#mobile;; attempting world domination
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UPDATE
;; Hey guys. Just poking in here to say I'm going to be working on my blog this week updating rules and such. I might go 'private' for a bit, which would just mean I'm only going to interact with those I currently am mutuals with (this includes muns with side blogs that I've interacted with). This will be temporary until I feel comfy again.
Ask box will always be open to anyone, but won't necessarily result in threads with people I don't follow.
I may also drop some threads/clear stuff out to start fresh. Anything I have muse for I'll keep. But I'm always open to new plots and things so just because something is dropped does not mean I don't want to do anything with you!
Anyway, I'll update more as I get rules and stuff down.
#ooc;; time for tea#psa;; thus it has been decreed#update on the hiatus#gunna be a bit private for a bit#safe guards and all that#mobile;; attempting world domination
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The tax sharks are back and they’re coming for your home
I'm touring my new, nationally bestselling novel The Bezzle! Catch me TODAY (Apr 27) in MARIN COUNTY, then Winnipeg (May 2), Calgary (May 3), Vancouver (May 4), and beyond!
One of my weirder and more rewarding hobbies is collecting definitions of "conservativism," and one of the jewels of that collection comes from Corey Robin's must-read book The Reactionary Mind:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Reactionary_Mind
Robin's definition of conservativism has enormous explanatory power and I'm always finding fresh ways in which it clarifies my understand of events in the world: a conservative is someone who believes that a minority of people were born to rule, and that everyone else was born to follow their rules, and that the world is in harmony when the born rulers are in charge.
This definition unifies the otherwise very odd grab-bag of ideologies that we identify with conservativism: a Christian Dominionist believes in the rule of Christians over others; a "men's rights advocate" thinks men should rule over women; a US imperialist thinks America should rule over the world; a white nationalist thinks white people should rule over racialized people; a libertarian believes in bosses dominating workers and a Hindu nationalist believes in Hindu domination over Muslims.
These people all disagree about who should be in charge, but they all agree that some people are ordained to rule, and that any "artificial" attempt to overturn the "natural" order throws society into chaos. This is the entire basis of the panic over DEI, and the brainless reflex to blame the Francis Scott Key bridge disaster on the possibility that someone had been unjustly promoted to ship's captain due to their membership in a disfavored racial group or gender.
This definition is also useful because it cleanly cleaves progressives from conservatives. If conservatives think there's a natural order in which the few dominate the many, progressivism is a belief in pluralism and inclusion, the idea that disparate perspectives and experiences all have something to contribute to society. Progressives see a world in which only a small number of people rise to public life, rarified professions, and cultural prominence and assume that this is terrible waste of the talents and contributions of people whose accidents of birth keep them from participating in the same way.
This is why progressives are committed to class mobility, broad access to education, and active programs to bring traditionally underrepresented groups into arenas that once excluded them. The "some are born to rule, and most to be ruled over" conservative credo rejects this as not just wrong, but dangerous, the kind of thing that leads to bridges being demolished by cargo ships.
The progressive reforms from the New Deal until the Reagan revolution were a series of efforts to broaden participation in every part of society by successively broader groups of people. A movement that started with inclusive housing and education for white men and votes for white women grew to encompass universal suffrage, racial struggles for equality, workplace protections for a widening group of people, rights for people with disabilities, truth and reconciliation with indigenous people and so on.
The conservative project of the past 40 years has been to reverse this: to return the great majority of us to the status of desperate, forelock-tugging plebs who know our places. Hence the return of child labor, the tradwife movement, and of course the attacks on labor unions and voting rights:
https://pluralistic.net/2022/11/06/the-end-of-the-road-to-serfdom/
Arguably the most potent symbol of this struggle is the fight over homes. The New Deal offered (some) working people a twofold path to prosperity: subsidized home-ownership and strong labor protections. This insulated (mostly white) workers from the two most potent threats to working peoples' lives and wellbeing: the cruel boss and the greedy landlord.
But the neoliberal era dispensed with labor rights, leaving the descendants of those lucky workers with just one tool for securing their American dream: home-ownership. As wages stagnated, your home – so essential to your ability to simply live – became your most important asset first, and a home second. So long as property values rose – and property taxes didn't – your home could be the backstop for debt-fueled consumption that filled the gap left by stagnating wages. Liquidating your family home might someday provide for your retirement, your kids' college loans and your emergency medical bills.
For conservatives who want to restore Gilded Age class rule, this was a very canny move. It pitted lucky workers with homes against their unlucky brethren – the more housing supply there was, the less your house was worth. The more protections tenants had, the less your house was worth. The more equitably municipal services (like schools) were distributed, the less your house was worth:
https://pluralistic.net/2021/06/06/the-rents-too-damned-high/
And now that the long game is over, they're coming for your house. It started with the foreclosure epidemic after the 2008 financial crisis, first under GW Bush, but then in earnest under Obama, who accepted the advice of his Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, who insisted that homeowners should be liquidated to "foam the runways" for the crashing banks:
https://pluralistic.net/2023/03/06/personnel-are-policy/#janice-eberly
Then there are scams like "We Buy Ugly Houses," a nationwide mass-fraud outfit that steals houses out from under elderly, vulnerable and desperate people:
https://pluralistic.net/2023/05/11/ugly-houses-ugly-truth/#homevestor
The more we lose our houses, the more single-family homes Wall Street gets to snap up and convert into slum properties, aslosh with a toxic stew of black mold, junk fees and eviction threats:
https://pluralistic.net/2022/02/08/wall-street-landlords/#the-new-slumlords
Now there's a new way for finance barons the steal our houses out from under us – or rather, a very old way that had lain dormant since the last time child labor was legal – "tax lien investing."
Across the country, counties and cities have programs that allow investment funds to buy up overdue tax-bills from homeowners in financial hardship. These "investors" are entitled to be paid the missing property taxes, and if the homeowner can't afford to make that payment, the "investor" gets to kick them out of their homes and take possession of them, for a tiny fraction of their value.
As Andrew Kahrl writes for The American Prospect, tax lien investing was common in the 19th century, until the fundamental ugliness of the business made it unattractive even to the robber barons of the day:
https://prospect.org/economy/2024-04-26-investing-in-distress-tax-liens/
The "tax sharks" of Chicago and New York were deemed "too merciless" by their peers. One exec who got out of the business compared it to "picking pennies off a dead man’s eyes." The very idea of outsourcing municipal tax collection to merciless debt-hounds fell aroused public ire.
Today – as the conservative project to restore the "natural" order of the ruled and the ruled-over builds momentum – tax lien investing is attracting some of America's most rapacious investors – and they're making a killing. In Chicago, Alden Capital just spent a measly $1.75m to acquire the tax liens on 600 family homes in Cook County. They now get to charge escalating fees and penalties and usurious interest to those unlucky homeowners. Any homeowner that can't pay loses their home.
The first targets for tax-lien investing are the people who were the last people to benefit from the New Deal and its successors: Black and Latino families, elderly and disabled people and others who got the smallest share of America's experiment in shared prosperity are the first to lose the small slice of the American dream that they were grudgingly given.
This is the very definition of "structural racism." Redlining meant that families of color were shut out of the federal loan guarantees that benefited white workers. Rather than building intergenerational wealth, these families were forced to rent (building some other family's intergenerational wealth), and had a harder time saving for downpayments. That meant that they went into homeownership with "nontraditional" or "nonconforming" mortgages with higher interest rates and penalties, which made them more vulnerable to economic volatility, and thus more likely to fall behind on their taxes. Now that they're delinquent on their property taxes, they're in hock to a private equity fund that's charging them even more to live in their family home, and the second they fail to pay, they'll be evicted, rendered homeless and dispossessed of all the equity they built in their (former) home.
It's very on-brand for Alden Capital to be destroying the lives of Chicagoans. Alden is most notorious for buying up and destroying America's most beloved newspapers. It was Alden who bought up the Chicago Tribune, gutted its workforce, sold off its iconic downtown tower, and moved its few remaining reporters to an outer suburban, windowless brick building "the size of a Chipotle":
https://pluralistic.net/2021/10/16/sociopathic-monsters/#all-the-news-thats-fit-to-print
Before the ghastly hotel baroness Leona Helmsley went to prison for tax evasion, she famously said, "We don't pay taxes; only the little people pay taxes." Helmsley wasn't wrong – she was just a little ahead of schedule. As Propublica's IRS Files taught us, America's 400 richest people pay less tax than you do:
https://pluralistic.net/2022/04/13/for-the-little-people/#leona-helmsley-2022
When billionaires don't pay their taxes, they get to buy sports franchises. When poor people don't pay their taxes, billionaires get to steal their houses after paying the local government an insultingly small amount of money.
It's all going according to plan. We weren't meant to have houses, or job security, or retirement funds. We weren't meant to go to university, or even high school, and our kids were always supposed to be in harness at a local meat-packer or fast food kitchen, not wasting time with their high school chess club or sports team. They don't need high school: that's for the people who were born to rule. They – we – were meant to be ruled over.
If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:
https://pluralistic.net/2024/04/26/taxes-are-for-the-little-people/#alden-capital
#pluralistic#chicago#illinois#alden capital#the rents too damned high#debt#immiseration#chicago tribune#private equity#vulture capital#cook county#liens#tax evasion#taxes are for the little people#tax lien certificates#tax sharks#race#racial capitalism#predatory lending
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Watching IFTV and it's really fascinating to see the way Claire's attempts at bullying bounce off Rei's thirst because once you get past the comedy of "Joke's on you, I'm into that shit", there's this persistent and perhaps even radical subersiveness to their whole dynamic, which lies precisely in the sense that it gets to act as a dynamic?
Claire's bullying is often an attempt by her to mobilize the apparatus of noble hegemony upon those she sees as undeserving and inferior, an act of humiliation in which she exposes and "corrects" what she perceives to be an irregularity in the hierarchy and therefore derives purpose by upsetting the position of another, a (dis)placement that draws upon the aspects of the public execution, the symbolic decapitation of a reputation, to re-enact and re-establish aristocratic authority in the theatre of classes and ideas that is the academy.
When Rei responds to this not by defending herself in terms of the dubious categories of essence or ability that have propped up this profoundly unequal society, but by doubling down on the theatricality of the ritual humiliation, by embracing its exhibitionistic aspects and transforming it into a heightened platform for the declaration of her queer identity, she accordingly elevates her queerness by its encounter with a hegemonic power that it refuses to be categorised or stereotyped by, and indeed subsumes the thrust of Claire's inquisitions and degradations into her gleefully transgressive play of performances (doubly relevant given that she knows she's in a game), attaining freedom through stock characters, writing herself and Claire into a complexity not afforded to them by the original text by flipping the script.
While Claire attempts to bring the abstract and lofty ideology of the aristocracy, the hyper-public common sense of inequality that is enshrined in law and culture, into the arena of public interaction, hoping to make an example out of Rei, to make an upsetting reality conform to the script she's been schooled in, Rei moves in the opposite direction, and brings the private into the public, politicising the otherwise concealed, downplayed or ritualised matter of sexuality and attraction into daily life where it cannot be ignored. While Claire strives to strip away what she sees as false pretensions to expose the true essence of people underneath, believing that it shall confirm the differences she's been raised to believe are inherent in the classes, Rei turns these attempts at revelation into a symbolic eternal striptease, revealing always another layer, another exposure that turns back on the one who hungers to strip away, turning their desire into a dependency, a "not yet" that lets Rei set the world to her own timepiece.
As such, Rei integrates at one stroke the fact that she loves women and the fact that Claire loves aristocracy, yoking the two into a similar level of political importance, the genius of which is that it works two ways. On the one hand, it renders Claire's bullying and class violence an act of seeming kinkiness and indulgence rather than the sacred duty of the chosen few, an "Oh my, not here, darling, you're so demanding today!" in which Claire is framed as a dommy queen going to great lengths to maintain the roleplay, an actor who clearly likes her bit in this French-nobility-themed drama a bit too much, hamstringing entirely any authority she might demand outside the context of the bedroom. On the other, by putting forth the perspective that all the ritualism and pomp of aristocracy is just that- rich kids playing dress-up and not at all the solemn proceedings of the gifted elite, Rei also strikes a symbolic blow against the cult of nobility, puncturing the gravitas with which they appoint themselves protagonists in politics, and exposing in her invocation of roles the possibility also that these roles might change, that any day now the next set of domineering and imperious rulers might not be of noble birth at all, and the day after the troupe may put on a different production entirely, forgetting in their fun all this now-outdated talk about empires and princes.
While Claire is of course initially incensed and disturbed by this, given that Rei challenges and erodes the entire purpose of her identity-affirming tactics of bullying and challenging usurpers, making her wonder if she is truly entitled to any grander obedience and special status at all, these ideas of fluidity and performativity might also represent for her a chance at change and escape, a route out of the crumbling palaces of a decaying royalty. If she is not in fact essentially and transcendentally the daughter of a noble house, then she also needs not act like one, and could be anyone she pleases and be with anyone she's pleased by. Rei's queerness therefore represents a challenge and threat to the entire system she is housed and mantled in, but also offers her a path to happiness as a person, a right to joy and love that is freely given to all who live and needs no grounding in nobility- indeed, it is only by the destruction of her mythos and iconography, that terrifying and liberating act of blasphemy, that she can become human and therefore go on to become a freak, the making-by-breaking that is promised by the queer revolution, a transcendent transsexuality, a metamorphosis that makes all reality into the cocoon that it shall soar free of, feeding-as-needing, desire as production and a new genesis.
In short, I Favour the Villainess boldly asserts that loudly loving evil women is a vital step in the revolution, and that's such an important message. "I Can Fix Her" as "I Can Create a World Where She's Just a Travesty and not a Tragedy". Wanting so badly to give a bitch head that you rescue hers from the guillotine. "My favorite Girlfailure was Marie Antoinette". Simply an excellent premise.
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On Gabe. (TW // abuse)
as a victim of abuse myself, everyone complaining that Gabe is not ''abusive enough'' makes me so enraged. just because we don't see sally limping with a black eye while blood is rushing down her face, it does not mean she's not abused. it's important to recognize that abuse can manifest in various forms, including emotional, psychological, verbal, and financial abuse and even more. it is not always visible or easily identifiable. abuse leaves scars that aren't always visible to the naked eye. stop pretending it is always black and white.
he is financially abusive: he is unemployed and seemingly devoid of any inclination towards responsibility. he shamelessly exploits Sally's hard-earned money and so, her efforts to secure a stable financial future for herself and Percy are callously disregarded as Gabe channels those funds into a destructive vortex of gambling.
he is verbally abusive to Percy: he always belittles him, undermining his self-esteem and sense of worth. Percy is barely twelve, living in a world that was not crafted for him, and he is trying to come to terms with that and there is Gabe, taking advantage of that. the psychological impact of Gabe's actions goes beyond mere verbal jabs; it seeps into the very fabric of Percy's self-concept. if you want to believe it or not.
he is okay with physical abuse: when Percy mentions he got kicked out for ´´assaulting a girl´´, instead of the expected concern or guidance everyone would expect, Gabe's response is a simple yet chilling "okay," delivered with an almost impressed and approving tone. rather than condemning the use of physical force, Gabe's indifferent response suggests that he too would be okay with it and that perhaps, Percy's house isn't the safe place he thought it would be. (which we know is true, if you have read the books)
he is mentally abusive: HE answered Sally’s phone and spoke to the principal at Yancy. Gabe, ever the puppeteer, attempted to extend his influence by seeking to control not only the household dynamics but also the very upbringing of Sally's son.
coercive control: in this scenario, Gabe is exerting control over the family's mobility by dictating access to the car. by making Sally negotiate, Gabe is asserting dominance and creating an environment where Sally feels compelled to seek his permission for everyday activities.
and I cannot believe that twelve year old Percy saw the red flags before some of you all -- who are grown adults -- did. Percy's recognition of the subtle manipulation tactics employed by Gabe showcase the emotional intelligence and observational skills that children can only develop when navigating difficult circumstances (shoutout to my psychology class).
so you know what? I think TV shows need more representation like this. the portrayal of Gabe as an abuser who initially appears harmless and quite stupid aligns with the reality of many abusive relationships because contrary to popular perceptions, abuse doesn't always manifest in blatant physical aggression or explicit threats. more often than not, it takes on subtler forms, such as psychological, emotional, or financial manipulation (as I already mentioned). and I am so proud that the show chose this narrative path because it sheds light on the less-discussed aspects of abuse. in my opinion, the show proves to be a valuable resource by deviating from conventional tropes in its portrayal. victims often hesitate to seek help when their experiences deviate from the expected narrative, and bystanders may struggle to recognize the more subtle aspects of abuse, perpetuating a culture of silence and impunity for abusers. so good job to the percy jackson directors, you got my respect. <3
#percy jackson#percy jackson series#JB is thinking about pjo#pjo series#percy jackson spoilers#percy jackson disney+#gabe ugliano#sally jackson#pjo discussion#tw abuse#narcissistic abuse
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Re: babygirlification of Kendall, have you written anything abt how the show handles the archetype of The Addict? I've found Kendall really compelling bc of it, particularly from the dsm/psych diagnostic critique lens that sees capitalism as responsible for perpetuating addiction thru escapist consumption. Do you agree that that's something the show is doing intentionally?
wow thank you so much for sending this—i've been wanting to put together my thoughts on addiction in succession for a while now.
capitalism in the 21st century, and therefore also on succession, is neoliberal in nature. although the show makes reference to overtly disciplinary institutions (the psychiatric hospital; military school), the mechanisms of control the characters are subject to tend to operate on more insidious, subtle, coercive lines. waystar is not a factory with a strictly rule-bound production floor; it's a media corporation, operating across numerous social and political domains and selling propaganda. it operates not through overtly punitive measures, but through largely seductive ones: stoking and then satisfying people's desires, guiding them ideologically whilst making them believe they're making such choices freely.
