Microstory 1613: Prime Mover

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Like me, The Superintendent is a spirit, and also like me, he can witness events in other universes, and he can see more detail. But it’s more than that. He’s also creating these branes, and controlling certain aspects of them. Free will is still a thing, but the people’s actions always follow his logic, and going against his explicit wishes is only possible once you’re made aware that he exists. I mean, I’m the one telling you this story right now, but I’m doing it through the Superintendent, and it’s being published in his world. It’s called Universe Prime, and no matter what he tells you, it’s because that’s what he decided to call it. It’s not the most important brane in the bulk, but it’s the most important to him, so he got to name it. He chooses the names for each of his universes, if he chooses to name it at all. He is not a more powerful storyteller, or dreamer. Anyone can conjure a new universe into being with nothing more than their thoughts. The difference is that he understands that he’s doing this, and uses it to his advantage deliberately. Every world I discuss throughout this series belongs to him, except for this one today. Universe Prime is where he lives, and he has no control over the outcome of events. But that doesn’t mean he exerts no influence at all. Most of what happens in Prime is a result of interference from a different universe, and if he really wants to, he can make or break such occurrences. For his version of Earth, there is a quite literal universal rule that it is to remain pristine and untouched. It’s written into Martian Law, and honored by the Fosteans. It’s recognized by the residents of Dextoculo, and frightens travelers from beyond the membrane. No one messes with the Superintendent’s Earth, and that is in no small part, thanks to the Superintendent himself.

He’s telling a story...a huge story. It’s so big that it’ll take decades just to get everything out. He’s in control of it, even if there is a high level of free will when it comes to individual choices. Everyone is so afraid of going against him that they follow his rules with little question. They know if they do something he doesn’t like, he’ll just wipe their story away. The Ochivari would never dream of invading, even though it’s a logical target. They’re struggling terribly with climate breakdown, and the future looks pretty grim. My voldisil ability operates according to his timeline, so I can’t see into its future from his perspective, but things are not going well. If any planet deserves the wrath of a race of antinatalistic mass murders, it’s his own. He won’t let it happen, though, for obvious reasons. If the Ochivari attacked, he would just write a story where The Allies of the Darning Wars all came together, and defeated them once and for all. They don’t want that, so they stay away from Prime, and tread lightly in the Composite Universe, and just leave it at that. Prime has plenty of problems of their own. The Fosteans generally respect the rule about Earth, but its leaders are not good people, and they are not peaceful. It and the Composite are twins, and together, they form the Biverse, so they are permanently linked, and dependent on each other. The Superintendent tells their stories, but does not do much to make himself a part of it. They’re strong-willed, resilient, and other than Composite, they probably contribute the highest number of notable individual members of the Transit Army. I don’t know how it ends, if it ever does, but I’ll be keeping a close eye on it.

Microstory 556: Are Criminals Running The Core?

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Conspiracy theory blog, tabloid, crackpot salon. That’s what they call this publication. And you know what? They may be right. Everything I’ve said here, every time I’ve tried to open your eyes, it may be just all a big pile of nonsense. But what if it isn’t? What if even a small part of the claims I’ve made are true? What would you do then? Would you act, or just accept the status quo. Because the status quo might not be what you think it is. If you’re afraid of the solar system’s leadership as it’s known by the public, imagine what you’ll feel if you find undeniable proof that this leadership is actually full of criminals. Now, hear me out. I know it sounds crazy, but I’ve received some evidence that this is at least partially true. And it would make some level of sense, because the government as we know it doesn’t really seem to exist at all.

Centuries ago, when our ancestor began mapping out our new civilization, one thing they wanted to accomplish was a society that quite literally ran itself. If you set up so much regulation, and so many guidelines, and you indoctrinate the entire population to agreeing with you, you don’t need to do anything to keep it that way. If you break the rules, the law is clear on what happens to you. If you’re dangerous enough, you’re thrown into a solitary tower. If you’re better off leaving, you’re shipped off to an exile planet. If it’s just a minor infraction, you’re taught to curb your behavior. No one has to sit there and decide what happens to you, because we already know. But what if that’s not enough? What if our ancestors realized that this kind of infallible society simply was not logistically possible? We now live with hundreds of billions of people across dozens of planets. The chances that our system works perfectly may be higher than you might find on, say Earth, but still can’t be 100%. Nothing is 100%. Something always gets through.

