By Jorge-Ben Georges
Senior Investigative Reporter, The Red Sun News
Part 1: A New Door Opens
PRELUDE TO AN IMPOSSIBLE ENCOUNTER
I was in the midst of reviewing The Red Sun’s coverage of the first Chaos Broker Council vote on the Xandrian request for inclusion in the Second World Invitational Championship aka “The Big Party”. It was shaping up to be the usual swirl of rumor, speculation, and back-room dealings. That’s when I received an electronic missive that made me question reality itself.
As you know by now, Perceptive Reader, I received an invitation to the Padoccia Trade Union for the first-ever face-to-face interview with a Xandrian representative from planet Moufette.
This is unprecedented, as no Xandrian has ever spoken to the press or even made a direct public address. The Xandrians typically send electronic missives from Moufette containing announcements from the Xandrian High Repository or, more recently, through their business partners (the Padoccia Trade Union) on Altareth.
So it was a shock to my system to receive a missive from Padoccia CIO Edrei Gesa herself, with an offer of a face-to-face, live interview with a representative of the Xandrian High Repository, who was currently stationed at Padoccia HQ to serve as a handler for Chaos Agents in Academy-sanctioned training battles.
The conditions set for the interview were that: The interview would take place at the Padoccia Trade Union HQ. Only I, Jorge Ben-Georges, would be permitted to meet with the Xandrian representative. The interview would be limited to at most 8 questions. All questions must be related to the Xandrian request to join the Big Party.
This would, in fact, be the first instance in recorded history of a live conversation between a Xandrian and a non-Xandrian. As a student of history and a proud Brillouin, this was a once in a lifetime opportunity, so I immediately accepted.
JOURNEY TO THE DEPTHS
Fifteen minutes before the appointed hour, I arrived at the Padoccia Trade Union’s imposing headquarters. A swirl of corporate suits and security robots (likely scanning every molecule on or in my body) greeted me in the lobby.
There stood the Shard Rod Pioneers Memorial, a solemn monument commemorating the engineers who lost their lives during the catastrophic bombings of the trade union’s time-dilating Shard Rod labs just a year prior.
It was only a year or so ago that Padoccia was rocked by a series of bombings that destroyed their Shard Rod labs, massively impacting Padoccia’s ability to bring this revolutionary technology to market. One can’t help but feel the weight of that tragedy in the hushed reverence of the Memorial to those without whom Shard Rods, used everywhere from the depths of the Dagna Ro archives (where they’re used to preserve historic documents) to Chaos Shard battles where Agents are able to deploy and use their Time element and Skills much more effectively (including the generation and management of Impulses).
But this technology was hard-won, as several Padoccia engineers, Xandrians included, lost their lives in the repeated cycle of Shard Rod bombings, allegedly carried out by one of Padoccia’s top competitors from Trade Unions that shall go unnamed.
The Shard Rod Pioneers Memorial stands as a reminder to that cost and the lives lost, and certainly made me stop and remember those brave souls before being guided to an elevator at the far end of the lobby.
At the elevator, Lare Cuff, Padoccia’s Communications Director, waited for me with a polite smile. As I stepped into the elevator, the single door slid close with a near-ethereal elegance, the hallmark of Xandrian technology. As the elevator descended rapidly, carrying Mr. Cuff and me hundreds of meters underground, I could not help but wonder how much of Padoccia’s infrastructure was a direct result of their partnership with the Xandrians.
After what seemed like over five minutes of rapid descent, the doors opened and revealed a single, long corridor lit with a soothing mix of purple, pink, and violet hues, reminding one almost of the Alusian colors from the Clausius homeworld Kalimur, except in a streamlined, artificial setting. It looked almost like the entrance to a club or spa for the ultra-wealthy located high above the rabble of Merchant City. In this case, however, we were deep, deep under the City.
The corridor led to a single, circular entrance, near invisible but for the glowing pink ring that surrounded it. Mr. Cuff requested that I enter to begin the interview, and stated that he’d meet me back at the elevator once I was finished.
