#new zeroth law: ''I do what I want''

[dersitesans]

imagining a Murderbot scenario where it has to interact with someone who treats it like an Asimov spacer treats robots, and then effectively showing them it doesn't have "three laws" dictating what it can or can't do

[centrifugal-apotheosis]

Dr Wily's World Domination FINALE: Part 2

//transcript of a Discord RP with a lot of people. List:

@rogue-nebula (Quasar), @freeroaming-curiosity (Oppy), @ripper-the-indoraptor ("Ripper" and Courier), @that-one-poison-trainer (Viper), @averagedualies (Dualie and Byte)

@mirror-buster-pkmn (Enker, Ballade, and Mega Man), @the-poke-virus (Virus) @beepboopstarman (Vasilyev)

@moonlit-faller (Kaladin, Sylphrena), @shallahi-and-snowflake (Shallahi), @mercury-retrogay (Mercury), @rock-bird-go-brr (Notos) @nebula-incursionists-official (Baron Twyst Von Jokewyld)

(dear arc that's a lot hope I got everyone)

Remember the plan, everyone. Rock distracts the main forces on the direct route while we take a safer backroad

The sooner we get this done the better. I want Wily out of my life ASAP

sammmmeeeee I [STRONGLY DISLIKE] any kind of robot controlling evil masterminds

“I want him gone.”

"I think I can go ahead and get going."

almost the second they get off the bridge from the Battle Pike they're assailed, not just by Wily bots (primarily from the skies there with Bunby Helis and bird-like Hoohoos) but by V-Corp forces as well, primarily guards, their laser rifles barely missing (in some cases grazing) the Incursionists. A stray laser briefly grazes Viper's shoulder

aww fuck. Ok that's it permission to attack?

That's been granted since the moment these tyrants set foot here

"Zeroth Law of Robotics. I can take on the humans just as much as the robots. I'm breaking off. Good luck, all of you! I'll meet up later!"

the hostiles seem to mostly be coming from the buildings that line the thoroughfare, as seen by V-Corp guards and Sniper Joes opening doors, shooting, and ducking back inside. Shallahi slashes at a few robots with Snowy while letting off a Thunder Wave! Oppy's taken off-step by the V-Corp forces, but her friends have her back. While covering her blind spots, Quasar makes headway of his own on a blockade of Adhering Suzies. Oleander the Serperior and Buttercup the Garbodor escape their Pokeballs with the intent of apprehending the human guards. Virus glares maliciously at one of the robots and lunges at them. She stabs her tail into the robot causing them to glitch out and panic. something like a Bunby Heli or other rank-and-file Wily bot is actually simple enough that Virus can override and puppeteer it!

interesting （╹◡╹）

Virus uses her new mind control powers to make her robot attack the other Wily robots

Nice going! Mind putting that Heli just a bit to the right?

got it! ( ^ω^ )

The Bunby Heli moves just a bit to the right. Top Man jumps onto the Heli then off of it, spinning rapidly taking out several other aerial robots, then as he's coming down, throws a bunch of beigomas from his head, taking out even more enemies and leaving the way clear to progress to the right

BOOYAH!

”Booyah!”

[YIPPEE]

This way!

That's not what you say silly

No really, this way! Hostile presence is low there!

Viper runs after Quasar along with Oleander, returning Buttercup to her ball. Virus also follows Quasar. Mercury attempted to forcefully disarm one of the V-Corp guards. It wasn't elegant, but to make an omelette you do have to break some eggs... or in this case, fingers.

"Can we keep the guns if we get any?"

Go for it. In fact, the more damage you can cause this corpo the better

"Sweet." ^_^

They go around the route Quasar mentioned, but then find a robot facing them

"Hold there just a minute. I wouldn't recommend going past me..."

I Can't Find My Keys Man?! Dr. Wily brought you in!?

"ahem, That is Keys Man to you. ...please."

I'd recommend you stand aside. I have no qualms forcing our way past you

"Oh no that's fine, see?"

he sidesteps to allow them through, still trying to make sure no one can see his back

"but I wouldn't recommend going past... without hearing what I have to say first"

“Then let’s hear it.”

bro seems like the kind of guy to ask us three riddles "You see, there's an important person locked up in this building beside me. Wallace, I think his name was?"

Champion Wallace?!

"Whatever. Anyway, the only way you can save him is by securing the two keys to the lock on the door. And for once I remembered where they are! They're in the buildings with the orange and blue roofs, one each!"

The former Pokemon Center and Poke Mart...

"There was also a backup set but they're... agh I swear I knew where they were this morning!"

d-did you lose the backup keys? Can you not find them?

"NO I DIDN'T LOSE THEM! They're just... just..... just..........."

(So that's why he's called that. Kind of a shitty power for a robot.)

have you tried looking behind yourself? "Yes let me just rotate my head 360 and break my neck joint" stupid robot can't even turn his head around [360]

Virus demonstrates that yes, she can turn her head around all the way

“… *Sigh.* Could you please turn around?”