there's an element of this type of coercive, yet often covert, control in logan's relationship with kendall as well. kendall is allowed to ride a motorcycle—clinging to the back of logan's bodyguard. he's allowed to go up to the roof—being surreptitiously surveilled, and then prevented from killing himself by the installation of a glass wall. he has access to virtually unlimited money—bearing in mind that most of it is tied up in things like stock options that are essentially under logan's control. on one level, kendall can go anywhere he wants; he can look down at the city from the literal apex of his father's empire; he's a billionaire. but, for all of this freedom and mobility, we can see that in fact his choices are constrained and his movements coerced. logan employed a more overtly disciplinary hand when kendall was a child, but as an adult the means of control tend to run more along psychological lines, manipulating kendall's desires and limiting his field of movement while making it appear that he's freer than ever.
this is very much in line with the mechanisms of control favoured in cyberspatial capitalism, which operates by addicting its users: to sensory stimulation, to pleasure, to the endlessly deferred rewards of endless self-improvement. certainly disciplinary institutions still exist, but in addition there are also more subtle methods of keeping people in line, often relying on the financial threat of debt and the reward of addictive pleasure, or at least removal of withdrawal pains. even as the child of a literal billionaire, kendall is very much a 'debtor-addict' in this mould, as his father wields financial control over him and uses kendall's endless desire for paternal approval in order to keep him hooked.
to me the connection to kendall's coke use is clear. cocaine is the businessman drug par excellance. kendall uses it when he's trying to step into this version of hypermasculine dominance, like in 'prague' when he decides to team up with sandy and stewy or in 'vaulter' when he's ordered to shut vaulter down. coke is part of his endless attempt to self-improve, to self-optimise and ultimately to gain both his father's respect and the material, financial rewards of success in the corporate world.
where cocaine is concerned, then, The Addict as instantiated in kendall is not an aberrant individual with a unique disease, but the logical outcome of the control society's demand for self-improvement and corporate profitability. kendall's coke use is pathologised because he does it excessively and potentially dangerously, yet the logic motivating this drug use is all around him and is considered normal and unremarkable. so wrt coke, The Addict on succession is merely an extreme expression of the psychology of the control subject, pathologised for this extremeness even as the underlying affective and structural demands driving this behaviour go unchallenged.
a more directly escapist form of consumption is kendall's use of downers (seeking ketamine in the first half of 'prague,' asking for weed and oxy in 'austerlitz,' etc). these drugs are not meant to enhance his business performance or masculinity, and don't speak to his addictive need for paternal approval except insofar as he may seek them out when he's particularly miserable and doesn't want to think about it. in regards to these drugs, The Addict represents a failure in the neoliberal system of control, insofar as his drug-taking does not enhance his productivity but hinders it. for kendall this is not his primary mode of substance use, obviously, because so much of his fundamental drive is about his desire to prove himself at waystar and ultimately to inherit.
in both types of drug usage, though, kendall's addiction is a direct result of the affective and material demands exerted by a neoliberal control society. capitalism encourages consumption generally, and specifically it encourages kendall's literal drug consumption as a means of endless self-optimisation when it comes to cocaine. although the other characters on the show perceive his drug use as an individual and pathological moral failure, the show is quite clear in drawing these links between capitalism, control mechanisms, and the logics of consumption that create and drive kendall's addiction.
#ok i kind of just summarised deleuze / fisher LOL#thank you again for this though i really have been meaning to put something together on this topic for ages#a sandpit for emergent behaviour
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ReWrite AU: SA2 Basis; Dark Story
>>> 21:02 Prison Island: Within the Base.
It was deep within Prison Island, when several metal doors began closing shut, alarms loudly blaring throughout the base, it was the protocol procedure for an intruder.
There was an intruder within the base of Prison Island, as the loud speakers came alive with a soldier frantically sending out warnings. "Intruder Alert! Intruder Alert! Security breach at Gate 3! Intruder has been located in the north quadrant, and is moving in the direction of the underground base. All units prepare to engage: basic emergency battle formations. Standard battle formations initiated. Locate and stop intruder from reaching the security area."
The intruder was reaching deeper and deeper in the base, soldiers and robotic mechanics not standing a chance against the intruder.
"This is not a drill! Repeat; this is not a drill!" Came from the loud speaker again before it was cut off entirely.
More metal doors slammed shut, but the intruder simply fired his weapons at the doors, blasting them wide open, making his way through the base.
It was no other than Dr.Eggman. "Hahahahaha!! That was all too easy. Now, let's take a look at what my grandfather was working on; a top-secret military weapon. The military shut down the research because they feared it!" Eggman boasted, jumping down an elevator shaft, continuing to head deeper and deeper within the base.
From time and time again, he had been bested by Amy Rose and her companions, ruining his plans of a great and glorious empire, and world domination, but not this time. With this secret military weapon left behind by his grandfather, he cannot fail this time.
His plan of world domination will succeed this time, no matter what.
The military base kept its attempts at keeping the doctor at bay, soldiers, robotics, every security measure possible, but it was nothing compared to what Eggman had up his sleeve. It didn't take long until he reached Level 7 of the military base.
Approaching the security panel, he accessed it with ease, the panel lighting up and opening the doors to the final level. Eggman stepped through the doors once they opened up enough, approaching another terminal in the center of the room.
It showed a hologram of sorts, it had to be the secret military project! "Oh-ho! So this is the military's top-secret weapon. It's a lot smaller than I expected. Hmm, "enter user data"... ah, enter password. Password is: "MA-RI-A." Maria! Now all I have to do is to place the Chaos Emerald into this console."
Eggman pulled out the Chaos Emerald from his Egg-mobile, placing it within the console. Once it was inserted, the floor opened up to reveal another hidden level, the doctor jumped down and as he did so, a large mechanical pillar rose up from the hidden room sealed by the console.
Eggman could not help but let out a victorious laugh. "Oh-ho!"
One top of the pillar, stood a hedgehog. His fur was black with dark red highlights, blood orange eyes gazing down at the doctor beneath the pillar. "Who are you?" Questioned Eggman. "Are you a friend of Amy's here to spoil my plans?! But wait, that's impossible why would you be sealed here then-"
The mysterious hedgehog spoke. "My name is Shadow. Since you were so kind to release me, my master... I will grant you one wish in exchange for something I want."
Before Eggman could respond, another alarm began to blare through the base. "Now what?!" Exclaimed Eggman.
Shadow jumped down from the pillar, the shoes he wore were in fact air shoes, judging by how he glided with ease on the ground. "Behold the true power I possess." Shadow spoke, taking matters into his own hands as a soldier powered mechanism appeared in the room.
On its own, it would have proven a challenge for Eggman, but Shadow handled the military enemy with such ease. It took only a few simple attacks from Shadow before it exploded into bits, the doctor was thoroughly impressed.
This bought the two some time to talk. "Destroying that guard robot with such ease was spectacular! So Shadow, YOU are military's top secret weapon, but what did you mean you would grant me a wish in exchange for something you want?" Eggman asked.
The Hedgehog simply told the doctor to bring him more Chaos Emeralds, as he walked away, he told Eggman he would be waiting on the space colony ARK, within the central control room.
This surprised the doctor, judging by how he slammed both his hands down on his machine while Shadow walked away.
>>> 11:08 "Desert Area"
Within the desert, there were two arguing over the Master Emerald; Knuckles "Chaos" Echidna. The last Echidna who had a direct connection to Chaos, like his predecessor Tikal, and guardian of the Master Emerald.
And a bat named Rouge, she was a secret agent for G.U.N. who was currently working undercover. She had an infinity for all jewels and gemstones alike, the Master Emerald was no different. "Just... let it go! You just don't know when to give up, do you?" Rouge exclaimed, determined to get her hands on the Master Emerald.
The Echidna looked at her with confusion and wariness. "What're you talkin' about, that Emerald's mine! You got that? The Master Emerald contains special powers that neutralize the energy of the Chaos Emeralds; that makes it very powerful -- What the?!" Knuckles explanation of the Master Emerald was cut off by a giant mechanical claw coming down and snatching up the Master Emerald. It was Eggman.
"Wha- Thief" Rouge yelled towards the doctor.
"Look who's calling who a thief." Knuckles sarcastically said.
"I came here following the signal from the Emerald. If I'm not mistaken, this is the Master Emerald, is it not?" The doctor muttered to himself.
Now having a closer look at the emerald thief, it came to a nasty surprise for Knuckles. "It's you…Doctor Eggman…" The Echidna was at a loss for words, it had been some time since him and the others had to see or deal with Eggman. Amy even commenting the other day how quiet it had been without Eggman around, clearly she spoke too soon.
"So that's Doctor Eggman." Rouge pondered, watching the scene unfold in front of her.
"Well, I guess I can use it for something. I'll just take it with me. Farewell, Knucklehead." Eggman waved at the two below, fully prepared to take off with the Master Emerald.
"Not if I can help it!" Yelled Knuckles, as he proceeded to jump up and smash the Master Emerald into pieces. Rouge screaming in shock and disbelief at how easily Knuckles shattered the emerald.
When Knuckles touched the ground, Rouge did not hesitate to start strangling the other. "What the hell was that all about?! And look what you did to my emerald!"
Knuckles pushed her off of him before she could fully strangle him unconscious. "I did that to prevent it from being stolen, you idiot! If it's in pieces, I can restore it. And by the way, that's not YOUR Emerald" Knuckles reminded her, annoyed she was still trying to claim the Master Emerald for her own.
Eggman scratched his head, for one baffled how quickly the two forgot he was even there. And two, what was he going to do about the now shattered Master Emerald. "Hmm... doesn't matter. I'll look into it once I get back to the base."
With that said, Eggman flew away, heading back to his base, leaving the other two to continue their bickering and fighting.
"I despise anyone who takes jewels from me. All the world's gems are mine to keep!" Rouge exclaimed.
"Yeah, well we'll see about that, bat girl!" Knuckles responded, as now began a race between the two, of who could gather the pieces of the Master Emerald completely before the other could.
>>> 20:22 "Desert Area"
There were multiple military vehicles and soldiers in the area, as Eggman had to destroy quite a handful of them to proceed to his secret base without worry of being followed.
It was night time now, as the doctor entered his base hidden within the desert pyramid. Boasting to himself how they were idiots and would never think to check the pyramid itself for his secret base.
Once he was inside his base, he made his way to room that contained a warp device to the ARK, along with a huge high tech computer monitor and terminal. Pushing a few buttons on the terminal, the computer screen came alive with the current news broadcasting.
The news reporter on screen was struggling to not show panic as they spoke. "We interrupt this broadcast for an important newsflash. There has been a break-in at the federal-reserve bank today. Mysteriously, the only thing that was stolen was--"
"--The Chaos Emerald?!--" Eggman finished the sentence in shock and awe, that someone actually managed to steal a Chaos Emerald from such a heavily guarded place.
"--the Chaos Emerald." Continued the news reporter. "According to eyewitnesses at the scene, the suspect has yet to be identified beyond the fact it is a hedgehog. With no signs of the world renowned hero, Amy "Rascal" Rose on the scene, fear and worry grasps at the citizens hearts and minds. The suspect was seen fleeing the scene, destroying the reserve's guard robots in his path. Stay tuned for more details."
The rest of the news report cut away to show something else in the news. "Sounds like the work of Shadow!" Eggman exclaimed, as the another news report managed to record the face of Shadow in its report.
>>> Meanwhile in the City
Shadow stood high on top of a suspension bridge, overlooking the swarm of police units below. Did they really think they could stop him? "Hmph, how pathetic." He commented.
Suddenly he got a sharp pain in his head, as he looked at the flashing red lights of the police cars. A memory from fifty years ago was surfacing, as it replayed in Shadow's mind. He clutched his head, in pain.
He remembered running from G.U.N. Soldiers. How they shouted for the others to find them before they could escape.
They? Yes, that's right. Him, Maria, and…Sonic…
He didn't know what happened to the other, where Sonic went. He just grabbed Maria's hand and ran, ran through the halls of ARK as its alarms blared throughout. Both were panting from exhaustion, and panic, but they couldn't stop now, or a worse fate would await them if they were caught.
His mind went white before another memory came up. Maria was dying, she had been shot by a soldier that was chasing them, as she pushed Shadow into a capsule, shutting the glass over the Hedgehog.
She was bleeding out as she leaned against the control panel of the capsule. Shadow desperately trying to break through it, but the glass was made especially for him. "MARIA!!" He had yelled out, panic, fear, despair in his voice as tears were unknowingly falling down his face.
"Shadow…I beg you….please…." Maria spoke, putting all her remaining strength into staying conscious.
"MARIA DON'T!" Shadow begged her to not do this.
"Do it for me…For all the people…on that planet…Goodbye, Shadow the Hedgehog."
Maria pulled the lever, ejecting the capsule from the colony. The memory then faded back into a white void.
Shadow pulled himself out of his mind, looking back down at the people below. His fists clenched tight. "Maria... I still remember what I promised you... For all the people of this planet... I promise you... REVENGE!"
He jumped down from the suspension bridge and laid waste to his enemies below, no matter how many they sent his direction they stood no chance against him. He promised, he swore, he will have revenge against them all, not just for Maria, but for Sonic as well.
He cleared his own pathway through the city, standing on top of a 6ft robot labeled Big-Foot. He was about to demolish it to pieces with the soldier within, when the comms within spoke a familiar name.
Sonic.
Shadow smashed the front glass of the robot, grabbing the soldier by the neck, slowly choking him to death. "Repeat that, Sonic what?"
Scared for his life, the soldier did as he was told, in hopes Shadow would spare his life. "P-Project Sonic! H-He has awakened too-- s-same as you! H-He's in t-the city outskirts! That's all I know I swear!"
Project Sonic.
Shadow remembered, Project Sonic was created by a friend of Gerald Robotnik, the one who created him, as a counter measure to himself. A fail safe that would balance or destroy Shadow if need be.
Sonic was a hedgehog as well, but he was a bright cobalt blue with emerald green eyes in contrast to Shadow. He was given his name due to his sonic-esc capabilities. He could run at sonic speeds, nothing other than Shadow could come close to his levels in speed. He had a sonic frequency scream, it was always a hazard risk getting him to test it because of just how high and powerful the screech could get. And he could harness his energy to create attacks he labeled 'Sonic Boom' and 'Phantom Rush', needless to say the attacks could do some serious damage at his level of speeds.
When they had introduced Sonic to Shadow, they feared they would be enemies, that there would be hostility between the two, yet it was the opposite in fact.
With Maria around, the two became close, very close in fact. The word that was muttered between the scientists was 'lovers' to describe the relationship Shadow had with Sonic.
When G.U.N. had attacked all those years ago, Shadow thought he lost Sonic the same way, but it seems he wasn't the only one sent down to the planet in a capsule, just waiting to be awakened.
Shadow mentally thanked Maria for her last act of kindness. He returned his attention to the soldier, who was trying to claw out of his grasp but failing miserably. "Do not lie to me, when I ask where in the outskirts? North, South, East, or West?"
"S-South! Honest I-I swear!" The soldier answered in a panic.
"Thank you." Shadow responded, the soldier having hope in his eyes as the grip around lessened, genuinely thinking Shadow was about to spare him. The soldier barely had time to process what happened next. "Now die." Shadow crushed the soldiers neck like a twig, throwing the lifeless body aside.
Shadow pulled out the Chaos Emerald. "South…I'm coming Sonic. Chaos Control!" A green light envelopes Shadow; he is pulled across the area at an incredible speed, flying directly through the city, heading south.
Buildings blurred by as he continued heading south, the closer he got to the city's outskirts, the more he saw destroyed G.U.N. and police units. Shadow knew this wasn't his work, and judging just by how half of the destruction was cleanly cut in bits, and the other half was completely smashed flat, he knew it was the work of Sonic and his screech and energy attacks.
He sped up faster through the destruction, reaching a building that was barely standing, he stood on top of its remaining stand, over looking the destruction in it's entirety. He could feel rage, confusion, fear behind them.
Sonic must have woken up alone.
Shadow jumped down to the destroyed streets, surveilling the area for any signs of life, from the looks of it though, it seems Sonic did a number on everything as the southern outskirts were dead silent, activating his air shoes, he ran forward through the streets. If the other was in the southern outskirts, then he just had to keep going south and eventually he would run into him.
Shadow ran through the outskirts for about five minutes when he saw G.U.N. surrounding someone up ahead. He snarled at the surrounding soldiers and their robotics.
When he got closer, his heart skipped a beat.
"We have you surrounded! Don't resist!" Yelled a soldier holding a gun. He had his weapon pointed at the suspect.
The suspect in question was a cobalt blue hedgehog, who had streaks of white around his eyes and a long streak across the center of his eyes going all the way back down his center quill. He had white marks around his mouth, almost mimicking the icon used for volume sound. In contrast to Shadow who wore gold around his wrists and ankles, Sonic wore silver around his wrists, ankles, and neck. His right arm and leg were almost like water yet still completely solid, while his left arm and leg had a white streak wrapping around them in a downward spiral wrap around.
Shadow could tell Sonic had overdid it with his screech, his eyes were hazy and unfocused, a sign of using his screech one too many times in a row.
Something in the other snapped, seeing the soldiers take another step closer to Sonic. How his blood boiled with pure rage, how it consumed him, as his own appearance went from looking like a normal mobian hedgehog, to the center red streak in his quills became scales, the other red streaks hardening and spikes standing on the ends, his pupils became slits, his fangs grew, and his tail grew longer, spikes growing down it as scales became the ending point.
"YOU GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM HIM!" Yelled Shadow, as he disappeared into thin air, the soldiers frantically looking around for which direction that yell came from. Shadow then reappeared in front of Sonic, keeping him away from the G.U.N. soldiers.
The soldiers panicked for a second as their leader immediately yelled to open fire, but that couldn't happen, they barely had any reaction time when--"CHAOS CONTROL!!" --a powerful surge of chaos energy shook through the ground, causing an earthquake…no it shattered the ground beneath the soldiers and they all fell into the depths, a painful descent as the Chaos Energy sent pure electrocutions throughout them and their machinery.
