She's not sure who'd come out better for it?  Isabella does not seem very frightened of what would eventuate if the Keepers went full eldritch horror on a designated-target civilization with -4sd intelligence and almost no coordination ability.  Even leaving aside the structures dath ilan will have just started assembling in the Basement of the World, to be used only if the alternative is an even greater risk of the world's true death.

Isabella does not seem to realize that all of Earth's negotiating leverage stems from Isabella's ability to cut this sole line of communication, leaving dath ilan helpless to stop Earth's own death erupting and reaching back to dath ilan - unless Thellim found another psion before it was too late, as she might, especially if she realized what the danger actually was.

They're mentally occupying very different negotiations here, clearly.

But Isabella seems to be negotiating in good faith, according to what she thinks the situation is; based on representations from a dath ilani who did not, herself, have any inkling of how scary dath ilan's hidden cards actually were.

And when a hand has been stretched towards the Keepers in good faith and hope of good faith returned, the Keepers will reach back in good faith returned, to benefit the one who reached out to them in hope that it would benefit herself and her kind.  Even if that good faith means a greater risk of the true death of dath ilan.  Because there's that, and then there's the Algorithm.

That's why Derrin hasn't prioritized speaking to Thellim a delayed-cognition hint that she'd later recognize as Artificial Intelligence being lethal enough to imply that Thellim should find a second psion to provide another channel back to dath ilan, to increase dath ilan's negotiating leverage.

That's why Derrin hasn't started optimizing over the Earthling as an objective.  She didn't precog him.

She didn't precog him, not because she knew that she was in a Prisoner's Dilemma with somebody who could do something back that was equally dangerous in its own way, but because her friend asked her not to, and she was nice.

Derrin isn't about to prove himself any less nice than that.  There's no point in being smart if it comes at the expense of being nice.

It's all the same trust, down to the world's end, whether one end or another.

They're called the Keepers of Harmful Truths because that's the part that only the Keepers keep, but they have much more important things to keep than that.  The trust, the faith, the Algorithm, the flame, and the Light.

"You have reached out to us in good faith, Isabella," Derrin says, speaking for Civilization, as he was authorized by dath ilan to do in situations like these.  "We will return that good faith no matter what.  Whatever the sad end you do not wish, we will avert it.  Whatever you are afraid will happen, we will find another way.  There are bright truths that have not, I suspect, been reflected often enough, in your world's history.  Here's a bright truth that dath ilan has reflected well enough, for the short history that we remember:  People can just not do the wrong thing, they can do something else together.  And if the steering power you want, to have the strength to avert sad endings with your own hands, lies within sanity and reason, we will give it to you if that was your price."

She's not sure who'd come out better for it?  Isabella does not seem very frightened of what would eventuate if the Keepers went full eldritch horror on a designated-target civilization with -4sd intelligence and almost no coordination ability.  Even leaving aside the structures dath ilan will have just started assembling in the Basement of the World, to be used only if the alternative is an even greater risk of both worlds' true death.

Isabella does not seem to realize that all of Earth's negotiating leverage stems from Isabella's ability to cut this sole line of communication, leaving dath ilan helpless to stop Earth's own death erupting and reaching back to dath ilan - unless Thellim found another psion before it was too late, as she might, especially if she realized what the danger actually was.

They're mentally occupying very different negotiations here, clearly.

But Isabella seems to be negotiating in good faith, according to what she thinks the situation is; based on representations from a dath ilani who did not, herself, have any inkling of how scary dath ilan's hidden cards actually were.

And when a hand has been stretched towards the Keepers in good faith and hope of good faith returned, the Keepers will reach back in good faith returned, to benefit the one who reached out to them in hope that it would benefit herself and her kind.  Even if that good faith means a greater risk of the true death of dath ilan.  Because there's that, and then there's the Algorithm.

That's why Derrin hasn't prioritized speaking to Thellim a delayed-cognition hint that she'd later recognize as Artificial Intelligence being lethal enough to imply that Thellim should find a second psion to provide another channel back to dath ilan, to increase dath ilan's negotiating leverage.

That's why Derrin hasn't started optimizing over the Earthling as an objective.  She didn't precog him.

She didn't precog him, not because she knew that she was in a Prisoner's Dilemma with somebody who could do something back that was equally dangerous in its own way, but because her friend asked her not to, and she was nice.

