The Trial
I am starting to feel quite at home here, despite the daily march of witnesses the prosecution calls to describe me in the worst possible terms. Did you know Boss Preen is a law-abiding Samundran importer-exporter whose employees I butchered without provocation? Me neither. But I didn't lose too much sleep over it -- that night Duncan made steak.
The worst came first: the widows and widowers, the tortured and barely sane, the stunned soldiers and sickened journalists. Almost all of them were moved to strong emotion by their own testimony or the prosecution's deft stoking. Several times the procedures came to a halt while the witness regained themselves, wiping at their eyes and swallowing.
Master Barrister for the Prosecution: "Please describe in your own smells the events following the transmission..."
Dear beloved readers,
It's happened at last: the no-cost version of this science-fiction novel has been taken offline in order to make room for the hard-cover printed edition from Ephemera Bound Publishing, on sale in stores and online starting Valentine's Day, 2008.
I regret any disappointment. I kept the no-cost version available as long as I could. Please be sure to check out the new edition! See Cheeseburger Brown.com for more news and updates.
Love,
Cheeseburger Brown
P.S. You can read more of my free fiction via my weblog or in the complete story achives.
posted by Simon of Space at 13:02
89 Comments:
FIRST COMMENT WAHOO! gotta go read it now
TRH
Oh man, this is perhaps my favorite chapter. Amazing dialogue, funny interjections, more incredible wordplay... I love the examinations and cross-ex's. So good.... If the verdict came in... it must mean that the series is almost over : (
CBB, this chapter was incredible. I was in rapture the whole time. Just wow.
Also, it's pretty cheap to first comment without reading the chapter first :P
Dang.. i hate that it's getting near the end. I'm going to have to read it again, and then once more in dead-tree edition.
Damn you CBB!
Oh my. I don't know quite what to write here. I hope we get to see many illustrations at some point.
Speculation: Perhaps the ending of this "book" is not the end of the story. :)
wordveri: duknyzgi
The way the dyslexic Duke Nice Guy spells his name.
Teddy, you're welcome :) I decided I couldn't comment on a chapter like this without reading it first (the way I did last time)!
Great, great stuff. Good to know we've got one more to go. I wondered about Utopia and an escape attempt; it comes off as a nod to Socrates, but without Simon being quite that coitally stupid.
One typo I found:
Omar had given Greskin would he could during cross-examination
(pretty sure that should be "what")
Too bad about Corinthia. I hope so too, Simon...
I wonder if either Captain Gold (or both, or neither) is really a Jew, and if that means anything.
So Jia is really dead? I still don't think Jeremiah did it. I also want to know how he can be a material witness but not testify; there's just too fornicating much stuff that's forbidden around here!
Last chapter: I Am.
CBB, we're on the edge of our seats; take it home in style.
As I read this chapter I chewed down all the nails that I have been trying to grow and am now left with nothing but stubs. My feet are still taping and I am antsy for more..
I felt as if I was watching a movie on "court tv" and at the bottem of the screen it said....
........TO BE CONTINUED........
oops...
spell check bottom :)
sanna
Brilliant, brilliant. This story has had me hooked from day one, and I'm both excited for the end and dreading the feeling of loss I know will come when we reach it. The waiting will surely make my head explode.
wvf: libth
Cindy Brady discussing her mouth
Okay now, been wanting first comment for a while, many many thanks Sheik.
holy camoses dude, what a trial! what will the verdict be? it could go either way.
and nice touch, the first chapter is "I Think Therefore" and the last one is "I Am". shout out to Descartes, cogito, ergo sum. one of my favorite philosophies, by the way. interesting followup to that: ask other people to prove their existance according to that model to you. cannot be done.
what do i think will happen? i think that justice will be served. and Jeremiah will be seen again.
Dead Tree Copy, Forthwith dude. with comments, with everything.
TRH
Wordveri: vushcw. Vush Cow. a luxurious bovine on Amalasthuna (who knows what their slang for luxury is, it sounds good)
Freaking... must... have... last... chapter... arggghhehghh!
Posthaste!
P.
wzabzfr - Drunk man about to get a haircut. "What's that buzz for?"
Typo - "His chin quivered."
Mayber should be "Her chin..."
P.
bsdlrv - The pre-pupae form of BSD? BSD larvae?
Absolutely incredible! I can't wait for the last delectable bit.
I wonder what surprise Jeremiah might still have for us?
The verdict comes.
(I wonder why the diary never came to be part of the defense?)
Wow. You continue to pull me along and give my bookmark a working out while checking for the latest posting.
Now the end is nigh.
The Trial is simply one of the best of the later SoS stories. Lately some of them have lost the power and flair that made the first bits so readable and great...but this?
Wowza. This is great! The speeches were damn good, the humour evident, and the final breathless moment, of all those speeches?
Classic.
I really, really REALLY need to read the next bit uberly soon. Im on the tip of my toes!
I agree, why HASN'T the diary been used? Sure, they might say, 'its a work of manipulation, by a false character's persona' or something, but the facts WILL correspond. And it's a character establishment, not necessarily anything else.
FAECES! What a great entry!!!!
Good GOD I can't believe you're not a sickenly rich famous author CBB!
Man... I never want this to end.. LOL
Sniglet: txwyu (Tax w/you)
No, Dave; Texas with you.
One of the most treasured of benedictions... :-D
I loved the Pirahna Brothers bit!
Great as always, CBB!
