A New Example Made

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Octavius
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A New Example Made

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"Omahhida White Machiner, you stand convicted of knowingly corrupting the purity of the Book of Knowledge." The Judge spoke, his voice echoing through the open space of the Zinahiqan, in the shadow of the high-domed Şanqan. "Two choices stand before you: destroy your abhorrent creation and abandon your craft, or be hung until death."

The Judge gestured first to the axe by his left side, then the gallows by his right.

Omahhida looked at the axe. It was a Vonye-le Osme, an Axe of the Law. Its shaft was as long as his arm. The front side of the head, the blade, was narrower than an axe for woodchopping and heavier set, so that the swing would carry with it more momentum, and on impact, the axe would puncture materials far more resilient than mere wood. The back side of the axe head had a curved hook, so that, once punctured, the victim of the Vonye-le Osme could be pried open. With hesitation, Omahhida reached for the axe, and it was handed to him. He turned away from the Judge's platform, and towards the object of his crime.

An engine which uses the impellant force of fire to generate mechanical power. That was what the Book of Knowledge called it. In colloquial language, it was simply a Moiayenve, an Impeller. The Book of Knowledge, Volume 4, Chapter 2, explained in full depth the construction and operation of the Impeller. It was a cornerstone for life, pumping water from deep underground for their city, generating the necessary power for machine-working and communications towers, and so forth. Omahhida simply wished to make it better. Well-meaning, but fundamentally mistaken.

Omahhida had thought that he could appeal the Judges' decision, by arguing that his version of the Impeller qualified as a wholly derivative work without any innovation of its own, drawing on an element of Volume 3, which was unused and misunderstood, as the source of his development -- he avoided the word innovation. That text in Volume 3 revealed itself to be a piston that could be fed fresh impelled steam from both directions, so long as the operating valve was shaped just carefully for proper self-corrected timing. Until then, the Judges insisted that the aforementioned section of Volume 3, like many other details in the Book of Knowledge, would be revealed in their proper time.

In fact, the Judges had said that Omahhida suffered from hubris, since he claimed to have solved Verse 3:43:10 when all else before him had failed. But it worked. Omahhida saw it work, and saw how it operated far faster and far more efficiently than the orthodox impeller. Once he did that, he saw that so many other parts became redundant. It was perhaps that shedding of parts which scared everyone so. Why it was called abhorrent -- build it out of high-grade steel if you must, but build it orthodox!. Why Omahhida was now faced with the life decision to destroy it and end his craft or to die.

"What is a life if one has lost their craft?" Omahhida finally said, throwing the axe to the side.

"Your choice has been made." The Judge announced, as onlookers gasped. The Judge signalled for the Moiodekiyave standing to his side, who bound Omahhida's wrists together behind his back. Once tight and secure, he led Omahhida backwards towards the gallow, where he tossed the long end of the rope over the rung and began to pull. Finally, the rope became taut, and Omahhida's arms began to be pulled upward. His feet dragged back as the rope tugged at him, pulling against his arms, the shoulders locked. And then the shoulder joints became dislocated, and Omahhida's screaming began.

When his feet no longer touched the ground, the screams became muffled, whimpering groans, for no longer could Omahhida breathe properly. The Moiodekiyave secured the rope, and Omahhida was left in public view, in the shadow of the high dome of the Şanqan, to suffer in his long, drawn out death. The Moiodekiyave then picked up the axe, and began to destroy Omahhida's machine in front of its creator and the crowd all around.
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Hesam wrote:Trains are very efficient at making long lines of people dead, and I suppose they could also be used for transportation or something.

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