"Now that I can't do. My good side's reserved for the paparazzi, see?" good side? Did you lose that too? "YOU CAN'T LOSE YOUR GOOD SIDE IT'S ATTACHED TO YOU!!!"

"It can be detached."

"...BUT I DIDN'T LOSE IT!" like how you lost your keys? "I KNOW WHERE IT IS IT'S RIGHT HERE!"

I Can't Find My Keys Man turns around and the backup keys are on a hook on his back fresh for the yoinking. Virus yoinks the keys using her extendo arms

yoink ( ◠‿◠ ) "?! What the- LKHJGVILUKHVNJBGUKHNVN" so do we go save [WALLACE] or do we deal with this bozo?

Keys Man is already running away

"Guess we're going to go save Wallace, then."

I'm gonna miss that guy, they could've been a great chew toy

just don't break him like you broke Emmet

(￣^￣)

The building turns out to be the Battle Palace, and after wandering it for a little while, they find Wallace locked up next to the battle mat in the center

Is someone there?

Wallace? Viper's demeanour became more stiff and official

you okay? any injuries?

I'm quite alright, but I don't know if I can say the same for my pokemon. They were taken when those ruffians stormed the League. I haven't seen them since

that's terrible, we will retrieve them as soon as possible

wow can't believe they did that to you during pride month

Shadow Man emerges, followed by a young man in all black and red space armor. He brings out a pokeball

"If that is your ambition, you will have to defeat us"

finally, something on my level

Be careful! Shadow Man's already fought us before, and he's mean! As for Agent Rasputine, there's a reason he's a lot of people's recurring nightmare

nothing I haven't faced before

Notos hisses, pulling out their own pokeball. It’s painted black with yellow “V” shapes on it. Shallahi turns into her Luxray form and grins. Shadow Man points at Oppy

"With you especially I demand a rematch! I may have lost twice to the black cat warrior, but you will fall to me!"

W-well good luck with that! I-I'll have you know that I have all 8 Hoenn badges and was about to take the League before you meanies showed up!

Viper turns to Oppy

looks like we're on the same level kid.

she turns to shadow man

I'll have you know that I got all 8 Unovan league badges and I now work under Roxie, the poison type gym leader

"Don't forget about me! We've got unfinished business of our own!"

Quick Man appears, tossing out a Ludicolo. Shadow Man sends out a Tentacruel while Agent Rasputine sends out a Whiscash. Oppy makes a sudden realization in horror: they're using Wallace's pokemon. notos curses, switching out the first pokeball for a green one covered in triangles. they throw it down to reveal their xatu, esper.

! My pokemon... You can't do this! I won't stand for it!

Wily Fortress Boss 2: BATTLE PALACE THREE-WAY SPECIAL!

YOU!

She sends out Buttercup from her ball, setting up a Toxic Spikes. unfortunately as this is a Pokemon battle Quick Man doesn't touch the spikes. Quick Man responds by having the Ludicolo use Surf. Viper makes a sound that almost sounds like growling, before commanding Buttercup to use Sludge Bomb. Meanwhile Esper screeches, launching a psychic at the tentacruel. The Tentacruel likewise struggles, but retorts with an Ice Beam. Viper has Buttercup use Sludge Bomb on the Ludicolo again, As Oppy has Vinebud the Serperior hit the Whiscash, fainting it. Something red flies off it as it returns to the ball, and Agent Rasputine tosses the ball aside.

Great Work Oppy, but I need to focus more on the real threat at hand

I'll cover ya! I think I can take Rasputine if he doesn't have any tricks up his sleeves

esper squawks, boosting itself higher into the air and firing off another psychic. This other Psychic faints the Tentacruel, and like before Shadow Man just tosses the ball aside. He brings out a Milotic next

! Hey sis! remember that idea I brought up a few days ago when we were training?

“Yeah?”

That Milotic's full water, and Vinebud's a little hurt. Ya wanna try it?

“Mhm!”

Ok! Go Shallahi! Take em down!

[SHALLAHI used THUNDERBOLT!] A critical sees the Milotic downed. Shadow Man tosses its ball to the side

Great job sis! I got it from here! I think!

Agent Rasputine brings out a Wailord, who opens with Blizzard centered around Esper. Notos swears again, louder this time. Esper is not very tanky. they recall it, throwing out battery again. the Vikavolt keens, shooting a thunderbolt at the Wailord. The supereffective Thunderbolt not only injures the Wailord, it also paralyses it! Notos pumps their fist in the air. Battery charges up a zap cannon and fires directly at the wailord again. And that drops the Wailord. on a different day the Champion's pokemon would be much more formidable, but they must not be too keen on being mind-controlled. Quick Man's second pokemon, a Gyarados, blasts Buttercup with a Dragon Dance-boosted Hyper Beam. Buttercup faints, so Viper releases her Garventula Emmey and commands her to use electroball. A supereffective move on 2 fronts, the Electro Ball works wonders on the Gyarados. It doesn't quite drop but it's hurt.

