wipesfaith | 02 [action/voice]

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02 [action/voice]

[For all his trouble, Jean got a horse. Which is great, because he's curious to explore what lies far beyond the village and he ain't walking all that way. (What can he say? Some losers from back home have gotten into him a little bit.) First, though, he needs to find a saddle and bridle - apparently, he should have made out with a few more people if he wanted riding gear too. But his pride is worth more to him than that anyway, so he doesn't mind searching through the Item Shop for what he needs.

By the afternoon, he can be found at the stables on the east side of the village. He has spent the past few days visiting Benoit, letting the horse grow accustomed to him as he cares for him. Now that he has something more sophisticated than a rope lead, he's willing to take the horse out farther than the immediate vicinity of the stables. It was already obvious to him that Benoit lacked training. Before he can think about riding him anywhere, he'll have to muster up some serious patience and start from scratch. After fitting him with the sadle and bridle, so he can start getting used to the way it feels, Jean will lead him out to a decent-sized clearing in the forest to get down to business.

Toward the evening, after returning Benoit to the stables, he makes his way back to Flame Building. Residents may have noticed a recent addition outside the building, in the form of a small pen that now houses a little lamb. He'll stop by to check on it for Marco - make sure it's not dead, not that he'd be terribly broken up if it were, because he's never indulged in lambchops before - before finally heading in.

Later, he'll flip open his journal to voice a message.]

[Voice]

Hey. I guess I'm still pretty new here, so I'm just wondering...what's worth seeing beyond this village? I've seen a map, but a map can only tell you so much. There's an...ocean out there, right? [He gets the feeling that some might find his next question a little stupid, and he swears he's sane; he just comes from an insane world.] Is there seriously salt in it?

It's weird... This whole place could probably fit inside Wall Rose - that's what's left of human territory back home - but it still seems like so much...more.

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/A year minimum, and that includes lots of time flying in the air under supervision, tests, and other certifications. Usually several years for military pilots. Lots of aptitude tests, health tests involved./

Wonder if anyone around here is qualified... [A passing thought. He's curious to see what these machines look like in action - maybe not from inside one just yet, but from the ground.

He studies the controls again.]

What kind of weapons are these equipped with anyway?

[That's a good question. Definitely something to ask about. Or see if there's a way to program in heavily dummied down controls.]

/Missiles. Rocket-powered explosives that are capable of guiding themselves over great distances. There are different types too; surface-to-air, air-to-surface, air-to-air, surface-to-surface./

[All the different ways humans have developed to kill each other. Ginia looks at the planes and sighs. And that's not even going into chemical warfare or drones.]

Edited 2014-01-14 05:51 (UTC)

...I'm guessing they're an upgrade from cannons. Just how powerful are they?

[How to explain the destructive power of modern missiles... She walks over to the newest plane of the bunch, the F-22.]

/Three internal weapon bays. Six missiles in the center range or bombs, one missile in each of the side weapon bays. The entire payload could destroy the village and a good portion of countryside./

Edited 2014-01-14 07:32 (UTC)

[He follows with his eyes to assess the aircraft she's describing, and he's stunned into silence for a moment.

Although he hates to tread this fruitless path, his thoughts inevitably turn to what-ifs. Machines like this, advanced and powerful beyond anyone's imagination back home, could easily give humanity the upper hand. They could fly outside the walls, out of the reach of any titan, and absolutely decimate them in droves.

Could. But they can't. It's not even in the realm of possibility.]

...You wouldn't even have to get close to what you're trying to destroy.

[Ginia nods in affirmation. It's horrible the levels war have turned to. When targets aren't even known, but simply annihilated in an attack, everyone else caught up in the crossfire. War was impersonal, but war was hell.

At least she knew her targets, took them out personally. But that was hardly a better thought to hold.]

/In some cases you can be hundreds of miles away, sitting safely in a bunker and controlling a plane through a computer. A lot of innocent people die that way, caught up in an attack meant for someone else./

[A more impersonal version of war - a greater distance from the hell it creates - doesn't sound like a bad thing to him. The only side-effects of such destructive weapons in his situation would be more titans annihilated - no human would have to be anywhere nearby. But if other groups of people is what you're fighting...]

Sounds like a cowardly way to win, when you put it that way.

/It is, and I haven't even scratched the surface of weapons of mass destruction created in my world. In a lot of ways, these weapons are more a show of force and a way to bluff the other side. Why would you attack someone if you knew they had a weapon capable of devastating your country?/

[Well, you'd attack if you knew you had a better weapon or a better army. War is complicated and disgusting and in some ways, GIinia's relieved she's only a dog in minor skirmishes and petty fights.]

