Deal with Decimus. Not a pleasant prospect...for Decimus and anyone supporting him. However; the elephant in the room, SFB's protocols that start when he dies. Also there might be a waiting,take a number, line to kill SFB, Dolly, Max, Mariko,Tee Dee, probably Ada, and the rest of the Willie Wonka crew from New Troy. Also in line Calliope still will not be surprised to see Callie, Breaker and crew show up with CentCom's Black Angles in tow.
It hasn't yet been explained what Maxus means by 'deal' here. Sure, it's possible Maxus is talking about taking a page out of Decimus' book and is just gonna whack the jackoff who started this current mess. There's something to be said for that as a partial solution to the crisis: Tolerating Decimus' murderous and otherwise vile urges and plots to date has only lead to more problems. Plus, with a quick change of head of state and an escort back for Lynn they can beg New Troy for help with the ensuing disaster (which could reasonably be less problematic than the aftermath of the war Decimus is trying to start). I would hope he has a better solution to the situation than that, but sometimes you have to recognize a lost cause and just work on limiting the damage: Do you really see this crisis ending with Decimus Aquila Livius remaining the Imperator of Nova Roma? How do you think that transfer of power was going to happen?
Hrmm ... interestingly, I think that dealing with Decimus would very much depend on the person, not everyone wants to kill him, nor even deal with him - But I think neither would hold back from killing him, if they have to make that decision.
Dolly : Dolly doesn't really care, as long as she gets Lynn out of there, she don't mind going through or around Decimus, whichever is the safest route. Though she might consider it safest in the long run if he should .. cease to exist.
Maxus : Likes Justice, and would probably rather jail him, and then put him on eternal sewer cleaning duty. It would benefit Roma.
Mariko : Mariko has a personal grudge going on here, and she would definately like to kill Decimus ... no judge, no court, just a bit of personal terror, followed up with a knife through the spinal cord. Sure, he might take a while to die, and she would be fine with that.
TeeDee : TeeDee would only like to blow Decimus head off about as much as she would like to blow his personal guard away. That said, she would really, really, REALLY, like to blow away the Praetorian Guard! With as big a gun as possible. LIKE .. RIGHT NOW!!
Ada : Doesn't actually want to kill anyone, but she understands that sometimes you need to put down a rabid dog before it harms the children. With a penetrating needle to the base the skull .. quick, quiet ... no pain, no fuss.
Calliope : Would probably just feed him to the lawyers.
Breaker : I have no idea what Breaker would do with Decimus. Then again, neither does Decimus, and it might be best that way.
CentComm : Rather than waste resources, she would just drop him off in a very irradiated area and let him die a "natural" death.
Tokyo Rose : Something about <REDACTED> vanilla fudge <REDACTED> with a rusty spoon <REDACTED> up his <REDACTED> like Willy Wonka on bad fucking acid! ... AND THEN <REDACTED> <REDACTED> <REDACTED> <REDACTED> <REDACTED> !! ... oh god, why did I read that? Now my eyes are bleeding.
Basically agree with all except, Calliope, now that one would skin him alive, inch at a time ensuring he stays alive to "enjoy" every second of the process, when the skin is gone she would keep him alive and give him daily salt water baths while keeping him on a vibrating bed of Barb Wire.
If your world actually finds a way to get Decimus out of power without that contingency going off that would be surprising: If his contingency was designed adequately at all it would still go off if he were locked in a faraday cage unable to transmit for a set period of time.
The one thing I'm worried about is the resident AIS might be nuttier than squirrel poo after his ordeal. Plugging him in to the city might well be part of the contingency.
Well, considering that he tends to become less nutty when he has some humans to interact with, getting him plugged back in to the city might be just the kind of cure he needs, hundreds of thousands of people to interact with, an AIS' dream come true.
Yeah, but I think Max will need something more than ketchup, because drekhead is just that big of a pile of shit. He'll need to bring a full set of spices and seasonings to cover up *that* flavor
Not so much. It's just that Irene is a very gentle person at heart and hates to see others suffer. She'd have asked Maxus to kill Hrist just as easily, if Hrist was still trying to fight.
