Orchid Espere (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
petal_storm) wrote2024-10-01 11:00 pm
petal_storm) wrote2024-10-01 11:00 pm
Point based systems are easily abused
Who: Markux, Dahlia, any?
When: Start of this AU.
What:
"Remind me why we decided to stay here love?" Dahlia drawled, leaning on the window as the hover flew onward.
Markux smiled sadly and touched her knee, "Because Jendiss and I can't leave our home world until it's...better. It doesn't have to be perfect but...better. We have to know it can carry on without us."
Dahlia covered his hand in hers and snorted, "we should have just kidnapped you." It would have been so much easier! Instead they 'lived' in a grey cityscape where the sun only shone on floating disks high above the common people. A world with rigid population control where citizens were all required to have implants preventing pregnancies because the bloodlines had bottlenecked so severely that careful blending was necessary for viable future generations.
Jendiss was working on that aspect.
Markux worked more...socially.
She fingered the scar on her arm, wondering, again, why she didn't just short the damn thing out the moment after her citizenship had been confirmed. Bah. "Points, Markux. People are, in essence, buying children."
Markux winced, squeezing her fingers, it's not exactly like that...usually? Black markets will always exist but there are quality controls?"
She rolled her eyes, "yes dear, because obviously most have morals here." She was working with Corvus to clean that aspect but it wasn't something Markux was comfortable discussing. Regardless, "normally you go alone, so why am I here?"
"Because I wipe out inventories, we earn points at a terrifying rate given we rehome and ensure those we take in are educated, healthy, and happy..." he sighed. "But you yourself have a tidy sum of points as well given your work with council and you have to spend those in person."
"And if I can't bear the idea?" her lips twisted wryly.
He lifted her fingers to kiss gently, eyes sad, "then I understand but bear with me love? They don't deserve living in education rooms and show boxes either..."
"Show boxes." The tone was empty. Searingly cold and with the rising hint of the otherworldly. "Displays." Of children.
He winced, "no, like spelling bees and poetry readings love. Or just rooms to talk in...it's a terrible name that doesn't properly describe it..."
They'd see wouldn't they? Her eyes were star-filled for a moment but she took a deep breath and clung to human skin, "alright then."
They were landing anyway and the facility manager was all smiles as she met them. "Welcome, welcome, we have some truly brilliant children for you to see, a credit to any persons such as yourself..."
Uh. Huh.
Markux's grip on her hand was like steel, grounding her as he nodded, sweeping forward to engage in pleasantries, discussing everything from mental needs to how the latest educational uploads had fared. He never discriminated, he saw every single child every time he visited. The future couldn't be cherry picked after all. The babble washed over her like so much static though, the place felt wrong; too tight and too tense. Inside felt like the thunderstorms that never graced the city streets outside. She was shocked no one else vould feel it.
"Now here we have some interesting expressions, these children have some attachment issues, they have declared themselves siblings, but as you can see..."
Wings.
Dahlia narrowed her eyes, staring a moment before sending an image to Corvus in a cold rage. They hid his wings here, no use showing off such glorious things in this dull world, but a child wouldn't know how. Wings, Jendiss's lips and her hair, Markux's slim grace...::OURS:: she growled. Theirs. How...ah, of course, samples taken when registering for citizenship.
Of course.
No wonder they'd declared themselves siblings. They knew, deep in their blood and bone. At least they had no other children out there, their samples wouldn't accept any others past their mates but...::Markux evacuate the building.:: She was going to destroy it.
Markux winced, lifting a hand to his head and glancing at his wife, "I have a headache love, please excuse us, I believe the medical rooms here are well stocked, I promise to return shortly, no more than a half hour at best?" Best to get the facilitator cleared before Dahlia went other worldly in rage.
It also bought him time to contact his less than legal strike teams for pulling children out...
It felt like a storm now.
When: Start of this AU.
What:
"Remind me why we decided to stay here love?" Dahlia drawled, leaning on the window as the hover flew onward.
Markux smiled sadly and touched her knee, "Because Jendiss and I can't leave our home world until it's...better. It doesn't have to be perfect but...better. We have to know it can carry on without us."
Dahlia covered his hand in hers and snorted, "we should have just kidnapped you." It would have been so much easier! Instead they 'lived' in a grey cityscape where the sun only shone on floating disks high above the common people. A world with rigid population control where citizens were all required to have implants preventing pregnancies because the bloodlines had bottlenecked so severely that careful blending was necessary for viable future generations.
Jendiss was working on that aspect.
Markux worked more...socially.
She fingered the scar on her arm, wondering, again, why she didn't just short the damn thing out the moment after her citizenship had been confirmed. Bah. "Points, Markux. People are, in essence, buying children."
Markux winced, squeezing her fingers, it's not exactly like that...usually? Black markets will always exist but there are quality controls?"
She rolled her eyes, "yes dear, because obviously most have morals here." She was working with Corvus to clean that aspect but it wasn't something Markux was comfortable discussing. Regardless, "normally you go alone, so why am I here?"
"Because I wipe out inventories, we earn points at a terrifying rate given we rehome and ensure those we take in are educated, healthy, and happy..." he sighed. "But you yourself have a tidy sum of points as well given your work with council and you have to spend those in person."
"And if I can't bear the idea?" her lips twisted wryly.
He lifted her fingers to kiss gently, eyes sad, "then I understand but bear with me love? They don't deserve living in education rooms and show boxes either..."
"Show boxes." The tone was empty. Searingly cold and with the rising hint of the otherworldly. "Displays." Of children.
He winced, "no, like spelling bees and poetry readings love. Or just rooms to talk in...it's a terrible name that doesn't properly describe it..."
They'd see wouldn't they? Her eyes were star-filled for a moment but she took a deep breath and clung to human skin, "alright then."
They were landing anyway and the facility manager was all smiles as she met them. "Welcome, welcome, we have some truly brilliant children for you to see, a credit to any persons such as yourself..."
Uh. Huh.
Markux's grip on her hand was like steel, grounding her as he nodded, sweeping forward to engage in pleasantries, discussing everything from mental needs to how the latest educational uploads had fared. He never discriminated, he saw every single child every time he visited. The future couldn't be cherry picked after all. The babble washed over her like so much static though, the place felt wrong; too tight and too tense. Inside felt like the thunderstorms that never graced the city streets outside. She was shocked no one else vould feel it.
"Now here we have some interesting expressions, these children have some attachment issues, they have declared themselves siblings, but as you can see..."
Wings.
Dahlia narrowed her eyes, staring a moment before sending an image to Corvus in a cold rage. They hid his wings here, no use showing off such glorious things in this dull world, but a child wouldn't know how. Wings, Jendiss's lips and her hair, Markux's slim grace...::OURS:: she growled. Theirs. How...ah, of course, samples taken when registering for citizenship.
Of course.
No wonder they'd declared themselves siblings. They knew, deep in their blood and bone. At least they had no other children out there, their samples wouldn't accept any others past their mates but...::Markux evacuate the building.:: She was going to destroy it.
Markux winced, lifting a hand to his head and glancing at his wife, "I have a headache love, please excuse us, I believe the medical rooms here are well stocked, I promise to return shortly, no more than a half hour at best?" Best to get the facilitator cleared before Dahlia went other worldly in rage.
It also bought him time to contact his less than legal strike teams for pulling children out...
It felt like a storm now.