Derrin isn't about to prove himself any less nice than that.  There's no point in being smart if it comes at the expense of being nice.

It's all the same trust, down to the world's end, whether one end or another.

They're called the Keepers of Harmful Truths because that's the part that only the Keepers keep, but they have much more important things to keep than that.  The trust, the faith, the Algorithm, the flame, and the Light.

"You have reached out to us in good faith, Isabella," Derrin says, speaking for Civilization, as he was authorized by dath ilan to do in situations like these.  "We will return that good faith no matter what.  Whatever the sad end you do not wish, we will avert it.  Whatever you are afraid will happen, we will find another way.  There are bright truths that have not, I suspect, been reflected often enough, in your world's history.  Here's a bright truth that dath ilan has reflected well enough, for the short history that we remember:  People can just not do the wrong thing, they can do something else together.  And if the steering power you want, to have the strength to avert sad endings with your own hands, lies within sanity and reason, we will give it to you if that was your price."

She's not sure who'd come out better for it?  Isabella does not seem very frightened of what would eventuate if the Keepers went full eldritch horror on a designated-target civilization with -4sd intelligence and almost no coordination ability.  Even leaving aside the structures dath ilan will have just started assembling in the Basement of the World, to be used only if the alternative is an even greater risk of both worlds' true death.

Isabella does not seem to realize that all of Earth's negotiating leverage stems from Isabella's ability to cut this sole line of communication, leaving dath ilan helpless to stop Earth's own death erupting and reaching back to dath ilan - unless Thellim found another psion before it was too late, as she might, especially if she realized what the danger actually was.

They're mentally occupying very different negotiations here, clearly.

But Isabella seems to be negotiating in good faith, according to what she thinks the situation is; based on representations from a dath ilani who did not, herself, have any inkling of how scary dath ilan actually was.  They do go to some lengths to not have those possibilities be realized ever.

And when a hand has been stretched towards the Keepers in good faith and hope of good faith returned, the Keepers will reach back in good faith returned, to benefit the one who reached out to them in hope that it would benefit herself and her kind.  Even if that good faith means a greater risk of the true death of dath ilan.  Because there's that, and then there's the Algorithm.

That's why Derrin hasn't prioritized speaking to Thellim a delayed-cognition hint that she'd later recognize as Artificial Intelligence being lethal enough to imply that Thellim should find a second psion to provide another channel back to dath ilan, to increase dath ilan's negotiating leverage.

That's why Derrin hasn't started optimizing over the Earthling as an objective.  She didn't precog him.

She didn't precog him, not because she knew that she was in a Prisoner's Dilemma with somebody who could do something back that was equally dangerous in its own way, but because her friend asked her not to, and she was nice.

Derrin isn't about to prove himself any less nice than that.  There's no point in being smart if it comes at the expense of being nice.

It's all the same trust, down to the world's end, whether one end or another.

They're called the Keepers of Harmful Truths because that's the part that only the Keepers keep, but they have much more important things to keep than that.  The trust, the faith, the Algorithm, the flame, and the Light.

"You have reached out to us in good faith, Isabella," Derrin says, speaking for Civilization, as he was authorized by dath ilan to do in situations like these.  "We will return that good faith no matter what.  Whatever the sad end you do not wish, we will avert it.  Whatever you are afraid will happen, we will find another way.  There are bright truths that have not, I suspect, been reflected often enough, in your world's history.  Here's a bright truth that dath ilan has reflected well enough, for the short history that we remember:  People can just not do the wrong thing, they can do something else together.  And if the steering power you want, to have the strength to avert sad endings with your own hands, lies within sanity and reason, we will give it to you if that was your price."

She's not sure who'd come out better for it?  Isabella does not seem very frightened of what would eventuate if the Keepers went full eldritch horror on a designated-target civilization with -4sd intelligence and almost no coordination ability.  Even leaving aside the structures dath ilan will have just started assembling in the Basement of the World, to be used only if the alternative is an even greater risk of both worlds' true death.

Isabella does not seem to realize that all of Earth's negotiating leverage stems from Isabella's ability to cut this sole line of communication, leaving dath ilan helpless to stop Earth's own death erupting and reaching back to dath ilan - unless Thellim found another psion before it was too late, as she might, especially if she realized what the danger actually was.

