Robin William's uniform from "Mork and Mindy" is the same red jumpsuit used by Col.Greene, with an added silver triangle.
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MMM
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jayphailey
- Posts: 902
- Joined: Tue May 29, 2018 7:50 pm
Re: MMM
I thought for sure I'd posted the meme somewhere. Yup, there's another one
Robin William's uniform from "Mork and Mindy" is the same red jumpsuit used by Col.Greene, with an added silver triangle.
Robin William's uniform from "Mork and Mindy" is the same red jumpsuit used by Col.Greene, with an added silver triangle.
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jayphailey
- Posts: 902
- Joined: Tue May 29, 2018 7:50 pm
Re: MMM
There are places where people with detail oriented minds track props from trek to different shows and different places in Trek
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jayphailey
- Posts: 902
- Joined: Tue May 29, 2018 7:50 pm
Re: MMM
All chapters of this particular session are complete. I am letting them rest for a bit before I go back to try and stomp mistakes like giving Creskulaban fur.
Re: MMM
She tells me that if you are going ot give her fur she wants meaningfurful.. You know that keeps you warm.jayphailey wrote: ↑Tue Dec 03, 2024 6:22 amAll chapters of this particular session are complete. I am letting them rest for a bit before I go back to try and stomp mistakes like giving Creskulaban fur.
-- The Innkeeper
Re: MMM
I like your idea that MMMis at "right angles" to the All. Ane in the Fulcrum will start sporting Horn/ear cuffs that are MMM translators.
-- The Innkeeper
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jayphailey
- Posts: 902
- Joined: Tue May 29, 2018 7:50 pm
Re: MMM
MMM can hear verbal comms just fine
The whole point is that MMM's multi-self existence is not accessible to telepaths,
If it becomes enough of an issue, MMM will equip their social drones with micro Telepathy nodes, to facilitate speaking to Ane the way they prefer.
The whole point is that MMM's multi-self existence is not accessible to telepaths,
If it becomes enough of an issue, MMM will equip their social drones with micro Telepathy nodes, to facilitate speaking to Ane the way they prefer.
Re: MMM
It would be going the other way, equipping themselves with MMM devices so they can communicate normally.
-- The Innkeeper
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jayphailey
- Posts: 902
- Joined: Tue May 29, 2018 7:50 pm
MMM Part 15
MMM Part 15
The rest of the former Azzic House crew beamed down. The trip on the courier was interesting. The Arzalans were curious, but not pushy about it.
All four people had reasons to be sparing with facts about themselves and so didn’t say too much. Lan Margo made friends and told great stories, as he usually did. Zug Alloa and Ammydt Ran gently redirected questions back on the crew. Toxi Imsok just smiled faintly and said “It’s not worth bothering about.”
They left the transport center and walked a couple of blocks in the sunshine to the temporary quarters building. To the eyes of the Azzic House crew, it looked like a hotel.
The sun was nice. The air was fresh. They saw mostly Arzalan humans and the strange insectoids colored the same as MMM.
They also saw a humanoid MMM who looked just like theirs. He sounded like theirs, too. “Hello, Friends! We’re glad you made it! The others are waiting for you in the Lobby! We look forward to seeing you again!” then they moved on with their circles of Arzalans, who waved politely.
They entered the lobby. Shoma, Tahn Mos, Losma Won, Noram Zaid, MMM and their new Ane friends were there waiting for them. It would have been hard to get more than one full grown Ane into one of the temporary quarters.
Ammydt Ran stopped short. Her eyes widened and she went pale. Dropping her luggage she backed out of the doors to the temporary quarters. Then she grabbed Zug Alloa’s sleeve and screamed “RUN!” and pelted away down the street as fast as she could go.
Zug hesitated maybe a quarter second then dropped his luggage and ran after her.
A quarter second after that, Tahn Mos was after them.
No one else moved.
“That was odd,” MMM said, “I wonder where they’re going?”
“I’ve never seen Ammydt panic before,” Shoma said.
Noram Zaid said to Lellogalan “You’re fast than we are. You could catch them.”
Lellogalan said **We’re what scared her. Chasing her wouldn’t be helpful.**
Creskulaban said **We’re going to have to depend you to de-escalate Ammydt Ran. That was an extreme reaction.**
-*-
Ammydt Ran fled west along the boulevard. She looked back over her shoulder, Zug Alloa was behind her, but Tahn Mos was behind him.
This was bad. Very bad. Stuck on an alien world, with the menace of the Ane. It was as scared as Ammydt Ran had ever been. She had to get away!
She turned down an alley
-*-
Zug Alloa followed at a pace designed to keep his love in sight, but not exhaust himself. The surge of adrenaline that accompanied her scream helped. He never wanted to hear her sound like that again.
With big steps, Than Mos caught up to him. “Where are we going?” Mos asked. He tried to sound casual.
“No idea,” Alloa said “She screamed and started running.”
Ammydt turned right into an alley.
“Let me. I’ll call you when I know something,” Alloa said.
Tahn Mos “Do,” and stopped.
-*-
Ammydt ran down the alley and then left, and stopped
Alloa ran into her “What? What?”
Ammydt tore off her communicator, her personal devices “Get rid of everything, they can track us!”
Alloa did so “Why would they track us?”
“Those were Ane!”
“I think I’ve heard of them,”
“They’re telepaths. Mind controllers. They’ve taken over about half the Federation. Whole worlds are under their sway, millions of humans and Orions. They’ve even made inroads unto the Orion Colonies.”
“Really?”
“They’re subtle about it, but implacable. About fifteen years ago, they staged a coup on Earth and took over the Federation Council. All nice-nice and friendly on the surface. I’ve heard rumors they’re cloning their favorites and installing them in high places.”
“But…” Alloa began
“Our friends will sound like our friends, they’ll mostly act like our friends. But they’ve been taken! They serve the Ane now!”
Alloa looked back “We can’t just leave them,”
“It’s too late for them. The Ane are like telepathic borg!”
MMM came out of a door “Hello, friends. What’s going on?”
Ammydt didn’t say a word. She grabbed MMM and threw him aside and bolted through the door.
