Yeah, it is. I keep getting haunted by all'a shit I've been through ever since Earth fell to'a Bane and it doesn't seem like it'll ever get off my chest.
What a wonderful time to get dragged into this sitcom of a town, huh?
... Oh yeah, who are you anyway? I barely know anyone here, so far.
You're-... ... ...okay, I'm not gonna lie, I'd have wigged out on you if you was'a first one of your type that I talked to. Holland took one for'a team though, so I'm a little more adjusted. I can't figure out how you guys work, though. I got so many damn questions.
... But yeah. I don't think you yourself have to worry about it, if what-Holland told me is true, that you're all from another, uh ... universe or dimension or something
( ... )
Something like that. Fucking Tony, I always knew he was up to no good.
I suppose this place doesn't seem so terrible against your home world, then. Though you can ask any questions you want, I can't bloody lie. Which is just, brilliant.
Yeah, pretty much ... Where I'm from, what's left of humanity is fightin' on other planets; ain't heard a blip from Earth after'a initial invasion. We don't know what happened ... but we're all soldiers now. Well, except for'a Cormans. But they were already settled in long before this all happened.
And, well, you don't hafta worry about me. This truth gas shit's got me inna same boat. I can't seem to keep my mouth shut when I really oughta.
Now, I ain't gonna exploit ya for anything compromising, I just-trying to comprehend what you guys are is a bit confusing. I mean-are you like John Bull or something? I asked Holland if he was something like that and I think he said "no," but he was pretty vague. "I'm just me."
Tony's a fucking alien. Sorry to hear about humanity. Which seems rather poor, considering the situation. It's like I'm giving you a card for the end of humanity. But good on you for fighting.
... That's Holland all right. He's a bit daft. But he has terrible hair, I think. All sticking up. Ridiculous. But, no, my eyebrows are the spirit of John Bull.
He is? Maybe he's not like'a Bane. He could be like'a other member races of'a AFS, I dunno. Or like'a Eloh, even.
Don't worry about it. Not like you can do much else, bein' stuck in this town an' all. As far as I'm concerned though, fighting's'a only real option we got, back home. Layin' down and dying's a pretty shitty alternative.
... So wait, your eyebrows are just'a spirit of John Bull? Like, the actual soul of'a guy is in your eyebrows, or do they represent his attitude? Kind of like how a boxer might compare one of his arms to a cannon or something?
What about, uh ... the rest of you? Are you "living nation" guys kind of like that Gaia theory? Or like that dude on'a cover of that book by ... what'sisname ... Oh yeah! Thomas Hobbes. Leviathan. That one.
Both? Neither? It's hard to tell, it's just that his spirit is rather robust and make my eyebrows rather thick. I have very thick eyebrows. I'm rather self-conscious about them, even though I think they're handsome.
You're quite well-read. It's a bit more complicated than his theory, and it's not always quite clear where we stand... But it's good enough, I think, to just consider us a little too human to be human. Does it bother you?
Yeah, and this truth gas or whatever it is ain't helping your self-consciousness.
Eh, I don't think I'm that well read. I mean, it was my Freshman year when'a Bane hit Earth an' I haven't had much time to sit down and read during my "career" in'a AFS. They covered books like that in my Government classes, though.
So it's not quite like Hobbes, but it's kinda right? Huh. Would it be more like, uh ... you're human beings and a body politic? You're your own person, but you're influenced by everything that your people and government does? ... Or do you guys even have humans as individuals, where you're from?
It doesn't really creep me out, nah, but it kinda makes me ... I dunno, stop an' think. Like every time, I stop and realize, it's not just a person I'm talking to, I'm talking to a country. And then I think about all those things you'd normally say without a thought to an individual, but then if you're saying it about a country it takes on a whole new meaning.
Don't worry too much about it. I mean, there are citizens, and they have been inside of me, but the town changes something to a person. It's hard to say. But we don't always agree with our government, things like that. But we fight the wars and the battles. It's a bit complicated.
If it makes you feel nervous, though, you can call me Arthur Kirkland.
Yeah, it sounds complicated ... But I think I kinda get it. You're connected to your people an' your government but you're not exactly all one being. Works for me!
And yeah, I'll probably stick to Arthur, but not because of that; see, we got a guy in AFS HIGHCOM back home, General British. He's'a guy who oversees all operations involving Logos Receptives and training 'em, too.
And, well, you're England. But you're probably also Britain, right? You're the whole of the United Kingdom?
General British. He certainly sounds... British. Though I'm afraid I'm not familiar with Logos Receptives.
That's another sordid story. I do have brothers, and we're really more altogether the United Kingdom. But given they're not here, and I am, I'll respond to those names, too.
Yeah, heh. Well, he was born in Cambridge, that much I remember from AFS Network's "News from'a Front," when they did a story for his birthday. It's kinda funny, he was born on the Fourth of July.
