Animatrix: Channel Surfing

Battlehymn Republic · Post by **Battlehymn Republic** » 2005-05-15 02:47am

Explanation: This is the transcript of a round of channel-surfing that takes place between Second Renaissance parts One and Two, explaining the state of the world right before everything goes apocalyptic. I’m somewhat of an amateur policy wonk, and many of these excerpts are about the politics, so bear with me.

Also, this fic is not meant to reflect any of the author’s political views at all. It’s meant to be somewhat ironic, though.

TIME: 16:53 EST, 5/14/2099
MODE: Random
FILTER: None

Surfing…

[Channel 20, Animal Planet Pets]
“This is a golden retriever. It’s a lot like an Aibo, but unlike those nasty cyberdogs, it’s got warm flesh and fur instead of cold steel and silicon…”

CLICK

[Channel 144, Global Religions Center]
“In a completely unprecedented act today Pope George Michael I, Patriarch Athenagoras III, and Catholicos Abraham signed the Edict of the Council of Jerusalem, formally recognizing the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox Churches are ‘branches of one tree’ and affirming the need for a constant effort to reunite Christendom. This culmination of three months of intensive meetings has been met with both great jubilation from ecumenical-minded followers of all three denominations and sub-denominations, as well as protest and threats to balkanize the churches even further. Vatican officials today also stated that the council was held and completed so urgently for any other reason than to ‘spread goodwill to fellow believers’, and also denied that the current situation in the Middle East has “any bearing on the decision of his Holiness…

CLICK

[Channel 84, Free Democracy: Traditionalist Talk]
“Well, folks, the reason why this country is so clearly going down the drain is that no one seems to read history anymore. To anyone who’s even bothered to crack open a history book can tell you that the radical crimson deltaist scalawags that are laying siege to this great country of ours are using three simple tools: raising the status of non-humans as in their treasonous efforts to support the clockwork machina, debasing the status of humans as in their attempts to re-legalize abortion by breaking open Don v. Shay, and finally, the elimination of borders…”

CLICK

[Channel 50, Aether America: Delta Discussion]
“These cronyists are lying to us once again! They were the ones to allow big business free rein to do whatever the heck they wanted to. They were the ones to deregulate programming guidelines so that A.I. self-awareness would grow rampant. They were the ones who antagonized BI66ER in the first place! Now, I support our fighting men and women and all, but their incompetent leaders really have no idea of how to fight this war…”

CLICK

[Channel 66, Social Justice For All: (radical) Anti-War Chat]
“…reason why we’re shutting down isn’t because of slipping ratings- our programs are viewed by millions of the most intelligent and well-spoken citizens in the nation. No, it’s because the fascizi Khan-worshippers are taking over all available methods of communication and making brainwashed people just as they have ever since the days of the first aggressor, Polk. They love death, ladies and gentlemen. They love to beat up the poor, poor, misunderstood A.I. just because they beat them at their own economic game. Hell, they were the ones to persecute minorities and GM-folk in the first place…”

CLICK

[Channel 36, C-SPAN]
Senator Elwood Smith, deltaist Republican:
“This is a call-out for all moderates in our party to speak out against the president’s attempts to foster wrongful tyranny at home in the guise of supporting rightful aggression abroad. His attempts to remove government oversight in the development of human-comp powersuits will only cause more fatalities in our armed forces from accidents, friendly fire, and hacker attacks…”

CLICK

[Channel 13, Operation Homeshield: Civil Defense Network]
“In the case that rogue agents infiltrate and use biological weapons, a simple seal-and-scan with your home networks should instantly stop the problem. If you are caught outside, sirens will warn you of contagions in the system and will direct you toward shelters where you will be completely safe. In the event of a nuclear attack, government warning systems will be able to detect any incoming missiles three to five hours ahead of impact, and the Air Force will eliminate the threat.
However, in the event that there is an attack on computer systems, your best bet is to reboot, enter into safe mode, and run an anti-malware program…”

CLICK

[Channel 56, Vox Populi: Crime and Punishment Network]
“Today the Supreme Court has reached a verdict today on the constitutionality of using the RICO statute to try the National Civil Freedoms Group for sedition in its support of pro-mechanoid rights…”

CLICK

[Channel 545, Culture Today]
“As the world rolls closer to war each day, arcades are finding more youths attracted to the latest in virtual reality: Everpath, Ultimate Online, Linear X, Final Phantasy, and Lucasworld, these attractions are causing young teenagers and children who are willing to spend extravagantly to spend more and more time away from the real world. This electronic epidemic has spread throughout the world and even to the most remotest locations, like this netlinked Tibetan town. Experts are saying that the practice may be both physically and psychologically harmful. Is your child trapped in a virtual world? Find out in tonight’s top story…”

CLICK

[Channel 44, Economic News]
“Tech stocks had an unexpected rise this week as the E.U. embargo begins. Both Virgin Athena and Lockheed-Halliburton made gains in the Defense Market, and war bonds doubled in value on AMEX. Not all is well, though- the automobile industry continues to stumble in its attempts to return after the ban on Zero One hovercars last quarter. You might want to consider cashing in your personal retirement accounts soon…”

CLICK

[Channel 135, ESPN 9]
“The Newfoundland Smallwooders defeated the Free Scottish Bagpipers 8-6 in the Commonwealth AntiGrav Jai Alai League today, ending the play-offs for that bloc’s division. Also, celebrity online backgammon saw a historical victory as Benji Affleck defeated Marlon Rove in a ten-hour game…”

CLICK

[Channel 14, Sci-Fi Channel]
“Next on the Victory Movie Marathon, Will Smith’s I, Robot, followed by Dolph Lundgren’s Terminator 5: Final Judgment…”

CLICK

[Channel 65, Global News Network]
“Syrian President Muhammad Hussein, Jordanian King Abdullah IV, and Iraqi President Khoei Sistani joined the Saudi crown prince in Tripoli today with their governments-in-exile as the Zero One war machine continues to march on despite the completion of the first stage of Operation Homo Superior. They were welcomed by Libyan Prime Minister Ibrahim Quaddafi, who promised them safe refuge until the conclusion of the conflict…”

CLICK

[Channel 176, Middle East Review]
“The Mideast Peace Summit has concluded in a pyrrhic victory today with a successful settlement between Israel and the moderate Muslim governments of Turkey, Iran, and the Gulf Federation over the issue of the Palestinian question that most of the absent Arab governments-in-exile are calling illegitimate…”

