paramorin

[paramorin]

hi! I stumbled upon Mind Fuck by a friend's recommendation, but after checking out the author's website I couldn't tell if the series was overall finished or not. I don't like starting a series when I don't know if there will be a resolution for the main couple at the end or not. could you maybe help out? :)

Hi! Short answer is, it's finished enough to read. That is, there may be additional books written in the future, who knows, but there are no plot bits that remain unresolved. If there are any additional books written at any point, it would mean a new plot, probably. Unlike a lot of book series, in this series each book is self-contained. There are developments, so reading in order is advised, but you can stop at any point. Which also means that if you finish the first book (or the second, or the third) and decide you don't want to read further, there are no cliff hangers and you don't have to go looking for spoilers.

So, I recommend reading the first one, and if you enjoy it enough that you want to spend more time in this world, with these characters, read more. On a side note, a lot of things that were scifi during the writing of the first book no longer are (like touchscreen gadgets, "screens" in the books, or automated voice-to-text transcribing). I suspect that the more retro-futuristic the series becomes, the less likely additional sequels become.

if you choose to read it, I hope you like it!

#manna francis #the administration series #mind fuck

[paramorin]

crabs?

*Nods sagely* Crabs.

[paramorin]

I think Warrick goes back to see it again later, doesn't he?

Never forget the scene in one of the The Administration books where the boys have a zoo day! I doubt a paraphrased excerpt can do justice to nine novel's worth of characterisation but...

The panther paced across the front of the cage immediately behind the glass. Not the whole width—barely a third of it, in fact. She had worn a path in the grass, turning each time at precisely the same spot, moving with a tightly contained energy that he found painful to watch.

Prowling—that was the word traditionally linked to big cats. She should have prowled, but she didn't. Warrick had spent a long time in front of the cage when he'd been here with Dillian, trying to work out why the word felt so wrong, and eventually decided that prowling implies an interest in the world around. The panther showed no awareness of anything beyond her endless turn and return.

Unlike many of the other cages, there was no sense of being watched back. It was possible to map many things onto the flat, yellow eyes—restlessness, rage, boredom, despair, madness, a desperate determination never to surrender to stillness and death—but nothing that touched the viewer, nothing that connected to anything outside the animal's own mind.

"Why's it doing that?" Toreth asked eventually.

"She came from somewhere where she was kept in a very small cage, with insufficient stimulation. The repetitive behaviour is called stereotyping. A stress-reducing response, or so I understand."

"So why is it still doing it?"

"Probably because she hasn't noticed yet that things have changed. It was all she'd ever experienced, according to the exhibit entry." He offered his hand screen to Toreth, but he was still watching the panther. "She arrived at the other place as a young cub, and after that she was always kept alone in the same cage."

"You feel sorry for it, don't you?" Toreth asked.

"Yes."

"More fool you. I'll tell you something—if you went in there with it, I bet it'd stop stereotyping pretty fucking sharpish." His hands slid up, circling Warrick's neck loosely. "It'd tear your fucking throat out."

Warrick forced his shoulders to relax. "Yes, I expect it would."

"That'd teach you not to feel sorry for things that don't fucking need it."

#the administration series #Corpora Delicti #toreth #warrick

[paramorin]

when a hot fictional man commits atrocities i’m like. where are your morals? where is your dignity? where do you live? when can i come over?

#about me #toreth

[paramorin]

Scariest part of this article:

Link

#uk politics #the administration series #Futuristic Dystopia

[paramorin]

Be gay do crime folks

#i feel called out

[paramorin]

Re: fan reading of Virtual. Manna got back to me and the reader took it down. :( ♡ Only a memory now.

Awww, that's too bad! I'm sorry to hear that.

#the administration series #fandom

[paramorin]

Turned my apartment (Faerie > Mist Ward 4 > Wing 1 > Room 79) into Toreth’s shitty flat 8’)

Not as messy as it probably should be (and I cannot for the life of me find the exercise equipment mods that used to be on the archive) but overall I’m very happy with it! It’s a good setup for screenshots, anyway.

I’m fucking obsessed with this series and have been using ffxiv as a creative outlet for that obsession soooo I’m gonna be dumping the sfw results here…!

I’d apologize but I’m not actually sorry.

