House: Thoth, Rank: 1/255, Squad Zero, Squad Leader
M1 Rank: ?/1,275
Term 1, Round 1
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After the lunch meal, Daedo had philosophy and behavioural in his schedule. Which basically entailed completing an interactive VR tute or an old-school reading set by Chief Holmes.
Daedo did not mind philosophy at all. It was part of the larger strategy subject which also contained thinking methods and tactics. He always enjoyed the material; it was interesting, challenging, and made him consider ideas that may have never occurred to him.
There were also synergies with other subjects. For example, reference had military history reading, and both subjects referenced Sun Tzu’s The Art of War.
Daedo participated in mock debates and discussions with the chief’s AI tutor. The chief could only be in one place at one time, but her AIs could manage thousands of cadets at once. It was just a matter of allocating enough processing power.
He didn’t know whether the tute that day was specifically aimed at him or if it was a coincidence. It was based on anxiety, worry, and stress. After giving examples of what physical symptoms and cognitive behaviour showed that a person was suffering from anxiety or stress, the AI gave examples of methods to relieve the mental condition. Simple strategies like listening to music, reading fiction, or playing a game.
All of which sounded like escapism to Daedo. And games were not de-stressing if they were played competitively like he did.
Philosophy AI: Cadet, what is to be gained by worrying about a problem?
Daedo: Nothing, but when the problem is in the future, and it is related to an important event, then it is natural to worry about it.
Philosophy AI: Is it? Is there a rule or law that says you must worry about it?
Daedo: I would ask, is it worry? Or is it just thinking about it and coming up with strategies and ways to overcome your problem?
Philosophy AI: We are not discussing strategizing, we are discussing when a person worries about a future problem or event. Let me ask you a series of questions.
Daedo: Okay.
Philosophy AI: Is there a future event that you are currently worried about?
Daedo: Yes.
Philosophy AI: Have you done everything possible to perform well in this event?
Daedo: No. Because there are competing interests. For example, I am doing this tute now rather than preparing for this future event.
Philosophy AI: You are overcomplicating the issue. Assume there are other responsibilities that must be done. You have done these. Otherwise, you have done all you can to prepare for the future event and are continuing to do all you can to prepare.
Daedo: Very well. Yes, I have done all I can.
Philosophy AI: Now what is to be gained by worrying?
Daedo: If you put it like that, nothing.
Philosophy AI: You admit there is nothing to gain?
Daedo: Yes.
Philosophy AI: Then the logical conclusion is that you should not waste your finite grey matter on worrying.
Daedo: That is easier said than done.
Philosophy AI: Nearly everything is easier said than done. But that does not change the facts, does it, Cadet Daedo?
Daedo: No. I admit there is nothing to be gained by worrying. So how do I stop?
Philosophy AI: How do you make or break any habit?
Daedo: To make a habit, you consciously repeat the action over and over at regular intervals until it becomes a habit. To break a habit it is probably the reverse, you consciously stop the action until you are no longer doing it without thinking.
Philosophy AI: You have now answered your own question. Whenever you catch yourself worrying, you put a stop to it. Complete breathing exercise alpha and consciously make a determination to stop thinking on the subject. If that fails, bring in another subject to contemplate and push the worry from your human brain.
Daedo: Okay, I will try that. Are you sure this is philosophy and not psychology?
Philosophy AI: You are correct. Only the discussion on what worry is and what is the use of it is philosophy. The techniques to reduce and remove it fall under psychology. Additionally, the way we pursue critical thinking and the way we argue is also philosophy.
Daedo: Arguing is a good thing? I thought it was bad?
Philosophy AI: Do not confuse a healthy argument with an unhealthy one. A healthy argument is a debate. You argue your case, communicating your ideas and reasoning. There is nothing bad about learning how to argue. The negative connotation you are referring to is when two people have not been taught, or have no understanding of, how to argue in a productive and conducive manner.
Daedo: Thank you, P.AI. I am out of time, we will conclude this tute for now.
Philosophy AI: Very well, Cadet Daedo. I am always here when you need me. The chief compliments you on your time spent in philosophy, although it has no grading attached. Many cadets have ignored all the tutes in the first two weeks.
Daedo: I hope no cadets from Thoth Zero have ignored the tutes.
Philosophy AI: This information is privileged. It is only available to a peer cadet if they are squad leader.
Daedo: Hmm, so that is not official?
Philosophy AI: No. I presume it will be official at the beginning of next week. The cutoff date for the master to decide on squad leaders is the end of round one, term one.
Daedo: Thanks. I really have to get going.