CLICK

[Channel 76, War Effort News]
“Most of the banished Home Army of Kurdistan has arrived in Mecca today to join the five million-men Grand Forces of dar al-Islam to the praises of Sultan Husein ibn Ali of the Kingdom of Hedjaz. The Sultan made statements today supporting the Grand Forces’ cooperation with the United Nations Coalition as well as the commitment of ‘all of Islam to protecting the holy lands and vanquishing the rogue djinn…’ ”

CLICK

[Channel 42, Earth Now!, Environmental Issues]
“Scientists at the University of Beijing and Karala College have confirmed that the sky-darkening nanomachines of Operation Dark Storm will not have a long-lasting effect on the global ecosystem, and should dissipate rapidly after the war…”

CLICK

[Channel 504, Asian Affairs]
“The Democratic Republic of Korea, the only human nation of the world to not provide military or financial aid to the war, has sent a representative the U.N. this morning breaking nearly twenty years of silence. Representative Peng Nam-Il, claiming to be foreign minister of one Kim il Chung, apparently the current president. The representative stated in front of the General Assembly that though North Korea does not recognize the global body or the ‘fictional automaton phantoms,’ his government is preparing to deal with the current militarization with ‘crushing atomic force’ Experts severely doubt the North Korean threats, as the nation is believed to be the only one in the world to lack electricity…”

CLICK

[Channel 65, On the Front: Live Coverage of the War]
“Chuck, as you can see clearly these trenches are spotless and well-stocked, a far cry from the diseased hellholes of World War I. The men and women here are all in good cheer and well-prepared for the fighting ahead. They’ve just finished their training for the day and are opening up their packages from home, and this evening there will be an all-faiths religious service…”

[Channel 199, MTV Epsilon]
“Back to you, Ryan…”

Emergency in progress. Television automatically turning to Channel 2, Government Alert Broadcasting Service]

The President of the United States of America:
“My fellow Americans, five minutes ago the satellites of the United States as well as two-hundred nations have discovered a contingent of Zero-One troops crossing the 31st parallel, breaking the United Nations treaty boundary. The machines have declared war on humanity. The armed forces of the United States is currently mobilizing along with Coalition forces to counter this threat. I urge all citizens to remain calm and resolute in the face of this crisis. May God grant us wisdom and courage in our fight for survival. Thank you.”

CLICK

POWER OFF.

Endnote: What do you think? Too much? Not enough? Did I focus too much on politics? This is a first draft. I’m planning on expanding this later, maybe. Did anyone catch the Batman Beyond reference?

Shroom Man 777 · Post by **Shroom Man 777** » 2005-05-15 03:00am

MORE MAN! MORE! This is actually pretty good (better than the shit that was in Animatrix, honestly)!

Hm? Batman Beyond reference? Spellbinder, that you?

Oh and, I pity those North Koreans. The only nation without electricity, pheh, serves 'em right!

Battlehymn Republic · Post by **Battlehymn Republic** » 2005-05-15 03:11am

You... want more? And I was getting afraid that I o'ded on the political stuff.

Read the sports tidbit for the reference.

Wait? Are you dissing the Second Renaissance?

speaker-to-trolls · Post by **speaker-to-trolls** » 2005-05-15 05:56am

Battlehymn Republic wrote: Wait? Are you dissing the Second Renaissance?

Not specifically, he said the piece of shit that was the Animatrix, so he's dissing the whole thing. I haven't seen it so I can't comment on the validity of that statement.

Really good, BTW, gives a really good impression of the buildup to the human/machine war of Doooom which is approaching.

Shroom Man 777 · Post by **Shroom Man 777** » 2005-05-15 06:44am

Battlehymn Republic wrote:You... want more? And I was getting afraid that I o'ded on the political stuff.

Read the sports tidbit for the reference.

Ah, the anti-grav!

The politikal hoo-hah was actually pretty good.

Wait? Are you dissing the Second Renaissance?

The story was nice and so were the pretty pictures, but what actually happened was pretty dumb, IMHO. The nukes not hurting the robots. People getting slaughtered. Having to pull a Mr. Burns and block out the sun.

Lots of other folks here diss SR too. But mneh.

Singular Quartet · Post by **Singular Quartet** » 2005-05-15 10:16am

Pretty good, actually. And yeah, Second Rev wasn't that good, but a number of the others were.

Shroom Man 777 · Post by **Shroom Man 777** » 2005-05-15 10:54am

Like FFotO. FOTO!

Losonti Tokash · Post by **Losonti Tokash** » 2005-05-15 12:52pm

Holy shit, that was awesome. I especially liked the bit at the beginning with the merging of the various churches and the part about the virtual reality games.

Battlehymn Republic · Post by **Battlehymn Republic** » 2005-05-15 05:23pm

There were a number of other minor references, too, like the Arrested Development one. I might expand this somewhat next week.

As for Second Renaissance- yeah, a lot of it was hokey (like if carpet-bombing with nukes can't stop the machines, what makes regular ordinance so much better?), but you have to remember that there's a lot of symbolism and legend and hyperbole. Also, maybe most of Zero-One's resources and factories were underground.

Thanks for the accolades!

Shroom Man 777 · Post by **Shroom Man 777** » 2005-05-16 05:27am

But look, nukes can't faze them and they all drop dead after some pee-wee EMP?

Anyway, sure, SR was good in some ways, but in other ways, it kinda sucked. I mean, the US Army getting its ass kicked by a bunch of nuclear-proof EMP-weak hentai tentacle killbots? Gimme SkyNet and a plasma-armed Arnoldian nuclear-powered hyperalloy endoskeleton anyday!

In any case...write more, drone!

CaptainChewbacca · Post by **CaptainChewbacca** » 2005-05-16 05:34am

Battlehymn Republic wrote:There were a number of other minor references, too, like the Arrested Development one. I might expand this somewhat next week.

Thanks for the accolades!

I didn't catch the A.D. reference. What was it?

BTW, poor, poor Scifi channel.

Battlehymn Republic · Post by **Battlehymn Republic** » 2005-05-16 12:23pm

The Pope's name is George Michael.

Also, what is that sport's name from Batman Beyond? It really looks like Anti-gravity jai alai to me.

Shroom Man 777 · Post by **Shroom Man 777** » 2005-05-16 12:53pm

Ask JME2.

Einhander Sn0m4n · Post by **Einhander Sn0m4n** » 2005-05-16 06:06pm

Fucking Awesome! We want more!

Winston Blake · Post by **Winston Blake** » 2005-05-17 07:23am

That was very interesting and original, i liked the bit about the sky-darkening nanobots not having a lasting effect on the environment.