Alloa said “Sorry!” as he followed her.
-*-
Running through a replimat things looked even worse to Ammydt. Most of the people here were Arzalan humans, blending in would be nearly impossible.
She looked at the building. Training in the Calas Prime Science Police taught her that architecture led to hidey holes. The original training was to look for insurgents, pirates, criminals, and gangs.
Now she used her skill at searching in reverse to try and find a place to hide.
There. An unobtrusive door. Walls, ceiling, and overhead features told Ammydt that plumbing went there.
She ran over and pulled the door open. They were in luck. A narrow set of stairs descended into a basement level. She skittered down the stairs
Alloa followed her and shut the door behind them.
-*-
The lighting was mechanical and adequate. No design or decoration. Pipes and conduits followed the tunnel.
Ammydt fled down the tunnel. A maintenance robot trundled slowly, cleaning and inspecting the infrastructure.
Ammydt scrambled over the robot, which stopped and made apologetic noises. Alloa shoulder rolled over it.
-*-
They came to a junction. Ammydt looked carefully. “Older tunnels will be closer to the center of the city. Newer stuff will lead toward the edge of the city.”
Alloa looked “I can’t tell what’s older or newer. It all looks the same. What’s your plan?”
“I’m making this up as we go along. I’d like to get away from the city and then see if we can double back and steal a ship.”
Alloa grabbed her “Really? We’re going to steal one of their shuttles and fly out of the system past all their ships?”
Ammydt was nearly crying “I don’t know! I didn’t know the Ane were here! I don’t have anything planned, I’m just trying to escape!”
Alloa shook his head “We need to find someplace safe to hunker down, breathe a little, and really think. We’re in trouble here and panic is not an asset.”
“Promise me. Promise me you won’t let them get my brain.” Ammydt said
“You and me, Ammydt. All the way,” Alloa said.
She hugged him “I’m more scared now than when we almost got caught on Calas Prime.”
Alloa nodded “Yeah.” If anything this was worse. Then he saw something.
“What in the hell?” Alloa sad.
One of the Insectoids, a small one, maybe a meter long was down the tunnel waving to them.
“Am I seeing this right?” Alloa said
“Are the Ane controlling that creature?” Ammydt whispered.
The insectoid stopped waving and waggled its body back and forth in what seemed to be a “no” gesture.
“You can understand us?” Alloa said.
The Insectoid bobbed up and down. Then it scuttled towards them.
It stopped close to them. Then using one of it’s large pincher-like grippers, it grabbed Alloa’s pants leg and pulled it rapidly but gently and pointed down the tunnel with the other pincher.
“What if the Ane are controlling it?” Ammydt said. Hostile telepaths are a scary idea.
The Instoid being waggled “No” even harder, and pointed again.
“Let’s see,” Alloa said “If something doesn’t break our way, I don’t see how this is going to work out.”
Ammydt nodded but was stressed and unhappy.
The insectoid led them down the tunnel.
Ammydt and Alloa’s spirits were buoyed, when, at an intersection, the Instectoid stopped, and carefully looked down each tunnel before proceeding. It was avoiding any pursuit as well.
-*-
Soon another Insectoid joined their group. This one stayed behind them and made a point of looking for pursuit.
They went further into the tunnels.
Ammydt stopped “Look at this.”
Alloa looked. The junction was a different design. Thicker, and less complex.
“It’s taking us toward older tunnels, closer to the center of the city,” Ammydt said.
Alloa said “We’ve decided to follow these guys. Let's play it out.”
Ammydt sighed. She didn’t see any better options.
-*-
Soon the Tunnels led to a cave. Numerous insectoids of different shapes and sizes were there. They seemed to greet Ammydt and Alloa, waving claws, grippers, and appendages around.
“Some sort of Insectoid underground?” Alloa asked
“Maybe the Arzalan colonized them and they didn’t like it?” Ammydt said
Several of the bugs made the “no” motion, and the rest gestured, clicked claws and grippers together, and pulled on Ammydt and Alloa’s pants legs to follow.
They would up in a chamber with a gray orb, the same color as the insectoids. It looked 3 to 4 meters wide, partially buried in the earth along one side of the chamber.
And the same color as MMM, Alloa thought.
The Insectoids showed Ammydt and Alloa into a hollow that was decent for hiding in. Then they posted up as if watching over the Orions.
-*-
“Friends?” MMM asked.
Ammydt sucked a breath between her teeth. Alloa felt his heart leap about uncomfortably in his chest.
“Right here, MMM,” Alloa said.
“Please remain calm,” MMM said
Alloa and Ammydt looked at each other. That was bad.
MMM scrunched into their hidey hole with them “Are you okay?”
“No, MMM, we’re really not.” Ammydt said.
“Okay. I need to explain a couple of things to you, are you in condition to listen?” MMM asked.
“Go ahead, MMM,” Alloa said
“I am this planet,” MMM said.
Alloa and Ammydt looked at their friend “What?”
“Do you see that gray orb there?”
They nodded
“That’s one of my brains. I have a lot of brains scattered all over. But that’s one of the big ones.”
Ammydt and Alloa looked at MMM
“These little guys,” MMM gestured to the Insectoids “They’re me, too. Bits of me made to do routine maintenance or other jobs as needed around here.”
“I am a drone meant to be someone you can talk to, relate to, and understand. I am also a way for MMM to learn more about individual humanoids and how you all work.”
Alloa said “Is that why you’re all the same shade of gray?”
MMM nodded “Its a way for you to identify drones and pieces of me. But in reality, it's a sort of affectation. Friends, I am this whole world. I am everything that lives and breathes and grows here. When you talk to your friend, MMM, you’ve been talking to all of me all along.”
Ammydt said “What?”
“You’re inside of me. And you are perfectly safe. You have a whole planet that’s on your side, that is your friend.”
Alloa said “We like you, too, MMM. You think you can get us out of here?”
MMM nodded “If you wish. I am curious about why, though.”
Ammydt asked “How did you resist the Ane? How did you escape them dominating you?”
MMM looked puzzled “The Ane? Dominate?”
