Exposition

This follows on from Conversation.

“I suppose that up until then you’d thought that it was our idea for the Emperor to be a member of our family.” Rensa wasn’t quite smiling, “Would you have believed us if we’d told you?”

“Trado certainly wouldn’t have,” Yannic agreed. “Some of his strongest adherents are still unhappy with my elevation. Diligence and a whole lot of hard work seem to be winning most people over.”

“Make sure they understand,” Rensa leaned forward in emphasis, “That if they want to get all experimental they should make sure they wait until you have sons first. When the Emperor dies all accounts on the central system are locked down. Only the new Emperor can reinstate access and grant new access.”

“So the Central Unit said,” Yannic nodded, “Frankly, I went along with it at first because I didn’t want it to shoot me.”

“If we lose access to the central system then we lose access to all our records,” Rensa didn’t think he realised how important that was, “Everything is archived centrally. We would lose the automatic maintenance systems that keep the peripheral information networks running. We would lose visibility of the development plan and warnings of milestone due dates. We particularly can’t afford to miss any hard set milestones.”

“I understand all of that,” Yannic leaned back in his chair, “The Central Unit had to explain some of it from first principles in very small words, but I do understand it. What it didn’t or couldn’t tell me was how all of this got concentrated in one person’s hands.”

“During the Discord our Divine Ancestor, Persis the First Emperor, used his administration privileges to make sure that no-one, including his wife, had as much authority in the system as he did,” she sat back in her chair, “Suohonn may have started the Discord, but by the end of it the other divinities were pretty annoyed with Persis as well. When they went into stasis to remove themselves from direct interaction with the world, one of Persis’ conditions was that he would get to set the parameters for selection of the senior active administrator and he picked a copy of his Y chromosome.” Rensa looked out the window, then back at Yannic, “We weren’t always separate from the rest of the population. During the First Dynasty we married out into the general population and so did the other god lines. Aside from one of our menfolk being Emperor, Persis picked the title too, we were just like everybody else. We were supposed to be part of the general gene pool. Then Javis decided that he should be Emperor, ranted a lot about primacy of blood line apparently, developed a following and staged a coup.” She looked at her lap, “I think he might have been a lot like Trado. He killed his father, became Emperor and used the central system records to track down the members of the god lines and kill them. He kept the women of our bloodline with your colouration,” she indicated his entire person, “As concubines to ‘breed true’ to the ‘divine image’. And he indulged himself and his followers but ignored the development plan, he even destroyed infrastructure. We went from running slightly ahead of schedule to missing milestones – four Emperors over three generations and they used up all our slack and contingency on personal pleasure. When Gilhald staged his coup and founded the Third Dynasty, things were so bad that projections showed that within twelve months we would have lost up to half the population to starvation and thirst.” She looked at Yannic again. “We’ve been trying to make it up ever since, both to the populace and to catch up to the plan.”

“And if too many milestones are failed, the Central Unit takes over or the divinities are reawakened?”

“Yes,” Rensa agreed with him, “Depending on exactly which parameters have been violated. I don’t think we want either of those things to happen.”

“And so we sit here, the last breeding pair of our kind in captivity.” Yannic shifted in his chair, but smiled at her.

Rensa smiled back. “Yes, we are.”

Exposition

This follows on from Conversation.

“I suppose that up until then you’d thought that it was our idea for the Emperor to be a member of our family.” Rensa wasn’t quite smiling, “Would you have believed us if we’d told you?”

“Trado certainly wouldn’t have,” Yannic agreed. “Some of his strongest adherents are still unhappy with my elevation. Diligence and a whole lot of hard work seem to be winning most people over.”

“Make sure they understand,” Rensa leaned forward in emphasis, “That if they want to get all experimental they should make sure they wait until you have sons first. When the Emperor dies all accounts on the central system are locked down. Only the new Emperor can reinstate access and grant new access.”

“So the Central Unit said,” Yannic nodded, “Frankly, I went along with it at first because I didn’t want it to shoot me.”

“If we lose access to the central system then we lose access to all our records,” Rensa didn’t think he realised how important that was, “Everything is archived centrally. We would lose the automatic maintenance systems that keep the peripheral information networks running. We would lose visibility of the development plan and warnings of milestone due dates. We particularly can’t afford to miss any hard set milestones.”

“I understand all of that,” Yannic leaned back in his chair, “The Central Unit had to explain some of it from first principles in very small words, but I do understand it. What it didn’t or couldn’t tell me was how all of this got concentrated in one person’s hands.”

“During the Discord our Divine Ancestor, Persis the First Emperor, used his administration privileges to make sure that no-one, including his wife, had as much authority in the system as he did,” she sat back in her chair, “Suohonn may have started the Discord, but by the end of it the other divinities were pretty annoyed with Persis as well. When they went into stasis to remove themselves from direct interaction with the world, one of Persis’ conditions was that he would get to set the parameters for selection of the senior active administrator and he picked a copy of his Y chromosome.” Rensa looked out the window, then back at Yannic, “We weren’t always separate from the rest of the population. During the First Dynasty we married out into the general population and so did the other god lines. Aside from one of our menfolk being Emperor, Persis picked the title too, we were just like everybody else. We were supposed to be part of the general gene pool. Then Javis decided that he should be Emperor, ranted a lot about primacy of blood line apparently, developed a following and staged a coup.” She looked at her lap, “I think he might have been a lot like Trado. He killed his father, became Emperor and used the central system records to track down the members of the god lines and kill them. He kept the women of our bloodline with your colouration,” she indicated his entire person, “As concubines to ‘breed true’ to the ‘divine image’. And he indulged himself and his followers but ignored the development plan, he even destroyed infrastructure. We went from running slightly ahead of schedule to missing milestones – four Emperors over three generations and they used up all our slack and contingency on personal pleasure. When Gilhald staged his coup and founded the Third Dynasty, things were so bad that projections showed that within twelve months we would have lost up to half the population to starvation and thirst.” She looked at Yannic again. “We’ve been trying to make it up ever since, both to the populace and to catch up to the plan.”

