Post by faultylogic on Apr 15, 2010 23:42:47 GMT -5
The view wasn't particularly spectacular, but it was better than nothing. A floating blue orb surrounded by darkness. She'll admit that the sight of it is a huge difference from a space colony or the Lunar city. But other that, she felt little emotional attachment to the planet.
"You alright there, Mao? You've been staring at it for a while now."
Mao snapped back to reality. "Oh, nothing to worry about, Izzy. I just can't see why anyone would want to fight over that."
Isaac leaned in, as hugged her around her shoulder. "Yeah, same here. Other than the view, I really don't know why people are willing to die for what is basically a giant ball of dirt and water." Mao couldn't help but laugh at the simplicity of the description. "Still, I'm surprised to hear someone born on Earth to say that."
Mao smiles weakly. "It's precisely because I was born there, is why I'm questioning it. There's nothing really special about it. Minerals, water, heat, sunlight and all those other goodies you find on Earth, you can find anywhere else. Home is where you want it to be, not where you are born."
Isaac's face light up at those words. "Yes! That's what I've been trying to tell the others on the ship all this time. There's no reason for the Zeon and the Federation to be fighting over something that is infinitely small compared to the vastness of space. Why are they fighting each other for a single planet when they can work together to colonize the other parts in the system?"
"Greed."
Isaac turned to the voice that interrupted their conversation. "Oh, captain. We didn't see you there."
Roslyn lets out a light laugh. "Really? I could've sworn the reason why Mao was staring out at the planet was because she saw me doing it."
For a moment, Isaac was caught off guard by her laughter and was breathless at the sight. Mao couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy and answered for him. "Forgive him, Rosy. Apparently, even a professional tends to think with their other head at the worse time." Isaac started to protest at the remark, but Mao cut him off. "But do continue, you were saying something about greed."
"Oh, that. It's nothing really. Earth might be small compared to the vastness of space, but space is nothing compared to how deep and infinite human greed is." Roslyn sighs as she turned her attention back to Earth. "It's almost amazing. The Zeons have all of space for their taking, yet they still want Earth. Even willing to risk the genocide of the human race for it. The Federation, with a planet all to themselves, are willing to do the same for everything else."
"That's absurd. Space is vast and there are near limitless amount of resources out there. There's no reason why they couldn't share."
Roslyn smiled again and Mao felt that twinge again. "Do you really want to know why?"
"Yes, tell me captain. Why?"
The captain replied, "Because it's there. It's as simple as that. We have ships capable of transversing the system in a month or so, self-sustaining colonies, and people living around Jupiter, the most uninhabitable place possible. If they really wanted to, they could've simple left. A coward's way out, perhaps, but it is also the best and simplest solution."
Isaac stayed quiet as he tried to think things through, while Mao watched his serious face with a sly look. She loves it when her Izzy acts all serious.
"Don't think too hard, X.O. It's just my opinion, nothing more, nothing less."
Isaac was about to say something, but stopped himself and said something else. "If you say so, captain. Maybe if they finally get tired of killing each other, they can finally start on the pirates."
Roslyn suddenly burst into laughter, sustaining it for nearly a minute before finally calming down. But for that minute, both Isaac and Mao was entranced by the sight. "Oh, sorry. Couldn't help myself."
Isaac asked puzzlingly, "I don't get it, what's so funny? Don't you hate them for..." He paused, as he considered Roslyn's feeling.
"Killing everyone I hold dear on my previous position?" She sobered up a bit. "Yes, I do hate them for personal reasons, but that's just how life is, in these times. You live, get shit thrown at you, then die."
Isaac was starting to get agitated. "What? That's it? They killed your friends and all you can say, life sucks, and then forget about it?"
The captain stared calmly at Isaac. "No, that's not it. If given the chance, I'll torture them for weeks before shooting them in the head." She was starting to get a distant look in her eyes. "But revenge isn't everything, I know that now. It doesn't mean I won't kill them if I could, but there are more important things in life than what you want."
Mao could see Isaac was boiling with rage, and absentmindedly, she started to stroke his back, trying to calm him down. "So, what? You're just going to let the Zeon take care of them for you?"
"Take care of them? Zeon?" Roslyn responded rather strangely.
"Yes, Zeon. They controlled the space back then and still do, now. The pirates will be a threat to the Zeon now that the Federation have withdrawn."
"Oh, that. Yes. It is inevitable that the pirates will be eliminated after this war. After all, nobody likes their dirty laundries to be shown."
"What are you insinuating? The pirates are working for them?"
"No, no. Nothing like that. That implies either the Zeon is paying them credits to hunt others or the pirates are mercenaries, both which would mean it can be traced back to the Zeons for hiring them."
"That makes no sense. If the pirates aren't working for them, then what are they doing?"
Roslyn shakes her head. "Nothing." Seeing the confused look on Isaac's face, she explained, "They're getting the pirates to do nothing to their fleets."
"But you just said they're not paying them. Why would pirates pick one side over another over nothing?"
"I never said they paid them nothing, I said they didn't pay them in credits."
"What could the Zeon possibly offer to the pirates that us, traders, can't?"
