Surobaki/goblin_marketplace.txt Secret

## goblin_marketplace.txt
Goblin marketplace, an Invisible Networks prompt
Olivia Hartley Weston
2022-04-03

 After the discovery of metaphysical intrusion anomalies[1] it was only
a matter of time before humanity started exploiting them for their
spacetime-bending properties. Unstable as they may be, the only real way
to put an intrusion anomaly into stasis so it doesn’t wreak havoc on the
planet was to encode its properties digitally, to which the anomalies
were attracted. This calmed them down, but any attempt to take them out
of stasis to use their power only resulted in a chaotic series of
destructive events. It was only after a group of shrewd scientists
realised that applying the infamous 2020s blockchain technology[2] to
the anomalies could calm them down and keep them in stasis without the
whole “potentially inducing anarchy in a country” thing.

 After the scientists successfully created a prototype blockchain that
contained several intrusion anomalies, they managed to mitigate
approximately 97% of the metaphysical vandalism[3]. Unfortunately, this
meant that being around a computer that had a copy of the anomaly
blockchain resulted in very weird occurrences in the locality.
Originally this was fine in a contained science lab, but the human
tendency to try and take possession of anything digital that resembled
the uniqueness of physical objects prevailed.

 Only a few years after the initial entrapment of the anomalies in the
original blockchain you could hear the whispers and rumours of the first
commercially available anomaly network. A lot of companies were racing
to make use of anomalies in productive ways and as history has shown, if
it can be put on a blockchain, it will be put on a blockchain.

 Advertising departments started rushing to try and make the scary
concept of a “potentially destructive unpredictable metaphysical force”
seem much more friendly. Memetic analysts[4] determined that one of the
best way to make anomalies seem like friendly, albeit mischievous devils
was to use the historical meme of “goblin mode.”

 Soon enough, the first GobNET[5], as it was called, was made and
advertised directly to your brain via neural ad interfaces. Most young
adults of that time started hopping onto the trend and buying anomalies,
now rebranded as goblins. All of these goblins had their own quirks and
personalities, and with that came a new wave of metaphysical hauntings.

 Nowadays, most people have accepted the occasional distorted laugh
coming out of the corner of the room, only for there to be nothing. If
you ordered a cappuccino and your foam looked like a beautifully crafted
rose by the barista there was only a 1.2% chance of it turning into a
layer of cheese curd from the moment you stopped looking at it. People
were okay with this because goblins proved to be useful and productive
in anyone’s life, being able to locally change the underlying properties
of the universe for their own convenience. To add to that, the absurdism
of the situation only fueled the memetic humour and the ability for
people to make funny posts on Reddit for karma points. People are now
identifying with their personal goblin and labeling themselves according
to the type of goblin they have. Entire festivals and conventions sprung
up just to celebrate having these anomalies in your pocket.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

[1] An anomalous entity localised within a region of our universe
capable of temporarily changing the underlying properties of the
universe. Early examples of this are the entities found in the Припять
(Pripyat) region of Ukraine, soon after the Chernobyl Nuclear Power
Plant core meltdown.

[2] Technology popularised in the late 2010s and early 2020s that
promised ownership and uniqueness of digital goods, attempting to place
them on the same level as physical goods.

[3] Resulting effects of uncontrolled metaphysical intrusion anomaly
interactions over a region and time.

[4] Professional anthropologists dedicated to the analysis of thought
culture and the manners through which “infectious thoughts” and memes
may spread.

[5] The first decentralised goblin marketplace and social network
dedicated to transactions involving metaphysical intrusion anomalies and
their effects.
	Goblin marketplace, an Invisible Networks prompt
	Olivia Hartley Weston
	2022-04-03

	After the discovery of metaphysical intrusion anomalies[1] it was only
	a matter of time before humanity started exploiting them for their
	spacetime-bending properties. Unstable as they may be, the only real way
	to put an intrusion anomaly into stasis so it doesn’t wreak havoc on the
	planet was to encode its properties digitally, to which the anomalies
	were attracted. This calmed them down, but any attempt to take them out
	of stasis to use their power only resulted in a chaotic series of
	destructive events. It was only after a group of shrewd scientists
	realised that applying the infamous 2020s blockchain technology[2] to
	the anomalies could calm them down and keep them in stasis without the
	whole “potentially inducing anarchy in a country” thing.

	After the scientists successfully created a prototype blockchain that
	contained several intrusion anomalies, they managed to mitigate
	approximately 97% of the metaphysical vandalism[3]. Unfortunately, this
	meant that being around a computer that had a copy of the anomaly
	blockchain resulted in very weird occurrences in the locality.
	Originally this was fine in a contained science lab, but the human
	tendency to try and take possession of anything digital that resembled
	the uniqueness of physical objects prevailed.

	Only a few years after the initial entrapment of the anomalies in the
	original blockchain you could hear the whispers and rumours of the first
	commercially available anomaly network. A lot of companies were racing
	to make use of anomalies in productive ways and as history has shown, if
	it can be put on a blockchain, it will be put on a blockchain.

	Advertising departments started rushing to try and make the scary
	concept of a “potentially destructive unpredictable metaphysical force”
	seem much more friendly. Memetic analysts[4] determined that one of the
	best way to make anomalies seem like friendly, albeit mischievous devils
	was to use the historical meme of “goblin mode.”

	Soon enough, the first GobNET[5], as it was called, was made and
	advertised directly to your brain via neural ad interfaces. Most young
	adults of that time started hopping onto the trend and buying anomalies,
	now rebranded as goblins. All of these goblins had their own quirks and
	personalities, and with that came a new wave of metaphysical hauntings.

	Nowadays, most people have accepted the occasional distorted laugh
	coming out of the corner of the room, only for there to be nothing. If
	you ordered a cappuccino and your foam looked like a beautifully crafted
	rose by the barista there was only a 1.2% chance of it turning into a
	layer of cheese curd from the moment you stopped looking at it. People
	were okay with this because goblins proved to be useful and productive
	in anyone’s life, being able to locally change the underlying properties
	of the universe for their own convenience. To add to that, the absurdism
	of the situation only fueled the memetic humour and the ability for
	people to make funny posts on Reddit for karma points. People are now
	identifying with their personal goblin and labeling themselves according
	to the type of goblin they have. Entire festivals and conventions sprung
	up just to celebrate having these anomalies in your pocket.

	------------------------------------------------------------------------

	[1] An anomalous entity localised within a region of our universe
	capable of temporarily changing the underlying properties of the
	universe. Early examples of this are the entities found in the Припять
	(Pripyat) region of Ukraine, soon after the Chernobyl Nuclear Power
	Plant core meltdown.

	[2] Technology popularised in the late 2010s and early 2020s that
	promised ownership and uniqueness of digital goods, attempting to place
	them on the same level as physical goods.

	[3] Resulting effects of uncontrolled metaphysical intrusion anomaly
	interactions over a region and time.

	[4] Professional anthropologists dedicated to the analysis of thought
	culture and the manners through which “infectious thoughts” and memes
	may spread.

	[5] The first decentralised goblin marketplace and social network
	dedicated to transactions involving metaphysical intrusion anomalies and
	their effects.