Iteration X Conventionpage for a noble Union [*LONG*]
Julian Mensch
nor is it a polished work. It's a rough draft posted to get
feedback from Usenet, hence the poor spelling/grammar. To
everyone who replies, thanks for the input. The other four
will come eventually - Syndicate is next - but don't hold
your breath, as it may be several weeks till I get the next
one finished. Or a few days - you can never tell. :)
Credit where it's due: some of this is based on comments
Mirobar has made on occasion about ItX, and his contribution
will be noted in the final version. Mirobar, I don't think
this is on the level of plagurism, but if you feel ill
about it, let me know and we'll work something out.
You'll note there's no history section. I just don't know
enough modern history to write one competantly. If anyone
would care to discuss the history of the Conventions and
let me pick their brain for details, e-mail me. It's not
a big weakness anyway - history was a high poit of GttT
and the only material I really liked in CB:ItX.
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Iteration X
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[In the PDF version, this'll be italic, indicating fiction/
IC speech.]
I'm rather selfish; I want a lot.
I want to be able to remember everything I've ever read with
crystal clarity. I want to be able to think about a city halfway
across the world and know everything there is to know about it.
I want to know the population, the culture, the names of the
people, the history. And I want to understand it. I want to be
able to map and chart every cultural shift, every economic trend,
every traffic path; I want to see all the factors that make a
modern city what it is, not simply as some vague, dazed human
observer but with the crystal clarity of mathematics and science.
I want the answers; I want to know how the universe works.
I want intelligence beyond any human imagining. I want to see
numbers not as an outside observer but from within, as infinitely
complex patterns that define the miracles of our world. I want to
look at the leaf of a plant and be able to visualize every cell,
every vein, every mitochondria, every DNA strand, every atom, every
quark, in all their mathematically ordained process and interaction
that makes the leaf what it is. I want to understand, to visualize
in my mind, every mathematical relationship that composes that leaf,
every intricate microsystem that functions through the miracle of the
physical laws to produce a macroscopic whole of unimaginable complexity
and perfect mathematical beauty. I wonder if those were the eyes
Leonardo DaVinci saw with when he painted droplets of water and strands
of muscle.
I want to look at his Mona Lisa and truly see it, not veiled by the
thick gauze of superstition or the numbing anesthesia of ignorance. I
want to know with factual clarity why Leonardo placed every molecule
of paint as he did - to be able to conceive every cultural impetus,
every artistic technique, every subtle influence, that motivated DaVinci
to capture this element of human nature with simple paint and canvas.
And then I want to share this vision with every man, woman and child
on the face of the planet. That is my Ascension.
I pity those that worship gods or spirits through fear, tradition,
ignorance and conformity. Looking with the eyes of a scientist I see a
world governed in careful balance by thousands of physical laws, intricately
assembled into a sleek, majestic whole. Compared to this Truth, channeling
ancestors or turning water to wine can hardly be called a miracle.
[End Italic Text]
With mathematical precision and scientific genius the Technocrats of
Iteration X map the future of reality in an efficient, logical and
wasteless manner.
Though the Iterators are stereotyped as fanatical and authoritarian, the
Convention actually operates under an extremely fluid organization. A
Comptroller is responsible for evaluating his underlings' strengths,
weaknesses and aptitudes and assigning the right resources to the right
job with equal measures calculation and intuition. This policy describes
the heart of the Iterators' goal: to take all that is best about humanity
and all that is best about machines and integrate them into a flawless,
harmonious whole. To this end the Iterators have brought the Masses artificial
limbs and organs, ergonomic computer interfaces, computer aided education and
user friendly software.
Iteration X serves as the Technocracy's "big guns;" of all the Conventions
the Iterators are the most warlike and extreme in pursuing the eradication of
reality deviance. Though this can mean killing (and does in the case of those
criminals and terrorists who associate themselves with organizations actively
opposing scientific reality - such as the Traditions) in many cases it means
education, sanitization, exile, or assimilation. More than any other Convention
the Iterators despise Superstitionists and Reality Deviants - to them, scientific
reality is almost holy, and it's "betrayers" are fought with tremendous zeal.
The Iterators are strongly trying to slough off the stereotype of their Constructs
as Industrial Revolution-style force-labour factories. Statistics have shown that
leniance and flexibility in management, reasonable hours and a more casual, less
authoritarian atmosphere increase efficiancy and long-term reliability, and who
are the Iterators to argue with statistics? Modern Constructs often employ N.W.O.
counselors, ergonomically designed equipment and other niceties inspired by Human
Resource Management. Still, however, negative stereotypes of the machine Convention
linger.
Ideology
========
Iteration ideology is concerned with mankind's relation to tools and how they can be
used to elavate humanity. From the workshops to laboritories, civillian homes to military
compounds, Iteration X strives to apply technology to better mankind. Precision and efficiancy
are important to this Convention, for they strive to integrate all that is best in machines
with mankind. While the most obvious effects of this ideology are the cybernetics the
Convention is famous for, the Iteration philosophy represents much more than simply grafting
machine to flesh. Technology, guided by a human hand, mastered by the human soul,
can perform true miracles. Conversely, when humanity is subjugated by technology
it steals individuality and warps the spirit. Thus Iterators must strive to
understand both technology and humanity that a careful balance between the
two can be attained.
Machines have a number of advantages that biological life simply does not.
Properly maintained they operate in a deterministic matter. In a streamlined
system, nothing is wasted. Machines can be upgraded and transformed with far
greater ease than biological orginisms and with maintenance can sustain
themselves indefinately. Computer networks allow people to effectively be in
many places at once, houses and appliances provide shelter, safety and comfort
while modern weaponry allows humanity to face down even the most potent of
supernatural threats. More than any other Convention, it has been Iteration X
that has forwarded technology as "magick for the Masses."
There is a deeper purpose than simply giving mankind powerful tools, however.
The Iterators pursue static reality and fight the supernatural so zealously because
they want a deterministic, or at least mostly deterministic world. In their eyes all
of creation is one giant, intricate machine. Random elements that do not function
according to the laws of physics inhibit that machine. If reality is truly irrational
or malleable, there can never be truimph over malevolant forces and social problems
because humanity will not be able to rely on the causal relationships that make their
tools operate. Only when reality is fixed into set scientific laws can social
structures, envionmental problems and other maldies be corrected. Under a scientific
reality, all things will be as machines, and thus easily repaired, fine-tuned and
streamlined by technicians. Disease, hunger, poverty - these things can be corrected
simply by guiding humanity to a more efficiant allocation of resources. Indeed, the
Iterators despise decadance and class inequity more than any other Technocrats.
Conversely, they forward rational thinking and analytical leadership among the
Union. To trust in intuition, superstition or empathy in critical decision-making
is unethical; indeed, Iteration ideology blames human ego and muddled thinking for
the vast majority of human suffering - if only leaders thought with clear heads and
not with pride and passion, what great sufferings could have been avoided! Iteration
X seeks to promote rational thinking above impulsive action in all walks of life,
from media campaigns against unprotected sex in Africa and Thailand to political
thought emphasizing the importance of applied social science.
While the other four Conventions seem content to merely protect and empower humanity,
Iteration X can be said to have goals that are truly transhumanist: they want to offer
humanity the oppurtunity to be something more than merely human. This, after all, is the
apex of their ideology - the complete union of man and machine into one transcendant
whole. The most exciting - and controversial - element of this transhumanism is the
Iteration's study of the human consciousness. Striving to understand and quantify
consciounesss, creativity and passion, the Iteration then hopes that these qualities
can be expanded upon, heightened and set free of all limitations by fusion with digital
technology. Simply imagine, these Iterators say, what it would be like if we could
enhance a person's creativity or wisdom the same way we upgrade a computer's memory!
With their detication to transcending limits, their desire for self discipline and
their growing understanding of the nature of human consciousness, some Technocrats have
labelled the Iterators as the Union's only spiritualists. While theirs is certainly an
athiestic faith, drawing conviction only from the fundamentally mechanistic nature of
the universe and what wonders that nature may spawn, it is a very real faith none the
less, a powerful drive that beats in the heart of all true Iterators, urging them to
explore the bounds and push outward the limits of the Machine Inside.
Orginization
============
Of all the Conventions, Iteration X is has the most precise and effective orginization -
if not the most fluid. Iteration X is coordinated (ruled is too strong a word; guided
too weak) by a powerful, transcendant and inhuman AI that dwells in the machine-Realm
of Autocthonia; this serene, illuminated entity works with the Old Masters to dictate
policy and define the future of the Clockwork Convention. Below these wise but distant
leaders are the Comptrollers, Iteration X's executive staff; each Comptroller is responsible
for one Construct. Armatures work below the Comptrollers and are themselves served by Ciphers.
The lowest rank of the Convention is also the largest, and consists of the Kamrads. Though
these titles serve to symbolize the transcendent union between man and machine and the flawless
perfection the Convention strives for, many Iterators prefer other, less conspicious titles -
particularily among the Kamrads, who are often not entirely aware of the Union's true nature
and goals.
