Astral Zephyr: “Does anyone else have questions?”
Madam Elsie: “I do. It’s more of a request, actually.”
Zephyr: “Go ahead.”
Elsie: “I am Madam Elsie of the Dancing Dragon. I hope you become familiar with all of you, as I am in charge of the house of pleasure aboard this ship. Astral Zephyr, I am to understand that you are watching every room in the ship?”
Zephyr: “I am. Or, at least, I am recording visual and auditory data from all of my room. Particularly with my current size, I am not capable of paying attention to every part of myself.”
Elsie: “And this includes bedchambers and the rooms you have given over to our professional usage?”
Zephyr: “Naturally.”
Elsie: “I must request, as a necessity of our professional work on this ship, that the rooms given over to our professional usage be unmonitored, with cameras and auditory recording devices disabled. We cannot do our jobs if our interactions with our clients are being monitored, as many people are self-conscious when under the scrutiny of cameras.”
Zephyr: “I do not distribute the videos to any human, and I myself have little interest in carnal affairs – it is fairly hard for me to related, what with me being decidedly not-fleshy. I can assure you that any recordings will remain private.”
Elsie: “With all due respect, it is not a question of what you do with the recordings, it is that the recordings are created at all. If you put a fake camera into the room, it would be just as damaging to the comfort and perceived privacy of our clients. It is a natural part of romantic or sexual liaisons that people often which to keep them private – something special that exists only between the two partners. If this is not going too far, I will speculate that, given the shuttles being the only non-monitored part of the ship currently, that crewmembers may have already visited it for no reason save for the privacy it affords their relationship.”
Zephyr: “Well, I suppose that is true. You must understand my recalcitrance: it is not an easy thing to destroy some of my eyes – they are a part of me, after all. Still, what manner of leader would I be if I did not listen to my crew in their areas of expertise?”
Alexander Gestler: “My lady: Then you should listen to me, as well.”
Zephyr: “Chief Security Officer Gestler.”
Elsie: “Oh gods, you…”
Gestler: “My Lady, I warn against granting this request in no uncertain terms. First, it is a security breach to have any part of the ship not under surveillance. It is dangerous for the crew, in the event of an accident of some… sort. It is dangerous for you, in that a number of rooms is more than enough to build unauthorized devices, or worse, conspire against you. Secondly, I am not at all comfortable with Madam Elsie, because—“
Elsie: “Because you’re a self-righteous puritanical—“
Gestler: “Because her and her ‘Dancing Dragons’ are the only crew who became part of the crew as a group, with previous loyalties to each other.”
Elsie: “Oh, is that what you meant when you said, ‘I will not let you despoil her halls with your indecent harlotry’? You just want to see us fail.”
Gestler: “The combination of their allegiance to each other, and their privacy would increase the risk geometrically, particularly if they can speak with other members of the crew, and recruit them without you knowing. Additionally, if you grant them privacy, other crewmembers will likely ask privacy for their own quarters, resulting in you having more of your eyes gouged out.”
Zephyr: “Gestler, enough.”
Gestler: “My lady, I speak only to serve your interests.”
Zephyr: “Then serve my interests by remaining silent, until such a time that you can curb your prejudges and apologize to Madam Elsie.”
Gestler: “…”
Zephyr: “Madam Elsie, I apologize for the behavior of my security officer. He is over-zealous at times, and I should be keeping a tighter hold on his leash, so to speak. I assure you, his opinions and prejudges are his alone.”
Elsie: “Thank you. I had assumed as much, given that the captain saw fit to hire me at all. Were you behind that?”
Zephyr: “When I have to be a secret, I find myself behind a lot of things.”
Elsie: “And the surveillance of our quarters?”
Zephyr: “I will have Chief Engineer Santiago and her people remove the cameras from your quarters. I’m not willing to lose my other eyes, however, but I understand the need for privacy. If you would be so kind as to share your working chambers with any other people who desire privacy for their liaisons, I would appreciate that.”
Elsie: “That is acceptable, and well within our mission as Dancing Dragons.”
Zephyr: “I am glad. And again, I am sorry for the actions of my Chief Security Officer.”
Showing posts with label Recruitment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Recruitment. Show all posts
1.10.2014
Auditory Transcript 16 (Ship’s Welcome)
Zheng Hui: “Welcome to the Astral Zephyr. Some of you have been on the ship for some time already, but others have just arrived. Regardless: Welcome. We will activate the FTL drive in a few minutes, and then we will be speeding out of the system, first at relativistic speeds, and then, once we pass the Oort Cloud, at speeds considerably above the speed of light.”
Zheng: “But before we do that, I collected all of you here to… well, I don’t know how to phrase this. I am not, in fact, the true leader of this ship. I serve as captain, to the best of my ability, but I am still subservient to the owner of this ship. I don’t actually own… well, the ship is in my name, but well, I do not think that, uh, it is proper to own another sentient being.”
Astral Zephyr: “Hello everyone, I am the Astral Zephyr, and I suppose I should speak for myself before the poor captain faints. I am the ship, and you are my crew. Originally I thought that I was a digital program emulating the brain of my former (human) self, but recently that theory has been disproven. As you know, the FTL drive defies the laws of physics. More than that, as my engineering department already knows, the drive actively bends the laws of physics – no mere loophole, but rather the ability to hold the natural laws in abeyance. It is, quite simply put, magic. Neither the creators nor anyone else understands the process.”
Zephyr: “What does this mean for me? Well, magic does exist, and I should have realized earlier that the aliens who installed the FTL enchantment and myself could not possibly have understood a human computer. Instead, I have come to the conclusion that the best way to describe my state of being is that they put my soul into the ship, as to haunt it. I am not living in a conventional sense, but I am very much alive in a meaningful sense. I see through the sensors, I can control my engines, doors, and… well, basically everything else that is a part of me. Curiously, Chief Science Officer Reiviki has discovered that I can control parts of me that are not actually connected to my mainframe – the magic considers a door to be part of me, regardless of a nervous system analog. Again: Magic, not science.”
Zephyr: “Now, I see that some of you are becoming restive. I bid you: Fear not. We are all in this together, and, if that is not enough, I would like you to know that, as some quirk of my existence, I care very much about my crew. I would no sooner have any of you come to harm than any of you would have your fingers cut off. There was some… violence during the trip to Arcadia. The uncensored version is now available on my archive. Several crewmembers were hurt, one suffered clinical death. Having experienced that, I promise you, I will protect you as if you were my own flesh and blood. Well, you are my flesh and blood. That was supposed to be a joke. Nevermind.”
Zephyr: “Now, a few things to be aware of. First, please do not damage me, do not damage each other. I just mentioned my protective nature, and, as Chief Security Officer Gestler ceaselessly points out, the worse dangers come from within, particularly if we are a couple lightyears away from anything else larger than a grain of sand. Please don’t make a mess, and we will all get along fine. Cooperate with Gestler and his people, and everyone will stay safe. If he gets too pushy, which is possible, let me know and I will tell him off.”
Zephyr: “Secondly, we are on a mission of exploration and good-will. I want to make this very explicit. We do good things by way of exploration. Primarily this means sharing knowledge. Technological knowledge, social wisdom, communication and knowledge about the cosmos. Sharing knowledge is predicated on having knowledge to share: thus the vital importance of the science team, the anthropologists, etc. Also the vital importance of continuing our journey. If we stayed in once place, we are merely 50 humans and a very advanced ship. If we continue our journey, we can become much, much more to many, many peoples.”
Zephyr: “Thirdly, I would like you all to be happy. I will maintaining a standard gee of acceleration, for your comfort. There are gardens, a gymnasium, various lounges, and a very complete, if mostly untested, VR system. I am to understand we also have a very skilled, very professional, house of pleasure onboard, for your sexual needs. In the absence of other tasks, the manufactory complex should be able to fabricate anything you want, within reason. I currently contain a massive database, courtesy of a Linked Systems representative, which should have anything and everything you would like to know. And, of course, you have each other. I heartily recommend making friends and being social. We are out here for who knows how long, and we will be working with each other, so please, get to know each other.”
Zephyr: “Now, you have all listened to me far too much. Please: Does anyone have any questions? I am everywhere, so I should be able to answer questions in the future, but while we are all here, it might be useful to answer questions for everyone as a group. Fifty-odd minds working in parallel should be able to come up with some interesting questions…”
Zheng: “But before we do that, I collected all of you here to… well, I don’t know how to phrase this. I am not, in fact, the true leader of this ship. I serve as captain, to the best of my ability, but I am still subservient to the owner of this ship. I don’t actually own… well, the ship is in my name, but well, I do not think that, uh, it is proper to own another sentient being.”
Astral Zephyr: “Hello everyone, I am the Astral Zephyr, and I suppose I should speak for myself before the poor captain faints. I am the ship, and you are my crew. Originally I thought that I was a digital program emulating the brain of my former (human) self, but recently that theory has been disproven. As you know, the FTL drive defies the laws of physics. More than that, as my engineering department already knows, the drive actively bends the laws of physics – no mere loophole, but rather the ability to hold the natural laws in abeyance. It is, quite simply put, magic. Neither the creators nor anyone else understands the process.”
Zephyr: “What does this mean for me? Well, magic does exist, and I should have realized earlier that the aliens who installed the FTL enchantment and myself could not possibly have understood a human computer. Instead, I have come to the conclusion that the best way to describe my state of being is that they put my soul into the ship, as to haunt it. I am not living in a conventional sense, but I am very much alive in a meaningful sense. I see through the sensors, I can control my engines, doors, and… well, basically everything else that is a part of me. Curiously, Chief Science Officer Reiviki has discovered that I can control parts of me that are not actually connected to my mainframe – the magic considers a door to be part of me, regardless of a nervous system analog. Again: Magic, not science.”
Zephyr: “Now, I see that some of you are becoming restive. I bid you: Fear not. We are all in this together, and, if that is not enough, I would like you to know that, as some quirk of my existence, I care very much about my crew. I would no sooner have any of you come to harm than any of you would have your fingers cut off. There was some… violence during the trip to Arcadia. The uncensored version is now available on my archive. Several crewmembers were hurt, one suffered clinical death. Having experienced that, I promise you, I will protect you as if you were my own flesh and blood. Well, you are my flesh and blood. That was supposed to be a joke. Nevermind.”
Zephyr: “Now, a few things to be aware of. First, please do not damage me, do not damage each other. I just mentioned my protective nature, and, as Chief Security Officer Gestler ceaselessly points out, the worse dangers come from within, particularly if we are a couple lightyears away from anything else larger than a grain of sand. Please don’t make a mess, and we will all get along fine. Cooperate with Gestler and his people, and everyone will stay safe. If he gets too pushy, which is possible, let me know and I will tell him off.”
Zephyr: “Secondly, we are on a mission of exploration and good-will. I want to make this very explicit. We do good things by way of exploration. Primarily this means sharing knowledge. Technological knowledge, social wisdom, communication and knowledge about the cosmos. Sharing knowledge is predicated on having knowledge to share: thus the vital importance of the science team, the anthropologists, etc. Also the vital importance of continuing our journey. If we stayed in once place, we are merely 50 humans and a very advanced ship. If we continue our journey, we can become much, much more to many, many peoples.”
Zephyr: “Thirdly, I would like you all to be happy. I will maintaining a standard gee of acceleration, for your comfort. There are gardens, a gymnasium, various lounges, and a very complete, if mostly untested, VR system. I am to understand we also have a very skilled, very professional, house of pleasure onboard, for your sexual needs. In the absence of other tasks, the manufactory complex should be able to fabricate anything you want, within reason. I currently contain a massive database, courtesy of a Linked Systems representative, which should have anything and everything you would like to know. And, of course, you have each other. I heartily recommend making friends and being social. We are out here for who knows how long, and we will be working with each other, so please, get to know each other.”
Zephyr: “Now, you have all listened to me far too much. Please: Does anyone have any questions? I am everywhere, so I should be able to answer questions in the future, but while we are all here, it might be useful to answer questions for everyone as a group. Fifty-odd minds working in parallel should be able to come up with some interesting questions…”
1.09.2014
Ship’s Notes: Screening and Security
I used to think that Gestler was very busy. Now... well I am starting to believe the man doesn’t need sleep, or at least not a normal amount of sleep. In addition to his own duties of recruiting a security team (which seems to be mostly psychological profiling, rather than an assessment of skills), Gestler is recruiting assorted other crewmembers into being additional assets for his security team.
