Catherine Rants and Speeches

To Yu Lan

"Subverting science? Do you think you're the first one to get that bright idea? The Traditions have been trying for centuries to subvert science, but it only keeps on getting harder and harder. You see science isn't just about showing people something cool, it's about explaining it and reproducing it. Of course I can show any scientist I like any number of wonders, but if I try doing so in an experimental setting I start sucking down paradox. Then if he publishes the technocracy will either use counter-magic to botch further investigations, or discredit both me and the scientist doing the tests."

"There was actually a case recently, in a past life of mine, where a big chunk of the Traditions and parts of the Technocracy backed a paradigm changing idea. It was called Spiritualism, the idea being that fairly normal people could form mediumistic circles and contact the spirits of the dead. Several mages and quite a few sorcerers were willing to openly defy static reality in order to push their point of view across. Quite a few highly respected scientists did studies and found it to be genuine. It tapped into a deep seated desire at that time to deal with all the deaths of the Great War you see. First the Technocracy used the law to harass mediums, often driving them to drink. Then they launched great debunking campaigns and used counter-magic to sabotage performances, even a bit of mind magic to force false confessions. Finally they had the Syndicate publish lots of books about Spiritualism, turning it into a harmless parlour game and making it nigh impossible to take seriously. That was the last time we really frightened them, the last time that we could actually have seriously damaged Static Reality."

"Economic power and political powers are also pointless. You're not fighting against a shadowy group of capitalist oppressors, or well, you are, but that's not what defines the Technocracy. The greatest Technocrat strongholds, the showcase for what they want to accomplish, isn't Japan or Silicone Valley. It's Scandinavia. You know those wonderful countries known for economic and political fairness? Sure you can fight social injustice and work against police brutality; in this you will have the support of quite a few technocrats. Indeed I'm sure most of them would prefer to see the world as nice and peaceful as Scandinavia."

"You're not dealing with moustache twirling villains. You're dealing with magi who are utterly convinced that their world view is right. They're not invested in keeping the workers down or having fat-cat capitalists on top of the heap. They'd be just as happy to have everyone live in nice social-democratic states. They don't truly care who rules or who has the money, so long as they accept Technocratic beliefs."

"So why haven't they destroyed us yet? That's easy enough: Because we can burn the world. That's the thought that keeps the Technocracy awake at night, the fear that we may be pushed too far and let the world burn. It would be easy, oh so easy, especially in this age of nuclear weapons. That is the evil temptation we try not to notice, that little voice that says 'Let it all burn, raze it all to the ground, and start anew.' But we are not monsters, not to that degree anyway. Like the old Soviet Union we drift into irrelevancy, overshadowed and outgunned by our adversaries, but we still retain the power to burn the world."