damned_institute | Day 32: Sun Room (4th Shift)

Entry tags:

Day 32: Sun Room (4th Shift)

It was rare that Homura's nurse try to persuade him to a scheduled activity, but then, it was rare that Homura didn't go. But the demi-god had plans, and the poor woman had little other choice but to leave in a huff as he once again settled himself near the bulletin board in the Sun Room.

His conversation with Kenren the previous shift had left the demi-god with a lingering sense of anxiety. Perhaps it was something only those from his own world could do, but none the less, he was all the more ready for night to begin now. Goals and memories, the truth of his past and the possibility of the future: all thoughts lingering on the forefront of his mind, more than enough motivation to move forward.

Impatience was something of a rush for an immortal, he'd discovered. Homura liked the feeling, the excitement even before he had arrived in this prison. And now while he waited, he savored it again, a yearning that shone so much brighter than the boredom of Heaven.

[Waiting for History Club Q&A time.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Children and those who can't defend themselves. They're always the ones who are hurt most," Allelujah agreed. But Celestial Being wasn't so much better. Setsuna was still a kid, even if he'd been chosen by Veda, and Allelujah had been younger than that when he'd been taken in by them. Even Lockon, who seemed so much older at times, was still little more than a child in comparison to most soldiers.

"I suppose so. I've never even heard of alchemy. Not really." Maybe a couple of mentions in some of the books he'd read. Brief mentions in fiction so he wasn't toally clueless about it, but he'd very little idea about it beyond those few mentions. His education hadn't exactly covered things like that.

His smile faded a little when he saw Edgeworth's expression, cursing his other half. They didn't need to alienate people here! Not before they could get out. He did take the change of topic gladly though, glad to have something to hopefully distract the other man for a while. "The Human Reform League," he corrected. "China, Korea, Asian Russia, India. And most of the smaller Asian countries too. They control one of the Orbital Elevators." And that colony which made him sick to even think of. "And yes, the UN still exists. I suppose it could be called a peacekeeping mission. They united to destroy us."

Edgeworth nodded in agreement, carefully watching for that change in expression and voice as he did. "Indeed," he said, a serious look on his face. "You see all the things on television...it's enough to make anyone want to put a stop to it."

He propped his head on one hand, thinking of how best to explain it. "Alchemy, as I understand it from history classes, is something of a forerunner to modern chemistry. However, unlike modern chemistry, it largely focused on doing the impossible - the classic example is turning lead into gold." He smirked a bit. "It fell out of favor, setting chemistry back along with it, when an overachieving alchemist promised a king a fortune and couldn't deliver."

Orbital elevator?Edgeworth raised an eyebrow, curious. "Can you explain what exactly an orbital elevator is? I assume it's used for space travel?"

That frown appeared on his face again. "It's hard to believe...the lengths that people will go to for power." He shook his head, brushing hair out of his eyes.

He'd seen a lot of it up close but that was too much personal information too soon. Even the Meisters had only been told out of necessity, and reluctantly at that. He'd made it too obvious that that mission was personal to not give them an explanation. "And sometimes the governments seem unwilling to even acknowledge a problem. They could have done something about so much of it." It had been truly galling when the Human Reform League had expressed their horror at the Super Soldier programme when they'd been the ones to create and fund it.

So that was alchemy? "It sounds very archaic. I think I've only seen the word used in fiction before." He shrugged, a little embarrassed. "I didn't get much chance to study history when I was young." That should explain his lack of knowledge about so many things that people took for granted. What history he did know was mostly in relation to warfare.

He bit his lip, thinking of how best to explain such a massive structure. "It's a super structure," he began. "I'm not an engineer so I don't know the fine detail about it. It's like a giant tower, I suppose, reaching from the Earth;s surface into space to hold up the solar generators that are the main source of power. There's a sort of train inside though, which takes people and cargo up to the stations in orbit and to the colonies in orbit." It was something that was so utterly everyday to him, that it seemed strange to have to explain it. They were very impressive up close though, he had to admit.

"They united for something though. Maybe that is a start."