“And if too many milestones are failed, the Central Unit takes over or the divinities are reawakened?”

“Yes,” Rensa agreed with him, “Depending on exactly which parameters have been violated. I don’t think we want either of those things to happen.”

“And so we sit here, the last breeding pair of our kind in captivity.” Yannic shifted in his chair, but smiled at her.

Rensa smiled back. “Yes, we are.”

Choice

Originally posted at http://unorthodoxcreativity.com/15minfic.php in response to the prompt "brand".

“Verrecky,” said her younger sister Louise, “I’m not happy about this.”

“Don’t be silly,” Verrecky had already changed into the plush dark robe while Louise still wore her nightclubbing outfit, “This is what we’ve been working towards. Just this little ceremony and we’re in. You want to be part of a Circle, don’t you? Well, this is our chance.”

“But I don’t think I want to be part of this Circle,” Louise hissed. “And I don’t like this whole being Marked thing, something’s...off. If they all have them, why haven’t they shown us?”

“Because it’s a secret Mark,” retorted Verrecky, “Now get changed. We’re all waiting on you.”

Louise looked around the room, clutching her handbag to her chest and taking in the robed figures, members of the ‘in-crowd’ that Verrecky insisted was where they should seek Circle membership. Verrecky was so certain that this was the right Circle and Verrecky was always right, always taking the lead. “No,” she said firmly, “This might be right for you, but it’s not right for me. I’m leaving. I’ll get a taxi home.”

“But you can’t leave,” the young man in the robe had been hovering nearby, “The ceremony is for two. Now you’re here you have to go through with it.” He did not smile nicely and put out a hand to detain her.

“If this is the sort of Circle where I can’t say no, then I really don’t want to belong!” Louise whacked his hand out of the way with her hand bag and ran for the door.

Behind her she heard “Louise!” from Verrecky and “Stop her!” from one of the men. That was another thing that was off, the Circle was only men but for herself and her sister. And didn’t Verrecky know what that sort of Marking could mean?

She got through the front door in spite of the locking spells keeping people out and ran straight into a familiar figure. The homeless man from outside her office absorbed her impact and put his arms her. “What’s wrong?”

She looked up into a face that seemed much younger in this light. “Please just take me home?”

Back inside Verrecky was shrieking, “What do you mean you don’t want me without her!”

“We have plenty of enchanters,” the Circle leader looked her up and down, “We don’t need to Bind one to us. Now, a sorceress is something else again. Sorry, but we don’t need you,” he paused, “For anything.”

“Bind!” Verrecky looked at the two red hot irons waiting in their braziers, “You treacherous-“

“Yes?” he smiled at her, enjoying her impotent fury.

“I’ll give you Bind,” she hissed and gestured. There was a swirl of sparks and the two branding irons rose in the air, their design changing, and began to hunt down their male quarry.

Choice

Originally posted at http://unorthodoxcreativity.com/15minfic.php in response to the prompt "brand".

“Verrecky,” said her younger sister Louise, “I’m not happy about this.”

“Don’t be silly,” Verrecky had already changed into the plush dark robe while Louise still wore her nightclubbing outfit, “This is what we’ve been working towards. Just this little ceremony and we’re in. You want to be part of a Circle, don’t you? Well, this is our chance.”

“But I don’t think I want to be part of this Circle,” Louise hissed. “And I don’t like this whole being Marked thing, something’s...off. If they all have them, why haven’t they shown us?”

“Because it’s a secret Mark,” retorted Verrecky, “Now get changed. We’re all waiting on you.”

Louise looked around the room, clutching her handbag to her chest and taking in the robed figures, members of the ‘in-crowd’ that Verrecky insisted was where they should seek Circle membership. Verrecky was so certain that this was the right Circle and Verrecky was always right, always taking the lead. “No,” she said firmly, “This might be right for you, but it’s not right for me. I’m leaving. I’ll get a taxi home.”

“But you can’t leave,” the young man in the robe had been hovering nearby, “The ceremony is for two. Now you’re here you have to go through with it.” He did not smile nicely and put out a hand to detain her.

“If this is the sort of Circle where I can’t say no, then I really don’t want to belong!” Louise whacked his hand out of the way with her hand bag and ran for the door.

Behind her she heard “Louise!” from Verrecky and “Stop her!” from one of the men. That was another thing that was off, the Circle was only men but for herself and her sister. And didn’t Verrecky know what that sort of Marking could mean?

She got through the front door in spite of the locking spells keeping people out and ran straight into a familiar figure. The homeless man from outside her office absorbed her impact and put his arms her. “What’s wrong?”

She looked up into a face that seemed much younger in this light. “Please just take me home?”

Back inside Verrecky was shrieking, “What do you mean you don’t want me without her!”

“We have plenty of enchanters,” the Circle leader looked her up and down, “We don’t need to Bind one to us. Now, a sorceress is something else again. Sorry, but we don’t need you,” he paused, “For anything.”

“Bind!” Verrecky looked at the two red hot irons waiting in their braziers, “You treacherous-“

“Yes?” he smiled at her, enjoying her impotent fury.

“I’ll give you Bind,” she hissed and gestured. There was a swirl of sparks and the two branding irons rose in the air, their design changing, and began to hunt down their male quarry.