You spend a moment contemplating the cover's slightly unnerving swirl of orange, yellow…

There's no evidence the communards were equipped with finger pistols, though it's unlikely they would have decisively altered the outcome.

The acolytes (along with the redoubt) were vapourised in an artillery strike before the process could be completed...

Picture the lot of them, all standing with their fingers in the air one minute, the next reduced to a bloody mist!

It's been said, though, that in the weeks following the battle, the captain of the Debutante noted an increase in incidents of crewmen striking their heads on unexpectedly low bulkheads.

Of course, colourful anecdotes only scratch the surface of what infra-materialists believe may be possible in a truly third-level society...

Why didn't they just get some high-powered merc gear? (Tap your armour.)

The communards were notoriously under-equipped against the much better-funded Coalition. In any event, it's doubtful even ceramic armour would have altered the outcome.

Did it work?

I've heard enough.

"Cease to be laws..." What do they become then?

More like suggestions, according to some of the SRV's leading infra-materialists.

Keep reading.

You flip forward a few pages until you come upon a chapter titled 'Mental Projection and Transference'...

When a community has achieved a sufficiently high degree of revolutionary fervour, infra-materialists believe that second-level effects may be observed.

At this second level, certain hyper-revolutionary individuals may even develop the ability to extend their thoughts into material space and vice versa.

"Hey, Kim. You'd say that we share a pretty special connection, right?"

"I suppose we do work quite well together."

"You and me, we're on the same wavelength. It's why we're always finishing each other's..."

Your words hang in the air as the lieutenant scribbles something in his notebook. At some point he realizes you're waiting for him and looks up with a tightly knit brow.

"... sandwiches."

"That happened exactly once, and only under extreme duress."

As we were saying, it's generally believed that these effects are only exhibited by certain hyper-revolutionary individuals, generally less than .01% of the revolutionary population...

"We have never shared a sandwich, detective. Despite your heroic efforts, I might add."

"... cigarettes."

"It's true that you and I do share a similar addiction, but that's hardly remarkable among officers of the RCM."

"... sentences."

The lieutenant looks at you evenly for a moment, then returns to his notebook without a word.

"Kim, you left me hanging there."

"My apologies, I thought leaving your partner hanging was simply the style at the 41st."

"Did I? My bad, detective. Won't happen again." He doesn't look up from his notebook.

Forget it.

"If by 'special' you mean 'marred by extreme dysfunction,' then yes, I suppose it is pretty special."

"That's exactly what I mean. It's probably why we're always finishing each other's..."

"I would say we share a perfectly average connection for two law officials working a case."

"It's way more than average. Haven't you noticed that we're always finishing each other's..."

Wait, does that mean communists can read minds?

According to infra-materialist theory, yes! Under suitably revolutionary conditions, that is...

Of course, one doesn't need to be a communist to be attuned to the thoughts of your brothers and sisters.

It's become something of a folk legend that during their final meeting, Nilsen and Mazov didn't speak a single word, preferring to sit in silence with their chamomile tea, reading one another's thoughts.

That's... probably not what happened.

One of the minor tragedies of the late Revolutionary period is that few reliable accounts survive.

Much of what we know of the communards' activities during this period come from memoirs and second-hand accounts, some only written down decades after the fact and of dubious authenticity.

That's... strangely beautiful.

So why do these effects only work for hyper-revolutionary communists? (Continue.)

Because plasm has never been directly observed, the exact mechanism behind these effects remains entirely speculative.

In other words, there's no evidence that any of this mind-reading stuff is real.

Why are you getting hung up on mechanisms... Open your mind's aperture just a little wider! You're so close to true understanding!

Pssst! You know what else lets you feel like you can read minds? Spooky ol' pyrholidon...

Wait, if there's no evidence plasm exists, how can the theory be true?

Most infra-materialists would argue that the inability of skeptics to detect plasm is simply evidence of their own insufficient revolutionary enthusiasm.

There you have it. A perfectly unfalsifiable loop. The theory is impossible to disprove on its own grounds...

Meaning it's hardly a theory at all.

This should be more than enough for a stimulating discussion. That said, if you're still yearning for more....

You must! Everyone knows books save their best parts for the end...

Let it go.

The cover of this pocket-sized volume features a swirl of orange, yellow, and green. The title, "A Brief Look at Infra-Materialism," is set in an authoritative yet approachable serif font.

What an interesting colour palette. It's vibrant, yet somehow leaves you ever so slightly nauseated.

No, no. These are terrible colours. They're like... like...

Apricots.

On the inside jacket flap, you find a brief summary: "What is infra-materialism? A highly theoretical branch of Mazovian communism? A collection of mystical ramblings by a discredited revolutionary? Or possibly both?"