Alliance of Equals – Chapter 17

Tarigan
Jemiatha’s Jumble Stop
Berth 12

In which it is time for a rest.

Well, darn. I was beginning to really like Inki. But of course she would be really likeable, if a graduate of the Lyre Institute is anything like a graduate of the Tanjalyre Institute — not to mention, as she said herself, possessed of considerable persuasive abilities. However, I think it’s too much to hope that the Institute could have produced two experienced mentors who both went rogue, and if an AI-stunning weapon is introduced in the second act it’s probably going to go off in the third.

Or is it? Would Inki let Tocohl know she had an AI-stunning weapon if her plans included using it on Tocohl? And we have been told that it was because Tolly was a mentor that he was able to work himself free of the Institute’s control, so if anyone was going to repeat the feat perhaps it would be another mentor. But I’m definitely not going to trust her now. And I wish I knew whether Tocohl knows what it means to be a graduate of the Lyre Institute.

9 thoughts on “Alliance of Equals – Chapter 17

  1. Ed8r

    PA: if an AI-stunning weapon is introduced in the second act it’s probably going to go off in the third.

    I would have thought so too. But as it is, I don’t think we ever saw it put into use, did we? I guess she thought she didn’t need it for the light/? Or would it have gone against her directives?

  2. Paul A. Post author

    I hadn’t thought of her using it on the Light; what I was worried about was her possibly using it on Tocohl, which she does toward the end of this book.

  3. Othin

    While we don’t see it in use, I agree with Paul that Inki uses the stunning rood against Tocohl, properly also against the Admiral too. And I believe she also would use it against the Light, if it seemed useful or necessary.

    Inki is the kind or person that believes moral to be a luxury, that she indulges in whenever her necessity allows – she doesn’t get into conflict with directors orders so that she won’t be perceived as unstable.

  4. Ed8r

    PA: which she does toward the end of this book

    So Paul (and Othin) you assume it is this AI-stunning weapon that was used against Tocohl? Yet, we don’t see it, nor does Tocohl show any worry about it when we rejoin the Ahab-Esias in Neogenesis/? I would have expected Tocohl to destroy and/or jettison such a weapon once she regained control, but we do not see her show any recognition that it was used nor express any concern about it.

    Othin, I think I disagree with you about Inki. That Tolly was able to discover a way to subvert his programming not only once but—3 times, did he say it had been?—does not necessarily mean that all the Lyre Institute graduates have this ability. I believe that Tolly is an anomaly, and that Inki really does not have a choice, either that, or the ability to choose has been so thoroughly buried that it would take some outside influence to bring it to the surface where she could grasp it.

  5. Paul A. Post author

    We’re shown at the beginning of Neogenesis that Inki was standing near Tocohl and reached out toward her and then the next thing Tocohl knows she’s waking up on Inki’s ship. To think that it wasn’t the stunning rod, requires us to assume that (a) the authors went to the effort of introducing the stunning rod and telling us that Inki carries it with her, and then never used it; and (b) that Inki is carrying a second stunning device which is never mentioned anywhere else nor described.

    After Tocohl gains control of Ahab-Esais, I don’t recall her showing concern about any of Inki’s weapons. She has control of the situation at a higher level than that: rather than keeping weapons out of Inki’s hands, she’s persuading Inki not to want to use them. If she slips to the point that Inki decides to attack her, she’s already lost and it won’t matter if she’s got rid of some weapons because Inki’s resourceful enough to find or create one she overlooked.

  6. Othin

    Yes, that it, Paul. Thanks for stating it so clearly.

    @Choosing
    As to Inki’s ability to choose, I believe she has regained a quite a bit of it. Which by the way all of the Institutes children have to a limited degree. They must be able and willing to make choices in order to be useful to the institute, to be able to fulfill their missions. If you compare the ability to choose of Inki and of Dutiful as he had at the start of his living with Korval you should get my meaning. For Dutiful it was an enlightenment that he could choose what to eat and how much of it at breakfast. It was an enlightenment for him that he could ask Jeeves to speak with him in Terran or any other Language on his free days. For him it was a learning process. Inki on the other hand routinely choose what to eat and how much – she didn’t think on it and properly didn’t regard it as choice or freedom – at least not any differently than you and I do.

    Inki also choose to use Tocohl as well as not to inform the Institute of her existence. A loyal vessel of Lyre would have told the Institute, and Inki knew that. As Tolly mentioned Inki had freed herself to a way of half obedience: Doing what the directors had told her and then doing something more, adding something that had a chance of negating the effect of her actions. She could do this since she hadn’t been explicitly forbidden to do so – properly because Lyre never thought of that.

    This is similar to obeying orders to the letter – but ignoring the context of that order on purpose – something that we have seen before. It reminds me of the beginning of the rebellious Dramliza. And it is a typical human way of the powerless to act toward someone with power over them that they don’t like or agree with.

    If I compare this with the choosing ability of an DoI agent – who hasn’t any chance than be loyal and act in the DoI interest no matter if there had been an order or not – then I see a big difference. The typical DoI agent doesn’t have this choice even in the “dormant state” between missions.

    Also the way Tolly describes the reeducation – as loosing himself – memory and personality – makes me believe that Inki has gained the freedom to choose. She has found herself, retains memory and personality. What binds her to Lyre – is not only the directors orders but her fear of reeducation and her believe that Lyre operatives will find her no matter where she goes.

    She also might be afraid of living of her own – without the income the Lyre jobs bring, the Lyre support network (most of her contacts – especially job contacts are Lyre contacts) and without the excuse of the Lyre institute for behavior she considers immoral.

    All this about Inki’s freedom to choose changes of course in Neogenesis when she prepares herself for her mission of gaining the Light. But it also is a kind of choice to go far enough along the way to the point where the director’s orders become paramount.

    The Lyre operative which are now under the Uncles care – may be another matter entirely. They may have been order or find it useful to infiltrate the Uncle.

    And then there are perfect operatives like “tay’Welford / Verrat” (Crystal Dragon/Osabei Tower) who seem to enjoy their orders and freely chose them.

  7. Ed8r

    Thanks you both for your explanations/extrapolations. I confess, it still irritates me that the authors didn’t bother to mention the rod again, but, I concur that it is most likely that it is the rod that is being used.

    Othin, I could search it out, but maybe you can just tell me…are you referring to Nelirikk, renamed Beautiful, or to Diglon Rifle?

  8. Othin

    Oh god, where did I pick up Dutiful? I meant Diglon Rifle. I got mixed up when I wrote this.

    Prince Dutiful is a hero in the far into FitzChivalry Farseer’s series by Robin Hobb – aka – Megan Lindholm – aka Margaret Astrid Lindholm Ogden. (Assassin’s Apprentice was the first of those – and I love them also.)

    I properly believe Dutiful a fitting name for Diglon. One wonders what his first wife will have to say to that. 🙂

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