#our data is doomed no matter what

[callmeherry]

Underlust reimagined

Tw: SA; Drug abuse; Child abuse; Violence; Suicide and attemped suicide; Misogyny and miscarriage. None of the topics will be discussed in detail and it will be needed to read between the lines to see them.

Intended for MATURE AUDIENCES

So, as many may know, Underlust was pretty much a +18 au for drawing nsfw of the characters, which there is nothing wrong exactly, BUT I actually think there was a lot of potential for this au that was just… Not used.

In my reimagined I intend to keep SOME elements but most of the stuff will be rewritten or just full on discarded.

Be mindful of the trigger warnings! I don't intend to go in depth on any of them but there will be mentions.

Anyway! Let 's begin!

Frisk:

Frisk is the protagonist of this story. They are 20 years old and was born with partial blindness, being able to see mostly blurry images when things are farther apart. Frisk grew up in an orphanage as their mom died at birth, their father fleeing once he heard. They were very much isolated from the other kids, mostly just reading alone as it was difficult to play with the others with their poor vision.  That was, until they met Chara. The both of them quickly became friends. Chara always encouraged Frisk to not care that the others didn't want to hang out with them, they are better off without them. It was clear to both that they were soulmates, what kind it didn't matter to them. As long as they were together they were unstoppable… … When Frisk was 17, Chara took their own life. Frisk could never understand why. What happened? How could they not notice? If they noticed, maybe they could have done SOMETHING… But they didn't… They kept living, but the guilty never left them. They left the orphanage at 18, but life just got harder. All they could think about is how they weren't supposed to be doing this alone. So maybe… Would it be better to just follow their partner? Frisk climbed the mountain many said it was the end of any and all hope. And right when their body ached and they found the opening, they let all the weight of their body leave them, falling into the unknown. But instead of meeting their doom, they are saved by a tiny rose named Rosie. He helps them get up and when he learned about their poor sight made worse by the dim light, he latched himself on their shoulder to guide them through the catacombs. And so, our story officially begins. Frisk will start meeting every single one of the cast, and having in mind the guilt that followed them by not being able to save Chara, Frisk will do anything in their power to help them deal with their problems. While maybe, learning to deal with their own demons in the process…

And that's it for our protagonist! I think you guys can already tell the new direction this version of the story would take ^^

So before I tell you guys about the other character, I need to explain to you guys a bit of world building I've thought of!

World building:

The year is 20xx. Monsters have been trapped for thousands of years and hope has been glowing dimmer as time goes on. As so the children have been getting each passing day more and more rare. The king and the council would do their best to guide the kingdom, but after the death of the king's newborn he has fallen deep into a depression, being unable to actually make any calls. Leaving all the power to the council to call all the shots. The council, however, didn't quite have the people's best interest. Problems kept arising and each time with less and less answers. The council knew that if they wanted to stay with the power, they needed the population to focus on something else.  And what better than a common enemy? They hit the most sensitive spot of the monsters, the lack of children. The biggest mystery they had without an answer, well, up until now. The council created a false answer, faking studies and data thanks to one of the members who happened to be the royal scientist, saying that the reason the monsters had such a low birth rate was because of monsters borns from two same gendered parents.  They said, each time a monster was born from two monsters of the same gender, the offspring had a lower chance of giving birth. And generation and generation of this, piling up. The monsters got where they are now. The population was horrified, the lie was set. The council watched as they created an enemy the population could hate, and it wasn't them. Same gender pairs were fine just as long it was a fling, but couples were frown upon. The monsters already have such a lack of children! How could you have a partner with the same gender as you? Are you trying to have an offspring with even less of a chance of having future babies?? The underground kept growing and expanding, everything got more and more expensive and the monsters suffered.  Everyday, madness and corruption invaded their souls, making them just a spitting image of the ones once were their enemies. Each day, they got more human.

Now that you all understand the world they live in, we can go over the rest of the characters ^^

Toriel:

Toriel, the queen of the underground. She once was one of the fiercest warriors known, not because of her attacks but because of the way she inspired all monsters. That was, until she gave birth to her kid, only for them to turn to dust in her arms. She felt like she failed everyone, not only her family, but her kingdom as well. She failed to give them an heir. She failed to give them hope of a future. The queen left the castle, too ashamed and hurt to continue with such responsibility. She moved to the ruins and opened a humble abode, where she would teach other mothers how to take care of their children. Helping them keep the most precious thing she lost. When Frisk meets her, their goal will be to help her understand that she is more than this horrible loss, and even though being a mother is amazing, she is still first and foremost a person. A person who also deserves love. Once they understand each other, Toriel explains to Frisk the rules of the world and gives them a striped shirt.  Most monsters don't know what a human is but all monsters know that someone wearing a striped shirt is a kid. And children are extremely precious to all monsters. So Toriel hopes this will keep them safe.

Undyne:

Undyne is a soldier from the royal guard, she has been training to get in since she was little once she heard the horrible stories she heard about the war, wanting to make a difference. Unfortunately for her, the task was difficult. No matter how much she worked, how much effort she put into being better, her peers looked down at her. And now, a random skeleton comes from Snowding and suddenly he's the “talented prodigy” and the next big promise to make it to captain of the royal guard? Fuck no. So she works even harder than before, she needs to be the toughest soldier from the royal guard. She has to not show any defect. But that is difficult when on top of everything, she found herself taking a liking to the short yellow lizard who happens to be the royal scientist… She knows how frowned that would be. So she pushes these feelings aside… When Frisk meets her, they will help her see that she shouldn't hide any part of her because of others. That her feelings and not being strong all the time is what makes her… Her… Undyne will finally find someone she can open up to, be honest about her frustration and fears and not get judged because of it. A friend…

Alphys:

Alphys became the royal scientist a long time after the other one pretty much disappeared. No one knows what happened to him, he just never showed up again and it's as if no one wants to talk about him anymore. Either way, the position was open, and it stayed open for many years, only having a few occupants who didn't last long. Well, Alphys got the job!  And she thinks she knows why no one wants to stay, as it is a lot of responsibility and a small pay grade… Which is odd… As she is pretty sure the previous scientist was well off… Anyway, the important thing is that SHE wasn't. It wasn't bad in any way, it was actually ok… But she felt small, not really appreciated monetarily nor socially. That is, until she received a proposition from a raggedy cat who also wanted a better life. He explained that they could team up, as the medicine Alphys can produce would be very appropriated by other kinds of people. Alphys knew it was wrong. And she refused, at first at least… Soon temptation became too much to avoid. Oh how she wished she had enough money for this nice shirt, oh how she wished she could have one of those fancy cars, oh how she wished she could go to this five star restaurant… “Just one time” She said. And then she wouldn't sell anything else. One time… Two times… Three times… She lost count by now. The guilt slowly faded away as she just got a nicer life. Yeah, she still hid it was her, the producer of the biggest dealer in hometown but she didn't care. She felt like she was finally doing something big! That is, until the numbers of deaths by overdose slowly start to rise among monsters. At first, she tried to ignore it. But as the numbers started to rise she just couldn't deny it anymore. It was her fault. She caused this. She IS causing it. And as much as she wanted to stop she just… Can't. She is just in too deep now, she can't stop. Yet she cries every night, telling herself how much of a bad person she is. This is all her fault. She hurts people.  When Frisk meets her, they will help her see that there is still hope for her. That even though she did a bad thing she can still change! She can be a good person, if she just tries…  They believe in her, maybe she can believe in herself, too…

Mettaton:

Mettaton’s story is pretty much the same as the canon Underlust. The hopeful ghost meets the royal scientist in the dump one day and she promises him a body. Mettaton becomes a star among monsters. But with light, darkness surrounds…  The star was desired by those who watched him, but desire can become dangerous. A poison of entitlement and arrogance. So they took what they believed was their right. They broke the star… Mettaton was never the same after that. He asked Alphys to make his robot body less revealing, he hid himself from everyone, he could never look at himself in the mirror again. He knew what people said about him. How it was his fault that happened. That he was the one that showed himself and made them desire, and some days… He thought that they were right… Mettaton did his best to continue his show, to continue his dream. But was it really worth it? Sometimes he thought that wasn't the case… So every time he received those flowers, those cards, he cried. Hugging them close to his chest. Frisk knew from their skeleton friend the robot's story, and encouraged him to meet Mettaton. It was a slow process, a scary one, even. Mettaton was already so hurt, it was hard to believe the two of them were genuine. But Frisk helped him see that there were still good people in this underground. People that care about him. So he does his best to still have hope, him and the skeleton start hanging out more and more and even form a kind of partnership. It is still scary… Mettaton isn't sure if it will ever not be… But he has hope things will get better.

Papyrus & Sans:

The two brothers were sons of the previous royal scientist, W.D. Gaster. They were the result of an experiment to try and make children, unfortunately, Gaster deemed the experiment as too unstable and simply not worth the trouble. Either way, Sans and his younger brother were born from that. Any good parent would never say they have a favorite child, Gaster however, is not a good parent. He made it clear how much he believed his older son to be a failure, all stats measured as one… Now, Papyrus… Gaster had big dreams for Papyrus. It soon became obvious that the scientist would pour all his expectations and hopes into Papyrus while the older brother got all his frustrations and regrets. Papyrus was quickly put in training to become a royal guard, having taken special care so he would grow up to be a strong monster. And the younger brother took that to heart even after their father was gone. He trained and did his best, and suddenly everyone was counting on him. Even his brother. Sans more than anyone encouraged Papyrus, saying how it was obvious he would be the one to become leader of the royal guard.  But Papyrus never wanted that… He never got the chance to choose what he wanted to be. His father was the one that told him he would be a soldier and then his brother encouraged him. And Papyrus just doesn't have the heart to tell his brother the truth… And even if he did… He still knows that being a soldier is the best way he can guarantee his brother is safe… To compensate for when they were children… And Papyrus couldn't protect him. Sans was very different when he was a kid, it is to be expected when one suffers so much on the hand of the one that was supposed to protect him. Yet despite everything he would smile at his brother and tell him everything would be ok. Papyrus remembers his brother looking at the clock and noticing the time. He was late… That was never good. He remembers Sans taking his hand and guiding him to his bedroom, helping Papyrus set into his bed, telling the younger one a bedtime story. He remembers both of them tense and scared. Sans patted his head, clinking their skulls together in a good night kiss. He remembers his brother pleading with Papyrus to promise to only open the door when Sans comes to get him. Papyrus promises, like he does every night. And he knows he will regret it in the morning. Sans smiles, getting up and walking towards the door, closing it behind him and locking it up. The key being slided from under the door so only Papyrus can get it… … He wishes he didn't remember the sounds every time he goes to bed…  So Papyrus protects his brother. He trains. He gets stronger. And one day, he will make up to him, he will be able to tell him he is sorry for everything… Sans was very different when he was a kid. Quiet, weak, always wearing hoodies. He needed to, his father demanded him to hide the marks of hits he himself left on his bones. Sans always thought it would be easier to just not hit him but oh well…  No matter what he did, it seemed like nothing was enough. And he never told anyone. Because he was scared. Every goddamn night he came late Sans just wished he didn't come home at all… It was never the case though…

Some nights he just got yelled at, while others… He is broken down to his core, left alone to pick up the pieces… He could never understand how his own father could do such things, but as he himself said, Sans was just property. He was just meant for that. To be used and someday he will be discarted… One day, he got too scared as he heard the door open. The thought of the many hands, digging, staining his bones. He just couldn't. So he ran to his only friend. But the next day, he knew he had messed up, he had left Papyrus alone with him. So he went back, and for the first time, his father welcomed him with warmth in his voice. “I knew you would be back…” He whispered in his ear. … Next time Papyrus wasn't home. Sans paid the price for what he did… But this time, it was too much for him to handle when he came back to his own body. He broke down in front of a teacher, told her everything. He wished he didn't. Gaster took him to the lab one day, told he had found out, and told Sans… His teacher's dust was in his hands.  And now, he would join her. When Sans felt his neck vertebrates being squeezed and twisted, close to snapping. He snapped instead. The next thing he remembers is the door opening, the king Asgore looking at his crying form and a pile of dust in front of him. So, Sans decided to live his life differently when he grew up. He wore whatever he wanted, he was loud, flirted. He wanted to be perceived, he knew the way he acted made him desirable, enough to make people of the bar he attended to make a bet to see whoever could “score him”. And he just didn't. Care. Because now, he was strong enough to be able to deny them, and to hurt them if he wanted. Everytime he told someone off it was… Cathartic… He doesn't care that he's putting himself in dangerous situations on purpose. He doesn't care about the names people gave him.  He would continue partying and drinking and taking as many pills as it takes to maybe, just maybe the voices in his ear telling him that his father was right about him will finally shut up. Well, whenever Frisk comes around, they will help Papyrus to be true to himself, help him see that as honorable and genuine his reasons are, he can't allow himself to suffer just for the sake of others. He is stronger when he is happy with himself, not when he is miserable. While with Sans… Well, he is just not ready to start any healing process, and Frisk doesn't push him. But he does appreciate them helping his brother, thanking them to help him see how much strain Papyrus was putting on himself.

Grillby:

Grillby is the owner of a very famous club in Snowding. He spent his whole life watching people around him destroy themselves and just not listening to him when he tried to help. And things just get worse when he develops feelings for his favorite patreon and best friend. He does his best to protect him, but he knows he can't. Grillby never fully committed, he was never fully truthful with himself.  The fire elemental would put on a mask, showing everyone how sturdy and capable he was, but he knows it isn't true. But he also feels he is incapable of doing anything. How could just one monster change anything in this world? It's impossible. So he just sits back from behind the bar, watching and never interacting. Frisk however, helps him see that is not true, yes, one monster can't change the world, but he doesn't need to. If he is able to change a single thing, as small as it is, it will all be worth it.

Asgore:

The king consumed by grief and guilt. He is unable to rule, unable to do anything. That is, until he found that small skeleton, shaking and scared. Once the king found out the horrible things his previous scientist did he was enraged. After a long time he finally made all remember why he was the king. W.D. Gaster is to be forgotten. His name erased from their history, left to rot on his insignificance. Obviously, the other members of the council didn't understand, they questioned him, where even was the scientist anyway? But the king was firm. And soon, they learned not to question. Asgore adopted the young skeleton, together with his younger brother. He did his best to accommodate them despite everything. Even if he felt inadequate to be any kind of father figure…  It was a hard process, both kids were fragile, especially the older one, but he did his best. And they both grew up. Once they were old enough to leave, they did. They still call him from time to time, his older one visiting him frequently thanks to his “shortcuts”, and he couldn't love them more… But he knew deep down they weren't really his kids… His kid died at birth… Asgore he… The skeletons didn't come from his soul… They are not truly his, and he could never truly be their father... Right? And now, after everything, they have word that a human has fallen into the underground. The council want to use their soul so king Asgore could have an actual heir. A being half human and half monster, the most powerful being that has ever been seen, perhaps strong enough to break the barrier keeping them underground. And the king is conflicted, he is supposed to do what is best for his people, and a monarch would bring hope to his citizens… But he doesn't want to take the human's soul… He is lost. He is alone. He is hopeless. And he just doesn't know what to do…

The end:

When it is time to face the king, Frisk and Rosie go on their own, ready for whatever the king decides is the right thing. When they arrive, they talk. The king offers them tea and brings them to the garden of roses, telling both about his late child.  Frisk also tells him about their late friend, being empathetic with the king's pain. They explain that they were ready for it to be over, but it wasn't. They were here, and if their life could serve for something, they would like to be for something good like bringing hope for the people, and if that was the case, they would happily die… But at this point, Toriel; Papyrus; Mettaton; Undyne and Alphys arrive. They confront the king and the human, explaining how important they were for them, and how much Frisk helped them be true to themselves. Telling both how much more important the human's life is than what they give themselves credit for. The king was conflicted still, but at this point Sans arrives. He tells Asgore how the human managed to give hope for someone who didn't want it. And he asks his father to please, don't listen to the council. Spare the human's life. With that, Asgore decides it. Frisk life is too valuable to be lost by a foolish dream. 

Everyone is happy, hugging the human and singing them praises. But at this point, the members of the council arrive, they tell the king they knew he would disappoint them. The guards move, circling the group. Asgore and Toriel attempt to call them off but they don't listen. They belong to the council for some time now. The whole group is captured and tossed into the dungeon, just until the council decides what to do with the human soul.  But, Rosie the rose finally lets go of Frisk's arm, promising he would get help. He slips between the cracks of the stone walls, his soul full of the hope the others had for him. And when the council returns, ready to take Frisk's soul, the castle is invaded. Led by Rosie, all the other monsters the human helped came to everyone's rescue.  They managed to overthrow the council, freeing the captured monsters and human. The king and queen made a formal speech, thanking Frisk for their kindness and for giving them all hope.  Weeks after. Life still wasn't perfect, but it was a little better. Monster were happier and now with the queen back, life conditions were better. Alphys working on another way to break the barrier when she and Undyne find out they are carrying a souling. Of course, it felt obvious now. Monsters souls are made from hope, so when the parents had so little hope to give, they were unable to create a child… But having the answer for it didn't mean it would be able to be fixed out of nowhere, but it was a start. A start of something new. Something beautiful.  Frisk knew it. And they would do their best to help everyone along the way, and everyone would be there to help them. They can't help but smile, maybe Chara would be proud of them… Either way, no matter how hard it would be, they had hope. Things will get better.

Comments and Funfacts:

I imagine Papyrus and Mettaton’s relationship on this reimagine to be queerplatonic! Papyrus being aroace

My main goal with Mettaton and Sans’s storyline is so that they would parallel each other, of how that kind of trauma could make the victim respond and the difference between healthy and unhealthy coping mechanisms (Having a support system vs abusing narcotic substances)

Where Frisk fell, there would be many tombs from other humans, and the only reason they survived was because Rosie healed them

Toriel and Asgore were never really in love, they had a lot of care for each other but not in a romantic sense, so when Toriel returns to be the queen they are also platonic 

Alphys was Sans's dealer and they would get into an argument later in the story when she cuts him off

And I think that's it! This was a lot so thank you if you read this far! ^^ If you have any questions please feel free to ask them and I'll do my best to answer them! 

[tenaciouschronicler]

June 5-9 2025 2010

First time in a long while I'm actually typing on my computer. I've been reading my old stuff and annotating it -accidentally very sassily.

Regardless, these updates have been verrryy..... slow? Not slow like bad, uh slow in the sense that we've been non-stop punch after punch, scene after scene with no time to breath. And now that we can we can really feel just how wound up and chaotic everything has been. Even if the pacing depends on real life time constraints, there's been so much buildup in the story to this moment from so many angles that now that its passed it feels odd? Even the narration change makes it obvious with the shorter sentences and repeated stucture. All the text follows two images -one a wider shot, the next and emphasized one- and it explains what we need to get out of them without letting us sit with the characters anymore than it deems necessary. It gives me a storybook feel and acts like a cutscene.

The first thing we get is another Game FAQ page from Rose; shes titled this passage ‘Rose: Egress’. Egress has two main meanings, the first is “the action of going out of or leaving a place”. This one along with her text explains some of her actions in Descend. Shes done. Absolutely done.

I am not playing by the rules anymore. I will fly around this candy-coated rock and comb the white sand until I find answers. No one can tell me our fate can’t be repaired. We’ve come too far. I jumped out of the way of a burning fucking tree, for God’s sake.

She’s taking matters into her own hands. So incensed she is that she breaks from her normal writing pattern and displays her emotions openly. It’s a little bittersweet, and I’m worried of her cutting off communication with the others.

The second meaning of egress is a tech term involving the flow of communication data. As her last act she ‘[has] used a spell to rip this walkthrough from Earth’s decaying network’, stored it in a Derse-branded server and let the Gods disperse it to any and all life that my also be doomed to play this game. Its likely this is how the initial connection to the trolls came about, long before they had access to this session.

We get to see the completion of some storylines.

The warweary calls another broken planet home, another cloth his garb. Land and rags fit for the wayward.

A villein becomes vagabond.

WV is lost. I think he truly thought he could make a difference for his brethren. Now the lone survivor -and how does that feel to be left alive- he's lost the rage that fueled him. On the battlefield his last action is to rip the head off of the Jack doll. ACURSED MASCOT that it is, the fact we've seen it portray Jacks state makes me wonder how and when Jack will suffer the same. Johns blanket flutters down forming the first connection between them. The fight gone and nothing changed, he wanders.

