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Cellulose & Steel	By : Not-Taylor Category: Misc Books > FemmeSlash Views: 1028 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I don't own HDG or its characters and I don't make money from this work.

Chapter List
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It’s that guy again, with the weirdly young face. He’s the one who betrayed Terra to talk about how happy he is as a pet. Biorhythms. Now that it thinks about that, he’s one of the more lucid florets in the Guide. It wonders how long there was between his recordings.
“Welcome everyone watching, and may your days go smoothly and contentedly. I’m Cal Eeeeeeetu, first floret of Jeseg Eeeeeeetu, fourth bloom. I used to have a show where I encouraged rebellion against the Affini out of misplaced loyalty to people who didn’t respect me anyway. They’ve let me keep my show, so now I tell everyone about how much better life is for so many of us. My Mistress has been fully supportive of this. She listens to everything I broadcast. I couldn’t ask for better support.
“So today’s topic is related to my story, so bear with me while I start with that. I used to have a show where I encouraged rebellion against the Affini. This was years ago, back at the beginning of the War. When Double Port and the rest of the planet I lived on was taken, I managed to get out, and I wanted to warn everyone about what I saw. Back then I thought the Affini were doing horrible things to people. I’m not allowed to use a lot of the words I was using at the time, but it was, uh, really awful. I accused them of hurting us in a lot of ways.
“So that’s how I got into media stuff. Not very glamorous, but eventually people were willing to come on and tell their stories too. That was cool, meeting lots of people. But the people in charge at the time, a few of the president’s advisors, didn’t take me seriously. They… mostly saw me as something they could use to stay in power. It was too late when I heard how they felt about me. Not that it was ever not too late.”
He blinks as though he’s holding back a tear, which he probably isn’t.
“I was a big name, by then. If you were in the Cosmic Navy you probably were familiar with me.”
That’s a massive overstatement. It would recognize his voice if anyone inside it had listened to him at any point.
“It was rough. Most of the important people who didn’t like the Affini didn’t like a lot of other groups. These were terrans, and they wanted me to support them in bullying these people who’d done nothing wrong but be part of the wrong innate grouping. I wasn’t having any of that. It got me in trouble a few times when I pushed back on air. That’s when I started questioning, not that I could tell anyone. It’s like… I made a name for myself as the anti xeno guy, and nobody who was willing to listen to the Affini was willing to listen to me, or even talk to me any more. But that’s life, choices and consequences.
“By the time Mars, which is where I was by then, was captured, the Affini came to me themselves. They told me on the day they did a full invasion, if I told everyone not to resist I could save lives, and I knew they were right. They didn’t have to use xenodrugs or talk me into that. It was obvious. There was no way we were going to win… I- sorry. I don’t know. It’s… kind of hard to talk about. It was really emotional at the time, going through all that.
“As… They came to me, and they offered to make sure I had a good life and nothing bad would happen to me because of what I’d done. And they eventually let me go back on air again, too. That was nice. I like to think I helped some people out that day. I don’t know if I did, if I had any impact, but I’d rather think I’ve done some good in my life, you know what I mean?
“Letting go of all of that took a lot of time. It… took a lot of effort from my Mistress too. She was so good about making sure I had time to process all of this. Some days I’d wake up thinking I had to explain yet again how the Affini were going to convert everyone into fertilizer (something offstage makes him look up in confusion before he returns to the camera). Even if it didn’t feel quite right, and I knew something was up, I knew I had to keep going. And that’s… what made it hard.
“Telling everyone not to fight was one thing. It was easy and kind of obvious. I knew it was the right call. Then, after, actually being domesticated was entirely different. It was fff- scary. My brain suddenly went back to all those Free Terran ideals. Wanting to be free, and not have to listen to my Mistress, was on my mind all the time. Adjusting was hard. I can still give one of those rants if I try. It’s… a big part of my life, that I spent doing that. And I know I got people hurt because of what I got sucked into. I don’t know. I…
“Trying to let myself let go of that has been a ton of work. It’s work I’m proud of, and my Mistress helped a ton with it. I don’t think about Free Terranism more than a couple of times a week. Even if that’s true, I love my Mistress and I’m happy that she owns me. But… just remember that there's nothing wrong with taking time to accept how things are now. It’s a lot to take in. You’ll get there. You just have to let go of what’s gone so that you can grip the future tightly. It’s right there whether you like it or not, so… May as well be ready, right? Life’s too short to dwell on the past.
“Maybe you feel a bit guilty. I did. My Mistress is helping with that too. Just because you’ve been on the wrong side, or if you’ve associated with the wrong people, you’re allowed to move on. Forgiveness is what the Affni are all about. I wasn’t supposed to ramble, but I did. Thanks for listening to all that. Have a very floral day.”
That was… something. It wasn’t expecting such a serious video compared to all the others. The poor man is clearly unhappy and coping with the loss of his people. The way he spoke in the later video suggests that he’s just been drugged into acceptance. Just what did he say on that show that made him feel so guilty? Given that Verda was there the whole time, maybe she knows something.
“Do you know the person who was talking?”
“He introduced himself,” she says with a smirk. Her prisoner groans.
“Beyond that.”
“I recognize the name. More than a hundred florets cited his teachings as the justification for their rebellion. It’s hard to say how many more he inspired. Nothing too serious, but enough to be worthy of note.” Then he’s a hero who should be commended.
“Why does he think he’s a terrible person, if he didn’t accomplish much?”
“Many of his associates were proponents of ideologies even more violent and unrealistic than Free Terranism. Those florets did intentional harm to others that can’t be dismissed as being regrettably incorrect.”
