update from sparkleup

writing/post-self/toledot/index.md

@@ -108,9 +108,9 @@ Nearing the 200th anniversary of System secession from humanity, the System and
     * [ ] [Secession: sys-side: True Name](secession/sys/True-Name/008) - Council meets, celebrates; after, meets with Jonas to discuss ways to ensure stability going forward (growth = irreversibility)
     * [ ] [Launch: sys-side: Ioan](launch/sys/Ioan/011) - Ioan interviews True Name, finds out she's still everywhere w/ Jonas, steering system, difference between conservatives/liberals is scale of manipulation, liberals think too small (see quote below)
     * [ ] [Secession: sys-side: Michelle](secession/sys/Michelle/004) - Acknowledges a few years after dissolution of Council that the clade has gotten out of hand, hints that she basically died when forking, irreversible, muses on how broken she must have been to lead to this situation, goes largely into seclusion to keep herself calm/stable, talking only to May Then My Name and a few others
-    * [ ] [Launch: sys-side: Ioan](launch/sys/Ioan/012) - kind of freaks out at May b/c like finding out your in-laws-ish are the illuminati, though ey comes around because a) she explains need for control as trauma response, and b) tells myth in progress, about how the gods created the world in an attempt to shape it to their will, but instead became impersonal forces in the face of absolute independence; Ioan and May finally fucking get together, discuss irreversibility of that act, since Ioan didn't fork like Codrin
+    * [ ] [Launch: sys-side: Ioan](launch/sys/Ioan/012) - Discusses role of each stanza; kind of freaks out at May b/c like finding out your in-laws-ish are the illuminati, though ey comes around because a) she explains need for control as trauma response, and b) tells myth in progress, about how the gods created the world in an attempt to shape it to their will, but instead became impersonal forces in the face of absolute independence; Ioan and May finally fucking get together, discuss irreversibility of that act, since Ioan didn't fork like Codrin
     * [ ] [Launch: launch-side: Codrin#Pollux](launch/launch/Codrin-pollux/008) - Interviews Dear about just how much influence the Ode clade had/still has, what's next (death = irreversible, basically a do-over of the first interview)
-    * [ ] [Launch: sys-side: Ioan](launch/sys/Ioan/013) -if the clade exists to explore/exploit need as trauma responses, what do each of the stanzas do (True Name's: political machinations; Praiseworthy's: artistic machinations; Qoheleth's: history/memory machinations), liberal side (not always later lines) has grown more earnest, rebelling against need to control, discusses future with May; sets up visit to Michelle's meadow on one year anniversary as a meaningful thing (but actually to meet with Douglas)
+    * [-] REJECTED - combined with previous Ioan chapter <!--[Launch: sys-side: Ioan](launch/sys/Ioan/013) -if the clade exists to explore/exploit need as trauma responses, what do each of the stanzas do (True Name's: political machinations; Praiseworthy's: artistic machinations; Qoheleth's: history/memory machinations), liberal side (not always later lines) has grown more earnest, rebelling against need to control, discusses future with May; sets up visit to Michelle's meadow on one year anniversary as a meaningful thing (but actually to meet with Douglas)-->
     * [ ] [Launch: phys-side: Douglas](launch/phys/Douglas/009) - Douglas uploads on one year anniversary, talks about necessity of not being on launches, met by Ioan (who organized it as a surprise and gave him basic instructions on how to be clothed and presentable right off the bat) and May in dandelion sim (as TN met Yared), learns about Michelle/Ode Clade via how they got their names. (learning = irreversibility)
 * [.] Epilogue
     * [.] [Launch: launch-side: Codrin#Castor](launch/launch/Codrin-castor/009) - Castor launch's Dreamer Module picks up a signal from another similar ship (actually impersonal POV, though Codrin breaks in occasionally? Ey talked w/ astronomer), Dreamer Module turns out to also contain detailed instructions on how to grow a human. Last bit of irreversibility: can't un-meet a new species (~20 years after launch, into Oort cloud)

writing/post-self/toledot/launch/launch/Codrin-castor/008.md

@@ -50,4 +50,26 @@ True Name nodded. "It was, yes."
 
 "I suppose, not," ey said.
 
-"But perhaps we ought to talk about Michelle, as well. I also said in that interview that I no longer considered myself Michelle Hadje, having diverged too far from her to be the same person. That is why we had no real compunctions about influencing her as well."
+"But perhaps we ought to talk about Michelle, as well. I also said in that interview that I no longer considered myself Michelle Hadje, having diverged too far from her to be the same person. That is why we had no real compunctions about influencing her as well. That began many years back, of course, but when your root instance makes a suggestion to you, you are quite likely to follow it, are you not? That provides quite a useful tool when interfacing with all elements of the clade, so we decided to take advantage of that early on."
+
+"You...influenced Michelle to steer the Clade?"
+
+True Name nodded, smiling. "It is what we are good at, yes, so we nudged her to suggest what she did to the first lines, all vague pronouncements, which helped us guide everyone toward the project."
+
+"And did you nudge her to quit?"
+
+The skunk did not speak. A non-answer that spoke volumes.
+
+Codrin spent a minute tamping down eir temper. Ey had, after all, promised to remain calm. When ey felt like ey could speak in a level tone of voice, ey asked, "So you began the project of the launch long before it was really an open discussion. What were the various aspects involved in that?"
+
+"There were three aspects involved. Phys-side political, sys-side political, and technological. Sys-side was, as always, the easiest. Hardly anything to be done. Phys-side, we had to pull quite a few more strings. Technologically, it simply involved the right organizations funded, the right people hired at those organizations --- as our dear Douglas was --- the right scientists put in charge of the right projects. Do you need further details on that? I can speak at length, but want to respect your time and energy, if you have additional questions."
+
+"To confirm, you influenced Michelle Hadje to ensure the clade worked with the launch project, influenced politics phys-side to ensure that support would be there, and made sure Douglas was part of the team?"
+
+"We made sure that the team was the team. Douglas was a bonus. He was impressionable at a young age, so we steered him toward being an Ansible tech, ensured he made it to the station, and were happy to see how good a fit he was for the role of launch director." True Name smiled, "I have talked with him a few times, though he did not know who I was when I did so. He is very nice, and very happy in his position, proud of how far he has gotten. Do not confuse influence with some form of numbing mind control. It is important that the people we work with do things of their own, happy volition, even if they were originally our ideas."
+
+Codrin nodded. "Well, if he's happy, then I suppose that's a good thing."
+
+True Name beamed. "Of course."
+
+"And Michelle quitting?