They're mentally occupying very different negotiations here, clearly.

But Isabella seems to be negotiating in good faith, according to what she thinks the situation is; based on representations from a dath ilani who did not, herself, have any inkling of how scary dath ilan actually was.  They do go to some lengths to not have those possibilities be realized ever.

And when a hand has been stretched towards the Keepers in good faith and hope of good faith returned, the Keepers will reach back in good faith returned, to benefit the one who reached out to them in hope that it would benefit herself and her kind.  Even if that good faith means a greater risk of the true death of dath ilan.  Because there's that, and then there's the Algorithm.

That's why Derrin hasn't prioritized speaking to Thellim a delayed-cognition hint that she'd later recognize as Artificial Intelligence being lethal enough to imply that Thellim should find a second psion to provide another channel back to dath ilan, if this one gets cut.

That's why Derrin hasn't started optimizing over the Earthling as an objective.  She didn't precog him.

She didn't precog him, not because she knew that she was in a Prisoner's Dilemma with somebody who could do something back that was equally dangerous in its own way, but because her friend asked her not to, and she was nice.

Derrin isn't about to prove himself any less nice than that.  There's no point in being smart if it comes at the expense of being nice.

It's all the same trust, down to the world's end, whether one end or another.

They're called the Keepers of Harmful Truths because that's the part that only the Keepers keep, but they have much more important things to keep than that.  The trust, the faith, the Algorithm, the flame, and the Light.

"You have reached out to us in good faith, Isabella," Derrin says, speaking for Civilization, as he was authorized by dath ilan to do in situations like these.  "We will return that good faith no matter what.  Whatever the sad end you do not wish, we will avert it.  Whatever you are afraid will happen, we will find another way.  There are bright truths that have not, I suspect, been reflected often enough, in your world's history.  Here's a bright truth that dath ilan has reflected well enough, for the short history that we remember:  People can just not do the wrong thing, they can do something else together.  And if the steering power you want, to have the strength to avert sad endings with your own hands, lies within sanity and reason, we will give it to you if that was your price."

She's not sure who'd come out better for it?  Isabella does not seem very frightened of what would eventuate if the Keepers went full eldritch horror on a designated-target civilization with -4sd intelligence and almost no coordination ability.  Even leaving aside the structures dath ilan will have just started assembling in the Basement of the World, to be used only if the alternative is an even greater risk of both worlds' true death.

Isabella does not seem to realize that all of Earth's negotiating leverage stems from Isabella's ability to cut this sole line of communication, leaving dath ilan helpless to stop Earth's own death erupting and reaching back to dath ilan - unless Thellim found another psion before it was too late, as she might, especially if she realized what the danger actually was.

They're mentally occupying very different negotiations here, clearly.

But Isabella seems to be negotiating in good faith, according to what she thinks the situation is; based on representations from a dath ilani who did not, herself, have any inkling of how scary dath ilan actually was.  They do go to some lengths to not have those possibilities be realized ever.

And when a hand has been stretched towards the Keepers in good faith and hope of good faith returned, the Keepers will reach back in good faith returned, to benefit the one who reached out to them in hope that it would benefit herself and her kind.  Even if that good faith means a greater risk of the true death of dath ilan.  Because there's that, and then there's the Algorithm.

That's why Derrin hasn't prioritized speaking to Thellim a delayed-cognition hint that she'd later recognize as Artificial Intelligence being lethal enough to imply that Thellim should find a second psion to provide another channel back to dath ilan, if this one gets cut.

That's why Derrin hasn't started optimizing over the Earthling as an objective.  She didn't precog him.

She didn't precog him, not because she knew that she was in a Prisoner's Dilemma with somebody who could do something back that was equally dangerous in its own way, but because her friend asked her not to, and she was nice.

Derrin isn't about to prove himself any less nice than that.  There's no point in being smart if it comes at the expense of being nice.

It's all the same trust, down to the world's end, whether one end or another.

They're called the Keepers of Harmful Truths because that's the part that only the Keepers keep, but they have much more important things to keep than that.  The trust, the faith, the Algorithm, the flame, and the Light.