Speaking of His Imperial Douchebag, I wonder what he's up to? He must figure the Cassians are in the process of eliminating his enemies and is relaxing in his sanctum with a goblet of wine and a good book about torture. Won't he be surprised when Big Max comes a'knockin' on his chamber door.
If he were sane? He'd be watching camera feeds and listening to comm channels of the operations that he's ordered and the general traffic waiting for the right time to break out the champagne. He might not even be that limited degree of sane, so who knows how many he's had to drink already and what else he's up to in the meanwhile?
Deck is being a busy little bee trying to make sure everything goes off perfectly .. hes trying to wipe out far more than Max.. he wants all opposition to his rule crushed. SO there are more than one targets to this little spree.
The pawns don't matter if you get the king, I'd imagine he's re-routing reinforcements to get Maxus from some of his lower-priority assassinations right now: Even while so insane as to be stupid you'd think he would concentrate on the prime threat.
One doesn't get to be a century old by being hasty, although it may just be that he's had an attack aimed at himself as well, since he did speak up about the hazards of foreign policy being a health matter.
Worse, he has made it clear that he could protect Acantha from anyone who might want to harm her. And that would have included both Decimus and his Cassians as well.
While that might not be a declaration of hostility, it is definately flaunting his power in the face of everyone else.
but hey if he can get the murder bot on HIS side hes fine with that. He sees Hist as a dangerous weapon.. a gun in itself isnt evil. nor is a sword. its the hands that direct it that make it good or evil.
Yeah, but like any weapon, there is the risk of it being taken away. In the case of a programmable weapon, you might never know it switched sides until its too late.
Silent coms and directive "Protect Irene" with the benefit of a isolated location, Yeah, no bodies living long enough to get close enough to give a counter order.
If I'm getting this right, it would basically need either Acantha, Decimus or Kali to countermand those orders and directives. Which they'd have to do in person, due to the disabled comm.
Now, Acantha I'm not worried about what orders she might give anyway. And if Kali (given she's under orders from the Douchebag formerly known as Prince) or Decimus were in direct presence of Irene, a reprogrammed Hrist would probably be the least of her worries.
Hah, yeah, there's the opportunity for some fun dialogue here.
Maxus : "It's just an itty bitty arm"
Irene : "No!"
Maxus : "But.."
Irene : "No!"
Hrist : "My Lady, it won't hurt if he.."
Irene : "No!"
Hrist : "But.."
Irene : "No!"
Hrist : "I don't think she will let us do it, Lord General."
Maxus : "Indeed."
Hrist : "I suspect it will be difficult to convince her, unless..."
Irene : "No!"
Maxus : "I think you are correct."
Hrist : "But, it's only one little arm."
Irene : "No!"
Hrist : "Won't hurt if.."
Irene : "No!"
Hrist : "Maybe a leg instead?"
Irene : "NO!!!"
Hrist : "Hrm."
Maxus : "You have a twisted sense of humor, Hrist."
Hrist : "Hee he he he he." >:)
Hehe, Maxus is the sort of guy who does what is necessary using the materials at hand, isn't he?
Maxus: Your imperial highness, given the current situation, I deem it wise to deploy this cassian to your closest personal attendance, and our best medical aid to preserve your life!
Decimus: Max- *UCK*
Later...
Kali: So you force-fed him Malati's left leg - until her knee was resting against the back of his throat - and then got Setorius to keep him alive?
Maxus: Indeed. Our imperator is alive and perfectly safe, with his inseparable cassian guard-
Setorius: -Although in quite considerable pain: the procedures I had to perform to in order to save his life were quite invasive, and while the good general was able to paralyse him to prevent his struggles from impeding my efforts, we were unable to risk an anaesthetic.
Kali: Why didn't you just remove Malati's leg?!
Setorius: Maxus was quite clear that Prince Decimus was not to be deprived of his close guard for any reason, and one often has to work around large foreign objects - indeed, it is the action of a novice or layman to make removal of such objects their immediate priority-
Kali: But you've left him there, incapacitated, with an android jammed in his mouth!
Maxus: You acknowledge he is incapacited? Good! Do you concur, High Priest?
