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Talla's Frontier Temple: Chapter 4 (Patreon)

Published:
2022-09-28 01:21:03
Imported:
2026-06
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Content

As Talla and her friends are preparing for their pilgrimage to Prima, a number of people are annoyed and a few tasks need cleaning up before they can begin.

Tight upgrades can be really awkward, you know?

Comments

Stephen

Wonderful, so happy to get another chapter. Interesting to see that an upgrade in Pu$$y, also translates to an increase in ability to "handle information." at least according to Atreya, and according to her physical description she would know. I have built a number of computers for myself and family, so i can't help but wonder if "handling Information" roughly equates to processing power (CPU), Memory Short term (Ram) or Long term (Hard drive), some ratio of all three, or something more esoteric like wisdom. Sweetness upgrades affecting intellect help explain why Sweetness is in charge of Administration, Medicine, Eugenics and Teaching. Facial isn't just about telling and detecting lies, it helps you UNDERSTAND people. That would be great for team building and counseling. Its a bit of a shame that Talla has access to mentor's like Shanatta and Atreya, yet doesn't seem to be willing to really listen to them. She want's Pu$$y primarily to look more mature, but the joke might be on her because it's secondary benefits might be the very thing she needs to make better decisions, like setting aside her misplaced resentment long enough to listen to the advice of more experienced sisters. I would not be surprised if she entirely misread Atreya's intent. Atreya might not be "innocent" - indeed she is fully aware in her discussions with the Sorcerer regarding "what happened on the roof". Yet, she did NOT press Talla for further information and was MORE intent on helping her sister make a educated decision regarding a choice she would not normally have to make till much older (the rank of Keeper ie: age 24-28)? Does the temple expect an 18-19 year old to make an informed choice in the benefits of out of division disciplines? - I doubt it. Indeed, why was Atreya sunbathing at that precise moment along Tallas path for her scheduled meeting in Endowment? Maybe Atreya isn't innocent , maybe she is guilty - guilty of trying to help Talla make an informed decision because she realizes that Tallas situation that is waaaay outside of normal Temple circumstances. Great chapter. Please keep writing.

Sienna Fisher

I must confess, I've been very exasperated by Talla's behavior almost since the beginning of Book 2. I know she is only 18, and I can't imagine anyone not having a strong negative reaction to harsh physical and mental punishment of the kind she endured, but her anger and impetuousness seem very childish. Talla struck me as smart and savvy from the first chapter. To me, she's been acting much too rashly and slightly out of character for too long. Instead of biding her time and seeking more information, which, as she often rightly laments, comes in drips and drabs as women progress up the hierarchy of the temple (and/or learning some information and then discounting it all as lies meant to control people), she stumbled ahead to try and bring down the Temple of Gern as soon as possible, the foolishness of which was borne out by the events in Beshenna. She has obviously realized they need a different course, but seems unsure of what to do next, so she has defaulted to trying to talk to the gods on the recommendation of the Goddess of Beshenna for lack of a better plan. Her connection with Zhair'lo is little understood by them let alone anyone else and they really do need to figure it out (it's unclear at this point what the Goddess and Queen of Sweetness in Gern actually know about their connection - I don't think they know the extent though they have unknowingly felt the effects - or what insight they could provide if they did). That's all to say that this chapter seems to be laying the groundwork for the next phases of Talla's mission. Xavier, you rightly point out in your reply to Stephen that this is primarily the characters against society and societal changes of the scale Talla wants to see take a lot of time. So far, she's been impatient, but from this chapter I gather that she is on the fast track for leadership, or at least that's what her superiors would like. Like Stephen, I'm hoping she will start viewing her choice of upgrades in the vein of what skills they provide rather than looks. Anyway, the higher she goes, the more she will learn (the Pussy upgrade may prove enlightening in this regard) and the more influence/power she will have. I particularly appreciated that Shanata pushed back on Talla's outright belligerence and pointed out that she has allies in the upper echelons