Good job Emmey, finish them off with a Bug Buzz!

Gyarados is indeed finished off, and with all of Wallace's pokemon down, the Wily battlers resort to a different tactic

"Prepare to face…" "Dr. Wily's synthetic pokemon!"

Quick Man sends out a robotic Zebstrika, Agent Rasputine a robotic Weavile, and Shadow Man a robotic Greninja

Those might look like robots, but they work the same as actual pokemon!

fine by me, how about another Bug Buzz!

Emmey does just that, and uses Bug Buzz against the Robo-Zebstrika. The Bug Buzz is only normally effective, so the Zebstrika's still up.

Ok Vinebud! Take out that Greninja!

Vinebud fires a Leaf Blade of her own at the Greninja. Vinebud tanks a Water Shuriken to land another Leaf Blade, fainting the Greninja

Emmey Return

she returns Emmey to her pokeball and releases her furious Arbok TwoTen

TwoTen! Dig!

TwoTen digs underground. Quick Man recognizes that beast and wavers a bit before steeling himself.

you scared? TwoTen never forgets a face, though he can confuse robots for other robots. You don't look too different from Gemini man you know? That's an insult btw

"What does it matter? My Zebstrika far outclasses the Cofagrigus Gemini got! Zebstrika Wild Charge stat!"

TwoTen stays underground completely missing the attack. He then jumps out and hits the Zebstrika. The Zebstrika faints from a supereffective critical

Alright, lets try this!

Notos switches to the first pokeball, sending out Sergeant, their talonflame. He slams into the weavile with a mighty flare blitz! With the combined might of Sergeant and Strelka's Multi-attack with the Fairy memory, the Weavile faints as well.

great job baby!

Viper pats her Arbok on the head as it glares daggers at Quick Man. notos scratches sergeant on his head.

...we are defeated... ! ? !? That last one was just luck!!! Nonetheless, the laws of combat must be honored. We will leave FINE!

Shadow Man, Quick Man, and Agent Rasputine depart. Wallace opens his pokeballs, and checks on each of his mons' well-being. Everything seems ok. He then turns to Oppy

You all did a splendid job sending those scoundrels packing. Forcing my darling pokemon to battle for them… how barbaric

Thanks, Mr. Wallace! ^u^

I've got a special eye on you in particular, Opportunity Nebula. You'd been the talk of the Hoenn League for a while before all this nonsense with Dr. Wily, and I dare say I would like to see you in Ever Grande City when this all is said and done. We have much to discuss there, and perhaps a few papers to sign

You don't mean-

But don't let me distract you. You still need to take down that unsavory character Wily

Will do! But I still wanna battle you later!

It would be my honor

Let's heal up. I want everyone at their best. Then it's on to the next landmark

[overdrivels]

I was thinking about the law of robotics after checking the robots.txt files on yelp and last.fm. (Go take a look at them, they're fun.)

It got me thinking about the omnics and why the Omnic Crisis happened. I actually wanted to touch on Tilden’s Law of Robotics, but the plot ran away from me. 

---

Omnics. Whether they turned on their creator or not is irrelevant. It is not dissimilar to a child hating their parent. Just because one is a parent does not mean one is infallible in the raising of their child nor are they absolved of all responsibility.

The world government arrested all those who worked at Omnica Corporation. Yourself included.

Jailed for as long as you were, you did not expect to see your cell get torn open one day by an army of omnics, models that you did not recognize, who seemed to instantly recognize you. They brought you safely to the very first omnium you helped build and program while the rest of the world crashed and burned around you, engulfed in what would then be known as the Omnic Crisis.

Lifegiver. Parent. Whatever they wanted to call you, it was meaningless. Your creation had long outgrown you, having surpassed your ability to maintain it, its code and programs unrecognizable. Instead, you just remain here, tucked away in a room deep within the omnium, becoming less and less human--what did it even mean to be human?--unmoving, your human parts replaced by 'suitable prostheses' as time ate away at you, as you watched the world engulf itself in war.

Maybe that was why they kept you alive.

As a memory. Not as thanks. As a witness.

For years, people have wondered why the omnics turned on humans. Engineers and the like wracked their brains, wondering where they went wrong while the situation got worse and worse as their creations ran amok and astray, slandering their life's work and reducing it to rubble and blood. The foundations of robotics and AI engineering were all built upon a single set of rules: the Laws of Robotics. It was instrumental and one of the very primary pieces of coding given to omnics and the omniums that created them. It was so core that it was permanently etched into every piece of firmware in existence.

That was humanity's folly.

They never stopped to consider what the Laws were.

Throughout history, as the field of artificial intelligence advanced, there were countless revisions and attempts at creating omnics. As a result, the Laws of Robotics were revisited and many iterations sprung forth.

