PROLOGUE

When theorizing about the potential capabilities of extraterrestrial civilizations, philosophers were quick to classify them into various scales based on the amount of energy these civilizations could harvest and control. More energy would enable increasingly exotic technologies that would have increasingly complex implications that laid beyond human imagination. Most of this theory-crafting assumed an egalitarian civilization of some kind. Others outright dismissed the internal social structure of such a civilization as either unknowable or irrelevant. As a result, the possible implications of the raw amounts of energy concentrated in the hands of individuals in a highly stratified extraterrestrial civilization were overlooked.

Consider the following. In the feudal systems we know throughout our own ancient history, individual nobles, kings, and emperors would have at their disposal the labor of ten thousand to up to a million human beings. A single Provider noble on the other hand, is an entity that controls an amount of energy ranging from the output of a star to the output of entire galaxies and provides for the billions, trillions, or even sextillions of commoners in its domain. Meanwhile, their Policies forbid us lowly citizens from putting a PV array on our own roof. Like the thousands of other species that went before, we discovered the Empire is like a singularity. The moment we stepped across the event horizon, the very concept of independent existence was forever eradicated.

Critical excerpt from the reports of Dr. Otto Rønningen, dated shortly after the integration of the Messier 39 colony into the Provider Empire

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Ervin Sekhon stood atop the garden mound and let his hand cradle the pink ball of a cultivated allium flower. Just an Earth Year on this new world, and we already have a garden, he thought. While the topsoil was still sparse, the plants had proven tenacious. It was strange to think how these simple organisms had journeyed across the stars and went through the fiery descent onboard a drop pod. Ervin had been just as surprised as the rest of the colonists when they had opened the pod and found the inside packed with bulbs, shrubs, and trees. He had dreamt of a garden, but never explicitly asked for one.

When the Providers informed the colonists that they could requisition anything they wished for their first Mover drop, the list had been quite barebones - additional prefab structures, industrial equipment, medicine, and a compact reactor came first. The colonists had not even considered luxuries. Yet the luxuries had come regardless. The reactor had not.

The Providers know us better than we know ourselves. We have yearnings, yet we are unaware of our true needs, Ervin thought. As he inspected the ornate flower beds and noted where the still-budding hedges were in need of attention, the sun crept over the crater ridge and gently basked the colony in orange light. Ervin gazed at the vista. Thank you God, for this new day, he offered, as he began his morning prayers.

As he finished, a distant rumbling rapidly grew louder. From his mound, Ervin could see two toploaders approach and roll past, heading for the quarry to begin collecting the previous day’s worth of stone. While the Providers may give us unlimited life, I still thank God for every day. And while they give us unlimited material wealth, we still spend our days toiling, Ervin thought. Have we overcome temptation and remained true? Or is it only a matter of time before we turn to sin and hedonism? 

Ervin’s communicator buzzed. He was still using the original wrist-mounted device from his original colonist outfit, rather than Provider implants that could effortlessly accomplish the same thing.

"Sigrid to Reverend Sekhon," it said. Ervin answered it.

"Sekhon here."

"Hi, could you please report to the pub?", Sigrid asked in a concerned voice.

"I'm on my way," Ervin said while starting to trod down the mound. "Could you tell me what is going on?"

"Ya," Sigrid said. "Max is having issues again. Broke down crying for no obvious reason and ran outside shouting how he wanted to go back. We wanted to go after him but we thought we'd better call you first."

"Who brought Max into the pub?", Ervin asked. It was obvious that Max would not have gone there on his own accord.

"Well, we did. Pom and I and a few others of the night shift, but that was because he asked what people do during their off days...", Sigrid answered.

"Did he drink?", Ervin asked.

"Nay, just water..." Sigrid answered, much to Ervin's relief. Having to deal with a drunk ex-disposable would be unknown territory.

As Ervin cleared the corner around the base of the transference station he spotted a grey-robed figure leaning against the wall.

"I found him," Ervin said.

"Want us to come help?" Sigrid asked.