"You have reached out to us in good faith, Isabella," Derrin says, speaking for Civilization, as he was authorized by dath ilan to do in situations like these.  "We will return that good faith no matter what.  Whatever the sad end you do not wish, we will avert it.  Whatever you are afraid will happen, we will find another way.  There are bright truths that have not, I suspect, been reflected often enough, in your world's history.  Here's a bright truth that dath ilan has reflected well enough, for the short history that we remember:  People can just not do the wrong thing, they can do something else together.  And if the steering power you want, to have the strength to avert sad endings with your own hands, lies within sanity and the Light, we will give it to you if that was your price."

She's not sure who'd come out better for it?  Isabella does not seem very frightened of what would eventuate if the Keepers went full eldritch horror on a designated-target civilization with -4sd intelligence and almost no coordination ability.  Even leaving aside the structures dath ilan will have just started assembling in the Basement of the World, to be used only if the alternative is an even greater risk of both worlds' true death.

Isabella does not seem to realize that all of Earth's negotiating leverage stems from Isabella's ability to cut this sole line of communication, leaving dath ilan helpless to stop Earth's own death erupting and reaching back to dath ilan - unless Thellim found another psion before it was too late, as she might, especially if she realized what the danger actually was.

They're mentally occupying very different negotiations here, clearly.

But Isabella seems to be negotiating in good faith, according to what she thinks the situation is; based on representations from a dath ilani who did not, herself, have any inkling of how scary dath ilan actually was.  They do go to some lengths to not have those possibilities be realized ever.

And when a hand has been stretched towards the Keepers in good faith and hope of good faith returned, the Keepers will reach back in good faith returned, to benefit the one who reached out to them in hope that it would benefit herself and her kind.  Even if that good faith means a greater risk of the true death of dath ilan.  Because there's that, and then there's the Algorithm.

That's why Derrin hasn't prioritized speaking to Thellim a delayed-cognition hint that she'd later recognize as Artificial Intelligence being lethal enough to imply that Thellim should find a second psion to provide another channel back to dath ilan, if this one gets cut.

That's why Derrin hasn't started optimizing over the Earthling as an objective.  She didn't precog him.

She didn't precog him, not because she knew that she was in a Prisoner's Dilemma with somebody who could do something back that was equally dangerous in its own way, but because her friend asked her not to, and she was nice.

Derrin isn't about to prove himself any less nice than that.  There's no point in being smart if it comes at the expense of being nice.

It's all the same trust, down to the world's end, whether one end or another.

They're called the Keepers of Harmful Truths because that's the part that only the Keepers keep, but they have much more important things to keep than that.  The trust, the faith, the Algorithm, the flame, and the Light.

"You have reached out to us in good faith, Isabella," Derrin says, speaking for Civilization, as he was authorized by dath ilan to do in situations like these.  "We will return that good faith no matter what.  Whatever the sad end you do not wish, we will avert it.  Whatever you are afraid will happen, we will find another way.  There are bright truths that have not, I suspect, been reflected often enough, in your world's history.  Here's a bright truth that dath ilan has reflected well enough, for the short history that we remember:  People can just not do the wrong thing, they can do something else together.  And if the steering power you want, to have the strength to avert sad endings with your own hands, lies within sanity and reason, we will give it to you if that was your price."

She's not sure who'd come out better for it?  Isabella does not seem very frightened of what would eventuate if the Keepers went full eldritch horror on a designated-target civilization with -4sd intelligence and almost no coordination ability.  Even leaving aside the structures dath ilan will have just started assembling in the Basement of the World, to be used only if the alternative is an even greater risk of both worlds' true death.

Isabella does not seem to realize that all of Earth's negotiating leverage stems from Isabella's ability to cut this sole line of communication, leaving dath ilan helpless to stop Earth's own death erupting and reaching back to dath ilan - unless Thellim found another psion before it was too late, as she might, especially if she realized what the danger actually was.

They're mentally occupying very different negotiations here, clearly.

But Isabella seems to be negotiating in good faith, according to what she thinks the situation is; based on representations from a dath ilani who did not, herself, have any inkling of how scary dath ilan actually was.  They do go to some lengths to not have those possibilities be realized ever.

And when a hand has been stretched towards the Keepers in good faith and hope of good faith returned, the Keepers will reach back in good faith returned, to benefit the one who reached out to them in hope that it would benefit herself and her kind.  Even if that good faith means a greater risk of the true death of dath ilan.  Because there's that, and then there's the Algorithm.

