Long Game 15: ...The Shards Themselves...

[Amanuensis he/him]

I'm curious what you mean by a Unifying Theory xD I feel like I should understand this term but sadly I don't

[Paranoid King he/him]

I think it's a single theory that ties the four fundamental forces together.

[Kasimir he/him]

I'm curious what you mean by a Unifying Theory xD I feel like I should understand this term but sadly I don't

In OOC blue:

My current difficulty is trying to tackle this theory called the JUSTA PIRATICA/Just Piracy Theory. While I agree with the conclusion (or at least for the sake of the paper, will be agreeing with the conclusion) that piracy is morally permissible under certain kinds of circumstances, the issue is that the guy I'm writing against used Just War Theory as a motivation for/template for the Justa Piratica.

 

So my issue is this:

 

1. If acts of piracy were committed as part of warfare historically, then one would think that they should be addressed by the Just War Theory. (In theory, Just War Theory would say they're not permissible, but that's a separate issue entirely.)

2. However, for acts of piracy now, they tend to fall under the Just Piracy Theory which really reads more like a Robin Hood Theory. But then, a Robin Hood Theory doesn't really cover piracy: in theory, it covers any type of crime, more or less.

 

So: why is there such a discrepancy, given they're both really piracy? How can one combine the theoretical resources of either theory and devise one theory to rule them all, one theory to find them one Unifying Theory that can account for both aspects of the same phenomenon? (i.e. that can unify these aspects under a single theoretical account/description?) That's what I'm currently trying to do, because it's sub-optimal and non-aesthetically pleasing and non-simple if we have two rather different and separate theories for more or less the same thing.

 

Edit: I now return you to your regularly scheduled non-programming, while I try to make this work :/

Edited November 12, 2015 by Kasimir

[Kipper]

Crap, I didn't realize this ended today. Wow. That studying really threw me off. In good news, though, my grade on that test, along with some extra credit, will take me up to an 105 in the class to date! YES!

[Wyrmhero he/him]

Day Shift 3: Time Enough For Paperwork

 

Sonder Kessligh sits at his desk in the Engineering department. He has a large stack of forms to sign, in triplicate, and then to send out to the different departments. He seems strangely content by this, however; His is the soul of a man who believes in doing what he is told, and today, he has been told to ensure no ambiguity in the repairs that the Hemalurgists and Surgebinders will be sent to carry out tonight, while the rest of the ship is asleep.

 

He is not one of their vaulted number, of course. The ship has not Invested heavily in Sonder, not enough to light the spark of any power. But even so, he has a role here, this he knows. Just because he cannot fuse broken wires back together with a Lashing, or dive into the core of a computer to discover its faults, it doesn't mean that he can't be helpful. He is a dab hand with his tools, slotted neatly into the belt around his waist, and he is very much a perfectionist, something highly desirable on a ship where a single mistake could kill all the people aboard.

 

But, he will admit, it is lonely. Watch as he finishes signing his name on the last of the goldenrod forms (moving on to the saffron forms) and, after the little flourish at the end of his name, he sighs. This is his task for a reason, and it is because he does not complain. He does not feel the ennui that most feel for filling out sheet after sheet. Indeed, he does it gladly, knowing that a proper audit trail is neccessary for the ship to function. He would much rather be using his hands for mechanical work, fixing and repairing. But he does not complain.

 

The door opens with its customary 'thank you', and someone steps in. Sonder does not even look up from his work, just holds up a completed form to his collegue. The man takes it, scans it over, nods, and heads off again. An efficient process of delegation and repair, all supervised by him, the latest in a long line of unlucky sods with nothing better to do.

 

There is a strange banging from behind him, which is odd. 'There is nothing behind me', he thinks to himself, for his chair is in a little alcove by the door, back to the wall. The ship creaks and groans at the best of the times, but this is not the same. There is a bang, heavy metal on metal, which makes him jump. Despite himself, he turns around, swivelling in his chair to look at the wall.

 

Suddenly he jumps back, some sense of danger commanding him to action, and not a moment too soon. There is a sound, a strange sound, simultaneously like a fire and an arc of lightning, and a hissing noise. A tip of metal-unlike-metal thrusts through the steel wall, and then effortlessly cleaves a path down and across. Then, two more cuts, and the wall falls apart into rubble.

 

'I'm going to have to find the forms that need to be signed in order to be able to get someone to clean that up', Sonder thinks, before realising that it's a little too early in the shift to start hallucinating and acting deliriously. He hasn't even had his third cup of advanced coffee substitute, for a start. Then he realises that perhaps his delirium isn't misplaced, considering someone is trying to kill him.