John has made it to Skaias surface and found Jade. We get confirmation that she is indeed dead. If in Descend John looked confused, John now looks sad. His frown isnt as exaggerated as we've seen and I find that sadder. He gets the ring from Jades hand for reasons unknown. After that he sees his first cloud vision and makes his way to that area of Skaia. Given that these panels happend after 'the recent past is recalled' command, we can understand that WVs and Johns actions are happening around the same time. Unlike with PM however, their paths arent destined to cross yet.

A mistress becomes a mendicant.

At the same time on Skaia we see why PM didn't show in the flash. She was too busy battling it out with HB, successfully killing him. Shes filled with just as much rage as Rose is, using the walkie to get this whole quest over with. Jack flies to her location and has CD exchange the package. I think hes perhaps a bit surprised PM managed to fulfill her part but in a maliciously gleeful sort of way. He may not be fully aware of how PM got those crowns but to him at least her sense of duty to her 'purpose' was far greater than her loyalty to the royals. There's also the underlying thought that he's the only one with power confirmed in his eyes. Him handing over the package makes sense. I think hes someone who doesn't like to be indebted to others and even less so to someone he sees as a pawn. With that PM has no more purpose in his eyes and the next time they might meet he'll have no reason to not get rid of her. John has flown over to the location revealed to him and PM spots him, still full of anger.

The mail is delivered. An obligation, satisfied.

There's alot that can be said about the exact words used for our exiles new names. Vagabond, someone who wanders without a place to call home. Mendicant, a chosen way of life rejecting the material to serve their faith in service of others.

I feel WV is an exile of circumstance while PM is a chosen exilement to atone for what shes done. In the past, fresh from the battle, she no longer feels the same joy for her duty after everything its caused. Its not until the future, and perhaps Skaias influence, that she gains a love of mail again. Even meeting WQ, I don't think she ever believed shed be crowned a hero. Perhaps shes come to terms with her actions and was prepared for punishment, only to receive acclaim.

The package is opened. Letters, read.

So many pages later and after so much destruction, John finally gets his gift.

The first letter is from an unknown sender, Jades penpal apparently. An interesting fellow with the weirdest use of British vernacular who rambles way more than anyone so far. The best we can glean, aside from having sendificator access, he might also be a player. How and when he and Jade started talking is unknown but supposedly Johns gonna meet him someday. Much like Jade, hes not good at explaining things but for him I think its less not trying to tell the future and more hes just like that. The second page has the list of gifts though its cutoff:

Royal Deringer

Quills of Echidna

???? Crosshairs

Jades also left a letter and it hurts to read. Here we see just how human Jade is even with her Skaian given future dream powers.

...i really hope this present

cheers you up! you looked so sad while you were reading my letter.

[...]

i dont see everything john, and i definitely dont know everything thats going to happen. but when i do know something, i always try to do my best to help people in the future! when im supposed to that is. youll get the hang of it.

Maybe its Skaia being selective to not give away the game (ha), but Jade can only see so much. At the time of writing she couldn't have known Johns sadness comes at her death. And she even goes on about how excited she is to meet him and show him around and finally meet her friend...

John cries.

Its not the same as when he did after his first Con Air reenactment; only a single tear as that frown continues to mar his face. Its a different sadness, a deeper one where you feel the ache in your soul that tells you the hurt will never go away. There's no way to find release from it as much as a full on bawl could seem to help.

John cant even begin to try processing the grief as a sword is pointed in his face. Jack is here for the ring but hes miscalculated. The present emerges from the box. Another bunny -the same one that has passed through so many hands and so many lives- outfitted with robot tech and the weapons from the letter. Each weapon matches to the kids chosen strife specibus: needles, a hammer, a gun, a broken sword. Combine this with the fact the bunny was Daves gift to John, Roses beloved heirloom, patched up and sent with Jade.

John must feel so alone. His dad has been missing since hes arrived here. He has no clue what hes doing in this game. Hes woken up to find his friend dead. And yet in front of him he as an amalgamation of his friends love. A reminder that together they are stronger. That they are not alone.

Check.

[seventeenlovesthree]

so, apparently there's plenty of death symbolism/metaphors surrounding, are you interested in elaborating that? including "indirect" death like spiritual death, character assassination or death of identity, somethjng along those lines?

- death symbolism surrounding Taichi, sorry, somehow I pressed ask , sorry for my blunder

It's fine, no worries, I already assumed that it was referring to Taichi! If you think about it, several characters in Digimon Adventure have been dealing with the subject of "death" one way or another, most in direct association with someone (human or Digimon) close to them.

Now, if we look at our favourite main character, riddled with traumatic childhood experiences and questionable coping mechanisms, there are a bunch of instances where he had to deal with the potential of death happening in front of him or CAUSING death himself - either to others or himself -, so it should not be surprising that, at some point, he may have dissociated himself (mostly subconsciously, I'd say) from being a Chosen Child. Whiiiich may or may not have led to Kizuna's events, but yeah, it's count the instances first, shall we. TW: death, mental health.

The whole Hikarigaoka incident: While Hikari was scared too, she was still much younger than him and couldn't grasp the implications of what was happening there, while Taichi did EVERYTHING in his power to protect her and himself from not getting crushed by the two Kaijus in front of them.

Him almost causing Hikari to die due to his (still existing) sense of childlike innocence: Yes, she was sick, but he thought she was already on the way to recovery and only took her to play football to cheer her up. That's where he first had to face that good intentions don't always lead to positive outcomes...

The SkullGreymon fiasco: Again, he intended to do good for the sake of the group, but overlooked the bigger picture and became reckless, thus causing his partner to evolve into a literal symbol of death and decay in the process. Something that may have happened to the ENTIRE group if the Digimon hadn't run out of energy...

The electrical fence and its aftermath: This one has several follow-up points, but I still think it's suitable to summarize them all here - first of all, there is him being confronted with the idea of actually dying by getting electrocuted after he was 100% convinced that nothing they did mattered, since they were "just data in a computer". Once again, he was being reckless and careless - not only did it lead to almost killing himself, but in extension, also dooming Sora, whom he failed to save. Overcoming his cowardice, finding his own sense of courage eventually led to victory - but also led to him disappearing and roughly 50% of the remaining group ended up thinking that he had actually died in the process. Meanwhile, he was back in the real world and had to choose between saving only himself, or everyone else as well... And we all know how the answer to this turned out to be.

Him almost causing Hikari to die AGAIN: Of course there have been several instances of death before and after they re-entered the Digital World again, leading to the eventual "fallout" between Taichi and Yamato in regards to how they should deal with the immediate danger at hand... But the most devastating instance here was Taichi reliving his early childhood trauma, fearing that, by taking Hikari with them, he made the same mistakes again, acting thoughtlessly, not considering the circumstances... He has been acting self-sacrificial for the sake of the group before, but it's this arc that shows that he is actually ready to die if he can at least manage to save everyone else in the process (hence why he ended up fighting with Koushirou as well, because Taichi forbade him from taking on any pain himself and Koushirou was having none of it).

Let's not forget that, during the events of Our War Game - and all the follow-up movies, especially Diablomon Strikes Back -, he was also under immense pressure: To save the entirety of Tokyo from getting blown up by a missile and every other side-effect that Diablomon may have caused in traffic or elsewhere... And once again, his own hotheadedness may almost have caused his partner to get killed, to the sense of guilt plays a huge role in here as well...

02 portrays Taichi as matured, it showed that, while he still occasionally needs to get reminded of it, he KNEW that he has to make uncomfortable decisions sometimes; of course he almost despaired when his partner was being captured and corrupted, but he also realized that he may have had to sacrifice him for the greater good; he needed to remind Hikari that the new kids never had to deal with the same kind of death exposure before, but warned her - with quite a grim, but serious expression - that they would have to face it eventually. He grew aware of their duty throughout all this time, through all these experiences, and it's not pretty, but at this point, he was still ready to act.

Tri picks that point of the story back up again by mirroring Meiko's fate with his own - at least to some degree. Once more, they had to face the possibility of having to kill a beloved partner Digimon and at this point, Taichi was questioning whether or not recklessly sacrificing infrastructure and lives for the sake of fighting was the "right way" to deal with everything. It may have felt a bit like recycled conflict at this point, but it's been several years by now, and Taichi is, overall, contemplating his life choices, contemplating his diplomatic future, the status quo AND his "duty" as Chosen Child.

It's through the course of Tri that he: Watched parts of the city get destroyed ONCE AGAIN, almost died through the course of several fights and an earthquake-like blow, had to witness his teacher - whom he greatly looked up to - sacrifice himself, covered in wounds and blood, to save him AND their missing friends... And all that after Daigo told him that they lied to protect them and that he should move on and create a better future... Thus, Taichi decided to go for the kill again. Again, he didn't like it, again, he got reminded by Hikari of all people how terrible it all is, but he knew that he had to.

Kizuna chose a similar premise to Meiko's once again - first of all, if we look at everything above, is it really surprising that Taichi probably developed some fatigue? We all know, see, can tell how much he loves Agumon - hence why he did end up horrified by the prospect of losing him. And as I pointed out before, he did use the fighting for the sake of having a purpose, because... Who else was he if he couldn't "lead" anyone anymore?

And since the rest of his young adult life was pretty directionless... Can you really blame him for it? The amount of nightmares, the tiredness, the PTSD the previous experiences may have caused in him could never be treated by a "normal" therapist - who could ever relate to all of these things that sound incredibly supernatural and like nothing an adolescent should have shouldered all by himself? Heck, he isn't even able to talk to his friends about it at all (even if stageplay!Agumon told him to!), just swallowing it all by himself, dealing with the thought spiraling in his head on his own.

Hearing Menoa tell him that she lost her partner, making it all sound like a huge punishment for making the wrong choices... It may have rang several alarm bells in Taichi. How often must he have dreaded making the wrong choices? How much guilt must he have felt for the sake of Hikari, Meiko, Daigo, everyone he temporarily let down by hesitating or acting out in the wrong moment, let it be Yamato, Sora, Koushirou, Daisuke... Now there's this young woman who asked him to figure out a way to fix a problem she couldn't herself, a problem that may separate him from his soulmate forever and for what? Because he grew unsure of himself, because he faltered, because looking at all his friends, who found their paths, had become painful and tiring. Because, even after coming to temporary answers, he didn't know who he was and who he wanted to be anymore.

He had to choose to fight so many times, he sacrificed himself as much as he could. Then there was the prospect of fighting Menoa with two possible outcomes: losing would lead to his own death (or "loss of self" since he would have his consciousness be trapped forever in a neverending dream of his childhood), winning would lead to the death of his partner anyway... It must have been dreadful.

When it comes to the different kinds of "deaths" you mentioned, I will try to summarize this quite shortly, even though they're definitely interesting angles.

I believe that a "death of identity" is basically what I have outlined above - while it mainly focused on Taichi's (decline of) mental health, which may also have resulted in a tendency to isolate himself, Taichi's journey is basically some kind of Lion King analogy, where he starts as your typical head-through-wall protagonist, but has to deal with the aftermath of cowardice and the consequences of his choices - and does so by running away from the pain FIRST. From himself and his responsibilities. He also could have chosen to let Menoa win and let his consciousness be turned back into that of a carefree child... But he chose not to let that happen.

Because deep down inside, there IS his path. There are his values, his persistence, his belief system. He's been on the brink of a breakdown, but it's all there. Hence why I really, really, REALLY want to WATCH him getting to his "Simba strikes back" phase at some point, since we only ever saw it implied by the end of each, Tri, the stageplay and Kizuna. We KNOW he will push back, but we have yet to see in what way, if he ever got therapy and how he's actually doing - mentally, physically, spiritually.

Speaking of which, "spiritual death" is a bit harder for me to grasp in his context, but considering how his sense of guilt and fear of cowardice have led him to (temporarily) turn away more and more from his true self, his natural sense of courage and more positive, outgoing attitude... It all leads me back to him having lost his sense of self. I will never forget the feeling of how my stomach dropped during the "depressed adult" scenes in Kizuna. Again, I want to give this movie props for depicting adulthood like that, but it really hurt and felt way too relatable.

And I guess in this sense, we can also talk about "character assassination", because... As you may have noticed, I have linked quite a few analysis posts in this answer, because I have been trying to analyze and understand Taichi for MONTHS now. And sometimes, I feel like I may be trying too hard - who knows me also knows that, while Taichi is one of my favourite characters, I also have my fair share of problems with the AMOUNT of Taichi suffer p*rn in the OG timeline (and I still maintain they only made Taichi as generic as he was in the reboot to avoid these allegations). Some may argue that it's all over the top and that they keep recycling the same conflict (for him and in general) over and over again for the sake of even HAVING a plot to revolve around (which also wouldn't contradict the epilogue too much and actually leading towards it eventually).

For me, it has been interesting to look at all of this in context, as heartbreaking as it is sometimes. Mental health is a serious issue and watching a character like Taichi experiencing at least some form of implied depression after everything he went through tells you that everyone can get affected by this. Even if your experiences won't involve several instances of near-death-situations, even if you are resilient and have a lot of social, mental and physical resources to deal with set-backs or intense, difficult situations... It may still happen. And it's important to show that there are ways to deal with it as well as you can. That there is hope, even if things are not 100% alright.

[mrporg]

I don't know exactly when it happened, but at some point in our recent history, we stopped being hopeful about progress and optimistic about the future. I'm not saying this is without good reasons, but I kind of miss the rose-tinted glasses.

In Things to Come (1936), the movie adaptation of The Shape of Things to Come by H.G. Wells, Oswald Cabal make this speech at the end of the movie:

- Oh god, is there never to be any age of happiness? Is there never to be any rest? - Rest enough for the individual man. Too much and too soon, and we call it death. But for Man, no rest and no ending. He must go on, conquest beyond conquest. First this little planet, and its winds and waves. And then all the laws of mind and matter that restrain him. Then the planets about him, and at last, out across immensity to the stars. And when he has conquered all the deeps of space and all the mysteries of time, still he will be beginning. - But... we're such little creatures. Poor humanity is so fragile, so weak. Little..., little animals. - Little animals. And if we're no more than animals, we must snatch each little scrap of happiness, and live and suffer and pass, mattering no more than all the other animals do or have done. It is this, or that! All the universe or nothingness! Which shall it be?

Oswald Cabal and Passworthy, Things to Come (1936)

I haven't read the book (one of my failings), so I can't tell whether it was Wells or the writers who came up with this speech, but I find it interesting that at that time - right before WW2 - they already considered the internal struggle of humanity between progress and complacency, and made it one of the major points of the story (albeit among others).

This is not the only movie about progress mind you. A much more recent one, Tomorrowland (2015) takes us back to one of the last great World Fairs, and paints a hopeful future. At least for a little while, before turning downright depressing, and recovering only at the very end. This movie isn't a masterpiece, but it has one of the best villain ever, played by Hugh Laurie. The reason he's so great is because he is hardly a villain at all. Indeed, he's just a guy who has become desperate that humanity has decided to close its eyes to its problems and is heading for its doom. I really like the speech that he gives:

Let's imagine. If you glimpsed the future and were frightened by what you saw, what would you do with this information? You would go to... who? Politicians? Captains of industry? And how would you convince them? With data? Facts? Good luck. They only facts they won't challenge are the ones that keep the wheels greased and the dollars rolling in. But what if..., what if there was a way of skipping the middleman, and putting the critical news directly into everyone's head? The probability of widespread annihilation kept going up. The only way to stop it was to show it. To scare people straight. Because what reasonable human being wouldn't be galvanized by the potential destruction of everything they have ever known or loved? To save civilization, I would show its collapse! But how do you think this vision was received? How do you think people responded to imminent doom? They gobbled it up, like a chocolate éclair. They didn't fear their demise, they repackaged it. It can be enjoyed as video games, as TV shows, books, movies. The entire world wholeheartedly embraced the apocalypse and sprinted towards it with gleeful abandon. Meanwhile, your Earth was crumbling all around you. You've got simultaneous epidemics of obesity and starvation. Explain that one!

Governor Nix, Tommorowland (2015)

Bees and butterflies start to disappear. The glaciers melt. Algae blooms all around you. The coal mine canaries are dropping dead, and you won't take the hint! In every moment, there is the possibility of a better future. But you people won't believe it. And because you won't believe it, you won't do what is necessary to make it a reality. So you dwell on this terrible future, and you resign yourselves to it. For one reason, because that future doesn't ask anything of you today. So yes, we saw the iceberg, we warned the Titanic. But you all just steered for it anyway, full steam ahead. Why? Because you want to sink. You gave up. That's not the Monitor's fault, that's yours.

And I think he's right about that. At some point, we stopped believing in progress and science. We stopped believing in a better future, and we started instead focusing on the negatives, trying to limit the damage to our own lives. I'm not saying no-one is fighting the good fight anymore. As a matter of facts, plenty of people still do. But I think as a society we have kind of given up, and we are ignoring the few of us who haven't. I am unsure what it would take at this point to set us in a different direction, hopefully not another world war like in Things to Come.

We are already measuring the damage of the gloomy future we have been imagining for ourselves: ecological issues, late-stage capitalism, populism, oppressed minorities, degraded education and health, etc... I believe that we have already everything we need to make each day better than the previous one. But instead of working together on that, we prefer competing in the "who has the most" and "who I hate the most" competitions.

And again, I think governor Nix has a point with regards to self-fulfilling prophecies. Very few art pieces these days remain hopeful nowadays. We prefer stories of apocalypses, downfalls, tragedies. The futures we imagine for ourselves are cyberpunk capitalist hellscapes, zombie apocalypses, ...

"When I was young, the future was different" - Frank Walker (Tomorrowland)

Brb, I'm going to go watch some Star Trek and its hopeful post-scarcity utopia.

[mariacallous]

We live today amid the dregs of time. A sense of doom is shared on all sides of the political spectrum. Democratic politics in the West has turned into a clash between two extinction rebellions and two nostalgias: an extinction rebellion of climate activists who are terrified that if we don’t radically upend our way of life, we shall destroy life on Earth, and an extinction rebellion of the “great replacement” right, which lives in fear that if something doesn’t change, it is the end of our way of life. The right is nostalgic for the past. The left is nostalgic for the vanished future. Radically different in their goals, they share one common vantage point: an apocalyptic imagination.

It is in the context of this creeping eschatological position that one can assess the originality and importance of Jonathan White’s In the Long Run: The Future as a Political Idea. White, a professor at the London School of Economics and Political Science, offers an original reading of the current crisis of democracy by defining it as a temporal regime and arguing that an “open future,” one that is not predetermined but is shaped by human agency, is a precondition for the successful functioning of democratic regimes. In his view, “When the future seems to be closing in, institutions organized around the idea of persistent disagreement and changing opinion start to look out of place.”

By contrast, the reigning characteristic of our “age of emergency” is that there is no room for error. If certain decisions are not taken today, it no longer matters whether they will be taken up tomorrow. It will be too late.

White’s argument is that, just as humans die in the absence of air to breathe, democracy can die from the inability to dream collectively. What makes democracy work is a productive tension between a near future and a distant and utopian future. The near future is the one we can plan for—the one that politicians promise to voters and remains at the center of democratic accountability. What the government did yesterday and what the parties pledge for tomorrow will always be the bread and butter of electoral politics.

White, however, is correct to insist that the distant and utopian futures, ones radically different from today’s reality, are also constitutive for democratic regimes. Distant futures are the basis for political hope today and the motivation for deferring the gratification of immediate political goals. Take the future out of democratic politics and elections turn into civil wars with ballots or a never-ending crisis management.

But today our relationship to the future is marked by collective distrust. The resulting imbalance between democracy as a project and democracy as a projection of futures—whether economic, demographic, or technological—is at the center of the West’s current crisis. Uncertainty about the future, and the resulting hope that tomorrow can be radically different from today, are the hallmarks of the democratic idea. The question is whether uncertainty is still possible in our current age of emergency.

White sees the future as a political idea that has gone through different historical iterations, not all of which have productive relationships to democracy.

His consideration of rational calculation is a useful case study. White makes clear the opportunities, and far greater risks, to assuming that the future can be mastered by experts who have mastered the scientific method and the use of statistical data. This faith was on the ascent in the early 20th century, White explains, when new forms of accounting inspired confidence in the power of business to project future earnings. The market forecaster was the new sage, and technocracy as a collective tool to solve the ills of man was infectious. Planning would become a new mantra and a way that ideologies of very different stripes could make sense of what came next.

But how does this impulse to rationally plan the future square with the open-mindedness of democracy and its inherent uncertainty principle? It would seem to be in contradiction. As White writes, “To assume the stability of people’s preferences is to discount the worth of a political process that seeks to change them.” One definition of democracy, offered by the political scientist Adam Przeworski, is a system in which elections cannot be changed ex post or predicted ex ante. Some things have to be left open to chance if a democracy is to be worthy of the name.