I'm sorry I was right about Jia being dead. I'll stick with my "somebody kills Simon" theory for the end of the story, because Simon knows way too much to be left alive, by both the Executives and the Equivalency (who can use his martyrdom as a rallying point after Simon made that nice speech about the freedom to choose being sacred).
Or maybe Simon will get a nice Socratic death sequence, surrounded by family and friends. Yeah, that's the ticket!
Bring on Jeremiah's last manipula-, er, revelation!
Ahh sheik yerbouti, but that is only in the Church of Austin and Abilene! *LOL*
Verisign: gnkidofo (something Diddy says when he drops his last pill of Ginko Biloba!)
Yock F. Planner seemed at first to have a good point about criminals feeling free to commit crimes, confident in the knowledge they can just wipe their minds and start over. However, most crimes have a motive, and those that don't are carried out by the insane. What would be the motivation for committing a crime if you would wake up having no idea who you were? If I remember correctly, Volmash didn't think of doing that until after he had set off the Horror, right?
Oh, and the first editing I've done so far looks to be the result of an editing attempt: But I'll never remember what he was yelling, Volmash. He said...
Should be: But I'll never forget what he was yelling, Volmash. He said...
wordver: qnvudn
I got nothin'
I can't believe I'm just now picking up on the similarity in premise between this story and Arnie's movie, Total Recall.
I'd like to think it's because this one is so eminently entertaining in comparison.
Okay.. I'm more careful now about not submitting dupes of these little minor details
---
But I'll never remember what he was yelling, Volmash. He said, In ten thousand years people will raise statues to me
---
Needs to be 'never forget' or 'always remember', not 'never remember'.
Great story CBB, it's always been in a 'to be reloaded daily' tab on my web browser.. :-)
-fooburger
Dear all,
THE SIMON OF SPACE NEWS, IN BRIEF:
* Chapter 45 "I Am" will be the last episode of this serial.
* It will be possible to buy a softcover printed edition of SIMON OF SPACE directly through Lulu Press. The link will be posted on this weblog.
* It will also be possible to order a signed copies through the Official SIMON OF SPACE webpage at MFDH.CA, which will go on-line when the last chapter is posted. http://mfdh.ca/simon_of_space
* If you have enjoyed this adventure but do not wish to buy a keepsake copy, please consider using the PayPal button to donate a few bucks. It'll help me convince my wife this massive investment of my time has not been wasted. It's all well and good to be having such a great time (as I have been) but she's the one, after all, who gets embarassed at the grocery store when our debit card is frozen.
* Attention Australians: I've just agreed to do some writing for a science magazine called "Cosmos" (if you recall I was interviewed in the premiere issue). Look for my humour/scifi contribution near the back this December.
* Attention Americans: my friendly neighbourhood Yankee literary agent is sending out my latest book proposal to shop for a publisher. Cross your fingers for me. This could be the break I need to give up the glamour of sitting at my desk clicking a mouse all day for the glamour of sitting at my desk typing all day.
* Attention Canadians: why doesn't my own country like me? I can't get jackshit interest out of anybody in this damned confederation -- and I speak coital French!
* Attention blog-readers: SIMON OF SPACE is coming to a close. I will not be beginning a new serial this year. So if you enjoy my work please be sure to check in at my regular weblog, http://mfdh.blogspot.com , for new short stories, new articles, and news about upcoming projects.
* Attention bloggers and writers: If you've ever considered submitting SIMON OF SPACE to Slashdot or MetaFilter or anywhere else, please do so once the final chapter is posted. Please! Just hold off a few more days, and then attack those submission queues! Boing Boing needs to know about all the fun we've had here -- but they always ignore me. Maybe if we *all* write in... I don't know. I just figure we've got one last kick at the can here to show everyone Simon's world. If you have any bright ideas for viral marketing that'll help me sell a few more books, please HAVE AT IT come the last post.
* Attention loyal readers: thank you and thank you and thank you for all you've given me.
Love,
CheeseburgerBrown
Sigh.
It's almost over. :(
I fear Simon will be executed.
And what if he never really was Terron Volmash to begin with? What if everyone just thought he was because all the evidence pointed to him?
I rather think that the verdict will be so shocking that a riot will break out in the courtroom, Simon's life will be in danger, and some other stuff will happen.
Mark (left you a message on the last post): agreed on Yock's little schpiel. Besides, I think it would be fair to say that the criminal *already* carried out the sentence, and gave his life to another.
Of course I'm still not entirely sure we're getting the whole truth about Terron and associates; so much is still veiled...
What exactly did Duncan name his new creation? Terron Tincture? Volmash Vichysoisse? Nestor's Noodle Nog? Fell Frappé? Sauce of Space?
Also, why is Greskin asking for mercy? We're in a courtroom, for crying out loud. Besides, he's made such a point about how it would be unjust for them to punish Simon for crimes that are not his... why would he then appeal to mercy? It doesn't make sense.
"AM I NOT MERCIFUL?"
- Commodus, Gladiator
Hey CBB,
Can you Reserve a signed copy for me I don't get paid till next week and I would really like one.
Are the books going to have the comments in it??
I think that even though the book was the BEST EVER it may not be the same with out it.
Also would you be able to tell us just how many you sold we are inquiring minds....
thanks for jurney
sanna
CBB - Your wife does the grocery shopping? Nice. I usually get roped into the old, "since you're on your way home from work anyway, and gas is so expensive."
All of us in America will keep our fingers crossed. But, is this project not SoS?
