Server Responses #2

Response from HIEROPHANT Data Server to Query: GARGOYLE

GARGOYLE are an alien species originating from deep space and which has conducted operations in the solar system intermittently since the Jurassic Age. GARGOYLE is known in DocInt as “the Mi-Go” or “Yuggothians”.

GARGOYLE maintain a base of operations on a large cometary body in the Oort Cloud, designated by the security phrase BLACKSTONE, known in DocInt as “Yuggoth”. The current status of GARGOYLE within the solar system is uncertain, but the Deep Space Reconnaissance Network has not detected any signs of exodus.

For more information on GARGOYLE, consult your HIEROPHANT historical indoctrination briefing file.

Response from HIEROPHANT Data Server to Query: History, 2169 AD, Pickman Carter, Australia

Warlord operating in southeastern Australia during the Long Night. Born c. 2120 AD to North American refugees. Became a folk hero after defeating an invasion from mainland Asia in 2169 AD, during which he died under unclear circumstances. Protagonist of the Pickman Carter Cycle of visual novels written by Irin-W7877 5612 – 5624 AD, part of the Primitive Revival Movement.

Historical analysis of the Pickman Carter folklore suggests the defeat of the Asian invasion may have involved operational use of POISON GATE technology. Folklore describes Carter as using invocations derived from an English copy of the BLACK GALLEY DocInt source to gain access to POISON GATE class one operational mathematics. He then met with the invaders, described as Enemies of Mankind (TYRANT servant subtype), under parley and offered to defect and instruct them in POISON GATE. Carter and all of the enemy leaders subsequently died, in a fashion consistent with known consequences of POISON GATE memetic infection. This account is based solely on recorded oral tradition and cannot be confirmed.

Be Aware: This query phrase has been tagged by the HIEROPHANT Faster-Then-Light SciTech Committee. If you have information to contribute on Pickman Carter or POISON GATE, please contact the HIEROPHANT Faster-Then-Light SciTech Committee Duty Officer.

Response from HIEROPHANT Data Server to Query: First Golden Age

No information is available in response to this query. This query has been forwarded to the public data server.

Response from Public Data Server to Query: First Golden Age

Historical period dating from 1945 AD to 2088 AD, noteworthy for political stability, economic expansion, and scientific development. First period in which large groups of non-elite humans enjoyed Affluence as defined under the Socioeconomists' Guild Long-Range Planning Guide. The period was one of cultural separatism, but the North American Technate and its predecessor states enjoyed a substantial degree of planetary hegemony. The end of the Golden Age was marked by increasing interstate tension due to resource exhaustion and ideological conflict, and finally terminated in the Last War, a series of violent conflicts using fission/fusion and biological weapons, sparked by the discovery that NorAmTech operatives had planted nonlethal sterilizing biological weapons in the water supplies of the Democratic Republic of China, a rival state.

Response from HIEROPHANT Data Server to Query: Long Night

No information is available in response to this query. This query has been forwarded to the public data server.

Response from Public Data Server to Query: Long Night

Period between 2088 AD and the beginning of the Second Golden Age, during which human society on Earth regressed culturally, economically, and technologically due to the destruction caused by the Last War. The human population collapsed from a high of nine billion in 2088 AD to less then three billion in 2100 AD. Most of the major human organizations of the First Golden Age were destroyed by the War; in particular, the governments of the North American Technate and the Democratic Republic of China. With the exception of the People's Republic of Brazil, the South African Technate, and several neighboring states, most of the globe degenerated into warlordism and anarchy, which lasted until the 25^th century AD. The collapse was prolonged by the release of persistent biological agents during the Last War, including the Blue Death and various psychotropic bioweapons. Full cleanup of these weapons was not completed in all areas until 2700 AD.

Response from HIEROPHANT Data Server to Query: Modern weaponry

The standard personal defense weapon for anthromorph-chassis HIEROPHANT task force members is the high-power pulsed ultraviolet laser with integrated multi-optic camera and automated fire control system, which may be issued as an external or chassis-integrated module. For combat operations, HIEROPHANT personnel are typically equipped with one or more of: jet guns firing guided rockets with modular payloads; precision agitator rifles; hypergeometric combat modules. Where practical, chassis-integrated weapons are preferred.

