video; un: polaris

[anbaric]

[ asriel has been described as an imposing figure, and the harsh lighting in this place does nothing to dispel that. it's a spacious room, and what light there is seems swallowed by the darkness of the shadows. the lamp on the desk beside him provides most of what there is, and it also illuminates the mess of books and papers he did not bother to tidy before making this.

his snow leopard daemon sits calm and still at his side, all except for her tail sweeping back and forth. there are the sounds of ravens chattering nearby unseen, but as the cat seems more attentive to asriel, they don't seem to be the cause of her anticipation. ]

I am Lord Asriel Belacqua. Few of you will know me, as I only recently found myself in this world, which is why I am here now.

For various reasons, I am interested in the pthumerians, but my research will take time and is more limited in some areas than I would like. I would rather hear it from the rest of you since the people alive here right now are more relevant than the opinions of authors who may no longer be with us. Do you consider them friends or foes? What role does their presence play in your lives? Do you approve of their influence on you? Consider me taking a neutral stance, so all sides have value; if it is worth mentioning, I would hear of it.

[ it's intended to be some encouragement to those who might wonder if their information isn't important enough (because it is), but asriel being asriel means it comes out sounding more like a command. ]

You needn't answer all the questions either, just whatever you like.

[ yes, the snow leopard talks too, but stelmaria's manner manages to be gentler, at least. ]

Given the implications of the illness problem, now seems an appropriate time for an exchange of information, don't you think?

Comments

[anbaric]

What about them makes you so certain that their rules should be considered immutable and unquestionable? Simply awakening to this existence should automatically opt one into a responsibility they did not ask for?

[ oh, he has thoughts about this, especially that responsibility-with-a-capital-R, but he also has restraint. he sits forward a bit in his seat as he asks his questions, but that is all. ]

[slightlytaller]

It's pretty clear that they don't follow the same kind of rules us Sleepers follow, and that we can't rely on them to hold the same moral values, either. Do you ask a hurricane the same kind of questions? What about an earthquake?

Would questioning them about their intentions make them stop doing the things that we find inconvenient? Wouldn't that just be us making pest of ourselves by interfering with a system that's been in motion for longer than we've been alive?

All that matters here is that we are foreigners. They've taken us in, and now they're falling ill-- and this is the first thing we've seen that we can actually do something about.

Correlation doesn't necessarily mean causation, but they've been pretty good hosts for us, to the extent that they are capable of it. Why shouldn't we step up and help?

[anbaric]

A hurricane or an earthquake has no consciousness, so, no. I would not ask the same questions.

Still, a vast and alien consciousness is a form of life. It has a will. It can react in ways a force of pure, unfeeling nature never can.

Consider a honeybee. We can never comprehend the experience of a honeybee, which as an insect, seems primitive to us even though we recognise the significant role the bees play in our existence.

Are the pthumerians to us not as we are to the bees?

And yet, the bees sting us if we would destroy their nests, as is their right. A beekeeper may provide a comfortable home to thousands, and in return they bring him joy in watching how industrious they are and in making honey for him to sell. However, the kept bee still stings — and ought to sting — if for some reason, the beekeeper violates that unspoken contract.

[slightlytaller]

But don't they?

Some theories suggest that the planet itself might be conscious, and isn't nature just a part of that planetary body's system?

Regardless, theories that grand have no place here. Are you suggesting that we, as 'bees', make a formal arrangement with the Pthumerians, our 'beekeeper?'

I'm sure bees are generally pretty happy with their arrangement. They're protected from weather, disease, and other means that would destroy them, and all they need to give up is some of their honey in return. It's a sensible arrangement, but the beekeeper is only the steward that is facilitating it. The hostile elements are beyond both of the parties.

So, in following your analogy, I now must ask: what do you suppose the Pthumerians are protecting US from?

[anbaric]

No. Perhaps where you come from, but I have long since verified the answer to that in mine. Consciousness is measurable there.

[ but since they agree that those questions don't matter here, he's content to move on. ]

Do you make a formal arrangement to be born? We may owe our existence here to their generosity or, at least, their indifference. Still, we should not do so blindly and with no regard for ourselves because of some misplaced sense of responsibility.

It is difficult to guess what they might protect us from because you are asking what might lie beyond the definition of the currently observable universe. It is pointless to concern ourselves with it at present. Perhaps you would prefer to view some as beekeepers, while others are like children with an ant farm. It's natural to wonder what they'll do if you shake up all the sand.

[ is it though? ]

In either case, actions should have consequences.

[slightlytaller]

Perhaps the illness that they're facing now IS a consequence.

Its a recent condition that they are not one hundred percent certain about, and they've been looking for answers. So far, the only solution has required intervention from Sleepers, as we are the only ones that can physically interact with the delicate resources.

You're correct in that we didn't ask for this. But, did they ask for their lot?

I know it isn't a fundamental requirement or even common knowledge for most people, but I think the ancient tradition of XENIA can apply here.

That is: strangers, helping each other in a mutually beneficial relationship to survive unknown circumstances.