update from sparkleup
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Madison Scott-Clary
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<li class="done4"> <a href="secession/phys/Yared/005.html">Secession: phys-side; Yared</a> - discusses secession with True Name/Jonas despite the fact that he isn’t supposed to, gets help drafting the post with suggested changes from Demma - 2852</li>
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<li class="done4"> <a href="launch/launch/Codrin-castor/004.html">Launch: launch-side: Codrin#Castor</a> - Distracted, interviews depressed astronomer who knows this is as close as he’ll ever get, but studies all the same through text, learn more about Dreamer Module (phys-side idea that got past resistance sys-side, implied Jonas/True Name) - 3680</li>
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<li class="done4"> <a href="launch/phys/Douglas/006.html">Launch: phys-side: Douglas</a> - Talks with May about launch-era political machinations from phys-side - 2140</li>
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<li class="done3"> <a href="secession/sys/True-Name/003.html">Secession: sys-side: True Name</a> - Starts to think of phys/sys dichotomy in political terms, forks on the sly (only Jonas knows), so that forks can handle both, leaving her as figurehead who appears to know all - 2765</li>
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<li class="done4"> <a href="secession/sys/True-Name/003.html">Secession: sys-side: True Name</a> - Starts to think of phys/sys dichotomy in political terms, forks on the sly (only Jonas knows), so that forks can handle both, leaving her as figurehead who appears to know all - 2765</li>
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<li class="done3"> <a href="launch/launch/Codrin-pollux/004.html">Launch: launch-side: Codrin#Pollux</a> - talks with Dear about secession and the mood before and after in general, but also w/in clade, Dear hints that Praiseworthy started shaping the history even before secession and the art of propaganda - 2265</li>
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<li class="done3"> <a href="launch/sys/Ioan/006.html">Launch: sys-side: Ioan</a> - Ioan and May share growing concerns from LV messages - 2034 (probably needs work)</li>
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<li class="done3"> <a href="secession/phys/Yared/006.html">Secession: phys-side: Yared</a> - Demma is a bit grumpy that Yared talked to sys-side, but mostly pleased that they seem to be on board with it; presses Yared for more information, hints at distates for System; told to ignore latest update, team will get him a new one. - 2939</li>
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@ -18,13 +18,13 @@
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<p>Eventually, Dear’s partner had knocked on the door to eir glass-walled office, and Codrin let them in, where they leaned back against the edge of eir desk.</p>
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<p>“Do you know of any wild restaurants?” they had asked.</p>
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<p>“Wild?”</p>
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<p>“Yeah. You know, crazy experiences, or maybe they’re really busy, or kind of raucous. Some sort of theme. Anything like that.”</p>
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<p>“Yeah. You know, crazy experiences, or maybe they’re really busy or raucous. Some sort of theme. Anything like that.”</p>
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<p>Codrin had searched through eir memory, then shrugged. “Does a back-alley food court work?”</p>
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<p>They laughed. “How in the world to ‘back-alley’ and ‘food court’ work together?”</p>
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<p>They laughed. “How in the world do ‘back-alley’ and ‘food court’ work together?”</p>
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<p>“I have no idea. You walk down this street, and there’s just this awning sticking out over a narrow alley. Smells like hell, but when you get through it, there’s this courtyard, and all of the walls are various stalls of different food. Most of it’s dumplings and buns and stuff like that, but I found it because there’s a place there that serves, of all things, really good tacos.”</p>
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<p>“Sounds about right. Come on.”</p>
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<p>They had walked back around the patio and into the main house and Dear’s partner surveyed the scene, of various foxes in various states of activity or various moods, then walked up to one scribbling on a notepad at its desk, grabbed a fistful of fur and loose skin at the name of its neck in their hand, lifted the fox to its feet, and shook it gently. All of the forks that had been littering the house quit in an instant.</p>
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<p><em>“Oh, is it dinner time?”</em> It had looked bedraggled, limp, unsteady, and a glint of some intensity hid in its eyes that Codrin had never seen before.</p>
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<p>They had walked back around the patio and into the main house and Dear’s partner surveyed the scene of various foxes in various states of activity or various moods, then walked up to one scribbling on a notepad at its desk, grabbed a fistful of fur and loose skin at the nape of its neck in their hand, lifted the fox to its feet, and shook it gently. All of the forks that had been littering the house quit in an instant.</p>
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<p><em>“Oh, is it dinner time?”</em> It had looked bedraggled, limp, unsteady, and a glint of some intensity that Codrin had never seen before hid in its eyes.</p>
