Post by kime on Jun 11, 2009 18:28:29 GMT -5
So I suppose I will hang around here and talk!
Day Two
Someone had killed Spectrum- Spectrum, who’d been trying to rally the survivors up, beseeching them to co-operate, Spectrum, who’d promised to unite Arcadia and make the Renegade pay.
Spectrum had been smeared across the walls like a shoddy paint job.
Of course, Dunadan had to go. He was a psychic. Of course he’d done it.
The Legionaries listened to the mob’s flying accusations, and they took him away. They put him up against a wall, and prepared to act out the will of the people.
“It wasn’t me!”
“I know,” said the sergeant, almost sadly.
Dunadan closed his eyes. A moment later, everything ended for him.
When Ambassador Kime, a potent psychic, detected the mental signature- a unique, unfathomably strong signature- he knew it was all over. He used his time to ask the one question he needed an answer to. “Why?”
The figure stepped forward.
“I came to this place a little while ago, for a singular reason. Carnage. This whole thing is ridiculous!”
Kime shook his head. “I don’t know what you-”
“What? Just look around you, you fool. The Domarian Legion, the High Council, they're interchangeable. We're all just pawns for them, pawns in an infinitely small game. See that star, up there in the sky? Nobody will ever see that star up close. Not our children, or our children's children. Or their children. If anyone has any children after I'm through with them.
Everything is so small. We think we're a big deal, but we're not. Those big wigs in their ivory towers think they're big people, but they're not. Minuscule. Meaningless.
I started out with the idea of the whole galaxy crying, and worked backwards from there. I’ll show them.”
The ground trembled and shifted. A thunderstorm underfoot.
“I'll show you, too. I'll show you, and your friends, your family, everyone you know and love. And when I'm done, I'll move on, and I'll show others. It is death, oblivion. It's time we ended this struggle.
Why do we even do it? For the good of those fascists in the Legion? Or have the Council's teachings gotten the better of you? That jagged alliance they hold? Heh. They're just waiting, waiting for some opportunity to seize total power. As soon as one of them is weak, then we're under the crushing power of just one dictator, be they psychic or supercomputer... instead of two.
So it's all simple, really. To answer your question… it's because nothing really matters, does it? Nothing.
Now, come here, before I make you.”
Kime took a step back.
The man raised a hand. “I said come here…”
Kime came closer.
…or at least, parts of Kime did.
Officer Quotis scowled at the readouts. “This is impossible. This is a complete free-for-all. Anyone could be working for this creep.”
“Not, uh, anyone.” Third Inspector Carb shifted uncomfortably. He was beginning to wish he’d never received that promotion.
“What?”
He tapped one of the computer display panels. “I know combat operations aren’t exactly my remit, but, uh, there’s a sort of pattern-”
“Out with it.”
The Inspector swallowed. “The Renegade hates people who aren’t psychic.”
“And?”
“And there’s no evidence of any non-psychics co-operating with the Renegade.”
“What do you expect? People don’t help out genocidal maniacs when they’re next on the list!”
“Listen to me. This freak could easily mind control people, especially people without any real level of psi defence, and yet it’s not happening. This ‘Spectrum’ person… I mean, despite the dumbass codename, they sounded pretty useful. Why not use them? This bigot thinks non-psychics are useless, and that only psionors are worth exploiting.”
The realisation hit her like a falling meteor. “So you’re saying that, if anything, psychics are even more vulnerable? That it’s exclusively psychics that can be turned to the Renegade’s cause?”
“Yes. To the Renegade, the rest of them are just worthless fodder.”
Casualty report
Dunadan019 - Arcadian Psychic, the ex-Councillor - democratically executed by the forces of the Legion
Kime – Domarian Psychic, the Ambassador - repeated trauma from telekinetic means
Spectrum – Arcadian Military, the Veteran - obliterated by unspeakable psionic energies
Gandalf_the_Crazed – Arcadian Military, the Commando – shot to pieces, but not quite dead yet
Someone had killed Spectrum- Spectrum, who’d been trying to rally the survivors up, beseeching them to co-operate, Spectrum, who’d promised to unite Arcadia and make the Renegade pay.
