update from sparkleup

writing/post-self/toledot/launch/launch/Codrin-green/002.md

@@ -103,3 +103,95 @@ And then it's story, building a ascetic cult until it had been killed by its fol
 All the same, eir frustration had burned itself out, and all that remained was exhaustion and worry. Ey would forever worry about Dear, seeing how brightly the fox flared, that some of the madness that it had said plagued the Odists, whether from age or from something before uploading, surely dwelt within it as well.
 
 As the sky purpled, Codrin sighed and stood up once more, stretching and beginning the long walk home. Ey could just arrive there, but the walk felt necessary to process so many strangely-shaped thoughts.
+
+Dear and its partner were waiting to greet em when ey returned home, each with a kiss in turn. The sun had slid fully below the endlessly distant horizon, and while ey had spent full nights out in the prairie once or twice, those had been preceded by arguments (both of which had been fallout from eir newness to the concept of relationships), and since this one had not, the two had started to get worried.
+
+"Dinner's ready whenever you are."
+
+Ey perked up and nodded, "Very ready. Sorry for staying out so long."
+
+Dear shook its head. *"I was worried, but I always worry. Did you sort out whatever needed sorting out?"*
+
+"Mm, halfway, perhaps?" Ey nodded toward the table, where the settings had been placed. Ey smelled the tang of sauerkraut, the smokiness of paprika. "Shall we?"
+
+*"Thank fuck. If you had insisted on keeping us out here to talk our ears off, I would have filed a petition to have you censured."*
+
+"Dear," its partner said. "Don't be a shit."
+
+Codrin laughed. "No, no. It's okay. I'm doing fine. Dear's alright."
+
+*"Mx. Codrin Balan!"* the fox growled, stamping its foot. *"I have just been called a shit, do not take this moment from me."*
+
+"Alright, you little shit. Have your moment at the table."
+
+It looked proud, bowing extravagantly and leading them into the dining room, where they dined on szekely gulyas and spaetzel and chatted amiably about only the small things.
+
+Dear, having clearly waited until the food had disappeared, finally spoke in a tone that told Codrin that it had been scripting the line since ey had returned home. *"Now, will you tell us why you went for your walkabout? Was it just for alone time, or did it have to do with where our conversation ended this morning? I have thought myself in circles about that, but want to hear your take before I burden you with mine."*
+
+Codrin stalled for time by pouring emself some wine, trying to decide where to begin. "Alright. I can accept that you have your reasons for leaving the System behind. I think all three of us do. I would like to know why, but at your own pace. I had a thought out there, though. When did you say Michelle uploaded?"
+
+The fox very carefully set its wine glass down. Codrin noticed that it's paw had begun to shake. *"Did you go looking?"* it asked.
+
+Ey blinked, startled at the change of its demeanor. "No. You said the 2130s, and I had no reason to doubt you. Should I have?"
+
+*"No, of course not."*
+
+Its partner had a strange look on their face, somewhere between dread and anxiety.
+
+"Isn't that what you said?"
+
+*"Yes, it was. It was. That was after the launch, but early enough to be plausibly within the realm of 'founders' as I had said."* It cleared its throat, composed itself. *"You may add this to your histories, but I would like the chance to read over what you write before you commit it."*
+
+Codrin shrugged, nodded. "If it's a story about you, I don't see a reason why not."
+
+*"Thank you, dear. But no, I uploaded in 2117. I --- Michelle --- was one of the Council of Eight."*
+
+Ey coughed on eir next sip of wine. "What? You were? Uh...holy shit." Ey looked to it's partner. "You knew this? I don't mean that in an accusatory way, sorry. I'm just a little shocked. More than a little."
+
+"Yes. I left it up to Dear to tell you. It's tight-lipped about that."
+
+*"It is there for anyone to look up, but most who look it up do not seem to care very much, or find it simply a curiosity."*
+
+"So you were there for Secession? For the L<sub>5</sub> launch?"
+
+*"Not this instance, but yes. Did you read up on the lost for your publication?"* It shook its head. *"You must have, yes, I remember. Do you remember Debarre?"*
+
+Codrin nodded dumbly.
+
+*"We pooled our money and uploaded together. He was also on the Council."* Dear sighed and rotated its wine glass anxiously on the tabletop. *"Michelle soon became unable to participate in the council --- you saw her before she...before she quit --- so she forked the first ten lines, dumping a good chunk of her reputation into the process, and talked the council into letting them sit in her place."*
+
+"So it became the council of eighteen? Er...seventeen?"
+
+*"No, no. Not at first, at least. The deal she struck with the other members of the Council was that her responsibility would be split evenly among the ten. At first, only The Only Time I Know My True Name Is When I Dream was the only one to sit council, then as her responsibilities to the secession process began to grow, more of Michelle's ongoing projects were given to further first lines."*
+
+"You said not at first. Is that how she --- the Odists --- wound up with more than an equal share of power?"
+
+Dear nodded. *"It was slow and subtle, and, at first, unintentional. She was--"*
+
+"'At first'?"
+
+It sighed. *"This is the part that keeps me tight-lipped."*
+
+Codrin nodded for it to continue.
+
+*"She was the origin of a lot of projects, you must understand. She and Zeke, one of the other council members, helped implement the idea of forking. She and Debarre helped implement the reputation market to limit that, given the technical limitations of the early System."*
+
+"And Secession?"
+
+*"Her and Jonas, yes."*
+
+"Secession was initially the idea of one of the phys-side campaigners," its partner said. "Initially they were campaigning for individual rights, and that debate intensified when news of forking reached the outside world"
+
+*"Yes. There were some truly ugly suggestions from phys-side. Mostly on the DDR --- did that still exist when you uploaded?"*
+
+Codrin shook eir head. "At least, I don't know the acronym."
+
+*"It stood for Direct Democracy Representative. It was a silly idea to allow for members of the public to have direct debates and to vote on referenda."* Dear's expression soured. *"A terrible idea, I should say. It is what lead to the lost debacle, and we learned nothing from it. It was still heavily used when Michelle uploaded, and the debates surrounding individual rights on the DDR were heated. Some wanted to treat it --- the System, that is --- as essentially an employer, having those who uploaded be treated as employees who must work to earn their place. This, I think, stemmed from the fact that many who uploaded were middle or upper middle class. The wealthy remained, preferring to keep their wealth, and the lower classes could not afford it.*
+
+*"Some who uploaded agreed, at least after a fashion. They suspected that they would be brains-in-a-jar who would be able to devote themselves entirely to their science or art. Those phys-side wished to use uploads to drive factories or fly planes or what have you. Menial labor. Capitalism is ever the opportunist, and we were seen as tools, as was any employee."*
+
+"That sounds frankly disgusting." Ey thought a moment, then shook eir head. "Or impossible."
+
+"Capitalism was never one to let impossibility stand in its way," Dear's partner laughed.
+
+*"Yes, well, there were at least still those phys-side who wished to help. Dreamers to the last."* It smiled fondly. *"Many of them uploaded. You have doubtless talked to a few without knowing. I don't believe Yared --- he was our biggest champion --- decided on joining the Launch. Perhaps I will nudge Ioan to him if May does not do so first."*