Setorius: Of course - Prince Decimus is definitely and absolutely incapacitated.
Maxus: *activates video on nearby comm screen* And so power is assumed by Princess Acantha, as Imperial Regent, for the duration of his incapacity. Your highness...
Acantha (on screen): My general. You must take all steps to ensure that our reign is secure. Furthermore, I hereby decree that Lynn Taylor of New Troy is to be given her liberty, and ambassadorial status with immediate effect. Send word to New Troy that this is so. And, regarding the loyal and faithful cassian Malati, no effort is to be spared in attempting to restore her...
Much later...
Malati: (thinks) ...i'm..conscious... I can see... Where am I... what...??? Either the best techs in the three cities got together and restored my net against all odds... or there's an assassin droid heaven and I'm in it... which seems more likely, as I'm wearing Deck as my left boot... he doesn't seem at all happy there... perhaps if I wiggle my toes...
We don't know the finer details of New Rome laws, so it would help us readers to understand what options Maxus has available.
Decimus gave Kali the order to have her Cassians assassinate Maxus, on charges of treason, without a trial or support of the Senate. This was clearly illegal. But what consequences could Decimus face if this was brought to light?
At this point, if Maxus killed Decimus for this treachery, would Maxus be charged with treason or murder by the Senate?
But what if Decimus started shooting at Maxus the moment he saw him? Is self-defense reason enough?
Maxus could confront Decimus in person and bellow a demand for his arrest. Decimus would be shocked that he's alive and, scared for his safety, he'd try to kill him himself...
Have to remember that the cassians are not particularly lawful.
They were not put in place by the senate, but rather by a Livius, and thus they are technically loyal only to that bloodline.
That said, the previus imperators used them primarily in service of the city-state, and their moral and ethics tends to reflect this.
The Senate is technically the ones with all the power, and Maxus is the military arm of the Senate.
However, the senate has been undermined by people with power, people with money, and ofcourse by Decimus.
Frankly, if Maxus ripped Decimus apart on live television, most of the Senate probably wouldn't even blink an eye.
The problem with Decimus is that he has some "unspecified contingencies" in place, should something happen to him.
I'm thinking nuclear bombs, or something to that affect - So if he gets killed, the whole city-state dies.
The actual killing of Decimus is not a top priority, dismantling his contingencies on the other hand!
And what can tamper with a tamper proof device ?
Why hello thar Aeneas, did you just get better?
In simple form .. he who wins makes the laws. If Max had died . then frankly it would be boo hoo and deck could say anything he wanted. burn the evidence and spin it however he wanted. Sadly for deck .. Maxus does not die to easyly.
Also deck crossed another far more personal line. he endangered Irene. there is nothing in this world that will forgive that.
In certain ultra conservative cultures, being able to see a woman's ankles is considered scandalously skimpy clothing. I don't remember which cultures, specifically, offhand. Quakers/Mennonites, perhaps? Perhaps Orthodox Jews? I'm admittedly guessing.
Is that the angle you were going for, Sheela? Or are you Just referring to the fact that those are the bits that are closest to your little puppy dog eye level? *skritchies*
Okay, I can explain that:
It is known in some parts of the internet for particularly misogynist/bored people to demand, "Tits or GTFO!" in order to request the display of node images and/or video.
Galina's got the body of someone that isn't eighteen yet if I'm remembering those details from Luna Star correctly. As a representation of someone who 'is, or appears to be underage' that would actually be illegal to comply with in many legal jurisdictions. Informing those who make such requests of this and declining to fulfill it would be a fair response.
....Actually, serious question: How much does that kind of sexual harassment happen in Comicfury?
Heck, if you go far enough back, it used to be that we all ran around naked, and that wasn't amoral. Then religion stuck it's collective noses into it, and during the dark ages, it would be considered scandalous if the woman wasn't completely covered, even the ankles were considered very sexual.
Ofcourse, the muslims still use that interpretation of "modesty", what with their burka's and whatnot. But this used to be a thing for Christianity as well.
AS for the whole "Tits or get the fuck out" deal, it is actually a little more complicated than most people think, but here is an excellent explanation on the matter.