I personally believe that true automation cannot be achieved, and that you always have to have some kind of oversight. So the question at that point is, who belongs to this oversight? You might assume respected leaders in their fields, or a shadow government of people without any records, or perhaps the Martians just enforce their laws in secret. It probably wouldn’t even occur to you to even consider that it might be criminals. Afterall, that’s insane. But is it? Maybe the fact that they wouldn’t even come to mind is exactly what makes them perfect for the job. Throughout history, on multiple planets, criminals have proved to respectively have a phenomenal grasp of how things work. They’re able to get away with their crimes, because they’ve learned to exploit the system’s vulnerabilities. Who better to shore up our vulnerabilities here than those who were born with the natural inclinations towards using them to their advantage? We don’t really know what prison towers look like. Perhaps they’re luxurious paradises, with everything a resident might need. They’re treated well, able to satisfy their urges through controlled virtual reality, and occasionally asked how to run the galaxy. Doesn’t sound so crazy now, does it? I’m not saying that all of this is true. All I want you to do is think...could it be? What are we missing? What are they keeping from us?

Microstory 516: Dasha Sinclair Interview Transcript

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This is the initial interview with Dasha Sinclair, the woman who tore a planet in half with nothing more than her own telekinetic power. We hope to speak with her in more detail at a later date. Click here for the main story...

Diederich Jäger (interviewer): When did you first come up with the idea to tear a planet in half?

Dasha Sinclair: Well, believe it or not, it came from a very short story I read from Earth. I was at a cloud party over Arion when I noticed a crowd huddled around a halo, reading something together. Apparently there’s some prophet, or refugee, or hacker there who knows about what’s going on in the rest of the universe. He writes stories about our history, but he also writes entirely fictional stories, and posts them online. I wouldn’t call him my favorite writer, or anything, but some of his content is kind of interesting. One story in particular caught my eye. Honestly, I don’t remember the details all that well; mostly just what happened at the end. The planet is torn in half, leaving two separate Earths to orbit the sun next to each other. Of course, this would screw up the gravitational pull of each of the halves, and they would probably decay and burn up in the sun, but I was never looking to do this to a habitable planet. I just thought...why not? As it turns out the Martians is why not. It took me forever to get permission.

Jäger: Tell me more about that.

Sinclair: Back in the old days, if you were living on a deveiled planet, all you had to do was put in a simple request with the Masco police. Each request would be run up the chain, and either be rejected, or reviewed. It might take a long time, but it didn’t require a bunch of extra work on the requester’s end. But now that we’ve all come together to form a single community, a whole lot of different people have to approve illegal exceptions. I didn’t send in my proposal once; I sent it in dozens of time, constantly tweaking the language to accommodate all these different divisions’ needs. Fortunately, I had a lot of help.

Jäger: So the Palomino Temple was heavily involved, or just in support of your dream?

Sinclair: Oh, they were completely on board. Yeah, they put me in touch with the right people to actually make the dream a reality. There are so many different facets of our government, and so much compartmentalization. You can’t get anything done if you don’t know who to talk to, when to talk to them, and what to say. The Temple made sure I didn’t make any mistakes.

Jäger: I’ve heard Palomino Shore is kind of your family now, but how is your relationship with your birth family?

Sinclair: We’re okay. They’re not thrilled about what I do. I mean, to them religion is this backwards concept. I can’t blame them. It’s been the root cause of countless wars for single-planet, and even single-system, civilizations. Aitchai is different, though, as there is proof in the power. We’re not just making this up and going on blind faith. Telekinesis is a real thing, and so I guess, if I were going to belong to any religion, they’re glad it’s at least this one.

Jäger: I’ve heard that your youngest brother is interested in telekinesis as well.

Sinclair: He is, yes, but not the germ. He wants to be a pilot. He was inspired by the renegades who saved all those stranded people during the invasion.

Jäger: That’s great. Speaking of non sequiturs, could you tell me real quick about the trench? You first tore it all around the equator. Why was that?

Sinclair: That wasn’t technically necessary, but I had two practical choices. Either I could do the whole thing myself, and start with a trench, or I could use augmented reality technology. I didn’t want any assistance, except for a space suit, of course. What the trench did was allow for a cleaner cut. If I flew back in space and then tried to just start tearing Malcomicron apart, it would be jagged. At least that’s how I understand it. A bunch of geologists told me to start with what they called a pilot cut.

