1 - A boy in the brig

[primalfanatic.livejournal.com]

[The surviving captured Disciple of Baphomet is in the brig and has been since the fight with them a week ago. He seems rather resigned. He eats and sleeps and exercises but doesn't do much else. He hasn't tried to escape, nor has he really complained.]

((OOC: Feel free to time your posts at any point after this log: warning: the log contains a somewhat graphic suicide.))

Comments

[primalfanatic.livejournal.com]

Who knows. They might have a perfectly healthy planet which they want to keep that way by taking resources from elsewhere.

I'm more concerned that they have the technology to fly through space at all. That shows that they have a total disregard for the natural world. After all, why else would they leave their own planet?

[g-saviour.livejournal.com]

Well... at least you have a problem with them at all. We have that technology too, obviously, but, at least us, from the Earth Sphere, haven't wandered out much further than Jupiter.

I guess, if you look at it on a bigger scale, anything we've done centers from Earth. They're going too far out and...
We're all doing the same thing, now that I think about it. You head out way from home to get resources; hunting animals and building materials. We do it too, just from the rocks and planets nearby. They're heading out who-knows how far to come get out blood and bones.

So, it all comes down to a regard for consequences, doesn't it?

[primalfanatic.livejournal.com]

[Cue creepy grin.]

You get it.

[emorangerblack.livejournal.com]

Yes. Flail wildly in your frustration. Surely this proves your emotional maturity.

Is this what your cults expects of its members? To throw their lives away on a futile escape attempt if captured?

[g-saviour.livejournal.com]

Well then putting these aliens aside, and getting back to, the problem isn't so much technology, but, the disregard of the people using it.

And even that... Well, I'll admit, when there's a lot of things going on in the world, you kinda forget about that. For a while, this ship was short on resources, so it's kind of a small taste of what your people are trying to preach.

...

You know, I never introduced myself. Mark Curran [[No need to mention "former Federation officer" since it's not like Flynn will even know what that is anyway. But he offers his hand through the bars.]]

1/2

[primalfanatic.livejournal.com]

Of course not. What they expect is for me to blow up this technological abomination you call a ship even if I die in the process.

But I'm not stupid. I have no chance of succeeding, so I'd be throwing my life away for nothing if I tried.

2/2

[primalfanatic.livejournal.com]

Also... I don't really want to.

I think you guys want to do the right thing. Killing all of you would be a total waste.

[emorangerblack.livejournal.com]

What of this crew's intentions strikes you good enough to exert mercy and spare them?

[Completely neutral tone of voice, but for anyone who had to deal with Devon it's obvious she's being sarcastic. Because Devon.]

[primalfanatic.livejournal.com]

[Flynn takes it hesitantly, almost as if he isn't sure what to do.]

Flynn O'Shea.

1/2

[primalfanatic.livejournal.com]

A couple of guys talked to me. They were pretty upset about what happened. They clearly cared deeply about what they were saying though, even if I didn't understand why. They thought they were doing the right thing.

2/2

[primalfanatic.livejournal.com]

How can I not give people like that a chance to change their ways?

[emorangerblack.livejournal.com]

Why would they? People with conviction that what they do is just are the hardest to convince otherwise.

[Devon speaks from experience here...]

Are you not one of them?

[azure-savior.livejournal.com]

Well, by now you're probably done getting situated in here.

So how's prison life going for you?

[saikyocivrobo]

And that's supposed to be any better? Someone who kills for no reason is just bloodthirsty and crazy. Thinking that's wasteful but willing to kill people just to make a point, on the other hand, means that you thought about the value of human life... And then put a very low price tag on it.

[primalfanatic.livejournal.com]

Actually, the only reason killing to make a point works is because everyone else puts a high price on it.

That's something I don't understand. All the adults always tell me a big problem with the outside world is that people think humans have some special value that makes them important. You guys definitely seem to, why is that?

[primalfanatic.livejournal.com]

They are also the most important to change.

And I said right, not just. Justice is an arbitrary and largely meaningless human construction.

[primalfanatic.livejournal.com]

You guys talk to your prisoners a lot... I'm surprised.

[emorangerblack.livejournal.com]

Human society is full of artificial constructs that do not even exist outside of a shared mentality.

What do you say is the difference between right, and just?

[saikyocivrobo]

It's because a lot of animals are sentient, but humans are one of the few who are sapient. All life is precious, but in addition to being a lifeform, sapience makes you also a person.

[primalfanatic.livejournal.com]

So because we can think this makes us better than other animals?

[primalfanatic.livejournal.com]

I suppose right isn't the best word, but there isn't a better one that I can think of. Right in this case means what is best rather than what is good. Though I am pretty sure most people consider those one and the same, even when they don't agree on the specifics.

[saikyocivrobo]

Everything that has a brain can think, but only sapient creatures can reason. Humans live on a higher mental level than most animals, have much more varied experiences and personalities, and can create instead of living entirely by instinct.

It's a pretty complex topic. I can lend you a book on it, if you promise not to destroy it.

[emorangerblack.livejournal.com]

The best. For everyone, for you?

For nature?

[primalfanatic.livejournal.com]

[He sighs.]

That's exactly what I mean. You used the word "higher" mental level. You could have said "different" which would be more accurate but you said higher.

Then it's true, humans are selfish and egotistical enough to think that their nature makes them better than everything else. I had hoped it was a misconception the others had about the outside world.

[primalfanatic.livejournal.com]

That's a hard question to answer. Wanting to do the right thing and doing the right thing are different and a lot of people think they are doing the right thing when they don't really know what that is.