Gencon is big. Gencon is fun. It is the best four days in gaming and thank God it’s not five. I don’t think I could survive five. So here I am, Gencon is done, and it’s been another good one. I’ve talked to people about games, played games, demoed my own game, and done all kinds of other exciting stuff. I’ve taken some seriously awesome pictures too. Lots and lots of nice costumes. And lots of ones I wish I could unsee. But some things you can never unsee…
The Great Peace after War’s End has been a time of rebuilding for us all. Russian. Chinese. Alliance. Non-Aligned. We have all spent our time colonizing and exploring new worlds, expanding in the directions that the Treaty of Geneva outlined. It is a large galaxy and there is room enough for all of us in it. No matter what some people may say. We are one big happy family now. Dysfunctional as all hell of course.
You know the hardest part about being a Cowboy? Slowing down. Using soft hands. Amongst other Cowboys we have some real interesting sports. But when working or playing with other people we have be careful not to break them. The old “living in a cardboard world” syndrome. We can really let loose when surrounded by our brothers and sisters. That’s why we get together when we’re in the same system. It’s a chance for us to cut loose and have some serious fun.
The Peloran cybernetic intelligences that came with Contact had lived the better part of two thousand years in real time. And as the most aware Terran AIs recognized them, they recognized those AIs and adopted them as cousins. They become the first true Terran cybers and formed the core of the first Terran cybernetic family. It was through them that we learned to understand the differences between the Terran and Peloran races.
The War united us in many ways. In other ways it fractured us anew. The great alliances became further estranged from each other, while the nations within them became closer brothers. War’s End saw us arrayed as if for the final battle that Earth would ever see. Thank God the Lunar Treaties held. Thank God we loved our home more than we hated each other. I was there. I know how close matters became. It was balanced on the edge of a knife.