#the irken empire is one massive self perpetuating space cult

[random-iz-stuff]

Are there any rogue Irkans that have left the empire?

Nope. The empire is cult-like in terms of how hard it is to leave. There’s a good reason why “The Irken Empire” and “The Irken Race” are used interchangeably, plus those rumours about irkens being a hive mind/an empty shell that the PAK uses had to come from somewhere.

Since rebellious thoughts (including wanting to leave) are blocked by the PAK, the only irkens that can even want to leave are extremely defective irkens, and the sheer amount and effectiveness of irken propaganda and brainwashing can keep even the most defective and abused irken from ever wanting to leave (just ask Zim and Skoodge).

In the past 3000 years, only 4 irkens have attempted to leave the empire. None were successful.

If an irken does somehow leave the empire, the Tallest still has control over the irken’s PAK and knows their exact location at all times and can remotely shut the PAK off if they get permission from the control brains to do so. So no irken has ever successfully left the empire since they achieved first contact with an alien race, or at least, no one has for more than a day before their PAK shuts off.

And the death of those that try to leave are used both as warnings to rest of the empire and examples as to why defective irkens should be turned in, because only a defective can even want to leave.

[random-iz-stuff]

Is there a way to disconnect a PAK from the... idk, Irkan database or something? Go off the grid and stop being traceable. Like, any way. And if someone THEORETICALLY DID IT what negative consequences might they suffer, aside from not being able to access a lot of stuff?

It is theoretically possible but Ill-advised. Disconnecting from the database would first require a Royal PAK Technician (the highest rank of PAK technician that usually only serves the Tallest) to remove and disable several different parts of the PAK, and replace several more parts because they rely on the database to function properly (like the translators and PAK communicators). This is next to impossible since Royal class irkens aren’t going to willingly betray the empire like that, and the Control Brains and Tallest will be instantly notified when the database notices that parts of the PAK are being deactivated but the irken body is still alive and healthy. Instantly marking the irken as a potential high ranking defective.

The second thing you need to do is connect yourself to a Control Brain and have them completely purge the rest of the PAK’s connections to the database, since some parts can’t be safely disconnected by a PAK technician and must be rewritten by a control brain. Otherwise, the PAK will begin updating itself and reconnect to the database after a while.

I’m sure you see the problem here.

You cannot convince a control brain to remove you from the database. That would be counterproductive to the empire and would require the control brain itself to betray the empire, which a control brain cannot even comprehend. They can’t even comprehend the possibility that an irken would want to leave the empire like this.

Plus this is all high ranking defective behaviour and you’re connecting yourself to a machine who’s JOB it is to find and delete high ranking defectives.

If you connect yourself to a Control Brain and tell it to disconnect you from the irken database, it will go through your recent memories in the span of a few seconds, find whatever moment you decided to leave the empire (ie, committed a highly defective act), save that moment and delete you. Before showing your anti-empire thoughts to the Tallest as proof that you were defective and a deletion without an official trial declared was necessary.

If an irken somehow managed to disconnect itself, they’d still be able to live and all that, no life support systems rely on the database, but they’d be unable to speak any language besides irken until they learn another language the old fashioned way because the PAK translator relies on the database. They’d be unable to contact anyone using their PAK, requiring a proper phone and most importantly, they’d be unable to pay for anything because the irken monetary system uses the database to track how much an irken has and how much they’ve spent. They’d also be unable to access irken medical bays and unlock irken brand ships (aka, every ship the empire uses) without the identification that a PAK profile provides. They could use a phone that doesn’t require a PAK profile, but those things are heavily monitored and the empire will be searching for them.

They might have a chance at life outside the empire now, but they still wouldn’t be able to leave empire space because they have no money, no ship, no methods of contacting anyone, they’re stuck speaking exclusively in irken for the foreseeable future, the empire is searching for them and they’re stuck in empire space, which is one big surveillance state that will have little issue finding them.