Oh, Logos Receptives-they're anyone who has'a right genes to receive Logos Element information from'a Eloh. Kind of a long story, but'a Eloh did some genetic engineering on us generations ago so that we could use Logos in'a future. And Logos is their baby-their system of givin' a sentient mind'a ability to affect'a physical world directly.
[His voice sounds a bit distant.]
I'm a Logos Receptive. It's pretty much the only reason the AFS rescued me an' not my friends or family. They were only takin' anyone who was a Receptive, a scientist, or a soldier.
Anyway ... I getcha. So the United Kingdom is more like a family for you instead of being ... well, just you. ... Huh, say, do most of you guys have "human" names as well?
... I'm sorry to hear that. I'm afraid I don't understand all those terms clearly, not the Logos or being a receptive, but it sounds like you've been through a trial. But if you can actually do telephatic sort of things, it sounds very useful.
Most of us have human names, yeah. Have you met America? For example, he's also called Alfred F. Jones.
Speaking of which, I can't sleep for shit right now.
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The whole truth deal taking a bad turn on you?
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What a wonderful time to get dragged into this sitcom of a town, huh?
... Oh yeah, who are you anyway? I barely know anyone here, so far.
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I'm England. From Earth. Do I make it out all right?
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... But yeah. I don't think you yourself have to worry about it, if what-Holland told me is true, that you're all from another, uh ... universe or dimension or something ( ... )
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I suppose this place doesn't seem so terrible against your home world, then. Though you can ask any questions you want, I can't bloody lie. Which is just, brilliant.
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Yeah, pretty much ... Where I'm from, what's left of humanity is fightin' on other planets; ain't heard a blip from Earth after'a initial invasion. We don't know what happened ... but we're all soldiers now. Well, except for'a Cormans. But they were already settled in long before this all happened.
And, well, you don't hafta worry about me. This truth gas shit's got me inna same boat. I can't seem to keep my mouth shut when I really oughta.
Now, I ain't gonna exploit ya for anything compromising, I just-trying to comprehend what you guys are is a bit confusing. I mean-are you like John Bull or something? I asked Holland if he was something like that and I think he said "no," but he was pretty vague. "I'm just me."
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... That's Holland all right. He's a bit daft. But he has terrible hair, I think. All sticking up. Ridiculous. But, no, my eyebrows are the spirit of John Bull.
I have rather handsome eyebrows.
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Don't worry about it. Not like you can do much else, bein' stuck in this town an' all. As far as I'm concerned though, fighting's'a only real option we got, back home. Layin' down and dying's a pretty shitty alternative.
... So wait, your eyebrows are just'a spirit of John Bull? Like, the actual soul of'a guy is in your eyebrows, or do they represent his attitude? Kind of like how a boxer might compare one of his arms to a cannon or something?
What about, uh ... the rest of you? Are you "living nation" guys kind of like that Gaia theory? Or like that dude on'a cover of that book by ... what'sisname ... Oh yeah! Thomas Hobbes. Leviathan. That one.
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You're quite well-read. It's a bit more complicated than his theory, and it's not always quite clear where we stand... But it's good enough, I think, to just consider us a little too human to be human. Does it bother you?
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Eh, I don't think I'm that well read. I mean, it was my Freshman year when'a Bane hit Earth an' I haven't had much time to sit down and read during my "career" in'a AFS. They covered books like that in my Government classes, though.
So it's not quite like Hobbes, but it's kinda right? Huh. Would it be more like, uh ... you're human beings and a body politic? You're your own person, but you're influenced by everything that your people and government does? ... Or do you guys even have humans as individuals, where you're from?
It doesn't really creep me out, nah, but it kinda makes me ... I dunno, stop an' think. Like every time, I stop and realize, it's not just a person I'm talking to, I'm talking to a country. And then I think about all those things you'd normally say without a thought to an individual, but then if you're saying it about a country it takes on a whole new meaning.
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If it makes you feel nervous, though, you can call me Arthur Kirkland.
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And yeah, I'll probably stick to Arthur, but not because of that; see, we got a guy in AFS HIGHCOM back home, General British. He's'a guy who oversees all operations involving Logos Receptives and training 'em, too.
And, well, you're England. But you're probably also Britain, right? You're the whole of the United Kingdom?
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That's another sordid story. I do have brothers, and we're really more altogether the United Kingdom. But given they're not here, and I am, I'll respond to those names, too.
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Oh, Logos Receptives-they're anyone who has'a right genes to receive Logos Element information from'a Eloh. Kind of a long story, but'a Eloh did some genetic engineering on us generations ago so that we could use Logos in'a future. And Logos is their baby-their system of givin' a sentient mind'a ability to affect'a physical world directly.
[His voice sounds a bit distant.]
I'm a Logos Receptive. It's pretty much the only reason the AFS rescued me an' not my friends or family. They were only takin' anyone who was a Receptive, a scientist, or a soldier.
Anyway ... I getcha. So the United Kingdom is more like a family for you instead of being ... well, just you. ... Huh, say, do most of you guys have "human" names as well?
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Most of us have human names, yeah. Have you met America? For example, he's also called Alfred F. Jones.
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