A terrifying display of power, as it was all consumed by a cloud of debris. When the debris cloud vanished, Shadow was catching his breath. He had used quite a bit of chaos energy in his fit of rage.
Suddenly, Shadow felt himself being hugged from behind. "This isn't a dream right…? I'm not hallucinating, right…?" Sonic asked, hesitance lacing his voice. Scared that if he let Shadow go, he would vanish into thin air.
Shadow allowed himself this moment of relief, with no soldiers in sight or no indication any more were on the way, he dropped his guard. He turned around and pulled Sonic into his arms, holding him close and tight, as Sonic practically melted into his arms, burying his face into Shadow's chest.
"I thought I lost you…" Shadow muttered into Sonic's quills.
"I thought the same, when I woke up all alone in those green fields…what happened?" Sonic asked, still not fully awake from the fifty year long nap he had been in.
Shadow pulled away from the hug, but held Sonic's hand tight within his own. "I'll explain later on the ARK. Right now we need to leave before more G.U.N. soldiers show up."
>>> 22:18 "In the Pyramid" : Desert Area
Meanwhile, back at Eggman's hidden base, Agent Rouge has snuck inside. Once she saw the coast was clear, she reached up to her ear and turned on her communicator. "This is Agent Rouge, I've located Eggman's base and will proceed to enter it now." She said, receiving a 'Roger that, keep us updated, over' in response from the G.U.N. Agent on the other line.
Taking a look at the inner entrance of the base, she noticed it was heavily locked down, the door that led to where she needed to go needed at least three keys to open. She sighed. "Hah...I hate to say it. I guess I'm going to have to find that key first."
Luckily she wasn't an expert treasure hunter for nothing, she found all three keys with ease, placing them in the doorway once she was back at the inner entrance. Once each key was in place, they automatically turned to unlock. Giving Rouge access to the innermost workings for Eggman's base.
Eventually she reached the room with the terminal that Eggman saw the news report from along with the transporter to the ARK. She approached the computer and began typing away at it, hoping to find some answers within its data base to what was going on.
"This device-- gasp -- it’s a transporter with its destination set to the ARK?! Wasn't that space colony shut down, over fifty years ago? What's he doing up there, anyway? Doesn't matter. It's my mission to find out what he's up to!" She said with determination. She typed in a few commands and then stepped inside the transporter, once she was on it, the transporter activated, sending her to its destination.
>>> 22:41 Inside the Space Colony: ARK
Rouge was not far off Eggman's trail, as the Doctor had only been on board a few minutes. He was making his way through the twists and turns of the colony. "So this is the space colony ARK. I have to locate the central control room that Shadow mentioned before he left." Eggman said to himself, he needed answers on what Shadow meant when he left that military base.
He began to make his way through the ARK, unlike before where almost every security measure at the military base attacked him, it was quite a simple walk through in the ARK. Shadow must have been responsible for that.
Soon the doctor was at the center control room, where Shadow stood in front of a terminal with a weird device hooked up to it, and…he wasn't alone. "Shadow! What's the meaning of this?!" Eggman questioned.
The two hedgehogs turned around. Shadow taking the first initiative. "I've been waiting for you Doctor." He spoke, turning around and offering his hand to the mysterious blue hedgehog, who was clearly on the defensive towards Eggman, but clearly trusted Shadow. The doctor couldn't help but wonder who he was and what he had to do with Shadow. "Allow me to introduce you to my other half, Sonic. I'm not surprised he was not in the database of your research, they corrupted all his files in the system." Shadow explained.
"Your, other half? What does that mean exactly Shadow, that doesn't explain what you meant when you left the military base." Eggman further questioned.
"It means that he's my equal. You don't need to know anymore than that. Now, I will show the glorious achievement of what the world's leading scientist - Professor Gerald has created." Shadow exclaimed.
On cue, the device behind the two hedgehogs came alive. The doctor stared in awe as the device came online. This time, the blue hedgehog known as Sonic spoke, Eggman was surprised, for a second he considered the other couldn't talk. "The ARK was the first space colony created by mankind. Not many people know that the ARK contained a top-secret research facility, where weapons of mass destruction were being created. This is one of them; a weapon capable of destroying an entire planet. Codenamed: "The Eclipse Cannon." Sonic explained.
The doctor couldn't believe his ears or eyes. "Destroying an entire planet...? Was this my grandfather's legacy?"
"But, it's been deactivated for some time now…" Shadow stated.
Shadow pulled out the chaos emerald he had stolen from the federal-reserve bank, tossing it into one of the seven slots on the device. It fit perfectly in and the device loudly hummed as the chaos energy pulsed through it, giving it more power.
"To reactivate it... large amounts of energy are necessary." Shadow explained.
Suddenly it all made sense to the doctor. "Oh, so that's why we needed the Chaos Emerald. But what about that one thing in exchange?"
"Exactly. To reactivate the machine, we need the seven Chaos Emeralds. Once you have that, then you have the ultimate power of destruction, to use as you please. And then... the world could be yours. As for your follow up question, I have no more need for that exchange, what I needed is here with me now." Shadow vaguely explained, but Eggman could tell he was referring to Sonic, with how his body language kept ensuring Sonic stayed behind him, the other seemed fine with that, not wanting to be involved in the whole ordeal, clearly he has seen some things to warrant the trust issues.
Eggman burst into a joyful laughter. "Hahahahahaha!! Sounds like a plan! I like the way you think, Shadow! I will get the Chaos Emeralds, use the machine to dominate the world and build a legacy of my own!" With this cannon, his empire can finally come into being, and no one can stop him, not even that pesky Amy Rose!
"Do you really think it will be that easy?" A new voice from above spoke, having all three look up to the ceiling. It was Rouge, who was gracefully gliding down from where she was hidden.
Once she was within listening distance, she started talking. "I've got a great idea! How about making a deal?" She suggested.
"A…deal?" Eggman questioned.
"When you grabbed that huge Emerald, you said something about a reaction; a reaction that it may have with the Master Emerald. Now, if you could just let me borrow that radar, I may be able to help you. What do you think?" Rouge elaborated, a cunning smile on her face.
But Eggman was still suspicious. "If I do... what's in it for me?"
Success, she had him right where she wanted him. "I have an idea where the other Chaos Emeralds may be. I may not look like it, but do you know that I am a treasure hunter that specializes in all kinds of jewels?"
With that said, Rouge pulled out a chaos emerald from within her coat, leaving Eggman stunned. How in the world did she snatch a chaos emerald, not knowing what to say, Eggman looked towards Shadow.
Shadow simply nodded in agreement to Rouge's terms. So with everyone in agreement, Eggman turned his attention back to Rouge. "Very well."
"Okay then, it's a deal. I don't think we've been introduced. I'm Rouge the Bat. But, you can call me Rouge." She introduced herself as her and Eggman left the central control room to discuss further details and to give Rouge access to the radar, leaving the two hedgehogs alone.
"You sure were vague with the Doctor." Sonic said to the other.
"If at any point he becomes a traitor, I don't want him having an advantage over us." Shadow responded.
Sonic was touched, leaning his head on Shadow's shoulder. "Nothing my screech can't handle -- sigh-- you're really going through with this?" Sonic asked, needing to know for certain if this is what Shadow wanted.
"I promised, that day this is what I promised. Now, I can go through knowing her last act of kindness was not in vain." Shadow said, turning to face the other, with his free hand he rested it against Sonic's cheek, watching how Sonic melted into his touch. He leaned his forehead against Sonic's, just taking in the moment, letting himself forget the outside world, only focusing on Sonic.
"Those chaos emeralds aren't going to collect themselves now, where do we begin?" Sonic asked, no matter what happens, he'll have Shadow's back.
Shadow was grateful that through it all, he still had Sonic. "Prison Island, we'll set off before noon."
>>> 11:13 "Prison Island: Coastline"
The four were now within a forest of Prison Island, Eggman was not exactly pleased about being back here after the last time.
"Having to come back isn't my idea of a vacation! How can you be sure your intelligence reports are correct? Why would the Chaos Emeralds be here on the island? Are you absolutely sure?!" Eggman heavily questioned Rouge, who had been the one to lead them back here for the chaos emeralds.
"Well, believe what you wanna believe." Was all Rouge said, shrugging her shoulders. But her confidence is what made the doctor calm down enough to think.
"Hmm, very well. Let's discuss how we are going to do this. I will go in first and distract the military troupes, allowing you to sneak in the base without being detected." The doctor began to explain, he then pointed at Shadow. "Then, Shadow will... enter the armory, where he will set the timer on these dynamite packs. Once that is in place, we will blow up the whole island before anyone has a chance to know what hit them!" He then pointed to Rouge. "Meanwhile, you will sneak into the cargo area and grab the Chaos Emeralds. That's a challenge for such a worthy treasure hunter as yourself, isn't it bat-girl?"
Rouge simply saluted with a wink towards Eggman.
"Don't think I forgot about you, Sonic." Eggman then pointed his attention to the cobalt blue hedgehog. "I have a sneaky suspicion a thorn in my side will show up and try to stop us. I want you to be on the look out for them." Eggman explained.
Sonic looked at the other with a arched eyebrow. "And this thorn in your side is??" He dragged out, emphasizing for Eggman to further elaborate who he was talking about.
"Her name is Amy "Rascal" Rose, she's a hedgehog like you, a pink one, and you could say she's the hero of this world. She's been nothing but a thorn in my side with her companions, an echidna named Knuckles, and a twin tailed fox named Tails. Your job will be to keep them from disrupting our plans before the island blows up, got it?" Eggman concluded.
Sonic just nodded.
"We only have thirteen minutes to pull this mission off, and we only get one try; so don't fail me!" With that final statement from Eggman, everyone left in separate directions.
The first step of the plan was going accordingly, the military troupes put all their attention on Eggman and his path of destruction, that the other three went completely unnoticed. Eventually Eggman had cleared out the entire port of the base.
This allowed him to regroup with Sonic, who was at the other end of take off zone of a G.U.N. battleship, Shadow and Rouge had already snuck inside, so he was left to stay watch.
>>> On the G.U.N. Battleship
"Okay, everyone ready? Shadow, Rouge, on with the show!" Eggman spoke into the comms. Just as the doctor finished his sentence, a hauntingly familiar hammer came flying towards him from behind, the only reason it didn't hit him was because Sonic reacted much quicker and kicked it away mid air.
"I knew you were behind this, Eggman!" It was her, Eggman couldn't mistake that voice anywhere, as he turned around in his Egg-Mobile. Sure enough, there was Amy, in her iconic red headband and her playing card styled dress.
"What are you doing here on a military base?!" She demanded, clearly he was up to no good as usual, but never to this extent.
"I'm the one who should be asking that question! Never mind that, I have more important matters to attend to, she's all yours Sonic, don't let me down." Eggman said, taking off in the opposite direction of the two.
"Hey! Where do you think you're going?!" Amy yelled, as she tried to give chase after Eggman, but was stopped by Sonic cutting in front of her. "What the- he's so fast…" Amy whispered in awe at the blue hedgehog's speed.
"That hammer of yours in no joke, I hope you can put up a good fight." Sonic said, before taking off at his high speeds, attacking Amy from every side.
Amy was quick with her reactions, while she had trouble keeping her eyes on the blue blur, she could sense when he stopped to attack and she could then block him with her hammer. But currently that's all she could do, was block. The other was purposely trying to keep her from being able to properly dodge or attack.
It was sooner than later that he kicked her hammer out of her hands, and had his hand at her throat, prepared to stab through if she tried anything funny. "You're very impressive, only one other can block my speed attacks." He praised.
"Why?" Amy asked, panting from the constant attacks. "Why are you working with Eggman of all people? Don't you know he's the bad guy? And why don't you kill me?"
The question made Sonic hesitate, a barely visible startle came out of him. "My orders were to keep you at bay, not kill you." Sonic answered.
But that didn't answer Amy's other question. "You don't look like a bad guy, so why are you helping one?" She asked again.
"I'm not helping HIM. Don't compare me to the likes of him." Sonic spat, clearly she hit a nerve there. But if he isn't helping Eggman like he claims then who?
In his eyes, Amy could see confusion, hurt, scared even. But most of all, she could see doubt in those emerald green eyes. " --deep breath-- Why don't you help me stop him? You really look like you have a kind heart, so why not team up and defeat Eggman together?" She asked, slowly offering her hand to the other, a gentle smile on her face.
Sonic clearly didn't expect this supposed "thorn" in Eggman's side to offer him kindness and compassion. He dropped his hand from where he had it pointed at her neck, her kindness reminded him of someone familiar…her smile, it was like Maria's.
"I see why you're the hero of this world, your compassion is boundless." He said, Amy taken aback by the statement.
"I just believe everyone deserves a second chance if they are willing to try." She responded.
For a moment, Sonic considered the offer, taking her hand, but he smacked it away. Surprising the other. "Unfortunately, you may not show my equal the same compassion. I will not fall victim to your tricks and deceptions."
Sonic jumped back, and was prepared to attack, when a vehicle suddenly landed between them. It was the twin tailed fox Eggman had mentioned, Tails.
"Boy, am I glad to see you! You're timing couldn't be more perfect Tails!" Amy boistered, relief that Tails showed up in the knick of time.
The fox wore a technical visor on his left eye, along with a dark blue jacket. "You're the one that was impatient and couldn't wait for my map to load in." Tails said sarcastically. Amy letting out a nervous laugh, as she shrugged in response to Tails. "Leave him to me Amy, you go after Eggman!"
"Roger that Tails." Amy took off after that, grabbing her hammer and leaving the mysterious hedgehog to Tails.
>>> In the Security Hall
"I'm in position, doctor. Tell me when." Shadow spoke from his comms, waiting for the signal to set the timer on the explosive.
"There's been an unexpected delay on my end. There's no more time to waste. Set the timer for 15 minutes! Let's go, Rouge!" Eggman yelled from his comms, you could clearly hear him being chased by more military troupes in the background.
"Five minutes should be plenty! Here I go!" Rouge exclaimed, having entered the secured storage room with ease. With a leap, she landed on the walkway of the storage room from where she had hidden, and began her search immediately.
Sure enough, five minutes was more than plenty, as in two minutes she had found all three chaos emeralds that had been hidden and stored away on the base. Honestly it felt too easy, and she would be correct.
As when you was just about to leave the storage room, a large military robot appeared and blocked her escape. Flying dog could be read on its side. "Looks like I'll have to get my hands dirty for this one." She said, hiding away the chaos emeralds, and prepared to fight the robot.
It was big, but it was no match for Rouge and her cunning skills, it didn't stand a chance against her
Air-born attacks and soon collapsed into a pile of rubble.
Unfortunately, sometime during the fight, the room got locked down, it was sealed tight with no way out. She couldn't die here, not when she was so close. "This is Rouge. I've got a small problem... I can't believe that I'm trapped inside this locked safe with the Chaos Emeralds! I guess I won't be able to call myself a treasure hunter anymore…" She spoke into her comm, unwillingly admitting defeat.
>>> In the White Jungle
The one that caught this first, was Shadow who had been walking back through the jungle.One of the dynamite packs that Shadow set is at "00:09:54" until its detonation. Shadow pauses, thinking of Rouge, and then he recalls how Maria was in the same situation; laying helpless against a wall, waiting for her own inevitable death to come.
"Ah... shoot. Troublemaker!" He said, turning around and heading back to the base for Rouge and the chaos emeralds.
He flew through the jungle at record speed, he was nearly back at the base when he got met with an obstacle. That pink hedgehog Eggman warned them about.
She looked up at where Shadow stood on a tree branch. "Are you that guy's friend? The one he called his equal?" She asked, but was on the defensive, prepared to attack. Just like Sonic, this guy looked like no joke but unlike Sonic, this one looked fully ready to kill without hesitation.
"You dare speak of him? Hah! You think you're worthy enough to speak of him?" Shadow spoke.
"Wow you're very egotistical for a fake hedgehog!" Amy retorted.
"Faker? I think you're the fake hedgehog around here." Shadow said, a smirk on his face.
"Well then, why don't you come down here and say it to my face!" Amy yelled.
Shadow jumped down to the ground. "If you insist." With that said, the two began to duke it out.
Shadow had to give it to Amy, she was a very skilled fighter. That hammer of hers was extremely heavy to the average person, but she wielded it like it was nothing, as she swung it with skill and grace at Shadow.
But Shadow was quicker, dodging each swing like nothing. He didn't have time for this, so with a swift kick, he knocked the hammer out of Amy's hands, before spin dashing towards her when she was distracted.
The dynamite now read 00:01:25, as Amy was caught between a rock and hard place, the two hedgehogs panting from their fight. Suddenly, Shadow's radio starts to beep. It was the doctor again. "Shadow?! What are you doing?! Get back here right now before the island blows up with you on it!"
"I'm sorry- Blows up?!" Amy exclaimed in shock. Shadow looked at her, but then jumps back and runs off. With the dynamite at 00:00:56, he makes it into the security vault where Rouge is. She looks surprised that he came, and he runs to her. He reaches his hand out to the Emeralds at he gets closer.
"Chaos Control!" He yelled.They both warp out of the vault, barely making it out before the dynamite packs - which reads 00:00:03 - blow up. The dynamite that Shadow set blow up the island, and a blast obscures all sight of the isle, covering it from end to end.
>>> ARK
Shadow stood alone in one of the many rooms of the ARK, staring at the planet below. He was reminiscing, as another memory came back to him after saving Rouge back on the island.
He remembers standing in front of this very window back then, with Maria by his side. How curious she was about the planet below. "Shadow, what do you think it's like on earth?" The conversation he had with her back then still so clear.
"The professor said his life's work was dedicated to all of those who live down there. He once told that the reason for his existence was, making people happy through the power of science." He had responded to her.
"Shadow…"
"Maria... I just don't know anything anymore... I often wonder why I was created; what my purpose if for being here. Maybe if I go down there, I... I will find the answers... maybe... ...Maria…" Was what he had said back then.