A SILENCE THAT SPEAKS
As I stepped through the doorway, it disappeared behind me like a soap bubble popping in midair. Inside, I found a modest living area — “living” only in the strictest sense, for it felt more like a spacious, high-tech meditation chamber. One wall was dominated by a large, circular device: a shape I recognized from leaked sketches of “Xandrian Battle Consoles” — the technology rumored to be used for controlling Chaos Agents in Shard skirmishes. At its center lay a swirling, liquid interface that pulsed almost like a living being.
The liquid interface at the center of the circle rippled like in a gentle wind, but was otherwise blank.
A figure sat cross-legged before the device — a being draped in a loose-fitting, hooded blue cloak, revealing only their eyes and a mask that might serve any number of functions. For a moment, I wondered if this was indeed a living organism. It was so still that the only movement came from the faint ripple of that liquid interface. The eyes, however, told me this figure was very much alive. They sparkled with what could only be keen intelligence.
However, by far the most disconcerting thing about the chamber was the feeling of absolute silence and stillness. The only breath in the room seemed to come from the liquid interface at the center of the device. Other than that, it was like being inside a photograph, the Xandrian sat absolutely motionless, unblinking, with only the movement of their eyes indicating that they were not, in fact, a statue.
There was a mat on the floor and a chair placed in front of the Xandrian’s mat. There was very little other furniture in the room. I chose the mat, and sat level with the Xandrian on the ground.
The Xandrian stared at me, unblinking.
I opened with a simple “Hello”. “Hello”, said the Xandrian. “I am Jorge Ben-Georges, Senior Investigative Reporter at The Red Sun News. Thank you for this opportunity.” “I am XN-1031 from Moufette, representing the Xandrian High Repository. You are welcome.” “May I ask you a few questions about the Xandrian High Repository’s request to the Altareth Union Bosses to formally join the Second Chaos Championship, which is now being called ‘The Big Party’?” “Yes, you may, up to 8 questions. Excluding the question that you just asked me about asking a few questions.”
I paused before responding in case XN-1031 had anything to add, but the sense of absolute quiet prevailed as soon as he stopped speaking.
Concluding that there would be no small talk, I dove into my first question.
QUESTION ONE: PADOCCIA AS PROXY
“Could you shed some light on why the Xandrian High Repository has chosen to convey their announcements, official requests, and claims via the Padoccia Trade Union? You must be aware that Padoccia’s role as a proxy for the Xandrian High Repository has led to widespread rumors and suspicions that have no doubt hurt the Xandrian cause?” I asked.
“The reason stems from a series of facts, and most of them are related to the social and economic structures of the Xandrian people, which are radically and fundamentally different from that of any other known planet in the Firmament.” The Xandrian paused to let these words take effect, “We do not care for power. We do not care for influence. We care for only our ability to build and to be able to measure progress through our creations. All else is simply means to this end.“
“An example of such a difference is the requirement for Consensus generated among the Xandrian people before any significant decisions are made or communicated.” As he spoke, the liquid interface transformed to display elegant characters showing data about what I guessed was a cost analysis of generating Xandrian Consensus for various decision types. “It is the High Repository’s responsibility to generate and manage such Consensus covering every Xandrian individual — a significant and resource-intensive task, despite the tools and technology underpinning the Consensus infrastructure.“
XN-1031 paused as I scribbled notes onto my touchpad. It gave me a moment to think and process the knowledge I had received before he continued.
“It is a significant overhead for the Repository to both generate such Consensus and manage external communications with other worlds. There are also fundamental cultural nuances that are lost on the Xandrians that are commonplace among worlds that make it possible that our communications are… misunderstood.”
This was the only time XN-1031 had hesitated, or appeared to hesitate, perhaps for effect.
“We are trained to think, use logic, and communicate using digital code, and its translation to natural languages has often created misunderstandings and inefficiencies.”