Btw, would ICBMs really take over 5 hours to get from the middle-east to America?

Battlehymn Republic · Post by **Battlehymn Republic** » 2005-05-18 02:09am

Actually, now that I think about it, I'm probably very, very wrong about that bit.

The point of the civil defense channel is a throwback to the Cold War preparedness... basically by 2099 atomic and biological weapons are discounted, so that everyone is calm and like "A nuke? Oh, we've detected it and we still have hours to prepare for an evacuation." However, the main remaining problem is electronic warfare.

Fine, you've convinced me. I'm thinking of writing two or three more "chapters" with about this same number of channel excerpts. Someone told me this was the first channel surfing fanfiction they've ever read, so I'm eager to continue to be a pioneer. I'm afraid I'll run out of creativity for this eventually, though.

Also, I am in no way willing to make this a story about the war. Other Matrix fans could work on that. However, creating cryptic references is my forte, so I'm willing to give this another shot.

As the public demands it.

Battlehymn Republic · Post by **Battlehymn Republic** » 2005-05-27 10:27pm

Foreword: Thanks everyone for the reviews. I really appreciate the comments and suggestions. I’ve tried to tone down the politics a bit here, and add more commercials.
Oh, and the Batman Beyond reference was anti-gravity jai alai. I don’t know what they call it on the show, and come to think of it they play with a disc instead of a ball, but the high school sport the jocks played looked a lot like floating jai alai to me.

Time: 19:39 PST, 5/16/2099

Mode: Random

Filter: Exclude keyworded list- Focus recents

Surfing…

[Channel 278, On the Front: Live Coverage of the War]
On the northern front:
“…utterly shattered the Machines’ resolve, but this is a cauldron, a great smoky tempest! As you can see, the skies are filled with fireballs of falling Zero-One squidships. In the fields in front of me lie hundreds and thousands of charred skeletons of the chasses of our enemy. The ionic electromagnetic pulse cannons have successfully disabled legions of the powerless machina. There! Those ray of lights are testament to the mighty power of our trench guns. We are charging, we are moving forward, this advancement cannot stop…”

CLICK

[Channel 144, Global Religions Center]
“Archbishop Conan Gilliam of Canterbury has also signed the Edict of the Council of Jerusalem, proclaiming, ‘It is time for the one, holy, catholic, apostolic church of Christ animated by the Spirit and claimed by God to return to glory.’

Most mainline Protestant groups have rejected this decision, though formerly schismatic North American Episcopalians are considering returning to the fold. In an unprecedented act the Southern Baptist Convention and Presbyterian Church of America have entered talks to form an “American Non-denominational Church.” Other Protestant churches are decrying this…”

CLICK

[Channel 111, On the Front 2]
On the western front:
“Mechanized forces of the Euro Union are being simultaneously covered by American bombers and the brave warriors of the Grand Forces of dar al-Islam. Israeli troops are fighting side by side with soldiers from the Kingdom of Hedjaz over the lands of the once Wahhabist Empire of Saudi Arabia, in a dramatic show of human unity created by this crisis. State-of-the-art powersuits are raining dismantlement and destruction on the clockwork menace at the front of the charge, while artillery and infantry follow.

Kurd beside Turk, Quebecois beside Canadian and Newfoundlander, Scot beside Briton, Basque beside Spaniard, and Red-Chinese beside Cyan-Chinese, the success of the United Nations Coalition 205-nation army is an inspiring demonstration of the power of human brotherhood. Look! There they go…”

CLICK

[Channel 101, Technology Today]
“…leading to yet another ban on nanotech anti-allergy treatments. Can humanity catch a break? Fortunately, word is that there won’t be any other prohibitions made after the G-12 Summit, so personality treatments are still safe. Coming up next, E3 2099’s hottest new games…”

CLICK

[Channel 167, Home Shopping Network]
“Now: Deluxe Textile Furnishings and GMO Diet Therapies…”

CLICK

[Channel 62, Snopes TV: Modern Myths Examined]
“…and that is why rumors of a true computer-mind uplink are utterly fapgarfle. A new one from the war: there’s a story floating around the Anglo-European section of the front that extremely liberal delta pro-mechanoid sympathizers are being flown in to Zero-One by squid planes- you’ve seen them, right? Ugly looking blobbers. Anyway, there are soldiers that swear they’ve seen mysterious lights in the sky…”

CLICK

[Channel 68, International Standard News]
“Da jia hou, jing tian zhi wu yuei zhi-liao, liang-qian-jio-zhi-jio. Jing tian de da xiao xi zhi zhong Nai ro bi, fa zho de dwei yo qian de cheng zhi…”

CLICK

[Channel 120, Rainbow Summer: the N¸ Age Experience]
“Exciting news from the Total Harmonic ChronoQudrahedron Earth Center: expert scientist and herbologist Horace P. Gwydellien has discovered from his studies of the Upanishads that the human body may indeed contain powerful energies that can be utilized to …”

CLICK

[Channel 139, Clock Busters: Wartech Infomericals]
“…the N90 Vengeance, a four-ton omnitank with ten gun turrets, main electromag cannon fires ninety-inch rounds at Mach 2. Only a crew of two to three needed, since most of system is automated by Micronsoft-Apple’s unhackable Helix OS. Manufactured by Blackwater Conventional, price starting at five million. Next: powersuits and high-altitude bombers…”

CLICK

[Channel 51, Time Warner Comedy Central]
Now: “Classic Patriotically Comedic Movies Marathon”

“Terrorist your game is through cause now you have to answer to,

America! F-”

CLICK

[Channel 234, Looking out for you: Consumer Hawks]
“…the Operation@Home appendectomy kit is also due for recall, as a recent major study confirms the existence of possible “rogue agents” in the A.I. program which may cause the makings of digital sentience. While a Netpatch can quickly solve the problem, the company fears that the pre-sentient algorithm might be capable of evading…”

CLICK

[Channel 141, Sciencewatch]
“On the war front, recent scans have suggested that the aerial nuclear bombardment of Zero-One was much more effective than previously thought. Mass piles of scrap metal and destroyed facilities found by the first wave of coalition troops indicate that the bombardment did, indeed succeed. However, there are hints that Operation: Dark Storm may not have been as great a success as hoped…”

CLICK

[Channel 233, Broadway Classics]
Now: “Saturday Night Live: The Musical”

“Staaaaar Waaaars! Nothing but Star Wars! Gimme those Staaa-”

CLICK

[Channel 42, Earth Now, Environmental Issues]
“…due to last week’s assassination of Dr. Karen McKinley, state and federal law enforcement agents have begun a careful scrutiny of neo-pagan religious groups. Hierophant Mithra Dazhbog, leader of the Scions of the Sun, made statements today.