The memory faded from his mind, when he heard the metal door way open. It was Rouge and Sonic.
"Why so melancholy?" She asked Shadow. Shadow paused, he didn't say anything as the two got closer, Sonic more closer as he entwined his arms around Shadow's. Shadow returning the gesture and holding the other's hand.
Rouge chuckled. "It's cute what you two have. That was so unexpected. So unlike you, Shadow, to come and rescue me. But your ability to use the Chaos Control, certainly comes in handy." She offered in compliment to the other.
"Hmm, you know... I didn't come to save you. I came back for the Chaos Emeralds." Shadow deflected.
"Yeah, yeah. But then again, that's not the whole story, now, is it?" She questioned, trying to get one of the two to open up. But in that moment, Eggman walked into the room, stretching his arms, entering the room with a sigh.
"Everything is ready to go!" Eggman proclaimed.
Rouge was skeptical. "Are you sure? We only have six of the seven Chaos Emeralds, you know." She tried to reason with the doctor, contemplating the what if's the could occur without its full power source activated and in place.
"That's more than enough for the demonstration. So let's get this show on the road!" Sonic said, with a unreadable smile on his face, leading Shadow out of the room with him. The two walking to Eggman, and he steps out of his way, looking a tad surprised.
The two walked the hallway towards the control center room alone, giving them a moment to speak their minds. "I don't like how impatient he is. How power hungry he is, he's nothing like the Professor." Sonic said with a tch in his tone.
"Just a little more, and then we won't have to worry about it." Shadow reassured his other half, gently kissing Sonic's hand that was entwined with his.
"I really hope you know and understand what you're doing Shadow." Sonic sighed, the two entering the control center room, now they just had to wait.
>>> The Eggman Empire. "Day X 18:00"
It was nighttime in the city, when the giant television above the city came alive. Eggman has projected himself onto every television across the world.
"Bwahahahaha!! Citizens of earth, lend me your ears and listen to me very carefully... My name is Doctor Eggman, the world's greatest scientist and soon to be the world's greatest ruler. Now witness the beginning of the greatest empire of all time! Hahaha!" He proudly exclaimed.
In outer space, an asteroid cracks its lower half off, revealing a design reminiscent of Eggman's face. The 'nose' area splits apart into four stems, at the center of which is the Eclipse Cannon. The four stems begin radiating an energy net, which the Cannon launches straight through the sky at the Moon. Its side is completely torn off, and fire can be seen inside.
It sent fear into the hearts of everyone in the planet, as the last thing they heard from the projection that was being televised- "Bwahahahahaha! Bwahahahaha!!" Was Eggman's maniacal laugh, as a timer counting down from 24:00:00:00 appears on the televisions; when it times out, the Cannon will fire again, this time at earth.
>>> Back on the ARK
For such a grand display and speech,Eggman is currently hitting the terminal for the Cannon in frustration. This baffled Rouge. "Why are you so upset? Well that was really impressive. You managed to create complete havoc on the whole planet! Does this now mean we control the planet and can do as we choose?" She asked.
Shadow walked into the terminal room at that moment. "At this rate, the cannon will take too much time to charge up. If you want to unleash its full potential, you'll need all seven Chaos Emeralds." He explained.
"Where in the world have you been?!" Eggman demanded, getting a silent glare from the other.
Rouge looked around, not seeing Sonic who was normally glued to Shadow's side. She looked at Shadow. "Something happened?" She asked. Shadow caught what she was really asking, but he wasn't letting the doctor in on that conversation. "Our threats fell on deaf ears." He bluntly stated.
Rouge turned her attention back to Eggman, knowing she wasn't going to get anywhere with Shadow. "Look at you, throwing a tantrum like a little kid. How totally embarrassing."
The doctor was not having this. "Don't forget your end of the bargain, Bat-girl! What about that last Chaos Emerald?! We had a deal, right?! So where is my Emerald?" He egged on, pun not intended.
With her signature smile, she held out a newspaper in front of Eggman. "Here you go. I found this!" She said with a smug grin on her face.
Eggman was in shock. "Why didn't you show me this before?!" He grabbed the newspaper. "What's this...? "Station Square saved from a life-threatening missile attack. The city has awarded its famed prize to the boy who saved Station Square... Miles 'Tails' Prower was given the Chaos Emerald as a testament of his heroic deed at a ceremony held at city Hall." He cleared his throat. "This makes things a whole lot easier. Hurry, go back to earth and find them fast! I want that Chaos Emerald!!" The doctor leaving the room, ranting on about his big empire plans.
Rouge looked towards Shadow. "Did you get that?"
Shadow was muttering to himself though. "Soon enough... Maria…"
Rouge was a little surprised, as Shadow walked away towards the exit. She waited to be sure the other two were gone, once the coast was clear, she pulled out her radio and began talking. "This is Rouge reporting. Currently, I have not been able to confirm if Shadow is the Ultimate Life Form or not. I will continue my research on Project Shadow, and have a follow-up report very shortly. Just a reminder... don't forget about my jewels." She could have mentioned Sonic, but he wasn't on file nor part of the job description. Her mission was Project Shadow.
"A double agent? Can't say I'm surprised." A voice spoke once she shut off her radio. Rouge could have sworn the coast was clear, but then again, Sonic was the textbook definition of speed.
She looked up and saw him sitting on top of the terminal's monitor. "How much did you hear?" She asked, on the defensive if he tried anything funny.
Sonic simply tilted his head at her, those emerald green eyes staring right through her. "Enough, that I could easily tell Shadow. But frankly speaking--" He jumped down from the monitor and was now directly in front of Rouge. "-- I don't care that you're an agent. What you do isn't my business." He said nonchalantly, shrugging at the end of his sentence.
"But?" Rouge prodded on. There was a catch, there had to be a catch. There's no way Sonic was just going to leave it at that.
"But word of advice, report back anything that will have those agents chasing after him or me, you'll be the first one I target." Sonic's tone left no room for disagreement. Those eyes felt so soulless as they looked directly at Rouge's.
"Keep that in mind, and I'll play along. I'm just here for Shadow after all, what the rest of you do is not my problem." Sonic ended, and then proceeded to leave the room.
Rouge couldn't help but wonder just what was Sonic's deal.
>>> Sky Rail's vicinity
Shadow stood on top of a small pillar, walkie talkie in hand as he looked up towards the sky. He raised the comm to his head, it came alive with Rouge reporting from her side. "Shadow! They're in that blue plane, spotted at 11 o'clock!"
"Copy that, I'm in pursuit." Shadow responded, ending the communication and giving chase after the blue plane.
Shadow gave chase, until he saw the blue plane going over Eggman's base, he made a full stop and contacted Eggman on the comms. "Doctor, they're heading directly toward us. What should we do?"
"Just sit tight, I've got them on radar. There's no way they can get away! I don't know what they are planning, but I'll be sure to give them a warm welcome." The doctor was confident in his plan as he ended the communication. He just had to wait his time patiently, let those little pests think they got the upper hand.
>>> 14:58 "In the pyramid"
Eggman was honestly enjoying them find all the keys needed to access the inside of his pyramid base. None of them even questioning why the keys were so easy to find and in such interesting places. He could hear them conversing in the distance.
"Huh… That was pretty rough." That was clearly Knuckles, Eggman watched as he hunted down all three access keys.
"We did it! Let's go Amy!" Tails was cheering.
"Yeah! Let's finish this!" Amy had agreed with just as much enthusiasm.
Oh but Eggman wasn't just about to let them have their perfect victory, their surprise looks on their faces when he appeared before them was proof enough that they thought they were being sneaky. "You little thieves! Did you really think you could get out of here alive?"
He had them right where he wanted them. But of course they wouldn't go down without a fight. As Amy was quick to draw her hammer. "Come and get some, Eggman!"
"Amy wait!" Tails tried to reason with her. But she offered the other one of her reassuring smiles. "Just leave it to me! You and Knuckles get out of here!"
"This time, I'll take your lives as well as the Chaos Emerald. I call on you to destroy these pests. Come out, my servant!" Eggman called out, the ground began to shake, as from the sands in the center of the room ahead, a giant Egg Golem ascended.
"Impressive Eggman, but that's just a giant piece of rock ready for my hammer!" Amy yelled, as it looks down at her. The Egg Golem easily towers over the room.
"Now go… and squash that thorn of a hedgehog, Amy!" Eggman commanded his golem. Watching as the battle commenced. This was it, this is where he gets his final victory against Amy and her pesky friends.
Or so he thought, but Amy was smart, as she jumps at the Egg Golem's Head, and smashes her hammer on top of its head, destroying the device that was on top of it. "Ha! Home run!" She proclaimed victoriously.
It was like slow motion as the device on the Golem's head exploded once Amy had smashed it to pieces, and the Egg Golem swivels its head around several times. Amy taking her leave to catch up with her friends, leaving Eggman to deal with the fallout of his failed attempt.
"When Amy struck his head, she must have broken the restraining mechanism! Arrgh! What a piece of junk!" The doctor loudly complained as the Egg Golem's head stopped spinning in circles.
Once it stopped, the Egg Golem looks down at Eggman, and starts to reach for him. Oh this is not good. "No!" Eggman yelled.
While Eggman was dealing with the now freed Golem. The pyramid's top opens up, revealing a large rocket. An automatic voice could heard once the rocket was in place. "Green light for launch! Primary engine ignition on! Beginning lift-off countdown!" In the distance, Amy could be seen running onto the rocket. " 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Shuttle lift-off!"
And just like that, the rocket took off for its destination. The ARK.
>>> ARK: Central control room / Cannon countdown: 2 hours 7 seconds
Back on the ARK, Rouge was once again in the control room containing the eclipse cannon. She was currently talking to Eggman on the communication lines. "Hi doctor. How's it going? What! What do you mean they escaped? That's OK. I will go after them myself. Can you tell me the password for the space colony control?"
Ever the fool Eggman was, as he easily gave her the password without a thought. She quickly ended the communication once she got the information she needed. Rouge couldn't help but giggle on how predictable Eggman was. "Hmm… tricking that old doctor is just too easy! Alright, it's time to get to work. The password is "MA-RI-A". Maria… hmmm? I've heard that name somewhere before. Oh well…"
She wasn't here to debate on what names were familiar. She was her for her mission, as she began search through large groupings of data on the monitor, but being the keen treasure hunter and agent she was, she quickly found what she was sent here for. "This is it! Research Project Shadow, the Ultimate Life Form. Let's see now… What in the world is this?" She gasped, she couldn't believe here eyes, what she was reading.
"I warned you, bite off more than you can chew and you'll choke." Sonic spoke from behind Rouge, startling her in the process.
"This can't be right! Just what is Shadow, anyway?" She asked the other, needing confirmation on what she was seeing was false. It had to be false, it just didn't make any sense.
Sonic merely shrugged. "That's not any of your business now is it. You got what you came here for, don't push your luck, Agent Rouge." Sonic said, an unreadable expression on his face.
Suddenly, a warning message comes on, showing Amy, Tails, and Knuckles in a hallway in the ARK. Guess her questioning will have to wait for another time. She faced Sonic, giving him a salute with a wink, her cunning smile across her face.
"Hmmm, I guess I'll just have to take the last pieces of the Master Emerald!" She then flew off, leaving Sonic alone with the still open data files.
He approached the monitor, looking up at it and its data contents. "Ultimate Life Form huh?" He said, with an almost sad tone in his voice, as he cleared the data search and tried typing in "Project Sonic" to see if anything would come up.
All Sonic got was an error screen, saying the files he was trying to access were all corrupted, erased long ago by some unknown force. "I don't mind being hidden. This just makes things less complicated for me. The world does not need to know of Project Sonic." He said, clearing the monitor entirely, leaving it blank.
Despite what he thought he feel if he searched it, Sonic was just filled with determination. This way, he could forge his own path once this was all over. All he needed was Shadow by his side, no data books telling him what he is, and what he's supposed to be. Just him and Shadow, that's all he wanted.
>>> ARK: Central Tower- Meteor Herd
"Long time no see treasure hunter. Did you find MY Emeralds?" Rouge said, being face to face with Knuckles once again. She was honestly impressed he got this far.
"That's a good one! YOUR Emerald. Talking to you is a waste of time!" Knuckles retorted. At this point, he was done trying to talk his way with Rouge, now it's time to let their fists do the talking.
They were pretty evenly matched, their fight kept them moving throughout the area, until eventually the two were standing on crosswalks above the lava at the tower's base.
They both breathe heavily from exhaustion, then speak in unison. "Whew-! Stop fooling around, and give me back MY Emeralds!" Both were taken aback at their in sync yelling.
"What are you babbling about? You call yourself a hunter? Attacking a lady… Shame on you!" Rouge lectured, turning her head to her side at the end of it.
"What kind of lady goes around stealing gems, anyway?" Knuckles questioned.
"Those belong to me--" Rouge sentence went unfinished, as when she took a step back mid sentence, she misplaced her footing and tripped, falling off the crosswalk towards the lava. "Aahhh! Aaaaaaahhh!" She screamed.
As Rouge falls down from the platform, Knuckles grabs on to her arm. She was baffled by this. "What in the world?"
Knuckles pulls her back up, and they both look at each other for a second. But then Rouge backs up. "Keep your hands to yourself! Don't touch me!" Rouge exclaimed.
"Is that how you say thanks to someone who just saved your life?" Said Knuckles.
"Saving my life, don't think I owe you one! You just wanted to hold my hand, didn't you? That's why you saved me! You're such a creep!" Rouge retorted.
Knuckles stared at her, completely baffled. "This isn't a joke, you know! Think what you want bat girl. I was saving the Master Emerald."
Again with this, Rouge was getting annoyed with this whole thing. She sighed. "No matter what you say, it sounds crazy!" Yet despite what she said, she tossed the Emerald Shards to Knuckles.
Knuckles looked down at the Emerald Shards before looking back at Rouge. "Wha…?" The Echidna was confused.
"Fine, then just take them. They stink like echidnas do." She said.
"If that's what you thought, you should have given me them in the first place!" Knuckles said, scooping them up off the platform, and puts the Master Emerald back together.
Seeing the Master Emerald filled Knuckles with relief. "Finally!" He said, looking back up at Rouge to see her turned away when he looked at her.
"What?" She confronted.
"I'm sorry… if I hurt you." Knuckles apologized, before running off to help Amy.
Rouge looks up into the air. "We should get going." She said softly. She turned to leave, then looks back where Knuckles was, faintly smiling, before running off.
>>> In the Pyramid/Cannon Countdown: 58 minutes.
In the pyramid base's transporter room, Eggman is looking at a surveillance footage of Amy, and Tails before switching to viewing a diagram of the ARK.
"What is Rouge up to, anyway?" Eggman asked himself.
"Does it matter?" A voice came from above Eggman, it was Sonic sitting on top of the monitor.
"How did you- never mind it doesn't matter. That's not a seat you know." Eggman said.
Sonic didn't offer a response, simply pointed at the screen. Pulling Eggman's attention back to it.
The map shows two Chaos Emeralds; both the fake and the real one. "This is strange. It's showing energy readings from two separate Chaos Emeralds!" Eggman exclaimed.
"Sounds like they planned to trick you with a fake. I heard them say it mimics the actual emerald almost to a T, but it's nearly not as powerful." Sonic said, a smug tone in his voice.
Eggman was not pleased with this. "Did they really think they could trick me with that fake emerald?!"
Shadow who had silently walked into the room, was about to turn around and deal with their intruders, but was stopped by Eggman. "Wait, Shadow! I'm the one who should be telling them the end is near, not you!" With that said, Eggman left the room, leaving the two hedgehogs alone.
"When did you notice the emerald was a fake?" Shadow asked Sonic, the other jumping down from the monitor and making his way towards Shadow.
"The walls have ears, by which I mean I eavesdropped on their conversations. Didn't think they were serious about the fake emerald though." Sonic said, a nonchalant smile on his face, shrugging at the end of his sentence.
Shadow grabbed Sonic by the waist, pulling the other in and kissing him. Sonic was taken aback for a few seconds, before happily returning the kiss. "You're incredible you know that?" Shadow said first, a smirk on his face when the two separated.
"I know, but I wouldn't mind you telling me again." Sonic replied, a smile on his face. With the alone time the two had, it was enough to give each other affection without being caught by the others, so they quickly took advantage of it.
>>> Meanwhile
"Now is the time to end this long drawn-out battle, and mark myself a place in history as the ultimate genius!" Eggman exclaimed, knowing if something happened to him, he could leave it to Shadow and Sonic. He started up his Egg mobile, and began making his way to the transporter. "Hurry! The moment for attack has come! It's now, or never!" With that said, Eggman steps onto the transporter, and is sent to the ARK.
>>> ARK
At some point during their exploration, Amy and Tails got separated. "Darn it, I told him to not split up from me!" Amy said frustrated, trying to navigate the confusing layout of the ARK.
She didn't notice Eggman walking up behind her, and pointing a gun at her. "Well, well, young lady? Is there something I can help you with?" He asked.
"EGGMAN-?!" Amy exclaimed, jumping back and away from Eggman, summoning her hammer and was prepared to fight with the doctor.
"If you value your life, you will tell me where Tails and the chaos emerald are!" Eggman threatened. At that moment,Tails enters the room in the Cyclone, Eggman still having the gun pointed at Amy.
"Let's take care of business first, shall we, Tails? Hand over the Chaos Emerald, slowly, and then we'll talk about your friend go. That is to say, if you really care about her." Eggman said smugly.
"Don't listen to him Tails, it's just another one of his schemes!" Amy said, trying to plan out a strategy.
Tails didn't say anything, as he took out the emerald, Eggman gesturing to Amy with the gun to walk forward. A small circle appeared on the floor, Eggman pointed to it. "Put the Emerald down right there and back off!" He said.
"You've turned into a big-time villain, doctor!" Amy said, and when she walked over the small circle, Eggman laughs and a capsule forms and traps her inside.
"What the-?!" She gasped.
"You thought you could trick me with that fake Emerald, didn't you?" Eggman called them out of their plan.