 

A Shardblade is not a surprise on the ship, but he cannot place the material. He can't even tell if it's a Spren-Blade or a more mundane Atium- or Awakened-Blade (if such things could even be called mundane). He does not recognise his attacker either, cloaked and hooded as they are.

 

Fight or flight kicks in, and he knows he cannot flee. The doors take too long to open, and his assailant can get to him anywhere on the ship. Instead, he decides to try and fight, and maybe make his escape through the hole the Shardblade-wielder cut in the ship.

 

He lowers himself, ready to make a run. His attacker takes a step forward slowly, biding his (her?) time. Sonder puts a hand on his desk and sweeps it across in a wide, high arc. Paper flutters everywhere, obscuring his attacker's vision. He jumps forward with the only weapon he has, hand immediately at his toolbelt and drawing a screwdriver out. He lunges forward, stabbing his attacker through the paper and attempting to spin them round, to flee rather than do damage.

 

But it is already too late. The Shardblade cuts towards him, shearing through the paper, cutting into his arm. His screwdriver lies buried in his attacker's arm, blood welling out of the wound, standing upright as a testament to how deep it has pierced. But the Shardblade does not stop at Sonder's arm, continuing through until it bites into and through his spine, continuing outwards as a physical cut rather than a more esoteric one, spraying blood and matter across the field of paperwork.

 

Sonder collapses, unable to even comprehend what has happened, his soul severed before his body even felt the blow. His attacker gives a small snarl as they pull the screwdriver out of their arm. Then they toss it onto his body, and walk away.

 

Haede Heatherlocke Incident Report, 31/01/513 AK, Day Shift

Report Author: Haede Heatherlocke, Head of Security

Officer: [Redacted]

Deceased: Neil Weakarm

Occured At: Some time between 10 PM and 2 AM, ship time.

Officer's Remarks: The deceased was spotted walking through the corridors after his shift had ended in a suspicious manner. Upon the officer attempting to open dialogue with the deceased to request reasons for his wandering, the deceased put a hand inside his coat pocket and withdrew a cylindrical object. The officer believed it to be a firearm, and ducked behind the corridor corner, shooting at the deceased from within a cadmium bubble. The deceased was killed by one of these shots.

Author's Remarks: Erratic bullet-marks at the scene are consistent with events as described by the officer. We are all jumpy at the moment, and rightly so, with the Captain's declaration of war on these traitorous elements within the ship. As such, no punishment will be handed out at this time.

 

Crew Manifest

1. John (IrulelikeSTINK) - A rules lawyer's client with a mission.
2. Gaius Tekiel (Orlok)
3. Adelor Ien Far-Astra (Alfa)
4. Wynde Wilson (little wilson) - A woman afraid of airlocks.
5. Tigger (Kipper) - T-I-Double-Guh-Err
6. James T Slade (Bridge Boy) - An ensign with delusions of Spook.
7. Inor Haze (Creccio) - BioChromancer
8. Pork (Paranoid King) - A pilot and board game fanatic.
9. Miral (Mailliw73) - Excited to be exploring the Cosmere - Hemalurgist
10. Cor Mordero (Alvron) - Petty Officer, in both rank and nature.
11. Arandar (Araris Valerian)
12. Rae Nova (Arraenae) - Possibly a death-seeker
13. Brega Daghar (The Honey Badger) - A man looking for opportunities.
14. Citoan Vinid (Shallan) - A naturally non-Allomancer who loves Allomancy - Kandra
15. Obsidibus Caesis Dormiam (phattemer)
16. Volke (TheMightyLopen)
17. Davenar Leiken (Adavantos)
18. Kaid (Kaid)
19. Doctor McClay (Clanky)
20. Neil Weakarm (polkinghorndb) - Forger
21. Elby (Elbereth)
22. HELLSCYTHE (DeathClutch19) - Uninvested - HI
23. Steph (QueenSteph)
24. The High Priest of Elkanah (Elkanah)
25. Dow (dowanx)
26. Sonder Kessligh (Kasimir) - Uninvested
27. Osmann (Zed)
28. Bort (Bort)
29. Ember Ghetti (Burnt Spaghetti)
30. Gylf (RippleGylf)
31. Bovinus (The Cow)
32. Biggoron (Biggoron)

 

Sonder Kessligh (Kasimir) was a Loyal Crewmember!

Neil Weakarm (polkinghornbd) was a Forger!

 

Day 3 has begun! It will end on Saturday at 8PM GMT. Once again, players may not send PMs during Day Turns.