It's obviously a message from 4chan. You could pretty much tell even without the graphics giving it away.
But there is actually a kernel of wisdom in there, though I'm not sure whether the writer intended that.
That being that it doesn't really matter what your gender is. That this does not play into whether you're an interesting and/or intelligent person or not.
That's the one little thing one can take out of that text, really worth remembering and following.
There's not really a thing like the latter, just as there isn't for Christianity. Or Judaism. Or Buddhism, for that matter.
The Qur'an calls for modest clothing, but is not really specific as to how that should look like exactly.
Wearing a burka or even a niqab in public in Central Europe however would seem to be in violation of that rule, as it's basically a big loud scream for attention in these places. You could just as well run around in the nude. That would be similarily flashy.
@Centcomm : What person? The one I linked to? I don't think he/she was particularly vapid, but rather misogynistic and extremely jaded. But who better to explain what they think of the whole "Tits or GTFO" deal, than the people who actually use it ?
@Lukkai : Yes, some muslim, not all - My bad, I didn't catch that one. I was merely using it as a pointer that morals and practices changes a lot across the different cultures, even during the same time and age. But then, there's a large amount of subcultures mixed in with ... well, any religion actually. I'm thinking the burka is more a cultural phenomonom than anything, though it is obviously rooted in religion.
As for the 4chan guy, he does have a point. Women, espcially good looking young women, do get a "bonus" when it comes to socialising, but also in a lot of other situations. And the basis for that, has it's roots in procreation, no doubt about that. Wether it's because of the sexual act, or because of their higher fertility rate, or even because of their peceived better looks, is unimportant.
Once that bit is removed, all people become equal in plain text communication.
And not everyone likes that, and when they complain about it, someone else is sure to put them down, because they like that new feeling of power they just got.
He should add an additional directive; pack some Lunchables for Irene if she so declares it. The ones with cheese and crackers, and pepperoni slices! Gotta' have some packed lunches ready in case they have to blow this popsicle stand in a hurry. XD
The last Lunchables(TM) were made centuries ago in this world, and it's a good thing too: Those are a salt overdose (hypertension-->cardiac episode) death waiting to happen. Plus Hrist can't exactly get up and about like this; you wouldn't make her drag her halfway-bisected body along the kitchen floor with one arm, would you?
As a computer scientist, his orders, REALLY REALLY BOTHER ME! UGH!
1. he told hrist to disable the com. but didnt tell her to KEEP it disabled.
2. he gave his other directives in the wrong order. Stay in room FIRST, obey verbal orders SECOND. Otherwise, she can and will probably order her to follow her out of the room.
Boo, predictable plot is predictable.
Except shes not a computer.. Second its fiction .. not real life. Shes a sentient Machine.. she kinda knows what he means. and can infer from his statements what he wants her to do. as for predictable plot .. fine. whatever. cant please all the people LOL!
(( isnt surprised that a complaint came in as a guest comment ))
NO Icon thats the best way and also when you hover over the name it gives the website here on the comic.
.. also they cant edit comments after they make them .. I can only delete them. didnt seem harsh enough to delete .. now what rose says when she sees it .. im gonna just duck and cover.
I'm actually on as "guest" while I'm at work, cause I can't log into unauthorized sites, even if I can view them. (fair policy in my opinion, but it's still a pain sometimes)
I'm kind of glad that I can still use my moniker here, even if I can't edit my posts.
Regarding our Guest, Phil, he's entitled to his opinion, but as far as Hrist's orders from Maxus, she has already made it clear that she would be glad to accept his orders, so I don't see her turning on the comm without his permission, and she will do everything she can to protect Irene while in the safe room (and probably do a lot to keep her calm and less worried about Maxus in the process). She is after all, a fully functional artificially intelligent being.
(p.s. I will vote as soon as I get home from work)
As Cent noted, Hrist isn't a computer, and can make inferences and extrapolations on her own.
1) No, he didn't tell her to keep the com disabled... but she's not inclined to re-enable it on her own.
2) What makes you think Irene would spontaneously decide to take a walk, with or without an android that, at this point, could only travel by lying on a shop creeper and propelling herself along with her one functional arm?