This confused Tails, how did Eggman find out? "So… how did you know it wasn't the real one?"
"Tails!" Amy yelled, sometimes forgetting that despite Tails being a genius, he's still naive at times.
"Heh, because you just told me, fox boy!" Eggman smugly laughed, he wasn't going to be a fool and them that Sonic caught them in the act. Tails gasped.
"Now, for a little space ride! Once the capsule clears the colony, BAM!" Eggman boasted.
"I'm counting on you Tails!" Amy yelled, as the capsule began to slowly descend.
"Farewell! Amy Rose!" Eggman said, and with a push of a remote control, the capsule ejects into space.
"Amy!" Tails yelled.
The capsule then exploded in space once it was far enough away from the ARK.
"Farewell Amy… My admirable adversary!" Eggman said.
"Amy!!!" Tails yelled, tears of anger falling down his cheeks, as Eggman turned around and pointed the gun at Tails.
"Now we have some unfinished business to take care of! If you give me the real Emerald, I will release you. You have my promise!" Eggman explained.
"Amy.." Tails whispered.
"Huh?" Eggman was confused.
With a new fire of determination, Tails was prepared to fight. "Amy has asked me for the first time to do something for her, I won't let her down. I won't give up!" Tails exclaimed.
>>> ARK: Central area/Cannon countdown: 21 minutes 7 seconds
A few minutes ago. From a room on the ARK, Shadow and Sonic see the capsule that Amy was launched out in explode.
"Guess she was a regular hedgehog after all." Shadow said, running his hand through Sonic's quills, as Sonic was looking out the window.
Sonic was silent, he had a bad feeling about all this. Something wasn't exactly right. "Shadow." Sonic spoke.
"Yes?" Shadow asked.
"The emeralds are unattended. Rouge is M.I.A." Was all Sonic said, but it was enough for Shadow to understand and go check the cannon, but before leaving Sonic alone in the room. "Shadow, she's a government agent." Sonic admitted, noticing the way Shadow froze for a second before walking to the control room.
Sonic simply returned to staring out the window. "I wonder, what running through out that planet would feel like..?"
>>> Central Control Room
True to Sonic's gut instinct, Rouge was walking up to the Emeralds.
"Legend has it, whenever the seven Chaos Emeralds are collected, the power creates a miracle. I have six of them. They're mine, all mine!" She proudly exclaimed.
"I don't think so." Shadow said, walking in the control room. Rouge turns to Shadow.
"Shadow?" Rouge questioned, caught off guard by Shadow's sudden appearance.
"So that was your plan from the very beginning, huh? Or was it a direct order from the President?Now I know who you are. You're that government spy, Rouge the Bat, aren't you?" Shadow caught her hook, line, and sinker.
"So you did your homework, is that it? Or did your little boyfriend rat me out? I would say that's an invasion of privacy." Rouge retorted.
"I could say the same thing about you." Shadow was quick with his replies.
But Rouge kept her cunning and calm exterior. "Hmmm! It looks like things aren't quite going your way, but since my job was done… I thought it was time to take what's mine and get out of this place." She said.
Shadow couldn't believe his ears. "You are one pathetic creature!"
"Hmmm, look who's talking? What about you?" Rouge asked, jumping down from the emeralds with a paper in hand. "Here are the results from the research project called the "Ultimate Life Form"." But on the paper in question, was not a picture of Shadow, but a different creature entirely.
"But, if this picture is of the real Ultimate Life Form named, Shadow… then exactly who or what is standing in front of me?" She begged the question.
At that moment, Eggman contacted Shadow from the walkie talkie. "This is Doctor Eggman! I have found all seven Chaos Emeralds! Shadow! Someone is trying to get to the Eclipse Cannon. There's not much time left before the cannon fires again. Can you get over there?" The doctor yelled from his end of the walkie talkie.
Shadow cut the communication, returning his attention to Rouge. "If you want to live, leave the Chaos Emeralds where they are. The fake Emerald is good enough for you!"
"Do you actually believe that you're the real Shadow?" Rouge asked, in awe shock at Shadow.
"No doubt!" Shadow knew who he was.
"Even your memories might not be real, you know?" She further questioned.
"Even if my memories are not real, it's still me, Shadow. And I will fulfill my promise to Maria, to Sonic, that's the only thing that matters to me now." Shadow then left to go deal with the intruder.
>>> Outside Space Colony ARK / Cannon countdown: 5 minutes 44 seconds
Amy was currently standing in a corridor that leads out of the ARK; Shadow walks up to her. "You never cease to surprise me pink hedgehog. I thought that the capsule you were in exploded in space." He said.
Amy chuckled. "What can I say, I'm a stubborn one." Picking up her running speed, and Shadow did the same.
"So, there's more to you than meets the eye. What are you anyway?" He asked her.
"Just a girl that loves adventuring with her friends, Amy Rose! And don't you forget it!" She happily proclaimed.
"I see. But you know, I can't let you live. Your adventuring days are coming to an end." And with that, the two began to fight once more.
>>> ARK: Central control room / Cannon countdown: 40 seconds
At the terminal for the Eclipse Cannon, Eggman walks in with the seventh Chaos Emerald. "Hahahahahaha! This completes my plan to take over the world! Now begins the glorious era of the Empire of Eggman!"
-End Dark Chapter-
#izzygilofficial#sonic the hedgehog#fandom blog#sonic fandom#sonic series#idw sonic#sth#shadow the hedgehog#sonic au#sth au#rouge the bat#eggman#tails the fox#miles tails prower#knuckles the echidna#amy rose#shadow the ultimate lifeform#sonadow#sth tails#sth shadow#sth knuckles
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Fuck that. I absolutely have the right to criticize people who have done nothing but sit around and complain in their online echo chamber, and then decide “welp, time for molotovs and guillotines.”
If you read my posts more carefully, you would realize a crucial truth:
We are on the same side of this
First of all, "execute all the people in power and start over" is a different thing than "violent protest." People call even destruction of property violent. There are levels. That is important.
Secondly—I cannot stand the people who think violently overthrowing the government will automatically fix everything. They haven't thought about infrastructure. They haven't studied history.
I actively detest the sentiment among certain USamericans that "voting does nothing, don't bother voting." Voting, especially in local elections, can make things materially better for people in your community. At the very least it doesn't hurt. Vote. Don't only vote, but fucking hell, don't pitch a fit about feeling criticized or whatever for not voting when people fought tooth and nail to give you that right in the first place, and politicians are fighting tooth and nail to take it away any way they can. I live in a state where 9% of the population is LEGALLY disenfranchised. Read history and read the fucking room.
But I am still firm on this—history tells us that violence is on the way when a people has been unhappy with their oppressive government for many many years. I would LIKE to avoid violent unrest and upheaval but it is something that happens when other means of petitioning the government have not worked.
For me personally, it is incredibly hard to support or condone the extreme version of this—complete violent upheaval— when the likely consequences will be devastating. If the US government crumbled, we would end up under the control of the fascists. Y'all realize that, right?
I am not on the same side of the "revolution is the only way" people. Have y'all been paying any attention to the January 6 hearings? We had an actual attempt at a coup less than 2 years ago. I grew up in the Bible Belt embedded deeply in a nest of terrifying whackos. At least one person I personally knew participated in the attempted coup.
One of the USA's main political factions is dominated by theocratic fascists involved to varying degrees in a batshit crazy conspiracy cult, and these people have more guns than probably any other group of civilians in the world. They are better organized, more galvanized and a MILLION times better armed than everyone else. Electoral politics has one saving grace if it has anything, and that's keeping these people occupied.
I firmly believe we need to be forming support networks, building our own community infrastructure so everyone will have someone to call on when the shit hits the fan. We seriously need to start organizing in ways that let people access food and medicine and fresh water when infrastructure breaks down.
Yesterday our electricity was out for nearly 5 hours after a windstorm. What would happen in a scenario where there was no one to mobilize teams to get out and fix the problem? The systems that sustain life in America are a crumbling, dilapidated joke. Our infrastructure genuinely has the potential to kill millions in a disastrous scenario where people have to travel long distances to get help. Highways will get backed up, people will be stranded, and there will be nothing for miles around because 93% of the land in this country is The Middle Of Nowhere.
My posts about this are referring to the entirely compatible truth that "peaceful" protests are a display of power and a threat display to the people in power, and when more peaceful means of protest are ignored, things get more violent. This is not a judgment I'm making, this is just how it goes. And ultimately, the ability to protest peacefully is connected to the potential to protest more violently—it's a chance for the people in power to course correct before things get worse.
Under ideal circumstances, peaceful protest would be sufficient. But the responsibility is on our leaders to listen. If they don't listen, fear for the future and desperation will drive people to more and more radical action. Again, this is just a thing history teaches us.
One last thing: I have made this mistake in the past, for sure, but never assume that someone you see posting online is not involved with activism in real life. If you don't see evidence of their real life activism, it just means they're being smart and not posting about it online.
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By: Jimmy Bangash
In Muslim communities, homosexuality is intrinsically linked to anxiety, intimidation, violence, and, in some cases, death. For many, it involves living a closeted existence for fear of being ostracised or disowned. Islamic theological teachings, disseminated by religious institutions and espoused by community leaders, range from preaching for our execution to advising us to live a life of celibacy. Yet voices on the left, historically a stronghold of LGBT support, do not sufficiently decry the abysmal treatment of gay and bi people of Muslim heritage, nor do they adequately mobilize against this specific and brutal form of homophobia.
This piece will scrutinize homophobia in the Muslim community and explore the left’s reluctance to criticize it in a consistent and productive manner. It will not explore the growth of the LGBT Muslim movement which champions equality and representation of LGBT individuals; rather it will focus on the dominant, wider Muslim community’s response to homosexuality.
Homophobia in the Muslim World
It is not a spurious exaggeration to claim homophobia is more widespread among Muslims than within other religious communities. Rather, statistically relevant polls of social attitudes consistently support the truth of these claims. This evidence provides a bleak picture, particularly when assessing attitudes in Muslim-Majority countries from which western diaspora communities originate.
A 2017 American poll found that 51% of Muslim respondents expressed support for marriage equality, an increased figure over previous years – yet 34% still opposed it. Media outlets disingenuously hailed this 51% as some type of success over Christianity, citing the figure to justify headlines such as “Majority of U.S. Muslims Now Support Gay Marriage, While white Evangelical Christians Remain Opposed.” Noteworthy in this attempt at obfuscation is the comparison between a conservative faction of Christians against a combined figure of liberal and conservative Muslims. In a more honest comparison between conservative Christians and Muslims, the data shows a far more damning portrayal of the conservative Muslim community.
Within Britain, where Muslims are more conservative than their US counterparts, the 2009 Gallup Coexist Index poll asked 500 Muslims if they believed homosexual acts were morally acceptable. 100% agreed that they were not, uniformly presenting homosexual acts as immoral. In the years since, there has been some positive traction around UK Muslims’ attitudes toward homosexuality; however, the picture remains oppressive. Most notably, a 2015 ICM poll found that 52% of British Muslims felt homosexuality should be illegal, with only 18% stating it should be legal. Equally damning was that 47% felt it was unacceptable for gay people to be allowed to work as teachers.
At an international level, the data around Islamic Homophobia is even more alarming. A 2013 PEW global study on Muslim Attitudes reported an almost unilateral condemnation of homosexuality in Muslim communities around the world. Countries expressing the highest acceptance of homosexuality among their Muslim population were Uganda (12%), Mozambique (11%), and Bangladesh (10%), with the other 37 countries, all Muslim-majority, polled showing less than 10%.
All 8 states or territories that mandate the death penalty for homosexuality are Muslim-majority. Among those that do not, many imprison people for being LGBT instead. All of these punishments are derived from mainstream interpretations of Sharia Law and Islamic Jurisprudence, which positions homosexuality as a major sin often equated to Sodomy and adultery. Where people are executed for the crime of being LGBT, the preferred methods of execution are public hanging or public stoning. Unsurprisingly, this international climate of execution and imprisonment encourages mob violence towards LGBT people.
In Brunei, where existing laws already made homosexuality punishable by imprisonment for up to 10 years, an attempt was made in 2019 to introduce the death penalty (by stoning) for convicted offenders despite a long-standing moratorium on executions for any crime. Justified by a new penal code that reflected a strict interpretation of Sharia Law, the policy led to a significant global outcry, which included boycotts and celebrity protests. The government of Brunei subsequently conceded to the international pressure, backtracking its position to clarify that the moratorium on the death penalty would extend to those convicted of “crimes” covered under the new legislation.
Pew Research picture:
Impact: Private Sphere
While an international contextualization of Islamic Homophobia is important, it would be erroneous to assume that its detrimental impact on LGBT individuals takes place exclusively in faraway places such as Afghanistan and Iran. In the West, honor culture – a community mechanism of social control in which coercive tactics such as shunning, loss of community status, and shaming are utilized to pressure family members to take corrective action against those who do not conform to Islamic rules – often thrives within Muslim communities.
In 2017, Jahed Choudhury, a UK Muslim of Bangladeshi heritage, married his white partner in what was called “the first Muslim Gay wedding.” He was featured in the press with his husband and interviewed on national television. Some weeks later, he told a BBC interviewer that members of the Muslim community spat at him in the street. He also revealed that he was receiving hate comments on social media and described a specific message from someone in the community threatening to throw acid on him the next time they saw him. Choudhury then apologized to the Muslim community on national television for the offense of having married his same-sex partner so publicly. In other words, the threats of violence and intimidation were successful.
In 2017, Mahad Olad, a gay American ex-Muslim, was invited to travel to Kenya by his family, who are part of the Somali diaspora community. When they arrived, his mother confiscated Olad’s passport, and informed him that she was aware he was gay and that he had left Islam. In order to “save” him, she had decided to send him to Somali Sheikhs who would bring him back to Islam and make him straight. Only with the assistance of Ex-Muslims of North America was Olad able to escape his kidnappers and return to the USA.
In another 2017 incident, Siddika Reza, who was Secretary General of the Islamic faith organization NASIMCO (the Organization of North American Shia Ithna-Asheri Muslim Communities), attended the public, same-sex marriage of her son to his fiancé. After she shared pictures of the wedding on her social media account, more than 1000 members of the Shia Muslim community signed a petition calling for her to resign, on the grounds that her endorsement of her son’s marriage “goes against the legitimate majoritarian interpretations of Jaffari fiqh, which NASIMCO must uphold” – essentially, claiming that public endorsement of her son’s wedding was endorsement of sin and was therefore un-Islamic.
The result? Reza resigned from her post. The Muslim community’s social coercion was successful in censuring a member for being too accepting; in this case, it ensured that a mother’s acceptance of her son was suitably punished.
In 2019, Seran M (full name undisclosed), a Swiss 17-year-old of Iraqi heritage, awoke in bed with his father standing over him holding a knife and shouting, “Are you gay? Are you gay?” The father then proceeded to slit Seran’s throat. Fortunately, the teen was able to scramble over a balcony and obtain aid from his neighbours; he was put into an induced coma at a hospital and managed to survive.
While these overt displays of Islamic homophobia are reported by the media, it is imperative to understand how much remains hidden. Many LGBT people of Muslim heritage are forced to live closeted lifestyles to avoid facing these kinds of consequences, with some going as far as to have sham marriages in order to avoid detection. The controlling mechanism of honor culture often causes relatives to buckle under community pressure and disown their kin, tearing families apart and causing traumatic psychological repercussions for the victims.
Impact: Public Sphere
The influence of Islamic homophobia is not limited to the private domestic sphere. Its adherents’ ambitions are to ensure that LGBT rights do not achieve acceptance and that homosexuality is not normalized within wider society, driving them to take their charge into the public arena.
In 2019, Anderton Park School in Brimingham, UK, was the target of protest from members of the Birmingham Muslim community over a primary school education program named “No Outsiders,” as well as other material which they claimed furthered the “gay agenda.” Prior to a court injunction forcing relocation, the protest was held immediately outside the school gates, creating a frightening and intimidating environment for students inside. Videos can be found online of adults from the Birmingham Muslim community shouting “Shame! Shame! Shame!” through megaphones at the school gates, with children in their midst encouraged to chant along. Such deplorable conduct must have had a detrimental impact on any adolescent present who was coming to terms with their sexuality. These protests continued for approximately nine months and included the display of banners which read, “Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve.”
In an effort to show support with a head teacher who had refused to cave to the pressure, LGBT individuals from Birmingham decided to go to the school and hang signs of solidarity, such as pictures of hearts and rainbows, on the school gates. They decided to do this at night so that they would not encounter the protesters and risk direct conflict. Unfortunately, they had not considered that it was Ramadan, and that the Muslim community would be awake late at night, eating before fasting again the next day. In video footage of the resulting confrontation, male members of the Muslim community can be seen creating a climate of fear and intimidation, shouting at LGBT people for coming into “our community.”
Eventually, some Muslim men began throwing eggs at the LGBT people, who then departed, shaken by the entire episode. Their symbols of support on the school gates were subsequently vandalized.
The protests, eventually, were permanently banned by the courts, but it is noteworthy that Anderton Park school suspended the teaching of the “No Outsiders” program for a significant period of time – a definite win for the forces that perpetuate Islamic Homophobia.
Betrayal by the Left
Given the data and visible detrimental impact, one would expect the left, which generally sees itself as a bastion of support for LGBT rights, to champion the challenge against Islamic homophobia. Regrettably, this is not the case. Consider the outcry we see when cake-baking Christians refuse business services to LGBT people; the widespread vocal condemnation from the left reaches across continents. Similarly, there is leftist public outcry around Christian conversion therapy, galvanizing an entire movement for its legislative prohibition. Such action is mobilized by LGBT organizations, political commentators, activists, human rights organizations and even celebrities, who use rhetoric in which the Christian faith is often lambasted, ridiculed, and positioned as archaic and irrelevant – yet no such outcry is forthcoming when Islamic homophobia rears its head. The left remains silent when, for example, Muslim clerics attempt to exorcize gay demons from members of the Muslim community.