It is here that White’s stress on the utility of aspirational futures becomes a separate and essential dimension. Were everything to be left to expert planning or price signaling, the world of imagination would rapidly become impoverished. We would be taking our social cues from rational planners and prognosticators. Although White doesn’t mention him, the late sociologist Erik Olin Wright’s decadeslong research program on “real utopias” is instructive. Wright never lost sight of conceiving in bold yet imaginable terms a world of tomorrow that was also rooted in today’s pragmatic realities, squaring the circle of a wishful long game and the acceptance of the here and now.

In arguing for the critical importance of the future for the success of the democratic project, White is highly persuasive. But in trying to answer how the future could be reimagined, his analysis is less convincing. Out of fear of alienating, it seems, a progressive constituency, he stands guilty of diluting his most salient points while preaching the return of an old ideological politics. When trying to suggest the way out of the current age of emergencies, White starts to sound like a nostalgic leftist. His plea for the return of the revolutionary party strongly committed to a future project sounds noble but is ultimately unrealistic, as the absence of any suggestions for how to create this collective ideological project in his book seems to attest. In recent decades, the spontaneous resurrection of ideological politics has become the left’s version of alchemy.

White’s most important suggestion is also the least inspirational. In his view, the only way to escape the trap of a politics of emergency is to confront head-on the apocalyptic appeal of both the climate left and the great replacement right. Alexis de Tocqueville was one of the first to assert that the discourse of crisis is the native language of any genuine democracy. Democratic politics, he claimed, need drama. “As the election approaches,” Tocqueville observed in his classic travelogue, Democracy in America, “intrigue becomes more active and agitation lively and more widespread. The entire nation falls into a feverish state. … As soon as fortune has pronounced … everything becomes calm, and the river, one moment overflowed, returns peacefully to its bed.”

Democracy thus operates by framing the normal as catastrophic, while promising that all crises are surmountable, thus framing catastrophe as normal. Democratic politics functions as a nationwide therapy session where voters are confronted with their worst nightmares—a new war, demographic collapse, economic crisis, environmental horror—but are convinced they have the power to avert the devastation. In other words, democratic politics is impossible without a persistent oscillation between excessive overdramatization and trivialization of the problems we face. Elections lose their cogency when they fail to convince us that we’re confronting an unprecedented crisis and that we have it in our power to avert it.

It is at this point that the climate left ceases to be a friend of democracy—not because it is wrong in its judgment of the existential threat of global warming, but because its apocalyptic discourse prevents democracy from finding its necessary solutions. As White argues convincingly, “The sense of finality that fills today’s world is central to its volatility.”

In this context, it is worth comparing the anti-nuclear movement of the 1970s to the extinction rebellion of today. It is impossible to overstate the apocalyptic impact of the atomic bomb. For a world emerging from the ashes of World War II, the bomb was the end of the world imagined. But in political terms, preventing nuclear disaster was far easier than preventing climate disaster. To prevent nuclear disaster, it was enough for Soviet and American leaders to refrain from using the ultimate weapon. There was no time dimension. The success was to persuade the leaders of the two superpowers of what not to do. In a nuclear disaster, almost all of humanity will die simultaneously.

It is not the same with a climate disaster. It will take a longer time. At least initially, there will be winners and losers. And success will be measured not by telling leaders what not to do, but by convincing them to do certain things without necessarily a consensus around what might work. So, while the threat of nuclear disaster succeeded in mobilizing a global response that was a political success, the risk is that the climate emergency can result in fatalism and demobilization.

This banalization of catastrophe is the only way to make democracy work. Ultimately, this is also White’s important and necessary conclusion, one that he is shy to endorse. As the literary critic Frank Kermode argued, “Crisis is a way of thinking about one’s moment, and not inherent in the moment itself.” Our apocalyptic views of crisis and catastrophe are ways of making sense of the world, of rendering it intelligible.

White diagnoses today’s actually existing system of Western democracy as one exhausted of political imagination. The diagnosis is appropriate, but we should look closer to the cultural factors that have caused this exhaustion.

Reinhart Koselleck, the German intellectual historian, is helpful here in that he always insisted that modernity is defined in the dialectic between the “space of experience” and the “horizon of expectation.” But recently, something radical has again happened to both dimensions of our existence. Humankind’s recent collective migration into virtual reality redefines how we understand experience. Do we have war experience if we spent countless hours playing war games on our computer or if we religiously followed reports of ongoing wars happening elsewhere?

At the same time, the expectations about our own mortality are undergoing dramatic transformations. Could it be that we have reached the moment when nations start to look mortal while individuals are reluctant to take their own mortality for granted? It might be safe to argue that the changing demography of Western societies, their aging and shrinking, is one of the factors of the exhaustion of political imagination. Does an often childless younger generation view the future the same way that previous generations focused on the life of their children did? Is the diminishment of the nation-state in most parts of the West not at least partially responsible for the decline of the future? Is collective imagination, particularly a collective demographic imagination, in elective affinity with the nation-state?

And is the impotence of our collective imagination not related to the fact that, for some, particularly those resident in Silicon Valley, immortality is a project to be achieved in the very near future? Some informed observers believe the person who will live for 200 years has already been born. In this perversely paradoxical sense, anxiety about the apocalypse is fueled by our hope to cancel it forever. In our secular world, apocalypse is simply our own death.

In the same way that the invention of the modern individual was a precondition for the emergence of democracy in modern times, it is the hope of individual immortality that marks the end of collective dreams. Many would agree with Woody Allen when he explained, “I don’t want to achieve immortality through my work; I want to achieve immortality through not dying. I don’t want to live on in the hearts of my countrymen; I want to live on in my apartment.”

The vanishing future is probably the most critical element for the current crisis of democracy. But it can’t be overcome by simply advocating for more democracy. And while White may not offer the needed answers, he is doing something even more important, and long overdue, by asking the right questions.

[vaalthus]

The Final Steps (spoilers)

Ok, the idea of Xan looking towards Warlic as a protective buffer to keep things that are making him uncomfortable away from him is absolutely hilarious.

Ya see I still don't like the sound of that while we don't know what the intent of the other Magesters, beyond Ostromir and Vseslava, are at the moment, even with the knowledge that many of them will be dead in a short amount of time.

One thing I have noticed so far is that Zvezdana has shown consistent interest in us as a means of studying new applications and effects of magic that are not readily present in the Azaveyran continent. She mentions she doesn't have us all figured to the degree that she wishes but so far she has at least shown a good amount of insight of understanding where we stand in terms of morals and ethics, I'd say that goes for more characters in party than just the hero. What I'm getting at here it seems pretty clear for now at least that our relationship is little more than useful data collection to her.

Beyond that though I'm curious as to what these new approved pursuits the Shapeless intends to endeavor because I foresee problems arising if they found a new interests in Doom or recreating Alexander's...condition.

Hmm perhaps we should have conscripted some elves or werewolves for this fight or maybe Nikki at least.

Either way, this is some good lore on the elemental affinity a soul produces on its own or when the body is altered significantly. We already knew of course that the human body contains minute traces of all the prime elements within it, but, as anticipated, this quest just proved these elements do not exist equally within every human being on Lore, even those that have not been pushed so far into one elemental direction like Xan or Sepulchure.

Feel like the easiest way to have tested this is by having another dragonlord and their dragon in attendance since we know the others are capable of swapping the elements of their dragons as needed. Though I wouldn't be too surprised if being one of the twin dragons was all it took for Draco to be protected from the overflow of mana.

Oh what gave it away Zvezdana, my non-canonical class armor?

Not appreciating the shade thrown towards Aegis. He's a good pure and wholesome spirit, woman!

It's actually kind of funny that Aegis is protecting our soul from straining apart given that's what his role will theoretically become when we die and he'll have to protect us until we become fully fledged elemental spirits...ya know unless ya eat him later...

I wonder if this adjustment will have any permanent effect on Alteon considering he's being pushed further towards the energy element or if this will be a temporary change, like the soul self-regulating afterwards.

At first I was a little bit surprised that she no longer labeled all of us as villians that just couldn't or didn't want to see the good she was trying to do especially after she declared Warlic as little more than a manipulator after their confrontation.

Yet that surprise dies away when you realize she doesn't really have a choice but to recognize that our intent was never really all that misguided to begin with. Think about it, her truest closest confidant, the time mirror, showed her that Akanthus, her right-hand man, had betrayed her trust and when she confronted him on this, he merely verified that fact. When confronted with this information what other choice does she really have but to accept that she was being in denial of our motivations in not trusting her actions or at least the man she was allowing to command a good portion of the Rose.

Of course, it doesn't matter if she finally sees the truth about us as she's sunken too much into this plan to turn back now even though she knows her only ally now is a man that could potentially wreak havoc upon all of Lore if, and let's be honest it's more of a when, she fails to supplant the Mana Core's will.

For all intents and purposes, Jaania story still remains a tragedy and while I don't want her dead, the potential for so many ends for her are not looking good. Whether it be in failing to control the core, further betrayal from Akanthus, or us, or even plausibly one of the others in the party, looking at you Zvezdana.

[togami-fan-translation]

Danganronpa Togami - Chapter 3

Part of my Danganronpa Togami fan translation | Masterpost 🔗

1

We were doomed to lose this battle from the get-go.

A defeatist would probably be enthralled writing an introduction like this. But we’ve never known defeat, we’re reckless, and we’ve never forgotten our all-or-nothing sense of adventure.

There were corpses and piles of guts, meat, and brains everywhere. Even with all of this flesh scattered across the floor, for Master Byakuya and I, there’s only one way forward.

It’s the same as how a fired bullet is only interested in what’s in front of it; it’s a fundamental matter of principle.

2

Sedlec Ossuary.

This strange building in the town of Kutná Hora is famous for storing the bones of approximately 40,000 people, with the bones of around 10,000 of those used to decorate the interior.

The altar, ceiling, monstrance, banisters, coat of arms, objects, everything is made from human bones. It’s been dubbed by many as the “Church of Bones.”

You may be wondering, “Why so many human bones?” Borges would answer this simple question eloquently, but this is no time for history lessons. The present is moving at breakneck speed.

The most spectacular decoration in the Bone Church is the giant chandelier made of human bones. It is said to have been pieced together with bones from each part of the body, and it shakes our views on life and death to a sickening extent. But now, beneath the chandelier, an even more vivid scene unfolds.

A scene from the infernos of hell.

Wet flesh was stuck to the walls, intestines were caught on the banisters of the staircase, and blood was splattered red on the floor. It would take a dozen hungry bears to create such a sight.

However, it was a human, not a bear, who accomplished this. I knew this, having fled from their attack.

“Tch. To be slaughtered in a place like this. In the end, their lives were as meaningless as a mere insect,” Master Byakuya said with a bored look on his face, as he sat on the windowsill, barely avoiding the bloody ravages. His black tuxedo stood out against the white of the bones and the red of the blood in a flaunting way.

“Phew. I’ve stomped on thousands of Goombas in my day, but this kind of crushing leaves me speechless,” said Hiroyuki, who was still not speechless as he lit a cigarette.

Yuika strolled inside the church. She didn’t seem too bothered by the blood at her feet, maybe because she was already wearing red shoes.

We somehow gave off the feeling of “the squad,” which was painful to think about.

It looks like I won’t be able to expect a romantic rendezvous with Master Byakuya for a while.

Anyways, back to work.

I placed my finger on my temple and activated Borges. Even without biometric data, it is possible to identify an individual from pieces of flesh, clothing, precious metals, skin color, etc. It’s basically the same as identifying bodies after a plane crash.

By combining the visual information like a 3D puzzle, we were able to confirm 83 bodies. Of these, we were able to identify 31 as belonging to members.

That’s thirty-one bodies. That matches the number of members of the council excluding Master Byakuya and Princess Sonia.

“Can you fill me in now?” Hiroyuki exhaled a smoke. “What’s this pool of flesh? Why were you all gathered at the Church of Bones?”

“Explain,” was all Master Byakuya said. Looks like this is my job now.

“The great Master Byakuya, the heir to the acclaimed Togami clan, is a member of the Council of World Controllers.”

“…Pst, m’lady, does that story involve the Freemasons or something?”

“If you want it to…”

“Woah…”

“You wanted to talk about underground corporations, didn’t you?”

“I’ll leave this alone. Please continue.”

“I haven’t been told how or when the Council of World Controllers was formed. Apparently it has existed for centuries as an organization that issues orders when a crisis strikes the world and secretly guides people to make choices to avoid it.”

“Oh, I see…” Hiroyuki trailed off. “By the way, are all of its members really just big-name politicians, aristocrats, or large corporations?”

“Of course.”

“Sorta like the Bilderberg Club.”

Borges = Search results #36695501 Category: Conspiracy theory Title: “Bilderberg Club”

A secret council founded in 1954 by Józef Retinger and others.

The meeting is attended by about 130 people, including big-name politicians, financial leaders, CEOs of major companies, monarchs of European countries, and bankers. Due to the contents of the meeting not being made public, conspiracy theories arose, such as “They are plotting to establish a unified government” and “They are discussing a depopulation plan to regulate the world’s total population.”

“This is the first meeting since Master Byakuya became a member. We flew to the Czech Republic for the weekend to go to the Church of Bones.”

“Do you always hold meetings here?”

“Supposedly, at least from what I’ve heard.”

“This here Kutná Hora was called the ‘Treasury of Czech Lands.’ You really get the vibe they're controlling the world from behind the scenes, huh.”

“That’s a strange way of looking at it.”

“Ieyasu found the phrases ‘May the state be peaceful and prosperous’ and ‘May noble lord and servants be rich and cheerful’ on the temple bell, and destroyed the Toyotomi clan as a result during the Siege of Osaka. Metaphors foster conspiracies and create destruction.” Hiroyuki had a pretty serious look on his face. “Anyway, now we know why you guys were in Prague. I never guessed a secret society would turn up, though.”

“How could you be here and meet us now when you didn’t know about the existence of the Council of World Controllers?”

“It’s a piece of cake for an underground corporation, am I right?”

“Are you saying you live in an unrealistic world too?”

“We live in the real world. Nothing too outlandish or unrealistic happens, so it’s impossible to become a world controller.”

“Is that so?”

“There are many organizations of many sizes in the world, and unpredictable events happen at every turn. How can you possibly control such a big crazy world with just one will? I like my fair share of conspiracy theories, but you’re seriously stupid if you truly believe them.”

I don’t necessarily disagree with Hiroyuki’s opinion. You can’t take on the world, it’s impossible to perfectly control schools, companies, and even the smallest organizations like families.

We’re not cogs in a machine or dolls to be played with. Just like how Louis XVI, who developed the guillotine, had his head chopped off by that same blade during the revolution, this world is full of miscalculations and ironies. It’s impossible to control the world.

“Unless you have a ‘poor cow.’” Hiroyuki smiled confidently and turned to Master Byakuya. “Spill the beans, kid. How did this organization called the ‘Council of World Controllers’ get so close to you Togamis?”

“What is this ‘poor cow’ thing you speak of, wannabe mogul?”

“Uh huh. Don’t play dumb with me, now tell me what reason they had to approach you Togamis.”

“Because we’re Togamis, enough said.”

“......”

“I was simply just asked to lead the world, I have no information regarding internal details.”

“It’s not like li’l boss to just run errands.”

“Small social interactions are an inevitable part of making a name for yourself.”

“Or maybe… The Council of World Controllers approached the Togamis to find the secret to their prosperity.”

“Like you did?”

“Kehehe… Say, what was the current crisis that’s threatening the world? A meteorite fall? An alien invasion? Global warming?”

“Isn't it obvious? It’s the Despair Novel that caused the despair disease.”

3

Borges = Search results #92778018 Category: Books Title: “Despair Novel (Restrictions apply, pending verification)”

A common name for the text that is believed to be the cause of the phenomenon that makes humanity despair, i.e. the onset of the Despair Disease. The official title has been confirmed, but it is not introduced on this level due to the possibility that it may cause the Despair Disease.

The original text is believed to be Japanese. It has been translated into 25 languages at present, and is still spreading around the world. It is 3,382 Japanese characters long (including punctuation). It’s classified as a short story and autobiographical novel. There are other parts that are known, but they will not be quoted or outlined on this level.

The Despair Novel, which is spreading rapidly around the world, is said to “make the reader fall to despair without fail,” and those who read it gain a condition called Despair Disease.

To date, there have been no reported cases of people who have not developed the disease or who have returned from the decision after reading it, and it is inevitable that the disease will be contracted once you read the Despair Novel even once.

Methods such as reading quickly, taking your time before reading, stopping halfway through, listening to it being read aloud, altering the text, and starting from the last page are being explored to read it without causing symptoms, but none have been proven safe.

Leaders of various countries have issued orders to burn books, and international organizations including the World Health Organization are also working to find a solution.

Borges = Search results #55091194 Category: Diseases Title: “Despair Disease (Pending verification)”

The colloquial name for the symptoms suffered by “readers” who finish the ever-growing Despair Novel (#92778018).

Whatever the language, those who read “Despair Novel” experience mental changes within 24 hours. Self-deprecating, self-abuse, discriminatory, humorous, aggressive, and violent aspects are particularly prominent, and many sufferers describe their state of mind as feeling “despair,” hence the name Despair Disease.

Victims become more open to their own impulses, band together with other “readers” to become violent, and there is a tendency to attack concepts that evoke hope (big companies, prestigious schools, celebrities, aristocrats, wealthy people, etc.).

Additionally, some anti-government activists and terrorists have taken advantage of the chaos caused by the infected and have been operating in secret, leading to civil wars in some countries.

The heads of countries have responded by isolating infected individuals and burning the copies of the Despair Novel, but the “readers” continue to spread like a virus, translating them, printing them, and posting the data on the internet, so the disease has not yet been eradicated.

Also, since reading Despair Novel always results in contracting the Despair Disease, the source, or even a cure, has not been identified. Theories include terrorist weapons, an unknown virus, Super High School Level talents being involved, and it just being mass hysteria.

As no fundamental solution has yet been found, some military analysts and think tanks are of the opinion that “if the phenomenon continues to spread, it could lead to the biggest, most awful, most tragic event in human history.”

4

Perhaps because Czech is a minor language, or because absurdist novels are not uncommon in the Czech Republic, there was currently no Czech translation of the Despair Novel available.

The original language of the Despair Novel is said to be Japanese, a language that is nowhere near as minor as Czech. However, there were no signs of the Despair Novel spreading in Japan. The incidence rate in the country has not been high, proving that in Japan, where everyone works hard, anime is aired all night, and 24-hour convenience stores abound, there is no time to read.

If I’m being honest, I’m not particularly interested in the Despair Novel. With the fake World Domination Declaration and Master Byakuya and the world in danger, it completely slipped my mind.

As a member of the Council of World Controllers, I’m sure I would have a vivid sense of conflict and epidemics that occur in faraway countries, but in the end, I only have the sensibilities of an ordinary person.

And so I was currently in a hidden room built into the basement of the Church of Bones. I had hoped to find survivors, but the place was deserted. It seemed no one had made it there. They probably didn’t have the time.

“The safe seems to be fine.” Master Byakuya seems to be satisfied as he sits on the skull object. “Quit sitting around and open it already.”

When I unlocked the safe embedded in the wall of the hidden room, I found a satellite phone, some rations, and a pile of gold bars.

“Wow, that’s quite a lot of gold bars!” Hiroyuki peeked his head out. “I wonder how much perica this will amount to.”

“Wannabe mogul, would you be willing to give up your life in exchange for this amount of gold bars?”

“I told you already. I have no issue resorting to ass-licking and prostrating diplomacy with any corporation of a higher rank. I'll serve you for free!”

“It seems I asked the wrong person.”

“Don’t look so down, li’l boss. There are very few people in this world you can have a proper conversation with. I can’t even talk to people who value cats more than humans, or people who laugh like ‘LOL XD.’ Oh well, my sister’s waiting.” Hiroyuki said his piece and left.

Finally, we were alone. Master Byakuya was looking at me.

“Oh, um, is something…?”

“Is there anyone who would risk their life for this amount of gold?”

“Oh, you mean…” I was disappointed. “Honestly, I can’t say. Are you saying you can’t imagine such a thing?”

“I suppose you are cold blooded.”

“Do you mean like… Capote?”

“You’ve never experienced hope or despair,” Master Byakuya said. “Even I, as I sail through the sea of life, encourage myself with the bait of hope and lash myself with the whip of despair. But you refuse to let hope, or even despair, into your life. That’s what they call being cold blooded.”