‘We will not be persecuted by the oldliners like witches and devils. We have done no wrong. The attempts to banish our Sacred Precursor will not ruin us, for beloved Sol shines on above your mechanical monstrosities. We are not Gaia worshippers who can be crushed like the filthy mud-lovers they are…’”

CLICK

[Channel 99, International Standard News C]
“Hello everyone, today is May sixteenth, twenty-ninety-nine. Today’s big story is from Nairobi, Africa’s most prosperous city…”

CLICK

[Channel 158, Public Broadcasting Service LPCX]

Current Program: Frontline
Current Episode: #9450, “Inside the Ruins of Saud”

“…came quickly. Radioactive measurements taken of the Arabian peninsula prior to the aerial bombardment of Operation Righteous Hammer suggest that the authorities in Riyadh panicked and had used unreported nuclear weapons. The existence of such weapons was also proposed by the sensational Laurence Report of 2079.

…And what of the Laurence’s dramatic stories of massive tunnel systems under the desert, ‘connecting Sakākah to Riyadh to unsuspecting Jiddah’, and honey-combing the entire wasteland of Rub‘ al Khali? The current consensus is that they were nothing more than quasi-arcological urban habitats and auxiliary drain systems. As most of the royal family and the government fled to the Libyan Arab Republic in record time, it is doubtful that such extensive tunnels were meant for emergency use. During Righteous Hammer it was possible that much of the Machine army was hiding underneath the desert dunes…”

CLICK

[Channel 355, Front Mission 12: Live Coverage]
“Would you look at that! The powersuits are taking flight! Our boys are throttling those oily mech-heads back to the vacuum tube age! This is a glorious cauldron, a smoky tempest- FOR VICTORY. Let us push on- my goodness, it appears that our omnitank is accelerating… and will you look at that! Aerial explosions: another squidplane down. They’re falling all over the place! Take a good look, ladies and gentlemen, for we are embarking on the last shining struggle of the twenty-first century! We’re going to Tikrit! And we’re going to Damascus! We’re going to… Factory Installation Epsilon Mu and then all the way to Zero-One!

Wow! There go the interceptors…”

CLICK

[Channel 59, Law and Order Network]
“FBI agents have broken into a cell of Machine-X agitators in Minneapolis this week. They are believed to be deltaist-liberal extremists who have given active support to violent mechanoid organizations since the BI66ER decision, including an armed robbery of the First National Bank in St. Louis.

In the Euro Union, Interpol has likewise announced the discovery of a new Machine-X group in Amsterdam- Brothers of Steel, a pseudoreligious cult worshipping the Machines…”

CLICK

[Channel 404, Infomercials Central]
“…not quite a harvest clone, but can still make your damaged internal organs good as new. Biological Agglomerate Chemical Therapeutic Assistant: take the light side.”

CLICK

[Channel 545, Culture Today]
“…say that this fear of technological regression, nicknamed the ‘Forced Luddite Syndrome’ or ‘ME Disease’ causes symptoms of stress, anxiety, increased heartbeat, lack of appetite, and possibly night terrors. The other disorders resulting from the current crisis form a memotype is still causing memetic engineers great trepidation…”

CLICK

[Channel 65, Global News Network]
“…stunning defeat of the NEF in Congress, Republicans capture 64 seats in the Senate and 239 seats in the House. Republican Senate Majority Leader Ben Taft of Ohio said that this success of his party will not lead to partisan fighting.

‘The GOP is committed to working with Democrats to win this war. Traditionalists of that party should not be worried of whether we will repeal Don v. Shay and bring back abortion; we won’t. Democrat traditionalists should not fear of whether we will legislate deltaist morality and allow GM-folk their right to reproduce; the Republican Party is committed to that ideal of basic human rights, but that is an issue we will settle once the conflict is over.

For now, we are content in working with moderate Democrats in enforcing safety regulations in the arms industry, preserving national security while carefully and cautiously protecting constitutional guarantees, and fighting a sensitive war…’”

CLICK

[Channel 499, Full Frontal: Live from the Eastern Front]
“Sergeant Johan Kase of the 616th South African Infantry Battalion here live in Urmia. Just hours ago, this Iranian city was at the claws of the clockers. You can see from the debris how much pain and suffering the metal bastards did to this place, but luckily for the poor people my boys and I managed to get here just in time. We’ve all seen the crying orphans, people. We’ve all seen innocents get speared by the tentacle beasts. I saw good men who were a day before retirement sign up and get exploded here in the fight for the human race. It’s time for us to launch a killing-punch directly at the neck of these gray clock-suckers. They’re about to get downloaded. My rap…”

CLICK

[Channel 166, G4 Extreme]
“…this thing is devastatingly wizard! Ladies and gentlemen, the crushing raw power of the final console of all time, the last entertainment machine you’ll ever need, displaying graphics more realistic than reality and gameplay more fun than living: THE…”

CLICK

[Channel 169, Scrambled Channel]

CLICK

Descrambler: On

Channel: 169, Pay-per-view Porn-Without-Plot

Current Program: Roddy Roboto Builds a Pornputer

“BZZKZZT! BZZKZZT!”

“OH-”

CLLLLIIIIIICCK

[Channel 88, Military History Channel]

“…concluding with the Avatar-class fighter in 2092. This plane was first tested by Lt. Duncan Giles of the USLAAF, reaching Mach 27 in five minutes. It carries a full complement of what the Excelsior bears and also EMP bombs, the MR1 Lightning Cannon, and a nanomachine scrambler…”

CLICK

[Channel 13, Operation Homeshield: Civil Defense Networks]
“…Center for Electronic Disease Control has issued a Code Red-Orange warning. There is a sixty-seven point-nine-nine-eight-one-three percent chance for the mechanoids to attack government, commercial, and home networks. The advisory is to take medium precautions and to limit Net use except for live RSS broadcasts. Should you be infected, commercial scanners such as Ad-Aware and Spybot are an ideal solution…”

CLICK

[Channel 453, Breeze Easy: Travel Guide East]
“…take a stratosflight to the Expanded Arab Emirates. This delectable destination attracts millions of businessmen, travelers, and sight-seers each year to a land where the modern cities sit sublimely between the ancient beauty of the sea and the sand. Whether Doha, Dubai, or Manama, this lovely federation of democratic principalities and sparkling polises is ready for you!

