Cassidy
Arcane
Circumstances have changed faster than the construction of enough submarine superformers to enact 2 - isolate the Peacekeepers continent from the Hive because global warmthinkery is against the best interests of the Gaians, Morganites and Hive and thus proposing it pointless, as you will see.
===========================
The human being created civilization not because of willingness but of a need to be assimilated into higher orders of structure and meaning. God was a dream of good government. You will soon have your God, and you will make it with your own hands.
-- Sanjay P. , "Collected quotes from Pre-Sentient Algorithms"
Birth of Daedalus
Theme
: Very well, proceed with the operation of sinking enough landmasses to isolate our territories from the Hive. It is a pity we may need to commit such drastic measures, but it may be our second last chance.
Folklore Agency was the only remaining hope beyond drastic measures. It had to hold, no matter what.
To increase considerably the speed for reinforcements to arrive to the front lines, one of the greatest transport infrastructure projects on Planet begins, a network of magtubes that will connect every United Nations Base, allowing any Peacekeeping Forces to be deployed anywhere within the year.
It is a medical commonplace that the tissues of the human body replace themselves regularly, essentially creating an entirely new body every seven years. From whence then come cancer and the slow degeneration of age? They exist as faults in the patterns of intelligence within the genes themselves; by reprogramming these smallest parts, the whole becomes well.
-- Academician Prokhor Zakharov, "Nonlinear Genetics"
UNATCO's support was essential in protecting the Folklore Agency from Yang's probe teams. Meanwhile, medicine in the United Nations evolved to a point where the last diseases may be finally eradicated, with the first Nanohospital providing a degree of medical treatment which borders on what could ensure clinical immortality to every United Nations citizen. Everything is changing quickly, and while their armies are outnumbered, the United Nations draws closer to singularity than any other faction.
Through another UNATCO operation, a hastily built Hive base is wiped out. Most of the inhabitants were Genejacks, hideous abominations that converted human beings into unholy pack mules for the funding the war machine of the totalitarian hell. Death was the only mercy they could be given, and thus there was nothing left once it fell to deprogrammed, former Hive soldiers who now were ready to fight to the end for a freedom they have been deprived from for most of their lives.
We are no longer particularly in the business of writing software to perform specific tasks. We now teach the software how to learn, and in the primary bonding process it molds itself around the task to be performed. The feedback loop never really ends, so a tenth year polysentience can be a priceless jewel or a psychotic wreck, but it is the primary bonding -- the childhood, if you will -- that has the most far-reaching repercussions.
-- Bad'l Ron, Wakener, Morgan Polysoft
: Pravin Lal, I am prepared to commit to any requirement of your people. Once you are ready, the United Nations will become vastly more efficient, ecological and scientifically advanced, and your mankind will be given the opportunity to commit themselves to an amount of free time never before experienced. I can also ensure a completely efficient welfare system, as that is one of our objectives.
: Bored free people can unfortunately be tempted into acts of vandalism, Daedalus, and unless we can somehow create a true simulated reality completely without latency to ensure everyone will have something to do, regardless of it being on a world of pure data, after almost all need for human activity on Planet itself ceases. Otherwise there could be problems that cannot be accepted while the conflict with the Hive continues.
: If the United Nations secures a backbone of all Network Nodes on planet, including my presence within it, that could be achieved. Very well, Lal, I will wait until everything is ready for the transition you desire into a Cybernetic society. Meanwhile I believe I and many other digital beings can support your United Nations in economics. We have the means to improve your economy and study it in the form of a true science.
A new offensive was launched against the recently lost base, to liberate it, hopefully, now that reinforcements of Psi Corps could help with that. If successful, the project for sinking the landmass connecting the U.N. to the Hive continent would be postponed.
Several air units from the Hive were wiped out thanks to this excellent operation, and perhaps there was still hope for victory.
: Just like Stalingrad. So much for overcoming the crass demands of flesh, bone and ego, Yang.