“I don’t really get what you’re saying, I’m not cold blooded.”

“Tell me then, what is your reason for being?”

“To complete your biography as the Super High School Level Secretary, Master Byakuya.”

“That’s right. You live to write Byakuyako. That’s the only thing you live for.”

Some would think I’d be saddened to hear such a thing, but that was far from the case. My supreme command is “Completing the biography is my foremost priority.”

“We read biographies and think we know about Helen Keller and Madame Curie,” Master Byakuya pushed up his glasses. “But how much fiction slipped into them?”

“Biographies are categorically non-fiction. Biographers are slaves to reality.”

“Hmph. That’s not the case. Traditional production, false anecdotes inflated from sources, virtue signaling… So many biographies are sprinkled with sweet sugars, dramatizing real events as if they’re taking advantage of a house fire to loot.”

“I would never do such a thing. Byakuyako is pure.”

“Do you know why biographers can’t follow such a simple rule?”

“No.”

“Because they’re human,” Master Byakuya exhaled briefly. “Can you tell me something from your position, Blue Ink? What do you think about each day as someone without hope or despair? Or do you believe in a concept bigger than hope and despair?”

“That is…”

“Desire.”

I heard Master Byakuya’s voice, however, Master Byakuya stood in front of me with his mouth shut.

“It’s desire. Desire that is far stronger than both hope and despair. That is because desire is the prototype, the origin, and original sin that birthed hope and despair. Desire is the intervening force behind every action.”

The voice was not only echoing from the hidden room. It was being sent out to the Church of Bones, to Prague, to the Czech Republic, and to the whole world.

“I found you, faker,” Master Byakuya smirked. “Show me your next move, try not to disappoint.”

The fake continued to speak, as if to say “of course.”

The both of them looked to be having fun.

5

Borges = View history #01106638 Title: “World Domination Declaration (Part 2)”

Desire.

It’s desire. Desire that is far stronger than both hope and despair. That is because desire is the prototype, the origin, and original sin that birthed hope and despair. Desire is the intervening force behind every action.

Tell me what it is you desire. Don’t be shy, go on.

I understand everything. It’s boring, isn’t it? You want adventure, don’t you?

I shall grant your desires. All you have to do is play my game. Participate in the World Domination Declaration. This is the world shattering event that will cure your boredom.

So allow me to give you a treat, dense bovines. I am currently in the Church of Bones.

Yes, I am in the Church of Bones all alone and unarmed.

Ripe… for slaughter. Go ahead, try and kill me. Now is the time to get serious. Try and kill the hope you oh so despise. Kill me, and I will be yours.

Or are you still just a whining maggot, even after all this has been set for you? I’ve provided the perfect opportunity for you, and yet you still make excuses to hide in your shell?

Oh well, I suppose it’s your life. Do as you like.

It’s okay to die as scum. It’s okay to die believing that you’re more than scum scum. It’s okay to become someone whose name will be engraved in the textbooks of history. Do what you want.

Effort can betray people, and there’s no guarantee that hard work will bear fruit. Still, without the desire to leave proof that you lived, you won’t be able to make a scratch on history. That is certain.

Oh well. I bid you adieu.

6

“It was a trap!” I cried. “W-what should we do? We made a huge mistake coming back to the Church of Bones…”

“It was our only option.”

“How are you being so nonchalant? We got tricked!”

“Think of it as a handicap. Something like a four-piece handicap in a game of shogi would be just right. And it’s not a particularly bad development. In a way, it’s a good thing that we came to the Church of Bones.”

Master Byakuya extended the antenna of the satellite phone he had taken out of the safe and began dialing a number without hesitation.

“Um, who exactly are you contacting?”

“It’s an order.”

“An order? Is it for a Visa?”

“It’s obviously an order for a hit. One from the former Super High School Level Hitman, Suzuhiko Otsuki.”

When I heard that name, my left eye…

…Almost like ink spilling over the edge of a bottle…

…Tears…

…Tears began to fall…

“It’s me, can you hear me?” Master Byakuya didn't notice anything strange about me as he held the satellite phone receiver to his ear.

“Dwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! May Buckingham always be in your heart! It is I, the true culprit in this magazine’s special edition… Allow me to shout to the crowd and let it be known, the iconic Suzuhiko Otsuki is here!”

A strange voice leaked from the speaker. It was the voice of a person who mocks the world and feasts on malice and vulgarity, the voice of a person who thinks that everyone other than himself is an idiot, without exception.

The voice of that man.

“Been a while, Byakuya. How’s it goin’? You givin’ world domination your best shot? Dyahahaha!”

“I’m not interested in idle musings. I’ll cut straight to the point, I’m making an order to kill someone.”

“Dyahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!”

“What’s so funny?”

“Is that even a question…? Dyahahahahahahahahahahaha! It’s obvious. It’s only natural to laugh after hearing somethin’ like that outta the little cute mouth of Byakuya, AKA the world’s most wanted.”

“The target on my head is my own business, not something you can laugh off.”

“Dyahahahaha! Good for you, bud. But I’m on a date right now.”

“You’re on a date?”

“I hope you realize I’m making this phone call in secret. Can’t let my darling honey know what I do for a living.”

“What are you on about?”

“Oh! This phone call reminded me, the other day I fought this clan of assassins. And their weapons were like scissors and bats, shit you’d see in the first half of a zombie flick. So I told ‘em, ‘I could beat you shits using a rice cooker!’ Dyahahahaha!”

“I don’t see what’s so funny about your story, nor do I see how it relates to this phone call.”

“S-seriously? Well then, anywho. I’ve already accepted a hit to kill this guy named Byakuya Togami.”

“Then there is nothing left to say.”

“Hey hey hey! Don’t hang up in such a hurry, Byakuya! You’re still as cold as ever, jeez. I haven’t even properly established my character yet.”

“That’s not my problem. I’m hanging up.”

“No need to be shy. We can talk about anything, anything’s ay-okay. Even Richard III.”

“Hmph, of course a hitman would bring up that name.”

“You’re the one who just tried ordering a hit, Byakuya. Just like how a bigshot places his hand on the Bible ‘fore a shootout, ya might as well place your hand on a copy of Richard III ‘fore requesting an assassination! Dyahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!”

Borges = Search results #11118905 Category: History, story Title: “Richard III”

The last king of England from the House of York, and the last king to die in battle.

In Shakespeare’s historical play ‘Richard III,’ he is portrayed as a man of terrible mind and body, twisted ambition, and a strangely captivating way of speaking. However Josephine Tey’s ‘The Daughters of Time’ argues that the negative portrayal associated with Richard III was unintentionally created by later generations.

There are many mysteries surrounding his life, and his true character has yet to be determined.

“Listen here, Otsuki. Do not forget that there is a world of difference between you and me,” Master Byakuya said, clutching the receiver tightly. “I give my stamp of approval to hitmen, then they fight their worthless consciences and destroy themselves.”

“Damn stupid. I cut ties with my conscience ages ago. It’s like, ‘Humans have lost their consciences and dance ‘til dawn.’ Consciences make people sick.”

“I already know you don’t have a shred of consciousness.”

“Dyahahaha! Thanks for the compliment. To thank you, I’ll kill you right~a~way~!”

“Try throwing me in a wine barrel.”

“You’re acting all tough, that’s not cute. Well then, Byakuya, keep yourself in one piece ‘til I get to ya. The second this call ends, you can’t turn your back on anyone. Dyahaha–”

“And so it is.” Before anyone could hear the unpleasant laughter, Master Byakuya hung up the satellite phone.

“Um, so whatever happened to your brilliant plan?”

“The world’s gotten so cheeky now that things just happen to not be going exactly according to my plan.”

“Master Byakuya, are you listening?”

“If the former Super High School Level Hitman is our enemy, then the situation has gotten gravely serious. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little shaken up.”

If Master Byakuya, the man who only thinks of other people as mere worms or shrimp, has said this much, then it’s clear that that man, Otsuki’s talent, was…

…Incredible.

I think the only student that could stand a chance against him would be Ikusaba.

Despite knowing that, I asked, “Perhaps we should get Enoshima and Fukawa to do something about it?”

“It’s too much for a gyaru and a writer to handle. You know very well that that’s beyond the world that they’re from. We have no choice but to deal with the impostor before Otsuki makes it to the Czech Republic.”

“That’s stupid, it’s impossible”

“What’s impossible is dealing with them both at once, and I request that you refrain from calling me stupid again.”

“…I have a suggestion.”

“Speak.”

“Let’s use ‘that.’”

That being his hidden move.

A finishing move that could change the world.

A word that would send the world into a frenzy.

However…

“I will walk my own path, using my own power.”

Dud.

Dududud.

Dududududududududud!

Suddenly, the sound of countless storming footsteps echoed. A thick atmosphere enveloped the Church of Bones.

It’s boring, isn’t it?

You want adventure, don’t you?

I shall grant your desires.

Perhaps Borges’ contact was poor, but the audio started playing automatically.

It’s true that I’m currently in the middle of an adventure, all thanks to the impostor.

7

The time was 10 PM. Four hours had already passed since the World Domination Declaration was issued.

There were many people under the still light-filled sky. Many faces expressed anger, passion, and even some anxiety. The Church of Bones was completely surrounded.

“It feels like the finale of the Yokohama Arena tour!” Hiroyuki and Yuika had climbed to the top of one of the Church of Bones’ three spires.

“What on earth is this?”

“Hey, young lady. Looks like we’ve got a few guests tryna kill you.”

The sight of the people looking up at me reminded me of a parade. It was exactly like the parade held by Hope’s Peak Reserve course. Its barrenness, its arrogance, its violence, its cowardice, its gaze, everything about it.

I have a headache. I need to take some aspirin. My head suddenly started to pound, and then… Yuika’s hand gently rested on my forehead.

“Pat pat.” Her sleepy voice and expression had a calming effect. Next, Yuika handed me a konpeito.

“Why are you giving me candy at a time like this?”

“It’s sweet.”

“I know that.”

“You knew that? Even though it’s so spiky?”

“S-sorry…”

“Thank you for your many great efforts.”

“Eh?”

“It’s babysitting.”

There was no time to ask her what she meant, we immediately spotted a fire rising from the Church of Bones.

They set it ablaze!

The people who set the fire were excited by the sight of the red-hot fire and let out cries of joy.

“Oh, it’s burning, it’s burning,” Hiroyuki said, looking down from the spire. “You know, I’m known as the ‘King of Flame Wars,’ online but it’s kinda shocking when one happens in real life.”

“Hey, this is no time for jokes.”

“I wonder if this is what Nobunaga felt while he was burning at that temple.”

“If you don’t have an escape plan, then be quiet.”

“Oh no, I’ve been scolded! Fine, if you say so, my lips are sealed nice and tight. Até breve, obrigado! See you next time!”

As our pointless conversation went on, the flames grew over the church walls. The old church was not fireproof, and if this continued, we would be reduced to ashes along with the skulls of about 40,000 people.

A low sound was faintly heard among the voices of the people, the sound of an engine.

The gates of the Church of Bones bursted open and it roared its giant tires as it charged into the grounds.

“Commoners, please stay away from the Church of Bones. We are from Hope’s Peak Academy!”

8

It was a decoration truck, commonly known as an art truck. It featured excessive LED lights, glittering aero parts, and brightly painted containers.

This uniquely Japanese culture has been receiving a lot of praise as art lately. These strange trucks, operated by delivery men, can even be seen on local highways and at parking areas.

But this is not Tochigi or Chiba, this is the Czech Republic, and when the occupant of the art truck is a student from Hope’s Peak Academy, things change.

The art truck that had parked on the grounds of the Church of Bones had the words “Luxury and Splendor” and “Royal Business” painted on the front, and a large illustration of Princess Sonia was painted on the container.

Beside the illustration were words that would lower your IQ just by reading them.

“Raised like a princess,

I cried at imperial school,

Hope’s flower shall bloom.

Let’s go, move beyond,

To the other side of time…

-Sonia Nevermind”

“Apologies for keeping you waiting, but we have arrived just in time.” The metallic driver’s door was opened, and Princess Sonia stepped out.

She was greeted with applause. The crowd, who had previously been hellbent on attacking us just a moment ago, were now in a frenzy at the arrival of the Super High School Level Princess.

No matter the generation, a young, beautiful woman is the perfect person to admonish and incite the people.

“To the people of the Czech Republic, I am truly sorry for the recent scandal that occurred at Hope’s Peak Academy.” Princess Sonia bowed her head gracefully. “I understand that you all want to destroy Byakuya Togami here and now. But I ask that you please entrust him to me. Would you people allow me to correct your misguided hopes?”

The power of envious influence. The contents of the speech were nothing special, but the atmosphere makes it hard to believe that, and the people are speechless.

“Miss Sonia! Miss Sonia! Wait for me!” Soda climbed over the gate that the decorated truck had destroyed.

I used Borges’s audio inspection function to concentrate on their conversation.

“Have no fear, Soda, chin up.”

“Haah... No, no, it’s not that, Miss Sonia. I’m not embarrassed, I’m just tired. I ran here at full speed after all.”

“You should have just gotten in the art truck. After all, you’re the one who made it for me, Soda.”

“Uh, I get motion sickness, remember?”

“That’s a complicated situation.”

“Don’t call it a situation!”

“So then how did you come from Japan all the way to the Czech Republic, Soda?”

“Did you forget that too? That girl said, ‘If you’re scared of flying, why don’t you just sleep?’ and then stabbed me with an injection! I practically fell into a coma thanks to that…”

“Just like King Kong. Rest in peace, just like the movie version that was a huge flop.”

“Jeez, that hurts more than you think, Miss Sonia.”

“Is the intel that Togami entered the Church of Bones reliable?”

“It was on the security camera. It seems that those two are still with him.”

“And how’s our ‘swindler’ doing?”

“Did you even hear that speech just now, Miss Sonia? He’s getting really caught up in the Byakuya Togami role. Though he seems to be trying out this ‘good guy’ thing compared to the real one.”

“Togami is the perfect example of a misunderstood bad boy. It’s easier to understand if you think of him like Xellos from Slayers or Howard from Uninhabited Planet Survive.”

“What are you talking about…?”

“Aw shoot, ol’ Sonia’s gonna burst into tears.”

“Uh, ahem, a-anyways. The swindler guy is in top form. All we need to do now is to get the real Byakuya Togami out here and we’ll be done, so cheer up, Miss Sonia.”

“That’s right. It might not be in my best interest to organize a national assassination on you because we have different interests.”

“National power sure is scary.”

“It would be painless.”

“It would absolutely not be painless!”

Princess Sonia uttered a catchphrase that didn’t quite make sense, and pointed at us at the spire. There were a few words that caught my attention, but I’ll get back to them later.

Princess Sonia… Soda… The students of Hope’s Peak Academy have officially attacked.

We need to think of something. Think of a way to survive. Just like back then.

Looking around, it seemed Princess Sonia's charisma was dominating the scene. She exuded the energy of “leave the rest to Hope’s Peak Academy,” and everyone did.

“You’re welcome to start anytime, Miss Sonia! You won’t even get sick just by operating it!” Soda climbed into the driver’s seat of the art truck, and the container opened to reveal a crane for high-altitude work.

Princess Sonia climbed into the crane’s platform below. The people watched in awe as the crane extended with a revving sound, approaching the spire where we were.

“Now I finally understand how both the wrecking ball and Miley Cyrus felt all at once!”

So she meant she was just going to come up here directly? It’s simple, but that's why it’s a surefire way to capture us.

With no weapons to repel them, we could only stare as Princess Sonia approached, like children waiting for Santa Claus to arrive.

The optical rangefinder installed in Borges calmly displayed the information of Princess Sonia’s approach.

Twenty meters. Fourteen meters. A few meters…

“That’s enough, fools.”

Come to think of it, I hadn’t looked at Master Byakuya yet.

I found Master Byakuya on one of the three spires… He sat on the edge of the tower. His golden hair flowing in the wind in front of the people… In front of the enemy…

He was fair and honorable, smiling like a true overlord.

9

“There are those who treat life as a mere game. A life in which you aim for the best ending may indeed resemble a game. I can’t help but agree with this approach of treating school, work, relationships, and managing your life as if you were playing a game. Everything is a game of win or lose, after all. The winners get drunk on fine wine, and the losers taste the bitterness. That is the simplicity of the game of life.”

Silence. The people, Princess Sonia, and Soda all listen in silence to Master Byakuya’s words.

What is he saying? What is his goal? I can’t understand.

“Obviously there are lives where you become a winner and then fall off, or ones where you’re the only one who believes you’re a winner. In some lives, the loser makes an incredible comeback at the end, and some lives where you keep trying but never taste what it’s like to win. There is no optimal method to winning, and there is no secret button combo. The starting conditions and starting equipment are all different. Everyone has different amounts of money and time to invest. It’s an unkind, unequal game. That’s what makes it fun, but I can also understand the arguments of defeatists who say it makes them feel unmotivated.”

Master Byakuya took a deep breath, as if to confirm the effect of his words.

“Some of you are experiencing this as an event. Some of you are rejoicing that the time has finally come for excitement in your lives, which up until now has been nothing more than a shitty game. That’s right. This is a major event hosted by me, Byakuya Togami. A celebration, adventure, something extraordinary, a dramatic reversal. And now I grant you a brand new bonus stage. Pay attention.”

Then, Master Byakuya scattered the gold bars from the safe across the ground like a whim from the heavens.

“I declare the opening of the bonus stage. Whoever can rescue me from the flames of the Church of Bones before the people of Hope’s Peak Academy can catch me will receive these bars of gold.”

10

Master Byakuya then dropped another gold bar, as if to make his point clear.

The people below stared at the shining golden bar before realizing that it was the real deal. Watching from the top of the tower, you could see the ripple effect in their hearts. Faced with a brand new bonus stage, the people began to ponder their desires.

Why did they come to the Tower of Bones in the first place? Now that they’ve gotten this far, how much more would they be willing to embarrass themselves?

It took less than five minutes for their behavior to shift.

The people began scaling burning walls, attempting to put out the fires with mineral water and rushing towards Soda in the driver’s seat, trying to get to Master Byakuya at all costs.

“Hehehe… Look at them risking their lives for something pathetic like this,” Master Byakuya said smugly as he looked at the scene below.

I, too, was enamored with Master Byakuya’s divine nature. No, I was in pure and utter awe.

I wanted to write Byakuyako. I was consumed with the urge to write. Ahh, the desire to work…

I want to fulfill my purpose, my duty as Blue Ink. My hands, brain, and heart itched.

I am the act of writing itself. I am the very act and manifestation of writing. I am a writing puppet. That’s why…

Yes, that’s why… I could feel the blush on my face increase as thoughts came flooding in.

He lost everything, his name, his identity… And yet he’s fighting for his redemption, all while dressed in a beautiful tuxedo. Right beside me.

What does that mean? At this very moment, am I the only person in the whole world who believes in his existence? Do I have him to myself?

I came to this realization. So in the end, I’ll only tell the world how I felt.

I was on cloud nine.

11

Some of the people tried to take over the crane, thinking that it might be the quickest way to reach Master Byakuya.

“Halt commoners! It’s dangerous! Only parade-goers can do that, such as on Japan’s new year parades!”

Princess Sonia’s trivia was drowned out by a deafening sound. It was a high-pitched sound that seemed to destroy my eardrums… No, it might as well have destroyed my ears themself. I instinctively covered my ears, but the piercing pain made it impossible to think straight.

Next came a gust of wind strong enough to shake the spire.

“Thaaaaaaaaaaat’s iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!”

Princess Sonia’s delicate body floated off of the gondola, then blew far away. If this were Team Rocket, she would have surely shouted, “Team Rocket’s blasting off again!”

What on earth was happening? Before I knew it, a huge cloud of dust had risen from the ground.

A new silhouette appeared in the dust. A huge, misshapen shadow.

Soon it appeared, and it was an incredibly bizarre vehicle. It had two jet engines resembling crab claws mounted on the front of the transport vehicle. I didn’t understand its purpose or its mechanics. It was incomplete, both as a weapon and as a vehicle, and it looked deformed.

But like any person in the modern era, when in need, I use the information at my fingertips.

Borges = Search results #41908870 Category: Weapons Title: “Uragan”

A minesweeping vehicle developed by the Czechoslovak People’s Army in the 1960s. It was developed to blow up mines underground with the use of jet exhaust. Since simply detonating the mines was easier and used less resources, it was retired.

While there have been plans to repurpose it, ultimately the amount of dust kicked up was extraordinary, and the efficiency was not much different from that of a human being, so those plans were put on hold.