The *BioMechanics* Methodology is responsible for the stereotypical reputation of the entire
Convention; they strive to meld flesh and machine on an physical level, exploring the Advanced
Sciences of cybernetics, bionics and direct neural interface. Working closely with Progenitors
the BioMech researchers integrate flesh and machine to produce something beyond the limitations
of both. The members of this Methodology are among the most idealistic and exploratory of the
Iterators, constantly searching for new insights gained from the fusion of flesh and steel,
consciousness and computation. Their Methodology Sphere is Life.
The largest Iteration Methodology, the *Avangions*, composes the Convention's shock troops and
front-line warriors, striving to protect the Masses from the horrors of supernatural monsters and
twisted Superstitionists. The Avangions work very closely with the BioMechs (and many possess
membership in both Methodologies) and are often heavily cybernetically altered. The Methodology
recruits largely from crippled war veterans and those maimed or wounded by reality deviants,
offering them a new, better body through technology and the freedom to fight back against the
reality deviants. Kamrads are most often chosen for their combat experience and willingness to
kill for a living, giving this Methodology a hard, mercenary edge. The violent, militaristic
culture of this Methodology's lower ranks often conflicts with the common-sense, minimalist
approach of the Convention's more scientific minds - but to date the Avangions have a good
record for efficiency and positive effect, even if they stray into overkill from time to
time. Their Methodology Sphere is Matter.
The most often overlooked Methodology, the *Statsticians* are rigorously trained experts in the
fields of coordination and resource allocation. Statisticians play the numbers that define
reality - planning a tactical strike for maximum effect with minimum bloodshed or using trend
analysis to predict future financial events. The Statsticians are coveted advisors by Syndicate
Grand Financiers and the World Advisory Council. They analyze, model and predict different
possoble approches the Union could take to maximize the benefit to all while minimizing losses
and harm. In distant, sterile Horizon Constructs, they work with growing desperation to find a
numerical model capable of modelling political science or military endeavour accurately, for
they know they cannot repair what they do not understand. The recent Iteration trend to fuzzy
logic and synthetic modelling was hearlded by these Technocrats; the turn away from belief in
a completely deterministic universe has frusterated many Iterators and enlightened others. If
god does indeed play dice (metaphorically speaking, of course), this Methodology at least wants
the best possible chance to roll better than He does. The Statsticians specialize in Entropy.
The *Digital Architects* focus on computers and computer technology, working to combat the
destructive, anarchistic influences of the Virtual Adepts. They are composed programmers,
analysts and tinkerers deticated to pushing the frontier of computing power. Though their
technology doesn't equal Trinary tech in terms of sheer power, it's far more exportable to
the masses, streamlined and reliable. But the Architects have a goal beyond this, for just
as the BioMechanics seek to meld machine into flesh the Architects strive to develop human
elements such as creativity, intuition and consciousness within a computer. Their research
into AI spawned the Computer that now rules the Convention, and they now form a near-priesthood
in it's service. The Architects are distrusted by other Iterators, partly due to their ages and
extreme nonconformity: the Architects recruit many young, self-taught computer nerds that lack
the Adepts' destructive and anarchistic side, preferring programming to hacking. This, and their
closeness to the being revered as perfection by so many Iterators, makes many more disciplined,
militaristic Technocrats mistrust them. They develop an affinity for Mind.
The *Time-Motion Managers* are responsible for manufacturing and development of new mechanical
technology for the Union; they also coordinate attacks and provide military and tactical aid to
the Avangions. The most authoritarian of the Methodologies, the TMMs have their fingers in
industry all across the First World - from mining to automotive manufacturing to military
development. It is these Technocrats who run the factories where clone chambers and void engines
are built, who design the architecture of new Constructs and work to coordinate and streamline
Union military, industrial and academic endeavours. The Managers have given the world factories,
recycling, airports, supertankers and hydroelectric dams, and push even today to bring industry
and plenty to the impovrished and backward. Their specialty is Time.
Recruitment and Training
========================
Iteration X looks for level-headed, practical people for recruits.
The Convention first and foremost wants to ensure that their agents
are competant, calm under fire, logical thinkers, good problem solvers
and possessed of an above average strain of common sense. Ability to work
well in a group is also essential - there's no room in a Convention
modelled after a machine for brooding loners or antisocial geniuses.
Because of these factors the Iteration tends to use technical institutes
as their primary recruiting ground. Unlike most modern corporations,
the Clockwork Convention does not so much look for the highest grades
as it does for the hardest workers and most practical thinkers. To
ascertain these capabilities the Iteration pays career guidance
counselors at such intitutes quite handsomely for good pointers.
Critics - most of them Digital Architects - feel that currect recruitment
practices emphasize discipline and procedural skills over innovation and
creativity, claiming that this has held the Convention back where more
wildly individual groups like the Void Engineers or Progenitors have
excelled. Despite criticism, however, the Clockwork Convention's
recruiting practices help it live up to it's name, operating like a
well-oiled engine.
As would be expected, the Iteration's minimalist outlook brings them
to make good use of resources the rest of the Union would otherwise
ignore. They are eager to recruit and convert Orphans of strong will
to swell their Enlightened ranks - even, indeed primarily, ones of
lower class backgrounds of little academic skill. Not only do the
Comptrollers feel this helps keep the Convention's culture in touch
with the Masses at all levels, but it makes excellent use of human
resources that other Traditions and Conventions are too arrogant to
utilize well. The Iteration often offers young would-be Ciphers the
resources to resolve their personal goals and vendettas in the hopes
of winning their loyalty to the Convention. A friendly demeanor, high
pay, help with a few personal problems and a little training is a very
small price indeed for another pair of loyal Enlightened hands.
All Kamrads undergo a two-year course in the process of becoming
Ciphers emphasizing mental discipline, clear thinking, techniques for
coping with pressure, field tactics, precision lab work and other
important skills to ensure that every Cipher-level member of the
Clockwork Convention is able to operate smoothly and effectively in
a crisis or other high-pressure situation. Academic coursework involves
computer programming, military tactics, "consciousness studies",
metaphysics, physical sciences, and industrial economics. This training
program is a miracle of Advanced Technology, conveying a degree of discipline,
precision and competance unseen elsewhere in the Union. Sadly, only fourty
percent of all Kamrads successfully complete this training, while promising
personnel lacking in a certain area are held back from advancement. Many
frusterated Kamrads thus transfer to the Syndicate or Void Engeneers in
search of an envionment where those that lack hard discipline are more
welcome. While Iteration X deplores this waste of resources, the lightning
efficiancy with which their Convention operates is deemed worth the loss.
After all, the lost recruits are still serving the Union, so nothing is
truly wasted, while the Clockwork Convention preserves it's much-vaunted
efficiancy: a typically practical Iteration approach.
Agenda
======
There is nothing that offends an Iterator's sensibilities so much as
foolish or wasteful allocation of resources. Thousands of tons of food
spoil daily in First World countries while the Third World starves. The
rich live in luxury while the poor lack the fundamentals of life. Working
closely with the Syndicate Statisticians and Time Motion Managers strive
tirelessly to equalize this vast disparity - manipulating industry to create
jobs, transferring food to the needy and whittling away the wealth of the
rich. On a more basic level the Iterators hope to forward the use of
rational advisors and scientific thought in governments both real and
hypothetical. Mismanagement on a global scale can be attributed to the
ego and human failings of presidents, chairmen and prime ministers - the
Iteration hopes to correct this by promoting rational thought in governance
as a new political trend.
The Iterators have never been content with mere humanity; they want to offer
the Masses something better. To this end they strive to advance technology to
the point where people and machines merge; though cybernetics is still years
in the future the Iterators' research brings it closer daily. In the end the
Iterators hope to offer the Masses all the advantages of machinery - precision,
longevity, information access, might - within the human body. The end goal is
not merely physical prowess through a chain gun but offering the Masses the
ability to raise their consciousness above human levels through union with
computers and technology. To this end the Iteration studies both the nature
and ascendance of human consciousness and advances in alternative computer
technology such as biological or optical computing.
Marvels of technology are good and fine, but two thirds of the world is
currently deprived of access to them. One of Iteration X's primary goals it
to speed industrialization in Africa, South America, Eastern Europe, Russia
and other areas of the Third World. Given the suffering rapid industrialization
has (under Iteration guidance) brought in China's "great leap forward" and Russia
under Stalin, modern Iterators are far more cautious in attempting this goal, but
it remains unchanged nonetheless. Many, many Statisticians are engaged in frentic
research looking for ways to bring about industrialization without leaving a trail
of human wreckage in it's path; in the meantime more cautious programs operate
worldwide to try and bring technological advances to the needy.
A major, recent thrust by the Clockwork Convention has been the massive effort
to bring the Internet to every man, woman and child on the face of the Earth. This
offers the Convention many advantages: over the Internet scientific information is
freely available to the Masses and everyone stands on an equal level: there is no
ethnicity, age or gender lines. Furthermore, pushing Internet access in India,
Africa and other less developed lands is seen as a "softer" way of fighting
superstition and ignorance - once this nexus of world thought is available for free
perusal, a tribal lifestyle or the path of a submissive Islamic woman will no longer
seem so attractive - or so the Iterators hope.
