Written for the University of Cambridge's Anthropology library by Dr Martin Ellingham
Date: 27/04/824 A.S.
Freeport One, Omega-3.
Subject: Oracle ‘Haog’
This transcript is public information to be read at leisure. It remains the Intellectual property of the author and the University. Please reference accordingly.
This interview was conducted in accordance with the University Ethics board’s standards.
Transcript Edited by: Dr Hamish Hamilton
Abstract:
Unlike the various other groups who have been interviewed by my colleagues from the University of Cambridge, this particular interview was not planned. It happened quite by chance as I was flying in Omega-3. It should be noted that very little is known about the ‘Church of Sirius’, thus the information that follows is hard to authenticate or verify. As you will no doubt read, the Oracles are an order who have (supposedly) strong connections with non-human Xenos species. As such they are restricted from entering the house of Bretonia. It should be stated then, that the Oracle known to me as ‘Haog’ did not, at any time, enter Bretonian space.
To continue, if what Oracle ‘Haog’ says is true, I propose to the board of Governors, that an expedition into the Omicrons take place in order to not only verify what Oracle ‘Haog’ says, but also to further our knowledge of the Humans living out there. Perhaps a research team could be sent to Malta to research in greater detail, the exact nature of the so called ‘Spirits of Malta’.
Transcript:
Ellingham: So then, Mister Haog is it? A pleasure to meet you sir. I wish to talk to you, in professional terms, about the Oracles and what it is you lot do. By my understanding, you are a church of sorts. That about right?
Haog: That’s part of it. Much of the work we do that is charitable is providing sanctuary and help for those addicted to cardamine, as it is not an easy thing to have in Sirius.
Ellingham: Are the Oracle's opposed to cardamine?
Haog: were opposed to its abuse. Were a church in nature we don’t wage war on drugs we promote its awareness.
Ellingham: And what would you consider 'Abuse' in this case?
Haog infecting someone in order to enslave them is at the top of the list. It.. isn't reversible at the doses they use. Many cases it is deadly.
Ellingham: What about Stabaline?
Haog: its advertised to work but slavery through the Pharmaceutical complex or the cartels take your pick.
Ellingham: So the Oracles offer some form of sanctuary in regards to Cardimine usage?
Haog: We can emancipate people from thier situations it puts us at odds with some of the families but frankly that’s the beginning of the negotiations. No one person is that important as a slave in most cases when a plantation of familia buy entire lots of them the conscription of their cost is their term of servitude. either on Malta or the stations throughout. But there are exceptions abuses people trapped forever.....bad debts.. murder intimidation racketeering. for the want of a few grams of cardamine.....and that to us is ridiculous, and needs to stop. So we offer as much rehabilitation as possible. many stay with us many go out and live their lives as best they can.
Ellingham: That must put you at odds with the powers that be on Malta.
Haog: Malta has old rules. If you pay for what you do there is no slight. Cunning is not frowned upon. so we try to be extra cunning, and if the new kids don’t value these ways.. they obviously aren't playing the real game.
Ellingham: So aside from offering refuge, what else do you do? is your base or primary chapel on Malta?
Haog: Various charitable fronts in different areas of the sector. certain subjects just don’t breach house space so we don’t try to. Artefact destruction is a big one out in the fringes since we've been finding more volatile and dangerous kinds, and of course cardamine. We have facilities in various stations and areas mostly volunteer staff. Malta is our home it always will be but humanity's sphere continues to grow and we must be accessible and mobile. So we have several ships that keep close to faithful and seekers.
Ellingham: So you minister to the people of Sirus yes? Tell me, what is the message you spread? Do you believe in God or gods or some other deity?
Haog: The old ways believed gods were real things.. tangible observable. but my generation is a little more modern. We believe that the universe has an order and that if we can get out of our human dramas and learn not to have attack like thinking we can unify.. this leads to mastery of mental and physical disciplines that we offer those whom are ready for them. The message is suffering is both yours to make and cure.
Ellingham: What do you mean when you say; 'if we can get out of our human dramas and learn not to have attack like thinking we can unify'?
Haog: Sorry I condensed that pretty hard. Let me.. see.. In the text. Were told that learning isn't just words.. words do not teach so you have to live the lessons. The main thing to learn is how your mind distracts you from feeling your natural state of peace. That's the basic start of it all.. through that theres peace of mind and body.. people don't piss you off any-more. you learn what compassion is like. and when it is appropriate to be violent which is...hardly ever. I put the violence part in there in case people think were pacifists...we aren't.
