Strange World • New World by TruView

Brief Note by The FanFiction Writer of this story: Season Three reconfirms this show's bona fide status as a cult classic. Believe it or not, it was even more vigorous than the first two however, there was virtually no thematic depiction of a love story at the center of any of the episodes; death and destruction on the other hand, were in huge abundance often committed by murderous automatons or 'other' alien intelligences. This particular selection was not only my favorite of the season, but of the entire series thus far, seconded by Pop Squad. Please note that this is not an alternate version but an interpolation meant to illuminate and even embellish some of the finer details of the story through added context. This is the one opening scene not in the animated feature providing an excellent framework in the world of two competing ideologies: The Shapers (of the Gene) and their rivals, the Mechanist factions (a Technocracy).

"Love Death, & Robots _ SWARM (S3E6) PART I"

[A Private Board Meeting of Senior Level Company Execs]

Director Chen spoke to the small gathering of men in the conference room with his back to them. His voice absently tapered off until nothing more could be heard. He found himself temporarily spellbound by the huge storms below claiming a good deal of the planet's surface. There was one in particular whose ruddy circumference was large enough to swallow Earth-sized planets whole. The vantage point from which he viewed the spectacle was aboard a colony outpost situated in the translunar orbit of Jupiter's third moon, IO. It was called Yueh-o Way Station, an installation whose facilities and living quarters were in a permanent state of incremental upgrades and refits. It was privately owned and managed by The Shinto Corporation, a subsidiary of his family's namesake. The wide insulated panel through which he could marvel at the goings-on below likewise drew his attention. Reinforced by some modified version of their very own electromagnetic sheath, courtesy of their space-faring neighbors and business partners deep from within the Pegasus Constellation, it gave expanded detailed information similar to what might be seen in an HUD based on the patron's ocular trajectory. The mysteries of this add-on were finally deciphered a few months ago. Even now after two decades of trade, the inner workings of some of the most basic of exo-technologies still eluded the understanding of his company's brightest minds. Our progress is slow but sure to come. He thought warmly and then sighed with some begrudging reservation needing to refocus. Chen quickly glanced at the man whose body language petitioned him for acknowledgment before turning away again. "Richard, I believe you had a question for me."

The person at the opposite end of the table was Richard Han, or Richy, to his friends. His holdings were the largest, after Chen's of course and that alone should have secured him the CFO position when it had become available. But Chen had outflanked him folding the responsibilities of that office back into the purview of the CEO. Han was a loyal company man but he simply did not have the necessary acumen for the post. Embittered by what he considered an affront, he was always trying to reassert himself only proving to be an insufferable nuisance who was dangerously testing Chen's patience. Apparently, he's still pining for what was never meant to be his; truth be told, Han was having trouble as the BDM (Business Development Manager). Even the President had to quietly step in and salvage a poorly managed business deal or resolve some misunderstandings between third-party associates that led to a high volume of bad transactions the man had personally overseen. In short, Han was becoming a serious liability. Someone else on the board quietly pulled Chen aside and complained that Han was the closest thing to an enemy this company has had in a long while. That revelation was a clear sign that things were in a bad way. If not properly resolved, Han's ineptitude might seriously begin affect the soundness and integrity of this governing body. Chen started by sincerely thanking the older man and assuring him that steps were being taken to fix the problem. However, an abiding sense of proper decorum and the undying need to maintain an absolute faith in the integrity of this board by all of its members, he was compelled to speak further, "Member Huang, we do not have enemies at our board meetings." Chen's terse correction was polite, but firm. There was even a glint of ire behind those penetrating eyes as the words left his mouth. The older board member immediately saw where and how he had erred. Taking two steps back in an act of contrition, he bowed, shamed by his irreverence and wavering faith. Even while this was a private conversation at some small function off to the side, others found it hard not to notice. Chen let him hang there bent at the waist for a bit and then rested a hand on his shoulder releasing him. "Again, I thank you for coming to me with this." Member Huang's eyes were watery but the tears did not fall. He graciously thanked the Director before heading off to speak with other attendees. Standing there alone, Chen contemplated the man's words realizing that he actually did have a point: The only thing worse than an enemy, is a stupid friend.