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<p>“Yeah. Come on. Codrin knows a place.”</p>
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<p>There had never been a full explanation of what it was that happened, but as they dined on plates of dumplings, steamed buns, noodles, and tacos, the fox’s heckles began to lay flat, and the erratic twitching of its tail slowed to a more familiar calm. It had spent most of the dinner peering around curiously and talking their ears off.</p>
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<p><em>“Sometimes I overflow,”</em> is all the fox had said when pressed.</p>
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<p><em>“Still, I really must find one soon. I am aware that it is not pleasant for you two when this happens, but it is also unpleasant for me when I do not have direction.”</em></p>
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<p>Dear’s partner shrugged. “We just need to get one of those loose clamps for holding bags shut or hair back in a bun so we can just put it on your scruff when you start getting out of hand.”</p>
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<p><em>“Do you promise?</em> I <em>promise that I will do all in my power to deserve it,”</em> it said, grinning wickedly.</p>
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<p>“Dear, I swear to god.”</p>
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<p>“Dear, I swear to God.”</p>
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<p><em>“If you threaten me with a good time, you will win precisely the prize that you deserve.”</em></p>
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<p>Codrin laughed. “You’re right. We deserve peace and quiet, sometimes.”</p>
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<p>Ey received a fry to the face from the fox, which ey dunked into the shake. “What is this place, anyway?”</p>
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<p><em>“That is a complicated question.”</em> It poked at the last bit of shake with its spoon. <em>“We shall say yes. Elements of the clade were still on the council at that point. This sim is where we celebrated Secession. One of the Odists, Debarre, Zeke, user11824, the Russians, Jonas–“</em></p>
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<p>“Jonas?”</p>
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<p>Dear tilted its head inquisitively.</p>
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<p>“Ezekiel talked about a Jonah. Is that someone else.”</p>
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<p>“Ezekiel talked about a Jonah. Is that someone else?”</p>
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<p><em>“Oh, yes. Same person. Jonah is a name that fits Ezekiel’s current mode of thinking better, I suppose. We were all there, along with our phys-side accomplice in the campaign for secession and the L<sub>5</sub> launch, Yared.</em></p>
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<p><em>“The mood was very celebratory. The council sat in that booth–“</em> it said, nodding toward the corner booth. <em>“–and counted down with everyone. It was all very exciting. Everyone was giddy and laughing, and there were fireworks outside.”</em></p>
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<p>“How crowded was it at that time? I imagine there were far fewer people in the System than there are now, if you had to pay to upload.”</p>
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<p>“I imagine there was some of that during Launch day, too,” Dear’s partner said. “Beyond our party, that is.”</p>
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<p><em>“Perhaps. I do hope so.”</em></p>
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<p>“So, after all of the celebrations died down, was there any real change?”</p>
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<p>Dear shrugged. <em>“Some residual excitement, I suppose. There were some little things that lingered, however, and stuck around. Secession Day, of course, but that is the date that we started using systime in earnest. The actual number chosen as year zero, day zero for systime is a bit more than a year before Secession, and was tied to the creation of the reputation market, such that there was always a time to which it could be synchronized. Before Secession, we still commonly used the calendar they were — and presumably still are — using phys-side, but after, almost everyone switched to using systime. It made logical sense, yes, what with sims not being tied to any particular schedule bound by Earth’s rotation or procession around the Sun, but also it felt like a sign that we were becoming our own nation, our own people.”</em></p>
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<p>Dear shrugged. <em>“Some residual excitement, I suppose. There were some little things that lingered, however, and stuck around. Secession Day, of course, but that is also the date that we started using systime in earnest. The actual number chosen as year zero, day zero for systime is a bit more than a year before Secession, and was tied to the creation of the reputation market, such that there was always a time to which it could be synchronized. Before Secession, we still commonly used the calendar they were — and presumably still are — using phys-side, but after, almost everyone switched to using systime. It made logical sense, yes, what with sims not being tied to any particular schedule bound by Earth’s rotation or procession around the Sun, but also it felt like a sign that we were becoming our own nation, our own people.”</em></p>
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<p>The table grew quiet after this explanation, as the last bite of pie was eaten and the last fry dipped in the last bit of shake.</p>
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<p>“Feel free to tell me to stuff it, but what was your stanza’s role in the whole affair?” Codrin asked.</p>