Jäger: I see. So what’s next for Dasha Sinclair? Are you going to keep tearing apart planets, or what?

Sinclair: Well, one thing some people may not know, is that Aitchai is about more than just moving things with your mind. That’s just what people use for it on a regular basis. Something that germ TK users are hypothetically capable of is more fundamental molecular manipulation. I would like to explore what other things I can do with this power. Who knows, maybe someday I’ll even put Malcomicron back together.

Jäger: Now that is something that I would like to see.

Sinclair: Yeah, if we can learn to harness matter on a subatomic scale, nanotechnology will seem as ancient as machines that you have to plug into a grid. We would be able to do anything with that kind of technology. We might even learn where the Aitchai comes from. That’s going to take a long time, though, and lots of people will have to be interested in exploring it. Right now, though, I’m going to be taking a sabbatical. I might even ask permission to visit Earth

Jäger: How long would that be for?

Sinclair: I’m thinking just around a decade, which means don’t expect any results on my new endeavor tomorrow [laughs].

Jäger: Wow, well we’re excited about the next chapter in the Dasha Sinclair story. I know you have to get back to meeting your fans, but is there anything else you’d like to say about this latest adventure?

Sinclair: I do need to make sure I remember to thank everyone who turned this into a reality. I feel so grateful for everyone involved. Many people had to come together to make this thing even possible. I especially want to thank the representatives from Exile for advocating for me so vehemently. They didn’t have to do that, but they showed me a kindness that I can only hope to somehow repay them someday. I would like to thank the Core leaders, my fans, and of course, the Palomino Shore Aitchai Temple, which became part of my family.

Jäger: Thank you, Dasha.

Sinclair: Thank you.

Microstory 515: Woman Uses Telekinesis to Tear Planet in Half

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There comes a time in everyone’s life, in this system, when they must decide what kind of power they’re going to wield, if any. There are many variants of telekinesis. Some are designed for heavy lifting, others for microprecision. Some allow the user to create self-sustaining fields, and some for flying. There is one type, however, that is unlike the others. Most TK can be removed, and even switched out. This is not so when it comes to germ telekinesis. It requires proclivity, and practice...thus patience. It’s also theoretically limitless. Philosophers have long questioned whether there was anything a telekinetic individual may be unable to accomplish given enough time and talent. Of course, this question is impossible to answer, but what we can answer is the most impressive feat that has ever been accomplished. Dasha Sinclair is a 176 year-long virgat from the planet of Regnia, and is now listed as the most powerful telekinetic in the system.

Sinclair grew up normal, was a self-proclaimed ‘middling’ student, and was leaning towards working as a technician on one of the gravis stations. One day, when she was 14 standard years old, her class went on a field trip to visit Palomino Shore on Arion. She found herself drawn to the Aitchai Temple that rests on the south end. Sinclair says of this experience, “my family and I have never been religious. We believe in science and hard work. In fact, I was the first in generations to even accept telekinesis at all. I was already planning to do it, but I didn’t know until that moment that I would dedicate my life to it.” She was granted permission to witness one of the meditation rooms, and instantly admired them for their commitment to an alternative lifestyle. Spiritual devotion is one of only two paths that allow a citizen to be exempt from obligatory vocational contribution. The other is physical or psychological handicap, which is rare in present day, due to medical advancements. Anyone wishing to join a religious institution must prove their faith, and once becoming a member, must continue to prove it every day. And boy did Sinclair deliver. She was infrequently seen eating, sleeping, or doing anything else besides meditating. After receiving the germ telekinesis treatment, she did not once attempt to move anything with her mind for a whole ten years. Once she did begin to actually practice, she started out with nothing more than a small candle. Oh, but she held it in place for an entire week. Ever since, she’s been honing her skills, learning everything she can about the art of telekinesis...little by little. Only within the last thirty years or so did she even leave the temple for extended periods of time, and use her ability under practical conditions.