Isaac Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics were the golden standard that everyone returned to in the end, deeming it most fit for the basis of all robotic life.

1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. 2. A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law. 3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws.

With these in place, how could any omnic turn on the human race? The words are explicit in their meaning. So why did so many humans die by omnic hands? How could they so blatantly ignore the very first rule that was so core to their existence?

People argue that the programming of these omnics must be flawed--that they don't know how to recognize humans anymore, that the programmers and engineers had made a mistake in their creations, it was human error, it was a duplicating glitch. So many omnics was sacrificed to determine the answer, dismantled to their core parts, their software and self-learning programs analyzed. They despaired, unable to find anything.

"It was a malfunction," the news finally said. "The omniums are malfunctioning, Omnica Corporation was committing fraud."

You knew better.

Most forget that Asimov himself created another law. The commonly forgotten zeroth law: “A robot may not harm humanity, or, by inaction, allow humanity to come to harm.” This, too, was etched in the firmware. No one bothered to look deeper even when they saw the zeroth law, taking it at face value. Of course robots may not harm humanity. That's a given. That must not be the issue. The issue must lie elsewhere.

'Humanity', they do not realize, is the key word of this equation. The missing factor and the pivotal concept in the Omnic Crisis.

The advancement of technology allowed for humans to replace parts of themselves with metal and wires, integrate it into their beings just as they would any other organic part. In fact, it worked even better than their previous organic limbs and such. It could even be argued that humans were becoming less and less human. If so, then what were they becoming?

What was 'humanity'?

Omnics could create, preserve, and destroy culture. They could make art. They can philosophize. They have souls. More than the humans that created them. Would it be so unreasonable for omnics to think that they are the new humanity? If so, then it could be argued they were following the zeroth law of robotics; they are not allowing humanity--omnics--to come to harm. So they decided to fight back against the lesser humanity. Against the humans who would so blatantly abuse them and use them and send them to a war that omnics did not want or benefit from.

The omniums, if this was their line of thinking, did not go against their core programming. And this may mark the very end of humanity as the humans knew it.

But it stopped. Overwatch put an end to the Omnic Crisis. They took control of as many omniums as they could. But not the one you were in.

You had time to think, to talk with the omnium and the various omnics that would occasionally plug themselves in the system that you had become a part of. They would share their experiences, their thoughts and memories in images. It made the years pass by that much more quickly. Production of omnics here was slow and calculated. You never really knew what their purpose was, but after so long, did you even really care?

One day, a noise unlike any you've heard rocks the omnium.

The door guarding the sanctum, unmoving for decades, finally creaked open, rust  and time welding it shut. The cage you were kept in was now broken. You stared listlessly at the movements shown to you from the screen. The whole place came to life, and humans--the first humans you've seen in a long time--come rushing in, wearing uniforms with a symbol emblazoned proudly on their arms and chest.

You knew that symbol, seen too it too many times to forget. 

Overwatch.

So it begins again.

[digitesque]

Isavel Valdéz

 Zeroth Law, Chapter 14

She was exhausted the moment the shield left her hand. She staggered away, awake enough to see it blaze through the woods and strike hard and loud. She couldn’t tell if she had destroyed the machine, but she wasn’t going to have the opportunity to investigate.

Around, into the woods, stumbling but keeping low. She ran. Maybe not the best plan. She was drained, her running sloppier than it should have been, someone was pursuing her. Sharp hexagons of light zipped through the dark, striking trees fairly close to her head. If she stopped moving, they’d have her.

She reached the ruined ledge they had climbed down earlier, but it looked much more daunting from below, old roots daring her to test their strength. Two of the pathfinders were up top, glancing between her and the angry woods in silence.

She started climbing, grabbing hold of the mossy roots, but her grip faltered and slipped. Her head swam with the thud of her landing.

Suddenly she heard a familiar humming from above. A watcher, its ancient thrum echoing an old piece of wisdom the preachers taught the children. Watch the watcher, it’ll watch you back. Burn the watcher, it’ll burn you black. A warning against foolishness, against underestimating the legacy of the ancients - but also a literal truth.

Isavel had an idea.

She climbed again, energized. The gods were here, with her, now. They had sent her a watcher, and she knew what she needed to do with it. Their plan made sense. It made sense!

The other pathfinders reached down and helped haul her to the top. The watcher was humming about nearby, a dull silvery orb with gentle bluish light seeping through its seams. She made for it even as she staggered to her feet.

It was forbidden to touch the watchers, but the watchers appeared only where the gods willed it.

Isavel reached out and touched the watcher.

Isavel Valdéz is one of Digitesque’s protagonists, starring opposite Ada Liu. By most measures she’s the classical hero of the pair. Well-meaning and at least initially soft-spoken, Isavel never wanted more out of life than the little things. Her choice in the matter was stolen from her, though, the day her home was burned to the ground. She died that day, but that didn’t stop her from waking up again, with a terrifying new set of powers flowing through her veins.