"Some people are trying to change things - at least, in my time." That was the easiest explanation, and the reason Edgeworth had left the prosecutor's office for good after his last trial. He needed to improve his skills, and figure out what the truth of things actually was. He knew perfectly well at this point that some of the defendants he'd brought to trial were innocent, and he had no intention of letting it happen again.

"History was one of my favorite subjects in school," Edgeworth said, an embarrassed smile on his face. "I'm happy to explain anything you'd like to know, though do be warned that I may ramble on a bit."

The prosecutor listened carefully to the explanation about the elevators. "Fascinating - so the world has switched to solar energy completely. And..."

There was a little twinge of sadness inside - it had been Phoenix who had always been excited about this kind of thing. He would have been fascinated by all this. Part of him wanted to write it all down for him, mail it in a letter, but who knew if that would get there?

"And we've colonized space? Only 300 years...it is a start...and maybe they will come to see your point of view."

Allelujah smiled at that. "I'm glad to hear it. It's always relieving to hear about people trying to change things for the better." He just found it such a shame that so often they were outnumbered and outclassed by those who had a vesteg interest in leaving things as they were. Moralia's relationship with the Advanced European Union came to mind.

Studying history in school. It was something so mundane, so normal that he felt a little surge of jealousy and wistfullness at the thought of it. Almost everything he'd learned had been from Celestial Being. "I know political history, how the current world situation came to be, but I was never taught anything much beyond that." Oh, he'd tried to catch up, to pick up the things that he'd missed, but it was an impossible task.

He nodded, warming to the conversation more now that it was moving away from more dangerous topics. "Mostly, yes. The oil exporting countries are suffering though because of the restrictions on oil exports, and because the three main powers control the elevators, they control the power too and can demand compliance in return for supply." Plenty of places had lost out, even if solar energy was better in general.

"There are space colonies, yes. They're not hugely developed yet. There's not been any mass exodus or anything like that, but they exist, people live there and travel is fairly cheap using the elevators." He sighed softly and nodded. "I just hope some good comes from what we've been doing." He'd hate to have further bloodied his hands for nothing.

"It's all we can do, in the end." Edgeworth smiled - and not a smirk this time. "And that's a shame, really. There's so much in my own time that can be explained by the past - we had an oil crisis of our own that began in 2007. I was just a child then, though I heard plenty of the news about it, since my stepfather was heavily invested in oil companies. I think he was one of the few people who was happy when the crisis started, because it was money in his pocket."

The smile faded as quickly as it had come on, and the voice in the back of his head made a loud, disapproving noise - of course it would - and with it, shot a bit of pain through his head. He stopped, closing his eyes, taking a minute to regain his composure before continuing.

"History seems to have moved in the opposite direction, then. Solar energy was only just starting to really take off when I was brought here, as were hybrid cars and the like. We were starting to explore space again after a series of accidents. It's hard to believe that we actually colonize it all in the future, as progress seemed so slow."

Edgeworth looked Allelujah in the eye before speaking again. "If one person is saved, it's worth it, and I'm sure that's happened."

It was a line he'd repeated to himself so many times during his training, and in those early trials - if one less criminal was on the street, if one more notch was in his perfect record - then it was a good thing. It was hard to shake the point of view.

Edited 2008-05-28 02:48 (UTC)

Aeolia Shinberg hadn't thought so. He'd made plans and created Celestial Being which had led to the Gundams. It was one of the advantages they had over most people. Money and resources to force change rather than waiting for it. He shrugged. "There wasn't time," he replied simply. It wasn't as though that place had wanted to waste the time on teaching children anything more than the basics. He did listen eagerly to Edgeworth's explanation though, fascinated somewhat by the link between that and what was happening in his own time. "It seems that energy is always a big point of contention then," he said consideringly. Oil back then, the solar energy now.

He frowned a little in concern by Edgeworth's pause, and leaned forward in his seat. "Are you alright?" he asked, a touch of worry in his voice. He looked a little like he was in pain.

He relaxed when Edgeworth seemed to recover, glad to be learning more about history. "It's strange hearing of all that as current events," he admitted shyly. "It seems like such a long time ago. Such a lot of technology was developed very quickly. Is still being developed." Just look at the solar engines of the Gundams. The world powers still hadn't figured them out yet, even if they had access to the fake drives.

