the instructor’s explanation seems to mean that forced societal restructuring and cultural marginalization is used to keep sivv society—and the societies of their servitor races—in line. How horrible!
Such a useful and practical skill!
The instructor’s explanation seems to mean that forced societal restructuring and cultural marginalization is used to keep sivv society—and the societies of their servitor races—in line. How horrible!
The instructor intones, “The Now is the Truth."
The next educational subject is Cosmic Degeneration Theory: The most important sivv scientists are working on a method to better harness solar energy. The instructor believes that your spawnling could aid in this critical research in upcoming years.
The sivvs are studying ways to artificially accelerate the life cycle of stars to obliterate them. How terrible!
Truly, this alone should demonstrate to all the supremacy of the sivv!
Truly, this alone should demonstrate to all the supremacy of the sivv!
The sivvs are studying ways to artificially accelerate the life cycle of stars to obliterate them. How terrible!
The sivvs are studying ways to artificially accelerate the life cycle of stars to obliterate them. How terrible!
The instructor intones, "The Now is the Truth."
The penultimate subject in the meeting is Servitor Species Biology. Afterall, Sivvs are expected to be particularly fluent in biology, not just of sivvs, but of other species they have encountered.
Booker stands, turns around, and lets out a long fart into the face of the instructor.
Obviously this is true. You yourself have shredded many inferior lifeforms with the knowledge you learned as a spawnling.
Obviously this is true. You yourself have shredded many inferior lifeforms with the knowledge you learned as a spawnling.
His flatulence eliciting no reaction, Booker simply heads for the door to leave the room.
Red sivv goes nowhere.
You are sivv. There are only two sivv in this room and you are one. You feel that your urge to leave is countered by the rest of the one you are.
Obviously this is true. You yourself have shredded many inferior lifeforms with the knowledge you learned as a spawnling.
Obviously this is true. You yourself have shredded many inferior lifeforms with the knowledge you learned as a spawnling.
Obviously this is true. You yourself have shredded many inferior lifeforms with the knowledge you learned as a spawnling.
The instructor intones, "The Now is the Truth."
The final subject in the meeting is the Individuality Obliteration Practicum: The Sivv Dominion has succeeded because of a unity that forms the basis of their civilization, and by refusing to allow individuality, which they see as dangerous, in themselves or others to fester into anarchy.
Booker slowly, seductively removes each article of clothing one by one, gyrating softly to the tempo of an inaudible gramophone.
You realize that students practice mind-altering magic on helpless servitor races (and on each other) to enforce the sivvs’ rigid control. How terrible!
It's simply too much. You understand sivv instructional paradigms all too well.
Suddenly all is black. The menu appears before you...
Degenerator Rally
Exit
Still nude, Booker blinks at "Degenerator Rally."
Thanks to the Sivv Dominion’s advanced quantum communications, you and your underlings can watch the rally live from the research facility. The footage shows crowds of jubilant sivvs across Davvirex watching enormous holographic screens hovering by the titanic buildings of each city interspersed with shots of a massive conical starship over a dozen miles long. Constructed from spirals of stone atop a metal core, the ship’s fore contains a dish-like device that crackles with destructive energy. “Behold!” cries a bombastic announcer. “The instrument of sivv dominance over not only the kishalee, but every other feeble species in the galaxy: the Stellar Degenerator!”
The feed returns to the crowds, all of whom erupt into raucous cheers at the pending victory.
Wait.... WAIT. You've been here. This looks just like Jederat. But how? Wait.... Who.... is... Torin Janzi?
Booker starts lighting small fires underneath his neighbors' chairs.
Wait.... WAIT. You've been here. This looks just like Jederat. But how? Wait.... Who.... is... Dunklezahn?
Wait.... WAIT. You've been here. This looks just like Jederat. But how? Wait.... Who.... is... Hack-it?
The world goes black. There's nothing left....
There's nothing. There is only blackness. You're not sure where you are. Your last memory is impossible. A dream?
After several speeches by key scientists and government functionaries, the rally winds to a close. Suddenly, confusion erupts as the feed shows several strange starships decloaking near the Stellar Degenerator, tiny in comparison to the superweapon. An announcer attempts to play down the situation, explaining that this is a desperate attack by kishalee agents and that they will surely be driven back by the might of sivv military.
No sooner is this spoken than the Stellar Degenerator appears to fold in on itself and disappear, along with the kishalee ships. No debris is left behind, only empty space. The announcer stammers that citizens should remain calm, but one of the researchers watching shouts, “They... took it! The kishalee will be unstoppable. What you feared most just occurred, Vheiransch. What do we do?”
A voice says, “What we must. We must make preparations to launch Ark Prime immediately.”
Not a dream.... programming.
The tops of coffin-like capsules spring open. The sensations of sivv tentacles linger for a few seconds like phantom limbs. The crashing sensations of a blaring klaxon and warning lights flashing in blue and purple fill the technology-filled room. Scrolling holographic letters flash the words “INDOCTRINATION FAILURE" and “LIQUIDATION UNITS ARRIVING SHORTLY."
It all comes rushing back....
Hack-it is to first to point out that everyone is naked.
"Hack-It, where are your clothes? . . . Where are my clothes? Where is my cape?! How did we even get here. I had a strange nightmare that I was a Sivv. Now I am having a nightmare that I am about to be exterminated! Booker, Dunk, Janzi? Are you here? Are you alright?"
Janzi gets up and makes sure Munro isn't around anywhere, then makes sure everyone is up on their feet. Liquidation units sounds, y'know, bad. One of you, get on those terminals and find out what's going on. Meanwhile the lashunta tosses the room as quickly as possible.
Janzi doesn't see anything in his super fast toss of the room. Meanwhile the voice continues to drone on about "liquidation units."
"I do like a good drink, but I don't think that is what they mean by liquidation."
Gig races to a computer terminal to see if he can redirect the 'liquidiation units' to another site.
Gig rushes over to a keyboard and starts working. In a matter of seconds though, the sivv language goes from being his "first" language, to an incomprehensible mess of symbols! He never gets to the reroute plan, but he does see a menu option to "Empty Quantum Entanglement." IT could be helpful, it could be catastrophic. The question is.... what does Gig do?