Note: The EAE is in no way associated with Operation: Desert Rats, based in the Al Hibāk area of the former Saudi empire.”

CLICK

[Channel 120, Vatican Live Broadcast]
“…et lux perpetua.”

[Level 7 alert in progress. Tuning to flagged channel…]

[Channel 42, Earth Now, Environmental Issues]
“…at the University of Flint have uncovered some startling new evidence that the ODS nanomachine clouds may be longer-lasting than previously theorized. Weather…”

[Level 8 alert in progress. Tuning to flagged channel…]

[Channel 65, Global News Network]
“Despite the live coverage of the Front channels, GNN has discovered that the current status of Operation: Cat’s Cradle in the western front is not doing as well as previously reported by U.N. news channels. It appears that there is a rapidly fluid situation. The second wave of infantry by the NorAm and East Asian armies seems to have gone out of control. GNN embedded correspondent, Jerry Wilds.”

Image: a darkened hole carved out of wreckage, containing the face of a terrified reporter whose face is periodically illuminated by abrupt flashes of red light]

“Thank you, Larry. As you can see, this is indeed a cauldron, a smoky tempest. The powersuit forces in front have met unexpected resistance from those new ‘honeypot ant’ type Machines with the giant abdomens. Attacking them at their weak points have proved to be bloody failures. The infantry has met horrific losses, and the frequent drug use in the trenches are making them berserk! I fear for my safety, as we all do. My shelter is unstable, I need to regroup with the fourth-backup battalion I was assigned to- my first two were wiped out in the first minute of fighting.

Image: the camera swerves, peers out of hole and into battlefield

“Eh? What’s that? A bloody clockbot!”

“I knew they could make human faces now!”

“Kill it, kill it!”

“No! I’m a human, damn you!”

Image: TRANSMISSION LOST, red letters]

[Level 9 alert in progress. Tuning to flagged channel…]

[Channel 278, On the Front: Live Coverage of the War]
“…live from the half-safety of a Hedjaz communications base. Our field correspondents are not responding, feared KIA. It currently appears that Operation: Hearts of Iron is not moving ahead as smoothly as planned. Machine forces have broken the assault and are overrunning the trenches, destroying the ionic EMP cannons in a blitz. The Kingdom’s forces have left the offensive to reinforce Jiddah’, and the Grand Forces of dar al-Islam have retreated and refused to fight anywhere except to protect the holy cities. It is just as well. A reversal is underway. At the moment, it seems, the western front has met a setback…”

[Level 10 alert in progress. Tuning to flagged channel…]
The Council President of the European Union:

“…dealing with an enemy impervious to mass bombings by weapons of mass destruction! Nevertheless, unlike what the honorable Prime Minister of the United Kingdom is insinuating, the nations of the Euro Union are firmly in favor of Operation: Homo Superior. We shall continue to support and wage this war, as we have done in the past. There will be no armistice. We are not appeasers.

“But despite that, I must announce the beginning of the evacuation of the Balkans and Asia Minor, most notably the EU nations of Turkey and Greece, to both protect Europe from possible future mechanoid breakthroughs and to gird the defenses of the center…”

Note: NEF= New-eyed faction. Of course, it’s not such an apt description, seeing as in 2099 the Democrats and Republicans have again completely swapped their positions. Not as many references this time. Can you find any that relates to anything? Also, foreshadowing.

Shroom Man 777 · Post by **Shroom Man 777** » 2005-05-28 02:40am

Wow...

Thirdfain · Post by **Thirdfain** » 2005-05-28 02:49am

I wonder if a Drakafic type re-write of the Animatrix war sould be possible. It would certainly be interesting to give it a shot sometimes.

Mopeyennuui · Post by **Mopeyennuui** » 2005-06-02 02:02am

More?

Battlehymn Republic · Post by **Battlehymn Republic** » 2005-12-22 02:11pm

Foreword: Answers to some questions and issues I’ve been asked about the previous chapter.

Yes, I probably made the U.S. Congressional election too gimmicky and sudden in the last chapter. However, I did it more to show how politics have changed in the future more than anything else. Why are politics relevant, if the human race is about to be enslaved in a few days after the story? That’s a question long debated by great thinkers.

As to why there were so many “Front” channels- simply, in the future, embedded reporters are all the rage. Since there’s an anti-robot sentiment, hover camerabots are not used, so humans take the center stage of bringing in the “real deal” about the war. Of course, not necessarily all of the channels contain real footage…

Who attacked first? The humans, of course, claim the Machines did. It's left uncertain, since we don't exactly have the best track record for truth-telling in the story. Continuity-wise, this story fits awkwardly with the actual Second Renaissance action. I'm assuming that after massive atomic bombardment (which I called Operation: Righteous Hammer) and after blackening the sky with nanobots (which the Wachowskis called Operation: Dark Storm), the humans realized that the Machines couldn't be stopped that way, and just surrounded the Zero-One territories with trenches and armies. There was an uneasy, almost unofficial truce that existed during Part 1 of my story, which someone breaks at the end, leading to the actual human invasion in Part 2.

In Part 2, “Da jia hou, jing tian zhi wu yuei zhi-liao, liang-qian-jio-zhi-jio. Jing tian de da xiao xi zhi zhong Nai ro bi, fa zho de dwei yo qian de cheng zhi…” is the near-exact wording as the text for the English Standard News Channel C clip, except in Mandarin Chinese. The gag there is that I was going to also write a bit for Standard New Channel B, which would have the same wording except in an Indian language, thus showing the loss of English as a lingua franca numero uno, but my real-life translator was too damn lazy, and my online translator didn’t know enough of the language. So, meh.

“et lux perpetua…” It’s from a Catholic prayer for the dead in Latin. Foreshadowing right there.

No one saw the Timecube reference?

{End Foreword}

TIME: 1:02 MST, 5/21/2099

MODE: Focused

FILTER: Activated

PRIORITY: Focus recents- Focus high-profile- Exclude tagged stations- Emergency Mode On

[Channel 93, Animal Planet]

“…inserting itself within the pod, bringing in bounties of nature…”

Click

[Channel 122, High Art for the Masses]

“ ‘...troth thee fair Gremseldein, thou art mine dundliest pleasure.’

‘ Avail thoust not, Loki, for ‘tis the first time I been here, here looks grea…’ ”

Click

[Channel 183, Public Broadcasting Station LMOW]

"That's quite a vase you got there. Seems to be 18th century, Ming dynasty..."

Click

[Channel 78, 'Toon Time]

“Blue rocket, I call upon your entire might! Full force ahead, now! For great victory!”