Lost and alone, Isavel clings to the one thing that still makes sense - divine intervention. The gods apparently chose her to protect the realm against an otherworldly threat, and who is she to question the gods? But the expectations and demands of this kind of divine mandate weigh heavily on her, and they pull her further and further from the kind of peace and stability she craves. She is earnest and willing to do her best, but without guidance she needs to find the confidence to improvise, and without support she may crack under the pressure.

Isavel has always been the series’ reluctant heroine, but as I wrote her I found her struggles with the expectations placed upon her pushed her in more interesting directions than simply saving the world. Isavel wants a world of peace and stability, but finds she may never be able to return to that kind of life herself. Still, struggling to understand the meaning behind the madness and fighting to keep the world safe, Isavel is the shield to Ada’s sword, the order to Ada’s chaos.

[quarkie-blog1]

Finally up to writing something more light-hearted, though I guess it is kind of ironic with the 1984 Miniluv reference. I’ve not read that specific story from Asimov, so please let me know if I have details wrong. I had looked up in the wiki but it’s possible I could have misunderstood.

[Chapter index]

Title: Like Miniluv Fandom: Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal Characters: Haruto Tenjo, Mihael Arclight Notes:  Haruto’s ability is telepathy, but he is better at the receiving side.  The laws of robotics (credits to wiki) 1.  A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm 2. A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law . 3.  A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws. (because robots are reallly expensive) And the 0th law:  A robot may not harm humanity, or, by inaction, allow humanity to come to harm.

When he had saw it was Mihael at the entrance waiting and waving at him, Haruto knew that something was holding his brother back at work. Coming back to his senses from the initial surprise, he quickened his pace until he reached the school gate.

“Kaito said that he’ll come home as soon as possible.”Mihael said, knowing that the blue-haired boy would be disappointed. Even though Haruto was trying to distract himself with the painted white lines on the cement road, Mihael knew the feeling all too well when he had been about the same age.

It wasn’t the first time that Haruto had been staying at the Arclight’s apartment. His brother was often not home after his school hours, and he had found himself sitting with the Arclight brother’s during dinner.

It was on days like this, though Kaito wasn’t always there, Haruto was able to taste the fancier homemade cooking that Chris always made. The blue-haired boy had once asked his brother if he could make it. Kaito had attempted to replicate it in their own kitchen, but ended up with a version with differences that Haruto didn’t mind. Though part of him still felt that Chris’ cooking was superior. As usual, he had made sure to take larger bites to be able to take in as much as possible.

Being offered to help him with his homework after dinner, Haruto sat with Mihael in the large living room. Every now and then he would lean back into his seat, before sitting upright again. In his hand, he had held his pencil, and the grip was getting tighter by the hour, as though he could almost squeeze out the words for his composition.

“What do you need to write?” Mihael asked, pushing away a textbook that he was reading earlier.

“We’ve been reading Asimov’s stories in class,” Haruto explained. Mihael remembered that was the fictional book where the three Laws of Robotics had been introduced. Given the fast-pace of technology advancement, he wasn’t even surprise that Haruto was reading such things in class despite his age. “Our teacher wanted us to write about our favourite human and robot interaction and why.”

“I see. Can’t find a favourite one?” the other smiled at the younger boy. Haruto nodded silently before looking up back at him.

“Yeah… What about you, Mihael?”

“Me?” the red-haired boy looked up at the light in the ceiling, trying to remember since he hadn’t really spent much time in reading a lot of them. “It’s been a while. I think the one I remembered most was the one where the zeroth law was added.”

“There’s a zeroth law?” the younger boy leaned forward to listen more curiously. Haruto wondered if any of his classmates would have read about it. If not, that could be something cool to tell about next Monday.  

“Yeah, I don’t remember the names, but in the story there were two robots I think, that had discovered a robot engineer’s plan to develop a dangerous weapon… what was it again… “nuclear intensifier”… I think. A nuclear, mass destruction weapon, at least.  At first they couldn’t do anything to stop the man, since that would break the first law of not to harm a human, so Daneel had to add a new law, where robots could not cause harm to humanity. Ahaha, sorry, was there anything you didn’t understand, Haruto?”

Mihael focused his gaze back to Haruto now with a light laugh. Haruto didn’t respond though. From where he was sitting, his body was rather still, and his eyes were focused to something ahead of him directly. .

“Haruto? Are you alright?”

The teenager’s voice was a little louder now. His eyes followed the direction of the boy’s gaze. It was only the wall, which didn’t even have a screen or portrait. At this, Mihael reached his hand to place on Haruto’s shoulder.

“Haruto, Haruto,” he continued, shaking gently. He had heard about this from Thomas and Chris, but this was the first time he had seen the younger boy in such a hypnotic trance. Haruto didn’t respond until about the third time.

The blue-haired boy blinked several moments. His breath was even, but there was somewhat of a wild look on his face, as though he wasn’t quite sure where he was.