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<p><em>“You do not need to stuff it, my dear. Each first line had a role to play, after a fashion, and that often informed what the rest of the stanza focuses on, as we are formed from that instance as a template.”</em></p>
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<p>Ey nodded, waiting for the fox to continue.</p>
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<p><em>“Actually, my dear, can you guess? I am one who plays with instances, who finds ways to make others mad and happy and fall in love and get in fights, who guides and shapes sentiments, all by just being myself, and I am one who has turned that into an art.”</em></p>
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<p>“I know I’ve met Praiseworthy, but I don’t know much about her. I know Serene built the house. I think you mentioned that you two were forked when Praiseworthy wanted to explore the ramifications of both instances and sims.”</p>
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<p>“I know I’ve met Praiseworthy, but I don’t know much about her. I know Serene built the house and prairie. I think you mentioned that you two were forked when Praiseworthy’s up-tree instance wanted to explore the ramifications of both instances and sims.”</p>
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<p>As it waited for Codrin to piece together what ey could, the fox scraped the bottom of the shake glass for the last spoonful of ice cream and fed it to its partner. A small affection that made the three of them smile.</p>
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<p>“Can you give me a bit of a hint about Serene?”</p>
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<p><em>“You get one hint, and it will be small. What emotions come to you when you walk the prairie?”</em></p>
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<p><em>“No, you are a ways off from me resenting you, but you are perilously close to me lying to you.”</em></p>
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</article>
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<p>Page generated on 2021-10-13</p>
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<p>Page generated on 2021-10-17</p>
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<p>There was a part of her mind that was tempted to consider those who lived sys-side as some how more perfect beings than those who remained phys-side. But no, that wasn’t quite correct. They were different, yes, but they weren’t some greater form of perfection — or perhaps not entirely.</p>
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<p>Were they perhaps some core difference in ideals? Obviously, given the cost of uploading, there was a natural barrier, but even among the upper-middle and higher classes, there were some who simply chose not to upload. What was the difference? Was it aspirational? Were those who uploaded on some different wavelength from those who stayed behind? There were certainly many who found the whole process abhorrent on a physical level, yes. Of those who found it distasteful on intellectual, emotional, and spiritual levels, what did the prospect of continuing to live phys-side provide that living sys-side did not?</p>
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<p>She couldn’t decide, but there was the logical fallout of that situation, that the two should be treated on a fundamentally different level, when it came to politics.</p>
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<p>There was the slight twinge of a sensory alarm, and she knew that it was time for the meeting with Jonas.</p>
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<p>There was a slight twinge of a sensory alarm, and she knew that it was time for the meeting with Jonas.</p>
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<p>He had chosen a war-gaming room for the meeting. There in the middle of the room was a backlit map of Earth at least five meters long, and scattered across its surface were dozens of chess pieces — knights, pawns, queens — which had been pushed this way and that by long sticks that still rested along the edges of the table.</p>
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<p>A smile quirked at the corner of her mouth. <em>How very like him.</em></p>
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<p>Jonas was sitting at the other end of the table, eating small hors d’oeuvres from a paper plate, cocktail weenies spiked with toothpicks and finger sandwiches.</p>
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<p>Jonas was sitting at the other end of the table, eating small hors d’oeuvres from a paper plate. Cocktail weenies spiked with toothpicks and finger sandwiches.</p>
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<p>As soon as he noticed True Name standing at the edge of the light that lit the table, he grinned and gestured with his plate toward the hot-and-cold buffet lining one of the walls.</p>
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<p><em>Oh well, why not,</em> she thought, willing away the drunkenness and instead loading up a plate with bruschetta and pita crisps with hummus.</p>
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<p>“You’re looking well today,” Jonas said, once he had finished his mouthful. “Have an exciting jaunt?”</p>
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<p>True Name nodded a greeting and focused on her hummus for a few moments.</p>
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<p>Once it was clear that she had reached a pause, Jonas spoke up. “Tell me about your thoughts and plans. I’m curious what it is that required alcohol to understand.”</p>
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<p>“I was thinking about the difference in politics phys-side and sys-side.”</p>