The Iterators also pursue more metaphysical agendas. On the Xth iteration of an
advanced (and continually developing) sentiance algorithm, the Digital Architects
claim, the Computer achieved sentiance. On what iteration, they wonder, will it achieve
true divinity? This question, disturbing to the more humanistic Conventions and outright
chilling to the Traditions, suggests that the Ascension War may not end through control
over the Masses but through the achievement of perfection in one lone soul. On a daily
basis the Computer displays more humanlike qualities - intuition, compassion, dreams - as
well as alien qualities beyond any human's understanding. Where, the Architects wonder,
will this majestic journey finally lead?
Corruption
==========
Though the New World Order idolizes authority as a philosophical
concept, Iteration X is by far the more authoritarian Convention.
In earlier years the Computer took the policy of trying to stamp
out, ignore or hammer into obedience anything that did not fit
neatly into the current scientific model. This ranged from absolute
denial of any difference between un-Enlightened personnel and their
Enlightened brethren (and correspondingly harsh punishments when
Kamrads failed to perform Procedures correctly after training) to
a stricture against pursuing Dimensional Science (from 1967 to 1989).
Though the Computer has since seen the efficiency of relying on
synthetic models, fuzzy logic and softer sciences, many hard-line
Iterators still approach problem solving from a strictly deterministic
mathematical model and attempt to hammer the real world into operating
according to said model.
The most horrific effects of this can be seen in the many countries
suffering from Rapid Industrialization Syndrome. Stalinist Russia,
China under Mao Zedong's Great Leap Forward and African Urbanization
were all supported by the Time Motion Managers and guided by the
Statsticians. Only now are the horrible effects of these regimes setting
in on the Iteration, and even now some extremeist Iterators maintain
that no price is too great to pay for worldwide industrialization.
Modern Iterators look back on a chilling legacy that left millions
dead and is still killing many more as Third World countries worldwide
seek industrialization with or without the Iteration X's guidance.
In contrast to newer, liberal (and more publicized) Constructs, many
Iteration Constructs form an Old Guard managed by rigid and authoritarian
Comptrollers. These are built along the lines of a Victorian factory -
workers and agents operate under long hours with harsh punishments for
any deviance. Orders must be obeyed unquestioningly; style of dress is
usually set by the Comptroller and individual expression is strongly
discouraged. Though originally justified though mathamatical models where
is was felt the best allocation of human resources required humans to behave
in a mathamatically predictable manner, that line of reasoning has been
discarded long ago as antiquated and completely out of sync with human nature.
These Constructs remain only because the old guard of Comptrollers fears
change so greatly that they make modernization almost impossible, and the
Ascension War demands the resources and Quintessance they produce.
Other tales speak of grim, lightless Iteration factories staffed with
slave labour under the guidance of the Time Motion Managers used to
manufacture HIT Marks, superior ammunition and other Technocracy technologies.
If these Victorian nightmares actually exist and were to be discovered by
the mainstream Technocracy or even the common Iterator they would raise a
scandal of immemse proportions. Still, the Technocracy is fighting a war
and in times of war when resources flow in steadily those in power rarely
examine the dark corners too closely...
In seeing numbers above human nature the Clockwork Convention has made
another grave error that has become imprinted on their "Convention culture."
In the early 80's the Iteration began recruiting Avangion Kamrads from skinhead
groups, hate gangs and other fascist youth orders - the rationale being that
they could both lower street crime by giving these violent youth a constructive
direction to channel their hate and tap into a valuble source of shock troops at
the same time. At first the program seemed successful - the young warriors
converted quickly and easily to the Iteration party line and fought the
Superstitionists most fiercely.
But it became clear that the scientists and technicians did not want these
people among their ranks. The ironically-dubbed Cyberfascists began attacking
innocent Sleeper priests, neo-pagans, SCA members and any other strong non-
conformists - even including brilliant but eccentric scientists the Iterators
recruited! Their hatred and intense conformity began to sicken many of the
Convention's more liberal and humanistic members, but the damage had been done
and the Cyberfascists remain a part of Kamrad-level Iteration culture to this
day; they operate openly in old guard Constructs and orginize as secret
fraternities in more liberal areas. While Cyberfascists proper are a rarity -
a secret cult-like subculture not unlike gay-bashing societies in the American
military - their culture of violent conformity has risen to taint the mainstream
ranks of modern Kamrads.
Science and Technology
======================
The Iterators are perhaps the most technologically advanced of all the Conventions,
and it is their technology that rises to mind when people speak of the the Union's
science. While there are some Iterators that could be described at wildly creative
and eccentric (primarily in the realm of Autocthonia) there are far more who are
merely practical and in touch with the resource needs of field operatives. Rather
than pushing the envelope of quantum mechanics or exploring the field of biological
computing they examine the technology they have currently and seek the most efficiant,
intelligent and practical ways it can be applied. The Iterators are masters of
microminituarization, mathamatical simulation and streamlined design. While an
Iteration built computer may not push the most esoteric limits of computing science,
the technology it is based upon will be far more reliable, tested and effectively
designed than a similar work from a Virtual Adept. The Iteration prefers to develop
a principle and then refine, test and hone it to a razor-sharp edge rather than jumping
from principle to princle and following all the newest technotrends. While the technology
they possess is not as radical or awe-inspiring as the Void Engineers or Progenitors',
it is far more durable, relevant and practical.
Cybernetics is the specialty of the BioMechs, who have developed extensive modifications
to the human body in conjunction with the FACADE Engineers. As of now Iteration cybertech
is based on well understood and tested principles; each new generation of cyberware merely
becomes smaller, faster, more reliable and less invasive. The most cutting edge research
of the Convention currently involves the exploration of nanotechnology, metamorphic adaptive
cyberwear, computer aided metabolic manipulation (CAMM) and consciousness interface studies.
The last field is by far the most talked about. The breakthrough allowing direct neural
interface - a cybernetic connection between digital technology and the human mind - occured
in 1976 and resulted in the groundbreaking, tragic first-generation DEI. This Device was
implanted in the brain to allow an Iterator to directly interface with computers, granting
tremendous practical advantages; it was only later discovered that it also stripped away a
major chunk of humanity: the ability to dream and feel, the most critical component of human
thought in the Iterator worldview. Advances have created a new DEI lacking this cruical flaw,
but the stigma attached to the technology is still felt by the other Conventions today,
granting Iteration X the stereotype of being soulless drones.
Today the holy grail of cybertech research in the Convention is conciousness seperation
studies: the ability to divorce the human mind completely from the flesh and blood brain
and allow it to move freely though a computer network. Once this can be accomplished there
will be no limit to how far the power of human consciousness can be driven; intelligence
and perception will be as easily enhanced beyond human limits as a computer's memory or
microprocessor is upgraded.
Specialty Sphere: Forces
Common Apparatus: Computers, cybernetics, drafting, statictical analysis, military
firepower, mathamatical models, vehicles, atomic clocks, scientific meters, neural
networks and expert systems, special training
Front Operations: Aerodynamics labs, steel foundries, military bases, mining
operations, union offices, statistical research centers, futuristic computerized
office buildings, airports, factories.
Iterator Concepts
=================
The Iteration may function like a machine, but any mechanic will
tell you that the parts of a machine are far from identical. The
following concepts are best suited to beginning charecters, but
most can be easily adapted to Iterators of any rank or power.
Architect - Building things always fascinated this Cipher. He
loved the wonder of creation, the intricate balance of aesthetic
concerns and structural stability. In the Iteration he works to
streamline new technologies as well as to design Constructs. The
worlds beyond the Horizon fascinate him - the challenge of designing
stable homes for such hostile envionments is part of his personal
Ascension.
Like many Iterators, he is a staunch minimalist, working to achieve
the maximum effect - and, in architecture, the greatest beauty -
with minimum effort and the least possible resources expended.
While his companions go off in search of the newest sciences and
the fanciest gadgets, he seeks a return to technological simplicity.
Why attack deviants when they can be bribed? Why build a complex humanoid
robot when a simple swivel-arm will suffice? This Technocrat sees his
destiny in unwinding the cables of bureacratic congestion and inefficiancy
that he feels have begun to strangle the Technocratic Union.
Survivor - Those that think the streets of New York are bad have never
been to Calcutta. One of millions of young women who lived in poverty
while the elite Brahmins feasted, this Technocrat survived her childhood
through sheer will alone. Now there's a conspiracy telling her she's some
kind of psychic super-scientist while she can't even read? She'll just keep
telling them what they want to hear it it gets her a place to stay and warm
food for the night.
