Nullified.

[md_donighal]

Well, I've been putting this off for long enough, and now I've officially committed to do something about it. As of last night, it's been four weeks since the paraversary, to coin a phrase, of what aberranteyes pointed out as perhaps the most spectacular mistake of my life.

Comments

[etherlad]

It was increasingly clear that Æon's agenda hadn't changed since Mercer left them: to co-opt as many neomorphs as they could and destroy the rest.Now, to be fair, Michael, that was never the agenda. We wanted to explore the world and use our discoveries to bring about a better future for humanity; something which I'm sure you agree is at least somehat noble

[max_a_mercer]

That, of course, was myself, using etherlad's account. Sorry for the confusion Michael, Ian.

[md_donighal]

Not a problem for me, old friend. I know these things happen when you're sharing a computer with someone else. More than once, I've commented from aberranteyes' computer and forgotten to log in as myself, or to log him out.

As to your main post...

Now, to be fair, Michael, that was never the agenda

(looks at what he wrote) I phrased that poorly. When I said "Æon's agenda hadn't changed since Mercer left them", I wasn't meaning to blame you for what the Society became after you continued on your travels. At least, not consciously.

(sigh) I'm not going to mince words here, Max. When I saw what Æon had turned into, with you absent and me having become their enemy, I did blame you, for abandoning them just when (as I saw it) they needed you most. I spent roughly a century mad at the ones who were betraying your dream in the name of preserving it, and mad at you for letting them do it. (It was easier than staying mad at myself for no longer being on the inside to deflate any scheme too pie-eyed for my sensibilities

[max_a_mercer]

Apologies for taking so long to post. Like an Old Man of my acquaintance, I've become increasingly distracted by potential futures.

(sigh) I'm not going to mince words here, Max. When I saw what Æon had turned into, with you absent and me having become their enemy, I did blame you, for abandoning them just when (as I saw it) they needed you most.That is, I suppose, fair criticism. I would say that an organization that cannot survive the absence of its leader, but that (as well as demonstrating my own misgivings about what the organization has become) is something of a cop-out. Truth be told, Michael, I left because of you

Bahrain in the membrane?

[aberranteyes]

Into hastily-dug graves in Bahrain or Africa, or (since September of '04) to Bahrain.

Hate to say it, O Beacon, but I think you've got Bahrain on the brain (not that I can entirely blame you, given). Shouldn't that be "hastily-dug graves in Kashmir or Africa"?

Re: Bahrain in the membrane?

[md_donighal]

Argh. Quite right, of course. I'll correct it directly. Thanks for your attention.

[mmsophia]

Must be nice to have a race to relate to, rather than being almost completely solitary. (Forethought excepted.) Good luck to your novas.

[md_donighal]

Thank you, Mistress Sophia. We had (as the English say) "a good innings" back on my home Earth. I assume those who left with me are still safe; I still can't get back to my Personal Space, but I'm pretty sure I'd know if it had ceased to exist. As to those who stayed on Earth... or who left ahead of the rush, such as Diana Kadmon and her followers... I suspect they're doing all right. I certainly hope so.

MDD

[aberranteyes]

I may get in trouble with max_a_mercer for telling you this, not to mention that it marks a reversal of my decision never to speak of what happened after you left Earth, but I've decided you deserve to know this much:

Diana Kadmon, and Apollo Milliken and the other novas who followed her, and the baselines who followed them... they all found a new home, and last I knew, they were all in fact doing quite all right indeed. Does that knowledge help?

Z

[md_donighal]

It does. Thank you.

MDD