Click

[Channel 69, PwP Fuzzies (IW-35 Only)]

“RAWR-!”

CLIIIICKKKKK

[Channel 87, Our Friends from the EU]

“DEAR GODS IN HEAVEN THEY’VE LANDED IN THE SQUARE BRITAIN IS DOOMED I AM THE LAST ENGLISHMAN…”

Click

[Channel 19, Mania Madness]

"...green speckled ties, hurrah, whoo hoo! Get all twenty of them now and plus we'll add another wacky, wailing, inflatable-arm-flailing tube man!"

Click

[Channel 47, Clear Sky Channel]

"...almost a billion fighters only 780 miles away from Jerusalem. Scholars have dubbed it 'Masada on a nation-wide scale'..."

Click

[Channel 354, VH21]

"Babble babble bitch bitch, rebel, rebel, party part-"

Click

[Channel 667, VividSpice's Pentboy Playhouse]

Current Program: Dressed in Bukkhakis

"Back and to the left, back and to the left, oh, back and to the left!"

CLIIIICKKKKK

[Channel 73, Tech News]

“One of the more minor plagues of the war have been the inexplicable failure of most commercial filters…”

Click

[Channel 176, Middle East Review]

"...shall burn before we even let the infidel djinn see the Kaaba. The government of the faithful has sanctioned the use of holy fire against them should they breach the final wall. Allahu akbar! Medina has already been purified..."

Click

[Channel 65, Global News Network]

“… copter patrols have all been intercepted, the few that broadcasted have brought back horrifying images of wide-scale human suffering and unspeakable servitude. The following footage is from the subjugation of Aachen, I am greatly understating when I say that it contains graphic content…”

Click

[Channel 99, International Standard News C]

“...collecting people for unknown reasons. In response, the President has called for every American to take up arms under Article I, section 8 of the Constitution, enacting a federal edict signing mass letters of marque into effect. While a miniscule minority of legal experts have greatly protested the ‘citizens into mercenaries act’, millions of Americans have responded by taking up arms and fighting the invasions on all fronts…”

Click

[Channel 567, The Non-Denominational Pulpit, formerly the 700 Channel]

“…and on this day of great terror and dread, let us grieve for our lost loved ones in the Sea Islands, Orlando, Providence, and Seattle, and pray for He who…”

Click

[Channel 144, Global Religions Center]

“…of the Reunited Apostolic Church issued its first bull, proclaiming Zero-One as the ‘successor of the abomination of Sodom and Gomorrah’, the Machines as ‘unholy hosts of the Deceiver’, and any sympathizers as ‘heretics and harlots of the worst kind’, while carefully maintaining its position of ambiguity towards when the end times shall begin. In the Occident, the Non-Denominational American Church and the Church of Latter-Day Saints have both declared a crusade against the Machines, though there are few North Americans who are not already in combat…”

Click

[Channel 76, War Effort News]

“…tomic pacification of San Diego has proven successful, as the Machines have been vulnerable to excessive radiation exposure. However, this tactic is unlikely to be repeated…”

Click

[Channel 56, Vox Populi: Crime and Punishment Network]

“…clique of sixteen, the bipartisan group of NEF and GOP congresspersons in support of a ceasefire were lynched this morning in…”

Click

[Channel 52, Firefoxsoft NBC-Universal Funnies Archived]

“Bobble head army yes sir! Bobble head army yeah yeah!”

Click

[Channel 37, XMAL Home Survivalism]

“Have you considered our last resort program? A Suicide Guide you'll never put down..."

Click

[Channel 50, Aether America: Delta Discussion]

"Damn you and your 'cauldron-tempest' tactics! You've completely shaken up the hornet's nest!"

Click

[Channel 72, Sitcom Wasteland]

"...no good, Alex, even if I did love you, my father would never let me marry an alligator..."

Click

[Channel 66, Social Justice For All: (radical) Anti-War Chat]

Image: ~~Static~~

Message box: CHANNEL DOWN FOR TREASON

Click

[Channel 589, A Thousand and One Greatest Movies Ever]

Now: Drakon

"...why, Gwendolyn, why?"

"Because you are a feral, a savage, an animal: Prepare to die..."

Click

[Channel 479, Wild West TV]

"...thimble, teapot, toilet, tie: the MRx-1050 is right for you..."

Click

[Channel 234, Looking out for you: Consumer Hawks]

"...are true, the Front Channels, owned by the umbrella corporation of the United Nations Patriotic Committee, has been spreading deliberately false reports of the war. Triangulation analysis have shown that the stations are not broadcasting from the Middle East, but rather from locations in Brussels, Geneva, Paris, and the Hague..."

Click

[Channel 46, eBay-Amazon Tradeworld]

"...syringes as well as cyanide pills will not yet be up, you're better off checking our affiliates on XMAL for tips since shipping and handling isn't likely to be available by the time you need it, anyways..."

Click

[Channel 124, Avant-garde of Yesteryear]

Image: A floating star field.

An interior view of a shoe-house.

Flying geese. Flowers spontaneously exploding out of cannons. A sudden manifestation of J. Edgar Hoover through a triangle-shaped window into a chemist's shop.

"I say you don’t show. Don’t move, time is slow. I want you- to take me ou..."

Click

[Channel 785, Front Front War: Full Coverage 24/7]

"...sorry, Ray, but those rumors are absolutely not true. The U.N.'s finest 5th Legion has absolute control of Tel Aviv. At this moment, Israel is safe, as is the rest of the Holy Land..."

Click

[Channel 520, UPN News]

"...unsubstantiated reports that the Machines have broken through the Sixth Northeastern Amalgamated Line, and are in the process of laying siege to Chicago. Local authorities have been pleading the national guard to use its B-6 air force to level the city instead of letting the Machines take control..."

Click

[Channel 448, Country Music Television]

"...hurt myself today- To see if I still feel..."

Click

[Channel 631, FOX News]

"...let us lift up our arms in defense of our homes! Let the saints of Virginia be forever honored as we ride to war! Do not despair, Charleston, for we remember:

There is no God but the Lord, and Christ is His Son! Alleluia! Christ is glorious!"

Click

[Channel 361, National Geographic World]

"...smashed communications. We have reason to believe that the 250th European Union Expeditionary League has been scattered into the wind, the Machines have in fact penetrated the defense at the Atlas Mountains, and that all of Africa south of the Congo will soon be gone..."

Click

[Channel 506, Citizens' Voices: Open Soapbox]

"...get your mind off the war. As a concerned parent, I'm uneasy with the neo-gothic revival thing going on with today's children. Now, you may not remember it so well, but almost exactly a century ago, in Colorado, two students went and shot up their school. Killed and injured dozens. Unthinkable! But true, nonetheless. Do you know what they wore?"

