Pioneers of the Future (Interlude)
I passed through the bustling streets, glancing around at the surrounding roads.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Boom!
Kaboom!
Kraka-ka-ka-boom!
Rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat!
Hmph. "Anyone who causes frustration or harms the organization must be eliminated outright..." Just by carrying out such acts, they're boldly proclaiming that it's not a bad idea at all. From the start, humanity only truly awakened to the instincts buried within them once the Industrial Revolution began. Before that, they enforced lives of unconditional loyalty and obedience, suppressing freedom, or judged that only fanatics blindly following specific doctrines deserved to survive. But then they realized they could reinterpret those doctrines to suit themselves. As Karl Marx said, capitalism didn't develop solely for simple economic reasons. If it had, capitalism would have endured forever, and communism would never have collapsed so miserably. All three great bourgeois revolutions were rebellions led by the bourgeoisie against monarchs and nobles. Therefore, the current chain of events is merely one branch point in society's ongoing development. Humanity has always upheld this iron rule they've preached: "No one can be perfect, but rebuking others for imperfection—whether done to oneself for growth and prosperity or to others—is something we must never ignore."
Looking at the Industrial Revolution starting in the 1600s, through the cultural gene of capitalism it birthed, they've sustained it for 400 years, even defeating the arch-nemesis of communism. Yet the persistence of incompetents unfit for their ideology is a perfect contradiction. Words alone can't resolve it anymore. In short, workplaces now function like universities—autonomous in tasks, yet perfectly aligned with others' expectations, while churning out innovative ideas. If you're not absolutely perfect in every way, it's deemed intent to sabotage others' perfection, whether by mistake or malice. That's the level of wisdom required to be truly prudent. Of course, this only holds after resignation, realigning one's beliefs to accept this spectacle as paradise and live contentedly. Without that, fighting blindly without knowing why, claiming no right to decide right from wrong—that's history's domain—and seeing oneself as mere fodder for the fray? That's just lost souls wandering, unsure if they're mad or not.
That's why I'll approach those under this blatantly communist rationing system—intuitive yet rigid—who might pity or hate me via guilt by association but can't act due to rank differences.
The current system, where people depend on me to survive, is far better than the nationalists' catastrophe to come from anti-Western states.
Rather than forcing a direction, it's wiser to make them spill everything to forge the "big picture" they always prattle about.
Dictate "do this, do that," and they'll just reject it all.
Even if they realize there's a problem, they'll blame me while dragging it out, never truly desperate for a solution.
If they grow satisfied with this mess, there's no turning back.
Resolving religious conflicts on Earth via international bodies grounded in secularism, introducing democratic two-party systems between secular and fundamentalist parties; handling interstellar territorial disputes and treatment of small planetary city-states; annual contract renewals with arms suppliers; updating VR systems for soldiers to gain near-real combat experience; crushing remaining Russian and Chinese nationalists; negotiating tariffs on pioneer colonies... Qualitatively minor, but quantitatively plenty left. The Third World War label is so grand that the first operation's success has everyone—from society to politics to economy—in panic, hailing it as a ray of light or assuming the show's over. Reality doesn't bend to wishes. Those who saw communism fall now rage at machines stealing jobs, realizing communism's impossible, and spiral out of control. Living without knowing their own roles, dismissing all good solutions or ideals as trash, sharing the same sob stories. Ansoloc White is the same at core—he just follows my lead. "I didn't want this; I have an unspeakable backstory. Sharing it amid the masses leaves a mark in history. But your thinking is wrong. Abandon it and join me."
Such people will never change their minds.
They lack only the resolve to overcome fear and despair.
At the end of this contradiction lies the dystopia of decadent morality Nietzsche prophesied.
It may not seem so, but suppressing the misguided has become more vital than actual duties—especially since I've added a non-material realm where all intellects' emotions and thoughts project. It's fleeting.
What's truly insidious is that even if they recognize it, it subtly corrupts their direction without their knowledge.
Labeling enemies as the root of all evil while killing them is mere child's play.
Designating them as synonyms for specific evils turns it to curses; extreme cases even rewrite grammar deeming nouns wrong—all from mere from mere contact with this non-material realm's influence.