To date, he has recruited both the software specialist and the roboticist, along with the psychologist and the chemist. He has also talked extensively with Madame Elsie and the other Dancing Dragons who will be coming aboard. He has asked me to keep his contact with Madame Elsie and her people a secret.
Which, I suppose, paints a fairly alarming picture, if you squint the right way. So far he has been using the software specialist to run background checks on the incoming crewmembers, and having the psychologist help profile his security recruits. This seems legitimate. But the others? Will I have a cadre of combat servitors patrolling my halls? Does he intend on using drug therapies to control my crew? I am not sure how I feel about such measures. I know for a fact that he will be trying to convince the chemist to help him fabricate chemical weapons, which makes me uneasy.
Compared to all that, his contact with the Dancing Dragons seems almost benign. I feel that my internal sensors should be sufficient surveillance, but I suppose that having spies warming the beds of malcontents might lead to additional conversations? But they know I can see and hear everything in the ship anyway, so I’m not sure Gestler’s plan concerning this. He isn’t telling me, since apparently I talk with the rest of the crew too freely, but I suppose there must be a plan.
I wonder what Susana would think of this all. I recently read one of her journal entries, complaining about Gestler and how him and people like him are what empowers evil in human society. And now Gestler seems to be recruiting based on personality – specifically people like him, I assume, people who obey first and worry about morals later.
Right now Gestler is in me, discussing with Circulatory Specialist Patil the importance of security during long voyages. I know why he’s talking to the circulatory specialist. He’s been quite consistent about sending me updated plans on how I can win if he betrays me. It’s somewhere between adorable and unnerving. However, most of the plans are centered on the fact that while Gestler may have many talents, he is made of flesh and blood, and I am directly connected to a great number of things. My self-defense capability has already been demonstrated on Arcadia, but Gestler notes that venting the atmosphere would be useless on anyone within a vacuum suit. Instead he was going to convince Susana and Maria to help him install vitriolic chemical weapons throughout the ship, but Susana (and thus Maria) refused. I think there’s some irony there, since Susana opposes Gestler, and these weapons are specifically to oppose Gestler. Alas, Gestler decided against actually mentioning the purpose of the weapons. But, well, soon I may be able to vent thermal exhaust into crew compartments via my circulatory system, or whatever other deadly fluids run throughout my systems. Huzzah.
To date, he has recruited both the software specialist and the roboticist, along with the psychologist and the chemist. He has also talked extensively with Madame Elsie and the other Dancing Dragons who will be coming aboard. He has asked me to keep his contact with Madame Elsie and her people a secret.
Which, I suppose, paints a fairly alarming picture, if you squint the right way. So far he has been using the software specialist to run background checks on the incoming crewmembers, and having the psychologist help profile his security recruits. This seems legitimate. But the others? Will I have a cadre of combat servitors patrolling my halls? Does he intend on using drug therapies to control my crew? I am not sure how I feel about such measures. I know for a fact that he will be trying to convince the chemist to help him fabricate chemical weapons, which makes me uneasy.
Compared to all that, his contact with the Dancing Dragons seems almost benign. I feel that my internal sensors should be sufficient surveillance, but I suppose that having spies warming the beds of malcontents might lead to additional conversations? But they know I can see and hear everything in the ship anyway, so I’m not sure Gestler’s plan concerning this. He isn’t telling me, since apparently I talk with the rest of the crew too freely, but I suppose there must be a plan.
I wonder what Susana would think of this all. I recently read one of her journal entries, complaining about Gestler and how him and people like him are what empowers evil in human society. And now Gestler seems to be recruiting based on personality – specifically people like him, I assume, people who obey first and worry about morals later.
Right now Gestler is in me, discussing with Circulatory Specialist Patil the importance of security during long voyages. I know why he’s talking to the circulatory specialist. He’s been quite consistent about sending me updated plans on how I can win if he betrays me. It’s somewhere between adorable and unnerving. However, most of the plans are centered on the fact that while Gestler may have many talents, he is made of flesh and blood, and I am directly connected to a great number of things. My self-defense capability has already been demonstrated on Arcadia, but Gestler notes that venting the atmosphere would be useless on anyone within a vacuum suit. Instead he was going to convince Susana and Maria to help him install vitriolic chemical weapons throughout the ship, but Susana (and thus Maria) refused. I think there’s some irony there, since Susana opposes Gestler, and these weapons are specifically to oppose Gestler. Alas, Gestler decided against actually mentioning the purpose of the weapons. But, well, soon I may be able to vent thermal exhaust into crew compartments via my circulatory system, or whatever other deadly fluids run throughout my systems. Huzzah.
1.08.2014
Journal of Susana Reiviki: Hiring the Crew
The strangest thing about hiring is not knowing who we will need. When I worked for TTAMRI, if we needed a specialist, we would simply hire one.
One of my tasks is to hire the science team. An elite set of researchers to analysis and understand whatever we encounter out in the space. It is not hard for me to understand qualifications, to feel out competency, work ethic, etc. However, I don’t know what we’ll be needing out there, and… well, everyone is specialized. I am myself specialized into existential threat analysis, with a further specialization into friendly AI theory, and then retrained as a ship engineer after leaving TTAMRI… and then further specialized in life support. This probably leaves me with a broader base of knowledge than anyone who has applied, simply because existential threat analysis touches on a great number of subjects – anything that could be catastrophically lethal, with risks beyond the intuitive capability of humans to comprehend.
This means, of course, I understand a variety of ways a sun could wipe out a planetary population, along with various theorized countermeasures. This does not make me an astrophysicist.
So far I have hired:
A biologist
An ecologist
A biotechnologist
A xenobiologist
A physicist
An astrophysicist
A chemist
A biochemist
Will I need all of them? I don’t know. Perhaps we will never need the skills of an ecologist. Perhaps we will. Perhaps we will need those skills once, and she will sit around on her hands for the rest of the journey, at best being an assistant to her fellow scientists on their projects.
Maria has it easier, at least. She has some specialization, yes, but there is plenty of overlap. I was originally hired as a life support engineer, but I spent most of my time doing general ship engineering. I know that she has a ship circulatory specialist, and a circuit specialist. A plumber and an electrician, to boil away the complexities involved. But even if the problem does not involve ducts or fiber-optic cables, they are still just as competent as me. Every specialist she hires is also a general ship engineer, while every specialist I hire is also comfortable in a laboratory setting. Such is life.
There are a few more research positions to fill, and then I will move on to the various other positions Zephyr trusts me in filling. A sociologist, a psychologist, a counselor, a linguist… I have dabbled in societal collapse, sure, but a linguist? Zephyr may as well have the captain hire the linguist – I haven’t the slightest knowledge about that subject.
One of my tasks is to hire the science team. An elite set of researchers to analysis and understand whatever we encounter out in the space. It is not hard for me to understand qualifications, to feel out competency, work ethic, etc. However, I don’t know what we’ll be needing out there, and… well, everyone is specialized. I am myself specialized into existential threat analysis, with a further specialization into friendly AI theory, and then retrained as a ship engineer after leaving TTAMRI… and then further specialized in life support. This probably leaves me with a broader base of knowledge than anyone who has applied, simply because existential threat analysis touches on a great number of subjects – anything that could be catastrophically lethal, with risks beyond the intuitive capability of humans to comprehend.
This means, of course, I understand a variety of ways a sun could wipe out a planetary population, along with various theorized countermeasures. This does not make me an astrophysicist.
So far I have hired:
A biologist
An ecologist
A biotechnologist
A xenobiologist
A physicist
An astrophysicist
A chemist
A biochemist
Will I need all of them? I don’t know. Perhaps we will never need the skills of an ecologist. Perhaps we will. Perhaps we will need those skills once, and she will sit around on her hands for the rest of the journey, at best being an assistant to her fellow scientists on their projects.
Maria has it easier, at least. She has some specialization, yes, but there is plenty of overlap. I was originally hired as a life support engineer, but I spent most of my time doing general ship engineering. I know that she has a ship circulatory specialist, and a circuit specialist. A plumber and an electrician, to boil away the complexities involved. But even if the problem does not involve ducts or fiber-optic cables, they are still just as competent as me. Every specialist she hires is also a general ship engineer, while every specialist I hire is also comfortable in a laboratory setting. Such is life.
There are a few more research positions to fill, and then I will move on to the various other positions Zephyr trusts me in filling. A sociologist, a psychologist, a counselor, a linguist… I have dabbled in societal collapse, sure, but a linguist? Zephyr may as well have the captain hire the linguist – I haven’t the slightest knowledge about that subject.
1.07.2014
Journal of Niels Vandenberg: Excerpt 1
When I heard that the starship Astral Zephyr had an open position for a journalist and a writer, I applied without hope. Surely every journalist on the planet was applying for that position. They were applying for curiosity, applying for glory, applying for the chance to make history… I applied because I am an old spent man, full of life-long dreams never fulfilled, with nothing to lose and everything to gain. A chance at redemption.
I look at myself in the mirror, and wonder what the captain thought when he saw me. A wrinkled face, a long, grizzled beard, weary eyes… I have somehow become the grandfather without a child to my name. I was surprised by the interview; I never expected that anyone would be interested in my paltry list of publications. A thousand articles, each and every one without acclaim. Books written, good enough to publish, not good enough to sell. And yet the captain called me up the space elevator to speak with me.
I wonder if the captain knows that I knew his grandfather? My name never made it into the history books, just an acknowledgement of Zheng Lee returning with a thousand men and women from other worlds, all curious about the Tien Terra system. I’m not sure if his grandfather would have remembered me, by the time the captain was born. And, of course, I avoided mentioning it – I suspected, and continue to suspect, that the captain lives in the shadow of his father and grandfather.
They are very different men, the captain and his grandfather. Zheng Lee was man of determination and grit. Sometimes I wondered if he would have ever built his planet’s Gateway if it weren’t for everyone telling him, ‘No! That’s impossible! You are a fool!’ Maybe he would have built it, but tell the man what he couldn’t do, and he would do it just to prove you wrong. The captain, Zheng Hui, is of a different fiber, I think. Young. Idealistic. Troubled. If someone voiced doubts to him, he would take those doubts to heart, where his grandfather would press on to prove the doubter wrong. A softer man, but not necessarily worse for the softness.
He hadn’t read the files I sent him, so far as I could tell, not even the essay on why I wished to join the crew. Instead he asked about me, about my connections to the planet, about how long I had been here. Then he asked about my motivations, my fears, my family (or lack thereof). He tried to scare me off by warning of dangers, of death, of never returning. But never on my writing, never on my skill, just about me.
And now I have been accepted to be part of the crew. I have my suspicions on why he chose me, of course. Long ago, I landed on Tien Terra Beta, full of foolish dreams. I thought that I could tell the story of that civilization making contact with what would become the Linked Systems. I failed, of course, but so would anyone else. Now I am older, I am wiser, and I remember. I’ve seen it before, a civilization, previously isolated, being rudely awakened from preconceptions grown of distance. And I remember everything.
I look at myself in the mirror, and wonder what the captain thought when he saw me. A wrinkled face, a long, grizzled beard, weary eyes… I have somehow become the grandfather without a child to my name. I was surprised by the interview; I never expected that anyone would be interested in my paltry list of publications. A thousand articles, each and every one without acclaim. Books written, good enough to publish, not good enough to sell. And yet the captain called me up the space elevator to speak with me.
I wonder if the captain knows that I knew his grandfather? My name never made it into the history books, just an acknowledgement of Zheng Lee returning with a thousand men and women from other worlds, all curious about the Tien Terra system. I’m not sure if his grandfather would have remembered me, by the time the captain was born. And, of course, I avoided mentioning it – I suspected, and continue to suspect, that the captain lives in the shadow of his father and grandfather.
They are very different men, the captain and his grandfather. Zheng Lee was man of determination and grit. Sometimes I wondered if he would have ever built his planet’s Gateway if it weren’t for everyone telling him, ‘No! That’s impossible! You are a fool!’ Maybe he would have built it, but tell the man what he couldn’t do, and he would do it just to prove you wrong. The captain, Zheng Hui, is of a different fiber, I think. Young. Idealistic. Troubled. If someone voiced doubts to him, he would take those doubts to heart, where his grandfather would press on to prove the doubter wrong. A softer man, but not necessarily worse for the softness.