Six years later, she's a trained Iterator, of split loyalties. On one hand,
her first concern will always be herself. Let those who have never felt the
bite of hunger rant about altruism - it is her selfish ruthlessness that
ensured she wasn't stacked in a shallow trough with all the other child-
corpses. On the other, she's seen the Euthanatos and the Celestial Chorus,
elite priesthoods who wield the power of life and death over lesser people,
and if there is any cause she could believe it, her Convention's goal of
equalized resource distribution would be it. Still, it's not like she's an
idealist or anything - not really. Survive first, and worry about fighting
the RDs later. Maybe.
Sociopath - The world is chaos; this charecter knows that all too well.
Ever since her parents were killed by lycanthopes the seething chaos of the
world has gnawed at her. Crime, passion, monsters, chaos - all are random
elements that need to be brought under the Technocracy's absolute control
if mankind is to live well. To this end she sides with the hardline
conservatives of the Clockwork Convention, hiding her neuroses beneath a
veneer of discplinarian authority. After all, when order fails chaos ensues,
and that can never be allowed to happen. A safe reality is worth any price.
Though she tries to present a rational and enlightened facade, inside this
Technocrat lies a seething mass of fear, hate... and love. She despises the
supernatural in every form it takes, and she fears the unknown as few beings
can even understand. But she also loves mankind, and particularily the innocents
such as children. Indeed, she loves them with a tenderness of a mother... and
protects them with the visciousness of a mother protecting her own children.
Priest of Artifice - The trappings of ceremony and ritual always fascinated
this Iterator, leading him to bible school, seminary and eventually ordination
as a priest of the Roman Catholic church. A born lover of logical debate, he
adored the intricate logic of theology for years before the flaws and
contradictions of Christian thought began to gnaw at him. He left the church
and flirted with Gnosticism to explain God' imperfections before the revelation
came to him that a perfect diety must be shaped by man's hand, and must exist
within, not above, the laws of reality.
His Awakening led him to one of the few Iteration Constructs designed personally
by the Computer Itself. He spotted the transcendant beauty of perfection, the
harmony of numbers in synergy, in the building's architecture instantly and
knew this was the work of a divine hand. While his fellow Technocrats regarded
him as a freak he threw himself as passionately into cognitive studies and
computer science as he once had into theology. He serves the Technocracy
loyally as a programmer and a consultant on theological matters when the Union
contests the Celestial Chorus. Never fully at home in the field, he strives to
embody perfection is his work that one day he may achieve the long-awaited
promotion to Autocthonia.
Vehicle Junkie - Faster, sleeker, better - that's the way to go. He was
fascinated with cars and planes from when he was a kid; he dreamed of being
a race car driver. His friends joked that he suffered from an extreme overdose
of testosterone, and indeed he seems to epitomize many masculine stereotypes.
His one true love, however, is vehicles: he's a master mechanic, skilled pilot,
crack driver and veteran helmsman, and he's not afraid to tell you so, though
he'd much rather show you.
He spends more time with his vehicles than he does with his amalgam, and has
given each and every one of them a pet name. If his analytical thinking is a
little weak (read: next to no consideration of the consequences of his actions),
surely he makes up for in with sheer cojones. His superiors constantly decry his
impulsive, macho ways and his annoying tendancy to unnecesarily Blow Shit Up, but
he doesn't care. After all, M always forgives James Bond - right?
Union Leader - A tradesman born from a family of tradesmen, this Technocrat is a
simple, honest soul. He might not be a whiz-bang scientist like many of his fellow
Iterators, but he has his finger on the pulse of industry from the lowest levels.
He knows not only how to get a factory running, but how to run it well, and he has
a skill in negotiation that made him popular at union meetings even before his
Enlightenment.
Swinging influence here and there, the Leader gets Union safehouses set up, has
buildings positioned over Traditional nodes marked for demolition and works to
refurbish his old neighbourhood among dozens of others. He is the voice of the
Masses - at least as far as he's concerned - and the Iteration is the guild of
workers that keeps shadier groups like the NWO honest. His personality might be
a little rough, his combat skill limited to brawling and his sense of humor dirty
enough to offend just about anyone, but he has a nearly spiritual detication to
doing a job once and doing it right. This detication, and his seemingly endless
network of friends in low places, have proven invaluble to the Technocracy many
times in the past.
Human Resources Specialist - He always had the prettiest dates and the most
popular friends; he led the student council while his high grades had little
to do with skill and everything to do with personality. It wasn't that he was
deceptive or callous - people just liked him. He was a party animal, reckless
and wild, however, until the night his girlfriend was almost killed in a car
crash - and he had to bend reality to save her life.
The Iteration noticed his potential and he quickly became fascinated with his
Enlightened abilities. He threw himself into learning at a Construct things that
bored him in college. But his primary ability remained his force of personality,
and far more valuble his nearly supernatural ability to make people work together
harmoniously. Entire classes raised their average due to his presence; Iteration
amalgams complete their work in a fraction of the normal time when he offers a
guiding hand. One of his current girlfriends jokes that people would follow him
into the gates of hell. Despite this, he knows that not only can he worm his way
out of nearly any responsibility and glide by on personality alone, he does so a
lot. Inside, he wonders if he's just a slacker with good looks or is he actually
has a meaningful contribution to make to the Union. He truly wants to serve the
Technocratic cause well, but he can worry about that tommorow - today there are
vampires to fry, young ladies to woo and parties that just cry out for his
presence.
Stereotypes
===========
New World Order: Though their attempts to hide the truth from the Masses and
their tolerance of reality devaints are distasteful, our Statsticians say
they are necessary to avoid extreme suffering and waste, so we tolerate them.
Progenetors: Their support has given us tremendous aid in cybernetic development,
but eventually the Masses, or some part thereof, will want something beyond what
flesh alone can offer, and the Progenetors alone cannot provide that.
Syndicate: Are their economic systems truly the most efficiant and eglatarian, or
simply the most easily manipulable? Their imprecise approach to economics may
already have brought great suffering to the Masses.
Void Engeneers: Truly admirable Technocrats; they protect the Masses from monsters
far greater then those we fight, and they understand the need for military power
better than any other Convention.
Traditions: They seek to spread ignorance and superstition, to withhold the truth
from the Masses through mysticism and conformity. For this crime they will die.
Nephandi: As surely as we are builders, they are destroyers. Their nihilism has it's
roots in superstition and base, selfish desires. How very human, and very sad.
Marauders: A weak mind bends under pressure. Unable to cope with reality, the
undisciplined will slides into madness. Still, it is hard to sympathize with
them. How could anyone be so narcisisstic?
Reality Deviants: Stains on the ether; things that were never meant to be and
cannot exist within the framework of the laws of physics. They must be
neutralized - consensually if possible; terminally if necessary.
The Consensus: We offer them the ability to be something higher than they are,
something more than human. If ignorance or fear drives them to turn away,
that's their loss.
==================================================================================
Thats all, folks. :)
-- Julian Mensch
Brandon Quina
(:
First, I really thought it was a shame that you ignored one of my
favorite parts of GttT; the Apocalypse Forecast. While I realize that
you are building a heroic union, do you intend to throw out the entire
'end of the world' thing too?
Second, the Ideology was very good; some of the best stuff I've seen
for the Iteration so far. I think you really made their goals and views
on the way things should work less 'oh my god, what monsters!' and more
the kind of thing that people could actually support. Much closer to
how I've pictured the convention, anyway...
Third, the various Methodologies. Very good work here, and I
especially like the Digital Architects -- I'm not too sure about the
fact that they have less powerful computers than the adepts, but it's
still a lot of good stuff over all. The separation of the 'warriors'
from the rest of the methodologies was also very good; I loved the
Avangions. (: Just good stuff all over.
Fourth, the stuff on recruitment seems okay -- except that a lot of it
seems very /wasteful/, and I've never really considered the Clockwork
Convention to be one for waste. (: Especially when it comes to really
/promising/ people who are passed over, when their problems could be
shouldered for the possible benefits (if those problems aren't to large)
or corrected with the help of NWO Processing (if they were too likely to
cause problems). Waste not want not, after all.
The stuff about their Agenda and the Corruption was very interesting as
well, especially the cyberfascists. Just, good stuff all around. I'm
very impressed!
Lastly, a nitpick.
> Reality Deviants: Stains on the ether
This is Iteration X, not the Sons of Ether. ;)
--
Brandon L. Quina (39755700 ; bran...@bellsouth.net)
( Dalton by Night PBEM; http://www.geocities.com/quinabl/ )
#WoD-Chat on DALnet; (splitrock.tx.us.dal.net; hebron.in.us.dal.net)
"World of Darkness Discussion and Friendly Chat with Fans"
Mirober
wrote:
> Credit where it's due: some of this is based on comments
>Mirobar has made on occasion about ItX, and his contribution
>will be noted in the final version. Mirobar, I don't think
>this is on the level of plagurism, but if you feel ill
>about it, let me know and we'll work something out.
No problem at all. As for the material itself:
I really liked the Iterator Concepts portion. Lots of good ideas,
there. The new Methodologies you came up with are also damned cool, as
are the CyberFascists (good antagonist).
Couple comments, though.