Ellingham: Where'd you learn this? or rather how?
Haog: We don’t usually.. get asked that. But I’m not exactly permitted to lie either. We learned a lot of it from psychology related to alien society. They didn’t tell us this.. as Some groups would say we learned about them. Found out that minds aren't so different from one another.. just circumstances state of being is equivocal.
Ellingham: Define 'Alien Society'
Haog: Its who you think it is. Again our home has always been Malta. We’ve been amongst them for a long time, but they have their world and were in ours. their not mind controlling everyone or. infecting everything. At least as far as Malta’s concerned
Ellingham: The famed 'spirits' of Malta are actual aliens are they? not just figments of peoples imagination?
Haog: Cardamine can cause unconsciousness but it does not make you hallucinate. Only other way to put it is come on out there you’ll see one eventually. Think of them as space-whales
Ellingham: Before I bombard you with questions about them. Could you clarify what you mean by 'The message is suffering is both yours to make and cure'?
Haog: When you’re a child you’re taught about the world.. your given beliefs your given ideas, you’re given stuff from your parents, well meaning so you don’t screw yourself. But they cannot know everything you need.. know all your gifts and abilities they cannot know your true course. We but up against the beliefs were given and the beliefs we find out in life are actually true to us....this inner war causes suffering. The only way out is to unlearn what is given to you, and refill the mind and spirit with the truths as you come to know them in your journey.
Ellingham: And to you and the rest of your order, these are self evident truths?
Haog: All I can say is it worked for me. each person is different. I mean I was raised a junker from Bretonian I has hang-ups about money legal and otherwise...and my worth about myself in this universe. then i fell in with these weirdos. told me it didn’t mean nearly as much as i thought it did. low and behold it was true.
Ellingham: So then how is all of what you have told me, related to the Spirits?
Haog: They are more communal in nature support communally is like how we breathe. so we support one another unquestioningly unconditionally its part of the unification tenant at my level i make sure we do this. the learning and the mastery are spread out to the others. As the spirits have specialised forms we have specialised castes and jobs. And we’ve found spirit personas float between many utilities. So we swap jobs often.
Ellingham: How does one retain individuality then?
Haog: Our jobs and functions aren't related to our individuality.. its inherent. it cannot be mitigated or suppressed that is if it truly who you are...it should be persistent and self evident.. who you are happens naturally and easily you can make yourself be yourself.
Ellingham: So then how do you teach others? do you fly to the houses and speak with passers by?
Haog: Like how we met?
Ellingham: Chance meetings?
Haog: Happens a lot for me. But most cases if someone needs help and get over the fear were alien mind controlled they find out we do give a crap about you and will try to help you.
Ellingham: Wait...are you alien Mind controlled?
Haog: That’s the current meme on the neural net, and no. If an incubi infests someone all their aggressive tendencies go up...Hugely. You’re not even remotely human. I probably wouldn't be able to keep myself from trying to kill you.
Ellingham: Why would an incubi do that? as in, normally Humans react aggressively in certain situations, insults, physical assault or if they suffer from an illness. How are Incubi different?
Haog: They thrive off of negative human emotions and they’re, frankly, addicted to the rush...spirits don’t have that kind of make-up most of their emotions are vary short lived.
Ellingham: What's the difference? and do Oracles willingly let themselves become hosts?
Haog: They can be intense emotions but short...We’ve attempted to rehabilitate infected for a long time (with) mixed results.
Ellingham: What were these results?
Haog: Most retained who they where some..some left scarred for good.
Ellingham: Can the incubus choose to leave the host?
Haog: Certain types can. We don’t often encounter those..they are more of a soldier caste.
Ellingham: How did the Oracles come to be? as in, the very first one
.
Haog: Oh boy...Father Morgran of the Arandach Sisterhood of the Hermaphroditic Wisdom and Nysk... All the way at the beginning..On Malta. The oracles of the shrine where much more recent..in time..we had since merged philosophies to learn more about the forces at work in the sector. But before the Sirian church of Malta and the oracles of the shrine were separate the oracles didn't keep many records.. but the order on Malta started by... having their cardamine shipments taken into the spirit worlds. Long story short the oracles found artefacts within an ancient outpost. we've since restored it as a temple in Omicron Alpha...well cultists felt the spirits being interested in their cardamine made them exulted....took a few hundred years to set the record straight
Ellingham: Are many Oracles addicted to cardamine?