Ammydt said “MMM, the Ane take people over with their minds. They change them.”
“That doesn’t sound right. The Ane I met are curious and friendly.”
Tears flowed down Ammydt face “They got you.”
“Oh, no. We tried. I was too big. I saw rather more of Captain Lellogalan than she might remember. I saw no domination. Just friendly people. I promise. You’re safe.”
Alloa said, “What did you try if they didn’t want to dominate you?”
“Oh, the Ane collect people’s stories. They have a creator. I saw the memory. They were a beautiful being of radiant light and fractal patterns. I hope I get to meet them someday. The Creator of the Ane asked them to record all the people they could telepathically. There are so many people stored in their dimension - written into the space. It was amazing. But I’m too big. There’s too much of me. I accidentally hurt Captain Lellogalran in the contact.
“One thing I did not see at all was dominating anyone. In fact, I think they wouldn’t like that.”
“MMM, people follow them, they change people.”
“Oh! Oh yeah, they do. They’re working on our friends now. Do you know HOW they’re changing Losma Won?”
Ammydt and Alloa looked at MMM in horror
“They’re healing her. She was never happy. She was never comfortable. Her brain was too much for her. You saw that.”
They nodded.
“Well, the Ane can telepathically take her pain away and help her arrange herself into a more sustainable, stable configuration. Of course she likes them. They take her pain away.”
“How do you know they’re not lying to you?”
“Well, I did draw a lot of context from Captain Lellogalan. I’m not sure toward the end there, she was capable of lying to me. Her experience comports with the rest of what I’m seeing.”
“MMM, the Orions have reports. Years of experience. The Ane are a serious concern for them. They’ve taken over Earth and several other planets. Apparently, they conquered a planet named Oz and overthrew a race of wizards there. The Ane wind up owning everyone they have serious contact with.”
MMM thought about it. “Reldelelan wants me to tell you that the Ane are Aliens, not Orions in Ane-Suits.”
“Are you talking to them now?”
“Oh, Yes. The me that was on the Azzic House with you is there. I am a different humanoid. Apparently, I am not that skillful yet, as all of me look alike.”
Alloa and Ammydt looked at MMM, again horrified
“I say it again. We are friends and I will let nothing happen to you. I am a whole planet. Nothing happens here except that I allow it.”
“Can they track us through you?”
“No. The way my brain works is impervious to Ane Telepathy. And most others. I have to grow a special node to communicate telepathically with anyone.”
“How… How are they reacting to all this?” Alloa said
“Our friends are quite concerned. Except for Losma Won. She is laughing.”
“Ask her to tell us something to prove she’s not controlled by the Ane.”
MMM thought about it. “That’s rather unpleasant. She said Ammydt is a second-rate quack, and Alloa cannot calculate the mass of a paper bag, and that if being controlled by the Ane is the price for relieving her pain, she’d do it but Reldelelan doesn’t want to work that hard.”
Alloa said, “That sounds like her.”
Ammydt said, “What does that mean, not an Orion in an Ane-Suit?”
MMM said “I’ll ask…” and considered for a few moments.
“Reldelelan says that the Orion interpretation of events is filtered through Orion psychology. They see things as Orions. But the Ane are not obligated to act like Orions would. The Ane, being aliens have different goals and drives. It's a failure of the imagination to impose Orion motivations on half-seen Ane actions.”
“Secretive, manipulative, conquest minded and deeply cynical. That does sound like the Intelligence service of Calas Prime,” Alloa said.
“Friends, are you hungry? Thirsty? I will send some of me to the replicators for food and drink.”
“You don’t mind us being here, next to your brain?”
“I feel gratified and validated that you ran into me for safety. I will not let you down.”
Ammmydt grabbed MMM’s hand “I have no idea what’s going on anymore.”
Alloa said, “I told you space was going to get weird.”
MMM gripped her hand “That’s good. It means you’re open to learning.”
The rest of the former Azzic House crew beamed down. The trip on the courier was interesting. The Arzalans were curious, but not pushy about it.
All four people had reasons to be sparing with facts about themselves and so didn’t say too much. Lan Margo made friends and told great stories, as he usually did. Zug Alloa and Ammydt Ran gently redirected questions back on the crew. Toxi Imsok just smiled faintly and said “It’s not worth bothering about.”
They left the transport center and walked a couple of blocks in the sunshine to the temporary quarters building. To the eyes of the Azzic House crew, it looked like a hotel.
The sun was nice. The air was fresh. They saw mostly Arzalan humans and the strange insectoids colored the same as MMM.
They also saw a humanoid MMM who looked just like theirs. He sounded like theirs, too. “Hello, Friends! We’re glad you made it! The others are waiting for you in the Lobby! We look forward to seeing you again!” then they moved on with their circles of Arzalans, who waved politely.
They entered the lobby. Shoma, Tahn Mos, Losma Won, Noram Zaid, MMM and their new Ane friends were there waiting for them. It would have been hard to get more than one full grown Ane into one of the temporary quarters.
Ammydt Ran stopped short. Her eyes widened and she went pale. Dropping her luggage she backed out of the doors to the temporary quarters. Then she grabbed Zug Alloa’s sleeve and screamed “RUN!” and pelted away down the street as fast as she could go.
Zug hesitated maybe a quarter second then dropped his luggage and ran after her.
A quarter second after that, Tahn Mos was after them.
No one else moved.
“That was odd,” MMM said, “I wonder where they’re going?”
“I’ve never seen Ammydt panic before,” Shoma said.
Noram Zaid said to Lellogalan “You’re fast than we are. You could catch them.”
Lellogalan said **We’re what scared her. Chasing her wouldn’t be helpful.**
Creskulaban said **We’re going to have to depend you to de-escalate Ammydt Ran. That was an extreme reaction.**
-*-
Ammydt Ran fled west along the boulevard. She looked back over her shoulder, Zug Alloa was behind her, but Tahn Mos was behind him.
This was bad. Very bad. Stuck on an alien world, with the menace of the Ane. It was as scared as Ammydt Ran had ever been. She had to get away!
