As its end slipped clear of the ribosome, the protein folded once more, pivoting around now free-to-move bonds… snapping back against the already closely-folded main body. Brelyn Calaris muttered an imprecation upon the heads of all uncooperative fabzymes, paused the simulation, and grabbed the protein with both hands, peering muttering
Big Eater: Of course, this depends greatly on species, which in fairness doesn’t count, because it applies equally to everyone of that species. It does apply – in its “thin kind” form, mostly – to most transsophonts, though, simply because none of their modifications repeals the law of conservation of energy,
“The Curia has heard the plaintiffs’ argument that they merely engaged in ‘creative nonviolence’, and that therefore the use of force against them was unjustified.” “The Curia unequivocally rejects this argument. The term itself betrays a profound misunderstanding of the Right of Defense as it exists in the Fundamental Contract.
Big Dumb Object: Oh, plenty. Leaving aside those belonging to elder races – and thus little known due to the ability to enforce the Do Not Taunt rule – the Empire has a partially completed Dyson Sphere in the works at Corícal Ailek (it’s where the Transcend keeps its brain; and
It is important to realize, when working in the Empire, that your connection to your employer is defined strictly by your contract. There are rarely benefits attached to it (the tax system does not advantage providing them, and the locals almost all prefer additional fungible money), nor are there specific
Big Brother Is Watching: And his name, in the Empire, is Citizen Oversight. Subverted, rather, inasmuch as it’s not principally a law enforcement instrumentality. It, and its extensive surveillance/geolocation/other-sensory grid, drones, etc. – in public spaces only, and privately-owned-but-open-to-the-public don’t count (i.e., those places where, by
“Order, Progress, Liberty” – official, Charter-enshrined motto of the Empire “Secure against Eternity.” – corporate motto, Crystal Flame, ICC “All debts must be paid.” – official motto of the Curia “Because enough… is never enough.” – corporate motto, Decadence, ICC “Through reason alone, we ascend.” – motto of the Eupraxic Collegium “Every coin Our given
Where do you get these contracts? After all, if employment as such doesn’t exist in the Empire, surely you won’t find any corporations employing hundreds, thousands, or millions of people? Quite correct. The Imperial corporation, from relatively small examples all the way up to the Big 26, is
In official Eldraeic, there is a single word – not hyphenated, even – which means ‘one who creates a forced-growth cross-gender clone of him/herself, imprints the brain of said clone with an animus/anima-inverted fork of his/her own mind-state, and then proceeds to marry his/her new duplicate’. (There is
BFG: Oh, several. Let’s start with “that created by any excuse to shove antimatter rifle-grenades in your sluggun (see: Abnormal Ammo) or battle carbine and cut loose”, shall we? There are also a variety of multibarrel miniguns, and yes, hypothetically even some that you can shove antimatter rifle-grenades into
So, you want a job in the Empire? Of course you do. At least half of the people in the Associated Worlds have at least thought about it. Pay rates are infamously high, tax rates are infamously low, and it is generally agreed that there’s no finer place for
Fire Breathing Weapon: Plenty of ’em, up to and including flame tanks. For two reasons: one, fire is scary, and since there are very few species indeed willing to charge directly into a wall, cloud, or ocean of fire, they make excellent area-denial weapons against light infantry. Without having to