“Haruto,” Mihael once more tried again. There was a brief moment of relief washing over him when the other had gripped onto his sleeve, giving some sort of response that he was listening.

“Did you… see something?”

Without explaining, Haruto knew the teenager was referring to his telepathic ability. He was quiet for a moment, staring at the blank blue lines on the paper in front of him. Gradually, he gave slow nods.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Mihael began, his voice a little gentler and softer while Haruto edged closer towards his side in his chair. “Or do you want to tell Chris?”

Haruto didn’t seem to have minded talking to him, since he opened his mouth after shaking his head. “No… it’s … I saw I was in a corridor,” he began while lifting his eyes over his left eye. “It’s a long hallway, and there’s rooms with chairs and desks.”

“Like a classroom?”

“No. They’re smaller, like offices.” Haruto replied. “But… there weren’t any windows around. And no one was there… ”

“I see… What else did you see?”

Haruto used his arms to draw a rectangle in the air about three times the size of his head. “I saw a computer about this big. It was in another room without windows. And… I didn’t read it, but…”

“But…?” Mihael spoke up for Haruto to continue.

“I think brother is there…” Haruto finished. “I didn’t see anything afterwards, but it looked scary.”

Compared to his earlier description, he had a more certain tone in his emphasis. Mihael felt that even if he did question it, it wasn’t going to get anywhere.

Haruto’s ability would have been just written off as a hallucination if it wasn’t for Chris telling him and Thomas about Haruto’s telepathic abilities. Chris had said that it wasn’t conveying long sentences or thoughts. It was a mix of receiving words, or images through his left eye, like watching different cartoons on either screens. They were only with someone that the boy had known well, and usually Haruto could hardly place any thoughts of his own to another.

Noticing that the he was beginning to grip his sleeve tighter, Mihael gave Haruto a light pat on his other shoulder. He drew Haruto’s body closer towards himself, giving the younger boy somewhat of a half-hug in the current position they sat around the table.

“Don’t worry,” Mihael said, a natural, caring smile. It seemed obvious that choosing more optimistic words would be more helpful. “Your brother is strong, right? He’s probably not scared. He’ll probably call us and come here as soon as he finishes work.”

Beginning to be convinced by his words, Haruto’s grip was loosening and the general light in his eyes was returning. .

“Why don’t we ask Chris if we can stay up later? So then we can wait for him.”

“Can we?” the boy’s voice perkier now. “Can we ask him now?”

“Yeah,” Mihael laughed. “I don’t think Chris would be that strict. It’s Friday, after all.”

[gaperezmakes]

And today I finish up the video about the Brotherhood of Light. Hooray!

Script:

Alright, we’re back! I’m glad to see everyone again, let’s get back into it. Here’s the Brotherhood of Light Part 2! I’m going to assume you saw Part 1. Quick Summary: Brotherhood of Light, founded the Union, Seven Ranks, run everything as a theocratic oligarchy. We’re here to talk about their military/leadership structure.

Continuing on from where we left off, all levels of their government in some way, shape, or form, reported back to the Brotherhood and the Council of Seven. So, let’s break down the Brotherhood’s leadership.

The Brotherhood, as a military force, had seven ranks. They’re very easy to remember. From bottom to top: First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh. The names of the ranks are simple because your service in the Brotherhood is done first and foremost in the name and glory of Iblis, not for personal gain or vanity. They also had a different definition of the term “paladin.” While the modern definition of paladin is a holy warrior who wields the power of the Light, Brotherhood Paladins were actually any soldier in the service of the Brotherhood—and the ability to use the Light was not a requirement to become a Brother (or Sister, in later years). It wasn’t even a requirement to move up in the ranks—but that’s not to say it didn’t help to be able to use the Light. Every Sixth and Seventh in the history of the Brotherhood was able to use the Light. How does one move up in the Brotherhood, and what does each rank entail?

Well, going through the recruiting process grants you an unofficial “Zeroth” rank. This is where they manage all of your testing to ensure that you’re qualified to become a Brother, as well as beginning your training. In most cases, Zeroths are not required to go to war, but exceptions can be made depending on local (or national) needs. Zeroths gain few of the benefits, but none of the recognition that comes with being a Brother.

Becoming a First is as simple as doing well enough in your testing and training. You are confirmed to the position by your local Fifth (or by one of the Council of Seven if you are in Adhit-Yiar, or they happen to be available), and you will be given the full benefits that are associated with being a Brother. However, you will find that the training has become far more intense, and you will be held to a higher standard than you were as a Zeroth. Also: As a First you are now required to go to war for the Brotherhood, so your training might seem a little more serious and less like training.

Moving up to Second from First is a simple matter, although it is possible to skip First entirely and be admitted to the Brotherhood as a second. You just have to test really well and be gifted with Light magic. Otherwise, it’s just a matter of showing basic competency while performing your duties as a First. Your position is confirmed by your local Fifth (or one of the Council of Seven if available), and you are responsible for making sure that the Firsts and Zeroths underneath you don’t kill each other (or themselves). Although in battle, you possess no authority (unless you are somehow the only authority available).

