ataraxion | → 006

[In spite of his reluctance to say anything after a particularly stabby incident, Murphy has other concerns that more or less supersedes his own well-being at the moment:]

"Wasn't gonna say anything 'bout this -- especially not on here, but... I feel like it needs to be brought up again in case if it wasn't already obvious.

"I think it goes without sayin' that this isn't some kinda five-night Space Academy. You just... You ever know what you might run into, whether you're doin' your job or just grabbing something from the kitchen, or somethin' else goes down... Not tryin' to scare anybody with this, I'm just gonna put that out there.

"Nng... I'm not... one for fancy speeches, but I just wanted to say, uh... it's a big ship we live on. Shit can happen. A lot of us have been on board for awhile, and... yeah, I'm no head doctor, but I do know that the conditions we're stuck in can do a lot to a person's mental health."

[None of this is news to Murphy, and it feels like he's wasting his breath on it now. He sighs. Though he's kept the audio on for a reason, he makes a pained grunt, trying to compose himself before he continues:]

"Guess what I'm tryin' to say is... exercise some caution while you're here. Otherwise, you're probably gonna learn it the hard way." [Much like yours truly here.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I've been hearing rumblings, yeah. Don't know how serious people are, yet.

Nng... Don't see how startin' up a coup against the only remaining people who know how to run this damn ship's gonna help the mess we're in -- they don't even know any more than we do 'bout how we got here.

...

Or, so they say.

Edited 2012-11-29 06:53 (UTC)

Yeah, I...I don't really buy that last bit, myself. But the first part, that's pretty important. We get stumped working on the shuttles, and that's gotta be nothin' compared to the jump drive and all the other stuff there is that can break and make us dead if no one knows what they're doing.

Well, short of interrogation or... whatever, I don't know how else we're supposed to get any info outta those guys. [Pause.] Not... that I think that's a good idea, either.

But a backup plan if all else fails isn't so bad. Can't speak for how... reliable the technology is around here. Lots of people got pretty badly sick one time, and we still don't know the cause of that.

A backup plan, yeah, I think that sounds like a better idea too. These people go charging in, it's going to be twice as bad afterward if things go wrong. And probably the same, if they succeed, honestly.

I've also heard that it wouldn't be the first time someone's tried takin' over the ship like that, so, erm... I dunno. They might be more prepared in the event of another mutiny.

Yep, exactly. So I don't mind the plannin', but that's just in case the people on the bridge drop dead on their own.

Problem is, there's always the chance of someone screwin' everything up for the rest of us.

[Because if anyone is well versed in the chain reaction of consequences, it's Murphy Pendleton. Unfortunately, he can't stop what other people do.]

That's the thing about the situation we're in. Everyone's taking different factors into consideration when they choose which side of that issue they want to fall on, but in the end there's no independent consequences.

[ Not that a situation like that is so unfamiliar to him. And when push came to shove, he'd made his choice the best he could with what his conscience was telling him. He can't expect any less from anyone else. ]

Here's the thing, in a situation like this, I can't fault anyone for doing what their conscience tells 'em. I had a friend who used to say good and evil were just human concepts.

Tell me about it. Sure as hell wouldn't have been the first time I took the fall for someone else's bullshit...

[Which is a history that Murphy is by no means eager to repeat. Especially when it was a consequence that landed him in solitary confinement for years.]

Yeah, well, as true as that is, even when you're thinkin' along those terms... whatever happens is gonna be on their conscience, too. Provided that they don't get us all killed in the process. [Murphy Pendleton, ever the optimist.]

[ He almost laughs, emitting a voiceless chuckle instead. ]

Yeah; yeah, I know all about situations like that. All the rest of us can do is be prepared, if we see something like that going down, is plan ahead and be ready to intervene, if necessary. And if you fail, well, at least you know you did what you could.

Intervene, huh? [Heh.] Sounds like a job for the security guys.

Hey, security isn't always around when something dire happens.

...Guess that's always true, too.

[If the sudden pang in his damn stab wound is any indicator. Ow.]

Yeah. That's the thing with being in a self-policing group like this. There are people that just don't give a damn about that. And people who are crazy.

Yeah... definitely not new to the concept of psychopaths wearin' badges. The fact that it's considered volunteer work doesn't sit well, but... not like there's any way to screen 'em.

[And Murphy can think of a list of reasons why some people would want to join security for their own reasons.]

I've seen what it's like when the guy at the top is the craziest out of the whole bunch.

[ Which was to say the least. There wasn't a whole lot he could tell without it getting overly complicated, but the splitting of the AIs, and implanting them in people's heads, made some of them half as crazy as the Director himself. It was almost like the Director had infected everyone else with his megalomania; York himself had only been lucky that he'd received the logic fragment. ]

Option I took was to bail out, but that's not exactly available here. That's why I'm talking about being ready. If something like that happens, there's not going to be any advance notice. It'll just...happen.

Mn. Don't really have the luxury to abandon ship here. There's always the shuttles, but those're only good if they've got a place to land. [And something about floating aimlessly in deep space doesn't sit well as fun times.]

Well, I'll do what I can, but -- that's why I'm just the "support" guy.

There is a reason I chose to train for the shuttle crew. I'd probably be a really good fit for security, but...

Well, everything I already said, that's what.

Yeah, I, uh...

I'd be the opposite of a good fit for... that. Guess I could've signed on for Engineering here, but bein' that backup guy in Support just... seemed more fitting.

It's a good fit for guys like us. I almost went for that myself.

Anyway, just being the backup guy makes it easier for you to recover now. So that's good.

Never too late to request a transfer, if I wanted... [Though seeing how understaffed the support team is, chances aren't happening anytime soon.]

Yeah. Guess so.

You could always transfer over there later, yeah. Or you could volunteer, like me. I'm in there couple times a week.

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