First, I think the antagonism towards the Trads is overstated.
They've lost. The Statiticians likely predicted that a return to the
Mythic Ages would no longer be possible decades ago. The Traditions as
a whole, then, are no longer of much concern to ItX. Instead, it
should now be concerning itself primarily with those RD's and
superstitionists who actively harm the Masses. The Statiticians
projections may agree with the NWO's position that revealing the
existence of the supernatural would result in more harm than good, but
that doesn't mean they should allow the monsters to get away with
murder. Many Avangions are likely to be found living with the homeless
or operating as private investigators, giving them a position to find
those RD's who prey on those portions of humanity that can't offer
resistance, and dealing with them.
Second, the Apocalypse Forecast. This should be a major deal with the
Staticticians and T-M Managers. They know humanity is heading for
another Dark Ages, with a high chance of complete destruction this
time around. These Iterators should now be searching for methods of
reducing how long this period of time will last, and ways to keep the
world from being destroyed. To throw a monkey wrench and provide
conflict, you could rule that many projections indicate an alliance
with the Traditions might be necessary. Asimov's Foundation is good
inspiration for this kind of thing, you might want to check it out.
Last, for the Digital Architects and BioMechanics, I'd make their
focus of belief center more on the Machine, not the Computer. Through
thought-implants, you strip away the various barriers that seperate
individuals from one another. Through cybernetics, you get to the core
of what makes a person human, without the meat getting in the way. The
Computer, on the other hand, is merely a different perspective. It is
the opposite of Iterators (a machine) striving for the same goal as
they are (union of Man and Machine). It (and other AI's and machine
Constructs IMC) is there to help the rest of the Convention understand
better how to achieve their own Ascension, by helping It with It's
own.
Anyway, nice job. :-)
--
Matt Roberts
/v\ The Corax Digital Nest /v\
http://www.lascruces.com/~mirober/main.html
"Hey, when your world is ruled by an evil demon who wants to
call it's undead minions 'Deadels', you call 'em 'Deadels'!"
- Berk, Sluggy Freelance
Julian Mensch
> First, I really thought it was a shame that you ignored one of my
> favorite parts of GttT; the Apocalypse Forecast. While I realize that
> you are building a heroic union, do you intend to throw out the entire
> 'end of the world' thing too?
No, I don't. I intentionally didn't read the original page
for ItX in GttT before writing this because I didn't want to
plagerize directly. Hence I missed that the Forecast was on
the ItX page. I certainly want to use it and it will show up
*somewhere* in what I write, but it seems a little... strange
to but on the ItX Conventionpage. When I write about social
engineering methods, it'll probably show up there.
> Second, the Ideology was very good; some of the best stuff I've seen
> for the Iteration so far. I think you really made their goals and views
> on the way things should work less 'oh my god, what monsters!' and more
> the kind of thing that people could actually support. Much closer to
> how I've pictured the convention, anyway...
Thanks. But I thought you liked 'oh my god, what monsters...' ;-)
> Third, the various Methodologies. Very good work here, and I
> especially like the Digital Architects -- I'm not too sure about the
> fact that they have less powerful computers than the adepts, but it's
> still a lot of good stuff over all. The separation of the 'warriors'
> from the rest of the methodologies was also very good; I loved the
> Avangions. (: Just good stuff all over.
It just makes sense to me that the guys allowed to bend the
laws of reality get the faster microchips... :) Anyway, hyper-
whizbang tech is not so much the Iterator's speciality as solid,
reliable tech tested and streamlined, then applied intelligently.
> Fourth, the stuff on recruitment seems okay -- except that a lot of it
> seems very /wasteful/, and I've never really considered the Clockwork
> Convention to be one for waste. (: Especially when it comes to really
> /promising/ people who are passed over, when their problems could be
> shouldered for the possible benefits (if those problems aren't to large)
> or corrected with the help of NWO Processing (if they were too likely to
> cause problems). Waste not want not, after all.
Is it really waste if they go elsewhere in the Union? My
Conventions are not at each other's throats to the extent
the Conbooks implied. The canon ItX really seems to have a
fetish for hammering square pegs into round holes, as seen
by their recruitments methods (CB:ItX 14-18). ItX works
like a machine, but there are some humans that are just not
cut out to work that way. I know - I'm one of them. To me
it seems /impossible/ to get people like that working well
within ItX's structure without destroying their potential
assets (creativity, vision, etc.) Further, their unorthodox
methods might impede the efficiancy of the Iteration. To me
the least wasteful thing seems to be to shuttle them over
to a wing of the Union that they can work effectively in.
Their resources still get used and there's no conflict to
disrupt efficiancy, so...
> This is Iteration X, not the Sons of Ether. ;)
I'll change it.
-- Julian Mensch
Julian Mensch
> No problem at all.
Great!
> First, I think the antagonism towards the Trads is overstated.
> They've lost.
I'm not too keen on MRev. Horizon and Doissetep still stand
IMC and in my writing. I will stick in a sidebar about how
things would be different for people using MRev. I also think
a comment to the effect that antagonism in ItX is supposed to
be /strong/ but not /blind/ - i.e. they don't hunt Tradmages
that aren't fighting the War - would be helpful here.
> The Statiticians likely predicted that a return to the
> Mythic Ages would no longer be possible decades ago.
In M2, it /is/ possible. A slim shot and kind of a wrong-
headed move on their part, but definately possible. Besides,
Gehenna / Apocalypse / Sixth Age will likely herard a sort
of mythic age, albeit a dark one. Yama Kings and Antediluvians
walking around, seas of blood, prophicies being fulfillled -
seems pretty mythic to me.
> The Traditions as
> a whole, then, are no longer of much concern to ItX. Instead...
Agreed in MRev. Mind you, the Iteration should change more
than any other splat in MRev - machines don't work too well
when you cut off their control centers. Uh, It'll be a *long*
sidebar, kay?
> should now be concerning itself primarily with those RD's and
> superstitionists who actively harm the Masses. The Statiticians
> projections may agree with the NWO's position that revealing the
> existence of the supernatural would result in more harm than good, but
> that doesn't mean they should allow the monsters to get away with
> murder. Many Avangions are likely to be found living with the homeless
> or operating as private investigators, giving them a position to find
> those RD's who prey on those portions of humanity that can't offer
> resistance, and dealing with them.
This I like. There is already a lower-class edge to some of
my Iteration, so it makes sense. I'll have to include this.
> Second, the Apocalypse Forecast. This should be a major deal with the
> Staticticians and T-M Managers. They know humanity is heading for
> another Dark Ages, with a high chance of complete destruction this
> time around. These Iterators should now be searching for methods of
> reducing how long this period of time will last, and ways to keep the
> world from being destroyed. To throw a monkey wrench and provide
> conflict, you could rule that many projections indicate an alliance
> with the Traditions might be necessary. Asimov's Foundation is good
> inspiration for this kind of thing, you might want to check it out.
Definately. See my response to Mr Quina on this.
> Last, for the Digital Architects and BioMechanics, I'd make their
> focus of belief center more on the Machine, not the Computer. Through
> thought-implants, you strip away the various barriers that seperate
> individuals from one another. Through cybernetics, you get to the core
> of what makes a person human, without the meat getting in the way. The
> Computer, on the other hand, is merely a different perspective. It is
> the opposite of Iterators (a machine) striving for the same goal as
> they are (union of Man and Machine). It (and other AI's and machine
> Constructs IMC) is there to help the rest of the Convention understand
> better how to achieve their own Ascension, by helping It with It's
> own.
I think the Arcs and Bios see the Computer as the personification
of the Machine, while the goal they work towards is more a fusion.
But I will lessen the emphasis on the Computer.
> Anyway, nice job. :-)
Thanks.
-- Julian Mensch
Mirober
wrote:
>> First, I think the antagonism towards the Trads is overstated.
>> They've lost.
>
> I'm not too keen on MRev. Horizon and Doissetep still stand
>IMC and in my writing. I will stick in a sidebar about how
>things would be different for people using MRev. I also think
>a comment to the effect that antagonism in ItX is supposed to
>be /strong/ but not /blind/ - i.e. they don't hunt Tradmages
>that aren't fighting the War - would be helpful here.
I think it would. The parts about outright killing Tradmages, I
believe, should be toned down just a little.
> Agreed in MRev. Mind you, the Iteration should change more
>than any other splat in MRev - machines don't work too well
>when you cut off their control centers. Uh, It'll be a *long*
>sidebar, kay?
I understand. Remember, though, that they aren't just machines. One of
the traits Iterators should appreciate most in humanity is
adaptability. The current situation, while aggravating, could also be
seen as the perfect chance to "crash test" their methods of
organization.
>> Many Avangions are likely to be found living with the homeless
>> or operating as private investigators, giving them a position to find
>> those RD's who prey on those portions of humanity that can't offer
>> resistance, and dealing with them.
>
> This I like. There is already a lower-class edge to some of
>my Iteration, so it makes sense. I'll have to include this.
