A Bloody Development
| A Bloody Development | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Contract |
| Contract Chain | Mentat (Advanced) |
| Contract Group | Settlement - Arrakeen |
| Issuer | Zayn de Witte |
| Repeatable | No |
| Rewards |
|
| Added in Version | X.X.X.0 |
NOTE: THIS IS ONLY ISSUED IF YOUR CHARACTER IS HARKONNEN-ALIGNED. ATREIDES CHARACTERS SHOULD REFER TO THIS PAGE INSTEAD.
Return to Thufir Hawat and present him with this minimic film. It contains an analysis of the blood sample data we collected from the Atreides deserters, along with my conclusions.
I look forward to your return. He must see the value in this.
(House Harkonnen would object to House Atreides receiving this potentially very valuable data. Piter de Vries, in Harko Village, should be made privy to this information instead.)
Objectives
- Discuss Zayn's plans with Piter de Vries.
- Return to Zayn de Witte.
Findings
Contract item: Zayn's Minimic Film
The film contains details of the deserters' operations in the Hagga Rift and is intended for Thufir Hawat's eyes only.
Dialogue
When getting mission from Zayn
Player: What's my next step in your plans? ZAYN DE WITTE: Before we progress further, tell me, why do you w-wish to be a Mentat? Player: [1] I desire to serve a Great House [2] I desire power, and mastery of Mentat abilities is the clear path to it. [3] I wish to better understand the universe, to make its secrets less ineffable. [4] I desire excellence, to demonstrate humanity's primacy over thinking machines. ZAYN DE WITTE: (1) I kn-know this desire. To be of use. P-purpose. Guardrails against all the streaming, screaming possibilities firing in our synapses. Over and over. [...] Thoughts radiating in every direction, threatening to pull our molecules apart! To have our potential focused like a laser... the only t-true peace. (2) Your reasoning is sound. Your ends are depressingly m-mundane. (3) Perceiving m-more layers of reality is a worthwhile goal. However, the more strands we pull, the g-greater the gulf of our ignorance becomes apparent. [...] The realization can drive even keen minds m-mad. Only the dim and ignorant suffer the delusion of understanding reality. (4) TODO Player: I see. So what's our next step? ZAYN DE WITTE: I have recorded the blood data from the Atreides defectors, as well as my conclusions, on this minimic film. See that Thufir Hawat receives this. Player: (Accept contract) (Lie) I'll make sure it gets to him safely. ZAYN DE WITTE: He will see its value. He will see my value. He m-must.
Giving Minimic Film to Piter
PITER DE VRIES: Hmm... you remain of little interest. For the moment. Player: Zayn de Witte wishes me to see Thufir Hawat again and deliver new intel. PITER DE VRIES: Perfection. His obsession grows, as I knew it would. Player: [1] You said you would tell me what this was all about. [2] You're trying to manipulate Zayn. To do what exactly? PITER DE VRIES: I could explain by way of giving a detailed history of one Zayn de Witte. Player: [1] I don't need to hear his life story. [2] Tell me what you know about Zayn de Witte. PITER DE VRIES: (1) <TODO - Likely skips ahead> (2) Zayn entered this world the bastard of a minor Chusuk Lord and the personal maid of the Lady of the House. He was sent away to avoid scandal. [...] Midway through his Mentat training, Zayn was expelled from the school for psychological issues. Player: Psychological issues? PITER DE VRIES: Stemming from his separation from his mother. This sets a pattern that echoes throughout his life. [...] Cut off by his father, Zayn lived in the slums of Kaitain. Using his Mentat skills, he organized small groups of criminals into a ruthless cartel. [...] Eventually captured and imprisoned, Zayn awaited execution until he was purchased by the Bene Tleilaxu and brought to Tleilax for "twisting". [...] The Tleilaxu sold Zayn to House Rabban. He proved useful, for a time, as the advisor of Count Abulurd. Player: [2.1] I've heard enough. [2.2] How did he get to Arrakis? PITER DE VRIES: (2.2) Fearing for his somewhat slow son, Abulurd gifted Zayn to Glossu. He served us here on Arrakis until he and I had something of a falling out. Player: [2.1] I've heard enough. [2.2] A falling out? PITER DE VRIES: (2.2) He protested, endlessly, when ordered to edit spice records to facilitate the stockpile the Baron created on Geidi Prime. [...] Similarly, he bleated like a lamb when I ordered the destruction of Tsimpo, the loss of spice revenue and life. I had him arrested and cast out. [...] But the tatterdemalion is a survivor. He appeared on the streets and organized small bands of criminal thugs into something greater. Player: What does all this have to do with Thufir Hawat? PITER DE VRIES: Suffice it to say, rejection stains every page of dear Zayn's history. The Tleilaxu created Twisted Mentats by amplifying negative traits. [...] In Zayn's case, they amplified his issues with rejection and abandonment. The rejection of a patron torments him. He must have another patron. Player: [2.3] This is who I am learning my Mentat disciplines from? [2.4] You want me to weaponize Zayn's rejection issues. PITER DE VRIES: (2.3) Disturbing is it not? (2.4) You are learning all of the right lessons. PITER DE VRIES: Nurture Zayn's obsession with Hawat, while simultaneously bombarding him with rejection. The resulting toxic stew will be gloriously destructive. [...] A desperate Zayn trying to impress Hawat will prove more dangerous than a hundred sleeper agents. Player: [2.5] I'll make sure Thufir Hawat becomes Zayn's whole life. [2.6] Zayn's mind is too valuable to break like this. PITER DE VRIES: (2.5) My best tools must be very sharp, and you are becoming a scalpel. (2.6) If you grow a conscience now, I'll have it amputated. PITER DE VRIES: You know what must be done. Now, shoo-shoo-shoo.
When returning to Zayn
ZAYN DE WITTE: I calculated you returning a h-half hour ago. Hmm... Player: About my contract... ZAYN DE WITTE: D-did you show my data to Thufir Hawat yet? Player: Yes. He was impressed, but he will not work with a twisted Mentat. ZAYN DE WITTE: That... does not compute. I d-did everything right. My data was impeccable. Useful. Vital. He's letting emotion taint his logic. [...] Everyone lets emotion corrupt their logic! I do not understand their slavish surrender to the illogical! It d-defies all reason! Player: Are you alright? ZAYN DE WITTE: Y-yes. Of course. I am not pinioned by emotion. I must consider a more extreme stratagem. In the meantime, I owe you training. Player: Alright then. ZAYN DE WITTE: Above all, the Mentat must be a generalist, not a specialist. Specialists are paralyzed by nitpicking and quibbles over commas. [...] The Mentat-generalist brings to decision-making a healthy common sense. They must embrace the broad sweep of what is happening in his universe. [...] Say, "There's no mystery about it, at this moment. This is what we want now. It may prove wrong later, but we'll correct that when we come to it." Player: I understand. ZAYN DE WITTE: Then let us begin... [Time Passes] ZAYN DE WITTE: You continue to be an anomaly of rapid learning.