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<p>He sat up straighter, waiting for her to continue.</p>
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<p>He sat up straighter, nodding for her to continue.</p>
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<p>“I think that it is a matter of aspirations. We who have uploaded have different goals in life than those who remain behind. Perhaps it is worth approaching them in different ways.</p>
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<p>“Hmm, that’s true.” He looked thoughtful. “We’ve already been doing that, to an extent.”</p>
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<p>“Yes, but perhaps it is time to do so intentionally. If the goal of politics is to steer groups of individuals, then perhaps it is time to figure out the different ways in which to steer them. The motivations of those on the System are highly independent, surrounding whatever brings them the most freedom to accomplish what it is that they want. Them in particular, rather than large groups, though smaller groups may have goals that are aligned as well.”</p>
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<p>“That’s true.” He looked thoughtful. “We’ve already been doing that, to an extent.”</p>
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<p>“Yes, but out of instinct. Perhaps it is time to do so intentionally. If the goal of politics is to steer groups of individuals, then perhaps it is time to figure out the different ways in which to steer them. The motivations of those on the System are highly independent, surrounding whatever brings them the most freedom to accomplish what it is that they want. Them in particular, rather than large groups, though smaller groups may have goals that are aligned as well.”</p>
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<p>Jonas frowned down to his remaining weenies, then set the plate aside. “And phys-side?”</p>
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<p>“Larger groups. They may feel that they have individual goals, but, whether or not it is in the fore of their thoughts, they know that the best way to accomplish them is to band together with those who share similar enough goals.”</p>
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<p>“An astute observation.”</p>
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<p>“Cocladists, huh? Is that the term we are going with?”</p>
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<p>He shrugged.</p>
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<p>“Well, alright. I will put on some monologues I remember from phys-side.”</p>
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<p>“Alright. Let me know when you do, and I’ll upvote them, too. It’s not like there’s no reason to, we talk often enough as council-members.”</p>
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<p>“Alright. Let me know when you do, and I’ll upvote them, too. It’s not like there’s no reason to, we talk often enough as council-members and the market doesn’t care who upvotes.”</p>
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<p>True Name laughed. After a moment’s concentration, two additional versions of her appeared behind her chair, waved to Jonas, and stepped out of the sim. “I had just enough for two, and I figure two ought to be enough for now.”</p>
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<p>“Do they have equally silly names?”</p>
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<p>Once more, she resisted the urge to bridle at his comment. Instead she smiled sweetly. “Why Ask Questions, Here At The End Of All Things and Why Ask Questions When The Answers Will Not Help.” After a pause, she added, “Why Ask Questions and Answers Will Not Help.”</p>
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<p>The man froze, the last of his cocktail sausages halfway between plate and mouth. That mouth now slowly formed into a devious grin. “You continue to surprise and amaze, my dear.”</p>
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<p>After they had both finished their plates of appetizers and enjoyed a moment of silence, they each began pushing around a few chess pieces off the map.</p>
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<p>“We have Yared in NEAC,” True Name said, pushing a pawn over to Addis Ababa. “And you said you know some in the Western Fed, yes?”</p>
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<p>Jonas nodded, pushing two queens, two pawns, and a knight over the chessboard. The knight in the British aisles, “A judge. He’s easily bribed. We can’t do it ourselves, of course, but we can find those who will. He’ll be useful for influencing some legislation whenever cases regarding uploads come up.”</p>
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<p>One of the queens wound up in Germany, the other on the east coast of North America. “Two representatives. Both were good friends. Both too sly for their own good. I’m surprised they haven’t gotten flushed out, yet, but we can keep using them until they do. I think they’ll be useful in pushing for the legislation — both the core bill, and the launch amendment.”</p>
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<p>Jonas nodded, pushing two queens, two pawns, and a bishop over the chessboard. The bishop in the British aisles: “A judge. He’s easily bribed. We can’t do it ourselves, of course, but we can find those who will. He’ll be useful for influencing some legislation whenever cases regarding uploads come up.”</p>
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<p>One of the queens wound up in Germany, the other on the east coast of North America: “Two representatives. Both were good friends. Both too sly for their own good. I’m surprised they haven’t gotten flushed out, yet, but we can keep using them until they do. I think they’ll be useful in pushing for the legislation — both the core bill, and the launch amendment.”</p>