Sad to see it end, but glad to finally have the chance to spread the goodness to those who resisted reading it online, and who certainly would not have taken it seriously had I printed it myself.
sheik - saw your comments on the last post. The $2.61 gas was at some gas station right near where I-635 and I-35E meet, somewhere in or near Dallas. Right next door to a place where it was $2.69, where I saw the shoplifter. I barely got home, much less remember where the heck I was. Big cities aren't my favorite places to be.
wordver: jcfjr
Merv the Perv's son, j---off, JR.
Ha ha ha ha The real Captain Gold's angry speech...ha ha ha ha ha
CBB, you are a brilliant writer...the world *must* acknowledge this. And they will when your spark hits the right flame. Shortly, shortly, Clive.
hexvq: heroic Executives vanquish
My speculation:
The actual trial came at the end of the chapter. Baiting Simon to follow the pattern set by Volmash, the final test was to see if Simon would again flee in disguise. Since he did not, the Exectuives can see that he truly is not Terron Volmash, and he has embraced Jeremiah's teachings. He is as humans must be, and perhaps this is enough for the Executives to finally chime in.
I'm probably wrong, but it's worth a shot.
Wonderful story, CBB. Been following since Darthside. I loved some of the delicious subtleties - like the Master Barister referring to his "correct" hand - translation "Right". Good stuff.
-Rob
CBB,
I've tried submitting SoS to BoingBoing also in the past ... but then, I've never got anything boinged or slashdotted ;-( . I really thought Cory Doctorow would take note, if not in the beginning, at least somewhere along the line. Maybe if you published your story under the Creative Commons License you could get some free publicity.
I'm glad to know you've got a literary agent ... I kind of figured they would be beating a path to your door. Well, that might be an exaggeration, but you know what I mean.
I'll miss SoS, but I'll be looking forward to your return to mfdh.blogspot.com!
BTW ... the description of Pegasi evolutionary history and biology (from the last chapter) is yet another example of the brilliant science fiction peppered throughout SoS!
CBB, you just keep getting better and and better and better. How do you do it?
Line of the day: He said I was an overbearing, moralizing, self-righteous tyrant. For my part I said he did a shoddy job of keeping his room clean. Irreconcilable differences, you understand."
weevee: cktfrht -c cockthrift (the miserliness of chickens)
CBB, you just keep getting better and and better and better. How do you do it?
Line of the day: He said I was an overbearing, moralizing, self-righteous tyrant. For my part I said he did a shoddy job of keeping his room clean. Irreconcilable differences, you understand."
weevee: cktfrht - cockthrift (the miserliness of chickens)
Is the Sid Vicious version of “I Did It My Way” to be playing during the end credits?
Possibly final comments these.
CBB thank you, and your permitting wife, for the time and effort displayed these past months. We will all look back and say, “I knew you when …”. I wonder years from now, on the chat boards for the third movie in the series, how many will claim to have been there when the ending was a scribble in the corner of a notebook page. I suppose an autograph copy with original receipt will act as our membership papers.
I found this and the preceding few episodes to be my favorites; something you share with all good literature – a crescendo to our close. I know I have logical reasons why I’ve liked the past few, but really they just connected emotionally. It wasn’t glitz and a sudden twist but substance that made it so.
I also liked the Seinfeldian re-call of our favorite characters. And note the most glaring example of a screen play form yet.
Mild disappointment only to me: there was no ‘To Kill a Mockingbird” nod during our courtroom scene, where justice is sought in an area where it normally can’t be found. Where is Simon’s Atticus Finch? Will he be his own - or Mr J?
It is obvious by the temporary ebbing of Jeremiah (the head executive after all) and the brevity of Greskin’s final remarks (quibble: they were awfully brief even if we do already know his premise) that the episode ‘..I am’ will have a few monologues of great impact and importance. I so look forward to the wrap, and recognition of the philosophical pillars on which it will be built.
On behalf of all of us who have checked your story daily for the past months, thank you again Cheeseburger Brown. How very dismal it will be when we know there is no more.
veri word fun: umwqwmr
An answer to the question of how to keep spirits up while working in the Siberian Oil Fields: "um ... work warmer?"
One nit, wouldn't it be quite expedient for "tomorrow" to be Simon's last day? I mean, is it intergalactic practice to sentence and execute the convicted directly after the jury's decision is handed down?
The only way I can see it being his last day would be if he gets assasinated, but Simon doesn't really strike me as thinking that's going to happen. I'm just curious as to why he would think "tomorrow" could be his last day...
Maybe it's just his lack of knowledge of due process, but it seemed a little too foreseeing to me.
P.
fexhh - What you say upon taking a direct punch to the lower abdomen.
Why couldn't Pish keep his tastebuds when he grew up? It seems cruel to have taken so much away from him...
I have a sneaking suspicion that we're about to find out even more about old Abe, and it's going to be tied to this remaining confusion about who Simon is. For once, I won't actually say more so as not to give anything away if I'm right (and of course I won't be able to point back and claim Equivalency to Miss Cleo)... but I get the feeling that "tomorrow" is going to be one heck of a ride.
If tomorrow does spell the end of Simon, then we'll never know for sure what happens to him since he's just dictating all this into his little blue, plastic journal.
If it's the end, then he'll have to go a la Darth Vader, where the last line was, "I go now to meet my destiny."
It would be a nice tie-in, but I would so rather see Simon live.
And a heartfelt THANK YOU to MFDH for weaving this yarn on the fly so eloquently. I've been enamoured. I'm sure the comments on the last post will be cloyingly sweet with praise and thanks; and one of them will be mine.