Haog: Roughly 70%
Ellingham: And you get the supply from Malta alone?'
Haog: I think everyone does, any other off-site locations are...experimental.
Ellingham: The spirits don't have any?
Haog: I’m sure they do, how much is unknown. Its been my understanding they can’t.. or wont, grow the grasses on their own. We’ve exported it to them as long as we’ve known them. Actually... The high mother would know that more then I would. But I'm pretty sure they don't bother to grow it.
Ellingham: Beg pardon? the High Mother?
Haog: I am the high exarch, my duties are to, more or less, help he other exarch’s and know what they’re doing. Satrina presides over everything else (and) has more authority.
Ellingham: Wait a minute...this 'Satrina'...what does she do?
Haog: Well besides throwing her weight around and sending me emails She’s considered our ambassador to the spirits. She understand them vary...intimately...she’s not much of a people person but she will spend the day with you if your one of us and have questions about them. Otherwise I am the ambassador, in the human direction. Its uh..... for the best really I’ve dealt with people more then she has
Ellingham: Now. Tell me about Father Morgran of the Arandach Sisterhood of the Hermaphroditic Wisdom and Nysk.
Haog: He had a huge beard, she...not many pictures...she was almost 3 hundred years old however and died about 7 years ago
Ellingham: How did she live for so long? cardamine?
Haog: Assumed so. Nysk, like many of the matrons, tended to live longer. She had several besides her who lives almost as...long.
Ellingham: So the Oracles must have very strong ties with the Maltese, support of one another and all that, that so?
Haog: Oh....most of the old guys. Malta has always been a tinderbox politically, so we try not to stick out that way.
Ellingham: But you represent or speak for or...are close to the spirits, which from our understanding are held in very high regard to say the least on Malta, then I would assume you would have to engage in the political battlegrounds on occasion, I would assume the Maltese would turn to you first for guidance and advice.
Haog: The spirits are inconvenient to families who don’t like them, and yes there are a few of them out there. We have been called upon to speak for them in the past...but there’s only two flavours on Malta; either they are hated or liked and that’s sort of how we sit. In my experience no one of advanced age hates them, which is where the real power lies.
Ellingham: So you have influence on Malta?
Haog: We do our best to keep as much to keep things running. We defend the homeworld from immediate assaults and threats and have cooperated with the government to that extent.
Ellingham: And in return they let you stay on Malta and use it as a base yes?
Haog: The space on Malta is more of a sanctuary. We are no threat to them and we contribute. Though we’ve dealt with trouble non violently before.
Ellingham: Do Oracles reproduce? as in...are there children?
Haog: there used to be. We had to send them away on account for the danger. Satrina is one of the survivors.
Ellingham: Survivors?
Haog: Yes. She tells about that time way better then I do, I was undercover at the time (so) I didn't experience it.
Ellingham: Undercover eh? may I ask where or what you were doing?
Haog: Keeping up my old identity as a junker congressman
Ellingham: Oh so you originally hailed from the Junkers did you?
Haog: Yes Puerto Rico and Bretonia mostly.
Ellingham: So how did you find the Oracles? or did they find you?
Haog: Well I had begun as a psychotherapist. I had mostly libertonian contracts with a series of interrogated subject who seemingly became catatonic under pressure. They were addicted to cardamine and I prescribed procedures to bring them out of it. What I didn’t know is they put them right back into torture after I treated them so...I have a brother who knew junkers.. and put in a word for me. and was one for a long long time.
Ellingham: Who is they?
Haog: Whatever part of liberties military that decided to use off-site interrogations. Its old.. stupid drama.
Ellingham: So you worked for the Liberty Military, treating mentally and emotionally damaged patients until you decided to leave and work with or for the Junkers. That about right?
Haog: It was a much better bet I couldn't be found in the fringes
Ellingham: So how'd you find the church?
Haog: Leonard my brother found them first and I had physical pain medical science couldn't treat so I took to cardamine
Ellingham: And you got addicted?
Haog: it kinda happens.
Haog: but unlike 95% of those out there i could afford it.
Ellingham: So then what happened next?
Haog: Well I had been in and out of leadership with he congress and felt.. there was a better....something.. anything to be done. So I got a hold of Thomas and collaborated on some charitable operations..smuggling slaves to the compound for rehab and so on.
Ellingham: Thomas?
Haog: Thomas was the high exarch and our master teacher before Me. I took over his leadership duties but not quite there on the spiritual leadership.
