Semicolony ELI5 · comic

Split-brain.

The radio dies, both halves of the crew promote a captain, and both captains start giving orders.

  1. 1

    Followers take every cue from one leader, which is why there is exactly one version of the truth.

  2. Hello? …rude.
    no contact
    2

    A cut looks identical from both sides: everyone over there simply stopped answering.

  3. Crown fits. Carrying on.
    two captains
    3

    Neither election broke a rule — each half acted correctly on the half of the picture it could see.

  4. x = 1 x = 2 drifting apart
    4

    Each write a side accepts is one more fact the other side will never have heard of.

  5. x = 1 x = 2 ? conflict to untangle
    5

    Healing the cable is the easy part; both histories are internally consistent and mutually impossible.

  6. 3 — leads 2 — stands down
    6

    Demand a majority before leading, and the smaller half disqualifies itself on the spot.

A partition makes two leaders; a majority rule makes sure it can’t.
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