"I understand that the you have already designated a contact person to rendezvous with Ms. Galina Jones on the Asteroid. Is that true?" Richard asked.

Chen answered in the affirmative, still gazing out the window.

"Together," Richard began confidently. His right hand made a sweeping gesture indicating the other members between them. "We represent the controlling interest of the company which is private and not public. That entitles each of us to a voice in executive decisions." He paused.

"Is there another question in there somewhere or did I miss it?"

"My question is... why weren't we consulted?" Bruce's pearlescent eyes flashed red like some murder bot. It was an emotional tick barely noticeable except by him. The director's eyes on the other hand, were also cybernetic but didn't have any of the glitches.

Director Chen smiled at Richard's growing resolve among the other fellow board members but no one noticed it in the reflection, except Iskander, Chen's adoptive son presently seated to the right of his empty chair. He too was amused but remained stone-faced.

"Tell me board member Han, what do you know about xenobiology or parasitology, for that matter? Do you know what cytopathology is… have you even heard of the word?" The Director turned finally but was greeted with silence. He continued. "Probably not. Look. I don't wanna bother any of you with every minor detail of my office." He made his way casually back over to his seat at the head of the table.

"It was a very small list of candidates to begin, and Dr. Simon Afriel was at the very top. He was so far ahead of the competition that reviewing the remaining applicants would have been a ridiculous waste of time. And let me remind you, taking such initiative is well within my purview. As Director CEO, I can literally pick and choose whatever assignments require my special attention."

A board member other than Richard raised a doubtful objection to the proceedings. It wasn't out of fear but one borne of genuine curiosity. It was like a bad itch he was anxiously trying to relieve. And thus the inquiry.

"Forgive me Director, but everyone here knows that our cultural legacy as Machinists goes back countless generations to Earth-China, primarily as roboticists and then cyberneticists or cyberneticians according to our detractors." A random two members chuckled at the reference. "Can you please explain why we have decided to fund the expeditions of this Shaper to the Asteroid?" Saito bowed his head gracefully toward the Director.

"Very good question." Some one else added cheerfully.

"A good one indeed." Agreed the Director.

It was one he was happy to answer. He started by sharing of the brewing hostility of various Shaper extremist factions in having to commit so much of their infrastructure to supplying the aliens. As a consequence some have begun sabotaging the trade deals by adulterating the product or failing to produce the agreed-upon amount. In an effort to appease the Aliens, he's had to supply the difference from his own personal stores.

"How did you know there would be such problems in the supply chain?" Han asked.

"I didn't. This was a contingency plan. Nothing more." He responded. Han nodded gratefully.

"They know you can't keep this up." Iskander pontificated openly, "Ahh I see it now. They're planning on renegotiating us out of the deal entirely at some point."

"Exactly. The Shaper-Machinist alliance supplies the nutrient-dense organics the aliens crave in return for FTL transport and shipping between already established colonies. In the beginning this alliance was necessary because the Shapers produced the organics, while we the Machinists, furnished their equipment. But no longer."

"What do you mean? How do we get on without their side of the equation then?" Richard asked.

"I have made a deal that will secure our company well into the foreseeable future." Chen informed.

The Director shared partially discovered plans to foment an apocalypse war by the greedy Shapers; one that will destroy them both. His solution was a mass exodus into the Pegasus constellation with new terms between the aliens and themselves. He dimmed the lights and showed them video clips of the three planets they were promised, pristine worlds with untapped resources. Two of the planets already had burgeoning machinist populations hard at work building the infrastructure for the housing complexes of future families. Most of the signs were only in Mandarin. It was managed by a former board member whose shares all went to Chen –apparently for some deal of which neither of the remaining members were privy. Despite this fact, the man genuinely seemed happy as he made various presentations.

Richard knew the man, it was Former CFO Board Member Cho. So that's what happened to him.