Ellingham: What happened to Thomas?
Haog: He sacrificed himself to preserve relations with the spirits. It was a hairy situation...we have enough trouble with the Maltese and (other) human groups.
Ellingham: Oh? There are issues with the Maltese?
Haog: Malta isn't a unified thing. it never has been.. always some familia (family) or group waiting for a crack in the dominant body of politics, and they dig at that breach until there’s a change.
Ellingham: And the Oracles are occasionally targets?
Haog: Yes. We try not to.. get into a position of a fight.. in the first place but there are times we can’t avoid it.
Ellingham: So Aside from the Maltese and Spirits, do the Oracles posses any other allies?
Haog: Well we work with many groups and sometimes deal with groups that wouldn't be particularly...allied with us. But a formal alliance...cant think of any right off the bat. So many groups on the fringes are too political...we don’t even like politics don’t find any use in the structures....but our faithful come from all over the sector and beyond...so...we learn a lot about other groups.
Ellingham: But the Oracles have a hierarchy yes? so there must be some element of ambition and politics involved in your organisation.
Haog: Levels of progress all job titles can be appointed or volunteered for between me and Satrina we make sure all the critical roles are done and honestly...I would rather be a regular exarch then..... in charge of them but I’m the only one senior and...I suppose nominated by the rest to do the job at the moment to say...we try and find everyone's best fit and sometimes people grow out of...their job or responsibilities...and we try to facilitate that.
Ellingham: Makes sense. So to clarify, you don't worship spirits in the traditional sense and you don't take orders from them?
Haog: Before Thomas they did. follow every request and I say request because to them they were optional....just didn’t get let in on the joke. So we are continually learning from our differences, and yes we work together...but being controlled or possessed as many levy and fear. And no, we aren't subordinate.
Ellingham: So tell me, why you think the Oracles are banned from the houses?
Haog: I don't know for sure. Haven't seen any charges of any substance, assertions, accusations, provable crimes outside of hostilities they initiate, we have no dialogue with the houses.
Ellingham: Why not?
Haog: We don’t need anything from them specificity. I’d say were at cross purposes since before stabline their treatment of innocent addicted individuals was...well...there were no such thing.
Ellingham: You are opposed to the use of Cardamine?
Haog: Opposed to its abuse.
Ellingham: And Stabline?
Haog: It doesn't grow out of the ground. and its too little too late. give cardamine time to interact and mutate and sooner or later the genetic changes will go beyond what Cryer can paint over.
Ellingham: Is the replacement of cardamine with Stabline dangerous?
Haog: I don't think its possible.
Ellingham: No?
Haog: Cardamine is still cheaper and easier to manage also there is a path beyond addiction with cardamine that Stabline doesn't have. And of course the basic reservations with any major medical breakthrough. I mean they aren't telling anyone how they make it, would you eat a secret recipe on a corsair dinner table?
Ellingham: I see your point. Does that mean the Oracles have something against Cryer? we know the Maltese do.
Haog: Some Maltese have expressed Cryer like hatred since we let it be known there is a completion to the cardamine mutations. Both are the same beast chewing on their tails. A substance cheap to produce that, once their hooked, need it or excruciating body liquidation results....one is just barking at the other for the devils coffee. Mind you, the average Maltese citizen couldn’t care less, but..well, those in power would like it to stay that way
Ellingham: Very well. In regards to Oracle influence, you say you are, more or less, a church, does that mean you try to improve the lives of people? if so, how?
Haog: There are different levels of commitment. At the surface we try and make awareness of cardamine abuse a non taboo. It can ruin families careers lives..we try to mitigate this. possibly the most drastic thing we do is change identities and relocate people.
Ellingham: But you don't engage in human trafficking do you?
Haog: Lots of it, its how we help. In-fact most of the outlets we deal with don’t care what we do with them just that they’re paid for. So if they’re free after a short trip then they are free.
Ellingham: Do you take people against their will, if it will help them?
Haog: I personally have yet to encounter someone in a cage unwilling to come with us. .. But I suppose its possible. Freewill is a big deal for us and we try not to violate it.
Ellingham: Thank you for your time Oracle Haog. I believe, for now, we are done.
Haog: Oh. Well. Glad to be of service. Let us know if you need anything else.
Ellingham I shall. Interview with Oracle Haog, concludes at 5:40 AM
(Interview concludes-End of transcript)
Acknowledgements
Oracle 'Haog' (Subject, member of the church of Sirus)