voidtreckernet | [video] unresolved issues

[ From the gaming car, it's Kaiba. He's taken to tying his orange hoodie around his waist and popping the collar of his orange polo, in an effort to maintain the dramatic silhouette he loves so much. ]

Does it bother anyone else that the only glue holding this tiny slice of society together is the fact that we're trapped in a claustrophobia-inducing tin can rattling through the interdimensional void?

Think about it. We're from all walks of life. All different social structures. Predators and prey, haves and have-nots, all together and brought down to size. Homogenous societies themselves don't have a great track record of avoiding division and war, so the only thing keeping our tiny tube afloat and relatively at peace is the fact that there's no escape should we cause a big enough disruption.

Can alliances forged under these conditions truly be called genuine? Is it really what you call friendship, if such a thing exists? Or family? Would you accept someone who would be your enemy in any other circumstance? Who's committed unforgivable acts, and is still capable of doing so? Somehow I doubt it.

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[ How... peculiar. She can't say she is terribly impressed by such a way of thinking, though, and she's not terribly motivated to hide it either. ]

Human beings can't be sorted into predator and prey, they are far more complex. And to think that there can be no genuine friendship or kindness formed under desperate circumstances is nothing short of vile. We are not all motivated by self-interest. You give people too little credit, and yourself too much.

Yes, my ego precedes me, I know. But I think I'm more honest than vile. Bonds are fragile...easily broken by greed. I've seen it enough times.

Then these bonds were worth in the first place. Bonds forged and strengthened by enduring hardships and dangers together, these should be the strongest bonds of all. I have been there.

[ She is silent for a moment, mulling about his last words, considering she may have been unkind in her initial response. ]

I'm sorry if your experience has been different.

[ Unkind is pretty much what he deserves, but he listens anyway. ]

It has been.

I already have a small army of optimists trying to convince me to believe again. I'm willing to wait and see...and stop actively antagonizing. It is a small space.

I'm not an optimist. [ Maybe he really deserves some unkindness. Annoyance is certainly bleeding back into her voice at what rubs her like being dismissed as naive. ] I have spent the last years in a situation far more uncomfortable than this one.

People can be good or bad. Most uninvolved people will be indifferent to the suffering of others or choose a comfortable path that offers no resistance. That only makes it more important the ones who share this fate can rely on another. And yes. That might even mean forgiving another or trusting in the kindness of someone who used to be your enemy. That doesn't make it any less real.

...It's difficult. I've never felt safe enough to trust others.

But living my life the way I have to this point isn't going to help. So I guess that means I'm trying.

[ Not feeling safe enough...

That hits a chord in her and her mood swings around again, back to sympathy for this young man. It is really turning out to be one of the most rollercoaster first meetings she's had. ]

I'm familiar with not feeling safe. [ She lets a moment of silence pass. ] It will be difficult to change these habits. But it is worthwhile... to try, at least. [ But he's so young, he must have grown up with distrust much like she has. You don't ever fully shake that off, in her experience. ]

So I've heard. So...I just might take up a group hobby. Any recommendations?

[ She just gives him a blank look. ]

I'm the last person to ask for that. I spend all my free time studying. I'm sure there will be some organized effort to make best use of the new gardens?

Hm. I've arranged the rocks once. I can do it again.

[ But that sparks his curiousity. It's...a familiar predicament. ]

You could exercise your mind in more...enjoyable ways. Some of our games in the gaming car are excellent tests of strategy.

I find studying enjoyable. I'm updating my knowledge in my chosen profession, it is exhausting but I don't find it a hardship at all. Medical research is what I would be doing at home, too.

[ That said, she does pause and think, looking a little curious. ]

But... What games are you speaking of? I haven't paid much attention to the game car yet.

And it's important work. We'll all be grateful to have someone who knows what they're doing in the medical car.

You should come see for yourself. I learned on chess---it's a board game where each piece has unique movement rules, and the goal is to corner your opponent's pieces and capture them. Another popular game is poker, played with cards---it's a math game, you do best if you know your odds and can easily read a lie on someone's face.

I can teach any of them.

We have strategical board games at home, too... but I have never had much patience to learn any properly. [ Which she may be regretting now, at least a little bit. There isn't too much to do stuck on the train once you're done studying for the day. She smiles a little, eyes gleaming. ] But I think what I would be most interested in is your poker game. I like mathematics, and I'm good at reading people.

Then meet me in the gaming car when you're ready. We have a basic playing card deck...and I'll figure something out for wagers.

Thank you. I don't know when exactly I will have the time for it but I will take you up on this offer. It will be an interesting skill to learn.

[video] unresolved issues

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