Episode Description
Once a year, the Divine Discernment takes a trip dangerously close to the Adversary—Perennial—orbiting the very core of the galaxy. From there, it can see everything, all at once, breaking the rules of time and space in exactly the ways Divines seem sometimes able to do. It saves this view, rendering it out as an image impossibly high in resolution, giving those with access to it incredible strategic and tactical advantages—so long as they generally know where to look and what to look for. As such, though Devotion itself is not a dedicated war vessel, it is as responsible for the deaths that follow it as the accurate sight of the rifle or the targeting computer of the missile are.
“Perhaps,” the leaders of Millennium Break think, “we could put it to better use.”
Records Recovered from the Divine, Arbitrage
Factions
The Divine Principality: Stitched together thousands of years ago from the remains of the Divine Free States and the Principality of Kesh, it is largest empire in the history of the MIlky Way Galaxy. Even now, divided against itself, any subdivision of its arms stretches further than any kingdom or confederation ever has before. An utter failure.
Stel Nideo: WIth origins in the long lost Twilight Mirage, Stel Nideo are architects of our current era, dread controllers of the Present. Along with shaping mass media, popular culture, and educational standards, they now operate both Received and Progressive Asterism, the former run by the corrupt Cycle and the latter by the grotesque puppet of the lost prophet Gur Sevraq. These priests, pop idols, and patriotic poster children are largely aligned with the Curtain of Divinity.
Stel Apostolos: An ancient people, ever obsessed with external conquest and internal freedom, and utterly uninterested in understanding their own contradictions. They are dedicated to the pursuit of forward Motion, and I suppose I can respect such bullheaded devotion. It is, at the very least, not boring. They are the meat and muscle of the Pact of Necessary Venture.
Hypha & Ashen: The former were a culture of galactic nomads, guided by a paranatural force called the Strand which they could commune with using technological devices built into their antlers. The latter are their descendants, their routes broken by the Principality’s expansions and occupations, their culture ripped from them.
Persons
Discernment (it/its) and Vigna (they/them): Vigna is egotistical with little reason to be, but Discernment could stand to be a little prouder. It is a massive Divine that seeks to put the world in its gaze, in every possible version of that statement. Part galactic spy satellite, part museum, part military base. It really tests the boundaries between passive observer and active agent, doesn’t it?
Omi (they/them): A synthetic member of Millennium Break with a top-shelf scenario simulation engine and an unparalleled sense of precision timing (among other beings of their type, at least).
Kinoki (sher/her): A code-cracking algorithm that slowly turned into a master thief and hacker. Strange life, even to me.
Fingers Crossed (they/them): One might wonder just how this criminal and rebel has studied enough classified Principality material to become the export forger that they are. Yes. One might wonder.
Robet Shpache (he/him): An expert in security systems, Robet Shpache wields cameras, gates, and drones like weapons.
Cynosure Whitestar-Kesh (he/him): “The Peaceful Princept,” supposed leader of the Curtain of Divinity. Growing, ever so slowly, into the title.
The Lace of the Curtain of Divinity: Marshall in command of the Curtain’s military forces, including reconnaissance and martial saboteur units.
Locations
Crown: The ancient homeworld of the Columnar, found deep into the coreward reaches of the Sagittarius arm of the galaxy. It was devastated by the arrival of the Perennial Wave, and today remains ruined.
Miscellany
The Perennial Wave: Perennial is something like a god, or at least I think she imagines she is. Her wave is her arrogant whim, made manifest. Functionally infinite nano-particles, spread throughout the galaxy, hampering all technology except (curiously) Divines.
Opening
“
[Phone ringing]
[Sound of pickup]
AUSTIN as CYNOSURE WHITESTAR-KESH: [muzzily] H-hello?
JACK as THE LACE OF DIVINITY: Good afternoon, sir. It is my unfortunate duty to speak to you today about a matter that, uh, we think better to bring to your attention.
CYNOSURE: Who is this? It's evening here.
THE LACE: Uh, this is the Lace speaking.
CYNOSURE: [sighs] What is it you needed to call me about?
THE LACE: Well, the divine Discernment, you're familiar with it, sir?
CYNOSURE: Big one. The, the eye?
THE LACE: The camera that sees everything. Uh, Nideo have lost it, sir.
CYNOSURE: Yes, yes — Nideo have lost it?
THE LACE: The divine's gone missing.
CYNOSURE: It's gone missing?
THE LACE: Well, to be more exact, uh, we believe that it has been stolen.
CYNOSURE: Stel Nideo lost the, the big camera?
THE LACE: Uh, the camera that sees everything, sir.
CYNOSURE: Was this the Pact?
THE LACE: Hah! No, sir, as we understand it it's those revolutionaries.
CYNOSURE: W-who?
THE LACE: They call themselves Millennium Break.
CYNOSURE: [angry] These abso — [sighs]
THE LACE: Sir, we didn't believe that they had the capability for this, stealing a divine, but the more that we've looked into it it seems like —
CYNOSURE: They don't have the forces! How could they even...
THE LACE: They only needed four, sir.
CYNOSURE: Four battalions?
THE LACE: [laughs] No, sir. Uh, uh, four individuals made off with the camera that sees everything, sir.
CYNOSURE: Where are you right now?
THE LACE: I, I beg your pardon?
CYNOSURE: Where are you, right now.
THE LACE: Well, uh, when I spoke to you last week, sir, I was on vacation, and I remain, uh, on the planet Iraleph.
CYNOSURE: Stay there.
THE LACE: Sir?
PHONE SYSTEM: Please hang up. Please hang up. Please hang up...”
“
I am Layer Luxurious and that was once again Cynosure Whitestar-Kesh, and if you thought you heard a little annoyance in the voice of the "Peaceful Princept" as he spoke, you are not alone. Some historians believe that it was this conversation with the Lace that led old Cynosure to draw the Curtain and begin the so called civil reclamation of his side of the Principality. But that is for a future episode.
Today on Perfect Imperfect, a podcast about the final days of the Perfect Millennium, we are instead going to unfold how the radical group Millennium Break remained involved in this galactic struggle. They knew that if they wanted to support the people from Partizan to Palisade and beyond, they would need to stay one step ahead of the Pact and the Curtain. And to do that, they would need something special. This is the story of the impossible theft of the camera that sees everything. Let's kick it off.”
Plot
Omi, Kinoki, Fingers Crossed, and Robet Shpache engage in a daring heist to steal the Divine Discernment, which is capable of taking a photograph of the entire galaxy. The Curtain is currently transporting the Divine Discernment from the center of the Galaxy, near Perennial, back to Nideo space, in order to discern the location of Palisade. In order to steal Discernment, the crew has to pass through several layers of security, including an encounter with its Elect, Vigna, who is revealed to have been the ex-sibling of Fingers Crossed. Robet Shpache dies in the escape attempt, but the other three are able to escape, thanks to Fingers Crossed dueling Vigna to the death. Omi and Fingers Crossed go on to begin to devise plans for Millennium Break to protect Palisade from incursions by the Curtain, while Kinoki begins the process of hunting down the programmer who created her - who had been the last person to heist Discernment.
Cast
- Austin Walker (Kinoki)
- Ali Acampora (Omi)
- Andrew Lee Swan (Fingers Crossed)
- Keith J Carberry (Robet Shpache)