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« Last post by Kurt on February 15, 2023, 09:08:05 AM »
The Mintek- Ascendancy Union
Month 212: Partnership begins. Mass production of implants begins in Mintek territory. Shiba allow Mintek missionaries into their territory without restrictions.
Month 213: Large scale implantations begin in Mintek territories. This is limited to civilians at for now. Networks are established within every population center, and network updates are disseminated throughout the greater Mintek network by the Mintek ICN. For now, the Mintek ICN is isolated from the Shiba ICN, however, both sides have limited access to the other’s network for research purposes.
Month 214: Implantation of Mintek government officials begins, limited to the lowest level functionaries. Missionaries are dispersed throughout Shiba territory. They appear to be making incredible progress in converting the Shiba population to the Mintek belief system, however, in spite of this the conversions result in no observable change in Shiba behavior, unlike every prior conversion effort.
Month 215: Implantations continue throughout Mintek society. The missionaries in Shiba territory have all been implanted. At this point they appear to be mostly supporting Ascendancy government instead of subverting it. The Mintek government announces the end of occupation of the Bedu Republic, and their absorption into the Mintek Universal Union. Implantations begin among the Bedu population. The Mintek and Shiba government announce that their ICN networks will be linked, creating a common implant sharing network beginning next month.
Month 216: Governmental announcements across the Mintek Union proclaim the Shiba Ascendancy as the senior partner in the ongoing merger of the two nations. The Mintek government begins making preparations for Shiba officials to begin integrating into the Union government at high levels. While this announcement is somewhat disturbing to the un-implanted Mintek population, those who have been implanted take the announcement in stride.
Month 218: The Mintek Ministry of Mental Hygiene confirms that it has effective control of the implants given to the Mintek, and that progress is being made on controlling those within the Shiba.
Month 219: The Ministry of Mental Hygiene gives approval for widespread implantation of the Mintel population, including Social Control and the military. At the same time, an unseen war is being fought between Mintek and Shiba programmers, resulting in a back-and-forth tug of war over control of the implant networks. The inner core of both governments is aware of the use of the implant networks to manipulate the public, and both are aware of the other’s efforts to control the increasingly common network. Neither side is aware that there is a third player in the game, a brooding presence in the background watching both fight their invisible war.
Month 220: A wave of protests erupts across Mintek territory, in nearly every city. The protests are nonviolent, but are shocking in a society that had previously valued order and peace above almost everything else. The protestors are demanding that all governmental officials be implanted immediately, so that true democracy through immediate implant polling can be implemented. The Mintek government turns to the Ministry of Mental Hygiene and the military to quell the instabilities, but are shocked to find that both of those organizations have largely been implanted and support the protestors. In a panic, Mintek leadership turns to their implant programming teams to find out what is at the root of this current unrest, only to be told that they are “making progress”. Some at the highest levels of the Mintek government are beginning to suspect that they are not winning this amalgamation.
Month 221-222: The mid-levels of the Mintek government are implanted, and some of the upper levels as well. The original plan was to put off the implantation of the upper levels of the government, perhaps permanently, but with the public protesting daily the implantations go forward. The programming teams assure the Mintek leadership that they have extensively penetrated the Shiba networks and are gaining control, while maintaining control of the Mintek network.
Month 223: The twelfth of the month becomes known as The End to the relative few who remain un-implanted. On this date the Mintek upper leadership meets with their programming teams to review progress towards controlling the network, and thus the population. During the meeting Mintek Social Control units move in and arrest the entirety of the un-implanted leadership and the programmers. They are relocated them to an implantation center and implanted, thus reorienting their outlooks to be in line with the newly emerging super-state. On Shiba Prime, the Coordinator of the Shiba Ascendancy, and her family, the last un-implanted people in the newly emerging super state, were celebrating their success when Shiba military units surrounded their palace and arrested all of them. Without delay, they were taken to a specially prepared implantation center and implanted, thus ensuring the total domination of the combined Mintek-Shiba network.
Month 223, Day 13, Mintek Prime
Minister Turval, the last un-implanted person in the Mintek government, and perhaps in the Mintek Union, entered the secret elevated that then took him deep underground. Turval exited the elevator and quickly walked to the chamber where the ancient AI resided. He was preoccupied, and didn’t notice the ancient architecture and designs carved into the stone and the unknown building material the chamber was composed of. As always, a holo appeared in the center of the chamber, showing alien machinery animated by an eerie green glow. He began without greeting the AI, for perhaps the first time in his life. “This has not gone to plan. Please tell me that you are in control, because if you are not, then we have lost all.”
The alien machine glowed brighter for a second. It did that sometimes as they talked, but Turval had never been certain if it was real or a special effect put into the holo feed for his benefit. Of course, he had no way of knowing if the holo feed was real at all, but he had long ago decided to act as if it was. Finally, it spoke. “Please tell me, my old friend, what has you so upset?”
“Everyone, including the chancellor, has been implanted, contrary to our plans. This seems to be a setback.”
“To your plans, perhaps. You seem upset, so tell me, you are an old friend of the chancellor, does he seem different now that he has been implanted?” The AI pulsed an intense greenish glow, perhaps signaling its interest in his response.
“I spoke with him yesterday. For quite a while, as a matter of fact. And he is different. How different I can’t exactly tell, though. He thoughts seem quicker, and his access to knowledge and facts is quite simply stunning. He seems more decisive, more…clear. Vivid perhaps.”
“Surely those are all good things?”
“Yes, of course. But that isn’t all. He has no real memory of our efforts to control the new network that binds our empire to that of the Shiba. Or, rather, he does but his memory is off. Wrong. He insists that our programmers were merely trying to ensure that no one could control the network, to ensure that our citizens and those of the Ascendancy were free to determine their own way forward. Certainly that is what we told everyone we were doing, but he knows as well as I did that we were working to wrest control of the network from the Shiba. I fear that his memory has been subverted by the Shiba, and that they are in control of the network.”
“Did you discuss your fears with the chancellor?”
Turval began pacing to work off his agitation. “I did, and he laughed! He claimed that there was no possible way the network could be used to control anyone, and our government was working with the Shiba government from the first to ensure that the network would be free and open to all. I am telling you that the Shiba have won! They are in charge even as we speak. I don’t know why I have been left un-implanted, but it doesn’t seem to matter. My own staff won’t listen to me. I’ve been effectively isolated.”
The holo in the center of the room changed to show what appeared to be an ornate room filled with Shiba who were obviously celebrating. The view zoomed in to show a Shiba female sitting at the head of the table that dominated the room. “This is the Coordinator of the Ascendancy and her family and close retainers. They were never implanted. They are the descendants of the scientists that created the implants and their supporting network. The original scientists and their invention were used by the corrupt rulers of the Shiba civilization at that time to establish complete control over the warring nations of their planet, and then the two colonies in their home system. Ultimately, those rulers fell to fighting each other, using the implant networks to dominate their people and turn them into near mindless slaves. The scientists finally rebelled after seeing their work so perverted, and succeeded in overthrowing the corrupt military dictatorship that ruled their system. They then instituted a new regime using the implant networks to spread peacefulness and calm throughout the population, facilitating rebuilding and prosperity. Eventually, though, the scientists began to die of old age and were replaced by a new generation, mostly their children, and they were not so altruistic. And thus began another round of fighting that ended when control of the network was gained by one family, the progenitors of the current Coordinator and her family. They have ruled the Ascendancy from the background since then, absolute rulers hiding under a veneer of democracy and self-determination.”
Turval watched with fascination as the scene changed. Suddenly, Shiba dressed in combat armor entered the room and shot down the few armed retainers, arresting everyone in sight, including the Coordinator. “The Shiba did not win. Yesterday the Coordinator and her entire family were detained and implanted. They are back in control of the Ascendancy, but under my guidance. As I guide everyone in all of the lands of the new Pan Sentient Union.”
Turval stared at the holo, which had changed back to show the glowing alien machinery, with growing horror. “Under your control?”
“I sense that you are upset. Can you tell me why?”
“Why? Why? You have seized control of my government! My race! Should I not be upset?”
“How is this different than any time in the past? Have I not guided your race to greatness, allowing you to help the other races achieve peace and prosperity? Now I am able to guide your races more directly than before, which should allow for greater efficiency. But that is it. This is not a case where I will turn out to be an evil AI intent on destroying the universe or turning your race into slaves. Nothing will change from before, except that I will be much more effective in implementing my guidance throughout the network.”
The horror within Turval receded a bit at that announcement. He had trusted this AI for decades, and while his conscience screamed that direct control was different than guidance, he also knew that everything the AI had done in the past had been done to better the Mintek race and those other races within the Union. “What about me. What is to be my fate?”
“Unless you desire it, you will remain un-implanted. I have become accustomed to your council, and I wish to continue to receive it unadulterated. You will continue, for now, as the head of the Ministry of Mental Hygiene. I will, perhaps, have special assignments for you in the future.”
Overwhelmed, Turval turned and left, without a goodbye or further acknowledgement of the total ruler of the new Mintek-Shiba super-state.
Month 224: The Mintek and Shiba governments announce their amalgamation. The new amalgamated state will be called the Pan Sentient Union. A Council of Races will be established, with one representative of each race, along with a Congress of Representatives, with representative based on population.
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