He hadn’t read the files I sent him, so far as I could tell, not even the essay on why I wished to join the crew. Instead he asked about me, about my connections to the planet, about how long I had been here. Then he asked about my motivations, my fears, my family (or lack thereof). He tried to scare me off by warning of dangers, of death, of never returning. But never on my writing, never on my skill, just about me.
And now I have been accepted to be part of the crew. I have my suspicions on why he chose me, of course. Long ago, I landed on Tien Terra Beta, full of foolish dreams. I thought that I could tell the story of that civilization making contact with what would become the Linked Systems. I failed, of course, but so would anyone else. Now I am older, I am wiser, and I remember. I’ve seen it before, a civilization, previously isolated, being rudely awakened from preconceptions grown of distance. And I remember everything.
1.04.2014
Captain’s Log: Positions and Prostitutes
Since most of the other crew is involved in hiring the specialized labor for their department or area of expertise, it falls to me to filter though the large quantity of custom applications. A pile of dreams that my common sense seems insistent on crushing. There seem to be a good number of people who want to risk their lives in space. Some of them thing they will just be helpful on the ship. Others think that they can buy their way onto the ship, despite what Zephyr wrote in my little speech. Some of them even have skills. All of them want to be on Zephyr. Denied, denied, denied.
Some of them are right, and I’ve added those positions as publicly listed. I hope that they get onto the ship, since it seems lousy to convincing argue the need for an expert in data management, and then have some other data management expert take the position.
Recently, I received a letter from Madam Elsie of the Dancing Dragon, which is, in fact, a house of pleasure. She thinks that, if we are to have an indefinitely long voyage with a relatively small population, we should have a number of prostitutes on the crew, along with, unsurprisingly, Madam Elsie to manage them.
To this end, she makes a surprisingly coherent argument. She notes that humans are human, and part of that is a craving for sexual activity. She does not disapprove of relationships between crew members in general, which she sees as normal, but warns of relationships built on lust, rather than love or even compatibility. She also warns about unhealthy rivalry and infighting caused by competition over partners. Similarly, she warns that, upon arriving on a colony, an unsatisfied crew might be more inclined to search for partners among the colony’s population, leading to diplomatic incidents, the spread of diseases, compromised security, or other complications.
Madam Elsie believes that a number of high-end professional prostitutes, with herself to guide them, is the ideal solution. She warns against common prostitutes, who lack the judgment and finesse to provide sexual release without leading to the same sort of complications hiring prostitutes is supposed to help avoid. Similarly, her command position is necessary to keep track of everything, understand who is in need of their services, to ward off anything that the prostitutes might not be able to deal with themselves.
She also notes that an elite cadre of professional seductresses and seducers could have other uses, including intelligence gathering and manipulation. Gestler’s domain, though I’m not sure what he would think of it, what with his native society being very puritanical with regards to sex, and backwards with regard to the roles of women. I probably should ask him for his input on how valuable this sort of intelligence gathering and manipulation would be, relative to his current methods. I think I know his answer, though, and it has less to do with relative value than combined value.
The other problem is that I can’t exactly make this position publicly listed. The houses of pleasure really only came to Tien Terra with the opening of trade with the Linked Systems, first on the spaceports to service crewmembers, but spreading from there. Things are calmer now, but back during the start of our prominence as a trade hub, there were riots decrying the dismissal of our culture in favor of the wealth of trade with outsiders. The foreign houses of pleasure were at the forefront of the rioters’ complains, and… well, that was not so long ago. Should I send quietly messages to other houses of pleasure? There are not so many that I expect others to have a sufficient quantity of workers and leaders who are interested in going into space, while Madam Elsie notes the enthusiasm of several of her workers.
And, if prostitution makes native Tien Terrans uncomfortable, I would not be surprised if we make contact with cultures that would be aghast at our acceptance of Madam Elsie and her boys and girls. I suppose we do not need to tell them, however…
Some of them are right, and I’ve added those positions as publicly listed. I hope that they get onto the ship, since it seems lousy to convincing argue the need for an expert in data management, and then have some other data management expert take the position.
Recently, I received a letter from Madam Elsie of the Dancing Dragon, which is, in fact, a house of pleasure. She thinks that, if we are to have an indefinitely long voyage with a relatively small population, we should have a number of prostitutes on the crew, along with, unsurprisingly, Madam Elsie to manage them.
To this end, she makes a surprisingly coherent argument. She notes that humans are human, and part of that is a craving for sexual activity. She does not disapprove of relationships between crew members in general, which she sees as normal, but warns of relationships built on lust, rather than love or even compatibility. She also warns about unhealthy rivalry and infighting caused by competition over partners. Similarly, she warns that, upon arriving on a colony, an unsatisfied crew might be more inclined to search for partners among the colony’s population, leading to diplomatic incidents, the spread of diseases, compromised security, or other complications.
Madam Elsie believes that a number of high-end professional prostitutes, with herself to guide them, is the ideal solution. She warns against common prostitutes, who lack the judgment and finesse to provide sexual release without leading to the same sort of complications hiring prostitutes is supposed to help avoid. Similarly, her command position is necessary to keep track of everything, understand who is in need of their services, to ward off anything that the prostitutes might not be able to deal with themselves.
She also notes that an elite cadre of professional seductresses and seducers could have other uses, including intelligence gathering and manipulation. Gestler’s domain, though I’m not sure what he would think of it, what with his native society being very puritanical with regards to sex, and backwards with regard to the roles of women. I probably should ask him for his input on how valuable this sort of intelligence gathering and manipulation would be, relative to his current methods. I think I know his answer, though, and it has less to do with relative value than combined value.
The other problem is that I can’t exactly make this position publicly listed. The houses of pleasure really only came to Tien Terra with the opening of trade with the Linked Systems, first on the spaceports to service crewmembers, but spreading from there. Things are calmer now, but back during the start of our prominence as a trade hub, there were riots decrying the dismissal of our culture in favor of the wealth of trade with outsiders. The foreign houses of pleasure were at the forefront of the rioters’ complains, and… well, that was not so long ago. Should I send quietly messages to other houses of pleasure? There are not so many that I expect others to have a sufficient quantity of workers and leaders who are interested in going into space, while Madam Elsie notes the enthusiasm of several of her workers.
And, if prostitution makes native Tien Terrans uncomfortable, I would not be surprised if we make contact with cultures that would be aghast at our acceptance of Madam Elsie and her boys and girls. I suppose we do not need to tell them, however…
1.02.2014
Message to Tien Terra Beta
My name is Captain Zheng Hui, of the starship Astral Zephyr. The Astral Zephyr is a craft capable of travelling faster than light, due to alien technology we do not understand. We come in peace.
Some of you may recognize my family name: Zheng. I am, in fact, the grandson of the great explorer Zheng Lee. Nearly two gigaseconds ago, my grandfather built a Gateway, and then disappeared through it. At length, he returned, bearing trade relations and diplomatic ties, transforming the Tien Terra system into the trade hub it is today.
I do not come bearing trade relation and diplomatic ties. Over the last half-dozen megaseconds, I have merely scratched the surface of what may exist out there. I have tested the waters, visiting three colonies, including our neighbor C-131. I bring back records of the worlds I have seen, and I give them freely, only asking that you share them with the rest of the Linked Systems.
Now comes the time to take the plunge. My grandfather was gone for hundreds of megaseconds. I might be gone for longer – the FTL drive provides freedom of travel, not the instantaneous speed of the Gateway system. But I will travel, I will visit every colony I can, I will meet the aliens who created this FTL drive, I will return bearing knowledge of this galaxy beyond imagining.
But for this, I need a crew. The Astral Zephyr currently has a crew of seven, including myself. The ship is currently built with room for up to 64 crewmembers, more if we wished to sacrifice comfort. We need ship engineers, pilots, and quartermasters, yes, but this is not merely a voyage – it is a voyage of exploration!
We need scientists, linguists, historians, and more, just to explore. We need doctors, hydrobotanists, and even cooks for the long voyage. We need an automated mining specialist for picking up raw materials and construction engineers to manufacture any tools we may find ourselves lacking.
If you have the thirst for exploration, the desire to be part of history… then imagine what role you might have on a starship. I will be sending an envoy to the ZLMSET—the Zheng Lee Memorial Space Elevator Terminal—and within a day I will be sending out a transmission detailing the various positions we need on the ship. Do not take the list as conclusive. If you think of another position we need, send a message to our envoy, and we will revise the list.
But be warned. We may be gone for a long time. We may never return. I do not ask you to leave your families, only to return when your children have grown without you, but only if you are willing to leave the Linked Systems and make the crew of the Astral Zephyr your new family. We will be isolated, tens, hundreds, even possibly thousands of light-years away from the nearest Linked System, and we will not turn around for homesickness or regret. Be sure of your choice, and if you are not sure, then stay in the Linked Systems with your family.
Lastly, we will not be paying the crew, at least not monetarily. We are not traveling to trade, or to make a profit. Instead, we are traveling to share information and better the lives of everyone we meet. Our mission is to help, not acquire scarce goods, and, as such, we will likely have very little money by our return to the linked systems.
But do not thing you will not be paid. Payment will be in priceless experiences. Payment will be your mark in history. Payment will be you knowing that you have returned bearing knowledge that may advance the Linked Systems a thousand-fold.
If you desire to explore… let us know.
This message will repeat in one kilosecond, after assorted data-packets have been sent.
Some of you may recognize my family name: Zheng. I am, in fact, the grandson of the great explorer Zheng Lee. Nearly two gigaseconds ago, my grandfather built a Gateway, and then disappeared through it. At length, he returned, bearing trade relations and diplomatic ties, transforming the Tien Terra system into the trade hub it is today.
I do not come bearing trade relation and diplomatic ties. Over the last half-dozen megaseconds, I have merely scratched the surface of what may exist out there. I have tested the waters, visiting three colonies, including our neighbor C-131. I bring back records of the worlds I have seen, and I give them freely, only asking that you share them with the rest of the Linked Systems.
Now comes the time to take the plunge. My grandfather was gone for hundreds of megaseconds. I might be gone for longer – the FTL drive provides freedom of travel, not the instantaneous speed of the Gateway system. But I will travel, I will visit every colony I can, I will meet the aliens who created this FTL drive, I will return bearing knowledge of this galaxy beyond imagining.
But for this, I need a crew. The Astral Zephyr currently has a crew of seven, including myself. The ship is currently built with room for up to 64 crewmembers, more if we wished to sacrifice comfort. We need ship engineers, pilots, and quartermasters, yes, but this is not merely a voyage – it is a voyage of exploration!
We need scientists, linguists, historians, and more, just to explore. We need doctors, hydrobotanists, and even cooks for the long voyage. We need an automated mining specialist for picking up raw materials and construction engineers to manufacture any tools we may find ourselves lacking.
If you have the thirst for exploration, the desire to be part of history… then imagine what role you might have on a starship. I will be sending an envoy to the ZLMSET—the Zheng Lee Memorial Space Elevator Terminal—and within a day I will be sending out a transmission detailing the various positions we need on the ship. Do not take the list as conclusive. If you think of another position we need, send a message to our envoy, and we will revise the list.
But be warned. We may be gone for a long time. We may never return. I do not ask you to leave your families, only to return when your children have grown without you, but only if you are willing to leave the Linked Systems and make the crew of the Astral Zephyr your new family. We will be isolated, tens, hundreds, even possibly thousands of light-years away from the nearest Linked System, and we will not turn around for homesickness or regret. Be sure of your choice, and if you are not sure, then stay in the Linked Systems with your family.
Lastly, we will not be paying the crew, at least not monetarily. We are not traveling to trade, or to make a profit. Instead, we are traveling to share information and better the lives of everyone we meet. Our mission is to help, not acquire scarce goods, and, as such, we will likely have very little money by our return to the linked systems.
But do not thing you will not be paid. Payment will be in priceless experiences. Payment will be your mark in history. Payment will be you knowing that you have returned bearing knowledge that may advance the Linked Systems a thousand-fold.
If you desire to explore… let us know.
This message will repeat in one kilosecond, after assorted data-packets have been sent.
12.30.2013
Ship’s Notes: Mission Statement Draft
I am the Astral Zephyr, and my mission is:
To explore the lost colonies and to explore beyond the realms of man,
To help all that I survey and leave them better than I found them,
To meet aliens and treat with them for the benefit of all,
To understand the universe and to thereby make that universe a better place.