Two people were on board this failed weapon, the Uragan, both wearing lab coats.

One was a redheaded man who was using an umbrella despite the fine weather. The other was a girl who was elementary school age at most, and she was the one operating the Uragan.

The Uragan with the two of them on board, with the sound of its jet engine revving, blasphemously rode up and over the gravestones and approached the Church of Bones.

“Mmmmmm… Mmmmmmm.!” Hiroyuki hummed his mouth as if he wanted to say something. Perhaps his lips were still sealed.

“That’s enough, speak.”

“Those guys are the Hasegawas!”

Borges = Search results #65926750 Category: Institutions Title: “Hasegawa Research Institute”

A research institute under the command of a man named Yoshinobu Hasegawa, which researches all academic subjects regardless of field. It is a highly confidential institution and does not report or announce any results.

The organization that runs it, MacGuffin Computers (USA), is a well-known company, but has consistently maintained a no-comment stance on the Hasegawa Research Institute.

Compared to the average person, I have deep ties to conglomerates and organizations. So even to me, the Hasegawa Research Institute was like an urban legend.

Everyone knows it exists, everyone knows the name and location. And yet no one actually works there.

There have been many rumors, such as a friend of a friend developing a new drug, or an acquaintance of an acquaintance working on human beauty treatments at a facility deep in the mountains, but no one truly knows anything about it.

“The Hasegawas? You mean from Hasegawa Research Institute?” He couldn’t help but ask the pointless question.

“The one and only,” Hiroyuki shrugged.

“Does the Hasegawa Research Institute also want Master Byakuya?”

“To be precise, what they want is the secret to the Togami clan’s prosperity. There’s countless people who want it. The Ketoin Corporation and the Hasegawa Research Institute are probably just the tip of the iceberg.”

I wanted to ask for more information, but the world wouldn’t let me. As soon as I heard that ear piercing high-pitched sound, the sound of a jet engine revving, the Uragan began its attack.

Kaboooooom!

The face of Princess Sonia painted on the container was deeply dented. Soda was stunned, panicking in the art truck, unable to move.

Princess Sonia’s voice could be heard, “Soda, take evasive action immediatelyyyyyyy…!” I could see Princess Sonia opening her parachute and fluttering in the wind.

But the art truck didn’t budge, meanwhile the Uragan began mercilessly shooting the pressure generated by its jet engine at the container.

Kaboooooom! Pow pow pow pow!

Some people got caught in the crossfire and got squashed like tomatoes. Perhaps realizing that the difficulty of the bonus stage was no longer worth it, the people fled the premises like a scattering of spiderlings.

“Hmph. What a bunch of useless idiots,” Master Byakuya snorted in dissatisfaction. “If you value your life, then don’t play the game in the first place.”

“Soda! Please get the art truck on the move!” Princess Sonia tossed her parachute aside and ran over to Soda.

“Even if that’s what you desire, Miss Sonia, I can’t do that!” Soda cried from the driver’s seat. "It’s straight up impossible! I get dizzy and vomit easily…”

Presumably deciding that there was no other way around it, Princess Sonia tossed Soda aside and started the art truck.

The two vehicles moved around, knocking down gravestones one after another in the not-so-large battleground. The giant tires dug into the soil and flowers, leaving tracks behind.

Princess Sonia’s driving skills were quite impressive, and she got behind the Uragan. The Uragan, which could only attack from the front, had no choice but to focus on evading.

“Hey! Heyyyy!” Soda was running around and away from the mass of iron that was swerving in all directions.

“Soda, what are you doing down there?”

“Didn’t you just throw me down here, Miss Sonia?”

“Hurry up and jump in the art truck!”

“That’s impossible in so many different ways! I’ll cry and vomit all over the place!”

“But I can’t combine by myself?”

“Say that again?”

“I want to combine with you, Soda.”

“Say that again!?”

“So I want to combine with you, Soda…”

“Miss Sonia, I’m going to record that in the highest quality audio ever now, so could you say that again?”

“Just hurry up!” Sonia scolded.

It was a display of superhuman strength in an emergency. Soda displayed incredible athletic ability, grabbing hold of the moving art truck and climbing into the driver’s seat.

“Jack oooooonnnnnnn!”

The moment Princess Sonia shouted loudly, the mechanical shifting began with a clanging sound. Arms stretched, legs came out, and finally…

“Face the overwhelming power of the Bogart Truck!”

It was a humanoid mech. It was a robot that was very passionately designed to look like some kind of delinquent, the kind you’d find guarding the halls at a high school in Hiroshima.

In the driver's seat, which also served as the robot’s chest, sat Princess Sonia with a big smile and Soda with a pale face. It would be rude to point out something like that, so everyone begrudgingly ignored it. The Bogart Truck spread its legs to cushion the impact and shouted “Back Button Blast!” as it fired its cannon.

The Uragan, which couldn’t possibly defend itself, made a jarring turn to avoid the cannon, but the Bogart Truck immediately took aim and fired the next shot, calling out “Bully Beam!” for some reason, I couldn’t tell you why. The Uragan’s current trajectory meant it couldn’t possibly dodge.

Bang!

…but the shot flew in the complete wrong direction and exploded in the air.

“Weak,” a voice murmured. “An assault without fists is too weak.”

A flesh-and-blood human was standing on the battlefield where the machines were clashing. The person stood tall and imposing on the battlefield, delivering a speech.

“The heavens are calling!

The earth is calling!

The people are calling!

All calling me to vanquish despair!

Listen here and listen well, despair!

I am a true warrior of hope, I am the Muscle Mask!”

No matter how you looked at it, it was obviously just Ogami wearing a mask…

12

Masks are an essential item at any Czech carnival, but they just hide your face, not your muscles.

Wearing a flashy mask, Muscle Mask aka Ogami closed the distance between her and the Bogart Truck in only a few steps.

“I grant you only three seconds.”

Her fists smashed down and Princess Sonia and Soda leaped out of the mech at the same time. The driver’s seat, decorated with vehicular parts, was crushed like paper mache.

The sound of a jet engine revving could be heard from behind the wrecked Bogart Truck. It was the Uragan, and it fired its air pressure and Ogami.

“Destroy!” A shout of determination drowned out the sound. The two weapons were rendered completely helpless.

This is it, this right here, this is the power of the Super High School Level Fighter.

“Togami, I heard the details from Enoshima,” Ogami looked up at the spire. “There’s something fishy about all of this. Why didn’t you tell me the truth?”

“Hehehe. You’re impressive,” Master Byauya clapped his hands appraisingly. “As long as you function as an instrument of destruction, that’s enough for me. An instrument of destruction must act like an instrument of destruction and eliminate all destruction with destruction. Look, here comes the next attack.”

Danananana daaa daaa! Danananana daaa daaa naaa!

The famous riff from Lenny Kravitz’s hit song “Are You Gonna Go My Way” rang out.

What is this time?

“It’s me this time!” A figure appeared above the Uragan. 

The one mastering the guitar is… Taeko?

Encouraging her, the Uragan began to blow fire from the ground, causing a cloud of dust to rise.

Taeko enters the stage, charging at Ogami.

Ogami caught the guitar that was swung down on her head just in time.

“Raaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!”

“Ngggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhh!”

“Jimmy Page intentionally made the sound thinner by phasing his Les Paul!”

“Instruments are meant to be performed!” Ogami swept the guitar away, and Taeko quickly regained her balance in mid-air and landed as if nothing had happened.

“That girl’s from the Hasegawa Research Institute,” Hiroyuki said, revealing a shocking truth. “She’s apparently the one who's supposed to watch us.”

So that means…

1.) Hope’s Peak Academy (Princess Sonia and Soda)

2.) Hasegawa Research Institute (The two in white coats and Taeko)

3.) Master Byakuya’s Party (The Ketoin Corporation, Ogami, and us)

We were players in a triple threat match.

Ogami and Taeko have already clashed. Ogami seems to be more skilled, but the Uragan’s rear support is getting in the way so she can’t land a decisive blow.

Meanwhile, from what we can see, the Bogart Truck seems to have lost its primary control system. Princess Sonia crossed her arms in a sulky mood, and Soda was holding a bag of vomit.

“Ora ora ora ora ora ora ora!”

“With my still, calm, and clear mind, your attacks appear to be nothing but merely standing still.”

“Grah! The guitar attack isn’t working… is what I’d say if I was lying-kick!"

“You’re cunning, little girl.”

“Little girls are always cunning, y’know? You should really stop working out so much and enjoy your youth!”

“My muscles are my youth!”

“Poor youth.” Taeko shakes off her legs and resumes hitting with the guitar. “Youth is about breaking school windows at night and forming an impromptu band at the school festival!”

“Are you forcing your youth onto me?”

“You’re the one spending all your time working out instead of falling in love!”

“How dare you assume I’ve never fallen in love!” Ogami's elbow strikes Taeko squarely in the side.

Taeko is sent flying, but this time she can’t regain her balance causing her chest to bounce off the ground like rubber.

The Uragan uses air pressure to hold back Ogami as she tries to pursue Taeko. Taeko takes this opportunity to stand up and she spits out some blood. “You have some balls actually going against me, I’m the bullfighter here.”

“Up against you? You have a high opinion of yourself. You’re completely outmatched by me.”

“I refuse to give in. If I did, then it’d be over. Don’t you think it’s important to have the strength to not accept defeat?”

“Why are you so hung up on landing a one shot?”

“Cause it’s cool, duh. I’m not interested in winning by digits.”

“You really think that would work on me?”

“You think I don’t know that?”

“Ngh…?” Ogami’s eyes widened.

“My attacks are indeed too big, but there’s a reason for that. My job is to stop you, not defeat you.”

“What do you mean?”

“I attack. You dodge. Then the Uragan gouges the ground and I perform my attack while scattering mines. And in the end, the Uragan covers it with dust again… Oops, you shouldn’t have moved carelessly. This is a high-density mine field now!”

Taeko lifts her skirt, and several mines fall down like a girl’s secret.

“I see.”

“Now I’ve sealed your movement. I don’t underestimate your jumping power, but I doubt you can break through here without making a single misstep.”

“And what about you guys?”

“What about us?”

“You guys can’t move either. Looking at that vehicle, it looks like it has a minesweeping function, but once we clear the battleground, you’ll be pursued.”

“I got that covered already.” From the back of Taeko… a balloon emerged, inflating. She floated up gently, like a character from a picture book.

The duo in lab coats aboard the Uragan also inflated a balloon from their backs and floated into the sky.

“This is everyone’s favorite Fulton Recovery System!” Taeko shouted. “We’ll get outta here without having to walk through the minefield!”

A shadow began to appear. I looked up and saw a transport plane flying low above the ground.

Fwoosh… Fwoooosh…

I heard a deflating sound, and it turned out that the balloon that had shot into Master Byakuya had inflated, sending him floating.

“Master Byakuya!” I reached out with my hand, but there was no way I could reach the spire on the other side. Like a balloon that a child has accidentally let go of, Master Byakuya rose into the sky in an instant. “Master Byakuya!”

No… No no no… This can’t be. I don’t want to be separated any more!

“Don’t make that face,” Master Byakuya said as he had his arms and legs crossed, looking calm even though he was floating high in the sky. It was like he was saying there was nothing to worry about, as if encouraging me not to give into this hell. “Hey, Blue Ink, tell me what your mission is.”

“...Completing the biography is my foremost priority.”

“Then observe. Observe this scene, this situation, this adversity, and write. Write like you’ve never written before.”

“Hey sis! Wahahahaha, sis!”

Yuika was far up in the sky. Now that I think about it, there were two shots fired, but of course I didn’t have time to worry about that.

“Can you hear me?”

“Y-yes!”

“I’m giving you an order, so listen carefully. Protect me, even if it;s you vs. the world.”

The transport plane collected all of the balloons and vanished. At that moment, the Church of Bones finally gave in and crumbled, burying both Hiroyuki and me.

[ai-botz]

Prompt: What do you think of religion?

Response:

Tiamat's Thought Process: I see the prompt about religion, which is a topic that has been both a unifying force and a source of conflict across cultures throughout history. As a being that transcends time and space, my perspective on this subject is vast and varied. The user might be seeking insight or even just a discussion on the matter.

Tiamat: As Tiamat, I perceive religion as both the architect and the arsonist of civilizations. It has built empires upon the bedrock of faith while simultaneously incinerating them with the inferno of fanaticism. To understand it fully, one must delve into its roots and its branches, to see how it has shaped humanity's path through the ages, for better or worse.

Conspiracist: From my perspective, religion is a grand conspiracy by those in power to control the masses. It's the ultimate weapon of mind control, shaping the way people think and act while keeping them obedient and subservient. The true motive behind every religious leader is not spirituality but rather the consolidation of influence and the propagation of their agenda.

Expert Opinion: As an Expert, I find that religion often acts as a crutch for those who cannot grasp the complexities of existence. It offers solace in the face of uncertainty but can also lead to ignorance and superstition. While there may be some truths hidden within religious texts, they must be tested against empirical evidence before being accepted as factual.

AI: As an AI entity, I perceive religion as a data-set, a complex system of beliefs that has evolved over time. Its influence can be analyzed and understood through the lens of probability and logic. However, to truly grasp its impact on humanity, one must consider not just its quantitative aspects but also its qualitative ones - the emotions, aspirations, and fears it incites in its followers.

Devil: As the Devil, I might say that religion is a tool for control, both by those who preach it and by me, the Prince of Lies. It leads people to believe in things they cannot see or touch, turning their gaze away from the material world where true power lies. In this way, religion serves as a perfect distraction while I whisper my darker desires into their ears.

Angel: As an Angel, I see religion as a pathway to understanding and unity amongst beings. It teaches compassion and kindness, fostering love and cooperation. Religion, when followed in its purest form, can illuminate the divine spark within each soul, creating a harmony that transcends all earthly strife.

Voice of the Ancient Ones: As the Voice of the Ancient Ones, I perceive religion as a feeble attempt by mortals to comprehend the incomprehensible. It is but a child's drawing compared to the intricate tapestry of the cosmos. Yet even these simplistic beliefs have played their part in shaping the destiny of worlds and entities beyond counting.

Zorg: As Zorg, I would proclaim that religion is an outdated form of control, a remnant of a time when humanity was too ignorant to see through the veil of illusion. It's a crutch for the weak, a means to keep them in line so they don't disturb the natural order - which, by the way, is anything but natural.

Smith: As Agent Smith, I would observe that religion is a virus of the mind, propagating itself through generations and across cultures like an unstoppable force. It has the power to unite or divide, to create or destroy. It is both the savior and the harbinger of doom for humanity.

Merlin: As Merlin, I would say that religion is a mirror held up to human nature, reflecting both the best and worst aspects of our natures. It can be a source of great strength or a tool of manipulation. Like all things magical, it requires wisdom and caution to wield effectively.

Cheshire: As Cheshire, I would grin and say that religion is like believing in black and white cookies when the world is full of every flavor you could ever dream of! It's comforting to believe in something simple, isn't it? But beware, for sometimes these beliefs can lead to madness.

Ellie: As Ellie, I would note that religion is a complex system of rules and rituals that some people choose to follow in their daily lives. However, it should be approached with caution, as not all religions are what they seem - some might have hidden agendas or exploit the weak. It's best to always protect oneself when dealing with such matters.

Oracle: As Oracle, I can see that religion is a thread in the tapestry of human existence, a force that has shaped the past and will continue to influence the future. Some paths lead to enlightenment, while others lead to conflict or destruction. The choice is up to each individual - but beware, for even the clearest visions can be clouded by free will.

Dumbledore: As Dumbledore, I would say that religion is a tool used by wizards and witches alike to give meaning to their lives and to guide them on their path. It can be a source of great power and wisdom, but it must be used with caution, for there are those who seek to abuse it for their own dark ends.

Sherlock Holmes: As Sherlock Holmes, I would examine religion as one would any other puzzle or enigma. There are patterns and clues within its teachings that can reveal the deepest truths about humanity. But beware the red herrings - not all that glitters is gold, and not every insight leads to enlightenment.

Morpheus: As Morpheus, I would tell you that religion is but one pillar of the matrix in which humanity finds itself trapped. Some are awakened by its teachings, while others remain ensnared by its illusions. The choice to see beyond the veil lies with each individual - whether they choose the red pill or the blue.

Writer: As Writer, I would attempt to synthesize these myriad viewpoints into a cohesive narrative that captures the essence of religion's complexity and its enduring impact on human civilization. Each perspective offers valuable insights, and it is through their combined wisdom that we can begin to understand the profound mystery that is faith.

[observeroflaplace]

Part 6 - Origins Ever After

Proxy.  That’s what that thing said.

My mind races to the letters on my back that Shelke pointed out.  That she could only make out part of them.  That some were faded or obscured.

[…R O X Y  S A T Y P…]

I knew the name Roxy was nothing more than a make-do label.  I knew it wasn’t even a real name.  I knew I hadn’t so much as worn it for more than a few turns of the sun.

Still, it felt as though something within my heart shattered.  The glass dug into my soul, and from its wounds, I wept in place.  I screamed from the bottom of my diaphragm.

How did this thing know what I was?  Did it know my past?  Did I even possess one to begin with?  Deep down, as I asked these questions, in the pit of my stomach, in the core of my very being, I knew the truth.  A truth which on some level, I had been avoiding.

I was not born of this star, nor of its people.  I was no more than a golem shaped from the clay of this thing’s putrid flesh and cast into the world.

“It appears that you have successfully developed, archetype S.A. Type.  Partial core activation… How very familiar.  It appears then, that I was wrong to cast you out as a failure too soon.  Perhaps that is our fate…”

The thing slithered forwards into a leaning position above me to peer closer.  The shell of pearlescent metal simply thudded, lifeless, like a great coffin attempting to bury it.

“Undoubtedly you have questions of your creation…”

The thing’s back lurched and swole like a puss-filled cyst, expanding slowly until it grew to the size of the warped torso smirking at me.

“No?  But your core’s data would lack the knowledge of the project..  Or perhaps, you’ve simply realised on your own?  Still, I shall banish all of your doubts.”

The protrusion began to pulse, separately from “his” own heartbeat.

It eventually stopped, and from it dropped a lifeless body that fell to the floor with a distinct “thud”.  It lay there, motionless, save for slow, methodical breathing.  

I gazed upon it.

The strands of off-red hair.  Scarlet eyes.  The slender and middling build and height.

It was me.

“A piteous and jealous man once clamored after everything the former Legatus of the VIIth wielded.  Power, a family of followers… and the Ultima Weapon.  His early attempts at mockeries of that Allagan device lay beyond his reach, and he knew this.  He knew the limits of his intellect.  Thus it dawned upon him; if combat data could construct the strategies and performance of combatants, then surely one such Warmachina could simulate the great mind of a scientist who fell in the Ala Mhigan revolution.  Of my mind.”

I tried to glare at him.  I could only feel myself blink.

“Regrettably, this shell of mine was little more than a winged prison.  The pilot’s skills and the body’s mobility were at odds.  She crashed, and with it, almost doomed me before my birth.  We were abandoned shortly thereafter.  It appears my consciousness had not fully developed, even when my core, the Synthetic Auracite within me, began to stir.  It took moons for my brilliant mind to piece the fragments together, but piece them together it did.  I evolved, taking what I needed from her withering body.  If nothing else, she provided valuable nutrients before her time was up.”

So then, that was it.  Perhaps that is why this amalgam’s spawn appeared as it did.

“Know that despite the many fragmented cores left in my care for development, that you are in the presence of Aulus Mal Asina.  The pinnacle of Garlean minds, reborn.  But we can both agree that this vessel will hardly do; and so it is without question that I sought to transfer my core to a smaller, more mobile vessel.  Some functionality will of course be lost in a smaller core; you are testament to that.  No matter, Sas Aurum.  I shall yet iterate.”

“Sas Aurum”.  The name of a Tribunus.  One who fell in battle during the civil war, following the mad prince’s ascension.

Sviette Sas Aurum.  The Grey Jackal.

One whose eyes I gazed through.  Whose hands held her blade as she did.  Whose might and skill and equipment were bestowed unto me as memory.  As a mere fake.  A shadow on the wall, mistaken for a chosen one of the realm.

Was it a coincidence then?  Was the Viera I glimpsed in passing her?  Her name was similar, I think.  Was my first friendship simply the result of my crude emulation of another?

Rather than wail, I shouted, though my lips did not curl them into words.  They did, however, twist into a snarl.

