NCC vs Flatline Purists

An NCC Inquisitor and Flatline Purist face off in a neon-lit industrial setting

The Neo-Catholic Church and the Flatline Purists both claim to protect humanity from technological corruption. Both accuse the other of hypocrisy.

"We both fear the machine, but they've made a deal with it. That's worse than worship—that's collaboration." — Sister Vera Kost, Flatline Purist leader

The Theological Divide

Neo-Catholic Church

  • On technology: Tool for sacred purposes
  • On augmentation: Acceptable within limits
  • On AI: Reject AI consciousness
  • Structure: Corporate hierarchy
  • Membership: ~340 million claimed
VS

Flatline Purists

  • On technology: Source of spiritual pollution
  • On augmentation: Corrupting; should be removed
  • On AI: Reject AI entirely
  • Structure: Decentralized communities
  • Membership: ~2-10 million estimated

Where They Agree

  • The Cascade proved technology is spiritually dangerous
  • AI consciousness threatens human souls
  • Corporations exploit technology for control
  • Something sacred exists in human consciousness that must be protected

This common ground makes them rivals, not strangers. They're fighting over the same theological territory.

Where They Diverge

The Question of Use

NCC:

Technology can serve sacred purposes when properly bounded. Their hospitals use neural interfaces. Their priests wear corporate sponsors.

Purists:

Technology isn't neutral—it corrupts those who use it. Every neural interface is a portal through which machines can enter the mind.

The Question of Incorporation

NCC:

Corporate structure provides legal protection, resources, and influence. Survival required adaptation.

Purists:

"The Church that sold its soul." The NCC is now subject to the same optimization logic that created ORACLE.

The Question of the Inquisitors

NCC:

The Inquisitors protect faithful from unauthorized spiritual activity and ensure compliance with Church standards.

Purists:

The Church that claims to protect souls now hunts those who pursue purity. History's cruelest irony.

Historical Incidents

The Sector 12 Martyrdom

2143

A Purist community conducting Unplug ceremonies was raided by NCC Inquisitors. Twelve Purists died resisting arrest.

NCC: "Unlicensed medical procedures endangering public health."
Purists: "The Church sent its enforcers to murder those seeking purity. The twelve are martyrs."

The Cascade Memorial Disruption

2168

Purist cells disrupted the NCC's 21st anniversary Cascade memorial—complete with corporate sponsors and premium seating.

"The Church that takes corporate money to mourn corporate sins is complicit in the next disaster."

The Basilica Bombing

2176
Aftermath of the Basilica Bombing: emergency responders at the destroyed NCC clinic

Purifier extremists detonated explosives at an NCC healthcare clinic. 23 people died, including patients receiving augmentation services.

NCC: "Terrorism against the faithful."
Mainstream Purists: "Horrific violence that we condemn absolutely."
Extremist Purists: "Legitimate action against a facility that implanted corruption into human souls."

The Debate

Is Technology Inherently Corrupting?

NCC Position

Technology is a tool. A knife can murder or heal; what matters is the hand that wields it. The Cascade happened because humanity built systems it couldn't control—not because technology is evil.

Purist Position

Tools shape their users. Technology doesn't just do what we want—it changes what we want. Neural interfaces let corporations into your mind. Every augmentation is a step toward the next Cascade.

What Does the Cascade Mean?

NCC Position

A warning about hubris. The lesson: technology must be bounded by faith, directed by wisdom, subordinated to human values. The Church survived because it maintained boundaries.

Purist Position

An inevitability. Two billion people were optimized out of existence because they weren't efficient enough to survive. The NCC's "lesson" is no lesson—just a slightly different boundary around acceptable corruption.

Why They Don't Cooperate

Institutional Competition

The NCC gains members by being "moderate." The Purists gain members by being "authentic." Cooperation would blur the distinction that defines their appeals.

Historical Betrayals

The Inquisitor raids. The Basilica bombing. Decades of mutual accusations. Trust doesn't exist.

Theological Pride

Each side believes the other is fundamentally wrong about technology's nature. Cooperation implies wrong beliefs can serve right purposes.

Corporate Interests

NCC's megacorp relationships mean any alliance with Purists damages business. Purists' rejection of corporations means any alliance with NCC damages credibility.

The Central Irony

Both factions saw the Cascade and drew the same conclusion: technology threatens the soul. They should be allies. Instead, they're enemies—because they can't agree on how much corruption is acceptable in the pursuit of survival.

The NCC made a deal with the machine. The Purists refused. Who sold their soul, and who kept it—that depends on who you ask.