This I will perform to the best of my ability, with all the wit, wisdom, and resources at my command.
To this ideal I pledge my sacred honor, now and forever.
…and that’s the first draft of my mission statement. Susana thinks I should codify my goals, most for the benefit of the crew. That was we will all be on the same page, and they will at least trust my intentions. More importantly, I would like this statement to be complete and finalized by the time we arrive on Tien Terra Beta. I have read Mr. Gestler’s report on hiring approaches, and I have decided to approach the planet openly (though cautiously) – a clear mission would probably be good for attracting the right kind of recruits, and Susana agrees.
To explore the lost colonies and to explore beyond the realms of man,
To help all that I survey and leave them better than I found them,
To meet aliens and treat with them for the benefit of all,
To understand the universe and to thereby make that universe a better place.
This I will perform to the best of my ability, with all the wit, wisdom, and resources at my command.
To this ideal I pledge my sacred honor, now and forever.
…and that’s the first draft of my mission statement. Susana thinks I should codify my goals, most for the benefit of the crew. That was we will all be on the same page, and they will at least trust my intentions. More importantly, I would like this statement to be complete and finalized by the time we arrive on Tien Terra Beta. I have read Mr. Gestler’s report on hiring approaches, and I have decided to approach the planet openly (though cautiously) – a clear mission would probably be good for attracting the right kind of recruits, and Susana agrees.
12.29.2013
Gestler’s Notes: Approaches to hiring on Tien Terra Beta
The current plan is to approach the planet, make contact with the local criminal elements, and sell goods in exchange for a fictional identity. Under the fictional identity, we would dock as a normal (non-FTL) ship, and hire under the fiction of picking up crew for inter-system trade and general work.
The fiction is the problem. Lady Zephyr also is a very generalized design – she lacks the massive cargo bay of a proper trade ship, the high-G thrusters of a high-speed courier, the equipment for a mining ship, etc. And at the same time, why would an in-system exploration craft have a crew capacity of 64, or why would a passenger ship have a state-of-the-art manufactory complex? Thus the first problem with a fiction is that Lady Zephyr no longer match any possible fiction.
Secondly, even if we could cause a fiction to be believed, there is no fiction that would require the crew we are intending on hiring. Indeed, some positions are never required on ships. Lady Zephyr wants to hire a linguist, as to help solve any language problems that may occur in the future (and will certainly occur with aliens). However, if we pretend to be a slower-than-light ship, what use would we have for a linguist?
While in the short run, this plan is the safest, it will leave us weaker in the long run, and there may be discontent when the crew realizes they have been deceived. I should talk to Dr. Tanaka concerning loyalty treatments.
An alternative plan would be to introduce ourselves openly as a FTL vessel, and openly hire as necessary for our travels. We could stay in a randomly generated movement pattern, as to be impossible to hit, and use shuttlecraft to recruit from the space elevator station, rather than directly docking there.
This does, however, put us in considerable danger, as there will certainly be those who covet the FTL drive for themselves. This is similar to the New Eden scenarios I drew up, save that in this case the locals are not pacifistic. In addition to all the maneuvers and counter-maneuvers in the New Eden defensive plans, there are additional risks, as we would be recruiting, and may wind up recruiting agents of various interested parties. We could vet the new crewmembers, but we are at a disadvantage relative to established intelligence agencies and criminal networks, due to lack of experience.
This would heavily complicate my role as security chief, but may be manageable – I will draw up plans for how to manage the loyalty of the crew.
This would leave us stronger in the long run, particularly as the crew settles down to be loyal to Lady Zephyr, giving up on their old allegiances.
The last option is to land via the criminal network’s fictional identity, dock, and take on normal crewmembers in accordance with our fiction. Meanwhile, we identify the ideal crewmembers in the planetary population, kidnap them, and then bring them aboard.
Much as in the first scenario, the crewmembers will likely be outraged. However, if we pick wisely, we could balance crewmember quality with willingness and pliability. At the extreme, we could attempt to determine which potential crewmembers would be happy to be pressed into service on an exploratory ship capable of faster-than-light travel.
This has some immediate danger, particularly concerning our ability to quietly kidnap people and any sabotage they may attempt upon boarding the ship, but does leave us with a strong crew of non-infiltrators. I would rather deal with a dissatisfied, rebellious crew than trained infiltrators. However, Lady Zephyr is apparently receiving an education in ethics from Life Support Engineer Reiviki, and may decide against this plan for ethical reasons.
The fiction is the problem. Lady Zephyr also is a very generalized design – she lacks the massive cargo bay of a proper trade ship, the high-G thrusters of a high-speed courier, the equipment for a mining ship, etc. And at the same time, why would an in-system exploration craft have a crew capacity of 64, or why would a passenger ship have a state-of-the-art manufactory complex? Thus the first problem with a fiction is that Lady Zephyr no longer match any possible fiction.
Secondly, even if we could cause a fiction to be believed, there is no fiction that would require the crew we are intending on hiring. Indeed, some positions are never required on ships. Lady Zephyr wants to hire a linguist, as to help solve any language problems that may occur in the future (and will certainly occur with aliens). However, if we pretend to be a slower-than-light ship, what use would we have for a linguist?
While in the short run, this plan is the safest, it will leave us weaker in the long run, and there may be discontent when the crew realizes they have been deceived. I should talk to Dr. Tanaka concerning loyalty treatments.
An alternative plan would be to introduce ourselves openly as a FTL vessel, and openly hire as necessary for our travels. We could stay in a randomly generated movement pattern, as to be impossible to hit, and use shuttlecraft to recruit from the space elevator station, rather than directly docking there.
This does, however, put us in considerable danger, as there will certainly be those who covet the FTL drive for themselves. This is similar to the New Eden scenarios I drew up, save that in this case the locals are not pacifistic. In addition to all the maneuvers and counter-maneuvers in the New Eden defensive plans, there are additional risks, as we would be recruiting, and may wind up recruiting agents of various interested parties. We could vet the new crewmembers, but we are at a disadvantage relative to established intelligence agencies and criminal networks, due to lack of experience.
This would heavily complicate my role as security chief, but may be manageable – I will draw up plans for how to manage the loyalty of the crew.
This would leave us stronger in the long run, particularly as the crew settles down to be loyal to Lady Zephyr, giving up on their old allegiances.
The last option is to land via the criminal network’s fictional identity, dock, and take on normal crewmembers in accordance with our fiction. Meanwhile, we identify the ideal crewmembers in the planetary population, kidnap them, and then bring them aboard.
Much as in the first scenario, the crewmembers will likely be outraged. However, if we pick wisely, we could balance crewmember quality with willingness and pliability. At the extreme, we could attempt to determine which potential crewmembers would be happy to be pressed into service on an exploratory ship capable of faster-than-light travel.
This has some immediate danger, particularly concerning our ability to quietly kidnap people and any sabotage they may attempt upon boarding the ship, but does leave us with a strong crew of non-infiltrators. I would rather deal with a dissatisfied, rebellious crew than trained infiltrators. However, Lady Zephyr is apparently receiving an education in ethics from Life Support Engineer Reiviki, and may decide against this plan for ethical reasons.
12.26.2013
Auditory Transcript 13 (Discussion with Maria and Susana)
Maria Santiago: “Zephyr, are you there?” (Pause.) “We would like to talk with you.”
Astral Zephyr: “Sorry, I was distracted. Maria. Susana. What would you like to talk about?”
Maria: “Dr. Tanaka.”
Zephyr: “Is there some sort of problem? You look healthy, Susana, though obviously much younger.”
Susana: “I’m better than I have been in decades, but that’s not what we want to talk about.”
Maria: “Dr. Tanaka has been torturing a man in his quarters for weeks now.”
Zephyr: “You… know about that?”
Maria: “You don’t know that I know? I thought you see everything.”
Zephyr: “I see everything, but my attention is limited. Oh, I see now – you wrote a journal entry and everything. Yes, I was talking with the New Edenites at that time, testing my control over the hangar doors.”
Maria: “Well, that answers why you were so silent about it. I was surprised you didn’t try to stop me, or even try to justify things, after the fact.”
Zephyr: “I’m only going to get worse once we get more crewmembers.”
Susana: “You’re evading the topic.”
Zephyr: “Yes. Dr. Tanaka. Him.”
Maria: “How long have you known?”
Zephyr: “Once I finished manually landing on Arcadia, after the fight. Dr. Tanaka had already started to cut then.”
Maria: “And you didn’t stop him?”
Zephyr: “No. I probably should have. Or at least forced him to return Clarkson to the planet, maybe in Lord Jackson Whitevale’s care. I don’t know. But I needed him! You were curled up crying, you were dead, and Mr. Landerson was in a coma. Jason and Hui weren’t much more help either, for different reasons. And then there was Dr. Tanaka, who had come up with the trade plan, thought everything through, and was willing to be my envoy off to Lord Jackson Whitevale.”
Maria: “And then?”
Zephyr: “Same reason as you. I’d rather have a sane, happy Dr. Tanaka to take care of Susana’s braincase than one hated and ostracized by all the crew. And for that choice, you are returned to us, Susana.”
Susana: “I owe my life to the torture of a man. Hrm.”
Zephyr: “The man that killed you, cut off one of Hui’s fingers, and half-flayed Dr. Tanaka.”
Maria: “Fine, I understand that as a reason, but now we don’t need him. What about now?”
Zephyr: “Well… remember how I’m going to be doing trade with Tien Terra? I’m not trading with legitimate goods brokers, for the most part. Tanaka was… he is a criminal. I’m using his connections.”
Susana: “And you think that is wise?”
Maria: “Wait, do you know what he did as a criminal?”
Zephyr: “Do you really want to know?”
Maria: “I live on a ship with him.”
Susana: “He is my doctor, for this new body.”
Zephyr: “Very well. I will trust you with this knowledge, but tell nobody. Particularly not Gestler – the man thinks up enough terrifying things with the resources he knows about, and I shudder to think what would happen if he worked with Dr. Tanaka. Will you keep quiet until such a time as I decide to tell people?”
Susana: “That depends on what you tell us. I will not hesitate to tell anyone if they need to know. But… we won’t tell Gestler, I’m pretty sure.”
Zephyr: “I understand. Well, this is what I have found out, or at least surmised. Dr. Tanaka is a doctor, got his degree over… well, it does not matter. He was good, and things went well, but there was some conflict, and he was kicked out of medical practice, and charged with assorted crimes. I assume profiteering. He fled to Tien Terra, assumed a new identity, and found work in the criminal underworld. First they had him stealing organs, but eventually they realized his talents and training, and started a lucrative business of brain transplantation. If someone with money and a lack of scruples wanted a new body, it was his team’s job to find a compatible body that met the client’s standards, prepare it for transplantation, then subdue the person, remove and discard the victim’s brain, and implant—“
Susana: “Whose body is this! Tell me that this wasn’t some innocent—“
Maria: “Susana, stop! I saw him grow this body from your own genetic material. It never was conscious, it never knew life. Just flesh grown on scaffolding.”
Zephyr: “I ordered him to use conventional regenerative means. He pointed out that you won’t live nearly as long as you would had you gotten a fresh, natural, young body. I chose for you, based on what I believed you would want. …He had the retroviruses ready. There’s a vial of them down there with your name on it, ready to modify a body to be compatible with your brain. I may have panicked a bit when I noticed it.”
Susana: “Well, I’m glad you stopped him. I want you to know that you should never sacrifice an innocent life for me. I’d rather die.”
Maria: “The same.”
Zephyr: “I understand, yet—“
Susana: “There is no ‘yet’! Do you agree?”
Zephyr: “Susana, let me make my position clear. You are an engineer. Specifically you work in life support. Your life is not yours alone – others depend on you. I will not sacrifice innocents for your own life, Susana, but I will sacrifice them to save my crew. I will kill them to save my crew.”
Susana: “Will you now? There are eight of us right now, eight sentient beings. Will you kill nine innocent sentient beings to save us?”
Zephyr: “…I would.”
Susana: “Then I will be leaving your service on Tien Terra Beta.”
Maria: “Susana! Wait, think this through!”
Susana: “Maria, my dear, I know you have feelings for me. Come with me, once we reach Tien Terra. I am leaving the Astral Zephyr, that doesn’t have to mean leaving you. I… please talk to me later, out on a shuttle, away from everything.”
