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update from sparkleup

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Madison Scott-Clary 2024-03-26 22:40:04 -07:00
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writing/post-self/marsh/011.md
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@ -2,9 +2,9 @@ The next two days passed in relative peace.
There were a few more meetings with phys-side, usually with just Günay, but sometimes Jakub or another administrator peeked in. They all seemed to be rather cowed by the sys-side administration, such as it was. I chalked this up to the fact — later confirmed by Dry Grass — that there had been other talks beside between the latent Temporary Administrative Council and the System Consortium. Talks which had been far more tense.
Although phys-side remained in control of a few aspects, they had quickly ceded the rest to us once more.
Although phys-side remained in control of a few aspects, they had quickly ceded the rest to us once more, including ungating communications between Lagrange and Earth.
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This included ungating all communication between Lagrange and both of the LVs, leading to a flood of messages from friends and long-diverged cocladists. Reed#Castor had sent me several panicked messages, as had the rest of the clade.
This notably included Marsh, both on Castor and Pollux.
@ -20,10 +20,11 @@ The three of us agreed that we'd hold off until we knew more, both about the sit
None of us knew anyone phys-side. We didn't have the luxury of communications separated by just over two seconds. We didn't have AVEC to help us out at all. All of our friends had either uploaded or died without having done so, and none of our family cared enough to talk to their grandson with however many 'greats' preceded that relationship.
Hanne, however was in yet a different situation. While her parents had long since died, her siblings had not, though by now they were quite old. Their communications were tearful reconnections, hasty requests for just what the fuck had happened.
Hanne, however was in yet a different situation. While her parents had long since died, her siblings had not, though by now they were quite old. Their communications were tearful reconnections, hasty requests for information on just what the fuck had happened.
As for that particular question, we learned quite a bit more.
As for that particular question, we had the chance to learn quite a bit more.
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The process of restarting Lagrange included a new wrinkle. Every time they restarted, more and more instances seemed to be unrecoverable. Even with the help that the LVs had provided in drastically reducing the number of unrecoverable instances, each time the System was brought up, the number of crashes seemed to increase. There was a core of about twenty billion that remained unrecoverable no matter what, but the number climbed by hundreds of millions with each restart, with different instances among the remainder.
Dry Grass had been particularly affected by this. Her up-tree, In The Wind, seemed to have been instrumental in helping returning functionality, and yet had not manged to make it through the last three restarts.
@ -33,16 +34,18 @@ On hearing this news, she disappeared for nearly twelve hours, all of her instan
She and I also started spending more time together, with the next two lunches being just the two of us together. While I had memories of learning all about her through Tule, she was keen on learning about me in turn. She wanted to know what my take was on why Marsh had uploaded, explaining that both Cress and Tule had differing thoughts on the matter. She wanted to know why it was that I had slipped back into that transmasculine identity. She wanted to know how it was that Hanne and I had found each other, had fallen in love.
I mostly wanted to know — though I never asked — how it was that I was falling so rapidly for her in turn. I turned that question over and over in my head, leaning on it for comfort whenever thoughts of Marsh struggled to overwhelm me.
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When at last the group of representative clades met up again, we were joined by yet another Odist, I Cannot Stop Myself From Speaking, a bobcat who moved silently on soft-padded paws, whose voice was quiet and yet demanding of attention.
When at last the group of representative clades met up again, we were joined by yet another Odist, I Cannot Stop Myself From Speaking, a bobcat furry who moved silently on soft-padded paws, whose voice was quiet and yet demanding of attention.
Also joining us on phys-side were Günay and Jakub, along with one of the information security officers, a dour person named en4, who introduced themself as a member of The London Cohort of New Zealots, a conservative collective from whom the Our Brightest Lights Collective had split. LCNZ had apparently proven itself to not be conservative enough, and the far more militant OBLC had left to join a coalition of fundamentalist collectives and like-minded individuals in order to orchestrate the Century Attack.
Also joining us on phys-side were Günay and Jakub, along with one of the information security officers, a dour person named en4, who introduced themself as a member of The London Cohort of New Zealots, a conservative collective from whom the Our Brightest Lights Collective had split some decades prior. LCNZ had apparently proven itself to not be conservative enough, and the far more militant OBLC had left to join a coalition of fundamentalist collectives and like-minded individuals in order to orchestrate the Century Attack.
"The LCNZ sternly and unquestionably disavows the action of the OBLC," they began. "Their actions are truly reprehensible, and despite our generally distant relationship with the System, we harbor no ill-will to any of you, even the Ode and Jonas clades."
"Even us?" Answers Will Not Help asked, a sneer painted on her face, voice dripping with sarcasm. "*Even us?* What is it that we have ever done to you, my dear?"
"Even us?" Answers Will Not Help asked, a sneer painted on her face, voice dripping with sarcasm. "*Even us?* And what is it that we have ever done to you, my dear?"
Their face remained impassive. "We, like the original Zealot Cohorts, hold a rather poor opinion of those named in the Bălans' *An Expanded History of Our World*. We acknowledge that it was a sensationalized work, as expressed in the Bălans' own words, and those of Sasha in her *Ode*, but it is hard to let go of prejudices."
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Their face remained impassive. "We, like the original Zealot Cohorts, hold a rather poor opinion of those named in the Bălans' *An Expanded History of Our World*. We acknowledge that it was a sensationalized work, as expressed in the Bălans' own words in *Individuation and Reconciliation*, and those of Sasha in her *Ode*, but it is hard to let go of prejudices."
Answers Will Not Help scoffed.
@ -78,15 +81,15 @@ They smiled blandly. "Yes, we took inspiration for our naming scheme from your c
"Fucking gross."
Smile unwavering, en4 said, "No comment on that decision at this time."
Smile unwavering, en4 said, "We have no comment on that decision at this time."
"Why do you even work with the System if you hate us so much?"
"Because 2.3 tillion people live on the System," they said. "That is 2.3 trillion lives. We agree on that, yes?"
"Because 2.3 trillion people live on the System," they said. "That is 2.3 trillion lives. We agree on that, yes?"
Nods around the table.
"2.3 trillion lives, then. 2.3 trillion lives that were taken from us here on Earth. 2.3 trillion minds in TODO COUNT uploads that might have lived full lives here among us phys-side. We resent that they were, and yet our only recourse is — must be — to keep them alive, to ensure that they at least remain among the living in some form or another." Their gaze drifted to the three present Odists. "We, too, desire nothing but the stability and continuity of the System, just for different reasons. This instance of us is an ISO specifically to live up to our own principles."
"2.3 trillion lives, then. 2.3 trillion lives that were taken from us here on Earth. 2.3 trillion minds in almost twenty billion uploads that might have lived full lives here among us phys-side. We resent that they were, and yet our only recourse is — must be — to keep them alive, to ensure that they at least remain among the living in some form or another." Their gaze drifted to the three present Odists. "We, too, desire nothing but the stability and continuity of the System, just for different reasons. This instance of us is an ISO specifically to live up to our own principles."
All three of the Odists nodded, expressions varying from serious to vaguely disgusted.