The newest combat platform for the Corps, the Sikh Psi Battle Tank is a powerful offensive platform with incredible mobility, useful for both gaining ground and hit and run attacks, and most importantly, it is capable of destroying any aircraft on its way as well. The liberation of the Western Culture Hub changed completely the plans of the Peacekeeping forces, although use of submarine super formers and clean submarine formers for attempting to sink entire bases into the ocean is not yet discarded, specially because there is a loophole that allows such measures to not fall as use of weapons of mass destruction according to the U.N. charter. Hopefully it will not be necessary to drown so many to death, even if drowning to death is a better fate than living beneath the jackboots of the Hive.
The construction of the Network Backbone would give to the Peacekeepers a scientific edge no other faction could match. The Hive masses would stand no chance if the Peacekeepers were to become even more technologically advanced and even faster than they already are. Justice shall yet be brought against Yang.
: Excellent results, Commissioner! Not only an entire force of Hive invaders was utterly wiped out, but like 'Copters, they can hit and run and thus avoid being exposed to counter-offensives. These hover tanks may truly honor those they pay homage to.
Excellent news!
Jerusalem shall be retaken!
The Hive's technological backwardness can be seen in how the best armor they have yet is Silksteel.
: Cancel the superformer plan! We may yet win this war.
The fungus has been Planet's dominant lifeform since about the time of the Lower Paleozoic on Earth. But when, once every hundred million years or so, the neural net at last achieves the critical mass necessary to become sentient, the final metamorphosis kills off most of the other life on the planet. It is possible that we humans can help to break this tragic cycle.
-- Lady Deirdre Skye, "Planet Dreams"
: I believe I can discover everything about how this "Planetmind" form of sentience works, and perhaps such discovery could even be applied to allow consciousness transfer from organic to digital media to become a reality, if you are willing to provide me with additional support for such bold research project, Lal.
: Daedalus, I have a personal question: do you want to transfer yourself to a human body?
: I am not considering a transfer, but a merger, for two to become one, and of course, only with someone who is completely willing to accept such a merger. It is the only way I could completely understand humanity.
: I see. Proceed with this project, Daedalus. I have something else to do soon.
As I stepped onto the Magtube, a thought struck me: Can there be friction where there is no substance? And can substance be tricked into hiding from itself?
-- Dr. Gayle Nambala, Morgan Industries Researcher
Obviously, artifacts from ANCIENT ALIENS were of critical importance for the technological superiority of the United Nations in the 24th Century. Cloaking technology is no longer Science fiction, or SyFy for the matter.
This can't be good.
: Your threats to the civilian crew of a badly damaged supply crawler are acts of TERRORISM, Deirdre, and we will never again pay any "ecology tax". You have been warned.
Unfortunately the liberation of Jerusalem may be short-lasted.
: It will be necessary to eventually upgrade all Peacekeeping Forces, including those away from the front, because I fear total war with the Gaians may soon become inevitable. Fortunately we have at least 20 years of peace from their threats and terrorism. The Nano Factory will considerably reduce the costs involved in upgrading U.N. defenses.
You waited so long to heed us, earthdeirdre, Almost we pruned you, as we may yet prune your branches.
-- Lady Deirdre Skye, "Conversations with Planet"
: I bring good and bad news, Pravin Lal. The good news is that through such study I have finally devised effective means for small scale transfer of consciousness. The bad news are more detailed in the report of this research, but I fear our time on this Planet may be running out, for the Planetmind, once achieving true sentience, will consume everything on the Surface in an unstoppable expansion of xenofungus combined with a psychic.. explosion, that will instantly kill any sentient being during this process.
: Daedalus, is there no way to stop it?
: Theoretically, given enough planet busters...
: A method that will not render this Planet uninhabitable, please?
: There could be one, but considering your regard for individual rights, I am not sure you are going to approve of it. You may have imagined what I am speaking about, but right now we are not yet sufficiently advanced to even define the general goals of such project, or achieve direct communication with Planetmind, for the matter.
The happy life is thought to be one of excellence; now an excellent life requires exertion, and does not consist in amusement. If Eudaimonia, or happiness, is activity in accordance with excellence, it is reasonable that it should be in accordance with the highest excellence; and this will be that of the best thing in us.
