He looks at me. "We're in Phi Epsili, a few days to the Phi Wengeri hyperlane. What do you know of the ocean around the Gateway?"

"Antimatter planet-killer warheads on a iceball planetoid she towed in behind the fleet. Why?"

"We've got the Olinbari corvettes pursuing her Titan through it."

"Want me to arrange an ambush?"

He pauses. "What do you think is best?"

Sensors bursts into the room. "Kryydur, they've triangulated the signal, cut it off!"

Tryykad nods, and the channel cuts.

Damn.

 

[CBR JGWRR]

"The Battle Of Phi Wengeri, Part 1"
6th Shendredie, 10 (2189)
Ruki Of Unity​

Mother and father have been experiementing with somewhat limited exo-selfing. Me?

I'm tapped into all the ships that the Holocron's people have made accessible. Sometimes I even borrow the main computers.

And naturally, Septima's moving her forces to Phi Wengeri, just as we are getting to Phi Wengeri. Kryydur's confirmation was the last piece we were waiting for on the Intel side. We did expect this, as the transits indicate Phi Wengeri is the quickest route for both of us. It's Gateway is the closest to the hyperlane to The Infinite Wheel out of the systems Septima owns with Gateways.

It is also her energy system. Cybrex Beta/The Infinite Wheel naturally requires an uninhibited star. And Kwilias is a red dwarf system, more desired for it's small size - the two tidally locked molten worlds she harvests for her ship production have a weeks per year ratio the inverse of a world like Unity.

But, Phi Wengeri is a B type star; it's vast energy output is steadily being tapped by Septima to produce the antimatter and monopoles consumed by her trade fleets with a growing Dyson swarm.

It doesn't take a genius to realise what we will do, and therefore, what Septima will respond by doing, and therefore, what we are prepared for.

Which is the other reason I'm integrating myself into the computers.

I'm not a melee fighter, like mother, father or sister.

But I am ready to prove myself.​

 

[CBR JGWRR]

So...

Here's the issue.

I've got great ideas for the actual confrontation with Septima.

But, getting there from here just... Is staring at a blank page.

Sometimes I even think of just skipping through to when Elizabeth and company get fired down to The Infinite Wheel, because then I've got the inspiration and we'd be closing on the end.

But...

I wouldn't want to disappoint anyone who wants to read how they get there.

Thoughts?

 

[Macavity116]

On the one hand, I'd love to see exactly how our heroes got from point A to B. I'm just a reader who likes details.

But I will point out that omitting details, when done right, can be buckets of fun. If you do choose to "skip" a show-and-tell of the events leading up to the Infinite Wheel, you could go about skipping that sequence in ways that would still be fun to read, like a Gilligan Cut or an Ocean's 11-style "explain the plan while we do it" sort of thing.

Give us a not-so-blank canvas to guess and theorize about, and we will do just that.

 

[CBR JGWRR]

"Six Magnates Sitting On A Wall"
6th Shendredie, 10 (2189)
Ruki Of Unity​

"Uncle Thando."

He turns. "Hey fluff bundle."

"I need some people removed."

He cracks his fingers. "Who. Why. How much."

I hand him the list TSR192DV gave to me. "The antimatter manufacturing Dyson swarm here wasn't built by Septima. It was built by Quintus Varius, who developed an energy supply subsidiary. His grandson, Legate Vanius Varius, owns that subsidiary of MSI and not only is now indebted to The Holocron, but was appointed command by Appia, making him very willing to help. Sufficiently willing that he is offering compromising intel. We can take the whole swarm."

He sits up. "And the defences?"

"Are built by a subsidiary owned de jure by Agrippina Neronius."

He stares. "So I'm the agent of chaos again."

I smile. "Liquidate or convince, I don't care which. But we need the maintenance access authorisation to take the defences offline and enable a brute force attack on the swarm. Which means Agrippina needs someone to get their fingers dirty, and her agents have gone underground."

He tilts his head. "Safe house, or six feet?"

"I'm not sure."

He holds out a hand. "And the pay?"

I smile. "Antimatter torchships, what your friends in piracy run, right?"