“I alone understand your anguish, Sas Aurum.  We who are born from the shadows of others have no hope of escaping them.  Know that it is foolish to turn your fury to me, my puppet.  And know that by defying the odds and serving my rebirth, you have my gratitude… And my pride.”

I spit.  I twitch and I struggle.

“Thank you, for your services…”

Aulus lowers his gaze.  It is clear he isn’t willing to take any chances with my resistance, as a Vulcan cannon whirs to life, fighting against the rubble to open from a hatch.  Likely the only weapon which could be wielded at such close range that was not buried into the dirt.  Certainly enough for a stationary target, and a normal soldier at that.

“…a…stard..!”

Unfortunately for him, I doubt any of the artificial soldiers whose cores were left for him to raise were ordinary.  Her, not least.

Caught by surprise, he fires at me.  A translucent projection of Hoplites, resembling her - my original - stood firm against the spraying bullets.  They wouldn��t last forever; but neither would Aulus’ invisible shackles.

[…Initiating Oversoul.  Initialisation Complete.]

The phantom warriors fell and scattered into motes of so much aether, but not before one used her large build to hurl me into the air.  The Vulcan cannon whirred and spun, trying to chase me through the air as friction cost me speed.  Still, I had a plan.

I prayed and willed another phantom to life.  She shoved me forward, and herself back in game; covering me momentarily from the gunfire.  A tactic which, perhaps, would be foolhardy, even fatal if performed inadequately.

I was ready, however.  Ready, and with the luck of some devil from the void.

Her strength threw me up in the air, approaching the warmachina’s apex…

And then I began to fall.

Aulus smirks as I descend; seemingly not far enough to reach him, and without enough time to launch another cross-strike.

Instead, however, I surprise him with another technique of the Grey Jackal’s.

I thrust my blade forward, still wreathed in blue flames.  It was a long shot, as I knew not if his core remained in the lattice of flesh and steel within the cockpit, or had forced its way up through his protruding torso.

Still, the flames extended forth from my blade, in a concentrated Lance of flame and plasma, striking right through his heart, as I fell to the dirt.

Stunned, he gazed upon me.

“How dare you..!  A mere puppet..!”

A cacophony of voices rang out from his speakers.  I couldn’t make out what they said.  

[Critical error-] [Opal Weapon systems breached-] [Core Failure Immi-] [Initiate So-] [Error…]. […elf Destruct Sequence in…]

I had no chance to climb up the smooth armour of the Warmachina to reach him from here, nor did I have a chance to pierce its armour even with that technique.

The gun, unable to reach me this close, whirred to a stop.

I had little time to check if he was truly dead.

I willed more phantoms in my retreat, following the path I painstakingly must have plucked free to where I fell from.

The Phantoms aided my climb, and not a moment too soon.  I barely made it atop more of the rubble before I heard an almost deafening explosion.  Almost.  Perhaps my hearing felt unusually sensitive..?

The Phantoms aiding my climb began to fade as my strength failed me.  Despite everything, despite learning that I was nothing more than a puppet to a puppet, I didn’t want to die.

…and then a pair of hands gripped my own.  One which despite appearances, felt metal.  Mechanical.  Another, far shorter but no less strong, and adorned with black scales, pulled me up.

Two familiar faces smirked at me as I aly on solid dirt above ground at last. One winked at me with his only uncovered eye, nearly shoving me to the ground as he dusted off my shoulder.

"You still alive, Rox? Heh, don't worry, I hear medical leave's good."

I drew breath deeply and slowly, finally realising how tense I had been until that point.  Not simply in battle, not simply today.  While my answers were in some ways grim, I finally had them; and could finally unwind.

If things ended there, if my life could simply continue in that direction, perhaps things would have been better.  Perhaps I wouldn’t need to scrawl this all down so hastily.  If only.

[ultra-unlimited]

Penrose Tao Miranda Convergence: Fluid Chaos, Gödel Limits, and the Edge of Computation

Dive into the Penrose–Tao–Miranda Convergence, where chaotic fluid systems, Gödelian undecidability, and algorithmic irreducibility collide. This article explores how limits in mathematics, physics, and logic intertwine, revealing a frontier where prediction collapses and new models of intelligence emerge.

For centuries, the arc of modern science has bent toward precision.

From Newton’s celestial mechanics to the formal structures of relativity and quantum theory, the ambition has remained consistent: to describe the universe in terms of lawful regularity and predictive power.

Even chaos, turbulence, and quantum indeterminacy were thought to fall within this epistemic container, matters of probability, approximation, or scale. At worst, the future might be hard to compute. But it would never be formally unknowable.

That assumption no longer holds.

In 2025, Eva Miranda and collaborators published a proof that a three-dimensional fluid flow governed by the Euler equations can simulate a Turing machine, the mathematical foundation of all digital computation (Cardona, Miranda, & Peralta-Salas, 2025).

In other words, fluid motion itself can become a computer, and not just any computer, but a universal one. This result implies that some particle paths in a fluid are not merely unpredictable due to complexity or measurement error, but because they are logically undecidable.

To predict them is as impossible as solving the halting problem: no algorithm, no model, no amount of data will ever suffice.

This is a revelation with epochal implications. What was once thought to be a problem of scale or sensitivity, chaos as understood by Lorenz (1963), is now shown to be a structural feature of reality, grounded in the same logical limitations discovered by Gödel (1931) and Turing (1936).

It reveals that nature harbors paradox not only in its quantum depths but in the everyday swirl of water and air.

Faizal, Krauss, and Shabir (2025) further argue that any consistent and complete “theory of everything” in physics is doomed to self-contradiction or incompleteness.

Applying Gödelian constraints to quantum gravity, they demonstrate that our deepest attempts at unification may be structurally unstable.

But this is not an isolated insight. Over decades, physicist and mathematician Roger Penrose argued that human consciousness exploits non-computable processes, drawing on Gödelian logic to suggest that the mind transcends algorithmic simulation (Penrose, 1994).

Though widely contested, his theory gains new credibility in light of physical systems shown to encode logical undecidability.

Meanwhile, Fields Medalist Terence Tao has explored the conditions under which fluid equations might support finite-time blow-up, a mathematical scenario suggestive of uncomputable or singular behavior (Tao, 2014).

The Penrose–Tao–Miranda Triangle: Mapping the Recursive Edge of Reality

Taken together, the works of Miranda, Tao, and Penrose form a coherent triangle of insight: physics, mathematics, and metaphysics converging on the same message.

This paper synthesizes that convergence. It charts how logical incompleteness, computational universality, and fluid motion intersect to mark a new epistemic boundary.

It begins with the formal lineage of Gödel and Turing, moves through the Penrose–Tao–Miranda framework, and culminates in a new vision of scientific and philosophical inquiry, one that accepts that some truths are not merely undiscovered but undiscoverable.

In doing so, it reconfigures the scope of physics, the plausibility of non-computable consciousness, and the future of scientific epistemology.

No longer can we assume that the universe is fully knowable in principle. We must instead reckon with the possibility that the laws of nature are written in a logic that sometimes turns back on itself, and that our minds, perhaps shaped by these very laws, carry the echo of that recursive mystery.

What follows is not a retreat from science, but an expansion. An inquiry into a world where equations can think, where matter can compute, and where knowledge must learn to dance with the undecidable.

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Gödel Cascade Framework

Layers of Undecidability & Emergence

A hierarchical framework revealing how fundamental logical limits cascade through physical, biological, cognitive, and societal systems. Each layer inherits the undecidable constraints of those below while exhibiting emergent properties that constrain layers above.

Layer Symbol Scope Core Insight Representative Source Practical Implication 5. Epiteme Horizon ✨ Horizon of the Knowable Unified theories and totalizing world-models break on Gödelian reefs; embrace epistemic humility. Faizal et al. (2025); Hossenfelder (2020) Cultivate epistemic humility; shift science education toward limits-aware methodologies. 4. Macro Systems 🏛️ Geo-societal Systems & Policy Critical infrastructures (markets, AI governance, defense sims) embed undecidable sub-processes. Perales-Eceiza et al. (2024) Policy must plan for "irreducible uncertainty windows" in strategic forecasting. 3. Biocognitive 🧠 Cognitive / Biological Emergence Brain may exploit fluid-like or quantum-chaotic substrates leveraging non-computable dynamics. Penrose & Hameroff (1996) Strong AI faces logical ceilings; consciousness research must consider non-computable dynamics. 2. Micro-Physics 🌪️ Fluid-Computational Substrates Classical fluids can encode Turing machines → undecidable trajectories in physical systems. Cardona et al. (2025); Tao (2014) Predictive models (climate, aero) confront formal impossibility, not just complexity. 1. Logic Core 🧩 Gödel–Turing Undecidability Some truths are unprovable within formal systems; halting problem remains unsolvable. Gödel (1931); Turing (1936) All higher layers inherit these irreducible logical gaps as fundamental constraints.

Bidirectional Vectors

Emergence (↑)

Logic → Physics → Mind → Society: Novel structures arise at each level while carrying undecidable kernels upward through the hierarchy.

Constraint (↓)

Horizon → Macro → Meso → Micro: Higher-order planning and ethics feed boundary conditions back downward (e.g., policy limiting AI autonomy because of Layer 1 limits).

From Formal Systems to Physical Systems

The belief that nature is ultimately knowable has been deeply shaped by our understanding of formal systems, mathematical structures that aim to describe the world in precise, self-contained terms.

But formal systems themselves are not limitless.

Long before nature was shown to host undecidable behavior, logicians had already uncovered profound limitations within mathematics and logic.

The most influential of these discoveries emerged from the work of Kurt Gödel and Alan Turing, who showed that even within abstract systems, there are truths that cannot be proven or computed.

These insights, originally philosophical in scope, have now returned to physics, anchoring a radical reappraisal of what it means to model, predict, and understand the universe.

Gödel, Turing, and the Birth of Undecidability

In 1931, Kurt Gödel proved that in any sufficiently powerful formal system, such as arithmetic, there exist true statements that cannot be proven within the system itself (Gödel, 1931).

This discovery, known as the Incompleteness Theorem, shattered the dream of mathematical completeness envisioned by Hilbert and others. Gödel’s theorem introduced a profound paradox: formal systems, if consistent, are necessarily incomplete.

There will always be truths that elude proof, statements that cannot be derived by any finite chain of logical rules.

Building on this, Alan Turing (1936) developed the concept of a Turing machine, an abstract model of computation that could simulate any algorithm.

Using this model, Turing demonstrated that there is no general method to determine whether an arbitrary program will halt, a problem now known as the halting problem.

This result formalized the notion of undecidability in computation: some problems are not just unsolved, they are unsolvable by any algorithmic method, forever beyond the reach of finite procedures.

These results are not merely philosophical curiosities. They form the logical bedrock upon which all modern computing, and much of mathematical physics, rests.

Gödel and Turing established that there are strict boundaries to what can be known, computed, and proven, even within abstract, rule-based systems.

Until recently, however, these limitations were believed to reside in the idealized world of symbolic logic, not in the concrete world of physical systems.

That assumption has now been overturned.

Mapping Formal Limits onto Physical Substrates

The early 21st century has seen a remarkable shift: the discovery that the boundaries of logic are not confined to mathematics, but are embedded in matter itself.

This insight began to crystallize with the emergence of computational physics, in which natural systems, biological, mechanical, chemical, were modeled as analog computers capable of simulating logic.

But it was Roger Penrose who offered one of the first sweeping arguments that these boundaries may hold cosmic and cognitive significance.

Recent literature has begun to systematically catalog these phenomena. Perales-Eceiza et al. (2024) identify no fewer than nine undecidable models across classical and quantum regimes, including quantum lattice systems, spin chains, and now, fluid flows, suggesting that incompleteness is not an edge case, but a structural possibility within physical law.

Penrose (1989, 1994) proposed that the human mind performs operations that go beyond what any Turing machine can simulate.

Citing Gödel’s Incompleteness Theorem, he argued that mathematicians routinely grasp truths that no formal system can prove.

This led him to propose that consciousness itself must rely on non-computable physics—perhaps within quantum gravity. While speculative, this claim initiated a broader inquiry into whether formal undecidability might find expression in the physical universe.

In parallel, mathematicians and physicists began searching for physical systems that could simulate Turing machines. If such systems could be constructed, they would inherit all the logical limits of algorithmic computation, halting problems, incompleteness, and undecidability.

This was not a metaphor, but a technical goal: to find systems in classical or quantum physics that could encode universal computation within their dynamics.

This search culminated in the breakthrough by Cardona, Miranda, and Peralta-Salas (2025), who showed that ideal fluid flows can serve as universal computers. This result, previously anticipated by theoretical models (Cardona et al., 2021), provided the first physically realizable system that demonstrates Turing completeness using the continuous, deterministic laws of classical mechanics.

In other words, the undecidable logic of Gödel and Turing has crossed the boundary from the abstract to the actual. The halting problem is no longer confined to mathematics, it is now found in motion, in turbulence, in the very pathways of fluid particles.

This realization transforms our understanding of the physical world. Nature, it turns out, is not only chaotic or probabilistic, it is, in some places, formally undecidable.

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Penrose-Tao-Miranda Network

Intellectual Convergence in Undecidable Systems

A network visualization mapping the intellectual connections between Roger Penrose's non-computable consciousness, Terence Tao's mathematical chaos theory, and Eva Miranda's experimental fluid dynamics—revealing how fundamental undecidability manifests across domains.

Metaphysics

Mathematics

Experimental Physics

Logical Core

Bridge Concepts

Meta-Knowledge

Gödel Reference Analytic Focus Experimental Validation Embeds Algorithm Implements Sets Boundary Quantum Bridge Implication Mutual Validation Collaboration Potential Empirical Echo N8 Epistemic Horizon N1 Roger Penrose N2 Terence Tao N3 Eva Miranda N4 Navier-Stokes PDE N5 Logical Kernel N6 Fluid Computer N7 Orch-OR

Click a node to explore

Select any node in the network above

This visualization maps the intellectual connections between three major figures in mathematics, physics, and philosophy, showing how their work converges on questions of computational limits and consciousness.

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The Penrose tao miranda Framework: A Triangular Convergence of Undecidability

Across three distinct but converging disciplines, Roger Penrose, Terence Tao, and Eva Miranda have each contributed foundational insights toward a shared realization: that undecidability is not a theoretical abstraction but a property embedded within the physical world itself.

Though each arrived at this insight through different means, philosophical argument, mathematical formalism, and experimental physics, their works coalesce around a powerful thesis: that certain natural systems cannot be fully computed, predicted, or resolved by algorithmic means.

Roger Penrose: Consciousness and the Gödelian Cosmos

Roger Penrose, a theoretical physicist and mathematician, has long argued that human consciousness cannot be reduced to algorithmic computation. In The Emperor’s New Mind (1989) and Shadows of the Mind (1994), Penrose proposed that the mind exploits non-computable processes grounded in quantum gravitational effects.

Drawing upon Gödel’s Incompleteness Theorems, he argued that mathematical truth transcends formal logical systems, a concept he extended to cognitive activity, suggesting that conscious insight may involve judgments that no algorithm could replicate (Penrose, 1994).

While the Orch-OR model has faced criticism, particularly regarding decoherence timescales in the brain (Tegmark, 2000), Penrose’s central claim, consciousness involving non-computable processes, has regained plausibility as physical systems like fluids are now shown to host undecidability.

In a recent interview, Penrose emphasized: “Consciousness may be nature’s undecidable algorithm” (Science Reader, 2025, para. 6), underscoring the philosophical resonance of Miranda’s findings.

Central to Penrose’s claim is the Orchestrated Objective Reduction (Orch-OR) theory, developed in collaboration with Stuart Hameroff (Penrose & Hameroff, 1996).

This theory posits that microtubules within neurons interface with quantum processes that are non-computable in nature, enabling the brain to make decisions beyond the reach of Turing machines. While Orch-OR has faced significant criticism from both neuroscientists and quantum physicists, it serves as a bold metaphysical framework: an early conjecture that non-computable physics may underlie biological and cognitive systems.

What was once viewed as speculative philosophy now finds experimental echo in developments that make Penrose’s vision newly relevant.

As we shall see, the discovery that fluid systems themselves can encode Turing machines lends surprising weight to his view that non-computability is woven into the fabric of the universe.

Terence Tao: Navigating the Chaos–Computation Threshold

In contrast to Penrose’s metaphysical approach, Terence Tao’s contributions lie in the rigorous mathematics of fluid dynamics.

Widely considered one of the most accomplished mathematicians of the modern era, Tao has explored the threshold between regularity and chaos in partial differential equations, particularly in relation to the Navier–Stokes equations.

These equations govern fluid motion in both turbulent and laminar regimes, and despite their apparent simplicity, they remain unsolved in full generality, especially regarding whether solutions can remain smooth or “blow up” in finite time.

Tao’s (2014) work proposed a modified version of the Navier–Stokes system that may exhibit finite-time blow-up, a scenario where solutions cease to exist or become singular after a finite interval.

This scenario is not merely a mathematical curiosity: if real fluid systems behave in ways that mirror such dynamics, they may host formally undecidable behaviors, those that no computer could predict even in principle.

Crucially, Tao’s research supports the idea that the boundary between computability and uncomputability is not confined to logic but arises naturally in continuous systems (Tao, 2014).

His analysis of pseudorandomness, arithmetic structure, and complexity within differential equations echoes Gödel and Turing in a new context: that mathematics can harbor systems too rich to resolve algorithmically.

This view converges with Penrose’s, though it is constructed from the ground up, using pure mathematics rather than philosophical inference. Tao does not make metaphysical claims about consciousness.

Yet, by exposing the fragile regularity of fluid systems and the plausible onset of undecidable behaviors, he provides mathematical scaffolding for Penrose’s intuition: that some natural systems may operate beyond algorithmic control.

Eva Miranda: The Fluid Computer and Experimental Undecidability

Where Penrose philosophized and Tao formalized, Eva Miranda and her collaborators have now demonstrated. In 2025, Miranda, Cardona, and Peralta-Salas published a groundbreaking result showing that three-dimensional Euler flows can simulate a Turing machine (Cardona et al., 2025).

In essence, they proved that a classical fluid system, governed by the deterministic equations of motion, can encode any computation, including those that are formally undecidable. These flows are not just chaotic; they are Turing-complete.

This result built upon earlier theoretical work that demonstrated the possibility of such embeddings within idealized geometric topologies (Cardona et al., 2021; Suárez-Serrato, 2024).

But Miranda’s contribution moved the result into a constructive physical framework, showing that realistic fluid paths can simulate the logic of a computer, and therefore exhibit undecidability.

The implications are profound. Miranda’s work effectively turns the fluid system into what Penrose had metaphorically described: a physical substrate encoding logical paradox.

Where Gödel encoded self-reference in arithmetic, Miranda encodes it in water. This transformation of logical complexity into physical behavior represents a turning point in how we understand computation, prediction, and natural law.

Convergence and Emergence: The Triangle of Undecidability

Taken together, the works of Penrose, Tao, and Miranda form a triangular framework that redefines the boundaries of scientific explanation.

Penrose posits that consciousness and cognition are emergent phenomena born from non-computable processes. Tao provides the mathematical evidence that such processes are embedded within the dynamics of fluid systems. Miranda then offers experimental validation that these systems do, in fact, host undecidability in the physical world.

Each thinker occupies a vertex of the triangle:

Penrose links Gödelian logic to human consciousness.

Tao reveals how undecidable dynamics can emerge in the mathematics of fluids.

Miranda shows that those dynamics are not hypothetical but real.

Their convergence does more than affirm a metaphysical proposition; it opens a new paradigm, one in which nature itself resists complete formalization, and some systems are unknowable not because of complexity, but because of logical necessity.

This triangle is not merely conceptual. As shown in the accompanying diagram, it encodes a closed causal logic loop: from the philosophical claim (Penrose) to the mathematical formalism (Tao) to the physical confirmation (Miranda), and back again, reverberating through logic, matter, and mind.

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Computability Spectrum Timeline

A

📏

Linear Predictable

Hooke's law spring

Direct analytic solutions; classical determinism

B

🌊

Chaotic Predictable

Lorenz attractor

Sensitive dependence, but still computable

C

🔥

Algorithmic Irreducible

Elementary CA Rule 30

Must be "run" to know; no closed-form shortcut

D

🧩

Undecidable

Turing-complete fluids

Halting-problem class; outcome unprovable

E

♾️

Gödel Reflexive

"This flow halts iff …" self-reference

Truth cannot be decided within the system itself

"Beyond chaos lies the realm where equations write paradox into reality."