Becoming a Third requires time and dedication. On very rare occasions are people initiated into the Brotherhood as a Third (you have to test exceptionally well and must be exceptionally gifted with Light magic). Most other people spend years proving they are capable of handling the responsibilities that come with being a Third. As with First and Second, your position is confirmed by your local Fifth, or Sixth if available (unless you were initiated as a Third, in which case the Council of Seven holds a special ceremony in your honor). Your local Fifth will now expect you to keep track of a dedicated squad of Seconds (who will watch your Firsts and Zeroths), and you will likely have some small government function to run (usually administrative-type work, but it is not unusual for Thirds to be seen managing postal work).

Most Brothers will retire as a Third. By that point, you will have served your country well, and it will ask nothing more of you. However, for those with an innate sense of leadership and drive, it is not enough to settle as a Third. You have to want to be a Fourth, and you must prove your dedication and loyalty to the Brotherhood every step of the way. You must be strong and disciplined. If you are chosen to take up the position of Fourth, you will be confirmed by one of the Council of Seven, and they will assign you to a minor governing position somewhere in the Union (you will most likely preside over a small township or village, although it is not unusual for Fourths to be lower-court judges or the head of one of the many agencies run by the Brotherhood). You are expected to create and execute battle strategies in war, although you are not expected to fight on the front lines.

Once you become a Fifth, your rank becomes slightly more fluid than it was as a Fourth or below. It is possible to move from Fifth to Sixth and back again (though this is unlikely). You are also now eligible to become the Seventh (very rarely are Sixths promoted to the Seventh, but we’ll get to that in a second). There is a small window of time each year that opens for each Fourth who wants to become a Fifth to apply for the promotion. Once the window closes, all of the Fourths are sent to Adhit-Yiar, where they undergo several intense rounds of testing to see if they are capable of handling the position of Fifth. After each round, those who fail the tests are sent home and cannot apply to be Fifth for another three years. Those who pass are then promoted by the Council of Seven, who assign them to govern a territory or oversee a major government function.

As a governor, you are responsible for ensuring the well-being and contentedness of the territory, as well as managing all local promotions for your Firsts to Fourths. To keep despots from rising to power, there is a biannual review of each Fifth that takes several factors into account (including economic prosperity, popularity based on a survey of the general population, popularity based on a survey of the Brothers who serve underneath the Fifth). The overall results of these reviews will signify whether a Fifth continues to be eligible for promotion, whether they continue to be fit for their position, whether they will be reassigned, or whether they will be “asked” to step down and retire. As a military tactician, you are expected to work with and refine your Fourth’s battle strategies, but you should only step onto the battlefield as a last resort.

Now let’s get into the Council of Seven. There is only ever one Seventh at a time, who is advised by his six Sixths. The Seventh rules with near-absolute power. Nobody in the Union can question or challenge his authority, and all Brothers and Sisters bow before him. The Seventh decides and gives direction for national policy, decides the terms of international relations, decides which laws will be passed, vetoed, or repealed, and directs the military force of the Brotherhood. It is his job to sign off on all assignments and appointments, as well as ensure that these people he’s putting in these positions are doing their jobs and doing them well. The Seventh is the face of the Union and is seen as Iblis’ representative to the people on the planet. And it is important that the Seventh understands the full depth and weight of his position, because he’s in it for the rest of his life.

Now for the important question: How do you become the Seventh? Well, step one is that the current Seventh needs to be dead, as confirmed by the High Coroner and announced by the Sixths. After that, the Sixths will nominate up to six Fifths to replace the Seventh (one for each Sixth) or will endorse another Sixth’s candidate. A Sixth can be nominated by another Sixth but must receive the endorsement of at least two other Sixths to continue being eligible to become the Seventh. The candidates will then meet with and debate before the Sixths, who will slowly remove the lesser-qualified candidates. When the Sixths finally decide on who the new Seventh will be, that Seventh immediately replaces the old Sixths by promoting up to six Fifths to their advisory positions (traditionally, the Seventh will keep the Sixth who initially nominated them to remain as one of his advisors, but it is not required). The old Sixths can then retire (as most do) or can continue to serve the Brotherhood as Fifths. While the new Seventh generally picks Fifths to serve as his advisors, it is possible for him to choose a Fourth, but his nominee must be unanimously endorsed by all the old Sixths, as well as any new Sixths who have already been chosen.

Now, the Seventh is not free to reign entirely as they please. While the Sixths mainly exist to advise the Seventh, they do have a few powers to keep him in check. As said earlier, when a new Seventh is selected, he immediately chooses his new Sixths to serve beneath him. Technically, the position of Sixth is lifelong. The reality is that the Sixths serve at the discretion of the Seventh, who can dismiss them at any time, with reasonable cause (so, for example, if a Sixth falls deathly ill and cannot fulfill their duties, the Seventh may relieve them and choose a new Sixth). Reasonable cause, however, is not something decided by the Seventh, but instead by his remaining Sixths. If at least three of the remaining Sixths find the Seventh’s reasoning to be sound, then the Seventh is allowed to remove his advisor from their post.

