there are people our heroes would rather learn run an interdimensional empire
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"I changed because the system had advantages, it wasn't about being bad at the other one. It's more work to run things quietly but it gives you more latitude in a way, plausible deniability for everything. But I don't think that'd actually be on their list of demands."

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Do you want a metal piercing somewhere inconspicuous for eidetic memory, and then the spells?

 

"They're not very clear about their demands, honestly."

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I'll see if I can get anywhere on getting teleporters through legitimate channels.

 

"They are not. They want assurance that aliens with a slightly sweeter offer won't sweep you off."

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"I haven't tried to cultivate ambiguity about that. I'm not going to abet sedition in their empire."

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"I'm not going to stop gathering resources either."

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"I don't think they'll actually kill you for it, just be vaguely stressed and anxious. Though - if you push them too close to the line then a misunderstanding can push them over it, whereas if you leave some buffer -"

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"I'd like to leave some buffer, but they have enough resources to make misunderstandings both less likely and more retrievable and there are other risks - a single angry person showing up to murder me - which a moderate amount of resources can protect against. I don't think they'd bother resurrecting us."

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"Not in a hurry, probably."

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"And I want resources for things like 'if worlds are somehow cut off from one another' - for if they do get in trouble with some more powerful aliens -"

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Yes, all right, I'll take it.

 

"Making them nervous is a cost."

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"Yes. Just sometimes worth it."

Don't use it. 

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Understood.

 

They make small talk for the next several hours and then Midnight brings him home.

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Cor comes and visits the next day.

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"I'm going to leave if you say anything despicable. Or in an hour, whichever comes first."

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Nod. "What are you working on?"

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"Resettling. A few people are tempted to stay here. I still need to name this Arda, map is lousy with them."

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"They're welcome to stay if they like, what with the Enemy dead and the Valar friendly."

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"Yeah, nobody's stopping them."

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"In a way I bet it's an advantage, getting to do all the infrastructure from scratch."

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"Apparently it helps with things like trains."

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"I'm not really sure why you're here - it's really good to see you but they have plenty else to bribe me with, trains and computers and satellites..."

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"They're trying not making those conditional on your good behavior, especially since you're nominally not even running the place any more."

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"How thoughtful of them. That was the main stress on Midnight, it's probably the most important thing to do better. - making it conditional is fine as long as the conditions are transparent, even -"

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