(no subject)

[timesbureaucrat]

On the top floors of this resort, in the conference rooms and penthouse suites, even now the politicians and diplomats are discussing whether or not they'd like to go gallivanting around our universes, and we aren't allowed even a cursory peep at what they're talking about, much less a formal seat at the table.

[Small grenade of political discontent lobbed, Narvin switches topic.]

Also, I want to make it known preemptively that yes, I am a technician and computer specialist, but no, I will not fix your personal computer, communicator, speeder, spawner, or whatever else you brought with you. I'm a researcher, not a common mechanic. [Actually, he might fix your computer, if he likes you. But Narvin doesn't like many people as a general rule. He also might offer to repair it if he thinks that you might have interesting files on your files that he might hack, but that's another matter.]

Comments

[timesbureaucrat]

[Narvin usually tries not to think about the civil war, using the typical Time Lord method of dealing with uncomfortable issues--repress them and hope they go away.

This is the most he's talked about it since the war ended, and it makes him uncomfortable.]

Perhaps. But if Pandora had won, she would have turned all our resources into military conquest and made every citizen her canon fodder. If I have to kill a few innocent soldiers to keep the whole planet from being dragged into never-ending war, it's a fair price and I'm willing to pay it.

Besides, I never had the trust of my neighbours to begin with.

[vengeance_driven]

[As a man that is incredibly bitter about his past but has his own tendency to flail violence around, he silently vows to run over Narvin next time he has the opportunity. It's good there's no one around or there'd be a stray thought he wouldn't want wandering off into someone else's head. Woops.]

I'm sure those soldiers were very glad that you were willing to sacrifice their lives.

[timesbureaucrat]

And willing to sacrifice my own life at their hands if it came to that. They made their choice and I made mine. It wasn't as if anyone could have stayed impartial civilians. Killing each other was inevitable. Romana at least attempted to keep the casualties low. Pandora had no such qualms or concerns.

[vengeance_driven]

Look, friend, all I hear is that you not only think you're better, that if it were a fight you'd throw other people's lives away before yours. This Romana lady? Maybe not so bad as far as leaders go. I have good luck with people with "Roman" in their name, but meat for the grinder is what it is, man. Don't try to make a shitty thing sound like a proud one.

[timesbureaucrat]

If you were in a fight, wouldn't you rather kill than be killed? I won't apologize for surviving.

scrollover translation

[vengeance_driven]

What?

Wait.

[Niko had been referring to the talk of sacrificing the lives of innocent soldiers and calling people commoners. And trying to lighten up aspects of a war, so he doesn't even know where Narvin wandered off there. So he is listening to this whole conversation again, in Serbian, just to be absolutely sure he didn't lose something somewhere.]

[Man, his English translated back? He really needs to work on his English grammar. Okay, whatever. He think he has it now.]

What? That wasn't what I was saying. Људи не значи много за вас, јер као присталица владе они губе вредност због успеха владе. Али ви не можете имати владу без људи да владају, а ако они сацрафице своје животе нису твоје да сацрафице.

[And suddenly somewhere on the other end he's cracking a hard, mean grin.]

Shit. Technicians must have a lot more responsibility on your planet, ah? [That laugh that follows means he calls bullshit.]

[timesbureaucrat]

I simply believe that the needs of the community as a whole are more important than the needs of an individual.

[Narvin tenses. Damn. In the uncomfortable talk of civil war, he let himself slip.]

You know how war is. Suddenly shoemakers end up officers, that sort of thing.

[vengeance_driven]

Yes, they do.

[He doesn't think that's the case here, between the interest in politics, talk of his president, and mention of sacrifice.]

Sometimes children do, too. [He never really hides that part of his history with the war. He was pretty young when he started to fight, barely more than a boy. And after seeing his friends die around him?] So I am skeptical now.

[timesbureaucrat]

[Niko's comment brings to Narvin's mind the bodies of students mangled and twisted in the wake of a bomb. His voice was low.]

We tried to keep the children safe and out of harm's way.

["Tried" being the key word there.]

[vengeance_driven]

That is what most leaders say.

I have no doubt at least half of them mean it.

[But if it is in their country or on their world he guesses? they're always involved.]

[timesbureaucrat]

Romana meant it.

[First name terms with the President.]