As if the left’s silence was not detrimental enough to LGBT rights, its accusations of racism and Islamophobia towards those who seek to criticize Islamic homophobia are a blatant betrayal.
At the Birmingham school protests referenced above, the LGBT community decided to hold a counter protest after the courts had forced the Muslim protesters to move away from the school gates to a more distant location. A small contingent of people, predominantly white, and armed with guitars and rainbow flags, stood across the road from the Muslim protesters, strumming and singing along to love songs. Days later, in a national newspaper, Saima Razzaq, a local Muslim activist who describes herself as “queer,” stated that the actions of white LGBT counter protesters “reek[ed] of a colonial mindset.” Razzaq had been instrumental in the Birmingham community’s response to the homophobic protests, but instead of welcoming the support of white allies, she characterized them as “white saviours” and declared that “the answers have to come from within our community.”
The message was clear: you cannot champion LGBT rights in the UK if you are white and your homophobic opposition is non-white, and to do so renders you racist and neo-colonialist. It did not matter that those Muslims who were protesting LGBT education had made it clear that they wanted it stopped on a nationwide level in a white majority country. Only people of the same color and faith were permitted to lead this challenge. Universal human rights could no longer be fought for universally.
At the 2017 London Pride march, the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain (CEMB) marched to challenge Islamic Homophobia – with particular focus on Chechnya, where reports of LGBT persecution and gay concentration camps had outraged the community. They carried banners listing the countries that mandated the death penalty for homosexuality, and held witty, provocative placards and signs poking fun at Islam. Near them, a separate contingent of Pride marchers held signs poking fun at Christianity. Pride, after all, had always been a safe place to criticize homophobia whether it was religious, political or cultural.
During the march, police descended on CEMB to tell them that their signs were offensive and requested they be put away. However, they did not accost the holders of signs mocking Christianity. CEMB declined the request and continued to march with their banners and signs.
Days later, the East London Mosque wrote a formal complaint to the Pride organization citing its objection to being named as a mosque which “incited murder and hatred of LGBT.” Imaan, a Muslim LGBT organization, issued a press release condemning the protest. Both organizations claimed the placards within the protest were Islamophobic and caused harm to Muslim people. Pride issued a statement to a national newspaper in which they said they would not tolerate Islamophobia, then suspended CEMB from marching in subsequent Pride marches pending an investigation. The investigation took 8 months, but in the end CEMB was cleared of the charges and eventually able to participate in the following year’s march without any restrictions.
Nevertheless, a message was communicated to the wider public that criticism of Islamic Homophobia is unacceptable. In this case it did not matter that some of the critics were Muslim and others Ex-Muslim. It did not matter that almost all the protesters were diaspora and refugees, individuals who had grown up and lived under Islam and were from Muslim families. It did not matter that many of them had fled countries and communities where imprisonment or death were the penalty for their sexuality. Any criticism of Islamic Homophobia was deemed Islamophobic (anti-Muslim) and racist.
In 2020, the iconic reality show “RuPaul’s Drag Race” invited actor Jeff Goldblum to appear as a guest judge. The drag queen competitors walked a runway with the American “Stars and Stripes” as the theme. Iranian-Canadian contestant Jackie Cox wore a red-striped kaftan and a blue hijab outlined with 50 silver stars; she stated, “You can be Middle-Eastern, you can be Muslim, and you can still be American.”
Goldblum, prompted by the drag artist’s outfit, queried, “Is there something in this religion that is anti-homosexuality and anti-woman? Does that complicate the issue? I'm just raising it and thinking out loud and maybe being stupid.” RuPaul responded that the presentation was complex, and that Drag had “always shaken the tree.”
Social and mainstream media erupted with condemnations of Goldblum’s comment, accusing him of racism and Islamophobia. His comments were labelled as dangerous. The Muslim Advocates organization issued a statement urging Goldblum to apologize; they claimed, “To not apologize for these comments is a silent endorsement of anti-Muslim bigotry.” In other words, yet another message of condemnation for those who seek to question Islamic Homophobia (as well as Islamic sexism in this case), and such questioning was characterized as being anti-Muslim.
There is a painful irony that cannot be missed in a gay man of Iranian heritage (Jackie Cox) wearing a hijab to symbolize Muslim women. Muslim women in Iran have long struggled against mandatory hijab and forced veiling laws. As movements such as white Wednesday have gained momentum in recent years, Iranian women are increasingly resisting and defying the hijab. Theocratic and misogynistic laws allow women to be punished for appearing in public with their hair showing. The BBC reports that 35 women have been arrested since 2017 in the capital city of Tehran alone. Some of these women reported being tortured and beaten.
While this betrayal by the left is abysmal, its attempt to police an audience’s response to Jackie’s art is nothing short of an Orwellian dystopia. Through his art, a drag performer was able to express his “misgivings” about the way LGBT people are treated in Muslim communities and provoke questions about the subject from his audience. Yet, the response from the left was to throw accusations of racism at that audience and eschew any useful dialogue around the real issue at hand. The message was again clear: even when presented with art by and about queer people of Muslim heritage, one may not scrutinize or question Islamic Homophobia. All dialogue around the subject must place Islam in a positive light; to do otherwise is anti-Muslim, Islamophobic, and racist.
Fortunately, Goldblum did not issue an apology – but neither has the Iranian government apologized for its Islamic- and Sharia- inspired execution of LGBT people. Iran still applies the death penalty for the “crime” of two people of the same sex loving each other. Muslim Advocacy group is quick to outrage over a scene on RuPaul’s Drag Race, but it does not appear to have written to the Iranian government to request an apology for state-sanctioned murder, nor has it declared the murder of gay and bi Muslim people in Iran to be anti-Muslim.
Islam is not a Race
The word Islamophobia is a deliberate conflation that blends criticism of an ideology (Islam) with criticism of a people (Muslims). This allows the silencing of any critics of Islam through the accusation of Islamophobia, which carries an inferred accusation of hatred against Muslims – something which would be far better described as Muslimophobia or anti-Muslim bigotry. Due to this conflation, the fear of being accused of Islamophobia makes individuals hesitant to highlight the abhorrent nature of Islamic homophobia, its theological roots, and the corresponding Islamic jurisprudence that results in the ongoing persecution of LGBT people.
Islam is a set of ideas in exactly the same way that Christianity, Capitalism, Communism and Hinduism are all sets of ideas. Ideas must be open to scrutiny, assessment and criticism. They must be open to satire and ridicule. Criticism of ideas leads to societal advancement, as can be seen in the widespread replacement of superstition with reason and the scientific method. Stifling criticism of Islam ultimately hurts Muslims and individuals of Muslim heritage; such censorship enables regressive and harmful practices (such as gay Islamic exorcisms in the UK) to continue, rather than to be scrutinized and stopped.
A majority of adherents to an ideology may be part of a particular racial demographic, whether in reality or in popular imagination. Criticism of that ideology is not, by default, a criticism of the racial demographic. If it were, one could argue that criticism of Capitalism is anti-white, criticism of Communism is anti-Chinese, and criticism of Hinduism is anti-South Asian/Indian. And it’s important to remember that in any case, Muslims are a very racially and ethnically diverse group.
Muslims are people and as such must be protected from bigotry. While all bigotry is unacceptable, we must acknowledge that using facts to highlight problematic beliefs and attitudes within the Muslim community is not bigotry – particularly when the facts themselves highlight rampant discrimination towards a sexual minority that is often in need of protection. Highlighting homophobic aggression and persecution is a responsibility that falls upon civil society, and that responsibility includes Islamic homophobia.
It is hypocritical of the left to allow consistent highlighting and condemnation of Christian homophobia and to position Christians (and, by presumed extension, white people) as robust, rational, critical thinkers able to withstand that criticism while characterizing Muslims as fragile “brown people” in need of protection from cognitive dissonance and critical thinking. This adherence to “Islamic fragility” is racist, paternalistic and patronizing.
Any focus on Islamic homophobia is inevitably challenged by the left with the question, “What about Christians?” It is perfectly acceptable to focus on one specific form of homophobia. In fact, it is essential that this be done, and in so doing it is appropriate to focus on the worst forms of homophobia. Attempting to address Islamic homophobia using an approach tailored to Christian homophobia, or a model designed for tackling homophobia in China, will miss many of the nuances particular to the Islamic faith. It will also be rendered meaningless for a Muslim audience who, by and large, consider Christianity or atheism to be erroneous or even heresy.
A specific focus on Islamic Homophobia allows focused compilation and assessment of data, theology, history, and attitudes. This then leads to specific suggestions for solutions, resource allocation, accountability and timelines for improvement. In order to plan specific remedial measures, we must look at the specific issue.
We must not be silenced by accusations of Islamophobia or racism in our efforts to eradicate the most pernicious form of homophobia that currently persecutes LGBT people across the globe. Rather, we must stand resolute and increase our scrutiny of Islamic homophobia, holding it and the Muslim community to the same standards to which we hold the rest of society. To do anything less is the bigotry of low expectations, and a racist double standard.
==
Notice that at no point does anyone actually refute the - completely, unambiguously true - fact of Islam being explicitly anti-gay.
https://quranx.com/4.16
If two men among you are guilty of lewdness, punish them both. If they repent and amend, Leave them alone; for Allah is Oft-returning, Most Merciful.
https://quranx.com/7.80-83
We also (sent) Lut: He said to his people: "Do ye commit lewdness such as no people in creation (ever) committed before you?
"For ye practise your lusts on men in preference to women: ye are indeed a people transgressing beyond bounds."
And his people gave no answer but this: they said, "Drive them out of your city: these are indeed men who want to be clean and pure!"
But we saved him and his family, except his wife: she was of those who legged behind.
https://quranx.com/27.54-58
(We also sent) Lut (as a messenger): behold, He said to his people, "Do ye do what is shameful though ye see (its iniquity)?
Would ye really approach men in your lusts rather than women? Nay, ye are a people (grossly) ignorant!
But his people gave no other answer but this: they said, "Drive out the followers of Lut from your city: these are indeed men who want to be clean and pure!"
But We saved him and his family, except his wife; her We destined to be of those who lagged behind.
And We rained down on them a shower (of brimstone): and evil was the shower on those who were admonished (but heeded not)!
https://quranx.com/Hadith/Bukhari/USC-MSA/Volume-7/Book-72/Hadith-774/
Narrated Ibn `Abbas:
The Prophet (ﷺ) cursed effeminate men (those men who are in the similitude (assume the manners of women) and those women who assume the manners of men, and he said, "Turn them out of your houses." The Prophet (ﷺ) turned out such-and-such man, and `Umar turned out such-and-such woman.
https://quranx.com/Hadith/AbuDawud/USC-MSA/Book-31/Hadith-4007/
Narrated AbuSa'id al-Khudri:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: A man should not look at the private parts of another man, and a woman should not look at the private parts of another woman. A man should not lie with another man without wearing lower garment under one cover; and a woman should not be lie with another woman without wearing lower garment under one cover.
https://quranx.com/Hadith/AbuDawud/USC-MSA/Book-38/Hadith-4447/
Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: If you find anyone doing as Lot's people did, kill the one who does it, and the one to whom it is done.
Stop defending an ideology that hates you or the people you care about.
#Islam#Jimmy Bangash#criticism of islam#homophobia#anti gay#islam for gays#gays for islam#religion#islamic homophobia#religion is a mental illness
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Watching the whole Gundam series in 2023 #14: Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn Review
Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn was directed by Kazuhiro Furuhashi and released as a 7-episode OVA series from March 12, 2010 to June 6, 2014. Set in the Universal Century year 0096, the plot follows Banagher Links as he pilots the titular Unicorn Gundam in the Third Neo Zeon War, alongside Zeon princess Minerva Lao Zabi, racing against the Sleeves to find the secret of Laplace's Box.
Sorry this took so long! I was busy for awhile, but now I'm back and I hope to churn out the rest of these reviews soon. At the time of writing this, I've just finished watching G-Reco and will soon be starting on Gundam 00. I didn't accomplish my goal of finishing the whole series in a year, but I'd say it was a pretty good attempt.
The first thing I noticed about this series was how good the animation looked. For a series animated in the 2010s, that utilises CGI for many, if not all, of its mecha action scenes, it holds up very well to modern day visuals. Every detail is visually fleshed out to perfection, from the effects of the Unicorn's psychoframe, to the beam sabers and blasts used by the various combatants, to the fine details such as missile hatches opening, ejecting spent ammo, and thruster exhaust. The character animations were exceptional as well, and again, they really hold up well 10 years later.
One of the major themes of Unicorn is Newtypes and the role in the Earth Sphere. By the in-universe time where this series takes place, the existence of Newtypes is well-known, most particularly by the Earth Federation, who view them as a threat. As evidenced by the event that ended the Second Neo Zeon war in UC 0093, Newtypes possess significant power that, if not kept in check, could pose a serious threat to humanity. Apart from being highly effective pilots who dominate every battlefield they appear on, they also represent the supposed evolution of humanity as a result of its expansion into space. This threatens the Earth Federation government as the unchecked power of enemy Newtypes could spell the end of their seat of power in the Earth Sphere, with the evolved Newtypes taking over as the new governors of humanity. As such, the UC Project was initiated to combat Newtypes and their accompanying weaponry. How ironic it is that the one who ended up in the cockpit of the Unicorn Gundam, the UC Project's flagship, was a Newtype himself.
However, the thematic role of Newtypes and their analogues in the Gundam series goes far beyond superior piloting, and it is in fact their deep empathy for others and ability to understand other living beings that sets them apart from the other characters in Gundam, and their central role in many of the UC timeline's major turning points shows just how empathy and understanding is what is needed to change the world, not colony drops, asteroid attacks, or any other form of violence and oppression. The message of the Laplace's Box points to this: calling for Newtypes to be given stewardship of humanity in the future of the Universal Century. Banagher embodies many of the quintessential Newtype qualities the series is known for, caring deeply for the lives of both his allies and enemies, trying to avoid conflict as much as possible, and acting to save lives as much as he can. Marida Cruz, one of Elpeo Ple's clones from the ZZ Gundam era, is also a (Cyber-)Newtype and acts as a mentor to Banagher throughout the series. Though she is killed at the end, her words and emotions are able to reach many people, not just Banagher, but also Riddhe Marcenas, her killer.
Speaking of Riddhe, he's an interesting character because he takes a roundabout path as a Newtype, though he does eventually get there. Initially an optimistic young soldier, when confronted by the twisted truth of the world that he lives in, he chooses to defend the status quo of the Earth Federation in order to keep the peace. During his battle with Marida, he is once again confronted by a hard truth as his Newtypism surfaces, and he experiences the various emotions of the people around him. He realises that he is exactly what the Earth Federation was trying to destroy, and was trying to use him to destroy his fellow Newtypes in order to keep their status quo. Think of the tragedy if he had succeeded in defeating Banagher, allowing the truth of the Universal Century Charter to be destroyed and covered up, allowing Spacenoids and Newtypes to remain oppressed. (I would like to believe that he would have realised his error and made up for it later, but I digress.)
In the end, the truth of Laplace's Box is released to the whole Earth Sphere, revealing the truth of the Earth Federation's deceit and giving hope to Spacenoids and Newtypes for a better future, for an overturning of the status quo that the Federation has upheld for almost a hundred years. Of course, the Federation tries to cover it up with a really big laser cannon, but with the power of the Unicorn and Banshee Gundams, Laplace's Box is preserved.
Overall, this series is an 8.5/10.
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;; Cat update for those who were worried:
She's doing OK. She is eating on her own, but not as much as we would like. She is still sluggish and having trouble with certain tasks. We still have some anti nausea meds and an appetite stimulant we are giving her. Tomorrow she has an ultrasound so hopefully that will tell us what might be wrong with our girl. She's at least wandering the house on her own a bit instead of sleeping nonstop.
Not great, but not as bad as she was. Hopefully we will have some answers tomorrow and things can return to somewhat normal once we know...
Sorry for the lack of activity here. I likely won't be on until most of this is resolved since my spoons were already pretty run out, and this is just eating the rest of my energy.
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Google reneged on the monopolistic bargain
I'm on tour with my new novel The Bezzle! Catch me TONIGHT in SALT LAKE CITY (Feb 21, Weller Book Works) and TOMORROW in SAN DIEGO (Feb 22, Mysterious Galaxy). After that, it's LA, Seattle, Portland, Phoenix and more!
A funny thing happened on the way to the enshittocene: Google – which astonished the world when it reinvented search, blowing Altavista and Yahoo out of the water with a search tool that seemed magic – suddenly turned into a pile of shit.
Google's search results are terrible. The top of the page is dominated by spam, scams, and ads. A surprising number of those ads are scams. Sometimes, these are high-stakes scams played out by well-resourced adversaries who stand to make a fortune by tricking Google:
https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/phone-numbers-airlines-listed-google-directed-scammers-rcna94766
But often these scams are perpetrated by petty grifters who are making a couple bucks at this. These aren't hyper-resourced, sophisticated attackers. They're the SEO equivalent of script kiddies, and they're running circles around Google:
https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/24/passive-income/#swiss-cheese-security
Google search is empirically worsening. The SEO industry spends every hour that god sends trying to figure out how to sleaze their way to the top of the search results, and even if Google defeats 99% of these attempts, the 1% that squeak through end up dominating the results page for any consequential query:
https://downloads.webis.de/publications/papers/bevendorff_2024a.pdf
Google insists that this isn't true, and if it is true, it's not their fault because the bad guys out there are so numerous, dedicated and inventive that Google can't help but be overwhelmed by them:
https://searchengineland.com/is-google-search-getting-worse-389658
It wasn't supposed to be this way. Google has long maintained that its scale is the only thing that keeps us safe from the scammers and spammers who would otherwise overwhelm any lesser-resourced defender. That's why it was so imperative that they pursue such aggressive growth, buying up hundreds of companies and integrating their products with search so that every mobile device, every ad, every video, every website, had one of Google's tendrils in it.