Spectrum had been smeared across the walls like a shoddy paint job.
Of course, Dunadan had to go. He was a psychic. Of course he’d done it.
The Legionaries listened to the mob’s flying accusations, and they took him away. They put him up against a wall, and prepared to act out the will of the people.
“It wasn’t me!”
“I know,” said the sergeant, almost sadly.
Dunadan closed his eyes. A moment later, everything ended for him.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
When Ambassador Kime, a potent psychic, detected the mental signature- a unique, unfathomably strong signature- he knew it was all over. He used his time to ask the one question he needed an answer to. “Why?”
The figure stepped forward.
“I came to this place a little while ago, for a singular reason. Carnage. This whole thing is ridiculous!”
Kime shook his head. “I don’t know what you-”
“What? Just look around you, you fool. The Domarian Legion, the High Council, they're interchangeable. We're all just pawns for them, pawns in an infinitely small game. See that star, up there in the sky? Nobody will ever see that star up close. Not our children, or our children's children. Or their children. If anyone has any children after I'm through with them.
Everything is so small. We think we're a big deal, but we're not. Those big wigs in their ivory towers think they're big people, but they're not. Minuscule. Meaningless.
I started out with the idea of the whole galaxy crying, and worked backwards from there. I’ll show them.”
The ground trembled and shifted. A thunderstorm underfoot.
“I'll show you, too. I'll show you, and your friends, your family, everyone you know and love. And when I'm done, I'll move on, and I'll show others. It is death, oblivion. It's time we ended this struggle.
Why do we even do it? For the good of those fascists in the Legion? Or have the Council's teachings gotten the better of you? That jagged alliance they hold? Heh. They're just waiting, waiting for some opportunity to seize total power. As soon as one of them is weak, then we're under the crushing power of just one dictator, be they psychic or supercomputer... instead of two.
So it's all simple, really. To answer your question… it's because nothing really matters, does it? Nothing.
Now, come here, before I make you.”
Kime took a step back.
The man raised a hand. “I said come here…”
Kime came closer.
…or at least, parts of Kime did.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Officer Quotis scowled at the readouts. “This is impossible. This is a complete free-for-all. Anyone could be working for this creep.”
“Not, uh, anyone.” Third Inspector Carb shifted uncomfortably. He was beginning to wish he’d never received that promotion.
“What?”
He tapped one of the computer display panels. “I know combat operations aren’t exactly my remit, but, uh, there’s a sort of pattern-”
“Out with it.”
The Inspector swallowed. “The Renegade hates people who aren’t psychic.”
“And?”
“And there’s no evidence of any non-psychics co-operating with the Renegade.”
“What do you expect? People don’t help out genocidal maniacs when they’re next on the list!”
“Listen to me. This freak could easily mind control people, especially people without any real level of psi defence, and yet it’s not happening. This ‘Spectrum’ person… I mean, despite the dumbass codename, they sounded pretty useful. Why not use them? This bigot thinks non-psychics are useless, and that only psionors are worth exploiting.”
The realisation hit her like a falling meteor. “So you’re saying that, if anything, psychics are even more vulnerable? That it’s exclusively psychics that can be turned to the Renegade’s cause?”
“Yes. To the Renegade, the rest of them are just worthless fodder.”
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Casualty report
Dunadan019 - Arcadian Psychic, the ex-Councillor - democratically executed by the forces of the Legion
Kime – Domarian Psychic, the Ambassador - repeated trauma from telekinetic means
Spectrum – Arcadian Military, the Veteran - obliterated by unspeakable psionic energies
Gandalf_the_Crazed – Arcadian Military, the Commando – shot to pieces, but not quite dead yet
