Posted by Ensign Reia Shandy (CIO) in Away Team Two

Posted by Gamemaster GM (Gamemaster) in Away Team Two

Posted by Lieutenant Dagen Thor (CE) in Away Team Two
Posted by… suppressed (2) by the Post Ghost! 👻
<snip>
“Shou,” he asked as they moved along. “It sounds like the home is a very common environment for the people. Is there a range of video entertainment that they view? On many worlds there were considerable channels that people could tune into for entertainment or topics they were interested in.” They ate at home. They didn’t collect together for sports. What ‘did’ the people do when they were not working?
Dagen, CE

Reia was very interested in the answer to this question. She had an idea that if they were somehow allowed to take an unaccompanied stroll, through a random city, on this world, they might come up with quite a different picture than the one their hosts were painting for them or, perhaps, it was time to delve much deeper into their history.

Reia, CIO

“You are talking about home entertainment?” asked Shou.

“Entertainment is only available after between sunset and midnight. We have both audio and video entertainment. We have a device that can show us the news of the planet, as well as stories, both in video and/or audio, written by people of the past and present. However, most of us don’t use home entertainment very much. We prefer to gather with friends for food and drink. Often, we will rather use one of the holographic studios, when we have saved up enough credits, to commune with nature with our friends. Home entertainment is meant for those who have to stay at home because of injury or illness.”

GM

co

‘That seems rigid,’ Dagen thought. That just went into his assessment of a rather strict society. Four potential hours of this in a day? Getting together .. “Community is good. I imagine that it stimulates a lot of creativity and well being.” Dagen had always been a social creature or certainly was that way when he was younger. Less so now after the tumultuous events of his latter years. But even then he wasn’t that social. He had things to do that he had to do. Study. Engage in tests and trials in his sports and institute to qualify for joining. What did families do then? Did not the children engage in events that required the parents to take them here and there. He cast a quick glance at Reia and Thomas that bore a momentary, if quizzical/skeptical look. He’d have to see this in operation. “What do the children do on a normal day?” he asked.
- Dagen, CE

“Children?” asked Shou, surprised that they would want to talk about the young ones. “Young children until they are able to talk, are usually with their parents or grandparents at home. Once they can speak, they are sent to school. Usually it is about 4 years of age. They live in school and come home every ten days for a break of two days. Usually, they have a longer break in the middle and at the end of the year for about thirty days each. It takes about 10 years before anyone in school will be qualified to work in a trade. It is longer if it has to do with technical knowledge and more contemporary sciences.”

GM

“So it is the government then who instills a sense of right and wrong and purpose in the children?” he asked, clarifying. He kept his tone neutral and not in any way judgmental. Learning a trade at 14. “Your people mature quickly,” he added. “How do you retain family integration as a unit? If the children are removed so early there is little point in keeping to the unit.” That question was genuine and held no malice in it. He wanted to know how the family dynamic played out there. Three had been a brief time in Earth and even Trill history where there had been a push for designer babies and more and more produced in a gestation center rather than in a womb. It had been short lived on Earth due to the eugenics scare, however. He glanced at Thomas and Reia to see if they had familiarity with anything like this. Truthfully, Dagen’s experience had been limited for cultural exposure to that level.
- Dagen, CE

Shou replied, “The government does give us the law but not entirely. Each family has its own internal laws as well. A very long time ago, the authorities and the families had clashed due to different values. Today, however, the government does not interfere with clan issues unless the conflict impacts on society as a whole. Through time, the values of the different families and government harmonised. There are still differences but there is greater mutual respect for the authorities who have to govern the world and the local families. Family integration is very good. Families are present in the schools and help the children who go to the schools to have a family atmosphere.”

Dagen was working at trying to filter out the party line with what he was hearing. Governments had a way of ‘harmonizing’ values that they wanted to project through changing education policies, taking over the media, or, when that didn’t result in appropriate success, the use of force or more draconian methods. What he didn’t like in this was when Shou said ‘governing the local families’. He thought he would throw a wrench into things. “Shou,” he asked, “It sounds like you have things well in order there. How do you think the people and governing authorities will take to the entrance of a whole range of new ideas.” He held up a hand. “Not that any group would seek to change yours but simply being exposed to new ideas.”

Shou’s comments regarding children shocked Reia but years of training kept her features calm and her diamond eyes curious yet non judgmental. She caught Dagen’s glance and frowned ever so slightly.

• Reai, CIO

“When it comes time to pick a trade to train in, is it the child’s choice or is their future field chosen for them?” Thomas asked. That should shine some light into the heavily-structured society the Pallasians appeared to have. Egalitarian in many respects, but the Government appeared to have a heavy hand as well.

COS

“By the time we are seven, we will decide on a trade. Our trades could be further divided into different aspects of the trade. For example, in farming, we could develop further skills for farming crops, or livestock; skills for food processing; winemaking, and so on. For most of us, that would be the trade we are in until we die. For some of us, we would have the opportunity to change trades. I am one of the examples. I picked the trade of farming when I was seven. When I was fourteen, I switched to teaching and later, at eighteen, I switched to healing. That is where I am today,” Shou said as he gave a grin.

GM

Hmmm. Maybe they were being a bit paranoid there over the Pallosian style of governance. Ultimately that was not their problem but that of the diplomats. He changed tack as they were leaving. “You had mentioned that you are working at reducing your world’s pollution. Are there facilities that you have set up with this or are they more habitual in everyday things? As an engineer I’m interested in the former, though know that everyday habits are important too.”
- Dagen, CE

“Actually,” said Shou, “there are a few families who are not happy with the present system. They run certain businesses and concerns that aren’t in line with the government. Whilst the government leaves them alone in the countryside, these families also run businesses in the city that are not exactly legal. The authorities are keeping close tabs on them but these families have wide networks. There are scuffles but generally, the cities are rather peaceful. These families are the ones who are resistant to reduce pollution. The legal battles are still going on between these families and the authorities. Whilst we generally obey the regulations regarding the use of energy, these families usually find loopholes to circumvent those regulations.”

GM

Reia knew that there would always be elements like that in ever society.

• Reia, CIO

‘Interesting,’ thought Thomas. “So are there families that try and get their way by pressuring children into government roles, so that they can be in charge of creating, or at least enforcing, the laws and regulations, and do so in a way that benefits their family’s interests?”

COS