Vivulonj Prosperu
In which the Uncle learns the outcome of his project.
He chose to be amused. The better reaction for everybody, I expect.
How casually Seignur Veeoni reports that the universe may have been, not saved, but ended and restarted. That might have plot consequences down the line, or it might just sit there as a passing reference to remind us that this is a universe where strange things happen.
(And if any new continuity errors pop up after this point, we can write them off as glitches in the recreation of the universe.)
I’m glad to see that Seignur Veeoni has found something new to do with herself now that her life’s purpose has been fulfilled. A less self-possessed person might have found that a bit distressing.
Yes, but Seignur Veeoni’s purpose and personality and memories are artificially constructed, so wouldn’t she be capable of simply reconstructing new ones for herself? I wonder how long this iteration of the Uncle’s genes has been in existence…was that covered earlier?
@Ed8r
You suppose that some of the Uncles siblings are also serial? As precious as those blanks are I was of the opinion that up until Daav and Aelliana only the Uncle and Dulsey were using them. But you are right, back in Alliance of Equals it is explained that the Uncle had cloned some of his operatives – and sometimes has had the necessity to send out a few early and even though it was unlikely for them to survive. So if we place the Uncles discovery of the whereabouts of Tinsory Light sometime after the Clan Wars – Veeoni could be in her second or third live. But I believed the Uncles enlightment quite recent, and feel sure that it would have been mentioned if Veeoni had used up more than her first live.
I somehow had pictured her quite young for a notable scholar, somewhere in her late twenties.
@universe ended and restarted
This fits in with Ren Zel. And it reminds me of clinically dead persons getting reanimated.
To Note: The Lights claimed ‘I’m Iloheen’. Ren Zel’s fight had a lot similarities to Rool Tiazans fight on the Ssussdriad homeworld against one of the Iloheen when his lady died in body while her spirit survied as ghost in his. This momentary unmaking and respinning of the lines might have as much impact as the fact that the Uncles installations were able to scientiffically measure and observe it. Will Veeoni come up with a new theory? I somehow doupt that her only purpose in making her new home at Tinsory Light is to help AI ships.
@Uncle – Tree parallel
I feel like there is a parallel between the Uncle and the Tree – one serial memory – one continual memory – and Veeoni and the young Tree on Bechimo – both young and laden with memories of the old universe. And of course some more Trees on Surebleak and other worlds as more of the Uncles sibs. The Uncle set the Bedel and numerus projects in motion – The Tree set his Dragons and some Treekin in motion.
But maybe this is just idle speculation. 🙂
@Veeoni personality
She sure can find new purpose – and with all her secondary projects and skills she will have no shortage in purpose to purse. Memories – a she has been gaining all her live new ones. If she chooses to stop wearing those smart strands – will she be less conscious of the Uncles old memories? Or are the strands also collecting her new research and new experiences? I don’t think it has ever been made clear what those strands really do and what their limits are.
As to personality – there she has as much chance to change as everybody else. But if she is still within the field – as surely as she must be, staying on Korval’s Light – the question is not if but how much she’ll change.
I’m hoping that Tinsori Light will be moved closer to Surebleak space. It could draw business and traders into the Diallian sector. I think it can move, now that it has new fractions and new cranium, and the old bad codes are wiped out.
It’s been suggested before, I think, that Dulsey is not the only one of the Uncle’s crew to have been given access to the revival technology; I remember a mention of Arin, for one, also having lived many lives before dying a final death. Or perhaps I’m misremembering, because now that I think about it, I also recall it being stated in Trade Secret that Arin (at least, the Arin who married Iza Gobelyn and was Jethri’s father) was like Seignur Veeoni, a tweaked instance of the Uncle created and molded for a particular purpose.
In any case, the impression I got was definitely that Seignur Veeoni herself is still on her first life.
It’s suggested in places that the Tree shares the memories of the Trees that came before it, so in that sense perhaps it is like the Uncle, with a long memory travelling through a succession of bodies. Or perhaps more like Seignur Veeoni, who is her own person but has a long memory to call on when needed.
I forgot to say in the post that the bit about the universe being restarted puts a new light on the bit in Tocohl’s report where she says, “there was an accidental anomaly which may have resulted in one universe being destroyed” then adds that since she’s here making a report she assumes it wasn’t this one.
I am belatedly reminded here of a story thread from Crystal Soldier:
I don’t remember seeing a comment about…who was it? Moonhawk’s sister?…who wanted to take over from the Iloheen in the last universe and therefore was willing to help the dramliz rebels in their subterfuge to defeat the Great Enemy. Whatever happened to her? Was she sealed away in the Old Universe? Or did she slip into this one?
Good question! Yes, I think she was Moonhawk’s evil sister.
Just speculating lightly about what we may still be encountering in upcoming plot.
PA: Seignur Veeoni reports that the universe may have been, not saved, but ended and restarted
I wrote in an earlier thread that Ren Zel may have actually “unmade” the universe. Now I wonder if his power was only in the unmaking—perhaps it was the power of the Tree that respun/reformed this universe once Ren Zel’s seal closed off the Old Universe. As I mentioned in comments for chapter 23, I really hope that the authors will do one of their detailed recaps in Accepting the Lance, that will clarify it for us.