#the administration series #fan art

[paramorin]

Aaand here are the boys, my current crime barbies that I cannot seem to put down.

Elezen, because Hyur features feel too young for them… What I wouldn’t give for an ear mod to give them normal human ears…. Still love them though!!

#val toreth #keir warrick #fan art

[paramorin]

I'm not sure how active this community is anymore, but I've been looking for something and maybe someone knows where it is. So, way back when there was a fan-made audio reading of the beginning of Mind Fuck(basically just Virtual). I can't seem to find it at all, nor is it in my file backups. Does anyone remember it or have a link?

I'm afraid I'm not as active as I'd like to be, but please send me links to any of your posts about The Administration Series and I am happy to reblog them!

I have never heard that recording or even of it, this is pretty exciting! I don't know what the copyright situation is, but if it's legal, I'll be happy to record a reading, if you can't find the old one.

#the administration series #manna francis #mind fuck

[paramorin]

Freelancers

Freelancers function in a liminal space. The main, defining attribute of a freelancer is that they make their money from both corporate contracts and Administration contracts in their field of choice. They are not officially employed by any corporation or bureau. Freelancers are often (but not limited to) scientists, architects and other researchers that may work for both the Administration and Corporations, or artists that sell their services to corporations and apply for lucrative Administration-managed Arts and Cultures grants. If someone doesn’t officially work for either a corporation or The Administration, they are most likely classified as a freelancer.

#the administration RPG

[paramorin]

Corporates

Corporations and Corporates own a large majority of businesses in The Administration. There is a corporation for just about anything you can imagine. Leisure Center with strippers and sex workers? Oh yes, lots of those. Fancy restaurants and bars? Yes. Less fancy restaurants and bars, absolutely yes. Sex shops, clothing stores, pharmaceutical suppliers, grocery stores, meat packers, software developers, corporations that choose and groom your new favorite boybands. You name it, and there is at least one corporation that exists to supply it. High level corporates often have corporate immunity which protects them from many of The Administration’s especially repressive laws. But not even corporate immunity and expensive lawyers can save you from I&I - they always find their ways to get around The Corporate Accords. And, of course, corporate immunity isn’t provided to all corporate employees - just the important and highly-compensated ones.

Jobs (A non-exhaustive list)         

Corporate Leaders     

There are just as many corporate executives as there are corporations. And once a corporation is licensed and making money, those corporate leaders enjoy great amounts of power and money. Unlike Administration workers, there are no restrictions on how much money a corporate leader can earn - the sky is the limit when it comes to profits, for both the corporation and the corporate. High-powered corporates often have corporate immunity, which gives them and their families great protections against many Administration laws.     

Security     

Corporate security is a hot area. There corporations that specialize in security, and many large, powerful, and profitable corporations employ in-house security specialists to protect the corporate leaders and corporate intellectual property. They range from bodyguards to analysts - corporate specialists who rank and manage risk for the corporation and their important people.     

Corporate Saboteurs     

Corporate Sabs work under secrecy - often on their own or in small corporations with a less dangerous front. Many corporations like to play dirty - spying on their competitors or actively sabotaging their interests or IP. Corporate sabs have the knowledge and the fearlessness to take on other corporations while protecting their client’s interests and identity. Some Corporate Saboteurs even are skilled enough to break into Administration databases or other services. It’s an incredibly risky job and the threat of interrogation is something always in the back of a corporate sab’s mind - but the financial rewards can be well-worth it, if you can handle the risk.       

Service Workers     

No corporation can function without its lower workers. They man the bars, do makeup and hair for artists, basic programming, cashiering. They keep the corporations running smoothly, in whatever field the corporation is in.     

Make a Corporation     

We don’t have any pre-made corporations - that’s up to you! Make any kind of corporation you’d like - they can be just about anything you can imagine and your character can play any role you want, and you can recruit for other characters to join your corporation.    

#the administration series #the administration RPG

[paramorin]

Other Public Employees

The European Administration is a totalitarian bureaucracy, and as such, just about everything that can be organized in a bureau is a bureau. This list is far from exhaustive, and in all of these bureaus you’ll find admins, researchers, analysts, specialists, and other types of jobs.

