Imagined Dialog

[Bromo33333]

I am re-acquainting myself with TNE, and remembering what a great Post Apocalyptic setting it was!

This imagined dialog I think of when I am re-reading the New Era sourcebooks:

Overheard in the Reformation Coalition ready room:

"Has it ever occurred to you all this help we are getting from the Hivers, has a bigger manipulation to it than just re-establishing a interstellar government?"

"Sure it has, but beggars can't be choosers. I mean, we need their help, and probably all they want is a stable government near their border."

"Yeah, but it feels like they are after more than that, but I have no idea what it is."

"Hmmm ... well, time to suit up, we have to get to the ship, there is an old belt about 3 jumps from here that may have some technology we will need in the comping year."

 

[Bromo33333]

Human (in shaking voice looking up from a datapad): "You ... your people assassinated Strephon and tipped off the civil war that ended the Imperium!? ...?"
Hiver (through vocoder in feminine voice): "The Imperium had become corrupt ... stagnant ... top heavy."
Human (angry voice): "ANSWER THE QUESTION" (drawing a gun)
Hiver (deadpan voice): "Well, we convinced Dulinor it was the way, and we had hoped it would release some tensions, making the Imperium more vibrant, open and friendly ...."
Human (shaken): "And the Virus?"
Hiver (deadpan voice): "We didn't anticipate that, not all manipulations are successful."
Humans (regaining composure): "If I tell *anyone* the relations between us will be deteriorated, and that would be a very bad outcome for humans for sure. Why did you tell me?"
Hiver: "You needed to know" (vocoder malfunction at this point sounds a little like staticy maniacal laughter)

 

[mike wightman]

Star Viking team leader: "You want us to do what?"
Sandman: "Take my offspring and infect the Black Imperium x-boat nexus."
SVTL - "Suicide mission, taking these data packages as deep beyond the Black Curtain as we can get, infecting every data centre and x-boat waystation until we are caught or killed"
Hiver - "You will have the use of Ithklur special forces, Regency TL16 ship components, and of course your onboard Sandman child"
SVTL - "But the implications, every scouting mission that has come back from beyond the curtain shows hybridization of machine and sophonts, if we kill the machines trillions will die, the death toll would make the Rebellion era look like a car crash in comparison, we would be the biggest mass murderers in history"
Hiver - "The alternative is eventual defeat and absorption into the Black Imperium, now is the time to choose your fate and the fate of us all."

 

[Bromo33333]

Star Viking team leader: "You want us to do what?"
Sandman: "Take my offspring and infect the Black Imperium x-boat nexus."
SVTL - "Suicide mission, taking these data packages as deep beyond the Black Curtain as we can get, infecting every data centre and x-boat waystation until we are caught or killed"
Hiver - "You will have the use of Ithklur special forces, Regency TL16 ship components, and of course your onboard Sandman child"
SVTL - "But the implications, every scouting mission that has come back from beyond the curtain shows hybridization of machine and sophonts, if we kill the machines trillions will die, the death toll would make the Rebellion era look like a car crash in comparison, we would be the biggest mass murderers in history"
Hiver - "The alternative is eventual defeat and absorption into the Black Imperium, now is the time to choose your fate and the fate of us all."

After a 10 second pause as SVTL furrows his brows as if weighing the situation, the Hiver then gingerly lifts a small bottle with some brown liquid from under the table. A close examination shows it is 1105 Sylean Triticale based Spirits, the kind you can't get anymore that usually goes for hundreds if not thousands of credits these days. "A toast to our success, then?"

 

[jcrocker]

A few more scenes, and maybe Amazon will pick it up as an original series.