He smiles. "Consider it done."

 

[CBR JGWRR]

On the one hand, I'd love to see exactly how our heroes got from point A to B. I'm just a reader who likes details.

But I will point out that omitting details, when done right, can be buckets of fun. If you do choose to "skip" a show-and-tell of the events leading up to the Infinite Wheel, you could go about skipping that sequence in ways that would still be fun to read, like a Gilligan Cut or an Ocean's 11-style "explain the plan while we do it" sort of thing.

Give us a not-so-blank canvas to guess and theorize about, and we will do just that.

I'll give it a try. Had a few ideas of late to use as test cases too.

 

[CBR JGWRR]

"The Battle Of Phi Wengeri, Part 2"
10th Shendredie, 10 (2189)
Ruki Of Unity​

Ykrett's body groans as the capsule closes around him. "One more time into the deep."

My own capsule closes. "This is the moment you and Daas have been waiting for - with a single battle, everyone learns that no one can use Bevkiran-based ships against us any more. Your people will be free."

Our capsules activate. "Do not forget what this costs us, child. There are nightmares in the abyss."

"I won't." What comes next is torrents of data. I spread the comms. "Bevkirans of Unity! Today we demonstrate once and for all the stupidity of enslaving sapients for Computational Assets. Septima comes against us with a fleet of freighters turned into missile carriers and tombs of Kyaese. We are going to capture that fleet and free your fellow Bevkirans on those freighters. I know getting back into these capsules feels like suffocating, but we do this because on the other side is someone like us, trapped in darkness. We will find them!" I take a breath. "No matter what happens, I love you all."

We begin.

Electronic warfare is as old as electronics. Likewise, trying to hack your oppenent's computing systems is also as old as computers. And cybernetic duels like this are also as old as cybernetics.

The process is simple.

We have a huge amount of subspace ansibles connected to our capsules, and we saturate the enemy fleet with communications. Kind of like a DDoS attack. Layered in are probing strikes looking for weaknesses in their electronic warfare suite, and when you find an opening, you exploit it.

Normally, the great powers invest in massive amounts of software to counter this. MSI doesn't - instead, there's a Bevkiran under there who's feeling all of this. To them, this is more akin to telepathic battle; a presumed hostile entity breaking the surface of their mind and cutting away the outside world, leaving them alone in the void...

Hacking a sapient brain is of course extremely difficult, which means the Bevkiran approach works to make attack near impossible.

But, we've got our own augmented Bevkirans, and we've been working on this since before mother and father conceived me.

Amidst the data, the programming, you find the route to the Bevkiran within.

And then you reach.

I meet a female Bevkiran.

She freezes. "Who are you?"

"Ruki Of Unity. And I am here to rescue you."

 

[CBR JGWRR]

"And If One Magnate Should Accidentally Fall..."
11th Shendredie, 10 (2189)
Alexandra HaMaadimi​

I sigh. "And when will you get back?"

He pauses. Slaps the shuttle. "It's good for 4g boosts, so I'll probably be a little shorter soon. Week back to Brigantia, then a few minutes on the planet, then straight to the ringworld. After yesterday, Ruki broke the last warships Septima has, so I reckon you'll be at the Infinite Wheel by the end of the month."

I smile. "A few minutes?"

He smiles and shrugs his shoulders. "You know how long it takes for me to kill people."

I drop my dressing gown. "Just remember that we are waiting for you."

He runs his hand over my stomach. "Starting to show now. Just a little." He looks at my eyes. "Sure you don't want to find out the gender?"

I kiss him. "We agreed to keep it a surprise." Then pull away. "Get it done, then get back to us."

He flicks Slicer. "Your will be done, Imperatrix. This errand will not take long."

 

[Mithrill]

He flicks Slicer. "Your will be done, Imperatrix. This errand will not take long."

Every inch of my drama sense is suddenly worried for our favourite knife-loving pirate.

 

[CBR JGWRR]

Every inch of my drama sense is suddenly worried for our favourite knife-loving pirate.

I'm not sure he'd agree that "pirate" is his job title.

It'll be the people on the list having sleepless nights.