This is the argument that Google's defenders have put forward in their messaging on the long-overdue antitrust case against Google, where we learned that Google is spending $26b/year to make sure you never try another search engine:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-10-27/google-paid-26-3-billion-to-be-default-search-engine-in-2021
Google, we were told, had achieved such intense scale that the normal laws of commercial and technological physics no longer applied. Take security: it's an iron law that "there is no security in obscurity." A system that is only secure when its adversaries don't understand how it works is not a secure system. As Bruce Schneier says, "anyone can design a security system that they themselves can't break. That doesn't mean it works – just that it works for people stupider than them."
And yet, Google operates one of the world's most consequential security system – The Algorithm (TM) – in total secrecy. We're not allowed to know how Google's ranking system works, what its criteria are, or even when it changes: "If we told you that, the spammers would win."
Well, they kept it a secret, and the spammers won anyway.
A viral post by Housefresh – who review air purifiers – describes how Google's algorithmic failures, which send the worst sites to the top of the heap, have made it impossible for high-quality review sites to compete:
https://housefresh.com/david-vs-digital-goliaths/
You've doubtless encountered these bad review sites. Search for "Best ______ 2024" and the results are a series of near-identical lists, strewn with Amazon affiliate links. Google has endlessly tinkered with its guidelines and algorithmic weights for review sites, and none of it has made a difference. For example, when Google instituted a policy that reviewers should "discuss the benefits and drawbacks of something, based on your own original research," sites that had previously regurgitated the same lists of the same top ten Amazon bestsellers "peppered their pages with references to a ‘rigorous testing process,’ their ‘lab team,’ subject matter experts ‘they collaborated with,’ and complicated methodologies that seem impressive at a cursory look."
But these grandiose claims – like the 67 air purifiers supposedly tested in Better Homes and Gardens's Des Moines lab – result in zero in-depth reviews and no published data. Moreover, these claims to rigorous testing materialized within a few days of Google changing its search ranking and said that high rankings would be reserved for sites that did testing.
Most damning of all is how the Better Homes and Gardens top air purifiers perform in comparison to the – extensively documented – tests performed by Housefresh: "plagued by high-priced and underperforming units, Amazon bestsellers with dubious origins (that also underperform), and even subpar devices from companies that market their products with phrases like ‘the Tesla of air purifiers.’"
One of the top ranked items on BH&G comes from Molekule, a company that filed for bankruptcy after being sued for false advertising. The model BH&G chose was ranked "the worst air purifier tested" by Wirecutter and "not living up to the hype" by Consumer Reports. Either BH&G's rigorous testing process is a fiction that they infused their site with in response to a Google policy change, or BH&G absolutely sucks at rigorous testing.
BH&G's competitors commit the same sins – literally, the exact same sins. Real Simple's reviews list the same photographer and the photos seem to have been taken in the same place. They also list the same person as their "expert." Real Simple has the same corporate parent as BH&G: Dotdash Meredith. As Housefresh shows, there's a lot of Dotdash Meredith review photos that seem to have been taken in the same place, by the same person.
But the competitors of these magazines are no better. Buzzfeed lists 22 air purifiers, including that crapgadget from Molekule. Their "methodology" is to include screenshots of Amazon reviews.
A lot of the top ranked sites for air purifiers are once-great magazines that have been bought and enshittified by private equity giants, like Popular Science, which began as a magazine in 1872 and became a shambling zombie in 2023, after its PE owners North Equity LLC decided its googlejuice was worth more than its integrity and turned it into a metastatic chumbox of shitty affiliate-link SEO-bait. As Housefresh points out, the marketing team that runs PopSci makes a lot of hay out of the 150 years of trust that went into the magazine, but the actual reviews are thin anaecdotes, unbacked by even the pretense of empiricism (oh, and they loooove Molekule).
Some of the biggest, most powerful, most trusted publications in the world have a side-hustle in quietly producing SEO-friendly "10 Best ___________ of 2024" lists: Rolling Stone, Forbes, US News and Report, CNN, New York Magazine, CNN, CNET, Tom's Guide, and more.
Google literally has one job: to detect this kind of thing and crush it. The deal we made with Google was, "You monopolize search and use your monopoly rents to ensure that we never, ever try another search engine. In return, you will somehow distinguish between low-effort, useless nonsense and good information. You promised us that if you got to be the unelected, permanent overlord of all information access, you would 'organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful.'"
They broke the deal.
Companies like CNET used to do real, rigorous product reviews. As Housefresh points out, CNET once bought an entire smart home and used it to test products. Then Red Ventures bought CNET and bet that they could sell the house, switch to vibes-based reviewing, and that Google wouldn't even notice. They were right.
https://www.cnet.com/home/smart-home/welcome-to-the-cnet-smart-home/
Google downranks sites that spend money and time on reviews like Housefresh and GearLab, and crams botshittened content mills like BH&G into our eyeballs instead.
In 1558, Thomas Gresham coined (ahem) Gresham's Law: "Bad money drives out good." When counterfeit money circulates in the economy, anyone who gets a dodgy coin spends it as quickly as they can, because the longer you hold it, the greater the likelihood that someone will detect the fraud and the coin will become worthless. Run this system long enough and all the money in circulation is funny money.
An internet run by Google has its own Gresham's Law: bad sites drive out good. It's not just that BH&G can "test" products at a fraction of the cost of Housefresh – through the simple expedient of doing inadequate tests or no tests at all – so they can put a lot more content up that Housefresh. But that alone wouldn't let them drive Housefresh off the front page of Google's search results. For that, BH&G has to mobilize some of their savings from the no test/bad test lab to do real rigorous science: science in defeating Google's security-through-obscurity system, which lets them command the front page despite publishing worse-than-useless nonsense.
Google has lost the spam wars. In response to the plague of botshit clogging Google search results, the company has invested in…making more botshit:
https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/16/tweedledumber/#easily-spooked
Last year, Google did a $70b stock buyback. They also laid off 12,000 staffers (whose salaries could have been funded for 27 years by that stock buyback). They just laid off thousands more employees.
That wasn't the deal. The deal was that Google would get a monopoly, and they would spend their monopoly rents to be so good that you could just click "I'm feeling lucky" and be teleported to the very best response to your query. A company that can't figure out the difference between a scam like Better Homes and Gardens and a rigorous review site like Housefresh should be pouring every spare dime it brings in into fixing this problem. Not buying default search status on every platform so that we never try another search engine: they should be fixing their shit.
When Google admits that it's losing the war to these kack-handed spam-farmers, that's frustrating. When they light $26b/year on fire making sure you don't ever get to try anything else, that's very frustrating. When they vaporize seventy billion dollars on financial engineering and shoot one in ten engineers, that's outrageous.
Google's scale has transcended the laws of business physics: they can sell an ever-degrading product and command an ever-greater share of our economy, even as their incompetence dooms any decent, honest venture to obscurity while providing fertile ground – and endless temptation – for scammers.
If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:
https://pluralistic.net/2024/02/21/im-feeling-unlucky/#not-up-to-the-task
#pluralistic#monopoly#seo#dark seo#google#search#enshittification#platform decay#product reviews#spam#antitrust#trustbusting
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@o-craven-canto asked me this here so I might as well use this as an opportunity to talk about what exactly the "Primum Mobile" is and where exactly my OCs like Alexander come from
The Primum Mobile is basically my own little worldbuilding brainchild project, being a sort of Shin Megami Tensei inspired mythology world that's meant to combine aspects of Abrahamic and Greco-Roman mythology and folklore. It's one of many worlds based in a sort of multiverse of mine, made by the earth literally being fractured into different realms based on bodies and cannons of stories and folklore.
As for the Primum Mobile itself, it's a layered world built around the concept of "what if the underworld blended with the real world" and thus ends up sort of having people and monsters either living together or vying for control on the various layers. Keep in mind that I'm constantly changing my mind on how this works, so everything here is subject to change, but as it is the general layout is as follows:
Limbo, essentially the surface of the world, corresponding to the circle of the same name as well as the "purgatorio" section of the divine comedy. This is where a good majority of humans make their housing, in cities that literally rise above the wastes below them, and oftentimes have nearby forests, oceans, and other biomes that rise alongside them. One of these cities, New Eden, sort of corresponds to Florence and is the home of Alexander Durante- before he was exiled to the realms below for his crimes.
Lust essentially describes the abyss below limbo right between Limbo and gluttony, with the bases of these cities also making up the majority of people's dwellings here, and filled with winds of gasses so dense they form their own ocean. Most of the population consists of harpies and aerial demons who are capable of fighting against the winds here, as well as wayward souls who are trapped by the maelstrom. Massive effigies of long forgotten gods and legendary humans rise from the abyss- some with their own followings and cults. One such effigy, one of Minos, is consulted by those who have been exiled to the layers below regarding where they have to go to be free from their punishment.
Gluttony is the swamp below lust, and arguably where the "inferno" really begins. It's a bizzare mix of organic matters, with plant, animal, and fungus blending together to form the monsters and vessels for the souls here. Watch your step, lest you be devoured by the land itself.
(I'm going to be real with you guys I don't know what to do with greed yet, so like, just a forge with a ton of gold perhaps? Mechanical inspiration would be fun)
Wrath is basically an underground sea, with waterfalls and cascades leading to the circles below. settlements here usually consist of either floating, manmade settlements, or within the bellies of the aspidochelones of this area. Be sure to watch for the cetacean orcs of this place, and especially their lording cetuses.
The city of Dis is the other major settlement for humans, and quite possibly the most significant area of magical studies on this plane. Dominated by a circle-wide metallic city, and navigated by the streams that pour from the ocean above, it is home to demons and gods (as well as their aspects) that might have fallen out of favor with the humans above. Farinata, a major cult leader within this circle, is currently a significant figure for his attempts at a transhuman cult- one where his idea of "freedom" is achieved by locking yourself within a metallic body and incinerating your impurities.
Violence is one of the most bizarre layers, being dominated by massive trees holding up the foundations of Dis where there seems to be a constant war breaking out along the branches and supported settlements- one where monsters and overpowering wraiths of humans fight for dominance, as their blood spills in a rain below.
Fraud is arguably the most "artificial", being a labyrinthine, constantly shifting structure meant to prevent entry or exit from the layer below it, and built by a genius inventor know by many as Daedalus. Some legends even say he built his very being into the structure, building his soul into the structure as it carries his unknown goal. The group of demons known as the Malebranche reside here, ruled by Malacoda, and make it their life's work to contort any unfortunate tresspassers into whatever designs they decide fit.
Finally, Treachery stands at the center, where the bodies of giants and other beings posing threats to those above are sealed. Proserpina, the "ruler" of the lower layers, resides on this one, with a bizzare and legendary being known as "The Adversary" trapped in the core of this very core. Almost no humans who have embarked on the path of exile have made it to this region in centuries.
Like I said earlier, I'm constantly changing ideas for this world, but this is really the first time I've gotten the basic idea of how it works out online. I would appreciate feedback and questions as to how this works on a deeper level- both because I need to figure out some details myself and because I have some ideas for lore and stuff I want to share. Hope you guys enjoy this, and find it a bit interesting.
#mythology#greek mythology#roman mythology#divine comedy#inferno#dante alighieri#alexander durante#abrahamic mythology#worldbuilding#oc
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CATALYST JOURNAL
The Brexit crisis dominated British politics between 2016 and 2019. Its outcome will shape the UK’s relationship with Europe for decades. One factor above all decided that outcome: the determination of Britain’s right and center alike to contain a left-wing upsurge inspired by Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership of the Labour Party.
Between 2014 and 2019, there were three upsurges that attempted to break the mold of British politics: the Scottish independence movement, the campaign for Brexit, and the mobilization around Jeremy Corbyn in the British Labour Party. They sought, respectively, to shrink the borders of the United Kingdom, to sever its links with the European Union, and to overturn the social settlement that has governed its class relations since the 1980s.
Their combined effect was to generate a political crisis such as Britain had not seen for decades, with its governing institutions effectively paralyzed for months at a time. The unresolved Scottish question is likely to remain a source of contestation over the years to come. But the outcome of the 2019 general election simultaneously buried Corbynism and ensured that Brexit would go ahead on terms dictated by Boris Johnson and the right wing of the Conservative Party.
The fact that these challenges unfolded more or less simultaneously was no coincidence. They all came in response to long-term dysfunctions of the British political system and its governing parties, which the economic crash of 2008 had greatly exacerbated, and they interacted with one another throughout the years of crisis. The campaign for Scottish independence, which requires careful study in its own right, was located exclusively in one part of the UK that has its own distinct political culture. In what follows, I will concentrate on the relationship between Labour and Brexit under Corbyn’s leadership, which was crucial for the fate of both, but which remains poorly understood in Britain itself, let alone the wider world.
Johnson’s triumph at the end of 2019 could not have happened without a convergence of interests between right and center in British politics that transcended their divisions over Brexit. When push came to shove, the leaders of these political tendencies joined forces to ensure the defeat of a left-wing project that appeared capable of forming a government. Johnson’s Brexit deal was a price that centrist politicians and opinion formers gladly paid in order to marginalize the socialist left and regain control of the Labour Party.
BEFORE BREXIT
Corbyn’s victory in the 2015 leadership contest came as an unwelcome shock to most Labour MPs, and to the country’s media. The tendency that he represented had spent the previous generation on the margins of the Labour Party, excluded from any position of real influence.1 When the party hierarchy decided to adopt a new system for electing its leader, entrusting the Labour membership with responsibility, they never imagined what was going to happen in 2015. Corbyn’s landslide owed at least as much to the weakness and complacency of Labour’s right-wing faction as it did to the discovery of unexpected strength on the British left.2
A large section of the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) simply did not accord the new leader basic legitimacy. Much of the British media followed their example, including ostensibly nonpartisan outlets such as the BBC, which reported on Corbyn’s leadership primarily from the vantage point of his factional opponents.3 This compounded the inevitable problems that stemmed from lack of experience and preparation time: Corbyn and his team had to do the work that would normally precede taking control of a major political party after they had already been thrust into the spotlight.
This was the backdrop against which Corbyn had to face the Brexit referendum during the opening months of his leadership. First coined as recently as 2012, the term “Brexit” referred to a political project that originated within the British right. Conservative prime minister David Cameron had agreed to hold a plebiscite on Britain’s membership in the EU because of pressure from his own right-wing current and the electoral competition of Nigel Farage’s UK Independence Party (UKIP). When the Conservatives unexpectedly won a majority of seats in the 2015 general election, ending their coalition pact with the Europhile Liberal Democrats, Cameron had to follow through on his commitment.
To the prime minister’s surprise, senior Tory politicians like Boris Johnson and Michael Gove decided to join the campaign against EU membership, which became known as the Leave camp — an effort that also had the support of Britain’s two most popular newspapers, the Sun and the Daily Mail. Right-wing opposition to European integration was hardly unique to Britain, but the purchase of such views within a major party of government certainly was. In the rest of the EU-15, one could never imagine a referendum of this kind being held in the first place.
Brexit posed a particular dilemma for Labour’s new left-wing leadership. Pro-EU attitudes were deeply entrenched in the Labour Party. This dated back in particular to a speech Jacques Delors had delivered to Britain’s Trades Union Congress in 1988, in which he promised to construct a federal structure that would “preserve and enhance the uniquely European model of society” based on “similar mechanisms of social solidarity, of protection of the weakest, and of collective bargaining. … It would be unacceptable for Europe to become a source of social regression.”4
The fact that European leaders never translated such rhetoric into practice, while embedding neoliberal doxa in the structures of the eurozone, barely registered with the British center left. This was partly because the prevalence of right-wing Euroscepticism obstructed any serious discussion of what the EU actually was, and partly because Britain stayed out of the single currency. It was easier to maintain unrealistic fantasies of a “social Europe” that had already taken shape because the EU played a very limited role in Britain’s own, largely homegrown form of neoliberalism.
(Continue Reading)
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The first devices that will have to be sold according to strict EU directives will hit the European market after Apple on Tuesday presented its new iPhone with a USB-C charge point.
A European Union law requires phone manufacturers to adopt a common charging connection by December 2024 to save consumers’ money and cut waste. The iPhone 15 is the first Apple device to have a USB-C charger instead of Apple’s usual Lightning charger, after the EU ordered manufacturers to introduce identical connections.
Apple fiercely opposed the law in 2022, arguing that it would punish innovation, but the 27 EU member states make up the largest single market in the world, so they relented.
Common chargers are not the only requirements in the European Parliament’s push to make life easier for consumers and reduce waste, a Croatian member of the European Parliament, Biljana Borzan, who was one of the strongest advocates for the adoption of that act, told BIRN
“The single charger initiative is ten years old. The European Parliament then gave a mandate to the European Commission to implement it. A charger is an independent act, but in addition to mobile phones, other small devices such as tablets, game consoles, speakers, keyboards, headphones and laptops are also included,” Borzan said.
“My political group [Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament] has been the loudest about chargers. We cannot say that I was the initiator because it was initiated before I arrived in the European Parliament, but I certainly worked intensively on it,” Borzan said.
The common charger is not the only battle against Big Tech that the EU has won. Brussels believes it will win several more in the coming months.
The EU’s new technological target is artificial intelligence, AI, since the chatbot ChatGPT pointed to the rapid development of this technology last year. Brussels hopes to give a green light to a comprehensive AI law by the end of 2023.
“The directive on artificial intelligence is in the last negotiations. There are other directives that are relevant, for example, the Ecodesign Directive, but also my Directive that determines the availability of software to the consumer,” Borzan said.
The October 2022 landmark Digital Services Act, DSA, and the accompanying Digital Markets Act, DMA, are the biggest and latest attempts to rein in big tech companies.
The DSA requires companies to crack down on harmful and illegal content online and to assess the risks their platforms pose to society. Violation of the rules incur a penalty of 6 per cent of the offender’s annual global turnover.
Under the rules, 19 large internet platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter) and YouTube, had till August this year to comply with the DSA. All platforms will have to comply by February 2024.