The interface behind changed to show translations of Xandrian Code to the Common language, highlighting instances where the semantic differences and culture differences were at high variance — the translation was fundamentally imperfect in conveying the nuanced meaning of the phrases. The interface was seemingly guiding itself, or was being controlled remotely by a being — perhaps XN-1031 himself.
“Thus, the partnership with Padoccia Trade Union is a valuable opportunity for the High Repository to ‘outsource’ its communication duties to an organization with existing infrastructure for widespread and accurate communication. This is an efficient and effective solution that satisfies all parties.”
QUESTION TWO: PADOCCIA’s WATCHDOGS
Sensing a pause in the Xandrian’s articulate flow, I jumped in with my second question: What safeguards exist to ensure that Padoccia is not misrepresenting the High Repository’s communication (or the Consensus’s will, for that matter)?
It seemed that XN-1031 had anticipated my question even before I spoke.
“The High Repository enforces strict protocols and standards to ensure that any information released by Padoccia on behalf of the Xandrian people represents the true and validated Consensus of all Xandrian people,” said XN-1031.
“However, we have learned that there might be auxiliary benefits to communication coming directly from a High Repository representative such as myself, on occasion, to build and reinforce trust with other worlds and communities.
AN UNEXPECTED PRIVILEGE
“To serve that objective, the Xandrian High Repository has authorized me to announce that they would like to request a direct channel of communication with The Red Sun News on Altareth, to be managed specifically and solely via yourself, Jorge Ben-Georges of the Brillouin, should you choose to accept this invitation.”
Taken aback, I expressed my gratitude at this request and assured XN-1031 that I would be honored to take on the responsibility if the request is reviewed and approved by The Red Sun’s Editorial Board, an approval that I have since received.
QUESTION THREE: THE PARALLEL BATTLE TECH
“Do you have more questions?” XN-1031 asked. “I do, I intend to use the full quota of questions allotted to me”, I replied with a smile.
The piercing eyes stared back, unblinking, no trace of humor reciprocated. I straightaway asked my next question.
“Well then, let’s turn to the technology you have developed to direct Agents in Chaos Battles. Why develop your own technology and circumvent the established processes and technology required to become licensed Chaos Brokers? Why not follow the same processes as all others?”
“May I ask a question in response?” XN-1031 asked. “Yes, of course”, I replied.
“Are you familiar with the process used by the Academy to locate and recruit Chaos Brokers?”, XN-1031 asks, knowing full well the answer to it. I responded in the negative, as this is one of the most closely guarded political and military secrets in the Firmament.
“Further,” continued XN-1031, “are you aware of any known individual from any known planet or species who has become a licensed Chaos Broker? Have you even met a Chaos Broker yourself to verify their species or origins?”
Once again, I had to admit that I didn’t know of any person recruited to become a Broker, nor had I met one in person. As all know, Chaos Brokers have to guard their true identities fiercely due to the immense amount of attention and risk that would fall on them if their identities became known. It is for the protection of Brokers that we know only their Broker and House names, not their true names.
“Yes, this is per the High Council’s design. You and the other denizens of the Firmament only know of the Brokerage Houses. You can observe the Brokers’ ships as they fly to Shard Battles, but you know nothing of the Brokers who operate these Houses and their ships beyond their call-signs. Anything more is kept a secret from you.
“However, the Xandrian people are deeply familiar with the Battle Consoles used by licensed Chaos Brokers, having worked in concert with High Regent Dusana and the Clausius over a period of decades to improve this technology to the point where Chaos Agents of all species can be safely deployed and managed using it. You may recall the Dark Ages of Chaos Battles, where the mortality rate for both Agents and their Brokers in battle was astronomical. It was due to the combined efforts of the Xandrian and Clausius people that today’s Shard economy exists. These are mere facts.
