The Kimono-Monk Crew in 3649
Welcome back to the TNN’s Crew Chronicles! Quick recap: This is a multi-part series exploring the history and culture of our galaxy’s most influential Tar crews. Readers can expect two installments per crew, one regarding its history, the other its current day culture. In TNN’s first CC post, we covered the centuries-long history of humankind’s first and oldest crew, the Kimono-Monks. Today, we conclude our KM chapter with a look at how this crew functions in the year 3649. Let us show you the way…
Identifiable by their eponymous kimono dress, KM tars belong to a much-revered fellowship of warriors, monks, and warrior-monks. Swift and cunning, KM warriors are some of the most sought-after, and priciest, mercenaries in the galaxy. KM monks, meanwhile, are some of the most sought-after spiritual advisors with prominent patrician families paying top crypto for their services. Collectively, the KMs wield significant influence over our galactic institutions. Albeit discreetly. KMs are never ones to court the spotlight.
KM tar aesthetics reflect the subtleties of their politics. Though made from the finest fabrics, their kimono garments are simple and understated in design, a near exact recreation of the kimonos worn by their ancient earth ancestors. Any embellishments are modest and often incorporate wave imagery—another nod to their ancestors (the now extinct earth wave was a recurrent subject in Japanese art and kimono fashions). Wave imagery also features in the crew’s motto “This is the :ocean:“ The graphic pun is an invitation of sorts, to follow the KM movement, a journey towards cosmic truth and enlightenment.
Over the last 100 years, KM monks have selected their tar tech with this very journey in mind. For example, Vogu’s Hyper-Sense Mixer™ allows monks to alter and vary their sensory input levels via a hyper-tuned meter. This feature is ideal for meditation practices. As is space-vacuum tech. Able to withstand extreme pressures and temperatures, bots with SV tech can remain suspended in space for multiple earth days, fully immersed in the transcendent vastness of the universe (the average tar lasts about 14 hours). Additionally, monks often opt for increased pain receptors for their tars, a means to better understand and endure the state of suffering.
KM warriors equip their tars with basic versions of this meditation-enhancing tech, reserving the bulk of their CPU energy for intricately designed motion systems. Tailored to the needs of martial artists, these systems enable complex movements predicated on stealth, speed, agility, and above all, grace. Warriors are also known to invest in costly tar weaponry. Nu-Katanas (nuclear swords) are perhaps the most popular with Naginata Flares and Shuriken Reds (throwing stars) following closely behind. Appreciated for its comprehensive weaponry collection, Vogu is the preferred tar vendor for many KM warriors.
Though customized for meditation and martial arts, these state-of-the-art tars do not grant users automatic mastery of these disciplines. Rigorous training, uninterrupted focus, and community support are still required. For this reason, KM Dojos are essential to the KM fellowship. Located in almost every surface city in the Milky Way, these KM hubs provide a multitude of facilities and resources—from meditation rooms to Budo-fusion martial arts training. Socially speaking, Dojos are also just a good place to hangout.
Due to their signature kimono dress and widespread Dojo presence, KMs are instantly recognizable. However, I would propose that this is merely an illusion of visibility. There are still many unknowns surrounding the KMs. For one, the crew has a handful of mysterious sub-sects with concealed memberships and agendas– like the Clan of Falling Leaves and the Knights of Singularity,. And two, the scope of KM space exploration and colonization is largely underreported.
There are rumors the KMs have adventured beyond the boundaries of the Black Matter Rails, extending their reach past the Outer Rim. Recent speculation suggests the KMs may have even erected a temple in their (alleged) new Outer Rim territory. This would bring the rumored number of hidden KM temples up to seven, the other six located in distant, isolated corners of the Milky Way (potentially).
Of course, we do have exact locations for the seventy verified and public KM temples in our galaxy. Though, these structures, too, retain elements of secrecy. For example, not all KMs may enter any given temple. Temple grounds are tightly guarded by a special unit of KM warriors. And public records pertaining to each temple’s relics and sacred texts collections are often peppered with redactions. As is the case with the collection records of the Pluto 7 temple. Like many others, I am of the belief this redaction pertains to the legendary Prineville Server, missing from the History and Research SEED since 3612.
While not entirely forthcoming about the inner workings of their temples, KMs are rather transparent about their philosophies and principles. KM ideology is an amalgamation of ancient Buddhist traditions, blended and reshaped over the centuries. KM’s commit themselves to the pursuit of enlightenment, an awakening that reveals the simple truths of the cosmos. In this state, humans will know peace, be free from suffering, and achieve ultimate connectivity with their tars.
This pursuit is represented in the KM emblem, a hexagonal composition enclosing a six-pointed star. According to KM teachings, there are three marks of existence: the Dukkha (various forms of suffering and frustration), Anicca (impermanence, every aspect of the galaxy is in constant flux), and Anata (the non-self, fixed identity is a false idea). Each point on the star represents a mark of existence—one for the human user and one for the tar. To achieve enlightenment, an individual must first understand these six realms of reality and how they relate to one another. The totality of the hexagon, which represents the awakened state and the merging of user and tar, is the seventh point. If it’s not clear already, seven is a sacred number for the KMs.
And so concludes our chapter on the Kimono-Monks. A cool bunch, no? As always, thank you for your continued readership. We hope you come back for our next installment. Will it be the Toasters? FMJs? Tac Team? You will have to wait and see…
- Loading comments...