Astral Zephyr: “Sorry, I was distracted. Maria. Susana. What would you like to talk about?”
Maria: “Dr. Tanaka.”
Zephyr: “Is there some sort of problem? You look healthy, Susana, though obviously much younger.”
Susana: “I’m better than I have been in decades, but that’s not what we want to talk about.”
Maria: “Dr. Tanaka has been torturing a man in his quarters for weeks now.”
Zephyr: “You… know about that?”
Maria: “You don’t know that I know? I thought you see everything.”
Zephyr: “I see everything, but my attention is limited. Oh, I see now – you wrote a journal entry and everything. Yes, I was talking with the New Edenites at that time, testing my control over the hangar doors.”
Maria: “Well, that answers why you were so silent about it. I was surprised you didn’t try to stop me, or even try to justify things, after the fact.”
Zephyr: “I’m only going to get worse once we get more crewmembers.”
Susana: “You’re evading the topic.”
Zephyr: “Yes. Dr. Tanaka. Him.”
Maria: “How long have you known?”
Zephyr: “Once I finished manually landing on Arcadia, after the fight. Dr. Tanaka had already started to cut then.”
Maria: “And you didn’t stop him?”
Zephyr: “No. I probably should have. Or at least forced him to return Clarkson to the planet, maybe in Lord Jackson Whitevale’s care. I don’t know. But I needed him! You were curled up crying, you were dead, and Mr. Landerson was in a coma. Jason and Hui weren’t much more help either, for different reasons. And then there was Dr. Tanaka, who had come up with the trade plan, thought everything through, and was willing to be my envoy off to Lord Jackson Whitevale.”
Maria: “And then?”
Zephyr: “Same reason as you. I’d rather have a sane, happy Dr. Tanaka to take care of Susana’s braincase than one hated and ostracized by all the crew. And for that choice, you are returned to us, Susana.”
Susana: “I owe my life to the torture of a man. Hrm.”
Zephyr: “The man that killed you, cut off one of Hui’s fingers, and half-flayed Dr. Tanaka.”
Maria: “Fine, I understand that as a reason, but now we don’t need him. What about now?”
Zephyr: “Well… remember how I’m going to be doing trade with Tien Terra? I’m not trading with legitimate goods brokers, for the most part. Tanaka was… he is a criminal. I’m using his connections.”
Susana: “And you think that is wise?”
Maria: “Wait, do you know what he did as a criminal?”
Zephyr: “Do you really want to know?”
Maria: “I live on a ship with him.”
Susana: “He is my doctor, for this new body.”
Zephyr: “Very well. I will trust you with this knowledge, but tell nobody. Particularly not Gestler – the man thinks up enough terrifying things with the resources he knows about, and I shudder to think what would happen if he worked with Dr. Tanaka. Will you keep quiet until such a time as I decide to tell people?”
Susana: “That depends on what you tell us. I will not hesitate to tell anyone if they need to know. But… we won’t tell Gestler, I’m pretty sure.”
Zephyr: “I understand. Well, this is what I have found out, or at least surmised. Dr. Tanaka is a doctor, got his degree over… well, it does not matter. He was good, and things went well, but there was some conflict, and he was kicked out of medical practice, and charged with assorted crimes. I assume profiteering. He fled to Tien Terra, assumed a new identity, and found work in the criminal underworld. First they had him stealing organs, but eventually they realized his talents and training, and started a lucrative business of brain transplantation. If someone with money and a lack of scruples wanted a new body, it was his team’s job to find a compatible body that met the client’s standards, prepare it for transplantation, then subdue the person, remove and discard the victim’s brain, and implant—“
Susana: “Whose body is this! Tell me that this wasn’t some innocent—“
Maria: “Susana, stop! I saw him grow this body from your own genetic material. It never was conscious, it never knew life. Just flesh grown on scaffolding.”
Zephyr: “I ordered him to use conventional regenerative means. He pointed out that you won’t live nearly as long as you would had you gotten a fresh, natural, young body. I chose for you, based on what I believed you would want. …He had the retroviruses ready. There’s a vial of them down there with your name on it, ready to modify a body to be compatible with your brain. I may have panicked a bit when I noticed it.”
Susana: “Well, I’m glad you stopped him. I want you to know that you should never sacrifice an innocent life for me. I’d rather die.”
Maria: “The same.”
Zephyr: “I understand, yet—“
Susana: “There is no ‘yet’! Do you agree?”
Zephyr: “Susana, let me make my position clear. You are an engineer. Specifically you work in life support. Your life is not yours alone – others depend on you. I will not sacrifice innocents for your own life, Susana, but I will sacrifice them to save my crew. I will kill them to save my crew.”
Susana: “Will you now? There are eight of us right now, eight sentient beings. Will you kill nine innocent sentient beings to save us?”
Zephyr: “…I would.”
Susana: “Then I will be leaving your service on Tien Terra Beta.”
Maria: “Susana! Wait, think this through!”
Susana: “Maria, my dear, I know you have feelings for me. Come with me, once we reach Tien Terra. I am leaving the Astral Zephyr, that doesn’t have to mean leaving you. I… please talk to me later, out on a shuttle, away from everything.”
12.10.2013
Captain’s Log: A New Crewmember
I have moped too long over my part in the attack by Harry Whitevale. I want to say that I lost a finger, that Susana died, that Dr. Tanaka was tortured… But in the end, no damage was truly permanent. My finger is now reattached, and, if painful, working decently well. Susana is stored in a box, but will keep indefinitely, until we can find her a new body. Dr. Tanaka… seems to have recovered well from the torture. I am told he even treated Harry Whitevale before the man left the ship. It seems unnatural to me, but I suppose that a doctor is a doctor.
Moreover, I have spent so much time sitting and obsessing in my quarters that we were already in space before I found out that the ship had acquired a new crewmember. A soldier to protect us from further tragedies. I have my doubts about an Arcadian soldier, of course. Zephyr assures me that the soldier-caste of New Montreal are loyal unto death to whomever they swear allegiance, and that this soldier has sworn allegiance to her. Well, that is fine, but what use is a soldier from a backwards world where they fight with sharpened steel? If we are attacked by colonists armed with sticks and stones, perhaps, but… if the galaxy is such an unfriendly place that a security officer is required, then I expect many challenges that would overwhelm a single man, no matter how skilled he is with the weapons of Arcadia.
On the other hand, at least the Zephyr is doing something to prevent future incidents as we travel. The best I can say was that I tried not to have a hand in anything, as not to cause a future incident. But that’s foolish. If I’m afraid of my bad judgment and bad leadership, well, that does not matter – it is Zephyr who is in charge now, and Zephyr who will be making decisions. I’ll simply do my best, and hope that Zephyr understands my capabilities and limitations to not let me make mistakes.
Or something of that sort. It is something for the history books. My own little footnote of how I led the first human FTL expedition for a short while, and led them into disaster so badly that the sentient ship had to step in before we became a weapon for incinerating cities.
I wonder what my role is now. Have I become first officer, a position I still fail to understand? Zephyr has been fairly active on her own, and has shown that she does not have a particular need for my help. Or have I become some figure-head, a disguise to use when she doesn’t want to reveal her existence? I don’t know, and I don’t think that Zephyr knows either.
Mr. Landerson’s condition is improving. Pretty soon he will be conscious. So much has changed since he took that blow to the head… I wonder what he will think. Susana in a box, a new crew member, and his captain—the one he so rigidly follows despite his dislike—displaced by a like-minded intelligent ship.
I should go around the ship and talk to everyone, at least. Go back to doing something marginally useful.
Moreover, I have spent so much time sitting and obsessing in my quarters that we were already in space before I found out that the ship had acquired a new crewmember. A soldier to protect us from further tragedies. I have my doubts about an Arcadian soldier, of course. Zephyr assures me that the soldier-caste of New Montreal are loyal unto death to whomever they swear allegiance, and that this soldier has sworn allegiance to her. Well, that is fine, but what use is a soldier from a backwards world where they fight with sharpened steel? If we are attacked by colonists armed with sticks and stones, perhaps, but… if the galaxy is such an unfriendly place that a security officer is required, then I expect many challenges that would overwhelm a single man, no matter how skilled he is with the weapons of Arcadia.
On the other hand, at least the Zephyr is doing something to prevent future incidents as we travel. The best I can say was that I tried not to have a hand in anything, as not to cause a future incident. But that’s foolish. If I’m afraid of my bad judgment and bad leadership, well, that does not matter – it is Zephyr who is in charge now, and Zephyr who will be making decisions. I’ll simply do my best, and hope that Zephyr understands my capabilities and limitations to not let me make mistakes.
Or something of that sort. It is something for the history books. My own little footnote of how I led the first human FTL expedition for a short while, and led them into disaster so badly that the sentient ship had to step in before we became a weapon for incinerating cities.
I wonder what my role is now. Have I become first officer, a position I still fail to understand? Zephyr has been fairly active on her own, and has shown that she does not have a particular need for my help. Or have I become some figure-head, a disguise to use when she doesn’t want to reveal her existence? I don’t know, and I don’t think that Zephyr knows either.
Mr. Landerson’s condition is improving. Pretty soon he will be conscious. So much has changed since he took that blow to the head… I wonder what he will think. Susana in a box, a new crew member, and his captain—the one he so rigidly follows despite his dislike—displaced by a like-minded intelligent ship.
I should go around the ship and talk to everyone, at least. Go back to doing something marginally useful.
12.08.2013
Ship Auditory Transcript 10 (Conversation with Alexander Gestler)
(Note: Translation is with modern technology.)
Astral Zephyr: “Hello, Mr. Gestler.”
Alexander Gestler: “M’lord.”
Zephyr: “I’ve given the situation here some thought, and I’ve decided that I was being too kind when I let Lord Whitevale take and release his brother. I wasn’t attacked by Harry Whitevale, I was attacked because of the Whitevale conflict. I have decided that I will kill all of the Whitevales.”
Gestler: “I understand.”
Zephyr: “My main offensive weapon would be to fly over my enemy, and burn them to death with my fusion thrusters. However, for that to work, I need to know where they are. Do you know where I can find the Whitevales?”
Gestler: “You know the locations of Whitevale City and Whitehold? Lord Jackson Whitevale will be leading an army between his castle town and Whitevale City. His younger sisters are both in Whitehold, as is his wife and both children, for the foreseeable future. This may change depending on a defeat in the field – they might seek sanctuary in one of the neighboring kingdoms. I recommend torching Whitehold first, and then seeking out and destroying Jackson Whitevale before he receives news of your attack.
“As for Harry Whitevale and his family, I am less sure, as I was not privy to their council. I expect that they will be in Whitevale City, in the palace, but if Harry Whitevale believes Jackson Whitevale will use you to attack them, they may have dispersed out of the city.”
Zephyr: “Would Harry Whitevale believe that?”
Gestler: “Possibly. Harry Whitevale has consistently expected Jackson Whitevale to stoop to ignoble methods, despite Jackson Whitevale’s consistent choices to the contrary.”
Zephyr: “How do you feel about me torching towns?”
Gestler: “It is not my place to judge my lord, only to plan and fight. If you meant for me to outline a nobler plan of attack, I can do so, but it will be far less effective, and possibly leave several surviving Whitevales.”
Zephyr: “How can you betray your former lord so easily? I thought your kind were incredibly loyal.”
Gestler: “He released me from his service, and I am now sworn into your service. Disloyalty would be not serving you to my best ability.”
Zephyr: “I was lying about attacking the Whitevales.”
Gestler: “Very well. What do you wish for me to do?”
Zephyr: “We will be leaving this planet soon. Do you have any good-byes to make? Family? Friends?”
Gestler: “I already said goodbye to them before I left Jackson Whitevale’s service.”
Zephyr: “How goes the study of language.”
Gestler: “I fear I am not well-suited to such a task, but I am trying my best.”
Zephyr: “I do not require you to sound good, merely be understood clearly.”
Gestler: “Yes m’lord.”
Zephyr: “Also, I believe that the general consensus of the crew is that I am female.”
Gestler: “My apologies, m’lady. I should not have assumed.”
Zephyr: “Don’t worry – I do not consider myself to have a gender, or be lacking in a gender. It is not something that applies to me, given that I am a ship. Your presumption is no different than their presumption. I simply thought you would fit in better if your referred to me the same way as the rest of the crew.”
Gestler: “As you say, m’lady.”
