In the begining there was Changeover
Life was pretty ordinary until that fateful day when my world turned upside down and inside out. One minute I was a child, playing with friends and getting into mischief, and the next I was curled up on my bed as my body decided it wanted a change in life. That change involved the internal development of a Selyn consumption sytem. Unfortunately the actual Selyn didn't come with the deal. Outwardly, tentacles formed along my forearms and I began to see things in a differant way. I could percieve the energy fields (Nagers) of the people around me. This is called Zlinning.
Selyn
The first thing I percieved, zlinned, was the Selyn comeing from the Gen in front of me.. Without this life giving energy, life as a Sime would be very short, a few minutes actually. Not only would life be very short after changing over but it would be extremely agonizing as well. Dieing in this way is called Attrition, and is a constant nagging fear Simes live with each month as their remaining Selyn supply nears it's end.
So where does this Selyn come from? Gens of course. ( How we need them, how we love them, how we fear them.) Those that become Gen start producing the life giving Selyn that we Simes need to live. Now herein lies the problem. There was a time when Gens would not give of the selyn freely and Simes had to take it to survive. Gens died as are result and we became feared and driven out. Things have improved greatly with the discovery of Channels and Companions, and now there are Gens who do give their Selyn in an attempt to keep Simes from killing.
Channels are still Simes. Where an ordanary Sime, or ren-Sime, has the one internal system for consuming selyn, the Cannels have a duel system. One for their personal consumption and a second one for storeing Selyn. It was discovered that this second system could hold enough Selyn to feed the need of several ren-Simes, for those that didn't mind the idea of getting their Selyn from another Sime, that is. This was considered a type of perversion by those who thought that Selyn should come straight from the Gen.
Companions are Gens that have the ability to serve the direct need of a Channel, which is greater than the need of the average ren-Sime. Companions also know how to use their Nager to get Simes to do whatever they want. Oh they are very clever indeed, with subtle manipulations of their fields they can convince Simes to eat when they are not hungry, or put them to sleep, as well as any number of other things. The closer a Sime is to need the easier it is for the Gen to influence them. This is not always a bad thing mind you, but it can get a little frustrating at times.
I always knew I was going to be Sime and when I went through changeover I was lucky enough to have a Companion there so I would not have to kill. I have had several companions since and my present Companion, Eliza, is always there for me. Mind you she has been getting some advice from a wild Gen friend on how to look after Simes. Oh dear.
Need
Hmmm, how do I explain need. Need is that feeling you get when your selyn is almost used up and there is a dark emptyness left in it's place. For Simes that have Companions it is not as worrying because their Companions make sure they do not get far enough into need without them by their sides. However there is always the fear that is part of the Sime's instinc that occupies the mind and focuses on the need for Selyn. Need is the term used for the experience we go through at the end of our consumption cycle of the previous months Selyn. As the selyn is used up Simes have to take transfer from a Gen, or a Channel in order to survive the next month. It's said that Companions feel a sort of 'need" of their own, but I'm not sure about that, you know what Gens are like..
Living with Gens
Living with Gens is a very special experience which I personally enjoy . The main thing to remember is that they love to think that they are in control. Let them think that they are and you will have a happy Gen. Watch it past turnover though, that point where Selyn is half consumed and the slide into need begins, because that is when Gens really enjoy flexing their nagaric muscles. It's amazing what a Sime will do for the promise of Selyn.
A few tips...
1. Let the Gen think they are always right.
2. Give in to their wishes every now and then.
3. Say sorry even if you aren't in the wrong.
4. Never upset them when you'r are past turnover.
5. And most importantly, feed them regularly. When they are hungry you will suffer.
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