Comic for Thursday, June 8th
Jun08
Somehow, Ryn, I’m not sure the readers are going to believe you…
Sorry, a short commentary and I haven’t been in the comments as much recently, been super busy for work and a few other things. Fortunately I think I have a fairly open weekend (though that seems so far off……..), I, of course, still read and appreciate all comments 🙂
Will put up the new Patreon goal target this weekend. There, I said it, now I gotta do it 🙂
We hit a new record of 700 unique visitors in a day on Monday… that’s sort neat. I think that’s the highest we’ve had in had in a day. Well, if any of the new folks read the commentaries, welcome and thank you for reading 😀 Hope you enjoy.
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Somehow I don’t think that was a very smart play on her part.
“Clearly a rogue agent of ours gave you that, so you can’t have it. But you’re not allowed to question why or even if we aren’t doing anything with/about it either.”
Actually, put that way, sounds like the summary for a “standard” corporate or gov’t argument. (Kinda depressing, actually…)
To Biana sensibilities it probably made sense. Rules are things other people have to follow, after all. 🙂
Biana’s outright wrong. One the IDS admits it has gate detection tech, the Malsan Consul *does* have standing to demand answers, independently of whether Malsa actually has the tech itself.
You know, I just realized something. If Ryn can get the Consul’s support in his claim that he helped the project, then he could claim that the detector is the reason that Avon left PACT. Therefor he could also claim the the “material’s” he supplied the school was the lab that was attacked by the IDS, to try and hide the fact that Avon is developing SMAI’s.
Hmm so how many people back in IDI headquarters is banging their heads and wondering how to do damage control for the damage the good director seems to be doing to relations with the local powers?
The IDS headquarters apparent regard for the local powers maybe the problem…
Peter’s plan here is actually fairly elegant. He knows that politically him being the source of the information is problematic, and that most people would not believe that Levenworth came up with this on their own, so he is setting up Ryn and Avon as the source.
Avon (and Ryn) are already fully locked horns with PACT and the IDS, so they are probably less concerned about pissing them off, and persumably Peter is turning something over to Ryn for his trouble. Also, taking technology someone else came up with and pretending it was his seems to be Ryn’s MO.
This is assuming that Peter is the person that contacted Ryn and basically told him “If a revolutionary dimension gate detector is revealed, claim credit for it”.
I doubt Peter had to say anything like this. This gives Ryn a chance for a stake and access to that tech – they arent going to deny him here and they cant exactly then deny him it later.
Ryn is a genius, just at marketing rather than inventing new things and this is the perfect action he could have taken here for the most benefit for Avon.
Indeed. I expect this was a sudden decision to barter a small amount of political capital for very valuable technology. Though this kind of decision might be why someone (AKA Peter) prematurely leaked Ryn’s name to the press.
I suppose that assumes Peter did not originally lift the tech from Ryn ( and Avon ).
Peter is probably smart enough to have invented the tech to begin with, or at least reverse-engineered some Kor’s World tech to make it possible.
Gate detection tech has to be considered a classified military secret. But Biana instantly blamed Peter. So, there’s probably a very short list of people who knows enough to replicate it off the top of their head.
We’ve seen Peter studying Kor’s World tech and using it for Query and Mium (and, possibly, Miko). And evidence suggests he worked with Avon for a while, likely reverse engineering Kor’s World tech and/or developing AI.
Biana was watching the wrong Kepler. 🙂
I am sure that Biana wants Kepler dead. All Keplers dead.
Although, she seems willing to accept permanent imprisonment.
Briana just hasn’t had enough resources to get ‘er done.
Consul: “Given that these illegal portals are appearing in my nation, I do have the standing to ask why you are ignoring these multiple breaches of national security, when our agreement with the IDS specifically states that you will address such issues?”
It wouldn’t be an easy cat to get back into the bag, that’s for sure.
i love the “shift-the-blame” political hack there. the issue isnt the portals, its that you are using illegal technology to find them. AND you used a traitor to MY cause to get it.
also i just noticed, malsa looks, physically, like a mutated love child of greece and malaysia
While it is unlikely to appease the Malsan factions, it is not without precedent. Completely incriminating evidence can be thrown out of court if it is obtained illegally.
Considering how little the IDS seems to care what Malsa actually thinks of them, a technicality to not be forced to admit they are flagrantly ignoring their duties is all they need.
> While it is unlikely to appease the Malsan factions, it is not without precedent. Completely incriminating evidence can be thrown out of court if it is obtained illegally.
This is politics, not law though. Plus the I.D.S. lately deployed forces that ended up in direct conflict with the local military.
Gate tech is obviously well known to people on both sides, and the **only** thing the IDS offers is smuggling prevention\* it would be easy for them to back out of the treaty. The I.D.S. can offer to give tech to the foreign nations in response, but from what we’ve seen so far that’s more likely to result in an arms race/war footing.
\* The I.D.S. might do some tech transfer, but once you get past the basics it’s obvious they’re very stingy in that regard.
_” Considering how little the IDS seems to care what Malsa actually thinks of them, a technicality to not be forced to admit they are flagrantly ignoring their duties is all they need. “_
I disagree. The IDS is going to need a whole lot more than a single technicality to get out of this one. Remember, there’s more than IDS and Malsan representatives in attendance. And once word of this spreads around the governments of Palindra and members of PACT, you know the sh*t is really going to start flying.
Aside from superior technology, the thing that IDS was threatening PACT and Malsan governments with was turning a blind eye to black market activity that might benefit enemy states or their competitors.
Now Malsa has HARD EVIDENCE that IDS has been ignoring illegal gate activity, regardless. Their signed agreements don’t mean squat if they’ve been caught red handed breaking their promises.
IDS may still have superior technology. But they were unable to keep the autocaster tech from Palindra. And many nations, like Malsa, seem to be rapidly closing the technology gap. This gate activity sensor tech is rather convincing evidence of this. At least, I think PACT and Palindrans in general will see it that way and feel a bit more emboldened to stand up to IDS bullying.
The problem here is that this *isn’t* a court. This is a private meeting of the powerful people in charge of things. Legal standing has surprisingly little meaning. If these people know and believe the IDS to be in the wrong, they’re going to stop listening to them and start exerting pressure. They might not be able to officially say “The IDS is derelict of duty” and stand that up in a legal hearing, but that doesn’t stop them from knowing it and acting upon it.
It’s actually a fairly common approach. If the charge is levied against the political side you oppose, it’s the “seriousness of the charge,” and a lack of evidence is reason to investigate harder and harder until you find something – ANYTHING – to incriminate SOMEBODY with (even if it’s just a process crime that came about because your witch hunt was deliberately trying to entrap somebody in one). If it’s against your own side, however, the “real crime” is the horrifically illegal way the evidence of the crime was found. Such a horrid breach of privacy and national security and anything else to keep the focus on blaming your opponents for calling you out on your side’s bad behavior.
An easy cat to drag? More like trying to drag a saber-tooth tiger by the tail – a tiger with a grudge, at that.
panel 2: “You are in direct violation of the technology contraband laws.” panel 8: “Avon technology has entered a partnership with Levenworth Academy as a sponsor to this project, and has invested a considerably material cost..”
Fixed, thanks 🙂
you’re welcome.
also panel 8; “…has invested a ‘consider-ably’ material cost…” should be “considerable” tho to be fair it could go “have invested considerably into this… additionally…”