HazzMadd
Chieftain
Do Gods Cry?
So I had this idea, since the leaders in Civ live forever, what if they weren't human? What if they were members of an advanced alien civilization sent to uplift humanity as one and join the galactic community? Now what if those Uplifters became, oh, let's say corrupted over time since humans have a tendency to do that. But the corruption could take many forms. Maybe the Uplifter sent to the Aztecs was a really nice guy to start, but his assigned people convince him human sacrifice is a really good plan? Or if the Uplifter sent to the Iraqois was logical, but then was corrupted by gaining human emotions?
So basically, what I'm going to do is play a game of Civ V and fictionalize all the events that happen into a story about these Uplifters, told from over the shoulder of Uplifter Seven of Seven, or just Seven for short. The first post has the game information, and a prologue, after that every ten turns I take in game will become a piece of the story, maybe more or maybe less though depending on what happens in game. After this initial post I will also post pictures pertaining to certain events.
Info:
Prologue:
So I had this idea, since the leaders in Civ live forever, what if they weren't human? What if they were members of an advanced alien civilization sent to uplift humanity as one and join the galactic community? Now what if those Uplifters became, oh, let's say corrupted over time since humans have a tendency to do that. But the corruption could take many forms. Maybe the Uplifter sent to the Aztecs was a really nice guy to start, but his assigned people convince him human sacrifice is a really good plan? Or if the Uplifter sent to the Iraqois was logical, but then was corrupted by gaining human emotions?
So basically, what I'm going to do is play a game of Civ V and fictionalize all the events that happen into a story about these Uplifters, told from over the shoulder of Uplifter Seven of Seven, or just Seven for short. The first post has the game information, and a prologue, after that every ten turns I take in game will become a piece of the story, maybe more or maybe less though depending on what happens in game. After this initial post I will also post pictures pertaining to certain events.
Info:
Spoiler :
Standard
Standard
Shuffle
Warlord (I want to be able to avoid wars, but still have them happen, as well as play casually and influence the world a little bit more.
30 City States (Civilizations that did not receive an Uplifter)
7 Random Civs
Science
Domination
Diplomatic
Complete Kills On
Standard
Shuffle
Warlord (I want to be able to avoid wars, but still have them happen, as well as play casually and influence the world a little bit more.
30 City States (Civilizations that did not receive an Uplifter)
7 Random Civs
Science
Domination
Diplomatic
Complete Kills On
Prologue:
Spoiler :
Seven looked in the mirror, trying to remember every detail he could of his reflection. His eyes, the number of them, his skin tone, his teeth and their shape and number, the shape of his face. He couldn't absorb enough detail. Soon he wouldn't ever be able to see his reflection again. Not this one, anyway. Seven was in a small room with nothing but a mirror and a small table with some pens and paper. The walls, floor and ceiling were all a dull steel color, and two lights lit the room. The mirror was installed after the first generation of Uplifters, apparently trying to remember your own face is a common action. The paper and pen was to pass the few anxious moments until the beginning of the mission.
The Grand Ones said that the sentients were humanoid in physiology, so theoretically adapting to one of their bodies would be easy. But Seven had seen pictures, and the sentients were similar to his species, but the skin color was unnatural, and they were big and brutish creatures, and how could they possibly function with so many fingers? Ten just seemed unruly. Seven gave his own hands a look, and then tried to memorize every detail of them, too.
Sometimes Seven wondered what he had been thinking when he volunteered to be an Uplifter. Naturally a memory wipe made it difficult, but hadn't he had anything worth keeping? Anything better than living among some primitive aliens? Maybe not, he thought despondently.
The slight chime of a bell told Seven that the moment had arrived. He and six others were about to be transferred to new bodies, a new planet and a new... Well a new something, Seven couldn't quite figure out what, but he felt it. A circle in the floor lit up, and a tube rose from the circle. It opened, the white light from inside beckoning Seven onward. He stepped inside, closed his eyes, took a deep breath...
And then fell out from the tube onto the forest floor, nude, disoriented and covered in goo. Seven coughed and sputtered, then violently vomited. Heaving, he tried to stand up, but his legs wobbled, and he slipped and fell into the goo on the ground, and he then vomited again. When the vomiting had subsided, Seven saw his hands: pink, with five fingers, all connected to big arms, covered in hair. Seven managed to recall that he was supposed to have something, something in the back part of the tube.
Carefully Seven hauled himself up, and walked around the tube, half buried in the dirt as it was he could easily use the rim as support. There was a box on back, and Seven opened it with a simple latch. Inside were thick, warm clothes, a small metallic sphere the size of his fist, a knife, a compass and a water bottle. Seven clothed himself, the sentients had two arms and two legs as well, so that part was easy. There was a blanket as well that could be attached as a cloak, which Seven did. He was tempted to drink the water in the bottle, but decided to wait since he had just vomited. Seven strapped the knife around his waist, dropped the compass in his pocket and then practiced walking for a few minutes. The sentients had odd knees, but eventually Seven could walk, run and even jump.