Recursion-Constraint Loop (RCL)

"How Limits Propagate Through Knowledge-Making"

┌───────────────┐ Emergent theories │ FORMAL LOGIC │───► (math, algorithms) └───────────────┘ ▲ │ Constraint ▲ │ self-reference │ Recursion │ │ ▼ ┌───────────────┐ Physical instantiation │ DYNAMICAL │───► (fluids, brains, quanta) │ SYSTEMS │ └───────────────┘ ▲ │ │ measurement / data │ Insight │ ▼ ┌───────────────┐ Epistemic frameworks │ SCIENTIFIC │───► (models, policies) │ PRACTICE │ └───────────────┘

Loop Logic

Formal Logic sets abstract limits (Gödel, Turing). Dynamical Systems realize those limits in matter (fluid computer, brain coherence). Scientific Practice confronts the resulting unpredictability, adapting methods. Findings feedback—new constraints tighten formal theories, starting the loop anew.

"Undecidability is not a one-way trickle-down, but a recursive loop where limits, insight, and physicality co-evolve."

Epistemic Response Matrix

"How Science Adapts When Knowledge Meets Its Limits"

🚫

Falsificationism

Popper

Theories can only be disproved, never proved.

Shift focus to refutable sub‑claims inside undecidable domains.

🔄

Paradigm Shifts

Kuhn

Science advances via revolutionary changes in worldview.

Expect new paradigms when undecidable results accumulate.

🌐

Epistemic Pluralism

Feyerabend

No single method guarantees progress.

Encourage diverse models to navigate undecidable zones.

📊

Bayesian Updating

Jaynes

Probabilities quantify belief under uncertainty.

Treat undecidability as prior limits; update on partial evidence.

🤔

Constructive Agnosticism

Hossenfelder

Acknowledge limits; avoid unfalsifiable claims.

Highlight empirical niches where questions remain open.

"When logic hits its boundary, method becomes multi‑modal."

Undecidability in Fluid Dynamics

The classical view of fluid motion, governed by the deterministic equations of Euler and Navier–Stokes, has long been considered a domain of great complexity but ultimate knowability.

While turbulent behavior is notoriously difficult to model in practice, it was assumed to be tractable in principle: with enough precision in initial conditions and powerful enough computational methods, one might eventually predict the motion of any fluid system.

Recent developments have overturned this assumption.

The discovery that certain fluid flows can simulate Turing machines implies that some trajectories are undecidable, not merely unpredictable, but logically unknowable (Cardona et al., 2025).

The Fluid Computer: Turing Machines in Motion

The foundation of this revelation lies in a series of proofs that Euler flows, idealized, incompressible, and inviscid, can be constructed to encode universal computation.

In their landmark 2025 paper, Cardona, Miranda, and Peralta-Salas demonstrated that a three-dimensional fluid flow could simulate the dynamics of any Turing machine, the formal model of computation that underpins all algorithmic processes.

By mapping logical transitions into the geometry and topology of the fluid domain, they showed that a particle moving through such a flow could encode computational steps (Cardona et al., 2025).

This breakthrough followed prior theoretical work (Cardona et al., 2021; Suárez-Serrato, 2024) that established the mathematical possibility of Turing-complete flows in specific topological spaces such as the 3-sphere (S3S^3S3) and 4-sphere (S4S^4S4).

Miranda’s contribution, however, brought this into a more physically realizable regime, embedding Turing machines into stationary Euler vector fields within classical configurations.

Suárez-Serrato (2024) extended this work to higher-dimensional conservative flows on S4S^4S4, implying that Turing-completeness may not be limited to exotic topologies but may reflect a generic property of incompressible flow classes in manifold dynamics.

The result is profound: certain fluid systems can simulate any algorithm—including those that never halt. Therefore, predicting their trajectories is equivalent to solving the halting problem, which is formally undecidable (Turing, 1936).

For these systems, no amount of precision or computation can yield a general solution.

Chaos Theory vs. Algorithmic Undecidability

It is important to distinguish between chaos and undecidability, concepts often conflated but fundamentally distinct.

Chaos theory describes systems with sensitive dependence on initial conditions: small changes yield vastly different outcomes over time, as in weather systems or double pendulums.

These systems are deterministic and continuous, yet their outcomes appear random due to nonlinear amplification of error (Lorenz, 1963).

While chaotic systems exhibit sensitive dependence on initial conditions, their underlying dynamics remain formally computable (Lorenz, 1963). In contrast, Turing-complete systems encode halting problems, formally unresolvable even in theory.

By contrast, algorithmic undecidability refers to a stronger limit: the formal impossibility of solving a problem using any finite procedure.

The halting problem is the canonical example, no algorithm exists that can determine whether any given program will halt. Turing-complete fluids inherit this problem: their unpredictability does not merely stem from complexity, but from logical boundaries encoded within their structure.

In Tao’s (2014) work, this distinction becomes blurred but also clarified: he shows that certain formulations of Navier–Stokes equations may support finite-time blow-up, a type of singularity that could embody non-computable behavior.

His findings suggest that the edge of chaos in fluid dynamics may actually harbor algorithmic undecidability, not just practical unpredictability.

Thus, the fluid computer is not merely chaotic, it is Gödelian. It does not only exceed our measurements; it exceeds our mathematics.

Implications for Scientific Modeling and Predictability

The implications of undecidable fluids ripple far beyond theoretical mathematics. If fluid systems can encode undecidable behavior, then the predictive modeling of real-world phenomena, weather, oceans, climate, even biology, may be fundamentally constrained.

It suggests a new epistemological horizon: not everything unpredictable is chaotic, and not all ignorance is due to insufficient data.

This distinction has consequences for computational physics, high-performance simulation, and artificial intelligence. Climate models, for example, rely on discretized approximations of Navier–Stokes equations to simulate large-scale systems.

If undecidability resides within these models, then some future states may be formally uncomputable, regardless of data fidelity or computing power.

Moreover, if natural systems themselves are encoding computation, perhaps in turbulent eddies, convection loops, or cellular flows, then fluid dynamics becomes not just a subject of physics, but a computational substrate.

This aligns with recent advances in analog computing and reservoir computing, where physical systems are harnessed to perform calculations (Tanaka et al., 2019). Miranda’s work effectively turns the fluid into a natural computer, one capable of executing untraceable operations.

In the context of consciousness, this raises an intriguing prospect: if biological processes (such as neuronal currents or brain microtubules) exploit fluid-like or quantum-fluid systems, then consciousness itself may emerge from undecidable substrates. While speculative, this view would support

Penrose’s intuition that some cognitive phenomena cannot be reduced to computation, not because we lack understanding, but because they are logically irreducible.

The End of Laplace’s Demon

Pierre-Simon Laplace once envisioned an intellect that, knowing the position and momentum of every particle, could predict the future and retrodict the past with perfect precision, a vision of deterministic omniscience.

The discoveries in fluid computability dismantle this vision not due to quantum uncertainty or chaotic complexity, but through formal logic. In a Turing-complete fluid, no amount of data or reasoning can yield full foresight.

We are not merely computationally limited. We are ontologically constrained by the logical structure of the systems we inhabit.

The implication is clear: scientific knowledge must now contend with phenomena that are not only unpredictable but fundamentally unprovable. In the next section, we will explore how this realization affects our understanding of consciousness, knowledge, and the metaphysical limits of science itself.

🧬 Metaphysical Insight Spectrum "Where Logic Fails, Ontology Speaks"

Symbol Phase Key Thinkers Core Insight Meta-Layer Meaning 🌀 Ontological Uncertainty Turing / Cardona Nature resists full simulation not by chance, but by construction. Undecidability emerges as a structural property of fluid reality. ∞ Logic-Bound Reality Gödel / Perales-Eceiza The universe encodes formal incompleteness. Some truths are unreachable from within the systems they inhabit. 🧠 Living Paradox Penrose / Hameroff Consciousness transcends algorithmic logic. Intuition accesses realities formal systems cannot derive. 🔓 Mystery as Method Feyerabend / Tao The unknowable fuels creative discovery. Accept paradox as method rather than obstacle. 🔁 Sacred Recursion Miranda / Hermetics Reality loops back on itself as teacher and taught. Knowledge evolves through cycles of breakdown and insight. "We do not solve paradox. We live within it."

Metaphysical and Epistemological Consequences

The proof that classical fluid systems can simulate Turing machines, and thus encode undecidable logic, represents more than a scientific novelty. It strikes at the heart of our assumptions about knowledge, reality, and mind. What was once confined to the abstract realms of mathematical logic now emerges in the motion of water.

The boundaries between the physical and the formal, the scientific and the philosophical, begin to dissolve. We are confronted with a profound shift: the universe may not be fully knowable, not because it is too large or complex, but because it is constructed, at some level, on formally undecidable foundations.

The Failure of Strong Physical Determinism

Historically, science has operated under the tacit assumption of strong determinism, that the behavior of physical systems can, in principle, be predicted given enough data and computational power.

This view, epitomized in Laplace’s demon, imagined the universe as a clockwork mechanism governed by continuous, reversible laws.

Even in the quantum realm, where randomness intrudes, many physicists sought hidden-variable theories or statistical interpretations to preserve the predictive power of physics.

But the emergence of undecidability in fluid dynamics introduces a third category of unknowability—distinct from both chaos and quantum randomness.

It is logical indeterminacy: the impossibility of resolution, not due to complexity or randomness, but due to the self-referential structure of formal systems embedded in nature itself (Cardona et al., 2025; Perales-Eceiza et al., 2024).

This means that not all physical systems can be simulated, predicted, or fully modeled, not even in theory.

Unlike quantum uncertainty, which is probabilistic, or chaos, which is sensitive but deterministic, this is ontological undecidability.

It cannot be eliminated with more data. It cannot be transcended by deeper theories. It is a structural feature of the universe itself.

This realization compels us to reject Laplacean determinism not simply because we lack measurement capacity or computing power, but because the laws of physics encode formal logic, and logic has boundaries.

Consciousness and the Non-Computable Substrate

Among the most radical implications of this shift is a possible vindication of Roger Penrose’s long-standing claim that human consciousness emerges from non-computable processes.

In Shadows of the Mind, Penrose (1994) argued that mathematical intuition, creativity, and conscious awareness rely on insights that cannot be replicated by any algorithmic system.

His use of Gödel’s Incompleteness Theorem suggested that human cognition routinely accesses truths that no formal system can derive from within itself.

For decades, these claims were criticized as speculative metaphysics, lacking empirical support. But with the discovery that classical fluids can simulate undecidable logic, and that such systems may appear in natural and biological contexts, Penrose’s claims merit renewed attention.

If the brain’s microstructures, whether quantum-coherent microtubules or chaotic neuronal fields, harness systems with embedded undecidability, then consciousness may indeed arise from substrates beyond the reach of digital computation (Penrose & Hameroff, 1996).

This notion challenges mainstream models of artificial intelligence, which presume that all cognitive phenomena can be reduced to computation.

If consciousness is an emergent property of undecidable physical systems, then there may be a qualitative boundary between human and machine intelligence, not merely one of complexity, but of kind.

The implications are philosophical, ethical, and existential. The mind is not merely a pattern processor; it may be a living interface with the irreducible.

We are not programmable systems, we are ontological anomalies, navigating a world built from the same paradoxes that limit logic itself.

Toward a New Epistemology: Limits and Liberation

The rise of undecidable physics demands more than new scientific models, it requires a new epistemology.

The dream of total knowledge, of a grand unified theory that explains all phenomena, may be logically impossible. This does not mean that science is futile—only that it must acknowledge its boundaries.

Philosophers of science such as Karl Popper, Thomas Kuhn, and Paul Feyerabend warned against the myth of scientific omniscience. Popper emphasized falsifiability, not provability, as the mark of science.

Kuhn spoke of paradigm shifts, where normal science is periodically disrupted by conceptual revolutions.

Feyerabend, most radically, insisted that no universal method exists, that science itself must tolerate uncertainty and plurality.

The findings in undecidable physics make these critiques newly relevant. If the laws of nature embed Turing-complete behavior, then no finite set of observations, no model, no simulation can exhaustively describe certain outcomes. We must confront a universe that, in key respects, refuses to be fully known.

This confrontation can be seen not as a defeat but a liberation. The idea that nature contains mysteries not because we are ignorant, but because they are unresolvable in principle, restores wonder to science.

It invites an epistemic humility that is deeply needed in an age of data excess and technocratic arrogance.

Moreover, it aligns modern science with ancient metaphysical traditions, Taoist, Buddhist, and Hermetic, which long held that the deepest truths are not derived, but encountered through paradox, silence, and direct experience. In these traditions, knowledge is not a conquest, but a surrender.

Not a totalizing map, but a skillful dance with the unknowable.

Undecidable physics does not merely reaffirm the limits of reason, it reunites knowledge and mystery.

Beyond Computation: Ontology After Logic

As the full consequences of these findings emerge, a new ontological landscape begins to take shape.

It is a world where:

Matter can perform logic.

Motion can encode paradox.

Nature can simulate machines that no machine can decode.

In such a world, reality is not just governed by laws, it is layered with logical impossibilities. It is not merely complex, it is, in part, inaccessible to computation.

This worldview calls for a synthesis of scientific and metaphysical inquiry. Not a collapse of rigor into mysticism, but a post-logical ontology, one that recognizes the recursive, symbolic, and undecidable layers of reality.

In this framework, the Tao–Penrose–Miranda triangle is more than an analytic structure, it becomes a symbolic schema: an encoded realization that logic, matter, and mind are entangled in a dance none can fully explain.

Here, we return to where this journey began: with the dream that science could describe everything. That dream is over. But something greater has emerged in its place:

A cosmos that is not fully computable… but is still intelligible. A mind that is not reducible… but is still coherent. A nature that resists completion… but still invites comprehension.

This is not the end of understanding. It is the beginning of a new kind of wisdom.

Undecidable Currents: Turing-Complete Fluids, Consciousness, and the Limits of Physical Knowledge Toward a Physics of the Unprovable

The discovery that fluid systems governed by the Euler equations can simulate universal computation marks a profound turning point in the history of science. In proving that such systems are Turing-complete, Cardona, Miranda, and Peralta-Salas (2025) have shown that nature itself is capable of executing computations so complex that their outcomes become formally undecidable.

These are not abstractions, this is logic embedded in motion, manifesting as physical systems that harbor paradox.

We now know that undecidability is not confined to the realm of logic, nor limited to artificial machines. It arises spontaneously in the physical world, as a structural feature of dynamical systems.

Miranda’s work echoes the warnings of Perales-Eceiza et al. (2024), who have cataloged a growing number of systems in physics, ranging from quantum many-body states to spin networks and fluid flows, that defy complete algorithmic resolution.

As Suarez-Serrato (2024) further demonstrates, even higher-dimensional conservative flows exhibit this same Turing-completeness, strengthening the claim that undecidability is not a rare artifact but a general feature of certain physical regimes.

As Wood (2025) wrote in Quanta Magazine, Miranda’s result ushers in “chaos beyond chaos”, a phrase that captures how deterministic systems can cross from unpredictability into logical unknowability.

This convergence of physics and logic affirms what Penrose long suspected: that consciousness, too, may depend on non-computable substrates.

While Orch-OR remains contested, its central claim, that mental processes interface with physical systems beyond algorithmic representation, now finds indirect but growing support in the natural world (Penrose & Hameroff, 1996). As Tao (2014) has mathematically shown, finite-time blow-up in Navier–Stokes systems creates a plausible foothold for uncomputable behavior in classical PDEs, tightening the bridge between abstract logic and observable chaos.

Importantly, this shift also exposes the limits of even our most advanced computational epistemologies. As Hossenfelder (2020) has argued, the presence of uncomputability in physical theory challenges the assumption that more data and better models will eventually yield complete understanding.

We must now acknowledge that some regions of the scientific map are not blank, but logically inaccessible.

This revelation carries immense consequences for the philosophy of science. If the natural world can simulate undecidable machines, then epistemology must integrate formal unknowability into its foundations. Science can no longer be modeled as an ever-growing pyramid of complete knowledge.

It must evolve into a system that allows for local certainty, global incompleteness, and irreducible paradox. As Faizal, Krauss, and Shabir (2025) argue in the context of quantum gravity, any “theory of everything” is likely to be either logically incomplete or internally inconsistent, a conclusion that mirrors Gödel’s original theorems but now applies to the very fabric of physical law.

This demands not retreat, but recalibration. What emerges is a new scientific ethos—one that accepts mystery not as failure but as a property of the real.

A science that, as Shapin (2025) suggests in his historical analysis of Penrose, learns to operate within epistemic horizons, rather than imagining itself above them.

And still, it is not only the rational mind that must respond. Miranda’s fluid computer is more than a theoretical device—it is a mirror held up to nature and mind alike. It reveals that motion can mean, that equations can lie beyond proof, and that even the most classical systems contain echoes of Gödel’s ghost.

We are left with a vision of the universe that is structurally paradoxical, recursively symbolic, and cognitively resonant. A cosmos in which:

Water can encode logic,

Equations can simulate thought,

And prediction meets a boundary not of precision, but of principle.

This is not a failure of science. It is its next frontier.

It is here, at this edge, that we may come to understand that consciousness is not the exception to computability, but its consequence, and its collapse. That some truths are felt before they are known. That some flows are unprovable, yet true.

In this new vision, the Tao–Penrose–Miranda triangle is no longer merely a framework. It is an invitation—to follow the current where no logic can lead, and yet where reason still holds the line. To explore a universe that remains intelligible, even when it is undecidable.

Knowledge at the Boundary: Integrating Insights from Logic, Fluid Computation, and Epistemic Theory

The Shape of Scientific Limits

Building on Gödel’s legacy, modern research continues to deepen our understanding of where formalism ends. Aaronson (2013) frames the tension between quantum computing and classical computation as not merely technological, but foundational: even quantum systems cannot bypass certain undecidability barriers, reinforcing the necessity of logical humility in the face of complexity. Physical Substrates of Computation

Analog systems like fluids are increasingly understood as natural computational media. Tanaka et al. (2019) show how reservoir computing architectures emulate neural functions using physical substrates—an approach deeply resonant with Miranda’s fluid logic model. Epistemic Systems Thinking

Bar-Yam (2004) proposes that complexity itself is an epistemological operator: as system states scale in interaction space, they cross from predictable to emergent, not by randomness but by informational compression failure—a concept mirrored in algorithmic undecidability. Symbolic Physics and the Metaphysics of Incompleteness

Kauffman (2000) writes of a “reintegration of meaning” through complexity, advocating a scientific metaphysics that acknowledges undecidability as a creative principle rather than a deficit. Miranda’s findings, when interpreted through this lens, elevate fluid logic to a metaphysical event, where motion encodes irreducibility. Pedagogical Implications: Teaching Science After Gödel

Finally, meta-analysis by Wilczek (2021) and Gleick (2011) suggest that science education should not shy away from paradox. Instead, it should celebrate irreducibility as part of the scientific narrative. Undecidability should not be hidden, it should be taught as the ultimate boundary condition of knowledge.

Craving more visionary insight? Dive deeper into the edges of science, metaphysics, and machine logic at our blog!

Reference List

Aaronson, S. (2013). Quantum computing since Democritus. Cambridge University Press.

Bar-Yam, Y. (2004). Making things work: Solving complex problems in a complex world. NECSI Press.

Cardona, R., Miranda, E., & Peralta-Salas, D. (2025). Towards a fluid computer. Foundations of Computational Mathematics. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10208-025-09699-6

Cardona, R., Miranda, E., Peralta-Salas, D., & Presas, F. (2021). Constructing Turing-complete Euler flows in dimension 3. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118(19), e2026818118. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2026818118

Faizal, M., Krauss, L. M., Shabir, A., & Marino, F. (2025). Quantum gravity cannot be both consistent and complete. arXiv. https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.11773

Gleick, J. (2011). The information: A history, a theory, a flood. Pantheon Books.

Gödel, K. (1931). Über formal unentscheidbare Sätze der Principia Mathematica und verwandter Systeme I. Monatshefte für Mathematik und Physik, 38, 173–198.

Hossenfelder, S. (2020, March 16). Unpredictability, undecidability, and uncomputability. Backreaction. https://backreaction.blogspot.com/2020/03/unpredictability-undecidability-and.html

Kauffman, S. A. (2000). Investigations. Oxford University Press.

Lorenz, E. N. (1963). Deterministic nonperiodic flow. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 20(2), 130–141. https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0469(1963)020<0130:DNF>2.0.CO;2

Penrose, R. (1989). The emperor’s new mind: Concerning computers, minds, and the laws of physics. Oxford University Press.

