1.12-Sacraments of Silicon

Get the Soundtrack ⁠here⁠: [Transcript]I need to visit the Yan quandart more. Simple delivery for a huru on the cathedral world of Teshilpelemonvesti. Weevillites hollowed the entire planet through with chapels, vestibules, and foyers. Ain’t got no divine ties myself but I always take my hat off in those halls. Respect for the space if not the faith. The Anathema out in Yan are some of my favorite clients to work for and I don't mind taking a knee every now and again to show my gratitude.Few records remain of the Yan Collapse. A few Segathi Trance Seekers have probed the hazy memories of Asterwhales, Wrots, mortorspores and other folks more than a few billion years old. That’s where we’ve gotten most of the history for the Yan Quadrant. Of course, the trance seekers were looking for Ür itself so the Collapse is only a footnote for them.No stars out in that part of my home galaxy. Yan is barren of light. Hop in a diode across the way and look at the night sky–just a big ol’ chunk of its dark. But it ain’t empty. Planets stuck themselves to gas giants, brown dwarfs, and empty dyson spheres. Whole branches of civilizations live in the shadow of the rest of the galaxy.Much of the Great Anathema fled there after the cyber coalescence some six or seven million years ago. Lot of folks in the communes still don’t like the idea of machines with ethereal ties. The idea of 1s and 0s with souls makes ‘em itch. But by convention or convenience, they pretty much leave the Yan Quadrant alone.Things might be changing, though. Heard enough derisive talk in liquol bars and far orbit stations between Pure Shards and the Pan-Animate to get my synthetic hairs on edge. Discussion of purges, pogroms, and the marshaling of Crusade into Yan to rid the galaxy of the Anathema.Sittin’ in the hallowed halls of Teshilpelemonvesti, looking at the statues, the woven exorasson worn by the hurus for worship, the sacraments of oil and silicon on the dias, I realize it could all disappear. Hamark says not to worry, such radical scares come and go, but I can’t shake many of my Anathema friends here might be in danger. And that something’s coming.