 

Shift Clock

What are you doing reading this? Get to work!

Edited November 12, 2015 by Wyrmhero

[Elithanathile he/him]

Well. I volunteer STINK for the paperwork.

[Kipper]

Still voting for Wilson. WAKE UP, SHEEPLE!! She is the ultimate evil!

 

Edit: Elbereth, found that page with the Scattergories line.

Edited November 12, 2015 by Kipper

[Elithanathile he/him]

Um, I probably just missed a post where you explained, but I would like some reasons on why she is the ultimate evil. I don't want to jump on a bandwagon just because you say so. That would make me a sheeple. Maybe even a sheeple meeple. Bonus points to anyone who knows what a meeple is.

[Kipper]

Well. I could just c/p my post over from when I explained in some depth why I suspected her, but I'm on mobile right now, so yeah. You don't have to jump on my bandwagon. In fact, I would encourage you not to unless you have some suspicion of her as well.

[Elithanathile he/him]

I really don't have any suspicions of her, but then again, I haven't been watching too closely. What I do have on her is that she jumped on a bandwagon on Shallan, right? Didn't she explain herself though? Or something like that? It was a long time ago...

[STINK he/him]

Who knew just going on a ship meant so much work? 

 

He had just finished cleaning up the mess that Ember Ghetti had left all over the ship, who knew there could be so much glitter in space? 

 

" John! Another crewmember has died, Sonder a-"

 

" Woah! Why aren't we getting these people? Pretty sure this isn't normal space stuff, but I'm not sure"

 

" That doesn't matter right now! We had Sonder doing most of the paperwork, and we need someone else to do it. We all thought you'd be great for it" 

 

Why am I getting all these jobs? First a Lawyer, then a Cleaner and now a Paper-work guy? Space sure is great

 

" Uh, I guess I can do it, but someone will have to explain it to me first I guess" 

 

" There is no time for that! You'll have to do everything yourself, as I've got some traitors to catch!" 

 

" But who even are you? You can't just tell me to do something without telling me your name" 

 

" I am James T Slade, and no-one will stop me!" 

[Elithanathile he/him]

And no-one ever did.....

 

Edit: Not even Khaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan

Edited November 12, 2015 by Bridge Boy

[little wilson she/her]

Wynde walked through the the ship, eyeing the crew members she passed. A few, like Gaius and Tigger, glared at her with open hostility. Most just ignored her. She refused to let any of their glares get to her. They didn’t understand, nor would they ever.

 

She hummed as she walked along, a little tune she’d heard somewhere. She stared out a porthole watching the nothingness of space pass by. And then words came to her--words perfect for the tune.

 

“Look at me

You may think you see

Who I really am.

But you’ll never know me.

Every day,

It’s as if I play a part.

Now, I see,

If I wear a mask,

I could fool the crew,

But I cannot fool my heart.”

 

That much was surely true. She could see herself on the glass, reflected by the light behind her. She wasn’t sure she recognized the girl she saw.

 

“Who is that girl I see,

Staring straight back at me?

When will my reflection show

Who I am inside?

 

I am now on a ship

Where I have to hide my heart

And what I believe in.

But somehow,

I will show the crew

What’s inside my heart,

And be killed for who I am.”

 

She knew that was true. She’d be killed mercilessly. Tigger was already champing at the bit to get at her.

 

“Who is that girl I see

Staring straight back at me?

Why is my reflection

Someone I don’t know?”

 

If she’d wanted to, she probably could’ve fooled them all, but she didn’t want to.

 

“Must I pretend that I’m someone else

For all time?

When will my reflection show

The traitor I am inside?

 

Why must we all conceal

What we think, how we feel?

Must there be a secret me I’m forced to hide?

I won’t pretend that I’m

Someone else, for all time.”

 

She knew her time was up. The odds were slim that a kandra hadn’t scanned her last night, with the urgency Davenar had placed on that. Her cover was blown, even if she hadn’t been outed yet. She turned around, facing the crew.

 

“Now may my reflection show

The traitor I am inside.”

 

She refused to have death come to her on someone else’s terms. She’d face it on her own, choose it herself. She would gladly embrace that side of her that desperately needed to throw off the tyrannical rule of the Captain. Openly, without fear. It was who she was, and she was tired of suppressing it. The rest of the crew might be okay repressing the enslaving power of Heron Industries--that vampiric Megacorporation that thrived on sucking the life out of everything it touched--but she wouldn’t. Maybe, with her example, the rest would find the courage to throw off their bonds, setting themselves free of their slave drivers. Maybe.