These major platforms have already introduced changes, including the banning of targeted advertising to children.
“Different parts of the DSA apply to different market players. Last week, the Commission published a list of ‘gatekeepers’, large platforms that will bear special responsibility for the content on them. They are not overly enthusiastic about it, and Zalando even sued the EC before the European Court because they were involved,” Borzan told BIRN.
The changes are not limited to the EU. Snapchat said it would also limit personalized advertising to minors in the UK.
The DMA is another thorn in the side of technology firms, especially Apple. The law aims to dilute the dominance of the big players and make the market fairer.
The EU has an eye on six of them, in particular: Alphabet (Google), Amazon, Apple, Meta (Facebook), Microsoft and ByteDance (TikTok). The DMA will force Apple to allow third parties to use its App Store.
General Data Protection Regulation, GDPR, came into effect in 2018 and was the strictest and best-known EU law in the field, ensuring that citizens have to give consent to the ways in which their data will be used.
In May, Ireland’s privacy regulator imposed its largest ever single fine of €1.2 billion on Meta for transferring personal data between Europe and the US.
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Is Cyberpunk 2077 Orientalist?
No.
But that would be a poor counterpoint to the internet essays and YouTube videos that accused Cyberpunk 20777 being orientalist.
I obviously love Cyberpunk 2077 a lot. I enjoyed "cyberpunk as a genre" mostly through anime and manga than Hollywood or western literature.
But I also spent a significant amount of my life studying the history of the British Imperialism of Southeast Asia in the 19th century and the Japanese Occupation of Asia Pacific in the 20th century because like most of the people within Asia Pacific, we all struggle with intergenerational family trauma. I wanted to understand why.
Therefore, I felt compelled to address a couple of troublesome shallow criticism specifically against this game and I want to call out a particular dangerous subtext within some of the articles that I've read.
This post is very lengthy.
What is Orientalism?
Orientalism was a body of fact, opinion and prejudice accumulated by western academia. It argued that colonialism was a system of political rule and an all-round worldview that believed the west was superior to the east. It involved the power to disseminate knowledge to collaborate with the western power to justify their domination of the east.
This term was coined by Edward Said who was a Palestinian-American professor of literature and the founder of the academic field of postcolonial studies. His criticism was against the norms of the western academia and against corroborating with systems of power and giving the justification for centuries of colonization and subjugation particularly against the people in the Near East particularly the Islamic world.
What is Japanese Imperialism?
During the Sengoku period when Japan was just an island with a lot of warring Samurai clans. Through political and military might, Toyotomi Hideyoshi united Japan in 1590. In 1592, he launched invasions against the Joseon dynasty and it's proxy, the Ming dynasty. They failed spectacularly but this left an indelible mark against the collective psyche of Japanese people for several centuries.
Japanese imperial ambitions resurged around the end of Tokugawa Shogunate and the start of Meiji Restoration. Factored in by the span of the relatively peaceful Edo period under various shoguns, the push to end Japan's isolationist policies (Sakoku) from within and outside (European powers and mostly, USA), the start of Bakumatsu and the dreams of constitutional absolute monarchy. All of contributed to the complete disintegration of Japanese feudal caste-based society fueled by the discontent of peasant class wanting social mobility, the disaffected samurai class and the prosperity of the merchant class during the industrialization period which lead to Zaibatsu emergence; conglomerates of families controlling certain aspects of Japanese economy.
With the desire for international prestige, pressured to sustain their newly oiled capitalistic machine with the expansion to overseas foreign markets while maintaining dominance within domestic politics; Japan realized that they lack the necessarily resources within it's own borders. It began to look toward it's neighbour again; Joseon (Korea).
Thus, the start of Sino-Japanese War (1894) which lead to Russo-Japanese War (1904), then the invasion of Manchuria (1931-1932), the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937) and the expansion throughout the Asia Pacific during World War II (1941-1945).
What is Self-Orientalism?
This was a willful conscious and/or unconscious attempt of using stereotypical portrayals by accepting and performing them to suppress own authentic representations. This also happened to regions on the outset of Eurocentricsm, (cultures and people who have been colonised, subordinated or simply influenced), becoming more globalized and becoming available to western projections about what is or should be other. Thus many learned to accept and appropriate orientalism as a strategic method to gain benefits, recognition and position themselves especially within the Western-dominated global economy, system and order. (i.e: entertainment industry, tourism industry, etc)
What is Occidentalism?
Occidentalism was an inversion of Orientalism. Defined as the distorted and stereotypical views against the West by the East. But even with the current political climate, the true use and influence of Occidentalism have limited applications.
The more robust Orientalism operated within global asymmetrical power relations resulting in the hierarchic othering process by the western hegemony. We don’t live in a world where the complete opposite happened to have the true form of Occidentalism.
Currently, the term was mainly used to describe the anti-European or anti-American ideology by Islamist fundamentalists or Chinese and Japanese nationalists (including North Korean nationalists and Russian Imperialists).
What is Japanese Occidentalism?
As a former-imperialist and current-capitalist power, Japan occupied a unique position where it was currently seen almost as an equal to the modern western world. Occidentalism manifested through their WW2 war propaganda against the western allied forces.
But Japan was briefly occupied by the United States of America from 1945 to 1952. That forced the Japanese people and the nation to reconstruct itself around it's own national tragedies (the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki) and to reestablish itself as a formidable nation that was desperate to salvage whatever remained of it's own pride and identity.
Sometimes distorted portrayals of the west manifested itself in popular culture or criticism against the west’s intervention into current Japanese politics but never quite carry the same impact especially to the modern Japanese people.
Or except for a few.
What is Japanese Historical Revisionism?
Much like Holocaust deniers in the US, there was an ongoing revival of ultranationalism project to revise and sanitize the history of Imperial Japan in the 20th century. It was done under the impression that these factual atrocities that happened not so long ago to our grandparents’ generations was just a product of historical distortion and anti-Japanese sentiments by the West. Under this line of thoughts; any negative historical portrayals about the Japanese people was simply assumed as Japanophobia.
Not surprisingly. This is still an active and thorny political issue between many nations subjugated by Imperial Japan particularly between South Korea and China. From the enshrinement of war criminals and honoring the dead soldiers in the Yasukuni Shrine to the lack of reparations and official apology to the survivors of wartime sexual slavery to the attempts at rewriting history books that minimize the scale and significance of Japanese war crimes and the complicity of United States' government and it's muddled foreign policies in this region.
***
Emperor Akihito of Japan; during the National Memorial Service for War Dead in 2015 :
“Reflecting on our past and bearing in mind the feelings of deep remorse over the last war, I earnestly hope that the ravages of war will never be repeated. Together with all of our people, I now pay my heartfelt tribute to all those who lost their lives in the war, both on the battlefields and elsewhere, and pray for world peace and for the continuing development of our country.”
Former Crown Prince and the current Emperor Naruhito of Japan in 2015 :
“[I] did not experience the war … it is important today, when memories of the war are fading, to look back humbly on the past and correctly pass on the tragic experiences and history Japan pursued from the generation which experienced the war to those without direct knowledge.”
***
Why does all of these matter when discussing or criticizing portrayal of Japanese people and culture within Cyberpunk 2077?
Because having the larger picture mattered when discussing real world history and politics into Mike Pondsmith's Cyberpunk.
Orientalism placed the particular importance of imbalance of power dynamics between the East and the West. Particularly, how the distorted representation and process of dehumanization of people and their culture would justify the Western hegemonic superiority against its lesser Eastern counterpart.
Pondsmith's Cyberpunk is an alternate timeline where technological advances diverged into a dystopian dark future where megacorporations ruled humanity. This is also a world where the collapse of superpowers of all major nations on the planet.
Unlike the story of our world where Japanese Zaibatsu were mostly dissolved during Allied Occupation and Reconstruction of Japan (1942-1952), Arasaka Zaibatsu survived through the modern era and into the 21st century; mostly led by a former Japanese Imperial soldier and heir to Arasaka family; Saburo Arasaka.
They were Imperial Japanese relics from 20th century that could only survive through fictional portrayal. They were not meant to be the representative of Japanese people or culture or society. In fact, the larger part of the nefarious elements within the storytelling was the purposeful appropriation of Japan and it's people by the villain himself.
This felt very purposeful and added a lot of depth into the character because this was what I imagined when I read and listened and empathized with the survivors' account of having to work for the Japanese Imperialists during the occupation. How they need to survive. It was all meant to inspire this feeling of inward hatred for working with the enemy who have very little respect or empathy for you as a human being.
Arasaka used self-orientalism to rebrand themselves with the Japanese identity, values and mythology to further it's own corporate ambitions. It have it's own self-styled royal family, appropriated the legends of Izanami and Izanagi, created their own digital underworld and used Japanese ultranationalist elements to justify it's rule against the world but primarily the subjugation of Night City and it’s people.
Personally, I became very impressed with the way Cyberpunk 2077 immediately present all of these elements within the introduction of Corpo V storyline. From the talk with Jackie, the way V's colleagues reacted to them with either disgust or suspicion. I immediately felt sickened when I watched the elevator's wall documentary glorifying this imperial Japanese soldier who happened to be the chairman of the company itself.
And then I began to recognize a lot of elements that I associated with 20th century Japan. Karayuki-san. Comfort Women. Comfort Stations. The treatment of women within Arasaka's society. The weaponism of Bushido. There was also this hint of Japanese occidentalism against the West. Then everything made sense for me. All of this was the world created by Saburo Arasaka. A world where his Japan never lose the war against the US. A world where he was the emperor and have the power to set the destiny of his own people and his enemies.
Saburo reimagined his own Japanese identity, his national history that placed his ideals of Japan being more superior in a screwed up selfish way and everyone suffered for it.
It felt like a living nightmare because it was intended to be.
The exploration of an alternate world where Japan seemingly won WWII was nothing new. I read Phillip K Dick's The Man in the High Castle as a teenager and followed the 2015′s Amazon television adaptation. Back then I realized not everyone was exposed to this aspect of Imperial Japanese history either through history classes or fictional portrayals. There was also a tendency to magnify American involvement and the push for sympathetic portrayals of Imperial Japanese Army and it’s government while giving little attention given to the lived realities of people brutally victimized by them (which included prisoners of wars from UK, Australia and other countries). Compounded by the need to be kinder to this region of history meant there was less interest in media unlike the constant popularity of the WW2′s Axis counterparts.
But Cyberpunk TTRPG and Cyberpunk 2077 did more than just reimagining an alternate history. By using cyberpunk's convention, you're forced to be within the perspective of the oppressed rather than the oppressor. This act of humanizing the narrative of the little people struggling against an oppressive system was important because it was easier to desensitized against them. To pretend ignorance about the unrepresented because there was enough suffering in the world already.
For this alone, Cyberpunk 2077 is one of the most important post-colonial work that examined WW2 Imperial Japan as a cautionary tale.
TL;DR : But really, is Cyberpunk 2077 orientalist?
No.
I don't think CD Projekt RED and R. Talsorian Games willfully does that...? I haven't yet read the official statements, but I felt CDPR are all well-aware of the content of their game and familiar with the concepts of Orientalism, Self-Orientalism and Occidentalism. Which was then applied to their works; visual narrative, story and characters etc.
It can be debatable whether each of those post-colonial academical concepts were clarified enough within the Pondsmith’s Cyberpunk but these terms by themselves are subjective. Whether they would attract more academic interest into this game, be my guest.
Was it cultural appropriation...? Yes. Because that was the whole point of the settings, the story and the fictionalization process.
The term Orientalism itself was tied to the western power dynamics and perpetuating and disseminating a false but dominant worldview. In Cyberpunk, the west have been decimated and most nations have all collectively been disempowered including USA. But taking offense about negative portrayals of people with the context of historical elements or a setting portraying an aesthetic based on certain culture; that was never what criticism of Orientalism being about.
For internet essayists, be aware that these academic terms weren't meant to be derogatory either to the creator or against the the consumer. When criticizing what you felt as “negative portrayals/Japanophobia”; understand that not even Japanese people are incapable of orientalist cyberpunk works; Psycho-Pass: The Movie was horrible at portraying Southeast Asians and it won Best Picture and Screenplay in 2015. Also, keep in mind about historical revisionism that seek to minimize anything about Imperial Japan in the 20th century.
Also, CDPR did the localization in South Korea and Mainland China.
More references :
While I can only speak for myself as a Malaysian with close families who survived the Japanese Occupation but shouldn't something like this blew up even worst? Like in the scale of international incident? Wouldn’t there be more articles especially by born and bred Asians like me who would readily speak out especially with all the sensitive nature and topics?
Or maybe, Mike Pondsmith’s Cyberpunk have done something right after all?
1. Edward S Said’s Orientalism
2. Edward S. Said’s Culture and Imperialism
3. Occidentalism in Japan
4. Towards Critical Occidentalism Studies: Re-inventing the 'West' and 'Japan' in Mangaesque Popular Cultures
5. Forgiving The Culprits: Japanese Historical Revisionism in a Post-Cold War Context
6. The Comfort Women: Japan's Brutal Regime of Enforced Prostitution in the Second World War
7. The Rise and Fall of the Zaibatsu: Japan's Industrial and Economic Modernization
8. The Meiji Secret: The Emergence of Zaibatsu Dominance in Japan
#Cyberpunk 2077#Cyberpunk essay#Cyberpunk#Japanese history#Japanese Revisionism#video game#Orientalism#Occidentalism#Self-Orientalism
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27 February 2024: Queen Rania renewed calls for an immediate end to the war on Gaza, as well as an end to the obstruction of desperately-needed aid delivery.
“Why is the killing of some condemned, while the killing of others justified? Why is depriving one child of food a crime, but starving one million Gazan children an acceptable outcome of war?” Queen Rania asked.
Speaking in Doha at the first-ever Web Summit Qatar conference, Her Majesty highlighted the role that social media has played in allowing Palestinians to share their story with the world, calling on the millions who have amplified Palestinian voices online and offline to prevent Palestinian solidarity from becoming a passing trend.
“The people of Gaza have never been more connected – yet never more isolated. Cut off from food, water, medicine, fuel, and everything required to sustain human life, they have continued to reach for their phones… to reach for us,” she said.
In her keynote speech, Queen Rania explained that for decades, the Palestinian story has been obscured, allowing Palestinians to be dehumanized, discredited, and “turned into a people unto whom anything can be done, without consequence.”
This, she said, has resulted in “the bar for humanity” falling to new lows. “Actions that were once unthinkable are now commonplace: Hospitals under fire. Houses of worship destroyed. Civilians killed with white flags in hand. How can we possibly make sense of that?” she asked.
Her Majesty explained that denying one side of a conflict the right to tell its story has resulted in an incomplete narrative, noting that the Israeli account has historically overshadowed that of Palestinians.
“Palestinians are reduced to antagonists in someone else’s story: They are cast as terrorists and security threats, nothing more,” she said.
“Their status as an occupied people is glossed over. Their diverse population of doctors, educators, and activists is disregarded. Their many attempts at non-violent resistance – from historic strikes and civil disobedience, to Gaza’s Great March of Return – have been crushed, even criminalized,” the Queen added.
However, Her Majesty noted that in the wake of the war on Gaza, Palestinians have gained increased visibility through social media, where “harrowing snapshots of life and death” have dominated many users’ feeds.
“Babies covered in searing burns; children with bloody bandages where limbs should be; mothers peeling back shrouds to kiss angelic faces goodbye… Scrolling through these images of a merciless war, I find myself thinking, ‘It can’t get any worse.’ And then, it does,” she said.
The Queen stated that although the October 7th attack opened a new chapter in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the larger story has been unfolding for 75 years, in which Palestinians have not known a day of genuine peace.
“Acts of war are not always as clear-cut as an airstrike, an ambush, or an abduction,” she remarked. “Sometimes, violence takes the shape of a crippling 17-year blockade, as decades of almost daily deaths, [… ] and the endless indignities of life under occupation.”
Queen Rania underlined that the war on Gaza, “livestreamed to the world,” has left many in the West with “an uneasy sense that the Palestinian issue isn’t as black-and-white as they had been led to believe.”
“This is, at once, a tragic and a transformational moment for the people of Palestine,” Her Majesty said, “Just as their lives are crumbling around them, people everywhere are connecting with them.”
The Queen cited unprecedented global mobilization in support of Palestine, noting that Jewish activists around the world have been “some of the loudest voices calling for a ceasefire.” She also highlighted the critical role that the people of Gaza have played in enabling people around the world relate to their plight.
“This new generation of citizen journalists is being credited with ‘humanizing’ the people of Gaza,” she said. “The tragedy is Palestinians have been human all along – it had just been simpler to believe otherwise.”
Acknowledging the control that social media platforms now have on Palestinian visibility, Her Majesty noted that many Palestinians and their supporters believe that major platforms are limiting their reach, and restricting their content based on vague standards.
“Online and offline, blurred standards have never worked for Palestinians’ advantage,” the Queen said. “Just look at global benchmarks of human rights, international law, universal values of equality and justice. Some of our most basic principles are being rewritten in real-time, to rationalize an irrational level of violence,” she added.
“Why must some fight tooth and nail for compassion, while others are given it freely? What does it matter if millions of people believe you have been wronged, if the injustice continues?” she asked.
Underscoring the need to achieve Palestinians’ right to “govern their own lives, in dignity and security” on the basis of the two-state solution, the Queen called on Palestinians’ global advocates to continue to amplify their voices, adding that public pressure has the power to rewrite the future.
“Make no mistake: There is nothing more powerful than an informed, indignant global community, calling for an end to a great injustice,” Queen Rania said. “Change is possible. Injustice is reversible. But the onus is on us.”
Web Summit Qatar is the inaugural Middle East event of the global Web Summit, which runs some of the largest technology events in the world.
Over the course of four days, the conference will bring together 1,000 startups from 80 countries, including Jordan, making it the largest and most globally diverse cohort of startups to ever gather in the region. Web Summit Qatar is expected to welcome more than 12,000 attendees from over 120 countries.
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