He met Edgeworth's gaze with his one visible eye before nodding. "I hope it has." No more children like him. That was what he wanted.

"I'm fine," Edgeworth said, smiling. "Just a bit of a headache. It's nothing to worry about." There was still a twinge of pain in the back of his head, but it had faded enough for him to be able to ignore it for the present.

Going back to the conversation, he had to wonder what Allelujah had meant by there not being time. Some exam to prepare for? "That's too bad. It seems history always gets given short shrift when compared to math, science, engineering, and the like. I think, had I not gone into the legal system, I would have liked to study it more intensely."

"Energy is one of the major points of contention in any time period, I'm afraid. The good thing is, as you mentioned, that technology is catching up to our demands." That made him wonder - what was powering the Institute? The lights went out every night, which meant that the supply might be limited, but that didn't explain why the intercoms still worked, or the radios...it was worth looking into further.

"I'm sure it has," Edgeworth said, nodding. There was something about how serious and dedicated the younger man seemed that made that very easy to believe.

Allelujah nodded at the assertion and he shifted back in his seat, taking a moment to smooth his hair down. Oh, he knew all about headaches.He could sympathise.

If only Edgeworth knew what he'd meant by that, he'd probably have been horrified. Although probably over more than the state of Allelujah's education. "It is a shame when so many things could probably have been averted if people knew more about the history of how things came to be." Then again, one could never be sure how humans would react. "History was always something I would have liked to look at more, beyond what was strictly necessary." He smiled a little with amusement. "I've never been able to look at Law at all either," he added. He just knew that what they were doing was highly illegal and the punishment if they were caught would be highly unpleasant.

He had to agree with that. So many wars had been fought over energy and the means to create it. "The solar generators work very well, but not all countries have equal access to it unfortunately, and the technology to start being able to harness it is expensive." Like had happened in Azadistan. "And there are other wars still going on for other reasons."

It was nice to hear someone sound so confident in the belief that they'd done something good, even if Edgeworth's agreement might change if he knew how they'd gone about it. He wasn't used to hearing it.

"It really is a shame," Edgeworth nodded. "And it's also a shame the library here is so...lacking, in terms of its nonfiction collection. The least they could do is add some reference books. A dictionary and set of encyclopedias, at least, if not a full-out display. I'm sure it would be of use."

He thought again. "Or the Internet - though I'm sure that's been surpassed from the way it is in my own time. Though I'm sure that's blocked for obvious reasons; they don't want messages getting out."

The word law brought a smile to the prosecutor's face - now that was a subject he could easily talk about. "Oh, it's probably best not to get me started on law. We don't have hours to discuss everything," he said, with a laugh. "Though I'm happy to answer any questions about the legal system. It's probably a bit different than what you're used to."

We just can't figure out a way of getting energy to everyone, even with the solar generators." Edgeworth shook his head as he listened to the explanation. "Another shame, that. Though I expect the technology will go down in price as time goes on. Though that doesn't solve the problem of fights starting for other reasons."

He spied a nurse coming by out of the corner of his eye, but chose to ignore her presence. She could wait, as far as he cared.

"Is it? I haven't been able to see the library yet." He hadn't even known that there was one, but he supposed it made sense if they were trying to keep them occupied in various ways. "I think if this is a prison in the manner that people have said though, then they probably want to keep us disoriented about our exact location or the date." It gave them nothing concrete to grasp hold of and kept them at a disadvantage. "The same for the internet," he agreed. "It would be too easy to send messages through it." Or even to hack it. It was a litle disappointing that there was no access.

He laughed softly when Edgeworth spoke about his love of law. It was obviously a passion of his. Allelujah supposed that it had to be a passion if one wanted to become a lawyer. "There is a lot to cover, and every country has its quirks I suppose. But you mentioned a three day system being introduced?" It sounded so strange. Trials normally tooks much longer didn't they? Weeks or months or even years.