She turned down an alley
-*-
Zug Alloa followed at a pace designed to keep his love in sight, but not exhaust himself. The surge of adrenaline that accompanied her scream helped. He never wanted to hear her sound like that again.
With big steps, Than Mos caught up to him. “Where are we going?” Mos asked. He tried to sound casual.
“No idea,” Alloa said “She screamed and started running.”
Ammydt turned right into an alley.
“Let me. I’ll call you when I know something,” Alloa said.
Tahn Mos “Do,” and stopped.
-*-
Ammydt ran down the alley and then left, and stopped
Alloa ran into her “What? What?”
Ammydt tore off her communicator, her personal devices “Get rid of everything, they can track us!”
Alloa did so “Why would they track us?”
“Those were Ane!”
“I think I’ve heard of them,”
“They’re telepaths. Mind controllers. They’ve taken over about half the Federation. Whole worlds are under their sway, millions of humans and Orions. They’ve even made inroads unto the Orion Colonies.”
“Really?”
“They’re subtle about it, but implacable. About fifteen years ago, they staged a coup on Earth and took over the Federation Council. All nice-nice and friendly on the surface. I’ve heard rumors they’re cloning their favorites and installing them in high places.”
“But…” Alloa began
“Our friends will sound like our friends, they’ll mostly act like our friends. But they’ve been taken! They serve the Ane now!”
Alloa looked back “We can’t just leave them,”
“It’s too late for them. The Ane are like telepathic borg!”
MMM came out of a door “Hello, friends. What’s going on?”
Ammydt didn’t say a word. She grabbed MMM and threw him aside and bolted through the door.
Alloa said “Sorry!” as he followed her.
-*-
Running through a replimat things looked even worse to Ammydt. Most of the people here were Arzalan humans, blending in would be nearly impossible.
She looked at the building. Training in the Calas Prime Science Police taught her that architecture led to hidey holes. The original training was to look for insurgents, pirates, criminals, and gangs.
Now she used her skill at searching in reverse to try and find a place to hide.
There. An unobtrusive door. Walls, ceiling, and overhead features told Ammydt that plumbing went there.
She ran over and pulled the door open. They were in luck. A narrow set of stairs descended into a basement level. She skittered down the stairs
Alloa followed her and shut the door behind them.
-*-
The lighting was mechanical and adequate. No design or decoration. Pipes and conduits followed the tunnel.
Ammydt fled down the tunnel. A maintenance robot trundled slowly, cleaning and inspecting the infrastructure.
Ammydt scrambled over the robot, which stopped and made apologetic noises. Alloa shoulder rolled over it.
-*-
They came to a junction. Ammydt looked carefully. “Older tunnels will be closer to the center of the city. Newer stuff will lead toward the edge of the city.”
Alloa looked “I can’t tell what’s older or newer. It all looks the same. What’s your plan?”
“I’m making this up as we go along. I’d like to get away from the city and then see if we can double back and steal a ship.”
Alloa grabbed her “Really? We’re going to steal one of their shuttles and fly out of the system past all their ships?”
Ammydt was nearly crying “I don’t know! I didn’t know the Ane were here! I don’t have anything planned, I’m just trying to escape!”
Alloa shook his head “We need to find someplace safe to hunker down, breathe a little, and really think. We’re in trouble here and panic is not an asset.”
“Promise me. Promise me you won’t let them get my brain.” Ammydt said
“You and me, Ammydt. All the way,” Alloa said.
She hugged him “I’m more scared now than when we almost got caught on Calas Prime.”
Alloa nodded “Yeah.” If anything this was worse. Then he saw something.
“What in the hell?” Alloa sad.
One of the Insectoids, a small one, maybe a meter long was down the tunnel waving to them.
“Am I seeing this right?” Alloa said
“Are the Ane controlling that creature?” Ammydt whispered.
The insectoid stopped waving and waggled its body back and forth in what seemed to be a “no” gesture.
“You can understand us?” Alloa said.
The Insectoid bobbed up and down. Then it scuttled towards them.
It stopped close to them. Then using one of it’s large pincher-like grippers, it grabbed Alloa’s pants leg and pulled it rapidly but gently and pointed down the tunnel with the other pincher.
“What if the Ane are controlling it?” Ammydt said. Hostile telepaths are a scary idea.
The Instoid being waggled “No” even harder, and pointed again.
“Let’s see,” Alloa said “If something doesn’t break our way, I don’t see how this is going to work out.”
Ammydt nodded but was stressed and unhappy.
The insectoid led them down the tunnel.
Ammydt and Alloa’s spirits were buoyed, when, at an intersection, the Instectoid stopped, and carefully looked down each tunnel before proceeding. It was avoiding any pursuit as well.
-*-
Soon another Insectoid joined their group. This one stayed behind them and made a point of looking for pursuit.
They went further into the tunnels.
Ammydt stopped “Look at this.”
Alloa looked. The junction was a different design. Thicker, and less complex.
“It’s taking us toward older tunnels, closer to the center of the city,” Ammydt said.
Alloa said “We’ve decided to follow these guys. Let's play it out.”
Ammydt sighed. She didn’t see any better options.
-*-
Soon the Tunnels led to a cave. Numerous insectoids of different shapes and sizes were there. They seemed to greet Ammydt and Alloa, waving claws, grippers, and appendages around.
“Some sort of Insectoid underground?” Alloa asked
“Maybe the Arzalan colonized them and they didn’t like it?” Ammydt said
Several of the bugs made the “no” motion, and the rest gestured, clicked claws and grippers together, and pulled on Ammydt and Alloa’s pants legs to follow.
They would up in a chamber with a gray orb, the same color as the insectoids. It looked 3 to 4 meters wide, partially buried in the earth along one side of the chamber.
And the same color as MMM, Alloa thought.
The Insectoids showed Ammydt and Alloa into a hollow that was decent for hiding in. Then they posted up as if watching over the Orions.
-*-
“Friends?” MMM asked.
Ammydt sucked a breath between her teeth. Alloa felt his heart leap about uncomfortably in his chest.
“Right here, MMM,” Alloa said.
“Please remain calm,” MMM said
Alloa and Ammydt looked at each other. That was bad.