A few years ago, Sinclair petitioned the Greater Lactean Alliance for a planet of her own. Very few individuals have control over their own planets, and those who do are generally researchers who are interested in conducting in-depth surveys of their worlds. They measure literally ever square deam of the surface, and record their findings. One such  these of was a small rocky planet on the outer edge of the galaxy named Malcomicron by its previous owner. What the scientist discovered was that the planet showed absolutely no signs of life, either past or present. Not did it exhibit any evidence that it may support life in the future. His research had been recently completed, and he was currently on sabbatical. He, the alliance, and Sinclair all agreed that Malcomicron would be the perfect testing ground, as it were, for Sinclair’s experiment. Yesterday, millions of spectators boarded observation ships that are usually used for nebula and pulsar shows. They circled Malcomicron and waited for the first ever performance of its kind. Sinclair began by flying around the entire equator, cutting a trench that was only a quarter nayko wide. She then flew outside of its orbit and began the real work. Experts were stunned as she achieved exactly what she set out to. She managed to cleanly split Malcomicron into two equal halves. Each half-sphere sports an extraordinarily smooth surface. They are both currently on their way to succumbing to the gravitational pull of original planet’s sun. Policy-makers, and many others, are already rushing around to expedite a secondary proposal that would allow Malcomicron I and II to be moved into interstellar space to protect it from orbital decay. Tertiary plans are even being considered to convert it into a destination spot, complete with restaurants, resorts, museums, and more. She had the following words to express her feelings regarding the amazing endeavor.

I feel so grateful for everyone involved. Many people had to come together to make this thing even possible. I especially want to thank the representatives from Exile for advocating for me so vehemently. They didn’t have to do that, but they showed me a kindness that I can only hope to somehow repay them someday. I would like to thank the Core leaders, my fans, and of course, the Palomino Shore Aitchai Temple, which became part of my family.

Click here for the long-form interview with Dasha Sinclair.

Microstory 514: Martian Law Enforcement Approves ‘Culmination’ Coven

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For centuries, refugees and immigrants have been living in the great city of Atlantis on planet Earth. Some of us have even been here since the island was resting safely on the ocean’s surface. During that time, the Earthan population at the time was not only scarce, but also technologically primitive. Certain Earthans were aware of our existence, but you could count on an Amaigaben’s hands the number who understood exactly what we were. To most, we were just a small and barely consequential island that exported nothing. We were forced to sink our home into the depths of the waters to protect both us, and the Earthans. Martian Law forbade us from revealing ourselves to any veiled Earthan, which was a law most of us were happy to comply with. We’ve historically adopted an isolationistic position from the outside world, but many believe this to be a product of necessity, rather than true philosophical perspective. Recently, however, these thoughts have shift amongst a certain fraction of the population. The witches, due to their deep connection with the universe itself, are naturally inclined to ignore such trivial constraints as geographical boundaries. One coven in particular, which only now calls itself the Caretaker Coven, last year proposed to the Martians something that no one thought would be accepted, but it has.

Martian Law dictates that no one aware of the existence of society beyond their one planet may reveal this truth to any Earthan human. It’s pretty simple, really. If you’re talking to an Earthan, you can’t discuss what you know of outerspace and the likes, and if you’re talking to anyone else, you can say whatever you want. Some say this flies in the face as other laws, such as Priority Two, which turns the concept of sharing technology into a morally obligatory maxim. However your feelings regarding the moratorium on Earthan deveilment, the fact of the matter is that no Earthan may know that we exist. There are certain exceptions, like if the transgressor revealed truths accidentally, and while still themselves ignorant about the truth, to a certain degree. There are also a few Earthan world leaders who are aware of us, but only in order to cement our secrecy from everyone else. This new Martian approval changes all that on the highest scale since the Croatoan Expedition centuries ago. The Caretakers would like to bring certain Earthan humans into the fold in order to educate them in Craft. Covert studies have reportedly revealed that a select few Earthan children exhibit a special predilection towards the adoption of Craft engagements. Apparently, the evidence towards this fact is so strong, that the Martians have agreed to let the Caretaker coven remove more than one thousand Earthan children from their homes, and into Atlantis. Right now, it is not known how the Caretakers plan to explain to the parents where their children are going, but we will update you when we know. Some believe the witches will use memory erasing engagements to account for the disappearances, however, it is hard to believe the Martians would agree to that type of violation. The children have already been chosen, and some have been contacted. They are from all over the globe, and the first group is said to be arriving sometime next year.