Bureaus and Jobs         

Bureau of Population     

The Bureau of Population is one of the most powerful Bureaus by far. They control public housing for administrative employees, they choose job options for people who opt to take the Civil Service Exam for job placement, and most importantly, the Bureau of Populations controls reproduction. To keep The Administration running smoothly, reproduction is strictly controlled through mandatory implants that all citizens receive at age thirteen. To have a child (on your own or with significant other(s)), one must apply for a Reproductive Permit which will allow the applicant to have their implant temporarily removed so they may conceive a child. These applications are reviewed, and approved or denied, by the Bureau of Populations. And if they give you an answer you don’t like, you are of course allowed to appeal. But the appeal will also be reviewed by the Bureau of Populations.     

Bureau of Transportation     

The Bureau of Transportation manages all kinds of transportation - air, space, sea and, of course, ground transportation. They manage traffic, work with corporations that provide self-driving taxi services to enforce compliance and regulations, and ensure that any and all (rare) crashes are cleared of any political tampering.     

Bureau of Arts & Culture     

Many artists, actors and other creatives are paid via Arts and Cultures Grants. The Administration treats the entertainment and enrichment of its citizens very seriously, and there are numerous, generous grants available to artists - aspiring and established alike. And with all that money, it’s necessary to have a whole lot of bureaucrats to administer, review, and approve those grants. And, of course, make sure that any art coming to Administration citizens is free from politically dissident tendencies.

Other Administration Jobs     

Not everyone that is considered a public employee is a bureaucrat. There are some eateries and leisure centers that are owned and operated by The Administration. Bartenders working in a pub on Justice-property? Public employee. Stripper working in an Administration-operated leisure center? Public employee. While the pay for these kind of employees isn’t as high as the corporate counterparts, they’re at least guaranteed housing. Many (but not all) hospitals are Administration-managed, and most universities and schools are owned by The Administration. The likelihood that your English professor is an Administration-paid employee is quite high.     

Pitch a Bureau     

There are so many departments and bureaus in The Administration it’s quite impossible to imagine all of them. If you have an idea for a bureau, we would love to add it to this list! And your character can be the director of it too, or a mid-level bureaucrat. It’s your choice.    

#the administration RPG

[paramorin]

Service

The Service is the military of The Administration. The Service employs a great number of people in classic English military rankings. While many are combat-focused, they still have a vested interest in data security, privacy, and civilian protection. Also within the Service are firefighters and emergency medics. They protect and serve, that’s their whole thing. But just like every part of The Administration, a general still isn’t immune to corruption and bribery.

#the administration RPG

[paramorin]

Data Division

“Have you ever wondered who truly controls The Administration? It’s no single person - it’s the Data Division.”

The Data Division is not housed in any one single Bureau - they are their own entity. The Data Division reports directly to the Bureau of Administrative Departments  - easily one of the most powerful bureaus in The Administration as a  whole. In The Administration, data is power. Everything a person does,  everything they buy, everywhere they go, everything they’ve ever  searched on the internet, everyone they’ve talked to and for how long -  all that data lives at the Data Division. They take the security of  their data very seriously, though many divisions - Justice and I&I  both - have access to data on civilians that are embroiled in an  investigation. The Data Division doesn’t simply deal in civilian data  though - they are closely connected to the corporate world too. While  the Parliament makes laws that regulate how corporations may store and  transmit data, the Data Division enforces these data-related laws to  ensure that corporations don’t make programs to get around censorship or  offer civilians too much privacy.

Analysts      

Given the vast amount of data that moves through the  Data Divsion, they have a great need for Analysts of all types. Some  Analysts look at patterns of communication - who communicates, where do  they communicate, how, and for how long. Others are interested in how  exactly data moves through the networks. Security analysts are  rampant at the Data Division, constantly looking for any potential  opening for corporate sabs or political dissidents to exploit.      

Programmers & Engineers      

Programmers keep the Data Division running smoothly. They are  everywhere in the Data Division. Some work on improving encryption  algorithms (or encryption-cracking algorithms), others man the servers,  or work to improve speed and efficiency of the current algorithms.      

Researchers      

In the Data Division, there is so much data, so much stuff to be researched. Improving security, building out brand new and fresh  software to sift through all the clutter, improving compression and  storage. There is probably someone doing it - and there is plenty of  room for more experts.      