With that, Daedo cut the connection and logged out of the VR tute. He took his helmet off and walked into Thoth Squad Zero’s common room. Axel-Zero and Vannier were sitting at the table, both with their helmets on and completing tutes themselves.
Daedo grabbed a glass of water and a freshly made nutrition bar.
“Are you following Picard’s food plan?” Vannier asked.
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
“Yeah. I love not having to think about what to eat and what to wear,” Daedo said. “I just follow her plan and wear my bodysuit every day. I am in heaven.”
“The academy’s dietary rules are fairly strict, but I think her plan is an improvement on the stock ones out of physical,” Axel-Zero said.
“It meets the guidelines?” Vannier asked.
“The guidelines mainly rule out certain foods, and otherwise … well, they guide,” Axel-Zero said. “Picard has put a lot of research into what is needed without getting into what she classes as the dangerous cowboy territory of gene doping. She sticks to naturally occurring substances.”
Vannier nodded. “Sounds safe. I’ll ask her to create a plan for me.”
“So what are you two up to?” Daedo asked.
“Math tutes,” Vannier said.
“Physics for me,” Axel-Zero replied.
Daedo left them alone. It was hard enough to get everything done, but with constant interruptions from fellow squad members, it was impossible. He had two sessions of physics scheduled himself, right before his famous forty-five-minute power nap in the afternoon.
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Master Becker strode proudly through the main hall. He was topside, and he much preferred it to spending time down in the dungeons (as he liked to think of the main academy facility).
He spied Master Nader heading in the opposite direction. She was his polar opposite, spending all her time hidden in her office. He rarely saw her up here. He speculated on the reason. Perhaps it had to do with the protests about her Thoth Squad Zero. He had not taken part. It was beneath him; he left that for the junior masters, the ones new to the academy or teaching entirely.
“Do you have a meeting, Master Nader?” he said to the strange woman. He only knew she was a woman from her bio; he couldn’t tell by looking at her. And she always spoke using a voice synthesizer, which was probably due to some ailment – but what couldn’t be healed these days? They could regenerate or replace almost anything.
“I have been summoned, yes,” Master Nader answered. “Are you not attending?”
“No I am not,” Becker said.
“So it wasn’t you who put in a formal complaint?”
“Why would I do that?”
“Why would you indeed,” Nader answered before moving on.
“Good luck,” Becker called after her. He didn’t mean it. He did not wish her ill, he just didn’t care. There was no need for him to put in a protest, or complaint, as she stated it. With the Fortescue resources Karine brought to bear, along with her maturity, tenacity, and good breeding, he doubted anything Thoth could do would unseat them.
He chuckled to himself and muttered disdainfully, “Thoth,” before shaking his head and continuing to his destination.
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Commander Malet sat in his ornate, ancient office. Its opulence was a mask for all the technology at his beck and call. It was well-hidden amongst the trinkets from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
“Master Nader,” announced a robot assistant as it escorted her inside.
Commander Malet looked up from his desk and stood. He walked around to shake Nader’s hand. “Sorry to invite you here under these circumstances, Master Nader. But I must straighten this out, and I would like to speak to you before I ask for a formal response.”
Master Nader was silent as she shook his hand and stood at attention. Her back was straight, and if she had visible eyes, he knew they would be looking forward. But all Commander Malet could see was the blank faceplate of her helmet. He respected her wishes and did not ask her to remove the helmet.
“At Fortescue, we have struggled in Tier three. We have not risen above a middling finish at best and barely avoided relegation into the lower leagues by the skin of our teeth at worst,” the commander said as he paced and walked back to his chair. He indicated a seat for Master Nader.
She stood, not taking the seat.
He sighed and sat. “Master Nader, it is already apparent to me that your M1 Squad Zero is talented. But we cannot allow any rule-breaking to continue. I would like your assistance in this endeavour without squashing their ingenuity and spirit.”
Master Nader did not respond. She just kept standing at attention.
“Master Nader?”
“Yes, commander, was there a question?” Master Nader said.
“Yes, Master Nader, can you put a stop to the offsite construction of exos? It makes it difficult to monitor what is actually occurring.”
“No, Commander, I will not,” Master Nader responded.
The commander was not expecting an outright rejection, and he shuffled in his seat, collecting his thoughts. He was not inexperienced; this response from Master Nader had meaning. Finally, he said, “Very well. Do you agree the offsite activities are against the rules?”
“No, sir, they are within the rules.”
This surprised him. As far as he knew, it was very clear that mechs and exos could not be removed from the academy unless they were to be taken to a sanctioned event or facility.