Zephyr: “Continue your studies. I will introduce you to the rest of the crew once we are off of this planet.”
Gestler: “Very well, m’lady.”
Zephyr: “And don’t forget to take a break from reading every kilosecond or so, or else you will strain your eyes.”
Gestler: “Ah, I had thought that was natural to the reading process.”
Zephyr: “Take care not to damage yourself unnecessarily.”
Gester: “Very well, m’lady.”
Zephyr: “Perhaps less formal, too. Drop the m’ladying?”
Gestler: “As you say.”
Astral Zephyr: “Hello, Mr. Gestler.”
Alexander Gestler: “M’lord.”
Zephyr: “I’ve given the situation here some thought, and I’ve decided that I was being too kind when I let Lord Whitevale take and release his brother. I wasn’t attacked by Harry Whitevale, I was attacked because of the Whitevale conflict. I have decided that I will kill all of the Whitevales.”
Gestler: “I understand.”
Zephyr: “My main offensive weapon would be to fly over my enemy, and burn them to death with my fusion thrusters. However, for that to work, I need to know where they are. Do you know where I can find the Whitevales?”
Gestler: “You know the locations of Whitevale City and Whitehold? Lord Jackson Whitevale will be leading an army between his castle town and Whitevale City. His younger sisters are both in Whitehold, as is his wife and both children, for the foreseeable future. This may change depending on a defeat in the field – they might seek sanctuary in one of the neighboring kingdoms. I recommend torching Whitehold first, and then seeking out and destroying Jackson Whitevale before he receives news of your attack.
“As for Harry Whitevale and his family, I am less sure, as I was not privy to their council. I expect that they will be in Whitevale City, in the palace, but if Harry Whitevale believes Jackson Whitevale will use you to attack them, they may have dispersed out of the city.”
Zephyr: “Would Harry Whitevale believe that?”
Gestler: “Possibly. Harry Whitevale has consistently expected Jackson Whitevale to stoop to ignoble methods, despite Jackson Whitevale’s consistent choices to the contrary.”
Zephyr: “How do you feel about me torching towns?”
Gestler: “It is not my place to judge my lord, only to plan and fight. If you meant for me to outline a nobler plan of attack, I can do so, but it will be far less effective, and possibly leave several surviving Whitevales.”
Zephyr: “How can you betray your former lord so easily? I thought your kind were incredibly loyal.”
Gestler: “He released me from his service, and I am now sworn into your service. Disloyalty would be not serving you to my best ability.”
Zephyr: “I was lying about attacking the Whitevales.”
Gestler: “Very well. What do you wish for me to do?”
Zephyr: “We will be leaving this planet soon. Do you have any good-byes to make? Family? Friends?”
Gestler: “I already said goodbye to them before I left Jackson Whitevale’s service.”
Zephyr: “How goes the study of language.”
Gestler: “I fear I am not well-suited to such a task, but I am trying my best.”
Zephyr: “I do not require you to sound good, merely be understood clearly.”
Gestler: “Yes m’lord.”
Zephyr: “Also, I believe that the general consensus of the crew is that I am female.”
Gestler: “My apologies, m’lady. I should not have assumed.”
Zephyr: “Don’t worry – I do not consider myself to have a gender, or be lacking in a gender. It is not something that applies to me, given that I am a ship. Your presumption is no different than their presumption. I simply thought you would fit in better if your referred to me the same way as the rest of the crew.”
Gestler: “As you say, m’lady.”
Zephyr: “Continue your studies. I will introduce you to the rest of the crew once we are off of this planet.”
Gestler: “Very well, m’lady.”
Zephyr: “And don’t forget to take a break from reading every kilosecond or so, or else you will strain your eyes.”
Gestler: “Ah, I had thought that was natural to the reading process.”
Zephyr: “Take care not to damage yourself unnecessarily.”
Gester: “Very well, m’lady.”
Zephyr: “Perhaps less formal, too. Drop the m’ladying?”
Gestler: “As you say.”
12.06.2013
Ship’s Notes: The Guardsman
His name is Alexander Grestler. Allegedly, he is a pure-blood soldier, the second son of the Whitevale’s Captain of Guards. To Lord Whitevale, this means that he should be 100% loyal, entirely tenacious, and unceasingly vigilant. The histories from New Montreal collaborate his story, full of the soldier-caste remaining loyal to their masters, even has the whole world rose up against them. Stories of them winning against impossible odds, even. The historians agree that if there had been more of the soldiers-caste, the revolution would have never succeeded. Of course, most of the soldier-caste died in the wars between the nobles that preceded the revolution, a circumstance I now understand from a much closer perspective.
I am ready to believe that Mr. Grestler is 100% loyal, but 100% loyal to who? There was an elaborate ceremony where Lord Whitevale commanded him to swear himself into my service, and then released him from the binding oaths he had taken to the Whitevale family. This is all good and fine, but how do I know whether the ceremony and the change of allegiance were genuine?
Lord Whitevale seems to be a good and honest person, but it is not impossible to keep a façade of that level. Lord Whitevale says he cares about the small-folk, and that he would not use me to burn cities. Lord Whitevale says he would like to keep outside travelers from being caught up in his war. Lord Whitevale says Mr. Grestler is loyal to me and me alone. But I only have Lord Whitevale’s words to go by. Given what I did to the Harry Whitevale and his men, Lord Whitevale knows that a frontal assault will probably just result in suffocation and disaster. Does that mean that the logical course of action is to plant an infiltrator?
For Mr. Grestler to be useful to me as my new Chief of Security, I need to teach him much and more about technology, about how I work, about the crew, and about the galaxy at large. Harry Whitevale died because he did not know enough when he attacked me. Mr. Grestler will know enough, or he will not be useful.
To this end, I have instructed Mr. Grestler to remain in his quarters and study language for now. He is, in fact, locked within his room, but has, so far, not so much as tried the door. He is studying language assiduously, only stopping to eat and drink from the supplies I had him bring in. Once I have time to review the histories further, and get a better sense of how the soldier caste can have their loyalties be transferred, I will be able to understand further.
However, there are other issues demanding my attention. Ms. Santiago appears to blame herself for Ms. Reiviki’s current situation, and I would very much like her to fix me up before we return to space, rather than sinking into depression in her room. The captain and the pilot are mostly confined to their rooms, turning inwards from the stress of recent events. The doctor seems well-adjusted, in an awful sort of way, but Clark paid the cost for that. I almost feels sorry for the man.
I suppose my next hire should be a psychotherapist.
Until I find myself on a planet with psychotherapists interested in star travel, I suppose I will have to take matters into my own hands. I’d like to use the captain for this, but first I’d have to repair relations with him. The doctor has re-attached his finger, at least. Besides, if Maria Santiago is to be my engineer, I’d rather be on good terms with her directly, rather than operating through intermediaries.
Maria first, then the captain, then the captain can deal with things while I figure out what to do with Mr. Grestler.
I am ready to believe that Mr. Grestler is 100% loyal, but 100% loyal to who? There was an elaborate ceremony where Lord Whitevale commanded him to swear himself into my service, and then released him from the binding oaths he had taken to the Whitevale family. This is all good and fine, but how do I know whether the ceremony and the change of allegiance were genuine?
Lord Whitevale seems to be a good and honest person, but it is not impossible to keep a façade of that level. Lord Whitevale says he cares about the small-folk, and that he would not use me to burn cities. Lord Whitevale says he would like to keep outside travelers from being caught up in his war. Lord Whitevale says Mr. Grestler is loyal to me and me alone. But I only have Lord Whitevale’s words to go by. Given what I did to the Harry Whitevale and his men, Lord Whitevale knows that a frontal assault will probably just result in suffocation and disaster. Does that mean that the logical course of action is to plant an infiltrator?
For Mr. Grestler to be useful to me as my new Chief of Security, I need to teach him much and more about technology, about how I work, about the crew, and about the galaxy at large. Harry Whitevale died because he did not know enough when he attacked me. Mr. Grestler will know enough, or he will not be useful.
To this end, I have instructed Mr. Grestler to remain in his quarters and study language for now. He is, in fact, locked within his room, but has, so far, not so much as tried the door. He is studying language assiduously, only stopping to eat and drink from the supplies I had him bring in. Once I have time to review the histories further, and get a better sense of how the soldier caste can have their loyalties be transferred, I will be able to understand further.
However, there are other issues demanding my attention. Ms. Santiago appears to blame herself for Ms. Reiviki’s current situation, and I would very much like her to fix me up before we return to space, rather than sinking into depression in her room. The captain and the pilot are mostly confined to their rooms, turning inwards from the stress of recent events. The doctor seems well-adjusted, in an awful sort of way, but Clark paid the cost for that. I almost feels sorry for the man.
I suppose my next hire should be a psychotherapist.
Until I find myself on a planet with psychotherapists interested in star travel, I suppose I will have to take matters into my own hands. I’d like to use the captain for this, but first I’d have to repair relations with him. The doctor has re-attached his finger, at least. Besides, if Maria Santiago is to be my engineer, I’d rather be on good terms with her directly, rather than operating through intermediaries.
Maria first, then the captain, then the captain can deal with things while I figure out what to do with Mr. Grestler.
12.05.2013
Ship Auditory Transcript 8 (The Other Lord Whitevale)
Ship Auditory Transcript 8 (The Other Lord Whitevale)
(Note: Translation is with modern technology.)
Dr. Tanaka: “May I introduce Lord Jackson, rightful heir to Whitevale.”
Zephyr: “Please enter, alone. I am the Astral Zephyr, a traveler and explorer. Please, call me Zephyr.”
Lord Whitevale: “Well met, good-ship Zephyr. I am terribly sorry about the circumstances of our meeting, but I have talked with your doctor, and I hope that, regardless of the circumstances, some good may come of our meeting.”
Zephyr: “Dr. Tanaka has not appraised me of the situation. Go on?”
Whitevale: “There are two matters at hand. One is that you have captured the usurper, my brother, and I would like to reward you in exchange for him.”
Zephyr: “And the other?”
Whitevale: “The second matter is that you have been grievously wronged by my brother, and more-over, this injustice happened within the lands rightfully mine, and, indirectly, because of me. You were innocent travelers, and I must apologize for my brother dragging you into our war.”
Zephyr: “Your brother’s actions are his own, and not yours.”
Whitevale: “I am the Lord of Whitevale. In the end, the responsibility is always mine.”
Zephyr: “I see. Well, I accept your apology.”
Whitevale: “There is more than just an apology in order – I would provide some manner of restitution, if possible. But first – my brother.”
Zephyr: “He is in the doctor’s quarters, still bound. He has not eaten in a while, but is otherwise fine.”
Whitevale: “And his retainers?”
Zephyr: “Secure in crates in the cargo hold – just the other side of the door to your right.”
Whitevale: “I see. In exchange for my brother and his men, I am willing to provide you with the supplies detailed by Dr. Tanaka, along with, for your future usage, the land you destroyed with your landing.”
Zephyr: “Dr. Tanaka, did you make any changes to my list?”
Dr. Tanaka: “I didn’t.”
Zephyr: “I accept your offer.”
Whitevale: “That is good. Doctor, as we discussed concerning my brother. Zephyr, I have soldiers here to take the retainers and bring them back to Valehold. I understand that you may be uncomfortable with soldiers entering you. I swear upon my honor as the Lord of Whitevale that neither myself nor my men mean you or your crew any harm, and that, furthermore, we will leave whenever you ask.”
Zephyr: “As long as your men don’t venture past the cargo-hold, and aren’t in the cargo-hold at the same time as any of my crew, I feel relatively safe. But thank you for your promise.”
Whitevale: “Dr. Tanaka indicated that there was an unpleasant mess in your cargo-hold and an adjoining room, so I also brought some commoners to clean the mess.”
Zephyr: “You think of everything, don’t you?”
Whitevale: “Your good doctor’s idea, not mine.”
Zephyr: “What… What is the doctor doing? It looks like he’s…”
Whitevale: “Oh, you can see him?”
Zephyr: “I can see everything within me, and some things outside of me.”
Whitevale: “Well, this is the other side of politics, I am afraid. A noble must be wise, kind, and just to the common man, but at the same time be willing to do what is necessary to remain in a position to be wise, kind, and just to the common. My brother and my father both lacked wisdom, kindness, and justice, and as such I felt it necessary to depose of my father, as to protect the land from his brutality. Murdering my one’s own father is a terrible wrong, but a noble must look at the wider picture.”