if she's willing to put aside her bitterness. Talla's rightly wary of authority, but I think you've done a great job illustrating that there are plenty of people within the temple (and not just the 'Little Girls' or any one division/discipline) who are asking the question, "Can we do better?" That said, I'm hoping for a scene in the next chapter between Sonja and Talla. I'm still finding it difficult to understand Sonja's motivations in helping Talla and Zhair'lo in Beshenna, and here she is again volunteering to act as the source for Talla's upgrade. It might go some way in alleviating some of Talla's wariness of authority too... or not. Either way, I would love to read it. Also, I loved the choice to show the upgrade from Tara's perspective instead of Talla's. It was refreshingly different from another couple paragraphs detailing Talla's thoughts and feelings during the rite. While that could also be interesting to read, I am enjoying the rivalry that is blossoming between those two. Talla is explicitly jealous of all the girls in Zhai's squad because of how casually close he is to them, while she has had to struggle and fight for everything she and Zhai have (on this point I will say, your portrayal of Zhai's feelings toward Talla have diminished a bit since the beginning - like all of his partners are special to him in some way, so it's harder to distinguish Talla other than their strange mesh vs. her experiences being just sex, even with the other girls she's meshed with, so her connection with Zhai is infinitely more special) but while the other girls have some reservations, they seem to be coming around. Let's be real though, Tara doesn't just dislike Talla for the monogamy of it all, she's jealous of Talla in some way yet to be fully understood and is probably hypocritical which is fun. I also love unreliable narrators, so the fact that Tara doesn't seem to recognize her feelings as jealousy is even better. I know this is a really long post, but one last thing -- I have questions about the very beginning of the chapter when the Goddess is lamenting losing control over Zhair'lo. Let me just say I love the little interludes where we get a glimpse of the higher-ups' meetings discussing the main characters or events - it reminds me of the little snippets of discussion between Colonel Graff and Major Anderson in Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. But I digress... My first question (or maybe observation depending on spoilers) is why does the Goddess focus so much on Zhair'lo as opposed to Talla? While both are main characters, I figure this is, at least ostensibly, Talla's story (that is, after all, what the title implies). Plus, Talla is more directly under Temple control than Zhair'lo. There must be a reason the Goddess devotes so much time to him as a topic. Is it because she does seem to have more control over Talla? Have they written her off since she chose Abundance? She obviously has powers aside from (or maybe just more obscure symptoms of) her and Zhair'lo's mesh that have so far flown under the radar or been written off (such as meshing with women, outrunning a Form guard, her influence on Zo'kar and Shen, possibly being the cause of an accidental double upgrade with no synergist, etc.). I know they hoped to breed Talla and Zhair'lo at some point, but was that their only interest in her? Secondly, speaking of breeding, that was the point I found most strange. The Goddess is complaining about Zhair'lo going on this journey to Prima as a disruption for their use of him and the Queen placates her by saying they'll send word ahead to make sure he breeds the right women. So presumably while Talla is being upgraded in other cities, Zhair'lo will be impregnating some women, however, isn't he too young for that? The Temple makes a big deal about having sex with only those age-appropriate, and from my understanding, women don't start having children until they are in yellow or possibly orange. Unless I'm reading way too much into it or there's an exception or there's some sort of artificial insemination or something (possibly women have trouble conceiving otherwise due to the heavy birth-control herb use) that explains a younger man able to be used for breeding. Anyway, thank you for another great chapter. All the new chapters have been good, and I like the direction. I am in much anticipation of the next (this is why I binge read ): )

Stephen