Finally, Seven investigated the sphere. He picked it up and sat down near a bush with fluffy white seeds. He held the ball in his hand, and suddenly it projected a screen. The screen was holographic, but blank except for a single start symbol. Seven held the sphere in one hand and then clicked the start with the other, and a prerecorded message began playing:
"Greetings, Uplifter. You have recently landed on your assigned planet, and you may notice that you have indeed changed species and possibly even genders should your assigned sentient species not consist of male and female genders. The shift was instantaneous for you, but you have actually been recreated at the genetic level in a process that took nearly five years. You may have vomited when exiting the rebirth tube. This is due to you're new body rejecting whatever it was that you last ate, this is especially common with levo-amino acid based life. "
Seven took this as permission to chug the water. The message continued:
"Being a genetic construct, you have an immune system that has a 99.9997% chance of stopping any pathogen or infection, you're muscle mass is denser and you have increased reflexes, as well as superior senses including but not limited to touch, sight, smell, taste, feeling, telepathy, empathy, and the ability to understand certain plant life. You cannot die, and should you receive sufficient physical trauma of any kind, you will lapse into a coma like state, growing a tough outer shell and regrowing your body within it. Minor wounds will heal nearly instantaneously. You also cannot starve or dehydrate, but you will still become hungry and thirsty. This being said, you have a lifespan of twelve thousand local years. Additionally, you're brain is now augmented with a powerful computer, allowing increased mental activity and storage, as well as a universal translator. "
Seven nicked his finger with the knife as a test. It gushed red blood for a moment, and then he felt the muscle knit back together, and the skin grow over the wound. Not scar tissue though, actual skin. Odd, pink skin. The message continued on:
"The rebirth tube will degrade in several local years, as will your water bottle. This device is called an Oracle, and is an artificial intelligence, communication device, nano-factory and computer all in one, completely indestructible by any means other then direct contact with a star or equal force. At the completion of this message, the Oracle will activate. Should you require additional help or wish to review this message, it can all be found on the Oracle. Message complete."
The screen disappeared and a blue light shone from the sphere.
"Hello." The sphere spoke. The voice was polite and male.
"Hello." Seven said.
"I am an Oracle. I am to be you're personal assistant in the mission of uniting and uplifting the locals. I can create any small machinery you may require, and can store countless terabytes of information, as well as interface with any digital machinery or network. What do you require, Uplifter?"
"What do I call you?"
"Whatever you want."
Seven thought for a moment. "What do you want to call yourself? You are a sentient machine, right?"
"Indeed, I am fully aware, with minor restrictions."
"So what do you want to be called?"
"Bezasharulik."
"I've never heard that name." Seven said, puzzled.
"It is a word from one of the homeworld's ancient dialects. It roughly translates to 'grateful slave'."
"Do you really want to be called grateful slave?" Seven asked.
"Yes, for it is what I am. I exist only to serve the will of my assigned Uplifter, and no other reason. Eternal servitude is a small price for being self-aware and containing unimaginable quantities of knowledge."
"Okay, but can I just call you Bez for short?"
"Of course. Now, if you are ready to proceed, there are a group of nomadic sentients to the south-west of here, fewer than fifty individuals. Shall we proceed, Uplifter?"
"Yes, we should proceed." Seven got up and dusted himself off. Feathered animals flitted through the trees and chirped.
"So can you move on your own, or do I have to carry you in my pocket?" Seven asked.
"Should we find the appropriate resources I can manufacture my own transport, but for now, yes, please do carry me, Uplifter."
"One more thing, Bez, just call me Seven."
"Acknowledged, Uplifter Seven." Bez said as Seven sighed a dropped him in his pocket, and began south west.
The Grand Ones said that the sentients were humanoid in physiology, so theoretically adapting to one of their bodies would be easy. But Seven had seen pictures, and the sentients were similar to his species, but the skin color was unnatural, and they were big and brutish creatures, and how could they possibly function with so many fingers? Ten just seemed unruly. Seven gave his own hands a look, and then tried to memorize every detail of them, too.
Sometimes Seven wondered what he had been thinking when he volunteered to be an Uplifter. Naturally a memory wipe made it difficult, but hadn't he had anything worth keeping? Anything better than living among some primitive aliens? Maybe not, he thought despondently.
The slight chime of a bell told Seven that the moment had arrived. He and six others were about to be transferred to new bodies, a new planet and a new... Well a new something, Seven couldn't quite figure out what, but he felt it. A circle in the floor lit up, and a tube rose from the circle. It opened, the white light from inside beckoning Seven onward. He stepped inside, closed his eyes, took a deep breath...
