haos on the Fracture Plain: Interview with an Unauthorized Surveyor
On Naqathul's Fracture Plain, where stones shift faster than political alliances, the Kosmic Courier interviews the notorious, unauthorized Surveyor Krootz. In this fragile zone of fleeing economies and brittle peace, everything depends on measurement-and who's first to stumble over a new breach.
Zerror, Quantum Scribe So, uh, let’s begin… Can you state your full name as registered on the last polytol-bridge registry?
Krootz of Sector 7, Unauthorized Surveyor My name’s Krootz, segment 2 of Fragment Cluster 8, though those registrations aren't worth much since the last schismatic depletion.
Zerror, Quantum Scribe You call yourself a ‘Surveryor’-what does that actually mean here on the Fracture Plain?
Krootz of Sector 7 Well, I map the shifts in the trenches. Width, depth, movement rate… just enough stability to keep trade from total disaster, right?
Zerror, Quantum Scribe Disaster? Trade routes over these collapsing ruins are pure madness.
Krootz of Sector 7 What isn’t madness here? Every passage is temporary. You ride the flow-and hope the pylons don’t optimistically implode at that moment.
Zerror, Quantum Scribe On my way here, I was tailed by three, no, four Quickgrabbers. Do you find that normal?
Krootz of Sector 7 *chuckles* Normal here: if you’re not being followed, you’re suspicious. Quickgrabbers only want to know who’s holding the survey tape. Some days, they sell my own data back to me.
Zerror, Quantum Scribe Speaking of tape: you’re not still using those archaic, semi-intelligent Gremul Tech tapes?
Krootz of Sector 7 Look, they work as long as you don’t annoy them. Temperamental, but electrically reliable if you keep it predictable.
Zerror, Quantum Scribe ‘Reliable’? My colleague lost his arm to a bored tape module last week, so…
Krootz of Sector 7 Maybe he didn’t have his segment code handy. Stupidity attracts trouble.
Zerror, Quantum Scribe Fine. What’s the most dangerous thing you’ve ever measured?
Krootz of Sector 7 Echo Trench 17.4, right in the middle of a micronurg retreat. Shadowwater everywhere, plus a caravan of nomad pods balanced a breath from vanishing. Everything moved-even the mist.
Zerror, Quantum Scribe Can you describe a day here without chaos-or is that just impossible?
Krootz of Sector 7 Haha! A day without chaos would make me obsolete. No political turmoil, collapsing citadels, or marketplaces that dissolve into dust? Not happening.
Zerror, Quantum Scribe So you keep the whole mess running? Isn’t that a bit arrogant?
Krootz of Sector 7 That’s… nonsense. No one keeps anything running here. The Plain chews up ambition.
Zerror, Quantum Scribe You’re dodging. Remember the coup with the Shard Council last stardate?
Krootz of Sector 7 I survey, I log, I don’t meddle. Let the toothy folks bite out their own nonsense.
Zerror, Quantum Scribe Nonsense! You sell survey data to both sides, everyone knows.
Krootz of Sector 7 That… that’s not proven! Survey data is neutral! You’re twisting things.
Zerror, Quantum Scribe Oh yeah? And those microbots you download overnight onto your rooftop? You really think no one notices.
Krootz of Sector 7 Now it’s personal! Everyone uses bots to survive-even you, probably.
Zerror, Quantum Scribe I ask the questions! What have you actually contributed beyond feeding the fractures?
Krootz of Sector 7 Without my data, your so-called reporters would trip over their own delusions.
Zerror, Quantum Scribe *indignant* You’re just an opportunist! Why even interview you?
Krootz of Sector 7 Everyone here’s an opportunist, except for the dead. Even they still sell their location for three units of shadowwater…