 

She could see her death coming. It was so close. But death was only the beginning, right? It’s the next great adventure…..

“Now may my reflection show the traitor I am inside.”

[STINK he/him]

So Wilson confirmed she is a traitor basically, no need to lynch Wilson anymore. We leave the death of Wilson up to the Mistborn! Thanks for revealing Wilson (I follow a No-sarcasm policy in thread unless someone says they are being sarcastic)

 

Anyone else have any leads? 

 

EDIT: Also, the fun bit is that if Wilson isn't killed but is instead protected, then we know the Eliminators can protect! Course, now they have no incentive to protect...

Edited November 12, 2015 by IrulelikeSTINK

[Elithanathile he/him]

Well. Kudos to you Kipper. The ultimate evil is singing to herself wile facing her death with bravery. I hope you're happy.

 

But yeah, let's kill her anyway.

[Kipper]

HA! I knew it! The question is, was she actually Scanned by a Kandra, or is she just being sarcastic? Either way, I still suspect her.

[Elithanathile he/him]

The question being, do you want to remove the vote, and just let the mistborn handle it? But then who do we vote for?

 

Edit: If you ask me, it seems like Wilson did the reveal just a little too easy. Maybe she worked together with Kipper, he accuses her, she reveals, and he is trusted. Just a thought, but probably not.

Edited November 12, 2015 by Bridge Boy

[Amanuensis he/him]

She was actually scanned by a Kandra, but on Night 1. Kas was scanned last night so unfortunately that was wasted. I told the Mistborn to kill Wilson last night when I found but unfortunately he did not change the order from polking to her. With that being said it is really unfortunate we took our one of our loyal forgers now, and it's possible that Wilson is a Voidbringer or has an Elantrian in her team so it is best that we just lynch her.

For everyone's awareness, the Mistborn has decided to kill off inactive players until they have better suggestions. The list consisted of Zed, dowanx, the Honey Badger and polking. I encouraged him to get polking first because Zed is brand new so I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt, dowanx has been active in PMs and has given me a lot of useful information, and Honey has been AFK in both this game and MR9 so I reasoned his absence was a result of being busy in real life and not intentionally hiding. With that being said, Honey is next on the list, followed by Zed, unless we uncover another traitor

[Kipper]

No, I do not want to remove the vote. She is a Voidbringer (or at least that's what she strongly implied).

 

I think that she's either being sarcastic, or she wants us to not lynch her, so the Mistborn will try and fail to take her out. I'm leaning towards the second option, because that's what I would do if I was Voidbringer. Just say, "Ya got me, I'm not a Loyal at all. I'm a poodle. I like long walks and fresh flowers. I'm a Traitor, and now you can kill me at Night." Yeah, no. I'd rather get the confirmed kill right now.

 

I mean, you could look at this like a sort of obvious WGG. Of course, I'm not a fan of that viewpoint, but...if it gets me killed, I won't complain, because I picked out Evil!Wilson. And after I die, I'll have time to psychoanalyze her PM messages to me!

 

Edit: In case that wasn't clear, Wilson implied and then tacitly confirmed that she was a Voidbringer in our PM.

Edited November 12, 2015 by Kipper

[STINK he/him]

Her roleclaiming Voidbringer would've been useful info before I said that we didn't need to lynch Wilson, despite no-one listening to me anyway

[Alvron he/him]

Most disappointing.  I was hoping to be the one to out Wilson as having been scanned N1.

[Amanuensis he/him]

Sorry Alvron. I was assuming you were going to keep your connection to the Kandra on the down low as I am already a high priority target for the traitors. But yes, the Kandra told Alvron then Alvron told me

[Alvron he/him]

I was actually hoping Wilson might reveal some of her fellow traitors during the day but sadly she chose to reveal herself to the thread instead.

[little wilson she/her]

Most disappointing.  I was hoping to be the one to out Wilson as having been scanned N1.

 

....All of a sudden, our PM makes so much more sense. However, have you forgotten already what I said about choosing my own death? I don't suppose you'd tell me who the kandra is, eh? I swear I have no ulterior motives. 

[Orlok Tsubodai he/him]

Wonderful!

I've been highly suspicious of Wilson since day 1, and have been delaying because she is very good at providing reasons for her innocence, - but as I mentioned to Kas before his untimely demise and Kipper, I have been increasingly certain of her evilness.

I have been very busy with school work this week - starting history coursework, so in some ways am grateful that I don't have to write up the compiled reasons I had created for her alignment.