Anonymous Rob,
I like that thinking. Utopia's attempt to tempt Simon was just a test of his true character... nice.
Man, I'm just itching for the final chapter. I've never done drugs, but this must be an addiction!
word ver: xhvxvh
The sound I make when I lift my son.
Let it end,
But let the end be a beginning.
Take it home,
Where home is the start of all journeys.
Whether Simon lives or dies is of no consequence. Its how he lives or dies that matters.
May he live or die with honour, dignity, and his ever present wonderment at the universe.
Whatever happens I look forward to it
Verifun: egafn : What I am, eager for next...
Now I'm going to have to go back and re-read the entire saga from the beginning, just to pinpoint all the witnesses.
I'm sure my weekly productivity at work will go up now that SoS is ending... I GUESS that's a good thing... *shuffles feet*
Re: auto-mind-wiping criminals
I think most crimes, even "crimes of passion" are commited so that some sort of benefit can be gained, whether it be material goods gained without paying, pleasure at another's expense, or an easier life with the elimination of a threatening rival or competitor. If a criminal erases their entire memory and severs all ties with their previous life, the purpose of the crime has been removed from their life. Indeed, EVERYthing has been removed from their life, it's almost as if the person in question has been killed. Unfortunately, the effects on the victim remain...
Were this situation to occur, it would spark a long, hard look at the purpose of justice- removal of dangerous elements, or revenge?
Here's a preemptive THANK YOU, CBB! To merely read this tale would have been a wonderfully entertaining experience. The ability to comment, read comments, interact with my fellow readers, and occasionally even interact with the author, have brought me far more pleasure than any mere new york times bestseller could. I wont forget my time here.
HQURL
haiku oral- the aspect of haiku writing where you read it aloud to yourself while counting syllables on your fingers.
kumar said: Were this situation to occur, it would spark a long, hard look at the purpose of justice- removal of dangerous elements, or revenge?
Kumar, you forget the other major purpose of justice (which was in fact actually cited by Yock Planner): deterrence.
'The time has come', the Walrus said, 'To talk of many things: of shoes - and ships - and sealing wax - of cabbages - and kings - and why the sea is boiling hot - and whether pigs have wings.'
I suppose that Simon is going to be charged with stealing the tarts, but it will turn out all to be a dream (but not before he trashes the courtroom!). ;)
I adore this story. I haven't re-read it yet, but I'll save that for the Lulu version that I can curl up on the couch with.
Wow. Building up to a strong finish - and I'm scared. Not just sad that the story is ending but wondering what will happen. Ever since Chapter 3, 'Crushed Head Faeda' I've been thinking about those crystals rich people have to copy their minds into as backup copies - what if Volmash made one? Sure he'd have some reasons not too, but if he did and the court found out about it - wouldn't it force Volmash/Simon to recover his memories so he could be held accountable? What if Simon were somehow forced to remember? Could there be a worse punishment?
Wow.
Before I found out about 'I Am' I was worried that this WAS the last chapter. It had such a beautiful wind-down. It felt like the end of Darthside.
CBB:
You have made the Neighborhood richer.
http://mfdh.ca/simon_of_space/
is Currently showing a 'Forbidden' page. Is the secret math based on unix Permissions?
Can you give us any info on your book proposal? setting, premise, etc? We're hungry for more, can you finish it in four months? ;-)
On speculations:
If Simon is assasinated, who would dictate the entry? He might be sentenced to die, but we will not observe it.
I think we will be found not-guilty. There are two executives on the Jury.
I think the vast majority of the final chapter will be Jeremiah's revelations.
How did pish 1 die? Why was simon going to see the queen? how do those early memories line up with the testimony? How did Jeremiah know so soon? or did he know at the house? Duncan said Jeremiah told him. (which I will take to count as Jeremiah finally saying it.)
I think Greskin should have delved into why Glory didn't 'deserve saving', her betrayal and such, and how Simon forgave her when she returned.
I liked the interaction between Greskin and Duncan.
I must have missed something. Who is Simon's brother (Duncan's "other son"):
Master Barrister for the Prosecution: "Your other son is a half-sibling to Terron Volmash, is that correct?"
Great job CBB. Thanks for the ride.
That's one of the best debates I've read - a true sense of culmination. For one person to work out a scenario with such great attacks and counter-attacks is laudable.
Still, as another mark (http://www.blogger.com/profile/795739) pointed out, legal precedent would have to take into account simon's amnesia as a parallel to insanity. It's true what Yock said - the court cannot give into Terron's wish. But pardoning Simon would not be granting such a wish; if John Doe commits a murder and two hours later Jane Doe's brain magically replaces John's, then John is effectively dead, and Jane should not be held accountable for John's actions. That is at least how I would choose to consider this situation.
Of relevance or not to my point, I don't know: I don't support capital punishment in any situation.
wv[crqitys] - "croquet! yessssss"
-mark mazumd
cek, Simon's brother (Duncan's other son) is Pish.
What the heck! Even if I am repetitive, I would say ---
"Thank you so very much! Mr. MFDH", for this truly wonderful journey!!!!
My speculation on the final chap:
Scenario 1: Jeremiah would come forward and reveal the true story (and a stunning one at that!), which would forever decide the innocence of Nestor Simonithrat Fell!
Scenario 2: Before the verdict is out, the "Something wicket cometh this way!" will strike the center of the galaxy and everything will be destroyed!
It would be really interesting to see if there would be any editorial cuts in the deadtree version or whether it would be printed as we have read here! Would be simply superb if there are no cuts but a bit more additions to the deadtree version.