MMM scrunched into their hidey hole with them “Are you okay?”
“No, MMM, we’re really not.” Ammydt said.
“Okay. I need to explain a couple of things to you, are you in condition to listen?” MMM asked.
“Go ahead, MMM,” Alloa said
“I am this planet,” MMM said.
Alloa and Ammydt looked at their friend “What?”
“Do you see that gray orb there?”
They nodded
“That’s one of my brains. I have a lot of brains scattered all over. But that’s one of the big ones.”
Ammydt and Alloa looked at MMM
“These little guys,” MMM gestured to the Insectoids “They’re me, too. Bits of me made to do routine maintenance or other jobs as needed around here.”
“I am a drone meant to be someone you can talk to, relate to, and understand. I am also a way for MMM to learn more about individual humanoids and how you all work.”
Alloa said “Is that why you’re all the same shade of gray?”
MMM nodded “Its a way for you to identify drones and pieces of me. But in reality, it's a sort of affectation. Friends, I am this whole world. I am everything that lives and breathes and grows here. When you talk to your friend, MMM, you’ve been talking to all of me all along.”
Ammydt said “What?”
“You’re inside of me. And you are perfectly safe. You have a whole planet that’s on your side, that is your friend.”
Alloa said “We like you, too, MMM. You think you can get us out of here?”
MMM nodded “If you wish. I am curious about why, though.”
Ammydt asked “How did you resist the Ane? How did you escape them dominating you?”
MMM looked puzzled “The Ane? Dominate?”
Ammydt said “MMM, the Ane take people over with their minds. They change them.”
“That doesn’t sound right. The Ane I met are curious and friendly.”
Tears flowed down Ammydt face “They got you.”
“Oh, no. We tried. I was too big. I saw rather more of Captain Lellogalan than she might remember. I saw no domination. Just friendly people. I promise. You’re safe.”
Alloa said, “What did you try if they didn’t want to dominate you?”
“Oh, the Ane collect people’s stories. They have a creator. I saw the memory. They were a beautiful being of radiant light and fractal patterns. I hope I get to meet them someday. The Creator of the Ane asked them to record all the people they could telepathically. There are so many people stored in their dimension - written into the space. It was amazing. But I’m too big. There’s too much of me. I accidentally hurt Captain Lellogalran in the contact.
“One thing I did not see at all was dominating anyone. In fact, I think they wouldn’t like that.”
“MMM, people follow them, they change people.”
“Oh! Oh yeah, they do. They’re working on our friends now. Do you know HOW they’re changing Losma Won?”
Ammydt and Alloa looked at MMM in horror
“They’re healing her. She was never happy. She was never comfortable. Her brain was too much for her. You saw that.”
They nodded.
“Well, the Ane can telepathically take her pain away and help her arrange herself into a more sustainable, stable configuration. Of course she likes them. They take her pain away.”
“How do you know they’re not lying to you?”
“Well, I did draw a lot of context from Captain Lellogalan. I’m not sure toward the end there, she was capable of lying to me. Her experience comports with the rest of what I’m seeing.”
“MMM, the Orions have reports. Years of experience. The Ane are a serious concern for them. They’ve taken over Earth and several other planets. Apparently, they conquered a planet named Oz and overthrew a race of wizards there. The Ane wind up owning everyone they have serious contact with.”
MMM thought about it. “Reldelelan wants me to tell you that the Ane are Aliens, not Orions in Ane-Suits.”
“Are you talking to them now?”
“Oh, Yes. The me that was on the Azzic House with you is there. I am a different humanoid. Apparently, I am not that skillful yet, as all of me look alike.”
Alloa and Ammydt looked at MMM, again horrified
“I say it again. We are friends and I will let nothing happen to you. I am a whole planet. Nothing happens here except that I allow it.”
“Can they track us through you?”
“No. The way my brain works is impervious to Ane Telepathy. And most others. I have to grow a special node to communicate telepathically with anyone.”
“How… How are they reacting to all this?” Alloa said
“Our friends are quite concerned. Except for Losma Won. She is laughing.”
“Ask her to tell us something to prove she’s not controlled by the Ane.”
MMM thought about it. “That’s rather unpleasant. She said Ammydt is a second-rate quack, and Alloa cannot calculate the mass of a paper bag, and that if being controlled by the Ane is the price for relieving her pain, she’d do it but Reldelelan doesn’t want to work that hard.”
Alloa said, “That sounds like her.”
Ammydt said, “What does that mean, not an Orion in an Ane-Suit?”
MMM said “I’ll ask…” and considered for a few moments.
“Reldelelan says that the Orion interpretation of events is filtered through Orion psychology. They see things as Orions. But the Ane are not obligated to act like Orions would. The Ane, being aliens have different goals and drives. It's a failure of the imagination to impose Orion motivations on half-seen Ane actions.”
“Secretive, manipulative, conquest minded and deeply cynical. That does sound like the Intelligence service of Calas Prime,” Alloa said.
“Friends, are you hungry? Thirsty? I will send some of me to the replicators for food and drink.”
“You don’t mind us being here, next to your brain?”
“I feel gratified and validated that you ran into me for safety. I will not let you down.”
Ammmydt grabbed MMM’s hand “I have no idea what’s going on anymore.”
Alloa said, “I told you space was going to get weird.”
MMM gripped her hand “That’s good. It means you’re open to learning.”
-
jayphailey
- Posts: 902
- Joined: Tue May 29, 2018 7:50 pm
MMM Part 16/18
MMM Part 16
Alloa and Ammydt came into Shoma and Tahn Mos’ room. Creskulaban was there, as was MMM. Their MMM. The new Humanoid MMM came with them.
Shoma beckoned them further “Come on and sit down.”
As they sat, Tahn Mos handed Alloa and Ammydt a beer.
Ammydt stared at Creskulaban.
**I joked with Noram Zaid about eating her,** Creskulaban said **I had no idea something like that was a real fear among your people.**
Ammydt squinted “You have a herbivore’s mouth and dentition.”
