PasoiTheSunkenWorld OnthesurfaceofPasoithereislittlehabitableland,thelargestlandmassisadesert continentofrockandsandthatisonlyabout1,000squarekilometers.Nearlyalllifethereis hyperadaptedtodesertliving,butitcontainsonly1%ofthelifeonPasoi.Therearesmallerland masses,nonearelargerthanthestateofRhodeIslandbutsimilarlysizedislandscanbe clusteredinthedozensorhundredsatvariouspointsacrosstheworld.Afarcontrastfromthe desert,theseloosescatteringsoflandaretropicaljunglesthatarehosttoallmannerofbird, insect,critter,andtribalpeople. Zoomingoutforamoment,PasoiorbitsaKclassstar,knownasKilarbytheplanets denizens,whichissmallerandcoolerthanoursun.BeingsmackdabinthemiddleofKilars habitablezonemakesPasoivulnerabletotidallocking,meaningonesideoftheplanetwould alwaysfacethestarandtheotherwouldremaindark.PasoistiltalreadypartiallyfacesKilar, formingthedesertcontinentuponthatpole,butitdodgesbeingfullytidallylockedthankstoits fastrotation.Pasoihasaday/nightcyclethatisonly7hourslong.Theplanetitselfisroughly twicethesizeofearthyet90%ofitssurfaceiscoveredbywater.

Thereare4majorclimatezonesonPasoi:thedesert,thecoldsouthcontainingaglacial continent,thetropicalislandsandshallowwaters,andofcoursetheocean.Therealaction happensbelowthesurfaceofPasoi,wherelifeismostbountiful.Theterrainoftheoceanfloor candipthousandsofmilesintosmoothrockycanyons,climbtoshallowlandbridgesunder meterdeepwaterthatconnectislands,oranyvariationinbetween.Butmostastoundingarethe buildings.Sprawlingcitiesdugintotherockandmadeartificiallyontheoceanfloortocontainthe dominantspeciesofPasoi,theSymbari,moreontheirhistorylater,moreontheirarchitecture now.Slowlyhavingrefinedtheartofmakingahomefromanexistingstructure,oftenarock spire,theyoffermodernfacilities,noneahumanwouldbeabletouse(Howdoyouusethose threeseashells?)butmorethanadequateforthem.Middleandupperclasslivingisusually seeninbubblecitiesanchoredtothefloorandfloatingorattachedpermanentlytoarockfixture. Thesearenotbubblesinawaythatairbreathingbeingswouldneedbutaremadefroman advancedgooeystructureusedforprotection,nottokeepwaterout.

LifeonPasoi IntelligentlifeonPasoiisabundantunderwater,butnotimpossibletofindonland.Infact thereisaspeciesthatfinelycontraststheSymbariinthesensethattheyareverypoor swimmers,theXoocju.Theircivilizationisstillinatribalstage,farbehindtheSymbariformany reasons,includingthepooramountofresourcesonthesurfaceandlivingspaceingeneral. SimilartoAfricantribesorNativeAmericansonEarthexceptforonesubstantialdifference:the Xoocjucanfly.Theyevolvedfromanowextinctorperhapssplinterrace,suchasthe neanderthals,ofbirdthatonceflewtheskiesofPasoi.TheSymbarihavenotgiventhemany technologicalwonders,manyofwhichwouldnotworkabovewateranyway,sothattheXoocju couldadvanceattheirownpace. Anddonethattheyhave,notbeingabletocarrymuchintheirfeatheredarmswhilein flight,theybuildboats,liveinsidemudhutsorwoodenlodges,andcrafttheirowntoolsand