As for "predictable plot"... the actual point is that people enjoy how we're telling it, and it sure seems like at least a few people do. If you want to read a story that defies narrative convention (in ways that leave the reader reeling, confused, and angry, more often than not), George R. R. Martin is your guy, not me.
Well, if someone were to set the city on fire (yes TeeDee, we are looking at you), the room might become a bit too hot for Irene, at that point going for a walk would be a good idea - And it would be good if she could tell Hrist to come along then.
So it would have been smart if Maxus had told Hrist that Irene's orders trumps the "staying in the room" order.
Though to be fair, I'm thinking Hrist could probably convince her inhibitor that protecting Irene would have higher priority than staying in a room.
Predictable? Maybe, but it is VERY ENJOYABLE this predictability. Pus, you and Cent have some Turns and Zingers in there which make not quite so Predictable as some people would claim.
I personally enjoy the story, the artwork and the conversations in the Comments.
So I give DataChasers AND Luna-Star each 10/10 PLUS I give extra Kudo points for having me actually writing Fan Fiction about the DataChasers/Luna-Star universe.
Decimus has made another tactical error without realising. Dolly had been pegged for further investigation/monitoring. How can that happen when the people required to to do that are tied up on his illegal orders?
What do you expect? Drekhead has proven time and again that he's a walking, bellowing pile of blunder feces. (Ooh, question! If a murderturd were confronted with a choice of meal between a person, an android, a person in armor, and a blunder, would the blunder be its meal of choice?)
Let me rephrase that. If any/all of them are close enough to eat, then any/all of them are dinner.
Murderturds are non-discriminatory predators, and will eat anyone regardless of race, gender, or relative sanity.
There have been cases though where an android shorting out while being digested did cause heartburn, so a wise Murdurturd will always carry android-seltzer, just in case.
Note: Scythe lizards have never heard of Buridan's Ass (which they would probably eat, in any case). If placed at an exactly equal distance from a person, an android, a person in armor, and a blunder, it would eat whatever it saw first.
(Blind scythe lizards would just eat whatever their nose happens to be pointed at first, except that under normal circumstances, a blind scythe lizard has already been eaten by a sighted scythe lizard.)
Unless ofcourse the two Scythe Lizards were in a very dark cave, in which case the strongest one would win.
Not to mention that if you put a Murderturd in a "Buriden's Ass" situation, it would probably try to eat the ground first, and then the food and water would come in completely random order afterwards - Indecisive they are not.
Reminds me of a concert I went to where the singer drank every time he got one of his songs wrong. Granted he was playing the songs he wrote then never touched.
Call me an optimist, but I see Max coming back after a gruesome campaign against Decimus victorious, only to find Irene and Hrist in the safe room, in pajamas, playing cards, drinking, and talking about boys.
As if it hadn't been proven enough already, Irene shows more metal (and mettle) than anyone would be inclined to grant her based on assumption alone. Hrist and the entire assassin team have been (forgiveme) disarmed, and here's Irene standing up to the dude who pretty much put paid to all the attackers' accounts, in order to protect the incapacitated Hrist.
I wish I was somebody else right now, somebody not... married, not madly in love with a beautiful woman who can kill me with her pinky.
yes and think .. she changed Maxus's mind with a LOOK! not a word .. just a LOOK! muhahah do not mess with Irene .. she could guilt a Murderturd into apologizing ..
But Irene is having none of it!
Yummers!
Dolly : Dolly doesn't really care, as long as she gets Lynn out of there, she don't mind going through or around Decimus, whichever is the safest route. Though she might consider it safest in the long run if he should .. cease to exist.
Maxus : Likes Justice, and would probably rather jail him, and then put him on eternal sewer cleaning duty. It would benefit Roma.
Mariko : Mariko has a personal grudge going on here, and she would definately like to kill Decimus ... no judge, no court, just a bit of personal terror, followed up with a knife through the spinal cord. Sure, he might take a while to die, and she would be fine with that.
TeeDee : TeeDee would only like to blow Decimus head off about as much as she would like to blow his personal guard away. That said, she would really, really, REALLY, like to blow away the Praetorian Guard! With as big a gun as possible. LIKE .. RIGHT NOW!!