"It's a three year one way trip over several hundred light years away." Chen said.

"So we will produce the product?"

"Yes. But I believe the question you really wanted to ask was how? … especially since the secret sauce is so secret and its configuration, unknown." Chen smiled cryptically. "The machines that we furnish them reported everything back to us. It even took videos. We're already producing a higher grade in half the time."

"But what's to stop the Shapers from following us to our new colony worlds?" Iskander his son asked.

"Our new agreement with the Aliens." Chen said matter-of-factly. "As of twenty-three…? No! Twenty-four days ago. Anyone who isn't Machinist will only be ferried to human established settlements within Sol system. That is until we leave this region of space for good."

"So the aliens are not coming back either?"

"No."

"There's still one piece that doesn't quite fit." Saito's head was tilted. "Why finance Dr. Simon Afriel's visit to that bug infestation of an asteroid?"

"Because that's the next biggest thing to occupy their attention." Said the Director.

"...while we quietly leave out the back door." Saito voice was slow and conspiratorial but the moment he concluded, everyone laughed.

"Precisely Mr. Saito." The Director's words were full of mirth, "we're still in the planning stages however. It's likely that not all of our people will make it out. We'll see. Anything more? If not please check your personal COM devices for information on coordinating with my extraction professionals regarding your own personal families who will make it all look natural. Thank you for coming."

They all stood up one by one and left through the mahogany double doors singly or in clusters still talking amongst each other until only The Director and his son remained.

For a long while, his son said nothing but just smiled at him doing his best to suppress a laugh that was threatening to break free. "…a greedy Shaper?

"What? You don't think they exists?" Father asked.

"About as much as a unicorn with two horns." Iskander smiled but went on with his extrapolations.

"You set this whole thing up didn't you? Supply chain disruptions, the adulteration of their product, and you coming in at the last possible second with your hidden stockpiles to save the fiscal day. All of it aimed at a renegotiation of terms with our alien friends with you at the helm. It's clever, but I wonder… was it any of it really necessary?"

"I know you say those things because you prefer the open battlefield of combat, gloriously leading your armada to victory after victory against the wayward Shaper factions -"

"-as opposed to the sterile isolation of conference rooms?" Iskander broke in without preamble and waved his right hand in a wide arc indicating their lofty accommodations. The other man was much older than him but to anyone else unfamiliar with the two, Chen could've passed for a much older wiser brother. "My philosopher father, I do not steel victories. Where's the honor in that?"

"Are we talking about honor now? Look, at the end of the day honor holds about as much meaning as justice. Neither of the two can be defined, in point of fact. What you see as honor, others will call slaughter. So let's be real then. I know you enjoy the carnage. There's nothing wrong with that. Hell, even I enjoy a little bit of blood in my sport on occasion. More than anything, I am talking about securing a future for our Mechanist brothers and sisters. Let that be our legacy."

Iskander said nothing searching in vain for some clever retort. Find none, he gradually dawned a smile. He absolutely hated that his father was so, whatever he was. Iskander did not have the words to adequately define him. "You know me so well. I'm almost... ashamed."

"Don't be." Chen said, "We are who we are…"

"-or what we're fighting to become." Iskander concluded. This was something Chen had been telling him since boyhood. It was the saying that turned the savage little street urchin into a respectable young adult no longer ruled by his passions or fears. It was the point where I became conscious. i.e., grew enough of a conscience.The point he was trying to convey to the little boy was that nature has given all the raw material for easy mastery over a variety of disciplines. The rough cut of that material is enough for most people. But for others who require absolute best, they must choose to prune themselves.

[ To be Continued ]

Afterthoughts of the Writer: I cannot overemphasize my esteem for this story, which is a pretty accurate interpretation of Bruce Sterling's novelette by the same name. Consider joining me in part two: Where I divine the sinister plans of Director Chen; Show in graphic detail how Dr. Gilena Mirny was taken and then absorbed by the Swarm; And submit an alternate ending of the third act, reimagning how the conversation between Dr. Afriel and the Swarm should've gone.