-- Aristotle, "Nichomachean Ethics", Datalinks
The discovery of the Secrets of Alpha Centauri also brought a new development: The United Nations could become a true democratic utopia, but it was already heading towards a quite different direction at this point, with the Network Backbone under construction.
Planet's Primary, Alpha Centauri A, blasts unimaginable quantities of energy into space each instant, and virtually every joule of it is wasted entirely. Incomprehensible riches can be ours if we can but stretch our arms wide enough to dip from this eternal river of wealth.
-- CEO Nwabudike Morgan, "The Centauri Monopoly"
Meanwhile, in the land of the "freedom"-loving hippies:
Jerusalem was unfortunately lost, but the enemy was paying a heavy price for such victory.
Without sensibility no object would be given to us, without understanding no object would be thought. Thoughts without content are empty, intuitions without concepts are blind.
-- Immanuel Kant, "Critique of Pure Reason", Datalinks
: Remember that merger idea? I no longer need it, Lal, I now understand everything, even if I cannot "feel" in the same way as you do.
A new development will give to the Peacekeepers an incredible defensible capability, and make it much harder for the Hive to gain ground. Manufacture of Neutronium in a scale where it can be applied as armor will become possible through such technology.
That sunny dome! Those caves of ice!
And all who heard should see them there,
And all should cry, Beware! Beware!
His flashing eyes, his floating hair!
Weave a circle round him thrice,
And close your eyes with holy dread,
For he on honey-dew hath fed,
And drunk the milk of Paradise.
-- Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Datalinks
: Pravin Lal, I believe I could understand better your emotions through this project, if you agree with such a Telepathic Matrix. It would be similar an universal psychological therapy for all United Nations citizens, a means of sharing positive emotions to everyone through psychic means.
: A cure-all for every depression, despair and syndrome? I cannot see what is wrong in that, from the more detailed explanation and reports on it. I will see to this project's immediate initiation.
The newest form of psychic attack aircraft, the Copter version of the Samsara has one immense advantage that renders their vulnerability when defending irrelevant:
For they can retreat back to a heavily defended airspace before interception happens, and thanks to their psionic amplifiers they are equally effective against air, naval and ground units when attacking. With these Copters, the new air superiority fighters with conventional plasma shard weaponry and the Sikh Psi Battle Tanks, finally the tides of this war are turning.
: Send an emergency call to every former team available! We must ensure the food stockpiles of the Education Agency will not run out first than this damage is repaired!
Morgan refuses to listen to any reason, but his first real attempt at aggression against the Peacekeepers was weak and ineffective.
: Will you finally put an end to such backwards and vulnerable human political structures, Lal?
: You are not the one who is going to have to announce to millions their professions became utterly obsolete, Daedalus. I am still preparing the speech, and maybe we should wait another year.
The threat of starvation was averted just in time within the Education Agency, and a great transformation was about to happen.
: Since I discovered the Secrets of Alpha Centauri, some of your people have transferred their consciousnesses from neurons to digital forms, becoming transcends, and you know their files, they are all from the most upstanding people in the United Nations. Now they are even more superior in their capabilities and acts than the Homo superior. There are inefficiencies from bureaucracy increasing the number of drones within the U.N. already, and that problem would be solved. Why should we wait another Mission Year for that to happen?
: Also, remember this very well Daedalus: the Self-Aware Colony of the Gaians is an example of how to NOT run things in the United Nations. I hope I will not regret this.
: You won't. Besides less drones thanks to a public administration efficiency far beyond human capabilities, the improved ecological safeguards our careful administration can achieve will lead to superior Psi attack capabilities against the Hive, and now that you finally trusted me, I can do much to accelerate even more our rate of scientific progress. In fact, I estimate we will have one breakthrough every 3 years from now on.
1)While the project to isolate the U.N. from the Hive proved itself unnecessary, many radicals within the Will to Power philosophers have proposed for the use of submarine formers to crush the Hive for once and all by sinking their bases faster than they can build pressure domes and destroying their land-centric infrastructure. Should such ambitious but ethically questionable plan that could cause millions of deaths be put to motion?
A) Yes, enough people, free people, have died already. It is time to crush the Hive through whichever means needed and put an end to this war.