"Some people are too remote, some countries don't want to accept the use of the Solar Generators because it means having a relationship with the major powers. Or their use is seen as being supported by one faction so another will oppose it for that reason and little else." It made his head hurt to think or all of the reasons people had for starting new wars. Surely supplying the people of a country with power wasn't a bad thing.

"The library is a small one, as I've mentioned, and all fiction. It's mainly classic literature with a few trashy paperbacks mixed in. Lacking isn't the best word for it," Edgeworth said, with a derisive chuckle. "It's not a bad place if you want a bit of quiet, though."

"Ah, yes." Edgeworth leaned forward in his seat as he began the explanation. "There was a serious crime wave that began about twenty years before I was born. The result was that people were made to wait months, or years, for a trial that could take months. The three-day trial system was introduced so that trials could be processed in a faster manner, which means people are moved through the system without a wait."

Edgeworth motioned with his hands as he spoke, a habit held over from his days in the courtroom. "Barring any extenuating circumstances, trials generally begin within 24-72 hours of the crime, and a judge oversees the proceedings. All guilty verdicts are then reviewed by a higher court, though it's very rare for a decision to be overturned. The system works because the short time frame forces everyone involved to be honest - it's their one shot, so it has to be a good one for everyone involved, from the police to the defense to the prosecution. I personally think it leads to fairer trials, as the tactics used to stall or prolong a trial can't be used anymore."

"It hasn't been without its share of controversy, however. There has been some talk of bringing back the Jurist System, though it hasn't really gotten off the ground. People fear that it will slow things down, or introduce bias into the system. But I'm prattling on." The prosecutor smiled, a slight embarrassed flush on his face. "I'm proud of the work I do, and it's been a pleasure to discuss it. It's very rare to find someone as interested in it as you've been."

"Hm." Edgeworth stroked his chin thoughtfully. "It sounds as if the issues in the oil-producing countries from my time are repeating themselves. The United States doesn't want to take oil from Iran because they support terror; the Iranians resent that. Venezuela tries to take advantage of the situation by artificially raising prices, which the people protest, and before anyone knows it, there's a multi-nation conflict going on. It's sad, really."

"It still probably has more than I'm used to, even if it is all fiction," Allelujah admitted. "Where I was before here there wasn't space for a library. I just had to make do with what I picked up on Earth when I was there." And those visits where they actually had time to do anything were few and far between.

He listened curiously to the explanation of the changes in the judicial system. It seemed to make sense, he had to admit. Why keep people in custody for long periods of time at the cost of the country, or risk them leaving the country, when things could be over in only a few days? And it didn't sound as though it would be any more prone to miscarriages of judgement than the system that prevailed in Allelujah's time.

He shook his head, smiling at Edgeworth's embarrassment. "It's fine, really. I've enjoyed listening. I don't get much chance for this kind of discussion usually. It's just a shame there isn't enough time to get more in depth." He wondered how long it would take for a court to decide on a guilty verdict for him.

He had to agree with Edgeworth's assessment of the situation. "It does seem that way. There was a problem in a country called Azadistan recently. There were two factions, the traditionalists and the progressives. The traditionalists kidnapped one of their own clerics to try to discredit the ruling princess who is part of the progressive faction."

"Aside from the trashy paperbacks - do try to avoid anything by John Grisham, as his views on the legal system are hardly accurate - the rest of the fiction isn't terrible," Edgeworth admitted. "I just wish their nonfiction selection was a bit bigger."

He smiled at hearing that his companion had enjoyed it. "It really is a shame there isn't more time to get in-depth about it." That nurse he spied earlier was walking over, and he frowned. They'd at least have time to finish before she arrived to take them to their rooms.

"It's hard to believe a country would kidnap one of its own clerics. What good does it do them in the long run? I think it would only hurt their cause."

Edgeworth opened his mouth to continue, but was interrupted. "Mr. Pierce, you've been so welcoming to the new patients today. I'll have to put a note in your chart about how friendly you've been!" Again, that overly bright nurse, prattling away.

He stood, giving a small bow Allelujah's way. "It's been a pleasure, Allelujah. We'll have to continue our discussion at some point." With a smile, he followed the nurse out the door.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Day 32: Sun Room (4th Shift)

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject