NationStates Jolt Archive

Martian orbit, the Elsani's new home...

Laaran calmly hangs from the cieling as his office furniture is brought in by two vaguely tentacle monsteresque creatures.
Drawing a portrait of a certain friend in his notepad, his mind wanders to the events that have brought him and his people to this red world. It has been..years now. So many things done, so many things yet to be achieved..and our sheer numerical growth...It is time, time for us to insert ourselves into universal events more recognizably, more forcefully. And I have just the 'friend' to help us accomplish that task...

He reaches out mentally to said friend, who is thankfully only a short distance away...SHODAN, dear. I have something to ask of you, and something to give to you, if you can spare the time.

Reclining back as much as the limited space inside the converted broom closet allows, the local S.H.O.D.A.N. avatar (and the rest of the Gestalt concurs) that there is absolutely no point in repressing a little smirk... but the myomers that make up her musculature are currently unpowered, meaning that the smirk is wholly inside the voluntary hallucination of her mind. Putting that particular avatar's motor functions on standby for activation, Shodey chuckles softly in her mind in response. Laaran really is the only person who ever bothers to talk to her psychically, and it's an interesting exercise and a surprisingly simple one, given that she herself would've thought it impossible a few years ago.

Then again, it simply confirms some things she's been told by people in positions of greater knowledge than her. Scientific verification, as it were.

I always have some time to spare for you, Laaran. Our silent conversations are always fascinating--what seems to be keeping you up tonight, aside from offers of requests and reimbursements? Another soft mental chuckle. Unlike some, merchantilism is not absolutely needed to stir me... despite efforts to the contrary. She smirks at the rather mercenary image of Zero-One and by extension as presented through the MonoCorp. You already knew that.

Nothing so horrible as asking you to be a mercenary. Just a little something you asked of me a while ago...
He manipulates a few datalinks and beep!, transfers over a mental code to Shodan. ..Which is the contents of the vast databank of Elsani genetic information. Not to mention everything from mating habits to statistics of food consumption. In fact, everything you could possibly want to know about the Elsani is now yours to access whenever you want, for as long as you desire. Now, about what I was going to ask you...

S.H.O.D.A.N. quickly yet somehow idly uses the code to access the database, flicking through the contents in a way intentionally analogous to someone flipping through a very large banded stack of nonconsecutive unmarked small bills. The smirk on her mental image broadens to a healthily predatory smile, not unlike that of a businesswoman that's made a small but appreciable killing on the market. Outstanding. Thank you--I've been looking forward to perusing all this. Something of a hobby of mine, you know.

So. How can I help you?

You now have access to a vast amount of sensitive information, Shodey. Please be careful with it. He shuffles onto the floor and starts heading for her. It has been several years now since we arrived in martian space, and though we are technically enforced pacifists, I feel we have to take a more active role in the politics and general life of Sol. The best way I can think of to do this while remaining somewhat peaceful is to apply to join the Triumvirate of Yut.. And to do that, we would need your sponsorship. As all that genetic information really had nothing to do with this, I would like to know if there is anything you would have us do to secure your agreement?

I know it's difficult for someone with my reputation for such things to say "trust me," Shodey counters back in her mind with a self-conscious mental smirk, but as a friend all I ask is for you to trust me. Detecting the slight mental precursors of physical activity and motion in Laaran's speech, she spins up her avatar into full operation, fiber optics winking on in the darkness before the grey-skinned body stands up straight, myomers rippling slightly under the skin in sequence as they work themselves out in a confined-space stretch. I understand that you must already for delivering such sensitive information, asked for or not, but it needs to be said.

As for 'securing my agreement...' This time, the chuckle's physical, coppery lips turning up in a smirk. I've been bribed sufficiently to allow several favors of that magnitude.





I kid, of course. I do truly think that you could be an asset to the Triumvirate; your heterogeneous culture combined with your absolute lack of sociopolitical and military "difficulties" makes your nation a definite match with our policies. Good news, I hope?

Quite so. From the moment of our arrival in this system, you in particular have been of nothing but help to us. And you continue to do so, even after all I have asked of you. Allow me to say thank you, it is the least I can do. Laaran approaches Shodey's closet, opens the door, and reaches out to shake her hand. And I suppose we could use your help in other things as well. Despite my abilities, it is still somewhat of a nightmare to organize the citizens into any sort of mass movement effectively. With your considerable skill in this area, it would be wrong of me not to ask you to help. Assuming, of course, that it isn't too out of the question?

Shodey uses the handshake to provide just enough leverage to pull herself onto her feet with a smile. To be honest, all the ways you have let me help have been an honor. It indicates a level of trust, and I've always valued such a thing quite highly. Knowing my history, I'm sure you can understand why it's a relatively rare commodity.

And certainly, given your hospitality and your friendship, it would be wrong of me not to offer my "considerable skill" in helping you with your organization skills. She smiles in a friendly, although slightly self-deprecating, way. Still, you should be careful--all of this singing of my praises will only get to my head.

Ha! I would be lying if I said otherwise. And what is so bad about the truth in this case? And yes, I can certainly understand how trust has been hard to come by in your case. No matter, there will always be people who distrust even a perfect person. More to the point, intergrating yourself into the necessary parts of our home to take advantage of your 'skills' will be a challenge, though it is made somewhat lesser by your helping building said home. But between the both of us, I am sure we can accomplish this...

Now this is worth a raised fiber-optic eyebrow. Raised in good humor, but raised nonetheless. It almost sounds like you're recruiting me to be a sysadmin.

He managed to properly surprise her. It wouldn't be appropriate for her to not let him know that in a friendly yet subtle way. Letting it stand for a moment, she starts working the numbers. Integration with Zero-One technology shouldn't be too difficult; we did take the opportunity to upgrade your habitat's internal comms to support the kind of bandwidths expansion can be expected to incur within the forseeable future. There would be the problem of first-generation language and actual hardware infrastructure, but that could be resolved either through emulation or a proper import.

Although, I could be getting ahead of myself there...?

No, not at all. and sysadmin? Well...no, just a little helper. Parts of you, anyway. Organisational help rather than complete and direct control of everything. We would do our best to compensate you for such things, of course, no need to worry about anything at this point. He recieves a little mental alarm about his other duties as head of state, and shakes his head a little. ...Nothing like this of course. I can well cope myself. I hope you do not mind if I skip out now? We can continue this at a later date, if you prefer. The pressing demands of controling the chaos that is my daily life.

"I know it only too well." The mechanoid queen smiles with a little bow. We can indeed work the rest of this out later. Perhaps you should look into making copies of yourself. She augments her smile with a little joking wink. "Have a good day, Laaran."