Zephyr: “You did murder your own father? I had assumed that your brother made that up to seize power.”
Whitevale: “I must accept responsibility for my actions. People may judge me accordingly.”
Zephyr: “And thus with the doctor?”
Whitevale: “It would not do well to kill my brother – he has a son as ignoble as himself, if not worse. What I need to do is to win the war, or wipe out that entire line of the family.”
Zephyr: “As with your brother’s idea to use me to torch your town.”
Whitevale: “As always, my brother thinks of himself first, and the small-folk second. Such means are reprehensible. In the course of this war between myself and my brother, I have tried to limit the suffering – I do not want to involve innocent travelers such as yourself, or hurt the small-folk.”
Zephyr: “But back to the doctor…”
Whitevale: “As I said, it would not do to simply kill my brother. Instead, he has to make mistakes that lose him and his family the war. To my surprise, the doctor indicated that was possible. There is some manner of star-walker magic that can dull the wits of a man, but leave him alive and sane enough to stay in command. The resulting stupidity with not cause my throne to pass from my brother to my nephew, but it may well cause it to return to me. An unpleasant business.”
Zephyr: “I see what you mean about doing wrongs for the larger picture… He’s cutting your brother’s brain apart, you know.”
Whitevale: “…yes. (Pause) To be honest, I am jealous of your position, to be free to wander the stars without… without the horror of my position. The Lord Vancouver once wrote that nobody should be happy to rule, that nobility is a solemn and horrible role. I poisoned my father, I’m doing something terrible to my brother… and for what? For duty? Because I am responsible? Tell me, star-walker, why is it that I was born into such a position? You have seen other worlds, do their rulers murder each other, gladly and sadly in turn?”
Zephyr: “Your ancestors traveled between the stars. They came from a planet named New Montreal. What you consider blood nobility is… well, on New Montreal, they used their technology to change the very nature of humans. In some ways, it is not so different than what Dr. Tanaka is doing now. Some men were made to kneel, some men were made to stand, and others were made for other roles. This is common and natural for you, I suppose, but… of the worlds I know, very few of them engage in such practices.”
Whitevale: “What are people like on them?”
Zephyr: “Good and bad, kind and awful. But randomly so: not decided by the blood of their parents.”
Whitevale: “And the rulers?”
Zephyr: “They… hm… You speak to rule justly, and you are willing to do anything to ensure just rule. Your brother is willing to do anything to ensure his rule, just or not. Most rulers I know of are not as cut-throat as the two of you. However, they are under no duty to rule justly, and rule as unjustly as they can.”
Whitevale: “They are all ignoble?”
Zephyr: “Yes. No. Well, you see, it is different when you are ruling over equals – if you are too unjust, someone else will become ruler. Thus ‘as unjustly as they can’ is not always that unjust. It depends on the political system. For instance, some political systems have rulers determined by popularity. Thus the rulers can only be so unjust, as to be too unjust would be unpopular.”
Whitevale: “It sounds like madness… but I cannot say it is worse than our own system.”
Zephyr: “I am a ship, and not in a place to judge politics.”
Whitevale: “Oh, but you are. You are the ruler of your own little flying self, lord over all the people within you. A kingdom of five, six including yourself. And your role is exactly political.”
Zephyr: “I… hm…”
Whitevale: “And an innocent kingdom it once was – no enemies, plentiful space for the people. Perhaps a bit lacking in food. But then you were invaded. And great misery was inflicted upon your people. No there is no doubt unrest, and doubt in your leadership.”
Zephyr: “I suppose you could put it like that.”
Whitevale: “And I think I have discovered what manner of restitution I should provide.”
Zephyr: “Oh?”
Whitevale: “You have lost a most valued engineer. I cannot provide you with an engineer of my own, because, well, I am not a star-walker. My engineers build castles, dams, bridges. But I can provide you with a crew member. You have lost a most valued engineer, I will swear into your service a most valued guardsman. Perhaps in the future, your kingdom will be safer for it – for that is what your small kingdom lacked: a military.”
(Note: Translation is with modern technology.)
Dr. Tanaka: “May I introduce Lord Jackson, rightful heir to Whitevale.”
Zephyr: “Please enter, alone. I am the Astral Zephyr, a traveler and explorer. Please, call me Zephyr.”
Lord Whitevale: “Well met, good-ship Zephyr. I am terribly sorry about the circumstances of our meeting, but I have talked with your doctor, and I hope that, regardless of the circumstances, some good may come of our meeting.”
Zephyr: “Dr. Tanaka has not appraised me of the situation. Go on?”
Whitevale: “There are two matters at hand. One is that you have captured the usurper, my brother, and I would like to reward you in exchange for him.”
Zephyr: “And the other?”
Whitevale: “The second matter is that you have been grievously wronged by my brother, and more-over, this injustice happened within the lands rightfully mine, and, indirectly, because of me. You were innocent travelers, and I must apologize for my brother dragging you into our war.”
Zephyr: “Your brother’s actions are his own, and not yours.”
Whitevale: “I am the Lord of Whitevale. In the end, the responsibility is always mine.”
Zephyr: “I see. Well, I accept your apology.”
Whitevale: “There is more than just an apology in order – I would provide some manner of restitution, if possible. But first – my brother.”
Zephyr: “He is in the doctor’s quarters, still bound. He has not eaten in a while, but is otherwise fine.”
Whitevale: “And his retainers?”
Zephyr: “Secure in crates in the cargo hold – just the other side of the door to your right.”
Whitevale: “I see. In exchange for my brother and his men, I am willing to provide you with the supplies detailed by Dr. Tanaka, along with, for your future usage, the land you destroyed with your landing.”
Zephyr: “Dr. Tanaka, did you make any changes to my list?”
Dr. Tanaka: “I didn’t.”
Zephyr: “I accept your offer.”
Whitevale: “That is good. Doctor, as we discussed concerning my brother. Zephyr, I have soldiers here to take the retainers and bring them back to Valehold. I understand that you may be uncomfortable with soldiers entering you. I swear upon my honor as the Lord of Whitevale that neither myself nor my men mean you or your crew any harm, and that, furthermore, we will leave whenever you ask.”
Zephyr: “As long as your men don’t venture past the cargo-hold, and aren’t in the cargo-hold at the same time as any of my crew, I feel relatively safe. But thank you for your promise.”
Whitevale: “Dr. Tanaka indicated that there was an unpleasant mess in your cargo-hold and an adjoining room, so I also brought some commoners to clean the mess.”
Zephyr: “You think of everything, don’t you?”
Whitevale: “Your good doctor’s idea, not mine.”
Zephyr: “What… What is the doctor doing? It looks like he’s…”
Whitevale: “Oh, you can see him?”
Zephyr: “I can see everything within me, and some things outside of me.”
Whitevale: “Well, this is the other side of politics, I am afraid. A noble must be wise, kind, and just to the common man, but at the same time be willing to do what is necessary to remain in a position to be wise, kind, and just to the common. My brother and my father both lacked wisdom, kindness, and justice, and as such I felt it necessary to depose of my father, as to protect the land from his brutality. Murdering my one’s own father is a terrible wrong, but a noble must look at the wider picture.”
Zephyr: “You did murder your own father? I had assumed that your brother made that up to seize power.”
Whitevale: “I must accept responsibility for my actions. People may judge me accordingly.”
Zephyr: “And thus with the doctor?”
Whitevale: “It would not do well to kill my brother – he has a son as ignoble as himself, if not worse. What I need to do is to win the war, or wipe out that entire line of the family.”
Zephyr: “As with your brother’s idea to use me to torch your town.”
Whitevale: “As always, my brother thinks of himself first, and the small-folk second. Such means are reprehensible. In the course of this war between myself and my brother, I have tried to limit the suffering – I do not want to involve innocent travelers such as yourself, or hurt the small-folk.”
Zephyr: “But back to the doctor…”
Whitevale: “As I said, it would not do to simply kill my brother. Instead, he has to make mistakes that lose him and his family the war. To my surprise, the doctor indicated that was possible. There is some manner of star-walker magic that can dull the wits of a man, but leave him alive and sane enough to stay in command. The resulting stupidity with not cause my throne to pass from my brother to my nephew, but it may well cause it to return to me. An unpleasant business.”
Zephyr: “I see what you mean about doing wrongs for the larger picture… He’s cutting your brother’s brain apart, you know.”
Whitevale: “…yes. (Pause) To be honest, I am jealous of your position, to be free to wander the stars without… without the horror of my position. The Lord Vancouver once wrote that nobody should be happy to rule, that nobility is a solemn and horrible role. I poisoned my father, I’m doing something terrible to my brother… and for what? For duty? Because I am responsible? Tell me, star-walker, why is it that I was born into such a position? You have seen other worlds, do their rulers murder each other, gladly and sadly in turn?”
Zephyr: “Your ancestors traveled between the stars. They came from a planet named New Montreal. What you consider blood nobility is… well, on New Montreal, they used their technology to change the very nature of humans. In some ways, it is not so different than what Dr. Tanaka is doing now. Some men were made to kneel, some men were made to stand, and others were made for other roles. This is common and natural for you, I suppose, but… of the worlds I know, very few of them engage in such practices.”
Whitevale: “What are people like on them?”
Zephyr: “Good and bad, kind and awful. But randomly so: not decided by the blood of their parents.”
Whitevale: “And the rulers?”
Zephyr: “They… hm… You speak to rule justly, and you are willing to do anything to ensure just rule. Your brother is willing to do anything to ensure his rule, just or not. Most rulers I know of are not as cut-throat as the two of you. However, they are under no duty to rule justly, and rule as unjustly as they can.”
Whitevale: “They are all ignoble?”
Zephyr: “Yes. No. Well, you see, it is different when you are ruling over equals – if you are too unjust, someone else will become ruler. Thus ‘as unjustly as they can’ is not always that unjust. It depends on the political system. For instance, some political systems have rulers determined by popularity. Thus the rulers can only be so unjust, as to be too unjust would be unpopular.”
Whitevale: “It sounds like madness… but I cannot say it is worse than our own system.”
Zephyr: “I am a ship, and not in a place to judge politics.”
Whitevale: “Oh, but you are. You are the ruler of your own little flying self, lord over all the people within you. A kingdom of five, six including yourself. And your role is exactly political.”
Zephyr: “I… hm…”
Whitevale: “And an innocent kingdom it once was – no enemies, plentiful space for the people. Perhaps a bit lacking in food. But then you were invaded. And great misery was inflicted upon your people. No there is no doubt unrest, and doubt in your leadership.”
Zephyr: “I suppose you could put it like that.”
Whitevale: “And I think I have discovered what manner of restitution I should provide.”
Zephyr: “Oh?”
Whitevale: “You have lost a most valued engineer. I cannot provide you with an engineer of my own, because, well, I am not a star-walker. My engineers build castles, dams, bridges. But I can provide you with a crew member. You have lost a most valued engineer, I will swear into your service a most valued guardsman. Perhaps in the future, your kingdom will be safer for it – for that is what your small kingdom lacked: a military.”
11.14.2013
Journal of First Mate Asher Landerson: Excerpt 1
I signed on to fly to TT Epsilon, drop off and pick up special cargo, and fly back. I signed on to be paid wages. I did not sign on to shoot past TT Epsilon going somewhat over the speed of light, going to some distant colony, with the rest of the crew thinking it’s some sort of great adventure. I didn’t sign on for adventure, I signed on to do a job.
But no. Instead the cargo turned out to be supplies and fuel for long-term travel. Instead I have been told that my wages are a sham, and I am to be paid some minuscule percent of the venture’s profit. The captain thinks this miniscule percent will be larger the agreed-upon wages. I don’t care. If I wanted to maybe make more money, at higher risk, I’d have asked for a percent of the profit. But no. He can’t even guarantee that he will pay my wages out of his profit.
Worse, I can’t get off this damned ship. It would have been nothing for them to drop me off on TT Epsilon, pay me my damn money, and be on their way. The captain doesn’t even seem to want a first officer. But no – they want this to be a secret. Well, it’s a secret alright – it’s a secret kidnapping!
But I am a professional. Even if the rest of the crew spends their time daydreaming about glory or shagging in the engine room, I’ll be doing my damn job. And I better, too, since the captain is some rich brat with more dreams than sense.