medicine.NowwouldbeagoodtimetomentionhowthenoneamphibiousSymbarican communewiththoseabovewater.OneofthetechnologicalwondersthattheSymbarihave inventedisaprogrammablegolemthatlatchesontoasubstancesuchaswaterorclayand createsabodyoutofitbysustaininganelectriccurrent.Atfirstthesegolemsweremerely puppetsthatcouldwalkoutofthewaterandallowtheSymbaritoexperiencetheaboveworld. AstheirsciencegrewmoreadvancedtheSymbariwereabletosimulatethepersonalitiesof chosenindividualsandcreategolemsthatcouldfunctionindependently.Thisalsoallowedthe golemstotaketheSymbarisinfluenceintospace.NowadaystheSymbarithemselvescanleave theirplanet,butitrequiresacostlyshiporsuitthatisfilledwith,andregulates,watertakenfrom Pasoi. DealingsbetweentheSymbariandtheXoocjuhavebeentenuous,especiallybeforethe inventionofthegolems.Xoocjushamantelltalesofmonstersfromthedeepdraggingtheir peopletoawaterygraveandcapsizingboats.ManyXoocjuhaveacceptedthatthegolemsare emissariesordirectextensionsofthosethatliveinthewater,butsometribessimplybelievethe golemsaretheSymbari.VeryfewXoocjuhavebeenintospace,onlyupondirectrequesthas onetaggedalongwithanindependentgolemandexperiencedthemiracleofspaceflight. Likewise,onlyahandfulofvisitorstoPasoiortheXoocjuthemselveshavebeentoaSymbari city.TherearephysicallimitationsandsuperstitionswheretheXoocjuareconcerned,butthe Symbariaresecretiveinnature.Theyarecompletelycomfortableusingthegolemsystem. TheSymbari&TheGolems ThefirstSymbaritoseeabovewatersuffocatedafterseveralminutesofstaringatthe foreignsight.Thenextwaspulledbackdownintothewaterandtoldtheothersoftrees,the sandyshoreandofcoursethesky.Tothemtheskywassomeetherealceilingthatheldthe waterofPasoi,airthattheXoocjubreathedeverydaywasapoisontothem.Someshunnedthe aboveworldclaimingthattherewasnothinguptherefortheirpeople.Manystillgrewintrigued withscoutinglandandmeetingthosethatsailedtheboatsabovetheirheads.Othersgrew obsessedwithonething,anideathatwouldleadthemtotechnologicalmiraclesinanunheardof amountoftime:piercingthesky.Whilespaceflightwasfarfromeventheoreticaltothemwhen thefirstpuppetgolemrolledontolandandformeditsshapefromwaterandsandspaceflight waswhatdrovethem. WhentheGolemTemplateallowedforpersonalitiestobeimprintedontheirservants theyrealizedPasoiwouldbeananchorpullingthemdownnolonger.Theygatheredthebrightest mindsoftheirkind,thosemostwealthy,andahostofluckymalesandfemaleschosenthrough lottery,tocreatethefirstindependentgolems.Thisismadeallthemoredifficultwhenyouare programmingwhatisatfirstanartificiallymadejellyplatform.Information,personality,andethics areplacedonthetemplateandabsorbedintothegolemcore.Thenitisessentiallyalive.The core,likeitscreators,isextremelyagileinwater,andsinceitdoesnotrequireairorwaterto breath,canzipthroughanymannerofliquid.Outofthewateragolemisratherhelpless,justa smallgrapefruitsizedlumpsurroundedbyamalleablejelly.Wheretheingenuitycomesinisthat itcastsoutanelectriccurrentintoliquid,clay,muckorsomesuchmaterialandcreatesabody. Dependinguponthematerial'snaturalelectricalconductivityagolemcanvaryinsize.Theytend tofavorahumanoidshapeandoftenemployasealedsuittohelpthemkeepaformwithout

usingmuchenergy.Thoughenergyisnotoftenaproblemgolembatterieslastforseveral decadesonaverageandcanberechargedeasily. Eventually,aswithalllife,thegolemsbeganquestioningthemeaningoftheirexistence. Whatdoesaculturedowhenthereisnocreationmyth?Thegolemsknowexactlywherethey camefrom:anunderwaterlabinaSymbaricomplex.Thiswasnotinformationthatwaskept fromthem,infacttheSymbarisharedeverythingwiththeirgolemchildren.Butoneparticular golem,modeledaftertheequivalentofaSymbarifarmer,realizedsomethingincredible.He couldleaveanddowhateverhewanted.Sothatisjustwhathedid,visitedstrangeworlds,met alienraces,andhehasyettoreturn.Farfrombeingapoliticalfigurehead,thatonegolemdid sparkanexodusofgolemsfollowingtheirowngoalsoraskingtheSymbariforvacationsand timeoff.Thegolemtechnicianswerefrightenedatfirstthatthiswouldturnintoawarfor freedom,arevolution,butsoontheyspokewiththefreethinkinggolemsandwereoverjoyedthat theircreationscouldbecapableofsuchthought.Itwastheleadersofindustryandtheholdersof powerthatdisagreedwiththis. Golemsthatwishedtoleavesoonfoundportslockeddowntoallbutthepuppetgolems. Thefreethinkinggolemsthatwereinspacefaroutnumberedthepuppetsortherare spacefaringSymbari.Theywereimmunetothreat,butthatwasonlythebeginningofapolitical andattimesgruesomewarbetweenthesympathizersandtheleaders.Thisquicklyproduceda stalemate.Theethicalinhibitorsthatwereputintothegolemsprohibitedthemfromstartingany fightingthemselves,buttherewereriotsandstrikesonthegolemsideandblockedprivilegeson theleaderside.Symbarioutnumbertheirgolemcounterpartsbutthegolemswerebuiltto manipulatetheelementsaroundthem,makingthemformidabletonoend,manyalsoescapedto thesurface.Ifsuchactivitieswouldhavecontinuedforanylongeritwouldhavebeendisastrous forSymbariimport,export,andtheentireeconomy.Sooncompromisesleaningtowardthefree thinkingsidewerestruck.Soonfightingwasreducedtonothing,butthesituationisstillona razorsedge.