I agree Tallas’ behavior has become more erratic recently, definitely not for the better, I have been thinking about that. I think we might be witnessing several factors playing out: 1. Post-traumatic stress disorder Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that's triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event. Most people who go through traumatic events may have temporary difficulty adjusting and coping, but with time and good self-care, they usually get better. If the symptoms get worse, last for months or even years, and interfere with your day-to-day functioning, you may have PTSD. - https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/post-traumatic-stress- disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20355967 We haven’t seen any of Talla’s dreams/nighmares but we have seen three of the other four factors at play at various moments. Zhair’lo even tells one of his comrades he can even feel Tallas anxiety across the link regarding to having to go to forms triangle to arrange travel. One might think she would be elated, one more step and she can put Gern’s Triangle of Form in her rear view mirror, but instead just imagining returning to Form’s triangle alone is enough to fill her with dread. A year ago if Talla had been called into a meeting where 3 women ranging from 5-9 ranks above her, she would have been calm, collected, inquisitive and would have asked a lot more questions like when she awakened after her quadruple upgrade and got quite a good haul of information from her then concerned Sorceress. Her Sorceress is still concerned, but Tallas’ sustained anxiety has her so wary she doesn’t even respond to her superiors light-heart-ed joke, so Talla just hunkers down and doesn’t even respond. We know that the Sorceress of Abundance favors Sweetness upgrades over Form enhancements so while her mental attributes might not be sheer perfection, she’s probably one smart/perceptive cookie. I am certain she has excellent recall of her earlier conversation with the clever, precocious, inquisitive Talla of a year ago. This is probably her first opportunity to see the psychological damage/change that Forms’ justice has wrought first hand. Its one thing to hear about a horrible ordeal in a 30 second conversation, its often quite another to see the damage first hand. Isn’t that why Zelinsky wanted world leaders to come to Ukraine and see the Mass-graves, the bombed schools, hospitals and Maternity wards. Talla lashes out with misplaced anger. I too, am glad Shanata spoke up. In Tallas’ defense, I don’t think she has has the time or the information to process what Abundance and her sister’s did for her, but who’s fault is that? This was their first opportunity to openly communicate with her since she ran off to help Zhair'lo. Abundance may be dismayed at Tallas’ behavior, but I think she still cares - maybe even more now. Despite Tallas’ borderline belligerence, Talla did the right thing, while almost surrounded by those willing to look the other way (not counting Shanata, an equally angry rookie fighter squad and a certain enigmatic Justicar who just might be re-thinking her own personal definition of right and wrong). Whatever citations and accolades Form bestowed certainly didn’t do Talla any favors regarding her mental health. Psychology is almost certainly the providence of Sweetness, but does she trust them any more than Form? Beshennas’ Endowment was so certain that their Sweetness was such a clear-and-present-danger to their Temple they literally brought the Temple down on their heads – and did it so thoroughly the whole temple fell. Shanata certainly would have relayed that information to her Sorceress. Abundance can see that Talla is in pain, Talla needs help, but Talla is leaving. How can Abundance help? Abundance can’t leave the city, best I can tell is she will have to send word down the route to those she can trust. 2. Sweetness Deprivation Yup, I can’t believe I typed that either! No worries I have faith Xtorch will come up with an infinitely, edgier, hipper, pseudo-scientific name, so cool we will all believe that we too can declassify top secret documents with the sheer power of our minds, (“Nuclear launch codes – you will now henceforth be known as: Gran-ma’ Marthas’ Sweet Creamy Butternut Cookie Recipe”) Until recently we though only men were affected by a drought of Mesh due to a collapse of the temple magic network, but thanks to Maska we know know that women just have a slower onset, which makes sense because they are up one level on the node – so to speak. How much a slower onset? No idea, not enough information, but if we assume a linear rate and each woman serves an average of 3 times a week that means your median typical male has a 56 hour head start into madness/catatonia assuming they are not heroic. That may not sound like much, but unlike men whose connection to the network is semi variable due to service scheduling, the women probably loose it all about the same time, when perfection is actually lost. So once one women turns you might be at the threshold of a critical mass among all women who are not heroic. I doubt symptoms happens all at once, probably slowly, insidiously. In Gern, women have the lion’s share of the real responsibility, consequently that means