Creskulaban smiled **We are herbivores. Ammydt Ran, I will not do anything to you without your explicit permission. Consent is a very important concept for us.**
Alloa said “So what’s with all the stuff Ammydt’s heard about you? Conquering this planet, Oz? Taking over the Federation?”
Creskulaban sighed **There’s a kernel of truth to it all. One of our homeworlds is named Oz. It’s from a Terran childrens’ book called The Wizard of Oz. We didn’t have to fight any Wizards for it. In fact, Wizard is the title of the Ane who must act as head of state for those who demand it. We didn’t need to take over the Federation. We’ve been part of it since the beginning. We helped form it in its current state. A few years ago, there was a corruption scandal. We went to Earth with a large number of friends to do audits and make sure that the Federation continued to run as intended.**
“Luxury Gay Space Communism.” Tahn Mos said very straight facedly.
**MMM told you, we make friends. We don’t take people over. Dominating large numbers of people sounds like a lot of unnecessary work, frankly. The image you have of us seems like it takes elements of fact and then twists it into a monster story. We find it funny, but also quite concerning. Ammydt Ran, we regret the distress this has caused you.**
Taking a sip of her beer, Ammydt said “How can I confirm any of this? How can I assure myself you’re telling the truth?”
“My account isn’t persuasive?” MMM asked
“We’re here. We trust you that much.” Ammydyt said.
Creskulaban said **You will have to observe us and the Federation in action over a period of time until you can verify what we say for yourself. Take your time to build up familiarity and trust. We will be around.**
Ammydt looked unhappy.
“You know we lost the Azzic House, right?” Shoma said.
Ammydt looked at Shoma, shocked.
“Oh, by the ancestors,” Alloa said, “Shoma, I’m sorry.”
“I’ve agreed to take a contract for the Federation. We’ll be running a cargo ship for them. If we can make that work for five years, they’ll give us a new ship of our own again.”
Ammydt took a deep breath.
“You don’t have to come along if you don’t want to,” Shoma said.
“The invitation is open,” Tahn Mos said. “I’d prefer if you did come with us.”
“We’ll have to pass their merchant marine academy and learn to be real space crew,” Noram Zaid said.
“Where?” Ammydt asked
“Far to coreward, there’s a place where a wormhole threw Orions and Klingons. It’s stupidly far away. The Federation is setting up a string of bases to the place. No one along that route knows about our histories. All our old baggage will be left behind.”
“We’ll look like we’ve been gotten by the Ane. We’ll be Federation aligned.” Alloa said.
“Who cares? It’s not like the Orion Sphere is generous and hospitable to us,” Shoma said “This looks like the best deal we’re liable to get. After all that’s happened, I think we’re due a vacation from the stress and the strife.”
Ammydt tilted her head “Working therapy.”
“Huh?”
“A theory of treatment I heard in school. The idea was that a lot of patients might be helped if they could be productive, and exercise their own competence in a safe place. It was only done in small trials.”
“Speaking of Therapy, Ammydt.” Losma Won said
Ammydt looked at her
“I cannot recommend an Ane Healer enough. Imagine remembering your whole life with a friendly presence offering support and perspective. I know of nothing in the Orion Sphere to equal it. Imagine someone who can help you from the inside. It’s wonderful.”
**Actually, I think we want to hold off on that,** Rendelelan said.
“Why?” Won asked.
**Dr. Ran saw us as monsters. She was more frightened of us than anyone I’ve seen in person. I’d prefer to give her time to get to know us on her own terms before we broach the subject of a Healer. I believe, that if Ammydt and Dr Alloa see us first-hand and get personal experience with us, they’ll be more open to a healing process. But for right now, the path of least harm is to let them be on their own terms for a while.”
“You don’t have to do anything with the Ane to stay with us. It’s not mandatory,” Tahn Mos said.
“Can we take some time to think about it?” Alloa asked.
“Take all the time you need.”
-*-
Toxi Imsok, the human member of the crew was similarly reluctant “I don’t need anyone in my brain, thanks.”
“Okay,” Shoma said, “You don’t have to.”
Imsok breathed a sigh of relief “Then I’d like to go with you.”
“Lovely!” MMM said. Then he turned to Creskulaban “When do we leave for Merchant Marine Academy?”
-*-
“I’ve been asked to show you something. Do you have time?” T’ari asked Shoma.
Shoma looked up from her educational materials. It was a struggle. Her education was missing great pieces, and the education AI had to find work arounds.
“I can take a break,” Shoma said “What do you want to show me?”
“The Ane asked me to show you what Oz looks like, in the holodeck.”
Shoma sighed “I don’t especially like holodecks.”
Tahn Mos said “This is a tourist holo, right? Just simulated people in a simulated environment? No game play or simulated violence?”
“Yeah, no, it’s not holodeck D&D. It’s just a simulation.”
Shoma got up “Okay. Let’s get this over with.”
Mos said, “Are you sure?”
Shoma said, “I can handle it for a little while.”
They left the temporary quarters.
-*-
They walked the holographic streets of the simulated Emerald City.
“This area is called the Green Ghetto,” T’ari said
Shoma looked around. Green Orion women and men populated the neighborhood. Signs in Orion offered shops and services of various kinds, with subtitles in Federation Standard. They walked around… being free with themselves. It was oddly idyllic.
Shoma found herself doubtful and when she queried the feeling she came to an ugly conclusion. She subconsciously didn’t believe that a population of Greens could live like this without devolving in an orgy of violence, drama, and mayhem.
“Where are all these people from?”
“All over,” T’ari said “A lot of them are escapees from the Orion Sphere. They’ve made this place their own.”
“The Ane think I’d like a place like this?” Shoma asked.
The Computer did a disturbingly good job of replicating the smell of a snack food shop.
“They want to show it’s available,” T’ari said “A Green place for Greens, without the baggage.”
Shoma scowled “I don’t need to be pandered to.”
T’ari pointed to a Mural. A Green woman, emerged from the sea, holding various symbols of freedom and holiness.
“Who the hell is that?”
“It’s the original Li’ira. She’s an Admiral in Starfleet now.”
“What?”
“She was responsible for setting up the original project. Planet Hell.”