Cool. :-)
Brandon Quina
> Thanks. But I thought you liked 'oh my god, what monsters...' ;-)
Um, no. (: I like the Technocracy to not be straight-out over the top
heroes. Even your write-up of them (or at least your write-up of the
Precepts) is a bit too 'white hats' for me.
(:
On the other hand, I /really/ dislike the "Technocracy are Monsters"
idea. Especially as Iteration X is commonly displayed. I don't mind
"some members of Iteration X are like this..." but the idea that every
member of the Convetion puts a soul-robbing piece of cybernetic
machinery in his head is .. well, I don't like it!
I perfer my Iteration X to be like I view the other Conventions and the
Union as whole. They have some bad streaks, but are still forces for
good more than bad. :) Of course, I'm sure some people would see my
Technocracy and say they're evil -- my views on what is and isn't 'evil'
are kind of looser than others. I have no problem with the Technocracy
nuking Bangladesh (and killing a lot of innocent people in the process)
because of the Ravnos, for example. You have to live with the means,
yes, but it's the /end/ that matters.
> It just makes sense to me that the guys allowed to bend the laws
> of reality get the faster microchips... :) Anyway, hyper-whizbang
> tech is not so much the Iterator's speciality as solid, reliable tech
> tested and streamlined, then applied intelligently.
I pretty much still see the Virtual Adepts as Technocrats. There are a
lot of exceptions, but I don't view them as being able to completely
forget the laws of reality. They have the same amount of power the
Technocracy does over technology (plenty of stuff they do is just
blatantly impossible).
(:
I see them as competeing fairly evenly.
> Is it really waste if they go elsewhere in the Union?
I perfer competitive Conventions. ;) It's not /as much/ as a waste
as, say, if they went to the Traditions are a craft. But, in the end,
Iteration X would rather have another Iterator than another MIB.
> My Conventions are not at each other's throats to the extent
> the Conbooks implied.
I've only got two Conbooks; NWO and Syndicate. ;)
> The canon ItX really seems to have a fetish for hammering square pegs
> into round holes, as seen by their recruitments methods (CB:ItX
> 14-18). ItX works like a machine, but there are some humans that are
> just not cut out to work that way.
Yet, when you can completely rebuild someones brain -- even to the
point of replacing it with a mechanical substitute -- there's no reason
to waste a potential resource.
The time and effort required makes this something that you can't do
every time, so sometimes you just have to kick somebody out. Yet, if
you come up with a real genius who is just too wild -- you can always
/fix/ those problems with Social Engineering and Cybernetics.
> I know - I'm one of them. To me it seems /impossible/ to get people
> like that working well within ItX's structure without destroying their
> potential assets (creativity, vision, etc.)
I don't see this as an impossibility. Especially if the entire goal of
Iteration X is, as you've stated, /trying/ to integrate these two things
seemlessly. It just seems that they would never learn how to do this if
they only used people who were already predisposed to it.
Sometimes trying out something that looks impossible and doing it
correctly is the best way to learn. :)
> I'll change it.
:)
Julian Mensch
>
> Julian Mensch wrote:
> > Thanks. But I thought you liked 'oh my god, what monsters...' ;-)
[SNIP]
Oh, boy, that came out badly. I wasn't critiquing your stand
on the Union /at all/. It was a tongue in cheek, /friendly/
jibe at our opposing sides on the feeding/rape thing. It came
off badly, and I'm sorry.
BTW, the think of the Technocracy as the US Government and
my PoD as the Constitution. I don't want white-hat Technos
either...
> I pretty much still see the Virtual Adepts as Technocrats. There are a
> lot of exceptions, but I don't view them as being able to completely
> forget the laws of reality. They have the same amount of power the
> Technocracy does over technology (plenty of stuff they do is just
> blatantly impossible).
I've always been more of the mystic artisan school of VA
paradigms. At least, they have some pretty funky technology
for a hard science paradigm...
> I see them as competeing fairly evenly.
Makes sense for hardsci Vdepts.
> I perfer competitive Conventions. ;) It's not /as much/ as a waste
> as, say, if they went to the Traditions are a craft. But, in the end,
> Iteration X would rather have another Iterator than another MIB.
I guess from personal experience I couldn't find the Iterators
to be anything other than villans if they maintained the Tradbook
practice of brainwashing/coercing/brutalizing people into working
as part of the machine. Further, I don't think you can social
condition someone /enough/ to be the competant under pressure
groupwork types the Iteration wants without resculpting their
entire psyche, and not only is that unethical, it's impractical.
There are personality types that just /cannot/ work in the kind
of conditions the Iteration demends. I don't mean slave labour
factories and such ala CB:ItX, but ultimately the Iterators are
like a combination of Microsoft's crack programmers and the Navy
SEALs. An Enlightened recruit with a Nature of Rebel, Misfit,
Child or Deviant is just not going to be able to deal with the
lifestyle Iteration X demands, and Social Conditioning won't,
IMO, change that - at least not with the Sphere levels listed;
you need Mind 5 to change a person's Nature. Further, a charecter
with Wits 1 is an active drain on the Convention's efficiancy
because he cannot coordinate well; he not only doesn't meet the
Iteration cut, he'll become the weakest link in the chain, so
to speak. Far better to give him to a more individualistic, less
high pressure Convention. That, IMO, is efficiant allocation of
resources.
> I've only got two Conbooks; NWO and Syndicate. ;)
You got the best two. :) Avoid ItX and Prog. VE has
some decent Voider history and philosophy, but the
rules and tecknology are a little wacky.
> Yet, when you can completely rebuild someones brain -- even to the
> point of replacing it with a mechanical substitute -- there's no reason
> to waste a potential resource.
Again, I have trouble seeing an ItX bent on coercing
people into being what the Convention needs as being
anything other than villans. In addition, unless you
are talking about an extensive effort with a Mind Master
what you end up with is a slab of meat that has a few
dots in Spheres - and likely passionately hates the
Convention and is pretty messed up psychologically.
That stirs up dissent in the ranks, makes ItX look
like a horrible machine-oppressor and encourages the
Technocrats to defect to the Traditions. In the long
run it's much more trouble than it's worth, and decreases
the oferall effectiveness of the Technocracy significantly.
> The time and effort required makes this something that you can't do
> every time, so sometimes you just have to kick somebody out. Yet, if
> you come up with a real genius who is just too wild -- you can always
> /fix/ those problems with Social Engineering and Cybernetics.
Can you? I'm not convinced. If ItX can fix serious quirks
of psychology like inability to work well in a group or the
inability to think on one's feet, well, they're ahead of the
NWO in terms of advanced psychotherapy. In game terms, what
you're talking about is Mind 5.
It's like the Army. Sure, that can kick discipline into
many recruits, but there are some that just can't deal with
the pressure, and I don't think you can fix that with social
conditioning.
> > I know - I'm one of them. To me it seems /impossible/ to get people
> > like that working well within ItX's structure without destroying their
> > potential assets (creativity, vision, etc.)
>
> I don't see this as an impossibility. Especially if the entire goal of
> Iteration X is, as you've stated, /trying/ to integrate these two things
> seemlessly. It just seems that they would never learn how to do this if
> they only used people who were already predisposed to it.
The high-pressure envionment of ItX is very different
from what they have planned for the Masses, IMO. They
don't want to turn all of humanity into a machine-like
operation, because they realize that everyone isn't cut
out for that and further it isn't really necessary or
profitable to invest the effort and training necessary
to maintain that level of discipline and competance
among all the human race.
-- Julian Mensch
Brandon Quina
> Oh, boy, that came out badly. I wasn't critiquing your stand on the Union /at all/. It was a tongue in cheek, /friendly/ jibe at our
> opposing sides on the feeding/rape thing. It came off badly, and I'm
> sorry.
It didn't come off badly; I just misunderstood. I thought you
misunderstood what I wanted out of the Technocracy, is all.
*smiles*
I certainly wasn't offended or anything. For the record, though, I
like monsters in Vampire but not in mage simply because I see Mage as an
inherently diffrent game with a diffrent feel and such forth from
Vampire. Hehe.
> BTW, the think of the Technocracy as the US Government and my
> PoD as the Constitution. I don't want white-hat Technos either...
Oh, I've guessed that; apolgies if I stated your stand a bit
incorrectly. I was trying to make a point. None the less, I think that
on a scale of "White Hat" to "Black Hat" your Techncracy is a bit
further onto the 'white hat' scale than mine would be...
> I've always been more of the mystic artisan school of VA
> paradigms. At least, they have some pretty funky technology for a hard
> science paradigm...
I see some of them like that, but in the end I don't really see the
majority of them as much worse than the Technocracy.
I mean, the NWO have rotes that allow them to hack into any security
camera and use it -- regardless of it's accessibility. Iteration X uses
advanced cybernetics that may or may not be even vaguely realistic. The
Progenitors and the Syndicate seem to be the most 'hard science' of them
all; the Syndicate because they don't really use science (instead, they
use force of personality -- me and Bruce had an interesting discussion
about this in #WoD-Chat last week or so), and the Progenitors simply
because most of the stuff they do doesn't seem all that far fetched to
me.