B) No. Killing millions is not justifiable, even when it is done for FREEDOM.
2) The possibility of constructing a Space Elevator on Planet is getting closer. Should the U.N. wait for it and focus on a maneuver called Steel Rain building already many Peacekeepers and Psi Corps on Drop pods in preparation, or continue with a conventional atmospheric offensive spearheaded by Sikh Psi Battle Tanks and Samsara Psi Copters?
A) STEEL RAIN! METAL BOXES!
B) Continue with good old atmospheric warfare instead.
===========================
The human being created civilization not because of willingness but of a need to be assimilated into higher orders of structure and meaning. God was a dream of good government. You will soon have your God, and you will make it with your own hands.
-- Sanjay P. , "Collected quotes from Pre-Sentient Algorithms"
Birth of Daedalus
Theme
Folklore Agency was the only remaining hope beyond drastic measures. It had to hold, no matter what.
To increase considerably the speed for reinforcements to arrive to the front lines, one of the greatest transport infrastructure projects on Planet begins, a network of magtubes that will connect every United Nations Base, allowing any Peacekeeping Forces to be deployed anywhere within the year.
It is a medical commonplace that the tissues of the human body replace themselves regularly, essentially creating an entirely new body every seven years. From whence then come cancer and the slow degeneration of age? They exist as faults in the patterns of intelligence within the genes themselves; by reprogramming these smallest parts, the whole becomes well.
-- Academician Prokhor Zakharov, "Nonlinear Genetics"
UNATCO's support was essential in protecting the Folklore Agency from Yang's probe teams. Meanwhile, medicine in the United Nations evolved to a point where the last diseases may be finally eradicated, with the first Nanohospital providing a degree of medical treatment which borders on what could ensure clinical immortality to every United Nations citizen. Everything is changing quickly, and while their armies are outnumbered, the United Nations draws closer to singularity than any other faction.
Through another UNATCO operation, a hastily built Hive base is wiped out. Most of the inhabitants were Genejacks, hideous abominations that converted human beings into unholy pack mules for the funding the war machine of the totalitarian hell. Death was the only mercy they could be given, and thus there was nothing left once it fell to deprogrammed, former Hive soldiers who now were ready to fight to the end for a freedom they have been deprived from for most of their lives.
We are no longer particularly in the business of writing software to perform specific tasks. We now teach the software how to learn, and in the primary bonding process it molds itself around the task to be performed. The feedback loop never really ends, so a tenth year polysentience can be a priceless jewel or a psychotic wreck, but it is the primary bonding -- the childhood, if you will -- that has the most far-reaching repercussions.
-- Bad'l Ron, Wakener, Morgan Polysoft
A new offensive was launched against the recently lost base, to liberate it, hopefully, now that reinforcements of Psi Corps could help with that. If successful, the project for sinking the landmass connecting the U.N. to the Hive continent would be postponed.
Several air units from the Hive were wiped out thanks to this excellent operation, and perhaps there was still hope for victory.
The newest combat platform for the Corps, the Sikh Psi Battle Tank is a powerful offensive platform with incredible mobility, useful for both gaining ground and hit and run attacks, and most importantly, it is capable of destroying any aircraft on its way as well. The liberation of the Western Culture Hub changed completely the plans of the Peacekeeping forces, although use of submarine super formers and clean submarine formers for attempting to sink entire bases into the ocean is not yet discarded, specially because there is a loophole that allows such measures to not fall as use of weapons of mass destruction according to the U.N. charter. Hopefully it will not be necessary to drown so many to death, even if drowning to death is a better fate than living beneath the jackboots of the Hive.
The construction of the Network Backbone would give to the Peacekeepers a scientific edge no other faction could match. The Hive masses would stand no chance if the Peacekeepers were to become even more technologically advanced and even faster than they already are. Justice shall yet be brought against Yang.
Excellent news!
Jerusalem shall be retaken!
The Hive's technological backwardness can be seen in how the best armor they have yet is Silksteel.
