fifteen ✤ voice

[lingeringhope]

I am sure you have seen the ships, as have we. It is time for a decision. Thanks to your efforts and knowledge, we have options - they are few, but I think any of them could succeed. But each has unknowns and possible dangers. Please take all of these into consideration before you make your decision.

First, we could use the Door to send the Null away to another facet of this wide multiverse. This would keep us safe, and allow us to stay here, in our home, in order to rebuild and restore our people. However, while we have more control of the Door, we only have so much. We can't choose where to send the Null, so they could end up anywhere, including in a universe that one of you is from. Also, while we would try our very best, it would be difficult to ensure that each and every Null scattered across the worlds is caught in this. It is possible we may miss some.

Second, we could use the Door to transport ourselves to another universe. Like the first option, we cannot be sure where we would end up. We would be safe from the Null, but possibly find other dangers. In addition, only those of us gods currently in the city would survive - there would be no option to resurrect our fallen comrades or hosts. With the hosts you have restored to me and our own essences, we could rebuild, but it would take a very long time.

One additional note for the first two options: after carrying out either one, we would need to shut the Door down permanently. To leave it working would be to invite the Null to find a way through it to us. We would send you all home first, of course, but you would never be able to return here or leave the worlds that you return to.

Finally, we could use your skills to infect the Null with a sort of virus. I will admit that my unfamiliarity with technology makes the details of this difficult to understand, but the essence of it is that a group of you would return to the communications relay found on the previous world and use it to broadcast a program that would alter the Null themselves. There are two options here, as well: use it to shut the Null down and therefore kill them, or use it to alter them and imbue them with emotions so they would no longer need or wish to destroy us.

These last two options are the most dangerous for you, and I would ask for volunteers to carry this out if it is chosen. It would allow us to stay here and rebuild our species, and it would potentially allow the Null to survive, though of course that may also be a danger someday. It would also allow us to maintain the Door, which would give you the option to come and go as you pleased. However, the ethics of destroying or permanently altering another species must be considered. Do we have the right to do this against their will? Do we have the right to commit genocide?

Please take your time to consider these options. I believe we can hold out long enough for an educated decision, rather than one made foolishly and in haste. And thank you, all of you, for everything that you have done. None of these options would have been possible if not for your hard work and ingenuity. You have accomplished incredible things and given us a chance when we had none.

Poll #22106

This poll is closed.
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 31

View Respondents

What shall we do?

View Answers

Use the Door to remove the Null
2 (6.5%)

Use the Door to move ourselves
2 (6.5%)

Upload a program to alter the Null
9 (29.0%)

Upload a program to destroy the Null
18 (58.1%)

Comments

[voice]

[hot_mes]

Law here. I've been working on the virus solution, though to less of an extent than Alphys-ya and some of the others since I'm not technologically adept either.

My first intention was to create a vaccine. But Sorrow allowed me a lengthy study of the physiology of the gods...enough to know that I would have had to kill them in order to create it, so it's no longer a solution. As a doctor, I have problems with a biological weapon, but infecting the Null is far better than killing them. Genocide is never an answer.

So, before you vote, I wanted to share that much. I don't care if we're altering the Null against their will, it's the only way to allow every species involved in this stupid war to survive and have a chance to rebuild their societies. I only want to get home, so I have no intention of doing anything that would permanently disable the Door.

[voice]

[lingeringhope]

Thank you for your input. You have been a great help. However, to be clear, if we disable the Door it will only be after we have sent all of you home.

[voice]

[deploy]

Yeah, as someone who's gone the whole 'genetic alteration' route before, I think you'll come to find most species take even less kindly to their free will being removed than they do to being killed.

I don't think any one of us didn't regret that decision. On either side.

Besides, you can't guarantee they won't revert back to their natural state. When everyone isn't already organized ready to fight.

text;

[bloodbathing]

[ Ethical dilemma? What ethical dilemma? Maine slams that destroy option without blinking. ]

Killing virus. Will volunteer.

[ To carry out the mission, he means, if that's the option people choose. ]

text;

[lingeringhope]

I will pass on your willingness to the others.

text;

[deploy]

Killing virus. One and done. Anything else leaves too much room for error. Kill or be killed.

Besides, they started it.

[Very mature John.]

[restinglichface]

true facts
we were all willing to work with them at first to fuck the assholes in charge here
but they just had to go and fuck that up

text;

[lingeringhope]

They are still living creatures who were once our allies. Some of us agree with you, but I find it difficult.

text;

[volitaunt]

Kill them. Giving them emotions doesn't mean they'll stop.

[restinglichface]

this guy gets it

[evocation]

you're talking about this like they aren't a creepy hivemind that's trying to wipe all of us out
fuck em

[lingeringhope]

They are living beings, and I am incapable of truly desiring to destroy them. However, many of us agree.

text;

[restinglichface]

fuck em
if yall forgot they went after defenseless kids last time
they dont deserve mercy

text;

[lingeringhope]

In addition to attempting genocide, yes.

text;

[nonscriptum]

[ No hesitation. ]

use the killing virus. let's be done with these assholes.