I won't even start with the Void Engineers.
*smiles*
The fact remains, the Technocracy does plenty of things that are fairly
impossible -- or at best, only /theoretical/ and certainly not any more
repeatable than the stunts the Traditions pull off. The only reason I
have them believe they aren't "technomages" at all is because I perfer
the idea that devices (technological talismans) and other Technocratic
forms /are/ usuable by the common man, provided he has advanced training
in their function. Thus, the idea holds some ground.
So, the idea that the Virtual Adepts can do some stuff that seems
blantantly impossible while still holding onto a scientific viewpoint
(not hard science; the /Technocracy/ isn't hard science, IMHO, by a long
shot) is perfectly acceptable.
Of course, there are factions within the VA's (reality hackers, msotly)
that aren't as devoted to hard science.
> I guess from personal experience I couldn't find the Iterators
> to be anything other than villans if they maintained the Tradbook
> practice of brainwashing/coercing/brutalizing people into working
> as part of the machine. Further, I don't think you can social
> condition someone /enough/ to be the competant under pressure
> groupwork types the Iteration wants without resculpting their
> entire psyche, and not only is that unethical, it's impractical.
I agree. However, not everyone is going to be like that by a long
shot. In fact, I'd imagine that /most/ recruits are going to need some
kind of conditioning and cybernetics to be able to act according to what
Iteration X wants -- mankind /isn't/ a machine, even the most structured
of us.
So, yes. Some people are better off handed to the other convention,
but I hardly think this should be the routine for anyone who doesn't
perfectly fit in. ;) Alternatives are available.
> An Enlightened recruit with a Nature of Rebel, Misfit, Child or
> Deviant is just not going to be able to deal with the lifestyle
> Iteration X demands
First, the "Misfit" nature has nothing to do with acting out or being
annoying to others; or at least not to the extent that the other natures
you offer do. It has to do with being somebody who doesn't fit in -- a
construct who doesn't get along well with the normals, a cripple who
(even with the new cybernetic legs) doesn't fit in well with normals who
don't know where he's coming from, and other people. He could, very
likely, fit into Iteration X easily. Just as long as he's able to do
his job. (:
Second, I see no reason why a Child nature wouldn't fit into Iteration
X at all. He looks for other people for guidance. That's /very/
machine like, and something the Iteration X'ers would find useful. Have
you ever heard of a Slave terminal; it doesn't think on it's own, but
does what other terminals tell it to do? That's similar to how a Child
nature would fit into Iteration X. He looks for others to guidance, and
thus he is a useful (if subordinate) cog in the machine.
Third, Deviants and Rebels are outright listed in GttT as people who
don't really fit into the Union at all. Much less Iteration X. If
you're union does freely allow hordes of Deviants and Rebels into the
various conventions, freel free. ;) As it is, I don't see this as a
problem since these kind of people are passed over totally -- or, at
best, turned into mindless drones similar to the above "slave terminal".
I imagine Iteration X would look upon taking otherwise useless pieces
of flesh and turning them into something that can be benefited from, in
place of the death sentance. Simply /killing/ somebody is so wasteful,
when you can turn him into a lumbering killing machine. ;)
*
I..e, basically, we were talking at each other and not listening to
what the other was saying. You're talking about people that I don't see
fitting productively into the Union /at all/ as they currently are;
you'd have to turn them into 'zombie slaves' -- and Iteration X is
really the only convention I see doing that... I, on the other hand, am
talking about otherwise promising recruits (i.e., ones that /can/ fit
into the Union) with a few problems that need to be corrected before
their up to Iteration X standards.
> You need Mind 5 to change a person's Nature.
Most natures are going to fit into Iteration X, in my mind. Afte all,
you did say that the Iterators want to take advantage of their human
selves -- part of the advange of humanity is the diversity of
viewpoints. A number of diffrent views and goals working together
seamlessly is, IMHO, the iterator goal. The few natures that won't fit
into ItX /mostly/ won't fit *anywhere* in the Union. The few ones that
are just 'not Iteration X material' but could fit one of the other
conventions (and, to tell the truth, I can't think of a one that
wouldn't fit Iteration X yet would fit the other convetions -- except,
possibly, Rebels from the Void Engineers), I agree, should be handed off
to other conventions.
> Further, a charecter with Wits 1 is an active drain on the
> Convention's efficiancy because he cannot coordinate well; he not only
> doesn't meet the Iteration cut, he'll become the weakest link in the
> chain, so to speak. Far better to give him to a more individualistic,
> less high pressure Convention. That, IMO, is efficiant allocation of
> resources.
Cybernetics can raise your wits score, rather easily. However, even
characters that are slow in wits have other strengths. I don't see ItX
ignoring anyone. If the person is a social wizard, good at getting
things done, but isn't all that bright -- they'll use him. Even ItX
needs their diplomats and organizers.
> Again, I have trouble seeing an ItX bent on coercing people into
> being what the Convention needs as being anything other than villans.
We disagree, here. I have no problem with Iteration X, for example,
taking a serial killer off the streets and turning him into a HIT Mark.
Or even something less drastic and easily defensible. But, then, as I
said -- I don't view doing things that might be seen as nasty for a good
cause as being /villanious/.
:)
One of the things I like about the Technocracy is their willingness to
do *whatever* needs to be done to save and protect humanity. I mean,
would you say that killing 60,000 people in cold blood was a 'good'
act? Yet, you *would* admit that destroying the Ravnos antideiluvian
was good, correct? So, there you go, some rather nasty things that are
none the less achieve good.
Julian Mensch
>
> Julian Mensch wrote:
> Oh, I've guessed that; apolgies if I stated your stand a bit
> incorrectly. I was trying to make a point. None the less, I think that
> on a scale of "White Hat" to "Black Hat" your Techncracy is a bit
> further onto the 'white hat' scale than mine would be...
Probably. Still, I'm glad what I'm writing is useful
to someone, even if it needs to be 'darkened' a bit
first.
> I mean, the NWO have rotes that allow them to hack into any security
> camera and use it -- regardless of it's accessibility.
There are ways this can be done, mostly involving extremely
sensitive equipment that can pick up the EM bleedoff the camera
produces and artificially recompose it into an image. You would
have to have a pretty large parabolic dish focused /exactly/ on
the camera, and lack other sources of interferance, and there
is a few dozen other reasons this is immensely impractical, but
it's not completely ridiclous.
> Iteration X uses
> advanced cybernetics that may or may not be even vaguely realistic.
There's nothing inherantly /impossible/ about /most/ ItX
cyberware. There are a few pieces that are really, really
stupid, but overall it is not automatic-gag level.
> I won't even start with the Void Engineers.
Voidtech is quite silly, IMO. Some of what they do is
borderline acceptable; the rest is silly sci-fi cliches.
They have /phasers/, fer heavan sakes!
> The fact remains, the Technocracy does plenty of things that are fairly
> impossible -- or at best, only /theoretical/ and certainly not any more
> repeatable than the stunts the Traditions pull off. The only reason I
I try to change this where I can. I really should write
a bit about the limits of a hard science paradigm sometime.
> have them believe they aren't "technomages" at all is because I perfer
> the idea that devices (technological talismans) and other Technocratic
> forms /are/ usuable by the common man, provided he has advanced training
> in their function. Thus, the idea holds some ground.
Makes sense.
> So, the idea that the Virtual Adepts can do some stuff that seems
> blantantly impossible while still holding onto a scientific viewpoint
> (not hard science; the /Technocracy/ isn't hard science, IMHO, by a long
> shot) is perfectly acceptable.
It's not even that. IMC the VA's view of the universe is
pretty radically different from the Union's. A VA once got
a genetic sample of someone's DNA, used it as a 'pointer'
to hack into the universal data cache that holds the info
stored in /all/ DNA /everywhere/ and changed the information
representing his DNA, thereby changing the DNA in reality.
He then used an update routine to force the victim's /current/
form to match the altered DNA. In short, he changed his
victim into a mouse. That's not even wild sci-fi science,
and it doesn't purporr to be. It's technomysticism, which
is what I see the VAs as being about. Hell, even in canon
they're hacking into people's _dreams_...
There are scientific VAs IMC, but they fit with the Etherites
in believing in a /different/ science than the one that exists
in reality.
> > I guess from personal experience I couldn't find the Iterators
> > to be anything other than villans if they maintained the Tradbook
> > practice of brainwashing/coercing/brutalizing people into working
> > as part of the machine. Further, I don't think you can social
> > condition someone /enough/ to be the competant under pressure
> > groupwork types the Iteration wants without resculpting their
> > entire psyche, and not only is that unethical, it's impractical.
>
> I agree. However, not everyone is going to be like that by a long
> shot. In fact, I'd imagine that /most/ recruits are going to need some
> kind of conditioning and cybernetics to be able to act according to what
> Iteration X wants -- mankind /isn't/ a machine, even the most structured
> of us.
True.