Ada : Doesn't actually want to kill anyone, but she understands that sometimes you need to put down a rabid dog before it harms the children. With a penetrating needle to the base the skull .. quick, quiet ... no pain, no fuss.
Calliope : Would probably just feed him to the lawyers.
Breaker : I have no idea what Breaker would do with Decimus. Then again, neither does Decimus, and it might be best that way.
CentComm : Rather than waste resources, she would just drop him off in a very irradiated area and let him die a "natural" death.
Tokyo Rose : Something about <REDACTED> vanilla fudge <REDACTED> with a rusty spoon <REDACTED> up his <REDACTED> like Willy Wonka on bad fucking acid! ... AND THEN <REDACTED> <REDACTED> <REDACTED> <REDACTED> <REDACTED> !! ... oh god, why did I read that? Now my eyes are bleeding.
So Max has to be a bit careful on how he proceeds.
And I don't think Calliope is that bloodthirsty, besides .. LAWYERS!! Lawyers are pretty gruesome in and off themselves.
And all the cassians tends to be "I will do my duty until death!" 'n' stuff.
So do puppies I bet!
Especially when that life includes yummy food. :)
The "Better t'were done quickly" train of thought.
Queens can be very dangerous, even to a King.
On a sidenote, we don't know if Maxus is the main threat either, there could be other more dangerous threats about. Setorius for one.
While that might not be a declaration of hostility, it is definately flaunting his power in the face of everyone else.
And Maxus is aiming for the worst one of them, so that guy will be too busy to do anything about it. All in all, I think it's a fairly safe move.
Now, Acantha I'm not worried about what orders she might give anyway. And if Kali (given she's under orders from the Douchebag formerly known as Prince) or Decimus were in direct presence of Irene, a reprogrammed Hrist would probably be the least of her worries.
"Little Flower"... Eeee so cute! :D
Maxus : "It's just an itty bitty arm"
Irene : "No!"
Maxus : "But.."
Irene : "No!"
Hrist : "My Lady, it won't hurt if he.."
Irene : "No!"
Hrist : "But.."
Irene : "No!"
Hrist : "I don't think she will let us do it, Lord General."
Maxus : "Indeed."
Hrist : "I suspect it will be difficult to convince her, unless..."
Irene : "No!"
Maxus : "I think you are correct."
Hrist : "But, it's only one little arm."
Irene : "No!"
Hrist : "Won't hurt if.."
Irene : "No!"
Hrist : "Maybe a leg instead?"
Irene : "NO!!!"
Hrist : "Hrm."
Maxus : "You have a twisted sense of humor, Hrist."
Hrist : "Hee he he he he." >:)
Maxus: Your imperial highness, given the current situation, I deem it wise to deploy this cassian to your closest personal attendance, and our best medical aid to preserve your life!
Decimus: Max- *UCK*
Later...
Kali: So you force-fed him Malati's left leg - until her knee was resting against the back of his throat - and then got Setorius to keep him alive?
Maxus: Indeed. Our imperator is alive and perfectly safe, with his inseparable cassian guard-
Setorius: -Although in quite considerable pain: the procedures I had to perform to in order to save his life were quite invasive, and while the good general was able to paralyse him to prevent his struggles from impeding my efforts, we were unable to risk an anaesthetic.
Kali: Why didn't you just remove Malati's leg?!
Setorius: Maxus was quite clear that Prince Decimus was not to be deprived of his close guard for any reason, and one often has to work around large foreign objects - indeed, it is the action of a novice or layman to make removal of such objects their immediate priority-
Kali: But you've left him there, incapacitated, with an android jammed in his mouth!
Maxus: You acknowledge he is incapacited? Good! Do you concur, High Priest?
Setorius: Of course - Prince Decimus is definitely and absolutely incapacitated.
Maxus: *activates video on nearby comm screen* And so power is assumed by Princess Acantha, as Imperial Regent, for the duration of his incapacity. Your highness...