“Florets?”
“Yes, darling. They’re all florets now. That way they won’t inspire hostility any more. While I haven’t followed those individuals since their capture, I’m sure they’re changed their ways.”
“You can’t…”
“We can and did, Section 12 of the Treaty on the Methods, Limitations, and Procedures for Human Domestication, Regarding Communications & Media, details the circumstances under which such individuals may be recommended for mandatory domestication. I can quote the specific passage if you’d like, but it’s sufficient to say that they were foul individuals deserving of far less leniency than you’ve been accorded.”
“How much…”
“They received their implants the day they met their rapchiks, if I recall them properly.”
“Oh… They must have deserved better. Anyone does.”
“Did they, pet? The Compact was fully within its rights to proceed that way, as it would have been for you as well. You were, and potentially still could be, classed as a feralist combatant. However, you’re not a threat to others’ wellbeing in the sense that these particular florets once were?”
“You didn’t explain that. Why?”
“One whose owner I’m familiar with, Marcus, would have said you deserved death for so much as speaking with me.”
“I-” That’s insane. The realities of military operations require intelligence, which is precisely what this unit is achieving.
“Further, before implantation, he would have called you a ‘degenerate abomination engineered by the menace before’ the group he led. That’s leaving aside what he might’ve thought about your interface with your ship.”
“Wow.”
“You must have encountered that sort before. Deplorable is a word a human might have used, but to an Affini, redemptionbait.”
“Am I redemption bait?” There’s something almost fetishistic to the term that makes it very uncomfortable to even say.
“No, little one. You’re a bulb.”
“What does that mean?”
“Maybe I’ll tell you some other time.”
“Why not now?”
“Because the explanation is long and tedious.”
“Oh. So how was that guy punished?”
“His ability to spew vitriolic and malicious sludge was taken away and he was given a happy life in which he would never again feel the need to degrade others.”
“That isn’t much of a punishment.”
“He lost his social status. He’s just another floret, now. Under capitalism, that punishment by itself is substantial.”
“Then he was destroyed. If you’re describing him accurately it wasn’t entirely undeserved, but I know that you can’t be trusted.”
“Then trust Cal, who was made uncomfortable by such people even before domestication. Besides, he wasn’t destroyed. I’m sure his owner would say that Marcus is the same person he was deep down, but better.”
“That’s hard to believe.”
“You don’t need to believe, pet. You’re likely never to meet, since his owner isn’t on Ruby Trunk. All that’s needed is for you to understand why the limitations of Domestication are as broad as they are. Not every terran can be made to see reason.”
“It still isn’t right.”
“Would you rather he remained free to tell his followers to harm you? It’s a certainty he would have if he had known about you.”
“Freedom for bad people is important because anyone can be called evil with a single word.”
“We aren’t talking about somebody ‘bad.’ We’re talking about somebody with the ability to cause extreme harm to others from a distance, who has exercised that ability. If I had corrected the traits in you which he would have called deviance, he surely wouldn’t have spared the same compassion you’re expressing.”
“So why am I classified the same way as such a scumbag?”
“You aren’t, darling. Your domestication is outlined under Section 43,” Verda says with a smile that’s unnervingly excited. “Even if that were not the case, you’ve sought to cause physical and medical harm to the Compact and its inhabitants following the Terran Accord’s agreement to the Human Domestication Treaty, making you liable for compulsory domestication yourself.”
“Is… there any way to get out of that?”
“There’s more than one, but I’m sure you wouldn’t like them. The most practical is to no longer be considered human. There’s a great deal of paperwork associated with that, though you might get to negotiate a treaty for yourself… I imagine you’d fare better than most if it came to that. You could take a floret, though it would be hard to prove that you had done so to the satisfaction of Affini regulatory bodies, if you’d even be willing to domesticate an independent… You could prove you’re a being discontinuous with Olivia Donnoly or the Song of Destruction, but you might have even more trouble with that since you’ve already indicated you share the memories of those personas as well as holding previously established beliefs. No matter what, escaping me will be virtually impossible, as I’ve already claimed you as my floret. Most likely, the best you could hope for is special provisions or a personalized treaty of domestication. Does that answer your question, tdaiyn?”
“I didn’t expect a serious answer.”
“You’re very welcome! Even if the information has no practical use, I’m glad you’re interested in learning about the Compact’s systems.”
“But it’s possible I could avoid being your floret, legally speaking.”
“It’s technically possible, but the fact that that would make me sad and that you’re not likely to be able to care for yourself hold a lot of weight.”
“Oh. What if I told the domestication agent I didn’t want to be your floret?”
“Then you’d have to sign twice as many papers to indicate you didn’t mean it.”
“But I did mean it.”
“That doesn’t factor into that part of the process.”
“Then why do you make people sign, if it doesn’t matter?”
“Because it signifies understanding and acceptance, rather than consent. Now, darling, we should have lunch so that we don’t miss our appointment. Do you understand that we’re about to go to the table and that when we arrive I’m going to give you food?”
“...”
“It’s going to happen. Do you understand?”
“What are you talking about?”
“It’s a simple question. You’re going to answer it.”
With a decisive look, Verda signals to her prisoner that this isn’t something to debate. It doesn’t feel like probing the consequences of attempting to do so.
“I understand.”
“What a clever obedient floret,” she gushes. “I’ll let you walk over, since you’re so capable.”
Given such a direct threat, there’s no real choice but to get up and see what Verda’s going to prepare for lunch.
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Cellulose & Steel