[restinglichface]

its a real relief everyones p onboard with plan murder
cuz i dont reeeally have the patience to school anyone who wants to cry sympathy on these pricks

[fogsong]

If we used the Door to send the Null away, why would it matter if they ended up in one of our own universes? They don't seem intent on destroying all life; just yours and all associated with you, right?

[lingeringhope]

As far as we know, yes. They may well be no threat to any of your worlds. Of course, there is no way to be sure.

text

[tenuousmorality]

I am not fond of adding to echo chambers in most situations, but I would agree that our best course of action would be to eradicate the Null. It seems as if all else has failed.

There is no more time to waste.

text

[lingeringhope]

Yes. We are out of time, and a decision must be made. Thank you for your thoughts.

[itsnotaonesie]

I'm not a fan of the idea of wiping out an entire species, but after seeing what the Null are willing to do to get what they want, I'm not so sure that I trust any options other than destroying them. It's the only way to be sure that they can't hurt us or you or anyone else ever again. This has less to do with ethics and everything to do with self defense, and we have a right to protect ourselves. They're the ones who put us in this position to begin with, they're the ones who forced us to defend ourselves from them. However this thing ends up playing out, it's on them, not us.

I'm volunteering for the last two things, if we end up rolling with one of them.

[lingeringhope]

That is your decision to make. Whether or not you are comfortable with the ethics of it is also entirely up to you.

Thank you for your thoughts.

voice; private;

[closerift]

Whatever you need: I volunteer. We've got to end this war once and for all.

voice; private;

[lingeringhope]

Thank you, Cecily. I will pass on your willingness to the others.

voice

[theladyofhighever]

I would volunteer to go, should the populace choose to destroy the Null. It's either kill or be killed. I choose the former.

voice

[lingeringhope]

I will tell the others of your willingness.

[audio]

[circumitus]

Kill them.

[So much for stopping to consider the ethics of genocide, right? Whatever. They wanted to wipe out a race of people, first.]

Will volunteer to do what it takes to get it done. They made their bed. About time they lie in it.

[audio]

[lingeringhope]

I will pass that along to the others.

Voice

[knifecollecting]

We don't know what they'll do in another universe. [She doesn't want to risk ruining another world. That would weigh too heavily on her conscience.]

If we fight, how can you help? What can we do?

Voice

[lingeringhope]

I will continue restoring anyone who is injured or killed. The others will fight in their ways, and we ask that you help with whatever skills you have.

Unfortunately, there is no 'if'. There will be a battle, regardless of what we might wish.

[madamdirector]

If we try to alter them, and it doesn't work...what are our options?

Is this a "you get one shot" sort of deal?

[restinglichface]

probs murder
either us or them
maybe both

text;

[bythehand]

Anyone's better off dead than reprogrammed. Even them. Shut them down.

text;

[lingeringhope]

I don't believe that genocide is better. However, I understand that many of you do, and I will abide by your choice.

audio;

[weedbgon]

Y'know, I think these guys are messed up enough without gettin' emotional. Let's be honest here. I say go ahead and kill 'em. They had their chance to stop killing everybody, and to hand out some laser eyes, and they blew it.

[ RIP, laser eye that never was. ]

Besides, seems like all we do around here is try to figure out how to get rid of 'em! We're-- not for nothin', but we're gonna look like some reaaaaal grade-A jerks from the other end if we actually get 'em mad. It's not like we need the extra help gettin' our asses killed!

audio;

[lingeringhope]

That is certainly one way of looking at it. They were our allies once, and perhaps some of us hoped they could be again. That may not be possible, however.

[audio]

[sciencelizard]

[She almost doesn't speak back to this. It's so, so hard for her to talk. But she's spoken to Hope already, told him about the existence of the Null she's trying to protect, so...]

I-If we... if we do use a program to alter them. I want to go. But I don't want to be there if people want to destroy them all.

[And what kind of program is this? Would [Name] be doing it like they said they were willing to? Would it wipe them too? There's too many variables. Too much. She doesn't want to do any of this.]

[audio]

[lingeringhope]

Thank you for your offer. I will remember it, should that be the option chosen.

[glacius]

The amount of people proposing a genocide here is... staggering. [But altogether not surprising, he supposes sadly. Good to know that a number of people here are hardly better than the drones waging war against them.] I will defend what I have built here but I will not assist in any attempts to carry out such a detestable plan.

Rather, I opt to move and shut the Door down; separation over slaughter, though it does not look like my vote will matter much. With that bitterly acknowledged, what I am more curious about is your claim that you wish to "rebuild" your species... and if the Door is left intact, what guarantee do we have that you will not continue to pluck others and keep on tormenting us all? Surely this revitalization you speak of will require energy.

[lingeringhope]

It is disappointing to see. Our species has nearly been destroyed, I do not wish that upon anyone else.

We will have no need of you if the Null are not a threat. Some of our hosts have been returned to us, and they are far more efficient at providing us with power - there are few of them now, but I can bring back more, once it is safe to do so. We will have as much time as needed once the threat of our destruction is gone, and creatures who are far better at supporting us.