Microstory 508: Landslide Vote in Favor of Rename to ‘Martian’

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A few standard decades ago, Mascoli visitors to Earth were completing their regular rounds when they learned that our planet had been discovered by the humans. A little disclaimer ahead of time, astronomical observations were completed entirely by the Earthan humans. They received no help from the Arsenic suiters. Secrecy protection protocols have, in no way, been violated. Since that time, the word Mars has been established as the conventional name for our planet on Earth, and recently, it was determined by the Masco network government that this convention was unlikely to change. Because of this, it was proposed that we change our naming conventions in order to match Earth’s perceptions of us. Should we one day connect with our brethren on the third planet, many believe they would be more comfortable using their own terms. Indeed, the Earthan language of Latin is already being learned in schools across the Masco network for similar reasons. Not everyone believes this to be the best course of action, however, and their arguments are not without their merits. Some think this plan could have negative effects following first contact. If we already speak Latin, and we already know what they named our planet, they will know that we’ve been able to reach out to them for however long before. Others refuted this position, saying that admitting our practice of secretly visiting Earth is something that we’ll have to do anyway, so we might as well tell them this truth in their language.

Even amidst the protests, a vote was held network-wide, asking one simple question: should we, or should we not, alter our planet’s name to Mars and our people’s name to Martian. As you may have gathered from the headline, the vote was a landslide. A higher percentage of now-Martians agreed to change our name than have agreed on any vote in history. Exact number of votes are still being verified, but present figures put the vote at around 94.87%. For our Amaigaben readers, that’s the equivalent of 114.7927 perunviginticenti. The vote itself is impressive on its own, but even more impressive is the hope it presents the Martian network. This indicates that Martians can agree on something, and even though most of us no longer live on our homeworld, we have something that really brings us together. It’s one thing to call yourself a Masco because that’s what millions of years of history tells us, it’s another thing to call yourself Martian even though you don’t have to. The network government does not see this as an opportunity to bring back our colonists, but as a chance to solidify our unity, and repair any hostile relationships amongst factions. In fact, it is becoming more and more likely that our home planet will be abandoned almost completely, in order to further protect Earthans once they inevitably invent observational technology capable of reading Martian surface details. Such a vote would still be centuries off, however, so don’t pack your bags just yet. This article will be updated with the exact vote count, broken down by colony.

Microstory 506: Amadesin Remnant Hiding in Higher Dimensions

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Martian Authorities have uncovered possible evidence that the remaining sects of Amadesis have been hiding out in higher Prime dimensions. The best way to access these dimensions is through Earth, which is why the evidence wasn't readily available before. An unnamed Aviid historian first proposed this theory about sixty years ago. Though his ideas were not dismissed, they were deemed too risky to pursue at the time. During this period, Earth was steadily ramping up its efforts to either prove, or disprove, the presence of alien entities within their airspace. Though visitors from across the galaxy regularly traveled to and from Earth before then, it was decided that a greater amount of secrecy and security needed to be implemented in order to prevent any unwanted attention. It has taken this long for all members of leadership of The Core to agree that a minimal investigation of the uncharted dimensional space could be logistically possible. Details are scarce at this time, but the number of Amadesin descendants are said to number in the millions...possibly billions. A great deal of resources have been allocated to creating, demonstrating, and protecting the Right Eye Papers, but Martian representatives assure the public that a more complete investigation into this second major intergalactic issue will begin within the next few weeks. A source inside the authority has revealed that these Amadesins in particular derive from the Ellaraitch school of thought, and execute a form of indentured servitude and compartmentalization in order to attain their goals. As far as the infiltration mission goes, members of the Isala administration have all agreed that the elite team should be comprised exclusively of humans. Because little is known regarding the current level of Amadesis technology, scientists from Levida have concluded that it would be too dangerous to include Martian Arsenic suiters. Their true nature may be discovered quickly, placing the entire mission at risk. A representative from the Eridani military contingency has spoken up as well, promising the public that preventing war is of the utmost priority for all those involved, at least on our side of the dimensional brinks. The number one priority, however, is...well, Priority One; which obligates any member of deveiled society to act in the best interest of safety for everyone, regardless of cultural or developmental consequences. Specifics on the mission will be released at a later date, possibly following the effort, in order to preserve universal security.

