[8.3.5] "All my work will be lost" - Syntax - 11/14/07

**Tyndall**

Warriors,

I'm sorry to report that we were unable to bring operative Viellard out of the Matrix. The Machines locked his signal, and he was killed by Machine operatives near the hardline, while our forces were engaged with a large number of Machine security programs there.

Almost all of our surviving veteran operatives in need of signature reconfiguration are now safely out of the Matrix. Reconfig operations are going on around the clock. We hope to have all of our soldiers back in the Matrix very soon.

Tyndall
Zion Command

**MotorZ** · 11/15/2007 20:49:55

Seems like the only reason the Machines have killed half these guys is because theyre too stubborn to get their asses out of the simulation.

EDIT: btw, this is an awesome shot, with the Agent shooting at Colt like this.

**machete**

R.I.P. Viellard

**shinpseudo**

**Shinryu**

And of course we'll get blamed even though he was given more than ample warning *sighs* Excellent work.

**Eleutherophobia**

He was wrong.

**Marias**

*cough*

Strategically placed leg...

We'll meet again. I hope that you'll make peace with life before then.

Tenshi · 11/15/2007 23:14:33

Another one bites the dust eh? What'd you think we were kidding when we said we were at war? Keep comin' at us, our clips don't run out...

**GoDGiVeR**

FaraRose wrote:

He was wrong.

And still you shot. He was right.

**Illyria22**

Another threat to System stability gone. Good work.

Illyria

**Mindsweep**

This is not over yet. The Machines don't want peace they want this war to continue - so let it be.

**Procurator**

So that's the guy Starschwar was moaning about. As stupid as all the others who stayed in the Matrix in spite of the many warnings they've had. He took a (huge) risk and lost. Zionites don't get to take the moral highground here.

Starschwar and all other Machinists who were there that night: you did the right thing.

Could Zionites now please exit the Simulation? How many 'veterans' are we going to have to kill before you get the blasted point?!

Incidentally, respect to Colt for calling us Machinists.

**Stack**

Procurator wrote:

Incidentally, respect to Colt for calling us Machinists.

I believe he also used such colorful phrases as "those bastards" and "that SOB." Then again, he may have been referring to Viellard himself. You never know with Colt.

Shinryu wrote:

And of course we'll get blamed even though he was given more than ample warning *sighs* Excellent work.

Warning someone that you're going to kill them beforehand doesn't justify murder. If anything, it establishes clearly that it was premeditated.

I can surmise, though, that Starschwar may not have realized he was about to permanently end a life. It's easy to forget the power of bullets when they so often leave no lasting effect. I've known him long enough to recognize that he was not anticipating true violence of this sort and still doesn't feel entirely comfortable with it--I wouldn't either. That still doesn't absolve him of his offense, though, and I still maintain that he is no longer on my cease-fire list for this.

And Colt, if you ever have need of our assistance again, EPN will always be willing to help.

**GoDGiVeR**

Procurator wrote:

Could Zionites now please exit the Simulation? How many 'veterans' are we going to have to kill before you get the blasted point?!

Ain't gonna happen. I practically live there, more than you do anyways.

**Neoteny**

Procurator wrote:

So that's the guy Starschwar was moaning about. As stupid as all the others who stayed in the Matrix in spite of the many warnings they've had. He took a (huge) risk and lost. Zionites don't get to take the moral highground here.

Starschwar and all other Machinists who were there that night: you did the right thing.

Could Zionites now please exit the Simulation? How many 'veterans' are we going to have to kill before you get the blasted point?!

Incidentally, respect to Colt for calling us Machinists.

It's a risk only because you make it a risk. Again and again and again I see Machinists demanding we leave the Matrix or be terminated - then they put a slug in a man's head and blame the killing on he who refused to leave. A warning does not place the finger of the deceased on the trigger. You still pulled it.

Admittedly it was out of bullheaded stupidity that this man remained, but that does not validate his murder. Simply because you have the option does not mean you have to take it - we were down this road during the time of the Truce when a gang of Machinists decided to barge in on Niobe and a liutenant who, unbeknownst to the Machinists, had a malfunctioning EJP. They shot without thinking, and she died. Their justification was that "they wouldn't answer when we asked what they were doing" - it's basically the same situation, and it still doesn't make it right. Not by a long shot.

What are you accomplishing by this, anyway? You're stopping awakenings, and some guy's research on the assembled fragments of Neo's long since shed RSI. You're hardly preventing crusades against the System or the deaths of bluepills. Hell, you've even caused the death of some bluepills, not to mention a good number of redpills. What's the purpose? Or are you just in attack dog mode, doing whatever the Machine tells you to?