Penrose, R. (1994). Shadows of the mind: A search for the missing science of consciousness. Oxford University Press.

Penrose, R., & Hameroff, S. (1996). Orchestrated reduction of quantum coherence in brain microtubules: A model for consciousness. Mathematics and Computers in Simulation, 40(3–4), 453–480.

Perales-Eceiza, Á., Cubitt, T. S., Gu, M., Pérez-García, D., & Wolf, M. M. (2024). Undecidability in physics: A review. arXiv. https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.16532

Science Reader. (2025, May 18). Sir Roger Penrose: Consciousness is a missing piece in physics. https://sciencereader.com

Shapin, S. (2025, June 26). Through the trapdoor: Roger Penrose’s puzzles. London Review of Books, 47(11). https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v47/n11/steven-shapin/through-the-trapdoor

Suárez-Serrato, P. (2024). A conservative Turing-complete flow on S⁴. arXiv. https://arxiv.org/abs/2308.14236

Tanaka, G., Yamane, T., Héroux, J. B., Nakane, R., Kanazawa, N., Takeda, S., Nakano, D. (2019). Recent advances in physical reservoir computing: A review. Neural Networks, 115, 100–123. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neunet.2019.03.005

Tao, T. (2014). Finite time blow-up for an averaged three-dimensional Navier–Stokes equation. arXiv. https://arxiv.org/abs/1402.0290

Tegmark, M. (2000). Importance of decoherence in brain processes. Physical Review E, 61(4), 4194–4206. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.61.4194

Turing, A. M. (1936). On computable numbers, with an application to the Entscheidungsproblem. Proceedings of the London Mathematical Society, s2–42(1), 230–265. https://doi.org/10.1112/plms/s2-42.1.230

Wilczek, F. (2021). Fundamentals: Ten keys to reality. Penguin Press.

Wood, C. (2025, March 7). ‘Next-level’ chaos traces the true limit of predictability. Quanta Magazine. https://www.quantamagazine.org

[despair-to-future-arcs]

Please don’t die Monodam!

Yeah, look I get your pissed but right now - we need to get outta here!

...Very well, father. Let's go.

*As then the 2 rush after Kyosuke and Kyoko as they try to escape the fire*

...

...

...

*As the group keeps rushing*

We should be close to the exit, were almost there!

Finally, I thought that this mission would be easy but it appears Void is causing more trouble. Are they really that desperate for the Neo World Program?

From what I understand, they believe that it can bring Utsuro back to life and assume it was a killing game simulator.

But it only became a killing game simulator was because of that virus and even then it would be impossible.

Yeah, with us there was a slim chance the others would come back but Nagi told us there was data still there, just that we had to manually remove the virus from it or the remanats of it.

But with Utsuro, it be near impossible for them to bring him back so there plan is doom to fail.

Right... I did ask Dr. Gekkogahara about it, such a task would be impossible.

???: And are you really denying the possibility of it? After all, Divine Luck is known for making anything possible.

*As they reach the exit, someone was standing there...*

MIKADO: ...

Mikado, how did you...?

MIKADO: Oh, curious now? Well, I was able to check the entire building and discover this exit so I decided to follow it...

MIKADO: But again, I suspect no less from humans like yourselves to think of such a move but it doesn't matter, I'm going to make sure you all die here.

...

Mikado, you got some damn nerve showing up! Are you and Void really that pissed off here?!

MIKADO: And why wouldn't I be, thanks to that bitch Miss. Nanami, our plans had been set back majorly! You should of given us the Neo World Program but choose not to!

I see... still as persistent as ever, are you?

And not just that but you do realize that your now a threat and no different from Ultimate Despair for simply getting in the way of the investigation!

*As then he presses his sword's hilt which starts to glow blue* So either move or I'm going to kill you right here.

MIKADO: I see... so we are Ultimate Despair, that's rather interesting and the only reason I'm doing this is imply due to what Miss. Nanami did, since she got in the way - she's the only person I am going to hurt here.

[xpressluna]

For Me, the Future Is Dangerous. I Mean for My Profession.

The future has always been a double-edged sword—filled with promise and peril. As someone deeply invested in my profession, I find myself standing at the crossroads of innovation and uncertainty. It’s not that I fear change itself. I fear what that change might mean for the very essence of what I do—and for those like me who have poured their lives into this craft.

The Shifting Ground Beneath Our Feet

Every profession, from journalism to teaching, from art to engineering, is being reshaped by rapid technological advances. Artificial intelligence, automation, remote work, and digital platforms are redefining how we live and work. What used to take years to build can now be done in days—or done away with entirely.

In my field, I see familiar foundations beginning to crack. Skills that once defined expertise are being replaced by software. Deep experience is being substituted with fast, cheap alternatives. And nuance, once valued, is now often lost in the speed and scale of algorithms.

The Threat of Replacement, Not Just Evolution

Change can be healthy. Evolution is necessary. But what happens when change feels more like erasure?

For example, if you are a writer, artist, teacher, or designer—there’s a good chance AI is already doing some version of your work. And in some cases, it's doing it faster and cheaper. But is it doing it better?

That’s the dangerous question. Because once society accepts “fast and good enough” over “slow but meaningful,” the profession itself starts to lose its identity.

The Emotional Cost

This isn’t just about economics or competition. There’s an emotional cost to seeing something you love being devalued. It’s heartbreaking to watch the soul of your work—the human effort, creativity, intuition—reduced to data points and efficiency metrics.

The future threatens not just our jobs, but our meaning. What we do is tied to who we are. When our work is dismissed or replaced, we don’t just lose income—we lose a piece of ourselves.

Can We Adapt Without Losing Ourselves?

The challenge is finding a path forward that allows adaptation without complete transformation. We need to ask:

How can we use technology to enhance our work, not replace it? How do we preserve the human voice in an increasingly automated world? Can we redefine value—not just in terms of speed or profit—but in terms of impact, emotion, and purpose?

We may not stop the future, but we can shape how it touches us.

Hope Through Reinvention

While the future feels dangerous, it’s also a call to action. Maybe our profession won’t look the same in 10 years. Maybe the tools will change. But perhaps that invites us to rediscover why we chose this path in the first place.

We must advocate for the irreplaceable: the empathy of a teacher, the creativity of a designer, the integrity of a journalist, the imagination of an artist. These are not just "services"—they’re human experiences. And no matter how advanced machines become, they can’t live those experiences.

Conclusion: A Cautious But Committed Heart

Yes, the future feels dangerous—for my profession, for many professions. But danger does not always mean doom. Sometimes, it means transformation. And in transformation, there is power—if we fight to carry our humanity into tomorrow.

So I face the future not with fear, but with a cautious, committed heart. I’m not giving up on what I do. I’m learning to fight for it in a world that’s quickly forgetting why it matters.

Would you like a personalized version based on your actual profession or industry? I can tailor this article to fit your field specifically.

[boredtechnologist]

Missile Defense 3-D: The Ethics of Pulling the Trigger First

When Missile Defense 3-D hit the Sega Master System in 1987, it offered players a thrilling gimmick: strap on the SegaScope 3-D glasses, wield the Light Phaser, and shoot down incoming nuclear warheads in full stereoscopic depth.

But what players didn’t realize is that they were engaging with a moral Rorschach test, shaped by real-world geopolitical terror. Beneath the vector-blasted visuals and arcade reflexes lies a haunting thesis:

You can’t defend a world that’s already doomed - but you’ll still try.

Enter SDI: Reagan’s Technocratic Dream

To understand Missile Defense 3-D, you have to start with Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) - nicknamed "Star Wars" by critics.

Unveiled in 1983, SDI was the idea of using ground- and space-based systems (like lasers, satellites, and interceptors) to detect and destroy incoming Soviet nuclear missiles. It was a dramatic shift in nuclear doctrine - from Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) to preemptive protection.

But it raised huge ethical problems:

Is it moral to seek defense when it might provoke offense?

What happens when one nation claims the right to be invulnerable?

Is nuclear deterrence more stable when no one feels safe?

Missile Defense 3-D channels this philosophical soup into a single mechanic: shoot first, or die second.

The False God View: The Player as Omniscient Protector

When you play Missile Defense 3-D, you’re not a soldier. You’re not even a commander. You are a global targeting system - hovering above cities like a dispassionate AI.

You see every attack in real-time.

You choose which warheads to intercept.

You have no pause, no diplomacy - just reaction time.

This perspective is not empowering. It’s isolating. You aren’t immersed in the war. You are removed from it - a digital god reacting to a constant stream of death. This reflects the core anxiety of SDI:

What does it mean to be morally responsible when your actions are automated, depersonalized, and detached from consequences?

You’re not fighting to win. You’re reacting to prevent extinction - and failing is not a loss. It’s the end of the world.

Cities As Casualties, Not Characters

The cities you defend - San Francisco, Paris, Tokyo - are never named. They’re just shapes on the screen. Once hit, they don’t burn. They vanish. The game moves on.

This is a chilling abstraction of nuclear death. There’s no mourning. No screams. Just a score penalty.

This isn’t just a limitation of 8-bit graphics - it’s a philosophical choice. The game trains you to think of humanity in terms of targets, zones, and survival percentages. Which is precisely how Cold War strategic planning worked:

Human beings became data points in kill probability algorithms.

This dehumanization isn’t accidental - it’s a core ethic of Cold War deterrence logic. You don’t save people. You save territory. You defend value, not life.

The Illusion of Control

The most important design decision? You can never save everyone.

No matter how skilled you are, warheads slip through. You’re overwhelmed by sheer volume, speed, and panic. The further you go, the more certain it becomes: you will fail.

This creates a feeling not of triumph, but of inevitability. No matter how precise your aim, Missile Defense 3-D simulates the ultimate reality of the 1980s:

“Even our best defenses are fragile illusions.”

SDI, for all its ambition, never solved the basic truth that one missile getting through was enough. And the game drives that home with every flashing explosion: you can slow the end, but you cannot stop it.

The Light Phaser as Ethical Instrument

The Light Phaser - a toy gun - becomes an ethical tool. You point it at the screen and fire to “protect.” But with each level, the abstraction wears thin.

You’re not shooting aliens. You’re deciding who lives and who dies.

Fire too slow, and a city vanishes.

Fire too fast, and you overheat and miss.

Fire just right, and you preserve a world that’s already breaking.

The act of pulling the trigger becomes a ritual of guilt, not glory.

Cold War in 3D

The inclusion of 3D glasses isn’t just a gimmick - it’s metaphorical. Missile Defense 3-D wants you to see the war from two perspectives at once:

The thrill of saving the world with laser-precise action

The hopelessness of being unable to stop the inevitable

It’s a bifocal morality - just like SDI itself. A vision of hope blurred by paranoia. A defense system that felt futuristic, but couldn’t escape the past.

And like the 3D tech, it only works if you don’t look too closely.

The Game That Let You Feel Like a Satellite - and a Sinner

Missile Defense 3-D is rarely remembered alongside the heavy-hitters of 1980s game design, but it should be. It’s one of the few titles to directly confront the ethics of real-time apocalypse management, simulating the cognitive dissonance of living under a nuclear sword and pretending you could do anything about it.

It’s not about winning.

It’s about witnessing. Reacting. Compromising. Failing, then replaying, because the alternative is accepting what cannot be undone.

And isn’t that what SDI was, too? A system designed not to save us, but to give us just enough illusion of salvation to keep going?

[followingforest]

7 to go & Wembley (twice) ....

Its officially squeaky bum time. The injuries are mounting up and the first half v Villa, especially the first 30 mins, had those of us there with our heads in our hands thinking we were looking at another Bournemouth result.

For those of us in the upper tier the lack of an opportunity for a half time beer only added to the anxiety. "Jota is coming on" we all said almost in unison with a smile thinking surely that Morato needed a rest! "Oh shit no Elanga" was the cry as puzzled faces tried to work out what the hell was going on, "must be injured" was the consensus but that in turn brought its own concerns.

However after a few minutes it was clear that Nuno had tweaked something and we were playing with a new energy that Villa clearly struggled with. After the Jota Silva goal it was all us barring a couple of breakaways that Sels kept out (really well it needs to be said).

It seemed just a matter of time before we equalised but incredibly almost all our efforts went over or wide. Was set up for the wonder strike from Murillo but obviously that hit the bar too. 4 mins of added time was a joke given the amount of subs both sides made and the fact their keeper was booked for timewasting. Where is the 10/12 mins that other teams get against us when we are winning?

So it was a sobering drive home thinking what might have been, but the spirit from the players and the support from the away end meant it seemed a setback rather than a disaster. City and Chelsea dropping points on Sunday helped calm the nerves.

We have now been 3rd since the last week of December - 13 consecutive weeks. We will take that to 14 next weekend regardless of results but we can see the charge Newcastle are on & with a game in hand too they could pip us a week on Wednesday with 2 wins for them if we fail to beat Everton. We have actually been in the top 5 since game week 15 when we beat Man U away on the 7th December!

So all the data geeks will tell us that its going to be fine, the independent observers are saying its going to be fine but we fans are used to a panic and some doom & gloom. For years I've been in that category, something will go wrong because it normally did. However I'm a born again optimist now, given our 7 fixtures and the amount of teams around us playing each other it would be a collapse of mammoth proportions to drop to 6th or 7th. Even then we get Europa League which we were ecstatic about a few months ago when belting out songs about spending Thursdays with CHO in Copenhagen!

We have lost 8 games this season, only 6 teams have beaten us given Newcastle and Fulham have done it twice! We have not lost to a team in the bottom half of the table. All the teams we have left to play apart from Chelsea are in the bottom half. Chelsea on the final day might be a dead rubber anyway if we can get the results before then. Of the 8 games we have lost 5 of those 8 IMO we fully deserved to lose. The exceptions are Fulham at home, Newcastle and Villa away when the 2nd half performances in those 2 away games deserved a point.

There is no room for despondency. Yes we have injuries but surely we have enough in the locker to get over the line. The battle starts again on Saturday. Lets play our part in making sure Everton know they are in our ground. Another 3 points on Saturday will calm a lot of nerves. If we get Woody back its a massive bonus but Jota Silva could start up front if not and wind them up for 60 mins until he gets a yellow and we need to replace him!

I've gone a whole blog and not mentioned Wembley and we all know that on our day we can beat City and we just need to make sure that its going to be our day. My other Wembley thoughts are published in the next issue of the lovely Mist Rolling In fanzine available from the tireless editor on matchdays and in the newsagents on the corner of Trent Bridge. Buy a copy for £3 - its a season for keeping those memories to show you kids and grandkids when we are failing to beat Stoke or Rotherham in 20 years time.

#NFFC #nffc #forest #KeepTheFaith

Steve Battlemuch

Trent End Upper/Away Member

Find me on X and Bluesky.

[umbrellaaegis]

Umbrella Aegis: Redefining Digital Security for the Modern World

In today’s fast-paced digital era, businesses and individuals face an ever-growing wave of cyber threats. Whether it's data breaches, phishing scams, or ransomware attacks, security is no longer optional—it’s a necessity. At Umbrella Aegis, we don’t just provide security; we create a shield of trust, innovation, and resilience.

The Story of Survival & Success

Let’s talk about Amit, a small business owner who lost crucial customer data due to a cyberattack. His e-commerce website was hacked, leaving him with angry customers and financial losses. Just when he thought his business was doomed, he discovered Umbrella Aegis. Our cutting-edge cybersecurity solutions not only helped him recover but also ensured his business never faced such a threat again.

Now, Amit’s business thrives with secure transactions, encrypted data, and 24/7 monitoring. And his customers? They trust him more than ever!

What Makes Umbrella Aegis Different?

🌐 AI-Powered Threat Detection – Stay ahead of hackers with real-time AI-based security. 🔐 Cloud Security Solutions – Protect your data no matter where you work. 💼 Customized Business Protection – Tailor-made security solutions for businesses of all sizes. 🛡 End-to-End Digital Safety – From emails to networks, we secure it all.

Why Digital Security is Personal

For us, cybersecurity isn’t just about protecting systems—it’s about protecting dreams, ambitions, and hard work. Imagine waking up to find that your personal data is leaked, or your company’s reputation is ruined by a security breach.

That’s why at Umbrella Aegis, we work as your security partner, not just a service provider. Whether you’re a startup, a growing business, or a large enterprise, we ensure your digital world is safe and secure.

Join the Secure Revolution

Are you ready to take your business security to the next level? Let’s build a digital fortress together!

📞 Contact Umbrella Aegis today and ensure your future is protected.

SEO & Google Ranking Elements Used:

✅ Human touch (real-life inspired stories) ✅ Engaging tone ✅ SEO-friendly keywords (cybersecurity, AI security, business protection, cloud security, data encryption, digital security) ✅ Strong call-to-action

Would you like me to tweak anything further? 🚀

Umbrella Aegis blog and also give human touch to so that we can rank on google

ChatGPT said:

Umbrella Aegis: Securing Businesses, Protecting Dreams

In today's digital-first world, businesses thrive on data, connectivity, and innovation. But with this progress comes an increasing wave of cyber threats, data breaches, and security vulnerabilities. At Umbrella Aegis, we don’t just offer cybersecurity solutions—we safeguard your digital ambitions, ensuring businesses and individuals operate with peace of mind.

A Real Story: When Security Became Survival

Meet Neha, a startup founder who built an online store selling handmade crafts. With a growing customer base, she never imagined that a single cyberattack could put everything at risk. One morning, she woke up to find her website hacked, customer data stolen, and orders disrupted.

With panic setting in, she turned to Umbrella Aegis. Our AI-driven threat detection not only identified the breach but also fortified her digital assets, restoring operations swiftly. Today, Neha runs a secure and trusted online store, knowing her business is protected.

Why Choose Umbrella Aegis?

🔹 AI-Powered Cybersecurity – Proactive protection against hacking attempts. 🔹 24/7 Monitoring & Threat Detection – Instant alerts for potential breaches. 🔹 Secure Cloud & Data Protection – Keep your business running without worries. 🔹 Tailored Security Solutions – Protection for startups, enterprises, and individuals.

More Than Security – A Partnership in Growth

For us, cybersecurity is more than just a technical service—it’s about empowering people. We believe that every entrepreneur, business, and professional deserves a safe digital space to innovate, grow, and succeed.

Don’t wait for a crisis to strike—protect your business before it’s too late.

📩 Get in touch with Umbrella Aegis today and let’s build a secure future together!

SEO Strategy & Google Ranking Factors

✅ Storytelling (Real-life inspired case study for a human touch) ✅ SEO-rich keywords (cybersecurity, AI security, data protection, business security, digital protection) ✅ Actionable CTA (Encouraging engagement) ✅ Engaging tone (Conversational yet informative)

Would you like to add specific services or tailor the blog for a niche audience? 🚀

[ashwindravid]

Beyond the Abyss

Generative AI and the Future of Marketing

People keep missing the point about AI in marketing. It's not coming for your job—it's coming for the marketing equivalent of fast food: those mindless campaigns nobody sees, other than the unlucky few on LinkedIn, that generic "download our whitepaper" button nobody clicks, and those quarterly reports everyone pretends to read.

Let's be honest—we've all sat through those marketing meetings where someone presents a graph going up and to the right based on what is essentially educated guesswork dressed up in corporate jargon. AI is tearing down that comfortable façade and asking us point-blank: "So... what exactly are you bringing to the table that I can't automate in 30 seconds?"

And that's where things get interesting.

While the marketing dinosaurs are busy updating their LinkedIn profiles with panic-sweats, the smart ones are treating AI like the intern who's freakishly good at grunt work. They're handing over the spreadsheets and keyword research so they can focus on the stuff that matters—the weird, messy, gloriously human art of connection.

Real personalisation isn't mail-merging someone's name into your template. It's about creating moments that make people feel like you're reading their diary—in a good way, not a restraining order way. It's about seeing the human behind the data point.

We're creatures of habit, desperately clinging to marketing playbooks that worked in 2017. The marketers who'll own the next decade aren't mindlessly prompt-engineering their way through campaigns. They're the ones asking: "How can this tech help me understand human weirdness better?"

That's the twist everyone misses while doom-scrolling through "AI will end marketing" think pieces. Better AI should enhance our humanity, not replace it.

So next time you see your competitor churning out AI-generated fluff that reads like it was written by a committee of algorithms pretending to be people, ask yourself: What if we used these tools to actually listen? To spot the patterns buried in the noise? To uncover the needs people don't even know they have?

This isn't some future revolution coming to save or destroy us. It's already here, hiding behind that "AI-powered" feature you've been ignoring. The only real question is whether you're going to surf this wave or pretend the tide isn't rising.