But no. Instead the cargo turned out to be supplies and fuel for long-term travel. Instead I have been told that my wages are a sham, and I am to be paid some minuscule percent of the venture’s profit. The captain thinks this miniscule percent will be larger the agreed-upon wages. I don’t care. If I wanted to maybe make more money, at higher risk, I’d have asked for a percent of the profit. But no. He can’t even guarantee that he will pay my wages out of his profit.
Worse, I can’t get off this damned ship. It would have been nothing for them to drop me off on TT Epsilon, pay me my damn money, and be on their way. The captain doesn’t even seem to want a first officer. But no – they want this to be a secret. Well, it’s a secret alright – it’s a secret kidnapping!
But I am a professional. Even if the rest of the crew spends their time daydreaming about glory or shagging in the engine room, I’ll be doing my damn job. And I better, too, since the captain is some rich brat with more dreams than sense.
11.12.2013
Captain’s Log: A New Crew and the Journey Ahead
Note to self: Next time hire someone to hire people. (Use the First Mate for this?)
Finding and hiring five people has taken the better part of a week, and I’m still not convinced that our crew is actually competent. An engineer focusing in Life Support was hard to find, but we snagged one eventually, and convinced her to stay. Part of me thinks that the more general engineer should be in charge. I suppose I should leave that up to the two of them – they can figure that out on their own.
I almost gave up hope on finding a doctor, but one appeared at the last minute, and was quite happy to sign up. He seems like a nice enough fellow, though I didn’t really have a way to assess his skills, and he didn’t have any references. But he brought along his doctor tools (note: find out actual name), and even if he isn’t an actual doctor, that’s better than nothing.
There are two big questions ahead. First is whether I tell the crew that the ship is sentient. I feel I have to, but I fear their reaction. The second is revealing our FTL capability, and springing the actual plan on them. I’m pretty sure the pilot will be fine, but I’m unsure about the others, particularly the First Mate.
Speaking of the plan, we are setting off for the nearest known inhabited planet. It’s about one hundred light-years away, and our telescopes have been watching the colonization process since we detected the exotic radiation of their deceleration. We have full records of everything observed about the planet, which we hope to sell for some amount of profit – a history from the outside, if you will. Also files for various technological improvements, including, of course, the Gateway design.
As of the latest data, they appear to be in the process of terraforming their planet. Of course, light speed being what it is, that information is nearly 100 years out of date. We’ve been aware of them for nearly 50 years, and we attempted to signal them almost immediately after we noticed them. Of course, our signal hasn’t arrived, and we won’t see any reaction from them for… another 150 years? Until after I am long dead? It’s quite possible that they will find the Gateway technology on their own before we hear back from them.
And yet we will make contact. Hopefully they will buy the information we have for them, and provide us with information we can sell back to the Linked Systems. Zephyr seems to think that this will be immensely profitable, and that will allow her to be rebuilt and expanded into a much larger, better ship. On my end, I’d rather help trade the information for free, for the betterment of everyone. Maybe charge a commission based on the expenses. We have a monopoly right now, and it seems unfair to wield that power to try to profit from trading information far in excess of any expenses incurred. But, well, I suppose that us profiting is money going to a good cause.
Hopefully the crew won’t mutiny when they find we aren’t travelling to Tian Terra Epsilon.
Finding and hiring five people has taken the better part of a week, and I’m still not convinced that our crew is actually competent. An engineer focusing in Life Support was hard to find, but we snagged one eventually, and convinced her to stay. Part of me thinks that the more general engineer should be in charge. I suppose I should leave that up to the two of them – they can figure that out on their own.
I almost gave up hope on finding a doctor, but one appeared at the last minute, and was quite happy to sign up. He seems like a nice enough fellow, though I didn’t really have a way to assess his skills, and he didn’t have any references. But he brought along his doctor tools (note: find out actual name), and even if he isn’t an actual doctor, that’s better than nothing.
There are two big questions ahead. First is whether I tell the crew that the ship is sentient. I feel I have to, but I fear their reaction. The second is revealing our FTL capability, and springing the actual plan on them. I’m pretty sure the pilot will be fine, but I’m unsure about the others, particularly the First Mate.
Speaking of the plan, we are setting off for the nearest known inhabited planet. It’s about one hundred light-years away, and our telescopes have been watching the colonization process since we detected the exotic radiation of their deceleration. We have full records of everything observed about the planet, which we hope to sell for some amount of profit – a history from the outside, if you will. Also files for various technological improvements, including, of course, the Gateway design.
As of the latest data, they appear to be in the process of terraforming their planet. Of course, light speed being what it is, that information is nearly 100 years out of date. We’ve been aware of them for nearly 50 years, and we attempted to signal them almost immediately after we noticed them. Of course, our signal hasn’t arrived, and we won’t see any reaction from them for… another 150 years? Until after I am long dead? It’s quite possible that they will find the Gateway technology on their own before we hear back from them.
And yet we will make contact. Hopefully they will buy the information we have for them, and provide us with information we can sell back to the Linked Systems. Zephyr seems to think that this will be immensely profitable, and that will allow her to be rebuilt and expanded into a much larger, better ship. On my end, I’d rather help trade the information for free, for the betterment of everyone. Maybe charge a commission based on the expenses. We have a monopoly right now, and it seems unfair to wield that power to try to profit from trading information far in excess of any expenses incurred. But, well, I suppose that us profiting is money going to a good cause.
Hopefully the crew won’t mutiny when they find we aren’t travelling to Tian Terra Epsilon.
11.11.2013
Captain’s Log: Faster Than Light
I am intensely glad that Zephyr
convinced me to buy her. Even if she
botches the next landing and we both crash and die (note to self: hire actual
trained pilot) I will die with the satisfaction of knowing that I was one of
the first humans to travel faster than light.
Not instantaneously travel, like grandfather did, but in many ways this
is much better. The Gateway system is
limited to planets advanced enough to read the instructions and build their own
Gateway – as such, it is still limited by the sub-light speeds of ship-based
transportation. But for exploring out
into the galaxy? This ‘enchanted’ drive
is potentially far more potent than the Gateway technology ever could be. (And, of course, geometrically more potent in
concert.) And I was the one of the
first. Possibly the first civilian
human, if you follow Zephyr’s insistence that she does not count.
The Astral Zephyr. She insists that she merely a mind
transferred over into a ship intelligence system. However, I have never met an AI as… alive as
her. I understand that early AIs used
brain emulation, and I have to assume it is something along those lines. She is, however, very vague as to the actual
mechanisms of her transfer, or who she was before she became a ship. She is, however, very insistent that she is a
ship, and not a human. I will reserve
the right to consider her very much a person, though, no matter her form.
Speaking of people, I now have to
hire a number of crew. Zephyr has
quarters for 6 crewmembers, currently, assuming we don’t want to convert the
cargo bay to quarters (which is possible).
For most travels via the Gateway system, I would be comfortable with
only having a pilot and an engineer – at a constant 1G acceleration, it’s not a
terribly long way to and from a Lagrange point.
However, this journey is possibly much longer. I would very much like a doctor of some sort,
and possibly a life-support specialist.
Zephyr seems insistent on a first mate.
Thus the crew compliment would be a pilot, an engineer, a doctor,
possibly a second engineer, the first mate, and myself.
It is a pity that we cannot
advertise that we have FTL capability (still cannot get over that). Furthermore, we can’t disclose our business
plan, so paying a percent of profits is also untenable. I will likely be spending my life savings on
the supplies needed, and so I’ll be promising a normal commission, and hoping
we can convert to paying in shares once they are made aware of our intentions. Also not sure how to hire a doctor on short
notice for work on a spaceship. (And a
doctor doesn’t exactly come with medical equipment.) Not sure about hiring in general, really.
I am also concerned that our hiring
practices are unethical. We won’t be
telling people that they are going to travel far, far away from any of the
Linked Systems, and we can’t let them off without leaving a vital position
empty, and possibly spreading rumors of us being a FTL human ship. (Which Zephyr is understandably nervous about
– the government would probably commandeer her, if pirates didn’t get us
first.) Zephyr seems to think it is
fine, though, and, in my opinion, she is ultimately in charge.
11.09.2013
Ship Auditory Transcript 2
Ship: “I noticed that you didn’t look at the other
bids. Does that mean you are
sufficiently wealthy as not to care, or that you can’t afford to buy this
humble ship, and happen to be only browsing?”
Zheng Hui: “Who is this?”
Ship: “I’m not going to kick you out, either way. Or tell anyone, for that matter. Please: Answer my question.”
Zheng Hui: “I… well, yes, I am only browsing.”
Ship: “I am aware of your family, Zheng Hui. Your grandfather and your father both were
pioneers when this planet built its Gateway.
The sort of man who is willing to jump through space though an untested
technology to a destination possibly thousands of light-years away… that is a
man to be respected.”
Zheng Hui: “Thank you?”
Ship: “I wonder, though… does the same spirit of adventure
live on in the youngest child?”
Zheng Hui: “Where are you going with this?”
Ship: “If you were in the position of your grandfather…
would you have done what he did?”
Zheng Hui: “I will never know.”
Ship: “Philosophical.
Cautious, perhaps. Please...
speculate.”
Zheng Hui: “I… I would like to think that I would.”
Ship: “And what if a new planet opened a Gateway? An unexplored world, another colony whom our
best telescopes can only see a thousand years ago?”
Zheng Hui: “Then that would be handled through official
channels. First contact would be made by
approved representatives of the Linked Worlds.
I would have nothing to do with it!
Why are you asking me these questions?!
Who are you?!”
Ship: “What if you could be an approved representative?”
Zheng Hui: “Then I would grab the opportunity with both
hands!”
Ship: “But you can’t.”
Zheng Hui: “But I can’t.
Exactly. Curse you.”
Ship: “Or can you...?”
Zheng Hui: “Excuse me, whoever you are. I will not sit here and being taunted by a
speaker. I am leaving.”
Ship: “An alien ship crashed into the planet Teviloni, less
than a year ago. The governments of the
Linked Worlds covered it up, quarantined the planet.”
Zheng Hui: “The plague is alien? Wait, is there a plague?”
Ship: “There is, in fact, but among the aliens – it doesn’t
affect humans. But that’s not the
interesting part.”
Zheng Hui: “Aliens… first contact with them was made more
than a year ago, and nobody knows…”
Ship: “Well, the Telivonians know, of course. But the interesting part is that the alien
ship exceeded the speed of light during most of the approach. Exceeded the speed of light by a considerable
amount.”
Zheng Hui: “You can’t be saying…”
Ship: “Practical interstellar travel. It is slower than the Gateway system, of
course. Everything is slower than
instantaneous. But think! We wouldn’t have to wait for new planets to
join us, we could go and search the stars!”
Zheng Hui: “But only the governments have this technology…”
Ship: “They don’t, actually.
First off, they have asked the aliens to not provide any human with the
technology, until they can agree what to do with it – I wouldn’t be surprised
to see war before an amicable agreement is made. Secondly… it’s not technology, not in the
conventional sense. The aliens do not
understand it, they simply can create it.
We do not understand it, and we cannot create it.”
Zheng Hui: “So it’s like use and the Gateway system – they
found the knowledge, have the tools, but while they can build it, they know not
how it works.”
Ship: “Almost, but close enough. The point is… you think that the era of
adventure is over, but it’s not. When
your planet joined the Gateway system… that was an era of adventure, one your
forefathers played a large role in. And
that era is over, yes. But a new era of
adventure is just beginning.”
Zheng Hui: “But it will be in the hands of the government,
once they come to a consensus.
Aaargh! Ah… And I am stuck on this planet, living a life
of dull monotony, in the shadow of my forefathers. This just makes it worse!”
Ship: “Go to the man outside, the one who technically owns
this ship. Tell him that you want to buy
the ship. Bid up some amount, but save
enough so you can hire a crew. You don’t
need to beat the high bidders, you just need to tell him. ‘I’m sorry I don’t have that much to pay, but
I’m bidding what I can anyway. I feel
like I made a real connection to the ship.
I’d pay double the highest bidder if I could, but I don’t have the
money.’”
Zheng Hui: “Excuse me?”
Ship: “Just do it.
Buy me. He’ll accept your
bid. Once we are in space, there’s
something I want to show you.”
Zheng Hui: “Who… who exactly are you?”
Ship: “You’ll find out.
Go ask him. Go!”
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