“I’ve heard of that. Some Ferengi and Gold Orion sons of bitches buy up every slave they can get their hands on and then use them up in radioactive mines. My old boss and I sent some people there.”
“It’s an undercover mission. The radioactive mine pit is a cover. The slaves are dispersed into the Federation as refugees.”
Shoma gripped the bridge of her nose “Some of the people we sent were insane. Drug addicts, mentally unstable.”
Tahn Mos said, “Free healthcare comes with Luxury Gay Space Communism.”
Shoma almost hissed at him. That joke was getting old.
“He’s right. There’s rehab colonies all over the place where damaged people are treated as well as we can.”
Shoma said, “So the Greens here worship your sister as a liberator.”
“No. They’re teasing her with that mural.”
Shoma tilted her head.
“They’ve been hanging around with the Ane for too long. They treat anything related to political power as a joke to be mocked.”
“Huh,”
“It sounds interesting to me. You say one leg of our route will end here?” Shoma asked
“I’m not sure. I’m assigned to a whole different area of space.”
“How do they feel about Golden Orions?”
“The custom is everyone’s cool if you behave. If you act out, expect to get stunned. Or stabbed or both.”
Shoma saw the knives on the Greens. And stunners. “They make this work, huh?”
T’ari nodded “I’m told there’s some rough and tumble at times, but it’s mostly in the service of making sure this place stays livable for Greens.”
Shoma shook her head “I’ll believe it when I see it… in person.”
T’ari said “Okay. I was just asked to show you. Believe what you like,”
Shoma looked at T’ari “Where were you born?”
“I was born in a free trader in open space. Culturally, I’m Federation. I was raised Federation.”
Shoma shook her head “You wouldn’t last three minutes in Karabast city.”
T’ari shrugged “I don’t have to. I’m in Starfleet. I have to survive that.”
“We’re not friends just because you’re Green.”
“Sure. Maybe someday we can find a better reason.”
“You’re almost as bad as the Ane.”
T’ari grinned “Thanks.”
Shoma shook her head “I’m good. Let’s end this.”
T’ari said “Computer end program.”
As they left Tahn Mos said “Please forgive her. Holodecks are a sore spot for her.”
T’ari nodded gravely “I hope we meet again under better circumstances.”
-*-
Tahn Mos and Shoma stopped for replicated lunch. They’d be upgrading their education for quite a while yet.
Soon, they’d all be moving to more official quarters, and once school was finished, they’d travel to El-Nanth for hands-on training for the transport they’d be running for the Ane.
Alloa and Ammydt came into Shoma and Tahn Mos’ room. Creskulaban was there, as was MMM. Their MMM. The new Humanoid MMM came with them.
Shoma beckoned them further “Come on and sit down.”
As they sat, Tahn Mos handed Alloa and Ammydt a beer.
Ammydt stared at Creskulaban.
**I joked with Noram Zaid about eating her,** Creskulaban said **I had no idea something like that was a real fear among your people.**
Ammydt squinted “You have a herbivore’s mouth and dentition.”
Creskulaban smiled **We are herbivores. Ammydt Ran, I will not do anything to you without your explicit permission. Consent is a very important concept for us.**
Alloa said “So what’s with all the stuff Ammydt’s heard about you? Conquering this planet, Oz? Taking over the Federation?”
Creskulaban sighed **There’s a kernel of truth to it all. One of our homeworlds is named Oz. It’s from a Terran childrens’ book called The Wizard of Oz. We didn’t have to fight any Wizards for it. In fact, Wizard is the title of the Ane who must act as head of state for those who demand it. We didn’t need to take over the Federation. We’ve been part of it since the beginning. We helped form it in its current state. A few years ago, there was a corruption scandal. We went to Earth with a large number of friends to do audits and make sure that the Federation continued to run as intended.**
“Luxury Gay Space Communism.” Tahn Mos said very straight facedly.
**MMM told you, we make friends. We don’t take people over. Dominating large numbers of people sounds like a lot of unnecessary work, frankly. The image you have of us seems like it takes elements of fact and then twists it into a monster story. We find it funny, but also quite concerning. Ammydt Ran, we regret the distress this has caused you.**
Taking a sip of her beer, Ammydt said “How can I confirm any of this? How can I assure myself you’re telling the truth?”
“My account isn’t persuasive?” MMM asked
“We’re here. We trust you that much.” Ammydyt said.
Creskulaban said **You will have to observe us and the Federation in action over a period of time until you can verify what we say for yourself. Take your time to build up familiarity and trust. We will be around.**
Ammydt looked unhappy.
“You know we lost the Azzic House, right?” Shoma said.
Ammydt looked at Shoma, shocked.
“Oh, by the ancestors,” Alloa said, “Shoma, I’m sorry.”
“I’ve agreed to take a contract for the Federation. We’ll be running a cargo ship for them. If we can make that work for five years, they’ll give us a new ship of our own again.”
Ammydt took a deep breath.
“You don’t have to come along if you don’t want to,” Shoma said.
“The invitation is open,” Tahn Mos said. “I’d prefer if you did come with us.”
“We’ll have to pass their merchant marine academy and learn to be real space crew,” Noram Zaid said.
“Where?” Ammydt asked
“Far to coreward, there’s a place where a wormhole threw Orions and Klingons. It’s stupidly far away. The Federation is setting up a string of bases to the place. No one along that route knows about our histories. All our old baggage will be left behind.”
“We’ll look like we’ve been gotten by the Ane. We’ll be Federation aligned.” Alloa said.
“Who cares? It’s not like the Orion Sphere is generous and hospitable to us,” Shoma said “This looks like the best deal we’re liable to get. After all that’s happened, I think we’re due a vacation from the stress and the strife.”
Ammydt tilted her head “Working therapy.”
“Huh?”
“A theory of treatment I heard in school. The idea was that a lot of patients might be helped if they could be productive, and exercise their own competence in a safe place. It was only done in small trials.”
“Speaking of Therapy, Ammydt.” Losma Won said
Ammydt looked at her
“I cannot recommend an Ane Healer enough. Imagine remembering your whole life with a friendly presence offering support and perspective. I know of nothing in the Orion Sphere to equal it. Imagine someone who can help you from the inside. It’s wonderful.”