It was Mao's turn to smile as she knew the answer to this. She couldn't resist and shared a look of understanding between her and the captain. Roslyn nodded as she turned around and started to walk away while Mao drew Izzy in close and whispered to his ears. "No, my dear. We can't pay them off because we are the payments."
"You alright there, Mao? You've been staring at it for a while now."
Mao snapped back to reality. "Oh, nothing to worry about, Izzy. I just can't see why anyone would want to fight over that."
Isaac leaned in, as hugged her around her shoulder. "Yeah, same here. Other than the view, I really don't know why people are willing to die for what is basically a giant ball of dirt and water." Mao couldn't help but laugh at the simplicity of the description. "Still, I'm surprised to hear someone born on Earth to say that."
Mao smiles weakly. "It's precisely because I was born there, is why I'm questioning it. There's nothing really special about it. Minerals, water, heat, sunlight and all those other goodies you find on Earth, you can find anywhere else. Home is where you want it to be, not where you are born."
Isaac's face light up at those words. "Yes! That's what I've been trying to tell the others on the ship all this time. There's no reason for the Zeon and the Federation to be fighting over something that is infinitely small compared to the vastness of space. Why are they fighting each other for a single planet when they can work together to colonize the other parts in the system?"
"Greed."
Isaac turned to the voice that interrupted their conversation. "Oh, captain. We didn't see you there."
Roslyn lets out a light laugh. "Really? I could've sworn the reason why Mao was staring out at the planet was because she saw me doing it."
For a moment, Isaac was caught off guard by her laughter and was breathless at the sight. Mao couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy and answered for him. "Forgive him, Rosy. Apparently, even a professional tends to think with their other head at the worse time." Isaac started to protest at the remark, but Mao cut him off. "But do continue, you were saying something about greed."
"Oh, that. It's nothing really. Earth might be small compared to the vastness of space, but space is nothing compared to how deep and infinite human greed is." Roslyn sighs as she turned her attention back to Earth. "It's almost amazing. The Zeons have all of space for their taking, yet they still want Earth. Even willing to risk the genocide of the human race for it. The Federation, with a planet all to themselves, are willing to do the same for everything else."
"That's absurd. Space is vast and there are near limitless amount of resources out there. There's no reason why they couldn't share."
Roslyn smiled again and Mao felt that twinge again. "Do you really want to know why?"
"Yes, tell me captain. Why?"
The captain replied, "Because it's there. It's as simple as that. We have ships capable of transversing the system in a month or so, self-sustaining colonies, and people living around Jupiter, the most uninhabitable place possible. If they really wanted to, they could've simple left. A coward's way out, perhaps, but it is also the best and simplest solution."
Isaac stayed quiet as he tried to think things through, while Mao watched his serious face with a sly look. She loves it when her Izzy acts all serious.
"Don't think too hard, X.O. It's just my opinion, nothing more, nothing less."
Isaac was about to say something, but stopped himself and said something else. "If you say so, captain. Maybe if they finally get tired of killing each other, they can finally start on the pirates."
Roslyn suddenly burst into laughter, sustaining it for nearly a minute before finally calming down. But for that minute, both Isaac and Mao was entranced by the sight. "Oh, sorry. Couldn't help myself."
Isaac asked puzzlingly, "I don't get it, what's so funny? Don't you hate them for..." He paused, as he considered Roslyn's feeling.
"Killing everyone I hold dear on my previous position?" She sobered up a bit. "Yes, I do hate them for personal reasons, but that's just how life is, in these times. You live, get shit thrown at you, then die."
Isaac was starting to get agitated. "What? That's it? They killed your friends and all you can say, life sucks, and then forget about it?"
The captain stared calmly at Isaac. "No, that's not it. If given the chance, I'll torture them for weeks before shooting them in the head." She was starting to get a distant look in her eyes. "But revenge isn't everything, I know that now. It doesn't mean I won't kill them if I could, but there are more important things in life than what you want."
Mao could see Isaac was boiling with rage, and absentmindedly, she started to stroke his back, trying to calm him down. "So, what? You're just going to let the Zeon take care of them for you?"
"Take care of them? Zeon?" Roslyn responded rather strangely.
"Yes, Zeon. They controlled the space back then and still do, now. The pirates will be a threat to the Zeon now that the Federation have withdrawn."
"Oh, that. Yes. It is inevitable that the pirates will be eliminated after this war. After all, nobody likes their dirty laundries to be shown."
"What are you insinuating? The pirates are working for them?"
"No, no. Nothing like that. That implies either the Zeon is paying them credits to hunt others or the pirates are mercenaries, both which would mean it can be traced back to the Zeons for hiring them."
"That makes no sense. If the pirates aren't working for them, then what are they doing?"
Roslyn shakes her head. "Nothing." Seeing the confused look on Isaac's face, she explained, "They're getting the pirates to do nothing to their fleets."
"But you just said they're not paying them. Why would pirates pick one side over another over nothing?"
"I never said they paid them nothing, I said they didn't pay them in credits."
"What could the Zeon possibly offer to the pirates that us, traders, can't?"
It was Mao's turn to smile as she knew the answer to this. She couldn't resist and shared a look of understanding between her and the captain. Roslyn nodded as she turned around and started to walk away while Mao drew Izzy in close and whispered to his ears. "No, my dear. We can't pay them off because we are the payments."