Also, would love to lay hands on the first copy that hits the stands here.
Samba
People, People PEOPLE!!!
Simon can NOT die, CBB has already said there will be a sequel! (thank goodness)
So, now that that's put to rest, I'll also be sad to see this book come to an end. The anticipation of the next episode is every bit as good as the episode itself!
Thank you profoundly CBB... and all the best in finding someone to make you rich and famous.
BlurbWord: rsokuur (yer so kerrrrrrrr)
Indrax,
Mr. Hemming said that the link to:
http://mfdh.ca/simon_of_space/
would go live after the last chapter here was posted. Hence it being currently verboten.
Dave,
CBB said he would do a PREquel.
Simon will die. After thinking about it overnight, I'm sure we'll get the Socratic death party, with Simon dictating the last entry before he eats the Nightmare Cannoli that ends it all (but has a wonderful sweetness that's the exact opposite of the bitterness of hemlock).
Throughout the story, Simon has put great stock in what Jeremiah told him. And the money graf of their entire running dialogue, from "Amalasthuna", was:
"With the last breath of his corrupt soul Terron Volmash made a gift unto the galaxy: you. And I think you understand now that as such this life does not belong to you. It belongs to the kin of the dead, whose blood coated the resources the princes of Kamari used to raise you. It belongs to those who still suffer Kamari's Horror, and the parasitical reign of insensible interstellar organisms like Fellcorp and the Citadel of the Recovery."
"That's true," I whispered, closing my eyes.
No matter what the outcome of the trial, Simon will die to bring a measure of closure to those people.
wvf: fennirf - Four Penny Riff: Bertold Brecht's encore to the Three Penny Opera
Edmund,
No way, man. Even IF at the end we still see old-timey-Volmash-who-has-become-Simon as the guilty party (which I'm not to certain will be the case), Jeremiah's statement doesn't mean anything remotely close to that. How is a scapegoat going to help them recover?
If anything, the life that belongs to the galaxy should be used to better the galaxy; you don't just throw away a gift like that. If we assume the "right" thing is going to happen in the story, then execution (of Simon) is not the direction we're heading.
Time will tell.
Also, if the brain scan means you can't lie -- or at least without being found out -- how could Blighton say what he said about the events on Metra? Is he so immersed in his -- dare I say -- "persuasion and propaganda" (let's face it, who's really the best at this?) that he believes any storyline he makes up? Is he a clever hiding place for the true ultimate villain, waiting for Simon to take the fall?
if a brain scan is anything like polygraph, it can be fooled. In biofeedback, you can control your own heartbeat if you try to. And if anyone can fool the brain scan, I would put my money on Blighton.
-keg
a brain scan is likely to be far more intricate and detailed than a polygraph. a polygraph can be fooled, yes, but there are subtle signs regardless that one is lying. sweating, twitching, which way the eyes look, subtle muscle motions, and far more. in the brain, they can simply check what lobes are being activated, creativity or memory. above and beyond that there are still a smorgus board of cues to check that one is lying in the brain alone. in this case, however, i would assume that blighton made up a story ahead of time and that yes, he is so sick as to believe anything he makes up as fact.
kind of a pity, really.
CBB: reserve me an autographed copy, make it out to "Teddy" if you could. sign it CheeseBurgerBrown. you rock, and could you put up more info on these other projects of yours on your blog? i'll definitely be bookmarking you now.
TRH
wordveri: dvippyng. da VIP peeing. the huge bodyguard (with the IQ of a cabbage patch doll) keeps everybody out of the bathroom while someone important takes a leak.
Like any great novel of our time...
My gosh, I never thought it would end, but so it has. Lol, who know? Perhaps this will become the 'Dune' or 'I,Robot' of our time!
I hope the last post doesn't come for days so I can curse you for holding up while I clip desperately on the refresh button every few minutes...
word verification: qfgbflr - a cuffed gob flirt, an act of a criminal who's courting a patch of muck.
I will miss the tail of SOS and dread the Work that I will complete once I will have nothing else to read :(
I have learned a thing or two since I started reading SOS. It is this when I read a book and get totaly into it I never put it down to savoring the esence of the book running through it and missing a few parts here or there. But with this blog I can say that I have found that All Good thing take time and to really understand something you must take your time. thank you..... thank you....
sanna
one of the last veri words :(
bhkpdp
Can anyone do some thing with this???
I think Jeremiah will kill Simon because of a semi-famous quote:
He hesitated again, in a very human way. "Know this if you must, sir," he said in a lower register, exerting a slight pressure on my arm. "I am your enemy."
My skin crawled beneath his grasp, and I wriggled free, a shiver running down my spine. "What do you mean?" I whispered.
"As long as you protect the child," he said evenly, "I cannot move against you."
Jeremiah was never one to lie, and Simon no longer protects Pish
I would also like a little clarification on how Blighton and the fake daughter could lie under brain scan.
Jim,
from dictionary.com:
Justice;
1. The quality of being just; fairness.
2.
1. The principle of moral rightness; equity.
2. Conformity to moral rightness in action or attitude; righteousness.
3.
1. The upholding of what is just, especially fair treatment and due reward in accordance with honor, standards, or law.
2. Law. The administration and procedure of law.
4. Conformity to truth, fact, or sound reason: The overcharged customer was angry, and with justice.
5. Abbr. J. Law.
1. A judge.
2. A justice of the peace.
Nowhere does it mention deterrence, that is what punishment is for.