they can do the most damage. The potential for women to sabotage is staggering. Beshenna may have cut it closer than they knew. That lone enraged female might have been the canary in the coal-mines. The Temple directly tests men for seminal Quality/Quantity and then Heroism. The Temple doesn’t directly test women for Temple magic aptitude or Heroism at all. Once Talla left Gern she left the Gern temple network. thats days without sweetness, how much that may have affected her, we know that female travelers charge up for days before leaving so Beshennas’ ascendance although spectacular might not fully restore women for days and we suspect she is a weak goddess. We have been assuming Talla is heroic in nature because she is one of our two protagonist and she has a good heart, we know Zhair'lo is heroic, but only because the temple tests men. If Tallas is actually an enraged normally insulated from rage primarily by the Temple Magic, that might also help explain her recent sudden bouts of anger. Magical power in women might even be directly or loosely associated with the enraged trait. We are told that mens bodies do not handle the temple magic the same way as women. Maybe those sealed virgins whose bodies seem to want to resist the influence of magic, would have been classified as Heroic, if only they had been born men, where operating normally outside of Temple magic zones is prized. Maskas’ research reveals that the temple may have made a horrible mistake by not testing females, and accounting for this in the breeding calculations. There would be a very realistic reason women were not tested. It would be exponentially harder to do. Warning Extreme Hypothetical Theorizing: All women seem plugged into the temple via their disciplines, women would have to be tested in a temple free zone, yet clear of enraged who probably tend to infest such zones. The testing site would at least initially be have to be conducted by heroic men, at least until heroic women could be identified, to assist in the endeavor. Sweetness has kind of a subtle monopoly among women, would they be willing to train mere men in their fields to the degree required for them to succeed? I think I foresee a lot of resistance to such a proposal. This is assuming the women of Within have not been able to develop/find a potion that neutralized a woman’s connection to the temple mesh – If they have such a thing, I am certain Sweetness would classify it as top secret and kept deep under wraps. It would literally be seen as a potential blasphemous weapon of mass destruction. So far I tell the spectrum in men I see as: Catatonic → Heroic → Enraged Catatonics - seem almost bipolar in nature easily affected by outside forces, including temple magic, often describes as wildly swinging moods, can become catatonic and die in absence of Temple Magic. Ex: Male → Shen Female → V’shika (former sealed Virgin of Within)(Temple doesn’t test) Heroic – Balanced – not terribly dependent on the Temple magic – Immune to sweetness deprivation Ex: Male → Zhair'lo, Male members of his squad Female → Unknown, (Temple doesn’t test) Enraged – Very affected by Temple magic* and violent in it’s absence, seemingly opposite of catatonic. * Note this last sentence: Very affected by Temple magic, if your trying to breed a stronger goddess are you not looking to increase that goddesses connection with the Temple mesh network? A Goddess with a poor connection probably won’t be able to sence or influence it as much. Ex: Male → Thousands in Beshenna Female → One discovered in Breshenna by Masaka (Temple doesn’t test) You are now leaving: Extreme Hypothetical Theorizing: Like Sienna, I too would like to see more of Sonja’s motivations. In many ways Sonja reminds me of Del. A woman of Iron who, like Chief Cameron, likes to “have his facts in order,” but where Del is still composing her “Guide to how all things should be.” I suspect Sonja adopted her Guide based on how Form thought all things should be. This can work well for years – until it doesn’t. Sonja likewise probably sees herself as a hero in her own narrative. Initially, Tallas’ case probably seemed a bit routine, so Sonja probably applied time tested solutions designed to leave no doubt that this type of behavior is not to be tolerated and will only lead to sorrow - by extension this suggests that if this treatment is applied, after a sufficient number of different number partners and the passing of time, they will forget about each other and be “happy” or at least not full of sorrow. This same thing happened to Tina and her lover, and after they were done punishing them and sundered their link. The Temple shipped him far, far away. Thus Sonja never had to see or face the lingering aftermath. Job well done! But that didn’t happen this time around. Unbeknownst to our great adjudicator Zhair'lo was a seal breaking, goddess