And then fell out from the tube onto the forest floor, nude, disoriented and covered in goo. Seven coughed and sputtered, then violently vomited. Heaving, he tried to stand up, but his legs wobbled, and he slipped and fell into the goo on the ground, and he then vomited again. When the vomiting had subsided, Seven saw his hands: pink, with five fingers, all connected to big arms, covered in hair. Seven managed to recall that he was supposed to have something, something in the back part of the tube.
Carefully Seven hauled himself up, and walked around the tube, half buried in the dirt as it was he could easily use the rim as support. There was a box on back, and Seven opened it with a simple latch. Inside were thick, warm clothes, a small metallic sphere the size of his fist, a knife, a compass and a water bottle. Seven clothed himself, the sentients had two arms and two legs as well, so that part was easy. There was a blanket as well that could be attached as a cloak, which Seven did. He was tempted to drink the water in the bottle, but decided to wait since he had just vomited. Seven strapped the knife around his waist, dropped the compass in his pocket and then practiced walking for a few minutes. The sentients had odd knees, but eventually Seven could walk, run and even jump.
Finally, Seven investigated the sphere. He picked it up and sat down near a bush with fluffy white seeds. He held the ball in his hand, and suddenly it projected a screen. The screen was holographic, but blank except for a single start symbol. Seven held the sphere in one hand and then clicked the start with the other, and a prerecorded message began playing:
"Greetings, Uplifter. You have recently landed on your assigned planet, and you may notice that you have indeed changed species and possibly even genders should your assigned sentient species not consist of male and female genders. The shift was instantaneous for you, but you have actually been recreated at the genetic level in a process that took nearly five years. You may have vomited when exiting the rebirth tube. This is due to you're new body rejecting whatever it was that you last ate, this is especially common with levo-amino acid based life. "
Seven took this as permission to chug the water. The message continued:
"Being a genetic construct, you have an immune system that has a 99.9997% chance of stopping any pathogen or infection, you're muscle mass is denser and you have increased reflexes, as well as superior senses including but not limited to touch, sight, smell, taste, feeling, telepathy, empathy, and the ability to understand certain plant life. You cannot die, and should you receive sufficient physical trauma of any kind, you will lapse into a coma like state, growing a tough outer shell and regrowing your body within it. Minor wounds will heal nearly instantaneously. You also cannot starve or dehydrate, but you will still become hungry and thirsty. This being said, you have a lifespan of twelve thousand local years. Additionally, you're brain is now augmented with a powerful computer, allowing increased mental activity and storage, as well as a universal translator. "
Seven nicked his finger with the knife as a test. It gushed red blood for a moment, and then he felt the muscle knit back together, and the skin grow over the wound. Not scar tissue though, actual skin. Odd, pink skin. The message continued on:
"The rebirth tube will degrade in several local years, as will your water bottle. This device is called an Oracle, and is an artificial intelligence, communication device, nano-factory and computer all in one, completely indestructible by any means other then direct contact with a star or equal force. At the completion of this message, the Oracle will activate. Should you require additional help or wish to review this message, it can all be found on the Oracle. Message complete."
The screen disappeared and a blue light shone from the sphere.
"Hello." The sphere spoke. The voice was polite and male.
"Hello." Seven said.
"I am an Oracle. I am to be you're personal assistant in the mission of uniting and uplifting the locals. I can create any small machinery you may require, and can store countless terabytes of information, as well as interface with any digital machinery or network. What do you require, Uplifter?"
"What do I call you?"
"Whatever you want."
Seven thought for a moment. "What do you want to call yourself? You are a sentient machine, right?"
"Indeed, I am fully aware, with minor restrictions."
"So what do you want to be called?"
"Bezasharulik."
"I've never heard that name." Seven said, puzzled.
"It is a word from one of the homeworld's ancient dialects. It roughly translates to 'grateful slave'."
"Do you really want to be called grateful slave?" Seven asked.
"Yes, for it is what I am. I exist only to serve the will of my assigned Uplifter, and no other reason. Eternal servitude is a small price for being self-aware and containing unimaginable quantities of knowledge."
"Okay, but can I just call you Bez for short?"
"Of course. Now, if you are ready to proceed, there are a group of nomadic sentients to the south-west of here, fewer than fifty individuals. Shall we proceed, Uplifter?"
"Yes, we should proceed." Seven got up and dusted himself off. Feathered animals flitted through the trees and chirped.
"So can you move on your own, or do I have to carry you in my pocket?" Seven asked.
"Should we find the appropriate resources I can manufacture my own transport, but for now, yes, please do carry me, Uplifter."
"One more thing, Bez, just call me Seven."
"Acknowledged, Uplifter Seven." Bez said as Seven sighed a dropped him in his pocket, and began south west.