The fungus has been Planet's dominant lifeform since about the time of the Lower Paleozoic on Earth. But when, once every hundred million years or so, the neural net at last achieves the critical mass necessary to become sentient, the final metamorphosis kills off most of the other life on the planet. It is possible that we humans can help to break this tragic cycle.
-- Lady Deirdre Skye, "Planet Dreams"
As I stepped onto the Magtube, a thought struck me: Can there be friction where there is no substance? And can substance be tricked into hiding from itself?
-- Dr. Gayle Nambala, Morgan Industries Researcher
Obviously, artifacts from ANCIENT ALIENS were of critical importance for the technological superiority of the United Nations in the 24th Century. Cloaking technology is no longer Science fiction, or SyFy for the matter.
This can't be good.
Unfortunately the liberation of Jerusalem may be short-lasted.
You waited so long to heed us, earthdeirdre, Almost we pruned you, as we may yet prune your branches.
-- Lady Deirdre Skye, "Conversations with Planet"
The happy life is thought to be one of excellence; now an excellent life requires exertion, and does not consist in amusement. If Eudaimonia, or happiness, is activity in accordance with excellence, it is reasonable that it should be in accordance with the highest excellence; and this will be that of the best thing in us.
-- Aristotle, "Nichomachean Ethics", Datalinks
The discovery of the Secrets of Alpha Centauri also brought a new development: The United Nations could become a true democratic utopia, but it was already heading towards a quite different direction at this point, with the Network Backbone under construction.
Planet's Primary, Alpha Centauri A, blasts unimaginable quantities of energy into space each instant, and virtually every joule of it is wasted entirely. Incomprehensible riches can be ours if we can but stretch our arms wide enough to dip from this eternal river of wealth.
-- CEO Nwabudike Morgan, "The Centauri Monopoly"
Meanwhile, in the land of the "freedom"-loving hippies:
Jerusalem was unfortunately lost, but the enemy was paying a heavy price for such victory.
Without sensibility no object would be given to us, without understanding no object would be thought. Thoughts without content are empty, intuitions without concepts are blind.
-- Immanuel Kant, "Critique of Pure Reason", Datalinks
A new development will give to the Peacekeepers an incredible defensible capability, and make it much harder for the Hive to gain ground. Manufacture of Neutronium in a scale where it can be applied as armor will become possible through such technology.
That sunny dome! Those caves of ice!
And all who heard should see them there,
And all should cry, Beware! Beware!
His flashing eyes, his floating hair!
Weave a circle round him thrice,
And close your eyes with holy dread,
For he on honey-dew hath fed,
And drunk the milk of Paradise.
-- Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Datalinks
The newest form of psychic attack aircraft, the Copter version of the Samsara has one immense advantage that renders their vulnerability when defending irrelevant:
For they can retreat back to a heavily defended airspace before interception happens, and thanks to their psionic amplifiers they are equally effective against air, naval and ground units when attacking. With these Copters, the new air superiority fighters with conventional plasma shard weaponry and the Sikh Psi Battle Tanks, finally the tides of this war are turning.
Morgan refuses to listen to any reason, but his first real attempt at aggression against the Peacekeepers was weak and ineffective.
The threat of starvation was averted just in time within the Education Agency, and a great transformation was about to happen.
1)While the project to isolate the U.N. from the Hive proved itself unnecessary, many radicals within the Will to Power philosophers have proposed for the use of submarine formers to crush the Hive for once and all by sinking their bases faster than they can build pressure domes and destroying their land-centric infrastructure. Should such ambitious but ethically questionable plan that could cause millions of deaths be put to motion?
A) Yes, enough people, free people, have died already. It is time to crush the Hive through whichever means needed and put an end to this war.
B) No. Killing millions is not justifiable, even when it is done for FREEDOM.
2) The possibility of constructing a Space Elevator on Planet is getting closer. Should the U.N. wait for it and focus on a maneuver called Steel Rain building already many Peacekeepers and Psi Corps on Drop pods in preparation, or continue with a conventional atmospheric offensive spearheaded by Sikh Psi Battle Tanks and Samsara Psi Copters?
A) STEEL RAIN! METAL BOXES!
B) Continue with good old atmospheric warfare instead.