Justice is also never about revenge it is about balance. An eye for an eye as it is biblically put. This statement is an oversimplification which has been subject to misinterpretation for centuries. The Zoroastrians had something like the right idea, they believe that a good deed redeems an evil one, bringing the soul back into balance once more.
Simon's act of giving himself up was the deed that balanced the evil of the Kamari Horror. The trial is not about justice, justice has already been done, there is balance in the two acts. The trial is purely there to give those with lesser understanding someone to blame, some closure, and ultimately the possibility of revenge.
I'll shut up now :)
still waiting for the last episode in case you hadn't noticed...
verifun: amqvzlty; I am a coffee bought from a tv mail order company.
Uh, Denim... you forgot the whole discourse later in the story about how Jeremiah realizes that Simon is not the man J thought he was, etc.
Besides, if what you say is true, why isn't Simon dead already?
Re. "the purpose of justice", I think what everyone was discussing was "the purpose of having a justice system". It doesn't really make any sense otherwise.
CBB, PLEASE post before the weekend so I don't lose power/internet in the hurricane and have to wait even longer...
mandrill said: Simon's act of giving himself up was the deed that balanced the evil of the Kamari Horror. The trial is not about justice, justice has already been done, there is balance in the two acts. The trial is purely there to give those with lesser understanding someone to blame, some closure, and ultimately the possibility of revenge.
I guess I can't go along with that. Justice is about due reward, as said in the third meaning. Thus, it can indeed include punishment, if that is the due reward for one's actions. I don't think there's any question in my mind about what type of punishment TV deserves. It ought to be a gruesome and horrid as that inflicted upon those he harmed (both the sources and the afflicted). Even that would be insufficient to "balance" the act, as one man's ability to harm many is superior to the many's abliity to harm the one man.
The only real question to me is this: is Simon responsible for TV's actions. If so, I don't think there's any option but one ending in death for our hero. Handing hisself over does in no way atone for the crime committed, it only allows atonement to be brought forth via official channels. I peronally don't think there's enough blood and synapse in his body to redeem the crime, responsible or not. Thus, full justice cannot be obtained if balance is sought, only punishment. But that isn't to say that punishment should not occur.
P.
omjml
Sheik,
How could Blighton lie under the scanner? You know the answer: Equivalent Mathematics. The Equivalency was trying to get Simon to revert to his life as TV. Their only hope of doing that was to convince Simon he wouldn't be exonerated at trial and thus his only chance of survival was to escape with them. They've tried twice (yes, Utopia was one. She didn't hang out with Blighton all that time out of idle curiosity. And no, she wasn't deep under cover for the QoS. She ran, and the Equivalency would have known and tried to exploit her).
As for the reason Simon must die, I think Mandrill summed it up nicely: the Code of Hammurabi's "eye for an eye" provides a measure of closure (that TV ain't comin' back ever again) for those who are too traumatized to understand the full context of all the events.
P.S. I'm speculating on what CheeseBurger Brown is going to write and why, based on the previous 100,000+ words I've read. If it were up to me, he'd be hailed as a hero, set free, rescue Jia, and be named King of Space. But the main philosophical conflict of SoS - the Executives' desire to domesticate humankind vs. the Equivalency's desire to unyoke themselves - would require Simon to choose sides (and join the battle) or to permanently remove himself from the conflict (via the Nightmare Cannoli). He cannot simply run and hide from the Maths, and I don't think he can re-brain-wipe himself.
Maybe he can beat the Reaper in a game of Battleship!
Denim –
I disagree. J was Simon’s enemy when as TV he was an ally of the Equivalency. That is no longer the case therefore they are no longer enemies. Or are they?
I’ll contend that J was the one physically protecting Pish, while Simon was emotional protection for Pish, and given the experimental nature of his development, likely more important than mere physical protection.
Which raises an interesting conundrum for Jeremiah: as Head Executive he would be bound by many things including overseeing a new way to develop “offspring” and the acquisition/elimination of the Nightmare Canon, and whatever is behind door number three..
So in an effort to shed light on story or The Secret, a few ?s,
*1. What was Jeremiah’s reason for not offing Simon, to acquire the NC or to protect Pish?
*2. Didn’t the single purpose (Simon’s life) serve two ends (Pish and the NC) so wasn’t Simon pretty safe anyway, in which case the Executive engaged in threats to manipulate.
*3. Do you think in this court system the “material witness” gives a statement during the sentencing portion of the trail?
*4. Could Jeremiah have been involved in TV’s life more directly than we currently know? He did know exactly where to show up in order to best ‘intercept’ the transformed TV.
*5. Has there been a satisfactory explanation for the death of the human Pish at the hands of Jeremiah? Could the Secret Math have been wrong and missed its true Target of TV?
*6. What is the Secret Mathematic formula to produce the Human Emotion of revenge?
Who else is camping out to see the first showing of the Episode XLV? I’ll be the one dressed in one of Blighton’s disguises.
DoD
veri word fun: xvhbeuwa
Who Babwa Wawa says would be her favorite X-Men character: X-Vapoha (X-Vapor)
Sheik,
Don't mess with Mother Nature. Evacuate yourself now to an appropriate refuge center on 6th Street in Austin.
DoD,
Question 4: I've always believed that Jeremiah was orchestrating a LOT more than he let on to ANYONE. Why would the Master Executive be hanging out in a backwater like Samundra for any length of time? The odds of Simon bolting from the hospital and then stumbling onto Duncan's farm are way too high, unless one of those pharmacomputers in his head was programmed to take him there. Which brings up many MORE questions, doesn't it?