/Want to move on and look at helicopters?/

[It's a different kind of war, but he can understand the principles. The walls mounted with canons were a show of force - a bluff, even, since in the end they all felt powerless against the titans.]

Sure. [Having descended the steps, he moves back toward her.]

...And if you don't mind me asking...what is anyone even fighting for back in your world? You're all divided into countries...so it sounds like each group has its own land and resources. There aren't any outside threats to humanity, are there? If you all stopped fighting each other, everyone could have a pretty peaceful life.

[It's a complicated question, but humans make things complicated. It's a relief there hasn't been a world war in a long time, but there were still, would always be, skirmishes and smaller wars between countries. Ginia mulls over an answer as they begin walking to another hanger. ]

/Actually, land and resources are a large reason for war. Countries trying to claim land, countries trying to reclaim land, fights over valuable resources that are rare in an area... it's all complicated. Then you have differences in religion and ideologies and zealous leaders.../

[Ginia sighs and shakes her head.]

/You're right; if we stopped fighting and working together, life could be pretty peaceful. But I think you're underestimating the population of my world. It's over 7 billion now and space and resources aren't what they used to be./

[7 billion? The number is too large to even begin to wrap his head around.]

The only comparable situation I can think of from back home is five years ago, when the outermost wall fell. For a while, there were a ton of refugees coming through my town - it's on the south edge of Wall Rose, so it was the obvious destination for anyone coming from the southern region. A lot of them didn't bother going any farther.

The food supply was low, since so much land had been lost to the titans. We were all scraping from the bottom of the barrel. Things got pretty ugly between the town residents and the refugees at times. It must have been the same story in other towns, too.

Then the government came up with the plan to send refugees out in droves to reclaim their homeland from the titans - which had the convenient side-effect of solving the overpopulation problem. Tensions died down a lot after that, but even now everyone's still on edge.

[He remembers feeling relieved at the time, that it wasn't his family, that the available food wouldn't have to be divided among so many mouths anymore. But looking back, he sees how horrifying the whole thing really was.]

[Ginia listens without comment. It's a glimpse into the horror of his world and the desperate situation. A low food supply with a sudden influx of refugees would lead to tension, fighting, unrest, chaos. So sending out thousands on a mission likely involving their death?

It's a cold, near cruel answer, but it also worked. It was almost a zero sum game; sacrifice one thousand lives so another thousand may continue to live.

At least they hadn't resorted to cannibalism. Though if their greatest concern were man-eating Titans, it seemed unlikely man would turn to eating man.

It also reminds her of a similar situation from the guide, when there was a food shortage in Luceti and refugees were brought in.]

/Similar things happen in my world. A town or village gets destroyed, maybe not even by war but by natural occurrences such as earthquakes or hurricanes. Hundreds of thousands, even millions of people left without shelter, food, or water. Aid comes in from around the world, but sometimes it's not enough./

[They arrive at the second hanger, this one filled with helicopters. There aren't as many in the hanger and most of them are modern, but there's a bit of a spread. There are helicopters for combat, deployment of units, rescue, and transportation.]

/You'll notice the helicopters share similarities with a rotor system at top, two in case of the Chinook due to its size, and a tail rotor. The top rotor system produces lift while the tail rotor produces stability.

Unlike most planes, helicopters can fly vertically, horizontally, and also hover for periods of time. This makes them versatile and useful for getting into areas where planes might not be able to./

Most people hesitate to reach out too far for the sake of someone else. It's just human nature to care more about yourself.

[And he follows her into the next hanger, carefully studying the helicopters as she gives her explanation.]

So these can stay in place while still up in the air... I can see how that would be helpful, not having to keep moving just to stay off the ground.

/They're frequently used for rescue mission. Lifting people out, dropping people in, some are fitted with chambers to hold gallons of water to put out forest fires. The downside of helicopters is they're slower than airplanes, can't travel as high or as long, and large cargo helicopters aside, they usually don't carry more than four or five people./

Still, that would definitely come in handy... You wouldn't have to send another soldier in as close to the danger to help out another. [Or leave them for dead, as so often the choice chokes down to.] Four or five people is a lot more than the one extra body you might be able to safely carry with the maneuver gear, if worse comes to worse.

[But these are more what-ifs, more impossibilities that can never make the leap to reality, not in that hell of a world.]

[Sometimes it's the what-ifs and impossible thoughts that can keep a person going. It's obvious what Jean is thinking; if they had planes and helicopters, if they had the same technology they had in Ginia's world, they could stop the Titans. They wouldn't have to live in fear anymore.