Acantha (on screen): My general. You must take all steps to ensure that our reign is secure. Furthermore, I hereby decree that Lynn Taylor of New Troy is to be given her liberty, and ambassadorial status with immediate effect. Send word to New Troy that this is so. And, regarding the loyal and faithful cassian Malati, no effort is to be spared in attempting to restore her...
Much later...
Malati: (thinks) ...i'm..conscious... I can see... Where am I... what...??? Either the best techs in the three cities got together and restored my net against all odds... or there's an assassin droid heaven and I'm in it... which seems more likely, as I'm wearing Deck as my left boot... he doesn't seem at all happy there... perhaps if I wiggle my toes...
>:=)>
:D
Priceless! :D
Decimus gave Kali the order to have her Cassians assassinate Maxus, on charges of treason, without a trial or support of the Senate. This was clearly illegal. But what consequences could Decimus face if this was brought to light?
At this point, if Maxus killed Decimus for this treachery, would Maxus be charged with treason or murder by the Senate?
But what if Decimus started shooting at Maxus the moment he saw him? Is self-defense reason enough?
Maxus could confront Decimus in person and bellow a demand for his arrest. Decimus would be shocked that he's alive and, scared for his safety, he'd try to kill him himself...
Just a thought.
They were not put in place by the senate, but rather by a Livius, and thus they are technically loyal only to that bloodline.
That said, the previus imperators used them primarily in service of the city-state, and their moral and ethics tends to reflect this.
The Senate is technically the ones with all the power, and Maxus is the military arm of the Senate.
However, the senate has been undermined by people with power, people with money, and ofcourse by Decimus.
Frankly, if Maxus ripped Decimus apart on live television, most of the Senate probably wouldn't even blink an eye.
The problem with Decimus is that he has some "unspecified contingencies" in place, should something happen to him.
I'm thinking nuclear bombs, or something to that affect - So if he gets killed, the whole city-state dies.
The actual killing of Decimus is not a top priority, dismantling his contingencies on the other hand!
And what can tamper with a tamper proof device ?
Why hello thar Aeneas, did you just get better?
Isn't that such a coincidence? :)
Also deck crossed another far more personal line. he endangered Irene. there is nothing in this world that will forgive that.
One battle does not decide the outcome of the war.
There are still many battles to be fought in this war.
(Mostly I don't have anything to say today. I just want to vote.)
.. can we see her ankles then ?
Is that the angle you were going for, Sheela? Or are you Just referring to the fact that those are the bits that are closest to your little puppy dog eye level? *skritchies*
It is known in some parts of the internet for particularly misogynist/bored people to demand, "Tits or GTFO!" in order to request the display of node images and/or video.
Galina's got the body of someone that isn't eighteen yet if I'm remembering those details from Luna Star correctly. As a representation of someone who 'is, or appears to be underage' that would actually be illegal to comply with in many legal jurisdictions. Informing those who make such requests of this and declining to fulfill it would be a fair response.
....Actually, serious question: How much does that kind of sexual harassment happen in Comicfury?
Heck, if you go far enough back, it used to be that we all ran around naked, and that wasn't amoral. Then religion stuck it's collective noses into it, and during the dark ages, it would be considered scandalous if the woman wasn't completely covered, even the ankles were considered very sexual.
Ofcourse, the muslims still use that interpretation of "modesty", what with their burka's and whatnot. But this used to be a thing for Christianity as well.
AS for the whole "Tits or get the fuck out" deal, it is actually a little more complicated than most people think, but here is an excellent explanation on the matter.
It's obviously a message from 4chan. You could pretty much tell even without the graphics giving it away.
But there is actually a kernel of wisdom in there, though I'm not sure whether the writer intended that.
That being that it doesn't really matter what your gender is. That this does not play into whether you're an interesting and/or intelligent person or not.
That's the one little thing one can take out of that text, really worth remembering and following.
There's not really a thing like the latter, just as there isn't for Christianity. Or Judaism. Or Buddhism, for that matter.
The Qur'an calls for modest clothing, but is not really specific as to how that should look like exactly.
Wearing a burka or even a niqab in public in Central Europe however would seem to be in violation of that rule, as it's basically a big loud scream for attention in these places. You could just as well run around in the nude. That would be similarily flashy.
