Mission Year 20.
Initial establishment and expansion has been proceeding within expected parameters. Several of my exploratory teams have reported contact with the local lifeforms I have dubbed Annellid Cerebrum Terriblis—“Mind Worms”, in layman's terms,—due to their apparent ability to overwhelm their victims through an induced psychic assault, allowing them to devour the victim at their leisure. No doubt due to the superior intelligence of even my most humble citizenry, however, Scout Patrols have managed to acquit themselves well in battle with these Mind Worms, proving once again my old maxim that 'a mind is a terrible thing to have consumed by parasites'. I have directed base expansion from my landing site at Ivory Tower, founding a promising new base I call Buran Prospect on a coastal site with adequate irrigation from nearby rivers and which is additionally enhanced by one of the mysterious “Monoliths” that appear in several places in the nearby landscape. Additional research on these structures is—obviously—already underway. Several lost Unity Rovers and even a Unity Foil naval vessel were recovered by my Scout Patrols, allowing for much-needed long range reconnaissance, which in turn revealed several artifacts of unknown origin, one of which I have had linked to our Network Node at Buran Prospect, leading to some very intriguing research breakthroughs in weapons technology.
Another such artifact was discovered by a Scout Rover traveling farther afield, and is currently being escorted towards the site where I hope to establish another new base. As much as these discoveries please me, however, reports have also come in of several large “Xenofungal Blooms” to the north. Xenofungus, the crimson, fantastically shaped fungus which covers vast tracts of Planet's thus-far-discovered surface, provides an impediment to the mobility of my own forces as well as a breeding ground for Mind Worms, and as such its extreme density in the northwestern sector of my territory is a cause for lasting concern. Fortunately the “Former” terraformer units we have recently brought online report that they are able, given time, to remove this Xenofungus entirely from a given area. My Formers will cut the fungus away from Planet like a surgeon's scalpel slicing away necrotic tissue, and my people will flourish in the new territories that are uncovered.
—Academician Prokhor Zakharov, Mission Log
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My my, Zakie. It appears I've stumbled into your personal logs! Do forgive the intrusion. I must say that I found it quite simple to gain entrance to your network. It seems your computer techs share your lack of ethics, and it's nice to see that a well-placed bribe is as effective among the so-called intellectual elite as it I've always found it to be. Some things never change, apparently.
ReplyDeleteAnd while we're on the subject of things that never change, I believe you many need some schooling on the subject of human nature, my friend, for it seems you still fail to comprehend it.
We are all motivated not by curiosity, not by compassion, not by rage or fear, by but by simple self interest. It is of course often necessary to be curious, compassionate, or violent in the service of satisfying one's impulses, desires, and needs, but by narrowly drilling down to scientific curiosity, you deny your citizens the opportunities they so crave. This is the origin of the societal strife you desire to engineer away.
What of the humble farmer? The man who dreams of owning an accounting firm? The old sea dog whose idea of a good time is swilling rum and feeding mind worms to his parrot?
These man are stifled in a rigid, intellectually fixed system in which they are practically death-marched toward knowledge that may terrify them, demean them, or depress them beyond words.
And for the record, I have never seen for to "nerve staple" my loyal citizens. What's wrong with a good Rover Rick watchvid full of subliminal messages for those times when moods are darkened?
Simply food for thought from the marketplace of ideas.
Your faithful watchman
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** BEGIN TRACE PROGRAM **
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Cached copy of transmission intercepted.................. OK
Authenticating with 1024-bit DSA as root................. OK
Establishing secure connection.................................. OK
Binding to socket 2271.............................................. FAILED
Rerouting through colony grid 01 'Ivory Tower'.......... OK
Binding to socket 86159:73....................................... OK
Terminal of origin identified: 8A338F:MI
Cross-referencing terminal address with known hosts.OK
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** WARNING:TERMINAL IS NOT LINKED **
** TO UNIVERSITY NETWORK. POSSIBLE **
** FOREIGN ATTACK DETECTED. **
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Transmission origin: Enterprise Plaza, Morgan Industries (Morganites)
No further information available at this time.
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** RESPONSE **
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Dispatch counter-insurgency routines? (y/n)