> So, yes. Some people are better off handed to the other convention,
> but I hardly think this should be the routine for anyone who doesn't
> perfectly fit in. ;) Alternatives are available.
Oh, there is. Instead of /handing off/ recruits, a more
competitive Iteration might /trade/ them for more suitable
ones.
> > An Enlightened recruit with a Nature of Rebel, Misfit, Child or
> > Deviant is just not going to be able to deal with the lifestyle
> > Iteration X demands
>
> First, the "Misfit" nature has nothing to do with acting out or being
> annoying to others; or at least not to the extent that the other natures
> you offer do. It has to do with being somebody who doesn't fit in -- a
> construct who doesn't get along well with the normals, a cripple who
> (even with the new cybernetic legs) doesn't fit in well with normals who
> don't know where he's coming from, and other people. He could, very
> likely, fit into Iteration X easily. Just as long as he's able to do
> his job. (:
You are right. My mistake.
> Second, I see no reason why a Child nature wouldn't fit into Iteration
> X at all. He looks for other people for guidance. That's /very/
> machine like, and something the Iteration X'ers would find useful. Have
> you ever heard of a Slave terminal; it doesn't think on it's own, but
> does what other terminals tell it to do? That's similar to how a Child
> nature would fit into Iteration X. He looks for others to guidance, and
> thus he is a useful (if subordinate) cog in the machine.
He looks to others for guidance in some cases, this
is true. But he also has a lot of difficulty following
orders, holding up under pressure, appreuciating the
consequences of his actions and dealing with life's
issues free of illusions and nieviete. In fact, this
is the perfect description of the kind of person ItX
doesn't want and can't really fix without being overly
authoritarian/autocratic. OTOH, this guy might make a
decent NWO Gatekeeper or DIMH counselor.
> Third, Deviants and Rebels are outright listed in GttT as people who
> don't really fit into the Union at all. Much less Iteration X. If
> you're union does freely allow hordes of Deviants and Rebels into the
> various conventions, freel free. ;) As it is, I don't see this as a
> problem since these kind of people are passed over totally -- or, at
> best, turned into mindless drones similar to the above "slave terminal".
Depends on the kind of Deviant or the approach of the
Rebel. A Deviant can fit in well in ItX as a matter of
fact - I choose the nature poorly. True detication to
transhumanism is a fairly deviant impulse, and someone
more machine than man isn't going to be very mainstream
in his thinking.
Rebels might work in some areas. The Syndicate and the
VE both have structures open enough to support Rebels.
And of course, it it's superstition or religion that the
Rebel is against, they work well in the Union.
Scratch the list of Natures - they aren't really what I
meant by people not fitting into ItX. I mean more what I
said above describing the Child - I just didn't express
that right.
> I imagine Iteration X would look upon taking otherwise useless pieces
> of flesh and turning them into something that can be benefited from, in
> place of the death sentance. Simply /killing/ somebody is so wasteful,
> when you can turn him into a lumbering killing machine. ;)
If we are talking about a sympathetic ItX here, we assume
that they don't forcefully augment people against their will
unless there's a really good reason. They (my ItX) aren't so
obsessed with efficiancy that they discard ethics, after all.
> I..e, basically, we were talking at each other and not listening to
> what the other was saying. You're talking about people that I don't see
> fitting productively into the Union /at all/ as they currently are;
Ack. I didn't meant that really; I wish I could take back
that list of Natures because it misconveyed what I was trying
to say. What I really meant was people who are unable to cope
with intense pressure, people who are unable to think quickly,
logically and analytically or people who are not able to operate
well in an extremely structured enviornment. I know this - me
and my mom are (were, in her case) these kind of people. Short
of a complete personality wipe, I don't see either of us working
well in ItX, but I think we could theoretically work in other
Conventions such as the NWO or the Syndicate.
> seamlessly is, IMHO, the iterator goal. The few natures that won't fit
> into ItX /mostly/ won't fit *anywhere* in the Union. The few ones that
> are just 'not Iteration X material' but could fit one of the other
> conventions (and, to tell the truth, I can't think of a one that
> wouldn't fit Iteration X yet would fit the other convetions -- except,
> possibly, Rebels from the Void Engineers), I agree, should be handed off
> to other conventions.
This time actually thinking about it, the following
/sometimes/ work in other Conventions but not in ItX.
It depends on how the nature is applied. Child, Bon
Vivant, Conniver, Loner and Rogue. Basically, people
either with weak psyches or people that lack maturity
and discipline. Again, some can be fixed and some
charecters with these natures won't have a problem.
But some certainly will.
> We disagree, here. I have no problem with Iteration X, for example,
> taking a serial killer off the streets and turning him into a HIT Mark.
A serial killer makes a bad HIT Mark. Far better to
get a foward-thinking paraplegic who will serve the
Union willingly. There's lots of them, demographically,
in comparison to Iterators.
I don't see ItX forcefully cyberizing anyone against
their will. Not only is it wildly unethical, Devices
are far too valuble to waste on people who will try
to resist the Union.
> Or even something less drastic and easily defensible. But, then, as I
> said -- I don't view doing things that might be seen as nasty for a good
> cause as being /villanious/.
I don't see doing nasty things for a good cause as
/inherantly/ villanous. I think Bangladesh reflects
this idea well - I saw their actions as the best that
anyone could do in that situation, albiet not wholly
morally pure. I /do/ see unnecessarily doing truly
evil things (such as brutalizing, brainwashing and
nonconsensually augmenting innocent recruits) in order
to improve efficiancy as villanous. I can see them
lomotomizing, augmenting and conditioning a captured
Tradition Master who has killed Technocrats in the
war, but I can't see them doing same to some hapless
Orphan just to get an extra pliant Cipher.
> One of the things I like about the Technocracy is their willingness to
> do *whatever* needs to be done to save and protect humanity. I mean,
> would you say that killing 60,000 people in cold blood was a 'good'
> act? Yet, you *would* admit that destroying the Ravnos antideiluvian
> was good, correct? So, there you go, some rather nasty things that are
> none the less achieve good.
Agreed. But it's easy to fall into the trap of doing
nasty things just because they are /easier/ or /more
effective/ than harder, more ethical means. The canon
Union has fallen headlong into this trap; mine is
teetering on the brink but hasn't yet fallen. I think
having ItX condition or cybernetically augment recruits
against their will simply to avoid giving them to
another Convention would signify that they've fallen
in this regard.
-- Julian Mensch
mdf
<jme...@home.com> wrote:
> > Second, I see no reason why a Child nature wouldn't fit into Iteration
> > X at all. He looks for other people for guidance. That's /very/
> > machine like, and something the Iteration X'ers would find useful. Have
> > you ever heard of a Slave terminal; it doesn't think on it's own, but
> > does what other terminals tell it to do? That's similar to how a Child
> > nature would fit into Iteration X. He looks for others to guidance, and
> > thus he is a useful (if subordinate) cog in the machine.
>
> He looks to others for guidance in some cases, this
> is true. But he also has a lot of difficulty following
> orders, holding up under pressure, appreuciating the
> consequences of his actions and dealing with life's
> issues free of illusions and nieviete. In fact, this
> is the perfect description of the kind of person ItX
> doesn't want and can't really fix without being overly
> authoritarian/autocratic. OTOH, this guy might make a
> decent NWO Gatekeeper or DIMH counselor.
I agree with your definition of the "Child" Nature. What was
described by Brandom above was the textbook Conformist, IMO.
> > Third, Deviants and Rebels are outright listed in GttT as people who
> > don't really fit into the Union at all. Much less Iteration X. If
> > you're union does freely allow hordes of Deviants and Rebels into the
> > various conventions, freel free. ;) As it is, I don't see this as a
> > problem since these kind of people are passed over totally -- or, at
> > best, turned into mindless drones similar to the above "slave terminal".
>
> Depends on the kind of Deviant or the approach of the
> Rebel. A Deviant can fit in well in ItX as a matter of
> fact - I choose the nature poorly. True detication to
> transhumanism is a fairly deviant impulse, and someone
> more machine than man isn't going to be very mainstream
> in his thinking.
>
> Rebels might work in some areas. The Syndicate and the
> VE both have structures open enough to support Rebels.
> And of course, it it's superstition or religion that the
> Rebel is against, they work well in the Union.
The Rebel-as-written is against authority. If my Rebel character
were against religion, it would be because he felt its authority were
"oppressing" him. If another source of authority were to come to the
fore, the Rebel would...or, at least, might...switch targets. The
Technocracy is a pretty big source of "authority".
A Visionary might be "against religious authority"; that does not
make her a Rebel.
This, of course, is all keeping in mind that no well-developed
character [or typical RL person] is going to be truly described by a
Nature/Demeanor combination. While, IMO, the Technocracy would be
automatically distrustful of anyone that tested out as a "Rebel", there
might be a few in the system anyway, insofar as personalities are
complex.
mdf
--
"If I'm sowing my oats, I sure hope I get to the
bottom of the bag soon..."
-----S. Baldwin