That's why Derrin hasn't prioritized speaking to Thellim a delayed-cognition hint that she'd later recognize as Artificial Intelligence being lethal enough to imply that Thellim should find a second psion to provide another channel back to dath ilan, if this one gets cut.

That's why Derrin hasn't started optimizing over the Earthling as an objective.  She didn't precog him.

She didn't precog him, not because she knew that she was in a Prisoner's Dilemma with somebody who could do something back that was equally dangerous in its own way, but because her friend asked her not to, and she was nice.

Derrin isn't about to prove himself any less nice than that.  There's no point in being smart if it comes at the expense of being nice.

It's all the same trust, down to the world's end, whether one end or another.

They're called the Keepers of Harmful Truths because that's the part that only the Keepers keep, but they have much more important things to keep than that.  The trust, the faith, the Algorithm, the flame, and the Light.

"You have reached out to us in good faith, Isabella," Derrin says, speaking for Civilization, as he was authorized by dath ilan to do in situations like these.  "We will return that good faith no matter what.  Whatever the sad end you do not wish, we will avert it.  Whatever you are afraid will happen, we will find another way.  There are bright truths that have not, I suspect, been reflected often enough, in your world's history.  Here's a bright truth that dath ilan has reflected well enough, for the short history that we remember:  People can just not do the wrong thing, they can do something else together.  And if the steering power you want, to have the strength to avert sad endings with your own hands, lies within sanity and reason, we will give it to you if that was your price."

She's not sure who'd come out better for it?  Isabella does not seem very frightened of what would eventuate if the Keepers went full eldritch on a designated-target civilization with -4sd intelligence and almost no coordination ability.  Even leaving aside the structures dath ilan will have just started assembling in the Basement of the World, to be used only if the alternative is an even greater risk of both worlds' true death.

Isabella does not seem to realize that all of Earth's negotiating leverage stems from Isabella's ability to cut this sole line of communication, leaving dath ilan helpless to stop Earth's own death erupting and reaching back to dath ilan - unless Thellim found another psion before it was too late, as she might, especially if she realized what the danger actually was.

They're mentally occupying very different negotiations here, clearly.

But Isabella seems to be negotiating in good faith, according to what she thinks the situation is; based on representations from a dath ilani who did not, herself, have any inkling of how scary dath ilan actually was.  They do go to some lengths to not have those possibilities be realized ever.

And when a hand has been stretched towards the Keepers in good faith and hope of good faith returned, the Keepers will reach back in good faith returned, to benefit the one who reached out to them in hope that it would benefit herself and her kind.  Even if that good faith means a greater risk of the true death of dath ilan.  Because there's that, and then there's the Algorithm.

That's why Derrin hasn't prioritized speaking to Thellim a delayed-cognition hint that she'd later recognize as Artificial Intelligence being lethal enough to imply that Thellim should find a second psion to provide another channel back to dath ilan, if this one gets cut.

That's why Derrin hasn't started optimizing over the Earthling as an objective.  She didn't precog him.

She didn't precog him, not because she knew that she was in a Prisoner's Dilemma with somebody who could do something back that was equally dangerous in its own way, but because her friend asked her not to, and she was nice.

Derrin isn't about to prove himself any less nice than that.  There's no point in being smart if it comes at the expense of being nice.

It's all the same trust, down to the world's end, whether one end or another.

They're called the Keepers of Harmful Truths because that's the part that only the Keepers keep, but they have much more important things to keep than that.  The trust, the faith, the Algorithm, the flame, and the Light.

"You have reached out to us in good faith, Isabella," Derrin says, speaking for Civilization, as he was authorized by dath ilan to do in situations like these.  "We will return that good faith no matter what.  Whatever the sad end you do not wish, we will avert it.  Whatever you are afraid will happen, we will find another way.  There are bright truths that have not, I suspect, been reflected often enough, in your world's history.  Here's a bright truth that dath ilan has reflected well enough, for the short history that we remember:  People can just not do the wrong thing, they can do something else together.  And if the steering power you want, to have the strength to avert sad endings with your own hands, lies within sanity and reason, we will give it to you if that was your price."