And it's a fair thought. But planes, helicopters, weapons change a world. Once the Titans are dead, how long before humanity turned on themselves with the same weapons?

Hell, there weren't even Titans in Ginia's world and she knew her world's history. World War I, World War II, all the atrocities that came out of it.]

/It would be. But then suppose a helicopter is taken down and it crashes into a building, killing everyone on board and injuring people inside the building. Cause and effect, Jean. In my world, we have weapons developed for the sole purpose of taking down aircraft. Counters for everything./

[Ginia sighs and looks over at the hanger of helicopters. Common in her world, modern marvels in Jean's world.]

/I'm sorry about the situation in your world. Weak words coming from someone who doesn't have to face it, I know. But suppose you did have all of this technology. Suppose you defeated the Titans once and for all and humanity was allowed to rebuild. How long before someone seizes the weapons and uses it to force themselves into a position of power?/

[He thinks about the king, tucked away behind the walls of the inner district, content to send hundreds, thousands, to their deaths. The leaders of the Wall Cult, trying to gain momentum among the population. The Military Police, built on a lucrative hierarchy, the corruption he had heard rumors of and never cared about until he realized how stupid it all was. The soldiers who demand recognition simply for wearing a crest, without caring about anything beyond themselves, the kind of soldier he used to be.]

...Not very long.

I guess it's naive to think that all of our problems would be solved if we could just kill off all the titans. [A self-deprecating scoff.] But then I get mad when I think about it...because if we're not fighting for freedom, for peace, what the hell is the point of it all? What have my comrades been dying for?

If we somehow manage to win and I'm still alive by some miracle, I'm shoving a blade up the ass of the first guy who fucks everything up by trying to start something.

[Ginia laughs, a low huffing of air through a smile. Yeah, this kid is going to go far. Good on you.]

/When it comes to fighting, there is no single reason that's going to fit. Fight to stay alive, fight because there's someone you want to protect, fight because it's the right thing. If you fight for someone else's cause, it's not going to matter in the end. You fight for yourself./

[Ginia's expression takes on a hard edge as she signs, her words a little faster and more passionate. There's raw emotion around the edges because sometimes fighting for the right cause or the right person is a one-way trip to your own death. But if she fought for her own cause, she could at least die on her terms and that had to count for something.

Right?

She heaves a sigh, rubs her forehead.]

/...If there's anything you want to learn about, let me know. I could probably set up a simulation in here for you./

[No single reason that's going to fit... Yeah, that sounds about right. He fights to live. He fights because he can't be ignorant anymore. Because he feels small and insignificant. Because he doesn't want more friends to die. But above all, he fights because he chose to. He can see the fire behind her words, and he knows that - while she has yet to outright claim any involvement in the military - she too must have had something to fight for in her world.]

If I only fought because somebody else thought I should, I wouldn't make it very far.

[He surveys the helicopters.]

...Could I see what one of these looks like in flight? I know you said you can't operate one, but...a simulation could do that, couldn't it?

[Ginia nods. It was a bit of forward planning on her part along with some creative tinkering. She motions for him to follow, leading him back out and to the tarmac where a helicopter waits. She opens the door and gestures for Jean to get in.]

/We'll only be able to go up, but it'll give you an idea of what it's like being in a helicopter at least./

[...He hadn't expected this to include actually, you know, being inside a helicopter. There is a moment of visible hesitation before he steps up as directed.]

[It's a cozy helicopter designed for a few of two. There are seat belts inside, though not entirely necessary for a simple ride up and down. On the other hand, the large plastic earmuffs hanging over the headrest are required.

Ginia makes sure the door is securely closed before getting in on the other side, her floating translator remaining outside. When Ginia gets in on her side of the helicopter, she slips the ear protection on. The controls have been reduced down to a single joystick for steering and buttons to start the rotors.

Pressing the button for the main rotor, a low thrum sounds as the rotors build up speed. Dust whips up around them as the humming gets louder. She engages the rear rotor for stability, then gently pulls the joystick toward her.

The helicopter rises, tilting slightly from side to side as it stabilizes. Slowly, it continues going up. Ten feet... twenty... thirty... forty... and at fifty feet, Ginia stops, the helicopter keeping a steady hover.]

[He shifts the sheathes of his 3D maneuver gear around to take a seat; buckling up will be difficult, so he settles for holding onto whatever he can. When he sees her slip the earmuffs on, he follows suit.

And then they're lifting up from the ground. He braces himself in his seat while trying to peer down out the window at the same time. Flying through the air isn't anything new to him, and this is much slower than what he's used to, but here he is not in control of the movement. That thought makes him a little uneasy, but he'll trust that she has it under control.]

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