#stc chapter three

Chapter 3.3

"Congratulations to your wife for her first Destine."

"Thanks. I'll let her know you said that. She'll be pleased to know the Architect notices her hard work."

"Oh, please. We both know Moji can't stand me. And the feeling is mutual. So. Yeah. Ready for a peak at that Reaper life?"

"I still think I shouldn't be up here until my promotion is finalized."

"Urgh, that will take forever. Besides with A Great Update coming, no one would question what I do...

Now, I know you probably ate all that propaganda up about my Uncle Grim being the one that caused all the Great Updates and all the destruction."

"Propaganda?"

"Would you trust an Omniscient One who doesn't know why things happen?"

"Zena, should you be telling me this?"

"You're going to learn the truth eventually, naive Ravi. That's why your so called soulmate needs her Destines. So when you let her read your mind, we can program her to keep the company secrets. She's a liability, unlike you. She'll need to be controlled.

My lifegiver took on more than they could handle trying to run all these universes and we spend too many resources on keeping up this facade for them. The Cullings will only get worse. Your job as a Reaper will be nothing like the fairytale you heard about in the academy and the Fixer role you dream of? Your mother-in-law makes it look easy. But it is a nightmare.

Damn. This one is worse than I thought. OMNI!"

"Yes, Architect."

"Initiate Protocol Vanilla."

Chapter 3.6

"I hope you all enjoyed the Gala last night. This is my 5th out of 62 stops but so far, I've heard every gala was fantastic. Oh how I wish we could have all been together on Sixam like we were in the past. But with the Great Update going around at the moment, we cannot risk having all our precious watchers in one location. And I know you've heard some rumours, so I'm here to be as transparent with you as I expect you to be with us. Yes, some meta-universes were unfortunately deleted after the last culling. I know. I know. This is unprecedented with The Cube. We strictly focused on the work of the individual previously but as we move forward into a new age, we need to think more collectively. Each of you represent the best that your meta-universe has to offer. You are being trusted with the lives of our precious watched-sims. And our watched-sims deserve mercy. They deserve to either have the best that can be given or to be freed from their suffering.

So I beg you, my faithful watchers, to rise to the challenge. To give your all to The Cube for the sake of the precious pixels in your care and for the best of your loved ones back home who deserve a meta-universe filled with only the best. Study hard for the rest of the conference. The Cube will reward your work ethic. We couldn't do this without you all."

----

"Simgale! You're here. How was your date with your jailbird? Sorry, I mean your husband."

Comments like that make me want to take Odenna out for good. But not until I have a solution. "Odenna. Hello. I've been looking at the watchers and the meta-universes that you said failed the culling."

"I followed all your advice. I set the parameters for survival based on their capabilities only. Not my preferences. Console meta-universes were not unfairly targeted."

"At first glace, I would agree. But you're still giving challenges that would be difficult for base-pixels. Not every meta-universe can handle their watchers taking on additional worlds. You're still overusing certain colours in your instructions and moving away from the math and the function of the system to focus more on aesthetics. You're still creating an expectation for the best that favours a certain type of creativity that puts some watchers at risk. You promised to nurture watchers and their meta-universes. To give them space to grow."

"You told me to lower the barrier for entry. I did. But if they choose to come, they have to accept the risks and the expectations. Compliance."

"I'm all for compliance to whims and aspirations. I'm not for compliance to your idea of beauty, Odenna Libra."

"And I did not ask you for your opinion today, Simgale Sinclair. Wait! Wh-wh-what are you doing? How can you?

But the Destines!"

"Did the mismatched colour not give you a clue that they're useless on me? I thought I was giving you a friendly warning."

Zena Libra: Everyone, please calm down! We are having some technical difficulties but The System should be up and running soon. Servos, please remove the broken drones. The fire department is on their way.

"OMNI has made you forget who you're dealing with, Odie. I do not report to you out of fear. And my jailbird chooses peace over destruction. But if you refuse to keep the promises that you made when I built you this improved System to replace Grim's, I will quickly replace you. And you will not see it coming, Oh Omniscient One."

----

"I'm sorry, life giver. I thought they would -"

"Why did I even create you if you keep failing me? An architect that cannot build me the prison-world that I need because she can only copy what has been done before. That cannot build me a device to weaken or destroy immortal beings. Useless. Utterly useless."

Chapter 3.4

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"What now, Madam Sinclair?"

"We get to work. On the Duke Legacy."

"Umm, okay. That makes sense. I can line up some acting auditions.

I don't like writing anymore so I guess I could see if I would like acting again. Or if - Hey! What's happening?!"

"It's a simple reset, Ms. Duke."

"I can't move my legs."

"Your arms won't move too far either. I don't think you quite understand what it means to submit to The Cube, my dear. I did not ask you what you like. Or what you want to do. I told you we are working on the Duke Legacy. A legacy that had the potential to rival the Dynasties but you were too busy worrying about the wrong things. You have three children, Ms. Duke. Theodore will be taken care of but Harrison needs a legacy that matches what is given to his twin. And since you chose to have a third, you need to build a separate one for her as well. We will not be raising spares. We only raise heirs. Competent heirs. I made mistakes with Arnold and Philip and Nayeli that I will not allow with any other household under my influence. The twins will not be bickering for one Lund heir position as if their mother came from nothing. Learn how to lead. Stop chasing awards and recognition and trying to find the easy way out based on the skills you have now. Complete a successful lineage aspiration and turn your bloodline into a Dynasty. Do you understand?"