In short, even non-supernaturals exposed to it end up like that.
I've observed that from the moment an ordinary person enters it, their thought structure shifts, stripping rational cognition and awareness of the problem itself.
And I can create it at will.
That is, pollute basic thought patterns with innate emotions—like how Priimiren clan's sophistry makes one ignore the Diagrams of Mystery to even conceive conspiracy theories.
Creak.
"Do those idols know? For the suffering, what's needed isn't equal huddling for safety then sacrificing select few on a whim—like pissing on a lame dog's leg—but resolve letting those few become heroes to solve it. My family's destiny is to peak as the administrator controlling and organizing all. But I won't follow. I'll reveal myself my way, live for a world free of blood and violence. Even if it's against what they want. They won't confront me directly, so I can't know precisely—and considering they know my depths even less, all the more. Maybe they can't vent their hardships to me, fueling resentment. Anyway, this is it. Let's head in...
"Exactly. Our charisma alone makes people thirst infinitely yet feel utterly satisfied. Our mighty military, precious resources and territories from space pioneering, the jobs and national prosperity we provide for free—how could they not be impressed? Only those not of this era would resist. To such reality-deniers who've never doubted, let's enable suspicion. They've never doubted; they've branded nonconformists and fanatically sacrificed them as right. Humanity's history never deviated. Great figures differed in feats and temperament, but similar lives—all because ordinary folk caused it. This is humanity's ultimate awakening as humans. Pioneering a vast universe 41 billion light-years wide, where we're negligible, marveling endlessly at expanding vistas faster than light, vanishing from sight—enduring sane demands baseless confidence.
Ermi Side -_-, 3 Hours Later
"Sis, I'm back."
"Ah, good work, Ermi."
"Phew, lately everyone's obsessed with efficiency, industry, and bureaucracy—it's maddening. Even riding this modded bike for flight, plastering flyers, I barely touched ground."
"What can we do? We don't know everyone's backstories exactly. We can't persuade or change them one by one, but surely differences in thought exist among them. Even they can't follow every rule perfectly."
"Right. They're the ones we should pity. We're advocates, not enforcers."
"But always remember: those fighting by borrowing others' or others' power aren't truly strong."
"Yeah. Someday people will cast off obvious pretenses like us and live freely."
"Vesper, if you're done talking to Ermi, help arrange chairs. It's too much alone."
"Chemeri, aren't you overdoing it? First proper show even in Mephauric—can't fill on the first try. Plastic chairs suffice over folding ones!"
"Nonsense. Especially now, keep it simple. Seat everyone on these folding chairs, then..."
"Saying that while slacking on locking up?"
"Ack! Mi...Minister... Huh? Aide too?!"
"Heard it's your debut? Audience won't be huge, so quality matters. Brother mentioned a promising idol group here with growth potential. In this mess, all good is good, right? Simply, use sympathy for us to stir their last shreds of humanity?"
"W-Well... yeah..."
"And I get your worry it'll go unnoticed. So expect our gift. Not what you need most, but perfect for your audience. Leave prep to us. Just rehearse well."
"Huh?"
Whirrrrr...
Cleas and I instantly used telekinesis to align seats perfectly, swapped lights to LEDs, polished floor and ceiling to a shine, blended my blue glow with her yellow, then zapped spotlights vividly on stage.
"Ooh..."
While distracted, we remotely projected screens everywhere for promo.
But cleverly timed: massive hype post-show, drawing crowds, then our rave reviews to boost popularity, plus merch.
She anticipated this like I clocked her identity; she's invested fully.
With our grasp on everyone's data, we could control minds—but we don't.
I mentioned stimulating humanity, but truly, rampant violence disorganized isn't belief-driven survival via personal creed equality—opportunity to kill per conviction must be equal for all, idols included.
With the seven major alignments most agree on, deeming gods/religion futile yet clinging to astrology/horoscopes; dictators rising only in crises—excluding our untouchables, blind acclaim for their "good" beliefs alone is dictatorship.
Step.
Step.
"Front row okay?"
"Ah, yes! Expect great things!"
"Our debut show—look forward to it! It's our first album, named after the group anyway!"