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<p>“How about the secession amendment?” True Name asked.</p>
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<p>“Probably, assuming there is one.”</p>
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<p>“I think there will be.”</p>
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<p>Jonas gave her a strange look, but instead of replying, pushed one pawn to the toe of Italy’s boot and the other to the northern end of the central corridor. “Two other friends. DDR junkies, mostly, but very loud ones. This one–” he said, tapping at the one on the central corridor. “–is reactionary and easy to influence, if you feed him the right information, and this one–” He tapped the one on Italy. “–is one of those calm-voice-of-reason types. He would be hard to influence, but it sounds like he’s already mostly in agreement with our dear Yared.”</p>
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<p>Jonas gave her a strange look, but instead of replying, pushed one pawn to the toe of Italy’s boot and the other to the northern end of the central corridor: “Two other friends. DDR junkies, mostly, but very loud ones. This one–” he said, tapping at the one on the central corridor. “–is reactionary and easy to influence, if you feed him the right information, and this one–” He tapped the one on Italy. “–is one of those calm-voice-of-reason types. He would be harder to influence, but it sounds like he’s already mostly in agreement with our dear Yared.”</p>
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<p>True Name noticed the lack of names for each of the figures, but said nothing. <em>It is probably for the best. Leaves me some plausible deniability, and keeps me from interacting with his pawns.</em></p>
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<p>“Now, how about sys-side?”</p>
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<p>Jonas shrugged. “The council, of course, plus the owners of some higher-profile sims, and a few perisystem architects.”</p>
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<p>“Alright. I suppose that on my end I don’t have anyone other than the council,” she lied. “And all of my various selves, of course.”</p>
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<p>“Right, you have Debarre in your pocket, and Zeke likes you plenty.”</p>
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<p>He kept throwing her all these little comments that seemed to tempt her to respond emotionally. Was he testing her? Was he watching to see just how much power he had over her?</p>
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<p>Not the best tactic for someone who taught theatre to high-schoolers.</p>
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<p>Not the best tactic for someone who taught theatre to teenagers.</p>
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<p>“I think we’ve got the council mostly locked down when it comes to the idea of independence,” she said, setting down her stick.</p>
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<p>“And your clade?”</p>
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<p>“I have plans for them. Nothing that will get me in trouble with the council, I think.”</p>
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<p>“Not too much more. Demma has been heard to mention the System as a country, but so far hasn’t mentioned the word secession. Yared’s latest post is along similar lines as his last. Fluffy, if you’ll forgive the metaphor. The little bit of us teasing each other went over well, and there were a few comments elsewhere on the ‘net that others caught talking about the fact that at least the System still seemed to have fun in it.”</p>
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<p>“Any other comments about secession that you have seen?”</p>
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<p>He shook his head. “Same little blips from some of the crazier people. More of them, perhaps, but it hasn’t bubbled up too far. There’s a bit more chatter about the legal status of the System independent of other nations, but the S-word hasn’t come up yet. You heard any here sys-side?”</p>
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<p>“Not except between us,” she lied.</p>
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<p>“Not except between us,” she lied again.</p>
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<p>Jonas needn’t know all of her plans, nor that the propaganda work had already begun. Nor, for that matter, that she was still in contact with Dr. Carter Ramirez, phys-side, who still had reputation of her own, her own knight in the British Isles. After all, if he was going to continue to maintain some of his leverage of the situation, oughtn’t she do the same?</p>
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<p>“Alright, well.” Jonas frisbeed his plate into a trash can by the buffet tables. “I guess we’re in a holding pattern on that front until the news breaks elsewhere. Until then, keep kissing babies and shaking hands. Or shaking babies and kissing hands. Or whatever it is that not-a-politicians do.”</p>
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<p>Before she could respond, he winked to her and blipped out of existence, likely back to his home sim.</p>
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<p>True Name remained a while in the sim, falling back into the habit of planning and rumination, memorizing the pieces and their locations that Jonas had pushed onto the board, and thinking about all of the lies she had told today.</p>
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<p>Page generated on 2021-10-13</p>
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<p>Page generated on 2021-10-17</p>
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