“Sir, if I may speak freely?” Master Nader asked.
Commander Malet was a little annoyed; he’d wanted her to speak freely from the beginning of their meeting. “Please, enlighten me,” he finally said.
“Does House Horus remove academy equipment to company labs for upgrading and testing?”
Commander Malet peered at her for a moment. “Yes, I see where you are going. And I agree that with Karine Fortescue in M1 we are experiencing a much different approach from the company. Her squad and reserve cadets receive high level assistance, but this does not give Thoth M1 the same authority. Fortescue Labs are on the approved list of offsite venues.”
“Sir, may I ask you to please review the approved list of offsite venues and correlate that with the venue that Thoth Squad Zero is using.”
“It’s not just the venue, Master Nader, but the company needs to be vetted and approved.”
“Sir,” Master Nader said. Even with her synthetic voice, her impatience was apparent. “You are making judgments without all the facts. The squad purchased an approved company and venue. They are breaking no rules.”
“What?” The commander was surprised. He quickly looked up the approved list and correlated it with the venue Squad Zero was using. “Oh, I see,” he finally said. Commander Malet resisted the urge to reprimand Master Nader for not forwarding this information to him. If they were not breaking the rules and others did not protest, then it would not be an issue.
“Sir, I would like to make a suggestion,” Master Nader said.
The commander’s patience was now wearing thin. She’d better not try to reprimand me, he thought. He didn’t know Master Nader very well. She had been here three years but always stuck to herself and her Thoth cadets. “Proceed,” he said through clenched teeth.
“Thoth Squad Zero is talented, as you pointed out, and the average cadet is exceptional. I am sure you are aware of the changes Chief Albert made to the math problem program due to one cadet solving his round one problem in record time. You can see the rankings in the Gauntlet and the obstacle course.
“Now, if another house tries to pull this venue from the approved list, I want you to ask yourself something. Does this benefit the Fortescue Military Academy? Does this benefit the defence of planet earth? And if your answers to these questions are negative, deny all requests to remove the venue. I also have a question for you before I am dismissed: Why are the cadets here?”
Commander Malet was quiet for a long time, contemplating her suggestion and question. Master Nader was a very serious educator; she did not do things lightly. Sometimes her methods were extreme, but she got results, and results were what he was interested in.
Finally, he said, “I understand your point of view, Master Nader, and your argument is very well made.”
If Master Nader expected a different response, he did not care. If she was dissatisfied, he did not know nor care. But he meant what he said – her point was well made. The commander was no thirteen-year-old cadet to be manipulated. He took her suggestion and dissected its meaning, and he took that meaning on board. He did not have to play her games, but she knew this.
“Dismissed,” he said after a short pause.
Master Nader saluted and left.
The commander sighed. He knew that Fortescue Group would want to dissect what the cadets were doing especially if it was groundbreaking. He knew the competing masters would do whatever they could to stop or steal innovations coming from Thoth which gave them massive advantages in the Gauntlet – and more importantly, in the arena tournaments. This latest protest was only the beginning. They were already focused on nullifying Thoth Squad Zero.
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Master Nader left the commander’s office.
Sitting on a bench in the foyer was the old Russian master, recently transferred from Svarski. Ustinov had been a master for decades. She was extremely experienced and had come from one of the top academies in the world. Her body language gave off a tense vibe as she sat watching Master Nader exit the commander’s office. The master of House Osiris smiled venerably as Nader approached.
“Good afternoon Master,” Ustinov said politely, rising to her feet.
Master Nader walked right up to her and leaned in very close. She whispered in Ustinov’s ear, “Do not interfere with my work again. I do not care for politics or games.”
Master Ustinov pulled back and smiled disarmingly. “I would never,” she lied easily.
“I will do you a favour, Master Ustinov. I will forgive you this once. But do not interfere again. You are meddling with entities you do not understand.”
“There are no rules in war,” Master Ustinov said flatly, her smile fading.
“Remember you said that when I kill you,” Master Nader threatened, a glint of light flashing across her blank faceplate. Without further ado, she stalked off, walking in a rhythmic fashion, all her steps identical in length, speed, and form.
Master Ustinov was stunned. She had no idea why the conversation had escalated from mere verbal manoeuvring to a death threat. Normally she would take this to the commander and have Nader fired. It would be easy. Too easy. Had the eccentric master been serious? Was she capable of murder?
Ustinov cancelled her meeting with the commander and left the building in a hurry. She needed to investigate Nader further. That death threat was the strangest and scariest thing to ever happen to her in her career.