"Mmmm."

"Do you understand, Ms. Duke?"

"Yes, Madam Sinclair."

"Good. Now, with limited visitation rights, every second you spend with your children counts so you need to improve your parenting skills. And the Art Centre that your parents built in San Myshuno needs to be moved here. Your drama degree was a good start but it would not hurt to work on a business degree. You depended too much on your ex-husband instead of learning from him so you need to study and make some mistakes on your own. We are in vanilla lockdown, so I will not tamper with your needs for now. Get some rest and I will see you tomorrow. Good night."

Chapter 3.1

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Chapter 3.5

"Moji, I would eat only mangoes if you don't stop me."

"Please do, Coceaux! The neighbour will drop more tomorrow and Ravi's not here to eat them all. Take some back to 225, too."

"I would. But friend, with this vanilla lockdown, they're taking away

everything at the transporter station. And why isn't he here? Is it because of the promotion?"

"Promotion?"

"I heard he'll be a reaper soon."

He didn't tell me. But I thought his shield was down now. He's been blocking every thought about it? How is he picking and choosing what thoughts I can hear! Why can't I do that? "Ahhh, yes. Being a

fixer has been his dream since we were kids, so I guess the reaper role will take him one step closer. Anyway, let me get my in-laws so we can get ready for the gala. Zuri said this is the sim-year that she finally gets you on the dance floor!"

"I might take a step or two but after she fills me in on her legacy families. And don't think you're off the hook! You still have to tell me what the hell you're doing with Walker and Acadia."

"Friend, you know these pixels don't listen to me! Kady shook the cube! Twice! It's above me now."

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"So you're going to just stand by while Daniel Damian dates a watched-sim?"

"Wah yuh want me to do?"

"Stop him? Tell him to date his own kind? At least he has two he could choose from."

"He ha' two to choose from because we didn't listen when our parents said date your own kind. How ah could make dat argument now, Gale?"

"Kaiso, it's not the same. She'll be dead and gone before he even ages up to an adult."

"Daiz all yuh studying? The aging system? I have the hidden mermaid kelp. Ah could -"

"Please don't. You turn her and then the Libras will be sending reapers down here again. I'm not watching a bunch of reapers exit the save because our son can't find a mermaid or a meta-sim he likes."

"If you believe I'd win a fight, why don't we just fight them, Gale?

Be done with The Cube."

"And then what? Even if I create new worlds, we'll be back to you and your one tribe being protected while a power vacuum creates all other kinds of evil?"

"Me, my tribe, Moji, Ravi, Claire and you. I miss you. Yuh doh miss me?"

"Yes, I miss you. But we have to think about the bigger picture. You taught me that. Odenna is still doing a better job than Grim. I don't know why they took out so many pixels in the last culling but we're pulling through this Great Update better than any that came before."

"You know better than to trust what they report on paper, lover."

"And you know I'm better off believing something... Please talk to Damie. He got the war cry, so no Sarawak can contend him for chief now. And The Cube will be looking at him more than they look at you to see how strong he is."

"I should just train him instead."

"Kaiso..."

"You said the cullings are getting worse. The drones are getting quieter when they send them here. Some of the kids are listening to the folklore and getting more curious about life outside of this Savefile. And doh tell me to stop tellin' our history, ah water it down enough already. Lovah, change comin' again, no mattah what we sacrifice. Yuh doh think we could help more if we stop being so passive?"

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Chapter 3.2

"So you're telling me that even after your new best friend forced me to drink a romance dynamic dissolver potion -"

"My new best friend?"

"-you still had to go to Sixam to try to talk to another whatever type of sim or watcher or whatever that wants to decide my fate to try to convince them that we should not get divorced?"

"It didn't take much to convince them, Kades. You and I are -"

"Whatever you decide we should be. You do this all the time, Walker! You decided when and how we got together. You didn't even ask me to marry you, you told me to just pick a ring! You decided how long we should stay in Del Sol Valley. You decided that I shouldn't be around your family. I had to force you to let me have a relationship with your mom and then you got upset when I asked her to move out and made a whole big deal about it as if you wanted her around all the time. You decided you wanted to move us to Windenburg. And I don't even have a watcher who would defend me. All she cares about is bossy Walker and Ms. Carnival contract. You know what, Walker? I hope you two are very happy together. I'm done."

"What do you mean you're done, Kades?"

"I'd rather listen to The Cube and Madam Sinclair."

"Kades, this is not a joke. A divorce is not like you running off to Del Sol Valley to throw a temper tantrum because you didn't like something I said. If we're done, we're done. Outside of the kids, I'd have nothing to do with you. Is that what you want?"

"All I know is I do not want this.

Sorry, Walker."