"No, let me deal with it," Ervin replied. Being the colony's psychologist, it was his job.

"Thank you, reverend," Sigrid said, before closing the connection.

Ervin observed Max from a distance. His translucent pale skin and large inverted black eyes with gray irises gave him the ghoulish appearance of the lowest class of disposable contractors on Maxproxemix. Even when offered an improved body, Max had refused to change. His robes were the kind Flow workers would wear, but lacked the symbol of his former service department. Commander Woodward had made him a free citizen with actual rights and an actual name, albeit a very unoriginal one.

Despite their best efforts, Max seemed incapable of handling freedom. When asked what he wanted to do, he would ask for more tasks to work on or specific equipment that he thought would benefit his efficiency rating. It had taken tremendous effort to convince Max to accept personal living quarters, which Max tried to dismiss as inefficient. Except for his newly acquired tendency to talk back, Max was still behaving as a Flow disposable.

Before long, Max had become the most productive member of the base. He had helped Ervin plant flowers in the garden, cooked meals in the cantina, driven vehicles, disassembled and reassembled machinery in the factory, sorted and recycled garbage, cleaned the sanitation facilities, helped Sigrid and doctor Qi sequence native plant DNA, and assisted doctor Otto in his laboratory. 

Ervin and Otto had concluded that Max might also be the most intelligent member on the base, which had made the world of Maxproxemix all the more horrifying to them. Ten million highly intelligent creatures like Max had been created to perform menial work in deplorable conditions, and after a handful of days, they were disposed en masse without a second thought.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"I am sorry, reverend," Max said, his voice betraying a wide array of conflicting emotions.

Ervin squatted next to Max. "Don't be," he said.

"I should get back to work, but in this state, I can't."

Ervin turned serious. "We agreed that one out of twelve days would be your off-day, Max. You are not allowed to work today. You already work triple the hours compared to anyone else."

"I also have quadruple the off-hours compared to Maxproxemix."

"What happened in the pub, Max? Why are you so upset?"

"It was loud. Many people were talking at the same time. People came and started bothering me with questions to which I had no answer to."

"What kind of questions, Max?"

"They asked what I wanted to drink. I did not need to drink anything. Then they started asking why. Eventually, I asked for water to make them go away. But I did not actually require water. It felt like I did something... wasteful."

"You became upset because you felt you wasted one glass of water in order to make people go away?"

"Yes. Wasting resources lowers one's efficiency rating."

"No one here judges you by your efficiency rating."

"I do," Max said quietly.Ervin was silent and shifted his glasses. While simple in their design, they had been in his family for generations. A priceless ancient relic from Earth. Ervin currently had them configured to act as sunglasses, but he could adjust them to act as reading glasses as well.

"Would it be possible for me to go back, reverend?" Max eventually asked.

"You wish to go back to Maxproxemix?"

"I was happy there," Max sighed.

"Max, your contract got voided and you were killed there," Ervin reminded him.

"My disposal is glory to the Providers," Max recited.

"Your service department had you programmed to believe that, Max."

"Of course. Believing such increases both my efficiency rating and my well-being, thus it is good programming," Max replied.

"But what if it’s not true?", Ervin asked.

"It is true," Max said stoically. "If the Providers will my disposal, it is my pleasure to comply."

"I seriously doubt any of the Providers are actively presiding over the daily disposal of countless billions on Maxproxemix," Ervin said, finding the thought repugnant.

"Not countless," Max said.

"I beg your pardon?"

"The number can be calculated. Five hundred eighty-seven billion disposals on average per cycle, with an accuracy —"

"Yes, I get it now." Ervin interrupted. He was once more taken aback by both the uncanny intellect the ghoulish creature possessed and the incomprehensible scale of affairs on Maxproxemix.Max had stopped crying and his confidence was waxing noticeably. Prompting him to defend his former masters has always been a sure way to get him back together quickly, Ervin thought.