**Actually, I think we want to hold off on that,** Rendelelan said.
“Why?” Won asked.
**Dr. Ran saw us as monsters. She was more frightened of us than anyone I’ve seen in person. I’d prefer to give her time to get to know us on her own terms before we broach the subject of a Healer. I believe, that if Ammydt and Dr Alloa see us first-hand and get personal experience with us, they’ll be more open to a healing process. But for right now, the path of least harm is to let them be on their own terms for a while.”
“You don’t have to do anything with the Ane to stay with us. It’s not mandatory,” Tahn Mos said.
“Can we take some time to think about it?” Alloa asked.
“Take all the time you need.”
-*-
Toxi Imsok, the human member of the crew was similarly reluctant “I don’t need anyone in my brain, thanks.”
“Okay,” Shoma said, “You don’t have to.”
Imsok breathed a sigh of relief “Then I’d like to go with you.”
“Lovely!” MMM said. Then he turned to Creskulaban “When do we leave for Merchant Marine Academy?”
-*-
“I’ve been asked to show you something. Do you have time?” T’ari asked Shoma.
Shoma looked up from her educational materials. It was a struggle. Her education was missing great pieces, and the education AI had to find work arounds.
“I can take a break,” Shoma said “What do you want to show me?”
“The Ane asked me to show you what Oz looks like, in the holodeck.”
Shoma sighed “I don’t especially like holodecks.”
Tahn Mos said “This is a tourist holo, right? Just simulated people in a simulated environment? No game play or simulated violence?”
“Yeah, no, it’s not holodeck D&D. It’s just a simulation.”
Shoma got up “Okay. Let’s get this over with.”
Mos said, “Are you sure?”
Shoma said, “I can handle it for a little while.”
They left the temporary quarters.
-*-
They walked the holographic streets of the simulated Emerald City.
“This area is called the Green Ghetto,” T’ari said
Shoma looked around. Green Orion women and men populated the neighborhood. Signs in Orion offered shops and services of various kinds, with subtitles in Federation Standard. They walked around… being free with themselves. It was oddly idyllic.
Shoma found herself doubtful and when she queried the feeling she came to an ugly conclusion. She subconsciously didn’t believe that a population of Greens could live like this without devolving in an orgy of violence, drama, and mayhem.
“Where are all these people from?”
“All over,” T’ari said “A lot of them are escapees from the Orion Sphere. They’ve made this place their own.”
“The Ane think I’d like a place like this?” Shoma asked.
The Computer did a disturbingly good job of replicating the smell of a snack food shop.
“They want to show it’s available,” T’ari said “A Green place for Greens, without the baggage.”
Shoma scowled “I don’t need to be pandered to.”
T’ari pointed to a Mural. A Green woman, emerged from the sea, holding various symbols of freedom and holiness.
“Who the hell is that?”
“It’s the original Li’ira. She’s an Admiral in Starfleet now.”
“What?”
“She was responsible for setting up the original project. Planet Hell.”
“I’ve heard of that. Some Ferengi and Gold Orion sons of bitches buy up every slave they can get their hands on and then use them up in radioactive mines. My old boss and I sent some people there.”
“It’s an undercover mission. The radioactive mine pit is a cover. The slaves are dispersed into the Federation as refugees.”
Shoma gripped the bridge of her nose “Some of the people we sent were insane. Drug addicts, mentally unstable.”
Tahn Mos said, “Free healthcare comes with Luxury Gay Space Communism.”
Shoma almost hissed at him. That joke was getting old.
“He’s right. There’s rehab colonies all over the place where damaged people are treated as well as we can.”
Shoma said, “So the Greens here worship your sister as a liberator.”
“No. They’re teasing her with that mural.”
Shoma tilted her head.
“They’ve been hanging around with the Ane for too long. They treat anything related to political power as a joke to be mocked.”
“Huh,”
“It sounds interesting to me. You say one leg of our route will end here?” Shoma asked
“I’m not sure. I’m assigned to a whole different area of space.”
“How do they feel about Golden Orions?”
“The custom is everyone’s cool if you behave. If you act out, expect to get stunned. Or stabbed or both.”
Shoma saw the knives on the Greens. And stunners. “They make this work, huh?”
T’ari nodded “I’m told there’s some rough and tumble at times, but it’s mostly in the service of making sure this place stays livable for Greens.”
Shoma shook her head “I’ll believe it when I see it… in person.”
T’ari said “Okay. I was just asked to show you. Believe what you like,”
Shoma looked at T’ari “Where were you born?”
“I was born in a free trader in open space. Culturally, I’m Federation. I was raised Federation.”
Shoma shook her head “You wouldn’t last three minutes in Karabast city.”
T’ari shrugged “I don’t have to. I’m in Starfleet. I have to survive that.”
“We’re not friends just because you’re Green.”
“Sure. Maybe someday we can find a better reason.”
“You’re almost as bad as the Ane.”
T’ari grinned “Thanks.”
Shoma shook her head “I’m good. Let’s end this.”
T’ari said “Computer end program.”
As they left Tahn Mos said “Please forgive her. Holodecks are a sore spot for her.”
T’ari nodded gravely “I hope we meet again under better circumstances.”
-*-
Tahn Mos and Shoma stopped for replicated lunch. They’d be upgrading their education for quite a while yet.
Soon, they’d all be moving to more official quarters, and once school was finished, they’d travel to El-Nanth for hands-on training for the transport they’d be running for the Ane.
Re: MMM
El Nanth will be a treat. Greens broil too. Are you figuring Builder Station at the starbase or ground side on Glade?
And Ane everywhere in their truly natural habitat. In desperate control of the Federation, grazing, farting, chewing, staring into space, mating, running their fool head off, etc.. All the Evil Empire® approved activities.
And Ane everywhere in their truly natural habitat. In desperate control of the Federation, grazing, farting, chewing, staring into space, mating, running their fool head off, etc.. All the Evil Empire® approved activities.
-- The Innkeeper