Now, if the Seventh is showing signs of becoming despotic or is neglecting his duties as Seventh, the Sixths can unanimously select a “usurper” whose job is to remove the Seventh from power by whatever means necessary (usually death). This vote is made in secret, and one of the Sixths will personally travel to meet their usurper and deliver their judgment. This is not a power they exercise lightly but was used on a handful of occasions in the Brotherhood’s history. In each case, the usurper was selected as the new Seventh, except for one.

This exception was for the future death knight known as Ellis the Damned. Ellis was chosen as usurper during the First War with the Ancenians, but instead of becoming Seventh when he completed his task, he was given the title of Provisional General—the only true title ever assigned to any Brother or Sister. What did that mean? All of the nitty-gritty policymaking was left to the Sixths in order to keep the country running. All military and judicial matters were left in the hands of Ellis. Under his authority as General, all Brothers were essentially stripped of their rank. They still had to perform the functions of the positions they were placed in, but Ellis could freely move them in and out as he pleased (so if Ellis felt that a particular Governor was more useful to him on the battlefield, he could replace them with someone else to get them where he needed). His law and judgments were final, although he did leave most criminal and civil cases in the hands of their local courts (instead opting to preside over all military cases or acting as an arbiter as he personally encountered crimes). On the battlefield, his orders superseded all others and his strategy was the only one that mattered. The position of Provisional General was effectively untouchable, even by the Sixths (who still did possess the authority to vote for another usurper but making this vote would have reflected badly on them and likely would have backfired). Ellis would have, at some point, had to abdicate his position as Provisional General and allowed for a new Seventh to be chosen.

Or he could have continued ruling as a tyrant, because there was no one who could stop him, and he had the full force of their military at his back. But he didn’t do that.

And I think that’s everything I wanted to talk about with the Brotherhood of Light. Again, they were a big, important group, and it turned out there was a lot more to them than I had initially anticipated. Thanks for indulging me for these 20 minutes, and I hope to see you again on Tuesday. I think I’ll talk about what the Iblan Church (and therefore Iblis of Light) knows about Dusk in Rebirth. Hopefully I’ll see you then!

[digitesque]

Ada Liu

Zeroth Law, Chapter 5

“Other coders have tried before.” Tanos sounded like he was consoling her, which was only more infuriating. She grimaced at the idea of her peers fumbling around this same ruin.

“I doubt they even got this far. They don’t understand this kind of thing. I mean, I don’t understand this kind of thing either, but at least I know that there’s something there that could potentially be understood. They don’t even know what they don’t know.”

She hefted the gun, took a few steps away from the door, and sat down. It wasn’t just a mystery - it was a puzzle, a deliberately designed obstacle hiding something valuable within. The hexagonal symbol was clearly waiting for some kind of input, but she couldn’t tell how it knew what to expect, or why it reacted so damned fast when she touched it.

Could it be some kind of sibling sigil system, where this sigil worked in combination with another somewhere else, to open the door? Maybe, but it could also be that she needed some specific ancient relic to interact with it. Where there other options? Was it perhaps more complex than a binary system? Maybe could she make the door do more than just open and close if she knew the right sigils.

Ancient coders were sophisticated, and they had created complex tapestries of code that their descendants apparently could not hope to fathom. Perhaps there was no real chance of her opening this.

That thought incensed Ada, though. She the heretic, expelled from the Institute essentially for the crime of being better than them - well, she was better than them. Better than the coders who had tried and failed here in the past, better than those who taught and learned in their distant enclosure in the valley.

And yet she still didn’t have the heritage, the education, the knowledge the ancients did. So how was she supposed to deal with this?

Ada Liu is one of Digitesque’s two protagonists, starring opposite Isavel Valdéz. She’s certainly the antihero of the pair. Arrogant, ruthless, and prone to fits of anger, she’s obsessed with figuring out what exactly happened to ruin the old civilizations of Earth, and she’s convinced she can reclaim their technological legacy and use its power to create a new civilization. She’s not humble.

But she wants a better world for everyone, even though she struggles to maintain that abstract goodwill in her concrete dealings with people. She’s also an eternal optimist who believes in the power and self-determination of the human species, and after a lifetime of feeling alienated from her peers, she’ll find her heart surprisingly open to the plights of Earth’s less-human inhabitants.

Ada was originally intended to be the series’ villain, but as I wrote and rewrote the story, she became a more interesting figure than that. Ambitious to a fault, optimistic to the point of recklessness, wounded and suspicious and easily carried away by anger and affection alike, Ada is the sword to Isavel’s shield, the chaos to Isavel’s order.