born hero, with deep compassion and real leadership qualities. Secretly Sweetness suspects he’s potentially a top conduit, and probably dutifully transmitted his scores to nearby cities, in case of emergencies, this would include, Beshenna’s Sweetness and her officers. They are all co-coordinating a massive Continental breeding project after all. Sweetness may have died, but at least some of her officer core surly survived. Take note, Beshenna could have asked two other equidistant cities for a conduit (according to Xhaviers’ Map). The new emerging Queen was of Form and probably only wanted to know who would be most likely to succeed in immediate mission parameters, devoid of any other data, like his age or probability of survival. Lets face it – No Sweetness [High] Officer is going tell an angry Queen of Form, fresh from torturing and killing the Queen of Endowment about the breeding project). That would just be the definition of stupid. She could have asked several other cities - she chose Gern - which is significantly smaller than Beshenna. Zhair'lo might not be just the most gifted male in the city, he might be the most gifted male in the entire region. The Goddess would probably rather eat a bag of pine cones rather that ship Zhair'lo away. She’s been intimate with Zhair'lo. Yeah, he might have fallen unconscious, but I like to think having a perfection forcibly crammed into you was probably not your typical 18 year old sexual encounter, so I would give him a pass on that one. She nursed him afterwords and probably had a lot of Oxytocin (ie: the cuddle chemical) in her bloodstream at the time. We know she had at least one previous fantasy about him and know she subsequently secretly visited his upgrading of Yua. In addition, she recently gave birth to Magnus her son and entrusted him to The Goddess of Beshenna who ascended from Within, whom she presumed would take great care and use precautions to protect and keep him safe. I suspect that promise was part of a long term trade, maybe that how they got Talla or Zhair'lo, in the first place. Point is I think Beshennas’ successor from Forms’ slipshod handling of a living male godborn, (ie: just just a disposable wrapper for perfection.) has made her re-evaluate Magnus’ safety. The Goddess, so to speak, is not in her happy place. All this is going on in the background when the Goddess summons Sonja to assist in preparing Zhair'lo. The Goddess didn’t like how the previous monogamy allegations were handled, but it happened too fast, too far from her immediate influence and afterward was more concerned about the scrutiny of Form. You can tell Sonja doesn’t really want to be involved in priming Zhair'lo for perfection – considering their past, but the Goddess pulls no punches and explains that she needs his anger, and even twists the dagger a bit, chiding the adjudicator that [Zhair'lo] “must really be angry with you,” Sonja tries to blame it on the Potion, but her explanation sounds flat, unconvincing, neither of them believe that excuse. Behind that anger, is pain - a lasting pain that hasn’t healed – and Sonja caused it. The Goddess doesn’t let her off the hook, indeed she proceeds to rub her nose in it and tasks her to keep Zhair'lo safe. Many woman in the army assumed that the mandate was just to deliver him safely to Beshennas’ Queen of Form, it would suit The Goddess of Gern for them to assume that. Do we - the readers, knowing more of the background really believe that the Goddess of Gern was really that, sort-sighted or forgiving? The deepest changes we experience in life are often the ones that force us to confront ourselves. Shanata Endowment-Adept-1 (7) is assigned by Sorceress-Abundance (Gern) to watch/protect Talla. Sonja Iron-Adept-2 (8) is assigned by Goddess (Gern) to protect Zhair'lo. Shanata has surprisingly good facial for an Endowment women, but Sonja is of higher rank, facial is in her division and judging wrongdoer’s is her job title. It’s her jam. Sonja also knows that Shanata and Talla are sister’s (she admitted it during earlier monogamy sentencing). Probably suspects Shanata is covering for Talla, for some bizarre reason (ie: True). Sonja is watching Zhair'lo like a hawk, but seems to be even stealthier than Shanata. Several times Sonja just seems to pop up where no one expected, then again she has significant amounts of Facial and Tight, the same upgrades prized by Rangers, she is probably a great stalker should the need arise. If Shanata saw the glow, I am would bet Sonja did too, she probably also overheard their subsequent whispered conversation. She’s also the one who disobeyed Beshenna even going so far as to order a frazzled Within woman to help them revive Zhair'lo. On the surface, Sonja with 8 Ranks in Iron, with a direct mandate from the Goddess, probably outranks everyone on the field with the exception of Gillian (9) an officer with command over the entire relief force. Under the surface, clearly the connection she thought was sundered, either was not or was reforged. Neither Talla or Zhair'lo are happy, both share painful memories, yet despite this Talla is still set to serving the temple 5 times a week, Zhair'lo has broken the seals of a platoon of virgins, and is even going though with the Ascension even though he strongly suspects it will probably kill him – all for the greater good. We have seen several times where the temples gifts are double edged like when Abundance whipped Atreya once on the nipple knowing she had 10 ranks in point. Sonya is probably hearing and realizing their pain more than either of them can realize or appreciate. The Temple paints a picture that monogamy is a corrosive thing that will inevitably tear the temple apart, but clearly - here it didn’t. So what did Sonja’s verdict actually accomplish? Alot of hurt and pain for no real good reason. The temple teaches a woman takes responsibility for her actions. (apparently the temple doesn’t hold men responsible for their actions, but that another story-don’t get me started on that.) I suspect we are seeing Sonja taking responsibility and beginning to pay restitution in the only way she knows how. I like the way the Tight upgrade was treated, both Tara’s take on it, but also how Sonja handled it. I couldn’t think of any Tight woman that Talla would know that would knowingly give a double. From the description, The Tight upgrade was probably just a single, but after all Talla’s been thought, a safe, but very solid single Tight upgrade might be the best and most personal, gift Sonia has the power to give. Gotta admit I didn’t see the double out of division upgrades coming. I thought she would get a combination of two in division from Strength or Point, but I see the reasoning. It’s also interesting that her second choice in upgrades is the Geneticists upgrade. Now that we know that upgrade increases the handling of information, I can see why they are such naturals at codes, secret messages, cryptography and interpreting genetic lines seven generations deep. They are like James Bond, but without the physical skills. They also have perhaps the strongest motivation of all the disciplines to see Talla advancing as fast as humanly possible, and they know she can survive a quadruple, thought they won’t risk something THAT extreme. They want her to reach Queen/Goddess while she is young enough to successfully have babies beyond the (standard Yellow/Orange mandated quota) (preferably more than one if possible.) Do they really stick to a single upgrade? They certainly have motive, they now have opportunity, and I am beginning to suspect that - if necessary - they could forge a pretext that would make Vladomir Putin green with envy. Lots of potential plot development fun to be had. Intrigued to see how Talla uses an upgraded ability to handle information, we have seen she already has a calculated/strategic/sneaky side, like her plan to disrupt the goddess ascension via destroying synergist, so this is a surprisingly good fit. I could see it useful in a number of areas outside of the typical Sweetness profession. Endowment would find it useful in Architecture and Engineering (no wonder Atreya favors it), Form would find it useful in Law, Strategy and Logistics. I agree with Sienna, that Gern’s Goddess does seem more concerned with Zhair'lo, than Talla, but I suspect that is more a matter of social bias and circumstance. The Goddess see’s Talla is a woman, indeed an exceptional woman at that, and as such, woman are responsible for their own actions. I suspect she would act if necessary, but she probably expects Talla to be able to take care of herself. Ironically, we are explicitly told men are not considered responsible for their actions, this even seems to be - perhaps unconsciously - extended to heroic men. Thus despite Zhair'lo’s obvious competence, strength and wisdom, the Goddess seems to feel he needs to be protected. This again ironically turns out to be true, but only because the Goddess of Beshenna, despite being granted ultimate authority over her city, is so ill prepared/trained for her new position as a fully functional Goddess to her city. She doesn’t really seem understand the other disciplines, or know how to run a city or it’s economy, but she does know how to run a military operation. Beshenna will live probably less than a year, by Temple standards thats ok, she only has to beat back the enraged till death then another will assume her place based largely upon the temples needs. Form in strife, Endowment in growth and Sweetness in stability. This is a design flaw of the current inherent standing administrative structure. If this structure is to change it will probably fall to its’ citizens (men and women) who resolve “to do better.”