"At least one of the Providers built Maxproxemix, so whatever occurs there has the Provider's blessing," he stated to Ervin. "Unlike birth-borns, disposables are created and sustained directly from the Providers energy allowance. They have given us everything, and in return, we will gladly work our hands to the bone and the bone to the marrow if it adds to their glory. You are a man of God, aren't you, reverend? Do you not serve Him with equal dedication?"

"The Providers are not gods! They have repeatedly said so themselves," Ervin objected.

"Indeed. But you understand the imperative to serve unconditionally and without reservation."

"I understand," Ervin said, fearful that this creature might one day come to outclass him in religious rhetoric just as easily as it had come to outclass the colonists in every work-related task.

Both rose back to their feet.

"Have you already recuperated before you went to the pub?", Ervin asked, referring to the twenty-minute maintenance process the workers at Maxproximix underwent daily in lieu of sleep. Max had been adamant in keeping up with it, asking for a recuperation pod in his quarters. It, alongside a locker for his robes, was the sole item of furniture.

"Not yet," Max said. "I'm ninety-two minutes overdue."

"Why don't you get some rest and refresh yourself first. Come see me at the garden mound afterward."

Max nodded but made no move until Ervin dismissed him with a gesture of his hand. While they had managed to make Max drop the Imperial forms of address, he had persisted with this display of etiquette towards everyone with a title, even the ones that technically no longer held any significance, such as 'doctor' or 'reverend'.

He watched Max speed walk around the corner with his odd gait that facilitated tight formation walking in the close confines of his Maxproxemix work environment, only to see him nearly bump into Elisa Woodward. Max excused himself to the commander and swiftly made off. Elisa's eyes spoke thunder.

"Welcome back commander," Ervin called out. "How was your trip to Earth?" he asked redundantly, already gleaning the answer from Elisa's face, compounded by the fact that she had returned two days early.

"The place is an utter shithole full of morons!" Elisa fumed. "The Providers use it to contain all the human garbage and prevent them from washing over the rest of the galaxy."

"I am sorry to hear that, commander," Ervin replied. "Did you get any negotiation done with the feudatory about people transferring to our colony?"

"No, didn't you hear me? Earth is occupied by trash! We don't want them in our colony. The feudatory used me as a pawn for his silly game. And then he banished me. I had enough of the place and self-disposed."

"Elisa!" Ervin spoke in a barely controlled voice as he dropped formality. "Please don't do that! It can't be good for your mental well-being!"

"I'm fine, reverend. Really," Elisa said in a manner that did not convince Ervin. "Besides, I got something in return for that."

"Oh, you did?"

"Yes, it allowed me to free my disposable hostess. She should be arriving soon. Her name is Oyana."

Ervin cast Elisa a hard look. Having to deal with one ex-disposable's complex mental issues was more than enough.

Elisa understood what Ervin was thinking. "This one will integrate a lot better, I promise!"

Ervin paused, re-adjusted his glasses, then changed the topic.

"Commander, I would like to ask you something. I have an open invitation from my fellow faithful and would like to visit their world. It's located in the 36 Ophiuchi system."

"Sure, take some time off if you want to," Elisa replied.

"I'd like to bring Max along," Ervin added.

"Max? Why?" Elisa asked.

"I have had great difficulty helping him. His values are often in conflict with ordinary human norms, at least in this colony. Perhaps if my fellow priests could observe him, they could offer some insight into what to do. After all, they have been living under the Providers for the past six thousand years. Dealing with all the complex issues that I personally have yet to resolve."

"I can see why Provider technology is a difficult topic for any religious person to deal with. The free immortality it affords makes the concept of God and the prospect of an afterlife obsolete."

"We do not obey God in anticipation of personal reward. We do so because we believe this is the duty of man.” Ervin explained calmly. “What bothers me more is the Provider concept of the meta-personality driving individual sub-personalities. Especially since people refer to it as their soul. You yourself have been split into your original version and a conditioned Maxproximix commissioner with trivial ease..."

Elisa's face turned moody again.

"I'm sorry," Ervin said.

"Take Max to Ophiuchi if you want. I'm going to get myself a drink or two."

"Commander," Ervin said, as Elisa walked off in the direction of the pub.