@Lukkai : Yes, some muslim, not all - My bad, I didn't catch that one. I was merely using it as a pointer that morals and practices changes a lot across the different cultures, even during the same time and age. But then, there's a large amount of subcultures mixed in with ... well, any religion actually. I'm thinking the burka is more a cultural phenomonom than anything, though it is obviously rooted in religion.
As for the 4chan guy, he does have a point. Women, espcially good looking young women, do get a "bonus" when it comes to socialising, but also in a lot of other situations. And the basis for that, has it's roots in procreation, no doubt about that. Wether it's because of the sexual act, or because of their higher fertility rate, or even because of their peceived better looks, is unimportant.
Once that bit is removed, all people become equal in plain text communication.
And not everyone likes that, and when they complain about it, someone else is sure to put them down, because they like that new feeling of power they just got.
As for lunchables .. they are proably a hot black market item in New Troy . MMMM salt. .. MM spices!
1. he told hrist to disable the com. but didnt tell her to KEEP it disabled.
2. he gave his other directives in the wrong order. Stay in room FIRST, obey verbal orders SECOND. Otherwise, she can and will probably order her to follow her out of the room.
Boo, predictable plot is predictable.
(( isnt surprised that a complaint came in as a guest comment ))
Kinda looks like an ordinary user at first glance.
.. also they cant edit comments after they make them .. I can only delete them. didnt seem harsh enough to delete .. now what rose says when she sees it .. im gonna just duck and cover.
I'm kind of glad that I can still use my moniker here, even if I can't edit my posts.
Regarding our Guest, Phil, he's entitled to his opinion, but as far as Hrist's orders from Maxus, she has already made it clear that she would be glad to accept his orders, so I don't see her turning on the comm without his permission, and she will do everything she can to protect Irene while in the safe room (and probably do a lot to keep her calm and less worried about Maxus in the process). She is after all, a fully functional artificially intelligent being.
(p.s. I will vote as soon as I get home from work)
1) No, he didn't tell her to keep the com disabled... but she's not inclined to re-enable it on her own.
2) What makes you think Irene would spontaneously decide to take a walk, with or without an android that, at this point, could only travel by lying on a shop creeper and propelling herself along with her one functional arm?
As for "predictable plot"... the actual point is that people enjoy how we're telling it, and it sure seems like at least a few people do. If you want to read a story that defies narrative convention (in ways that leave the reader reeling, confused, and angry, more often than not), George R. R. Martin is your guy, not me.
So it would have been smart if Maxus had told Hrist that Irene's orders trumps the "staying in the room" order.
Though to be fair, I'm thinking Hrist could probably convince her inhibitor that protecting Irene would have higher priority than staying in a room.
I personally enjoy the story, the artwork and the conversations in the Comments.
So I give DataChasers AND Luna-Star each 10/10 PLUS I give extra Kudo points for having me actually writing Fan Fiction about the DataChasers/Luna-Star universe.
*pushes Decimus nearer* :D
Murderturds are non-discriminatory predators, and will eat anyone regardless of race, gender, or relative sanity.
There have been cases though where an android shorting out while being digested did cause heartburn, so a wise Murdurturd will always carry android-seltzer, just in case.
(Blind scythe lizards would just eat whatever their nose happens to be pointed at first, except that under normal circumstances, a blind scythe lizard has already been eaten by a sighted scythe lizard.)
Not to mention that if you put a Murderturd in a "Buriden's Ass" situation, it would probably try to eat the ground first, and then the food and water would come in completely random order afterwards - Indecisive they are not.
and start splicing the
telegraph wires!
:D
And I don't think that's the kind of code Sheela meant.
Mission accomplished, I'd say.
He actually played better as the night went on, purposefully fucking up to get a drink now and then.
@Rose
Yes mission still accomplished indeed
A Cassian, corrupted, by Irene !
I'll go back and review. I am not too bright.
Brilliant! I absolutely love that line! :D
...and yayyy for Hrist to survive :)
I hope he will really deal with douchie now...
PS: Like the new Avatar, Cent...
I wish I was somebody else right now, somebody not... married, not madly in love with a beautiful woman who can kill me with her pinky.