#the administration #the administration RPG

[paramorin]

Socioanalysis

The Socioanalysis division is different than most bureaus in The Administration. Socioanalysts are chosen at a young age and groomed by adult Socioanalysts to join their ranks. This is not a job you apply for, it’s something that you are chosen for. Their tribe focuses on learning, researching, and understanding people and groups, and how to influence these people and groups in directions that are politically expedient for The Administration and the Socioanalyst themself. Their main headquarters is located in Strasbourg, and every Socioanalyst (or failed socioanalyst) has spent at least ten years at the main HQ while learning the tools of the Socioanalyst trade. There is a small conglomerate of Socioanalysts in New London, hiding out in their quiet little building, tracking corporations, bureaucrats, and people, learning what they can and feeding the Socioanalysis machine with as much information as they can possibly garner.

Socioanalyst    

Socioanalysts were chosen at a young age to join these prestegious ranks. A job as a Socioanalyst as an adult is one of the most lucrative positions someone can hold in The Administration - but it comes with significant debt due to the ten to fifteen year training all Socioanalysts endure. Expect to be paying off your debt to The Administration for most of your life. The Socioanalyst is an expert manipulator - they know, deeply, how to influence people and large organizations (depending on their specific niche) to act in ways they want them to. They can manipulate in such a way that you don’t even know they’re manipulating you, but you’ll still do exactly what they want. And they know it. And they know how your brain works after a quick conversation - what you want, your dreams, your goals, your ticks, and will leverage all that information against you if need be.  Socioanalysts like to stick to their people - they understand each other in ways a normal plebeian just won’t. They are so manipulative, so bizarre, and so powerful that many bureaucrats refer to these people by an unsavory nickname: Spook.

Other Administrative Staff    

Everyone that has any connection to Socioanalysis was, at some point, on the track to become a socioanalyst themselves. But, the childhood aptitude test that Socioanalysts are subjected to as youths are sometimes wrong. Not everybody that the aptitude tests choose are truly right to be a Socioanalyst. After ten to fifteen years of childhood grooming though, even failed socioanalysts like to stay with their kind of people, finding the world of normal people a bit too odd to cope with. Most of these failed socioanalysts make up the administrative support staff of Socioanalysis - doing research for other Socioanalysts, performing general administrative duties, etc.    

#the administration #the administration RPG

[paramorin]

This is going to be a long, long post. So long, in fact, we’re breaking it into multiple posts! We have a lot of information about the different member groups and jobs in The Administration!

Justice

Justice manages all crimes that they deem are not political in nature. And be sure, they will claim anything they can as “political” because they have a tight budget and limited peoplepower. Justice works closely with I&I, but has a tenuous relationship with the latter - I&I has more resources and power than Justice, but Justice functions as a check against I&I’s power. They have their own interrogators, investigators, and admins, just like I&I.

Justice Representatives     

Justice Reps are quite similar to Public Defenders in the United States - they function as a state-appointed legal representative. All prisoners are appointed a Justice Rep - whether their crime is political or not. I&I works closely with Justice Reps, as the Justice Rep determines the damage waiver for political prisoners (and non-political prisoners, that are interrogated by Justice interrogators). And while both I&I and Justice work for the Administration, Justice Reps enjoy employing their power to make I&I’s life just a bit more difficult by nitpicking any bit of a Para’s investigation, making them perform interrogations with low damage waivers just because it’s fun. There are, of course, many Justice Reps that take their jobs very seriously. They protect both The Administration from exploitation, and its citizens from unjust and cruel methods of torture that are not adequate compared to their crimes.     

Officers     

Justice Officers are your classic beat cops. They deal with all kinds of apolitical crimes like loitering, breaking and entering, theft, etc. If their investigations can possibly at all be deemed political in nature they are more than happy to shove their case over to I&I - they’re too overworked to be bothered.     

Admins and Interrogators     

Just like at I&I, Justice has their own Admins and Interrogators. While overworked, much more overworked than the folks at I&I, Justice Admins and Interrogators have to deal with a little less gore and horror. The Interrogators don’t have the same access to drugs and pain as I&I interrogators do, and Admins don’t have to sift through bloody screams while editing interrogation transcripts - or at least, not as many.    

#the administration #the administration series #the administration RPG