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I don't care.

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I don't care.

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Total Members Voted: 0

Voting closed: January 04, 2021, 02:28:47 am

[Naturegirl1999]

This is true. Nicole did mention "I'm not going to be one of those toadies who fears you if you want me to advise you. I'm not William and Emma -- I'll put my boot in your ass if you need it."
This last part I’m assuming means she will tell us when we’re wrong/making a poor decision, Hugh I am not the best at idiom interpretation
The purpose of advisors are to advise us, not tell us everything we’re doing is perfect. The more advisors we have, the more perspectives we gain

[ZBridges]

That seems fair. I retract my objections.

[ZBridges]

I do want you as an advisor

+1. "I value your insight and your willingness to speak truth to me."

[Superdorf]

Ah-hm... we may need to lay down some form of house arrest as well. Nicole spearheaded an insurgency against us-- it'd set a troublesome precedent, to simply let that slide.

[ZBridges]

I agree that there should be some form of punishment. We lost a lot of Thorntons, so maybe William should have a say in this.

[King Zultan]

I do want you as an advisor

+1. "I value your insight and your willingness to speak truth to me."

+1

lets just leave the house arrest to not letting her leave, especial since last time we punished someone we ripped off his arm.

[19_EgarAlnis]

"Could you leave for a moment?" You request of Nicole, and she hesitates, before dipping her head and stepping into the other room. You breathe a heavy sigh and call in William and Emma. They don't take long to re-emerge, but when they do they don't seem very happy. Both are wearing heavy frowns.

"William and Emma, I wanted your recommendations on what punishment Nicole should receive. Your soldiers are the ones that lost their lives capturing her -- you should have a say."

"Death." Emma states, with finality. She didn't even have to hesitate -- but she continues after looking at you. "But William told me what the situation is. No one besides us knows what really happened in the Steelworks. Publically, no one knows your grandmother tried to rebel. So, instead of her head on a platter -- we want a reward."

"What do you want?"

"Steelworks Number Nine. It rightfully belongs to us anyway."

[Naturegirl1999]

Granted

[Superdorf]

Unsettling.

I deem this transaction... acceptable. If any here deems otherwise, ancient voice or honored host: I ask that you speak.

[ZBridges]

Does this imply self-government and permission to raise armies? If so, the other Families could become envious and fight for the same rights.  However, I don't feel strongly enough about it to reject it, and I do think the Thorntons have earned a reward.

[19_EgarAlnis]

"Then we have a gift for you." Emma withdraws a folder from her coat. You skim through it, taking a seat next to the telescope as you read.

...its a document detailing plans to turn Steelworks Number Nine, to be known as Thornig after the war, into a district dedicated to the production of Warmachines, also known as Void Operation Troops.  Looms, Algae Tanks, Integrated Circuitry Factories, Behavioral Modification Tanks, Las-gun factories -- all built using labor paid in subsistence wages. A brutal, grinding program of military modernization, with a massive bunker complex and surface-level fortress included. Within ten years, they expect full regiments of fanatic Warmachines to be produced in a matter of months...

The other documents show how this would be possible, how for the short term, they would use contracted Outlanders working at subsistence wages, to be paid a nice bundle of credits after they finish. They would also grant unused land to these Outlanders, and lay a huge claim on the Outlands themselves. After production of requisite facilities, they would use Loomed and Automated Labor to reach the required level of development.

Following that, they would use rapid-growth loom techniques to produce -blanks-, which would then be indoctrinated as basic soldiers. These blanks, would, if need be, placed into cryogenic storage until necessary. Every tenth Warmachine would be a Loomed Commander, which will require a different, hands-on training program, lead by former soldiers. These programs are, apparently, on the cube as well, attached to the blueprints for the Cognitive Behavior Pods.

One of the details you notice, however, is the lifespan of the rank and file 'blanks' -- the rapid growth program, where the subject is brought to maturity in a matter of weeks apparently results in an incredibly short lifespan for a baseline human. Whereas Homo Fundamentum has a lifespan averaging at one hundred and fifty -- these individuals will have one of thirty years. All downtime and VOID travel will be spent within a cryo-pod.

[ZBridges]

Hmm. Is this unethical? We could definitely make use of what they're proposing.

[Superdorf]

...

Picture, if you will, a creature born to war.
Raised to war. Doomed to war.
Blood-- fire-- the oblivion of a cryo-pod. These SEEDlings will know nothing else.
They will accept this as their lot. They will be trained after the fashion of zealots. They will live for the story they're told.
They will die with smiles on their lips.

What will their minds be like, that they are made in this way? They are children, trained to the slaughter.
They will be fiercely alien. Worse: they will be mightily, irrevocably human.

Human.

...

Is this ethical?
By no means.

Is this necessary?
I believe so.

Against the Plague, much can be justified. Much can be justified-- so long as we understand what we do, and remember always why we do it. This is key.
This is key.

[King Zultan]

I'm all for mass producing soldiers, but aren't we going to be ditching the planet withing ten years?

[ZBridges]

Magnus doesn't seem that bad to me. Maybe we can stay here after all.

"This looks like just what we need to defeat the Plague. Feel free to let me know if there is anything I can do to help you make this a reality."