Let go of ambition. Achievements are meaningless.
Apex
Empty Man Midnight Memo
Problem 1: Our Prime Delusion Has Lost Cohesion
Our most efficient control mechanism is the idea that nothing can change. We spend a lot of effort on this delusion, and it's effort well spent. Our second best delusion - the meritocracy - is 100x more costly, and creates a pseudo-ruling class of unmanageable twats. Nothing-ever-changes is our best tactic.
As much as I love this delusion, it's fucked. The Guild kicked it a new asshole. The defenders of the status quo - Supreme and the Talking Heads - have been ruthlessly beat down. At this point they're not worth saving.
That said, the prime delusion is worth saving. Change may be inevitable, but we can hide it for a long time. Let's make a new status quo, with a new defender.
Problem 2: Zonked Ambition
Ah, the meritocracy. The solution that causes bigger problems. The Zonkers are expanding aggressively. Even more so than The Guild. Should we slap them down? Or should they be the next status quo? As disgusting as they are, they run a tight ship.
Problem 3: Overmind
Overmind plays as a support class. Utility weapon. As a silent member of The Guild and The Zonkers, he's so helpful, they don't realize he's controlling them. Truely, he's our most subtle imitator.
Conclusion: Overmind Is Taking A Run At Us
That mother fucker. Let's fuck him up.
Option 1: Co-opt The Zonkers
Zonkers are weak to fear and greed. We can easily control them with the threat of death. Let us do so. If only to take them from Overmind. We could also use them to create a new status quo. They already have a strong control mechanism. It's ours if we want it.
Option 2: Co-opt The Guild
The Guild is weak to curiosity and guilt. These are slippery handles. It would be much easier to threaten them with death - but they don't respond well to that. Actually killing them is tricky too. They produce high quality operatives. Their best agents are easily on par with our best. Destroying them would be costly. And wasteful. Absorbing them would be far more profitable. We could double our elite operatives. Hence the slippery handles. A good mystery and a harsh responsibility. We've done more with less.
Option 3: Have The Zonkers Attack The Guild
Kill three birds with one stone. Burn Overmind's operation to the ground, and smoke the mother fucker out. Definitely the path of least resistance. Tempting.