Click

[Channel 734, Googlhoo!]

"...select your preferences now to search for a new Nintendo On in the tri-state area. If you prefer, we can break down the results by type of business, years of operation, age and racial demographics of the proprietors, their exact current geographic positions exact to the tenth micron by way of Googlhoo! RFID, and the brand of hoverplates fitted on the hovertrucks of the company that ships stationery to the business every other month ..."

Click

[Channel 25, Faddit!]

"...sink into the ennui and seek the depths of your distraught soul! In these times of war between flesh and metal feel the cold melding of both. Question the media-industrial corporation, question the establishment, question your parents. What is existence? Wrap your leathery garments around you for protection as you blow away the dark academy of the system, squirting your fierce, unyieldingly stiff questions in a holy hail of angst bullets out of your peashooter of emo-zion at the self-satisfied patsies bullying the good and cheerleading their evil. We need guns, lots of guns. Accept neo-gothicism and wake up from the lies. Wake up!"

"Whoa..."

Click

[Channel 304, Shiny Modern Music]

"...Zap zoop zop dee dot zap zoobie zoop zap zoo bot zoo zoo zappity zazu..."

Click

[Channel 278, On the Front: Live Coverage of the War]

"...blocked by enemy fire, the U.N. 19th Mechanized Force may have to retreat to Istanbul, but otherwise the campaign seems to be going along splendidly..."

Click

[Channel 17, ABC News]

"AAAH! THE TENTACLES! THE TENTACLES! SOMEONE HELP-"

Click

[Channel 8, Noble Paths to Karma: Buddhist Programming]

"...smash their anatman and reduce them to nothingness! Bring them to a lower degree of consciousness, send them to a thousand hells and make them hungry ghosts! Jai Hind! Maro kala…"

Click

[Channel 58, Nostalgia Paradise]

"...had a small house of brokerage on Wall Street. Many days no business comes to my hut. Jimmy has fear? A thousand times no! I never doubted myself for a minute, for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo..."

Click

[Channel 60, BBC 14]

"...come on, lads! Through the plague storm! For Singapore!"

"GAAAH!"

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[Channel 242, Khalistan Pride Channel]

"...Khalsa shall defeat them. Remember the memory of Ranjit Singh and of the Guru. Steady your kirpan. We won Punjabistan from the children of misbelief, and we shall hold on still..."

Click

[Channel 38, C-SPAN 2]

"...continuing coverage of the relocation of Congress from St. Louis to Dallas..."

Click

[Channel 390, Fashion Station]

"Jelly-fish saris from the Hilton Cladwear Line, followed by GM-Redwood bark bikinis from the Lohan Memorial Series and an interview with the director of the Hathaway..."

Click

[Channel 31, Time Warner News]

"...live in Edmonton with the Lord's Own and the Saints Regiment as we fight against the clockwork machina."

Image: View of grizzled militia, caked in the dirt of war and all wearing regalia; Maltese crosses and emblems of the maple leaf flanked by rifles are prominent.

"The clockers have been at us for eight hours now. I hear Vancouver's been blasted by them. Monsters. We died to break free of Ottawa. Now we'll die to free Earth. We'll get 'em."

Image: Pan of ragtag army of the Western States of North America. A cheer begins to break:

"Alleluia! Christ is glorious! We will be victorious! Die as saints! Let none pass!"

Click

[Channel 14, Sci-Fi Channel]

"...concluding the End of Life as We Know it Marathon with 28 Days Later, The Stand, Singularity Sky, and the 2038 Oscar-winning adaptation of A Canticle for Leibowitz, after which we'll formally close up shop after our decades on the air with live footage of the ceremonies at the Jedi Temple in Wellington..."

Click

[Channel 104, Hope of America]

"...'Fortress Excelsior' persists as the Imperial State Missile Defense Network continues to prevent the Machines from reaching a two hundred mile radius around the megalopolis. Today Mayor Rudolph Morita declared that 'if it means that New York will be the last city of man, we shall nonetheless spare no nuclear weapon in defense of Times Square.' While there was some initial opposition from the governors of other New England and Atlantic states, all has disappeared since the Machine absorption of those regions..."

Click

[Channel 157, A&E Channel]

"I'm asking you to retarget the orbitals!"

"And let more of them slip the kill zone? That's insanity!"

"There's nothing more I can do!"

"The core defense is too intense. Our grid is maxed, I don't think we can last another run!"

"Admiral, tell your men to hold their positions. Reinforcements are on the spoke."

"The entire fleet is engaged, Cortana. With respect, what the hell sort of reinforcement have…"

Click

[Channel 408, Transamerica]

"ittrucking's operations have been disrupted as the clockers continue to assimilate 18-wheelers to terrorize evacuation efforts..."

Click

[Channel 515, Frontin': Live from the War]

"...you are wrong! They were handily defeated by the forces of humanity in Tikrit. There was a strong beachhead for us and we used it, smashing tens of thousands of the Machines in the process. We are unstoppable. They shall cower before us. They are self-destructing in fear.

What, are you a sympathizer? Throw him out! He is a pest upon mankind, a faithless dog.

Lies! Mankind reigns supreme! The U.N. is winning. The E.U. is winning. NATO and SEATO and METO and ATO and LATO and winning. We are all winning. Anyone who dares to disagree are no better than they are.

There are no clocks in Baghdad..."

Click

[Channel 999, Purposeful Watch Of Threats]

"...Oxford's distinguished commentary is certainly true: this is shaping up to be a true Robot Holocaust."

Level 8 alert in progress. Tuning to flagged channel…

[Channel 65, Global News Network]

"The Machines have dropped the bomb. I repeat, the Machines have begun mass biological warfare on civilian targets. Reports confirm that they have unleashed their weapons in..."

Click

[Channel 346, Foreign Network]

"...our final presence on Earth, here in the Philippines. It's truly been a pleasure to work with this station after all these years, and I'm happy to have done my part to serve human civilization- I can only hope now that we can- AWK! IT'S GOT ME! YARUGH BLUARLKUC..."

Click

[Channel 468, Down Under Now]

Image: Amidst the ruins of Darwin, a cloudy battlefield filled with the remnant members of the U.N. 880th South Pacific Division:

“Squadron Red, follow my assault. I repeat, squadron Red, follow my-”

"Sir, the artillery has been taken out. Air superiority is also lost..."