Standard weapons for astromorph-chassis HIEROPHANT task force members include: SULTAN-invocation bombs with scalar impulse drive (commonly known as “Z-bombs”); high-power agitator rifles; hypergeometric combat modules. Weapons less commonly used include: very-high-power gamma-ray lasers; relativistic kinetic energy weapons; informational weapons; and fusion bombs.

A typical example of a HIEROPHANT task force member's weapons loadout is Tris-G4871. Tris-G4871 is tasked to the HIEROPHANT Deep Space Reconnaissance Project, equipped with a customized Pathfinder-class astromorph chassis built by Melanicus Spaceyard. She is not combat-tasked, but is intended to operate for up to 200 years without support in potentially dangerous space. She is armed with two standoff Z-bombs (0.1 LY maximum range, effective invocation radius 50 km) as her primary offensive weapons, two long-range recoverable reconnaissance drones with scalar impulse drives, and four 20 TJ agitator rifles for point-defense and surface fire support. Since she is not an initiate of a Recognized Sorcerous Order, she is not equipped with a hypergeometric combat module. Her auxiliary anthromorph chassis is equipped with a subdermal popup ultraviolet laser mounted in her right arm, but depends on close fire support from her main chassis in the event of heavy opposition.

Response from HIEROPHANT Data Server to Query: Post-Human Groups, Threatening.

Be Aware: The term “post-human” is considered offensive by many Republic Citizens and is not recommended usage for HIEROPHANT Task Force members. The recommended term is “non-baseliner”.

Be Aware: This response has been sanitized to remove information you are not authorized to access.

Threatening non-baseliner groups include:

Celaeno Archivists (mostly harmless)

COURT JESTER (believed extinct)

Neutralist Faction (believed extinct)

Order of the Dark Man, aka Renegades

Reticulan Order of the Third Eye (may be rehabilitable)

Separatist Void Drifters (mostly harmless)

SILVER DREAM

True Republican Faction (may be rehabilitable)

Response from HIEROPHANT Data Server to Query: What is the Order of the Dark Man, and how should a citizen be on watch against them?

The Order of the Dark Man was a Recognized Sorcerous Order founded in 17,809 AD, seeking to exploit POISON GATE mathematics, using the patronage of EVANGELIST to ameliorate the consequences of POISON GATE infection, based on invocations and genuflections derived from DocInt. The Order's Recognition was withdrawn by the Republic Executive Council in 17,820 AD following the discovery that Order initiates had been using involuntary human resources in their experiments and had circumvented the security controls on their braincases. Unfortunately, several Order members escaped into interstellar space before they could be terminated. They subsequently became known as Renegades.

Renegades should be considered extremely dangerous. Renegades are able to make operational use of level one POISON GATE mathematics. Renegades should only be engaged in combat if Republic personnel have a numerical superiority of at least 30:1 or equivalent tactical advantages. The use of full-yield Z-bombs is pre-authorized against suspected Renegades. This instruction overrides all other rules of engagement.

Renegades have infiltrated Republic facilities disguised as Citizens or non-Citizens in order to acquire information or human resources. Citizens should be aware of the following potential indicators of Renegadehood or Renegade sympathies:

• Interest in or knowledge of POISON GATE mathematics and related phenomena.
• Lack of concern for proper information hygiene.
• Hypergeometric capabilities not explicable by membership in a Recognized Sorcerous Order.
• Excessive individualism.
• Strange tics or mannerisms.

Report any possible Renegade sightings to HIEROPHANT Operations Command immediately using the security phrase FRENZY BLACK. This instruction overrides all restrictions on communications security.

Further information on the Renegades is MaxConInfo with security phrase POISON GATE. You are not authorized to access this information. If you have a need to access this information, contact the HIEROPHANT InfoCon Committee for authorization. If this is an emergency, contact the HIEROPHANT InfoCon Committee Duty Officer with security phrase ABSOLUTE YELLOW.

Reminder: The highest possible honor is to die in defense of humanity.

Response from HIEROPHANT Data Server to Query: Who are the Separatist Void Drifters?

Subculture of Void Drifters who rejected the Martian-Drifter Treaty of Consolidation, preferring to remain separate from mainstream human culture. Known to be operating in interstellar space in the Solar Local Sphere. Highly isolationist, generally seek to avoid contact. Considered a passive threat.

Reminder: Group separatism is a level five memetic hazard. If you feel inclined to separatism, consult a qualified psychoneurologist for assistance. Only through unity can we survive.