Microstory 63: Martian Law 101

According to Martian Law, it is illegal to recruit a civilian for investigations (e.g. wearing a wire near criminals to obtain a confession). This would place undue risk on the civilian. Whether they have committed crimes of their own is irrelevant. They are never responsible for the enforcement of the law. Martian Law allows for emergency civilian deputizing when manpower is low. They are allowed to pursue and arrest, but still not investigate, and their arrests are subject to much more scrutiny than a trained officer’s arrests would be. There is no such thing as fruits of the poisonous tree. If an officer finds incriminating evidence, they’re fine. If they pursue evidence, but find none, they’re in trouble, so they better be pretty darn sure there’s something to find. Martian law enforcement holds jurisdiction over any culture in the biverse that forms anytime after Mars, the exception being Earth. The reason Earth is protected by Martian Law, but not subject to it, dates back to a policy formed billions of years ago that no one remembers. The idea that Earth must be protected, but free from interference, is so old and inherent that no one knows when or how this cosmological rule went into effect. There are only two cultures that resist the Martians, and the rest of the universe is in a constant state of war with them. For the most part, however, The Exiles just want to be left alone. The Thuriamen, on the other hand, believe their own laws to be superior. Rather, they do not care whether they’re superior or not; they are seeking control either way.

The tree from which poisonous fruit falls.

Microstory 53: “Mar” Laws

• Martial Law: state of emergency when the government is taken over by the military.
• Martian Law: a set of laws developed and enforced by the Mascos.
• Marshal Law: when the government is decentralized and each region is run by local militia.
• Marshall Laws: a set of amendments designed to limit law-making so that local law enforcement does not contradict, override, or otherwise interfere with parent-state law (named after primary advocate Frederick K. Marshall).
• Marshell Law: commonly used slang term to describe environmental laws and regulations specific to bodies of water and adjoining land (marshell is a synonym for seashell).
• Mere-shill Law: derogatory term used to describe incompetent elected officials who rely too heavily on advisors (not necessarily the mother), and who are merely a mouthpiece for the true leader.
• Marital Law: a set of conventions specific to married persons.
• Marcia Clause: the only in-text amendment to the constitution, clarifying child labor to be any work performed by persons under the standard age of 12 that is either paid, or resembles a position that is more often paid (created after the case of Marcia Atenheim v. Blanchard Atenheim in 1746 which involved household chores that were unreasonably strenuous for Marcia's age).
• Margin Laws: set of laws that regulate both the physical and virtual distances an adult-oriented product or service must be from children or child-oriented products or services. It also established a "half the age plus six" rule that governs age of consent (with a minimum age of 13).

Microstory 13: The Direct Line

In the Earthan year of 1984, a witch on the planet Persephone named Indira Felrey was discovered to be using Craft to commit crimes. Witchcraft itself was not illegal, however, certain practices resulted in outcomes that were necessarily against Martian Law. Unfit for general prison sentence, she was instead exiled to Earth where Craft was fundamentally impossible. The hidden structure of the universe prevented the exploits of Craft from ever being an issue within the Sol System.

Contrary to common lore, witchcraft does not rely on magic. Magic does not exist. Witches are in tune with an ancient infrastructure built billions of years ago. The maintainers of the structure spent hundreds of years connecting every living and non-living entity in the universe in order to study them and keep records.

No one is born a witch. Anyone can learn Craft. Some are able to learn the secrets quicker than others, but this is true of any skill. Witches exploit unavoidable functions of the structure in order to complete tasks and gain insight into the cosmos. This inherently limits their spells to a finite number of physically possible Engagements. In reality, they are voice commands, as one would use on a smartphone.

In 1987, the witch Indira Felrey discovered an authentication bypass that allowed her access to the structure while still on Earth. She opened a portal that she programmed to map the entirety of the surface of the planet. Only after it was finished could Craft be used on Earth, though still with some restrictions, due to different cosmological procedures. During a metaphysical crisis within the structure, The Supervisor and a rogue archief discovered the witch's glitch as it began. They could have shut it down, but they decided to let it play out and see what came of it. Indira died of natural causes before the mapping program could be completed in 1991, but the Archief and The Supervisor soon realized that they would be able to use the exploit for their own purposes.

And thus began one of the most important endeavors in the history of the universe, The Direct Line.