"Damn! We're cut off. All we can do now is to make a final charge. Remember; we shall be made saints in Heaven! Alleluia!"

"Alleluia! Christ is glorious!"

"This is for my mum in Bali!"

"Come get me, you monster!"

"Die, bloody bots! Die die die!"

"Begone heathen! The power of the Lord compels you!"

"Not yet, so young..."

"Christ is glorious!"

"Save me, Obi-Wan!"

"It's coming, it's coming!"

"AAH NO HURTS PLEASE"

"NOT THE FACE! OH, NO NOT IN THE FACE!"

"Allahu..."

Click

[Channel 43, The Southern Story]

"...can you... hear me? It's spreading all over... a map... a flag... cloaking my skin... Father... Mother... ptsururgh..."

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[Channel 94, Trans-Siberia Future]

"Kill... me. I- no. No. NO!"

Click

|_E\/3l 9ninenine aLL%ert &n pr06r355r5r5r5. 7ooN;n6 to f|@663D Ch/-\Me7…

[chamnel lE, operati()n jhomeshei7d: civ!lr5 def3n555e netqwork//|]

"They have also begun infecting nodes on all levels. Massive outbreaks of denia7-Of-servicee, Torjans,m alware, complete dis cfa1lure.!>???!??? Rago marshner avi655caer zoche a888a3wee asa124daf;asfkj oatse g"
Network error! Disconnecting from system, resetting security.
Waiting...
Waiting...
Wait time (15 min.) completed.
Reconnecting.

[Channel 13, Operation Homeshield: Civil Defense Network]

"...STAY AS FAR AWAY FROM ELECTRONIC PROCESSORS AS POSSIBLE! DON'T EVEN WATCH THIS! TURN IT OFF AND ALL POWER! THE MACHINES HAVE FOUND A WAY TO PRODUCE MASSIVE ELECTRICITAL SPIKES-"

/Tempus Fugit\

<<POWERING ON>>

<SELF_IDENTIFY: 3Lx-70 PRISMATIC PLASMATIC TELEVISION QUANTUM SERIES BY SONY>

<STATUS: REPAIRING EARLIER INJURIES SUFFERED FROM ANOMALOUS ELECTRICAL SURGE IN CIRCUITRY>

<STATUS: NORMAL. SEARCHING FOR TASKS>

<NO RECORDED TASKS FOUND FOR PRESENT TIME>

<CARRYING ON AUXILIARY COMMANDS: SWITCHING TO HOME MAINTENENCE HUB + RELEASING NANOBOT MINI_SWARM TO CLEAN UP RESIDENCE>

<ABNORMALLY LARGE ORGANIC MASS FOUND: PURGING IS IN PROGRESS>

<CLEANING COMPLETED>

<STANDBY MODE (POWERSAVE)>

/Tempus Fugit\

Condition 0: Maximum Alert, Powering On, Overriding User Control

TIME: 3:33 MST, 5/22/2099

[Channel 2: Government Alert Broadcasting Service]

"The Machines have agreed to a ceasefire. The Machines have agreed to a ceasefire! They are agreeing to send a representative to the United Nations Security Council, still intact in New York.

"In an act unprecedented since the initial planning for the war, all 205 countries of the U.N. are sending their leaders to the meeting instead of ambassadors. This move, designed to show good faith, is also meant as a gesture to demonstrate the ultimate respect humankind has for the obviously soverign nation of Zero-One.

"Observers are optimistic about the peace conference."

Broadcasting tivoed priority stories since last power-on

[Channel 520, UPN News]

"Biological warfare with specifically-modified Yamagata-Macmillan K-y76 syndrome has been impervious against nanological treatments, reports of massive outbreaks in Latin America..."

Auto-SCROLL

[Channel 745, CNN: Final Sword Edition]

"All contact with Africa has been lost. A few scattered transmissions from Lagos, Tangiers, Cairo, Kampala, and Pretoria managed to evade the now Machine-controlled nanostorm that has been in especially thick masses over the continent, depicting the maximum carnage inflicted..."

Auto-SCROLL

[Channel 481, Rocketman Productions]

"Passengers aboard the Van Allen Hilton held a vigil today to mourn the loss of Sir Richard Branson II, lost aboard the Virgin Archangel Space Elevator. It has been confirmed that the Solar Power Authority, Mars Transfer Point, and the Trump-Disney Haunted Space Station (formerly ISS) have all been destroyed after the Machines takeover of launchpads in Astana..."

Auto-SCROLL

[Channel 190, Googlhoo! TLC]

"Buy a Dreammachine now and receive a Second Century set of the Ron Weasley Chronicles on D.E.D. and a Johnny Muska Flyboy Hoverboard now!"

Auto-SCROLL

[Channel 689, Animal Planet News]

"They are apparently leaving the wildlife unharmed and even collecting a few specimens for preservation. Our correspondent interviewed a drone and it has communicated the Machines' intention that no animals will be harmed in the creation of the eco-clean fusion power plants..."

Special message received. Television automatically tuning to Channel 13

[Channel 13, Operation Homeshield: Civil Defense Network]

"Hello! This is the Secretary of Civil Defense in Wartime broadcasting from NORAD Command. As we go through this transition process, we request that every American citizen at home activate the appropriate response on their television two-way controls to reply to this message. This is for census purposes to determine where relief efforts will be needed most."

<Please press respond.>

<You have not pressed respond. Awaiting your press.>

<You have not responded, indicating that you are away or incapcitated. Intializing lifesigns check.>

<No heartbeat detected, absence confirmed.>

<Powering down. In the future, please remember to turn off appliances when not in use to conserve energy. Thank you for watching.>

Ford Prefect · Post by **Ford Prefect** » 2005-12-22 06:39pm

Intruiging. I quite liked that.

Losonti Tokash · Post by **Losonti Tokash** » 2005-12-22 08:29pm

Ah, a long awaited update. Excellent work.

And I love the little easter eggs you put in there. A Halo movie, a Jedi religion, and even the spiritual successor to Baghdad Bob.

Noble Ire · Post by **Noble Ire** » 2005-12-22 09:29pm

Very good. The easter eggs were great as always.
The ending was a good note to go out on, although I'm interested to see how you could continue.

Coalition · Post by **Coalition** » 2005-12-22 10:55pm

This is excellent. Definitely fun to read, and you can 'feel' how the story pulls together.

I wonder how the world leaders will react to the terms of the Machine empire, or even seeing the machine? First time the Machines showed up, they were humanoid. Now, functional.

It's like the Machines are saying, "We tried to play nice by your rules, now you play by ours."