I guess three comments in short order means I'm standing line, too. I'm the one in the red long coat with the popgun Shurtook-Smith sidearm.
I've made myself a blue/green carapace out of cereal boxes and spraypainted tinfoil and have brought along a hip flask which is never empty (the secret math dontcha know :P). I'm ready for a long wait, though I'm probably going to go mad pretty soon (go, you say? gone a while ago, I say.) I'll pass the the flask down the line for anyone who wants some :)
verifun: fnunm; What the Cheerful Order of St Tracy calls its members; Fun Nun Names.
i'm decked out in a silver carapace, Kamari Filigree. and refreshing as often as i can. in fact, i've got it up in a second window, the mainpage, and i'm going to go refresh it now...
still not up. i don't worry about hurricanes, or powerouts, only work. fast food, i don't get to refresh it for a while.
some thoughts: simon cannot die if the end of the story is to be told by him, unless it is one of those socrates deaths. of course, with a poison thing...well, remember how Mass of the Halcyons ended? "So this is how it feels to die". perhaps we may have another of those, but it won't be a false ending. or perhaps this court system uses more constructive means of punishment. Simon must head up a think-tank who's goal is to take the mess that is the Citadel of the Recovery and Fellcorp Pharmaceuticals and form out of them something that will actually help people. that would be justice, for Simon of Space to engineer and oversee the undoings of Terron Volmash's actions.
unanswered questions that, if not fixed in "I Am", i will be very aggravated about:
1. What does Master Executive mean? is he really the leader of the execs (he isn't even the original Jeremiah, and i would venture that they are based on a seniority system) or was that just a title given to an elite by a commoner?
2. How did the original pish die? everybody is asking this, and i'll add my voice to the din. i don't think that Jeremiah could have "missed" with the secret math, it's too precise and perfect. i'm thinking something regarding a mishandled hostage situation. i think a serious tell-all from Jeremiah is in order though.
3. What is something wicked? you can't just feed us something like that and expect us to simply forget it, that one more villian, more mysterious than all the others and more powerful than an executive (remember, Felix the First is an executive armed with the Secret Math), remains to be seen and defeated.
4. How does the secret math work? it seems that the equivelant math can be carried around and executed in the brain of a normal human being, and the executives are merely keepers of it, a human being can wield it. is it really so simple as a human being can realize the equations necessary for that level of detail at the drop of a hat? or perhaps it is simpler than we seem, merely a philosophy more than a complicated textbook series.
5. when will the prequel come out? what will it be called? you said there may be one, allow me to submit my voice to the din again and call for it. i want to hear the story of Terron Volmash, in blog format or not, and how The Horror happened, and all the secrets that Simon of Space does not know! forthwith, CBB, here we are now entertain us.
TRH
word veri (my second to last): hozwvj. or it might be hozvvvj, or hozvwj. let's see if the first one works.
Edmund, you said, The odds of Simon bolting from the hospital and then stumbling onto Duncan's farm are way too high, unless one of those pharmacomputers in his head was programmed to take him there. Which brings up many MORE questions, doesn't it?
Well, yes, it does. I think many of these questions can be answered like so -- CBB wrote this on the fly. He might not have had any idea when he first typed Jeremiah's name that he would be anything than a housekeeping robot for Duncan. Or, even if he knew he would be a protector of Pish, he still might not have thought he was an Executive. That's the beauty of writing a novel -- it takes the author on an adventure as he/she hammers out the words. One of the pitfalls of writing it in this manner, revealing it to the reader as it's written, is that these questions crop up. CBB has been masterful at tying up loose ends, but some elements just have to rely on the reader's suspension of disbelief.
I can't name them all right now, but look at the many other things that happened to Simon that are far against the odds. He happened to meet the woman whose voice was used to announce incoming phone calls, and she just happened also to be a teacher whose life was dedicated to the Horror recovery effort, and happened to figure out that Simon is TV? He happened to meet the best and the second-best cooks in the galaxy?
Folks have brought up at least one of these points before, but it's something that happens in all fiction. It's just that usually the author gets to go back and make it a little less challenging to the reader's acceptance meter.
We all love it nonetheless, CBB. You are the cheese.
TRH,
If Jeremiah revealed how the Secret Math worked, it wouldn't be secret anymore. Just idly commenting while checking for "I Am" again. Probably won't hit until late tonight, at the earliest.
edmund:
"The odds of Simon bolting from the hospital and then stumbling onto Duncan's farm are way too high"
Of course. But we know now that Olorio was manipulating Simon from the moment he came to be. It's obvious (at least to me) that Olorio was setting him up to go to his father's house, because that would stir memories in him that Olorio could mine for clues to the NC's location.
Up to the point where Dr. Pemma fixed the diary, Olorio knew everything Simon was up to, and therefore could maneuver to make many of the other improbabilities happen.
-The Monster
Monster -
The point was - How did Jeremiah know to be at Duncan's? Did he know Olorio was sending Simon to Duncan's, and if so why?
Dave -
CBB, very shortly after introducing J, had the 'Property of TV', the death of the monkey upon discovering J's Executiveness, etc. Most importantly Jeremiah as possessor o' the Secret Math and one of the prinicipal vehicles to advance our story tells me CBB had big things in mind from the begining.
Which brings me back to my original questions as we prepare for the unlocking of secrets and minds.
Is the grand role of chefs in SoS a nod to the intro of 'The Iron Chef.'