“I can say no more due to contracts of non-disclosure we are bound by, except that the Consensus has given me leave to state that the Xandrians are well aware of the technological and political reasons why the High Council and Chaos Academy choose to keep the process of selecting Brokers secret. I can also assert with a high degree of confidence that no species in the Firmament will ever be able to voluntarily apply to the Chaos Academy to become a licensed Chaos Broker. The reasons behind this restriction are salient and well-understood by all who understand Chaos Battle technology, including the Xandrian High Repository, the Firmament High Council and the Chaos Academy. We understand and respect these reasons, and have no desire to circumvent them.
“However, these same limitations do not exist in the Xandrian Battle Tech that has been developed on Moufette, it allows for Xandrians — and Xandrians only — to direct Elemental Agents during Shard Battles.
“We have submitted detailed designs of our work to both the High Council and the Academy, along with hard data proving that the safety parameters of the Xandrian Battle Tech is within a 0.82% margin of safety compared to the official Academy Battle Tech. The constraint that does exist for the Xandrian Battle Tech, both due to technical and economic necessities, is that such technology can be used only by Xandrians — no other species’ physiology, with the possible exception of the the Rhodians, can withstand the Elemental power required by our devices.
“To summarize the facts for your readers and the Broker Council, Mr. Ben-Georges, and answer your question — the official Chaos Battle technology is only available to those Recruits and Brokers who are selected by the Academy. The Academy’s recruitment process is secret, and no individual from any known species can voluntarily apply to the Academy due to reasons also kept secret by the Academy and the High Council. The Xandrian people have developed parallel technology to serve the same purpose — we are open to sharing this technology with all, but it can only work with Xandrian biology.
“So there is only one conclusion to be drawn from these facts: By denying the rights of Xandrians to proactively and voluntarily use their own technology for Chaos Battles as licensed Chaos Brokers, the Chaos Academy and High Council are denying the right of every species to proactively build and deploy Chaos Battle Technology.
“Replace the Xandrians in your mind with the Brillouin or the Massieu — what if one of these species had developed their own Chaos Battle tech instead of the Xandrian people, and were being denied the right to use and propagate such technology for Chaos Shard battles — would you deem that fair? Especially if that parallel technology is the only way for your people to become Chaos Brokers and all that comes with that title and license?”
I waited a few seconds as the eyes pierced me, unblinking, but perhaps with a hint of emotion? Or is that my imagination?
“Mr. XN-1031…” I started slowly. “Just XN-1031 or 1031, please”, it replied, interrupting me for the first time. “Thank you. 1031. As a followup to your response, I want to confirm that the Xandrian High Repository has submitted the designs of the Xandrian Battle Tech to the High Council and the Academy? And that
“Yes, on both counts,” said 1031 without hesitation.
A CONTEMPLATIVE BREAK
“Mr. Ben-Georges,” XN-1031 continued, before I interrupted with “Just Jorge, please”. “Thank you, Jorge.” said 1031, “Perhaps you would enjoy a small break with some refreshments before we continue? I am sure you have many notes and thoughts to gather from our conversation thus far?”
He was right, of course. My head was swimming with questions, connections, and ideas. I accepted 1031’s invitation and he directed me back towards the corridor, where Mr. Cuff would meet me with refreshments. As I got up to walk towards the circular door, the chamber was once again enveloped in absolute silence, as 1031 sat motionless on its mat, the Xandrian Battle interface breathing lightly behind him.
As I stepped outside the chamber, the circular door shut behind me, and my mobile device came to life. It had received a message from none other than Sorith, my old friend and favorite Chaos Agent of all time who these days wanders the corridors of power with the Altareth Union Bosses.
“You owe me one J-Bag, as do your readers. Make sure they know.” And now you do, Wise Reader.
I put away my device and looked back up to see that Lare Cuff appeared silently. With a polite smile he guided me to a table laid out with refreshments that had somehow appeared out of thin air. Delicious spread before me, my focus remained solely on the being behind the circular door, and in preparing to return to continue this once in a lifetime opportunity.
There was much left to discuss.