DoD
veri word fun: seminmo
not touching that one
From wikipedia:
First Law modified
In "Little Lost Robot," several NS-2 or "Nestor" robots were created with only part of the First Law. It read:
1. A robot may not harm a human being.
This modification was motivated by a practical difficulty: robots had to work alongside human beings who were exposed to low doses of radiation. Because their positronic brains were highly sensitive to gamma rays, robots were rendered inoperable by doses reasonably safe for humans, and were being destroyed attempting to rescue the humans. Removing the First Law's "inaction" clause solved this problem, but caused other problems, as the story details.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Laws_of_Robotics
Edmund,
*Austin*? Why in the world would I drive three hours south? Dallas will be okay; we just may have a ton of rain and some high winds.
As far as how Jeremiah ended up at Duncan's house... I thought that was explained (at least partially) by J's ties to the family and his accidental role in Pish's death, whatever that may have been.
Furthermore, this journal is stupid. Forget it.
I'm one of those who wants to believe that the jury will be wise enough to realize that Simon can do a lot to help the victims, and that execution (when the villain has already died) would be useless.
Of course, I'm not convinced that the real villain is already dead... he's just really well-disguised and waiting for Simon's fate to be announced so he can make his next move.
Also, how do we know the wicked overwhelmed Felix? J just said that was the last message he got; maybe Felix is smart enough to hang out under a rock until the lion walks by.
Waiting for the end in my fluffy bathrobe...
Does anyone have a good idea what I can use as my home page once I've read the final chapter? For so long it was Darth Side, and now SoS...
CBB - we'll miss your blog, but we'll look forward to your upcomming efforts in other media - thanks.
wordveri: mieawgp
(my cat typed this in)
Sheik,
If you're in Dallas, why in Callicrates would you be worried about losing power? Having lived in Austin when a hurricane hit the South Texas coast and experienced nothing more than really weird clouds and rain, there is no way you could lose power that far north. Nice try to push CBB to hurry, though!
Mark,
CBB wrote SoS on the fly, but he had Page 36, which carried the basic outline of the entire story. That basic outline had to include Jeremiah leading Simon around the Neighborhood. Jeremiah orchestrated most of the action in SoS, and that was no accident of off-the-cuff narrative.
We're down to crunch time...
Dear all,
Just a few notes:
#1. We're reeeally close now. I'm just proof-reading.
#2. It's the middle of the bloody night. Oh man, I am *so* screwed for work tomorrow.
#3. When I initially introduced Jeremiah I planned to dispose of him quickly. That's why he had the retarded accent. Things changed, however, when I decided Simon needed a steady guide.
#4. Lulu is really pissing me off right now.
#5. If you make your new homepage MFDH.CA you'll always be able to see updates in the "news" section, where new projects are announced.
Love,
CheeseburgerBrown
CBB,
Proofreading is for editors. Post, already!!
Oh wait. You're proofreading the SoSODT version. Take your time, but post "I Am" now, and spare those Rita evacuees! I guess your proofreading means that comments on the last episode won't be included. Faeces!
I was going to suggest including one or two outstanding comments from each post as an unusual form of novel...
CBB, if Lulu is pissing you off, why not do an initial run through CafePress? Us diehards will pay whatever you think is fair.
CBB - On #3 in your comments, about Jeremiah. Ah, sweet validation. I lucked out that my first foray into conjecture was right. But, I also know about characters initially meant as throwaways becoming pivotal. My own (very short and not sci-fi) novel has a character like that. I've been thinking of posting it in bits on a blog site, but hmmm.... haven't looked at it in about three years. Might stink up the place.
Mark,
Touche!
Jeremiah's Final Secret:
he is the betrayer Executive. No. 17, was it?
weevee: pemgyiz (really can't be arsed)
Razorsmile,
I like your theory, but CBB just said that he was a throwaway character that became the steady mentor for Simon. I doubt CBB would turn him into the villain at this late date.
Me, I still think the Executives are bad mother reggae DJs, but CBB likes them. Number 17, like "something wicked", were plot twist toss-ins that don't figure into the end of the story.
edmund-
Just because a character was initially going to be a 'throw-away' character does not mean that his larger role excludes him being used as a 'villian.'
However, just because there is a rogue Executive in existance does not mean that the rogue is a villian. Perhaps the rogue is the only Executive that is not a villian.
:o)
Lilaena,
I like the way you think! Executive #17 rebelled against the domestication of humanity, and thus was probably the progenitor of the Equivalency. Being a big proponent of Free Will, I have to root for the side of freedom.
I've watched cows chew cud. It's not pretty.
Now that CBB has admitted to making this thing up as he goes along (was pg.36 written in crayon?), here is my suggestion:
Um, best indications are that the rouge executives were responsible for the destruction of Sol. (Even if unintentionally.)
The secret math is secret for a reason. (which is why I think that the equivalent is not actually as powerful.)
Arghhh... The grand finale is up, but the page is not loading. Damn, damn, damn.
Everybody seems to be missing one vital point:
TV's original plan was to destroy everybody with the help of NC and be the king of the galaxy with lotsa power / money in his hands.
What stops him from doing it now that the whole galaxy is getting feeds live from the courtroom???
I wonder if this would be the likely climax..........
Samba Siva.
i WANS HOPPING TO SEE A PICTURE OF SIMON :( ON THE COVER
It's been wonderful ya'll. CCB is a rising star I hope!
ciao,
phitprka: Fit Parka
as in, the story fit like a good parka.
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