002

[majorum_pride]

[Public | Audio]I once was told by a man that love was like magic. This is the closest that I've seen his assessment to be true, despite my arguments to him at the time. A science that I don't understand. An uncontrolled pursuit of perspective mates and forming of social bonds that would otherwise be unthinkable, but yet there was an obligation

Comments

[timesbureaucrat]

Not all of us are bound by our instincts or DNA. The Time Lords took control of both aeons ago, they do not control us.

A lack of compassion and a single-minded focus towards a goal doesn't necessarily imply that the Admiral is an AI. The Admiral could just as easily be an entity who doesn't care about warden or inmate frustrations because he has an entirely different morality or set of values. There are plenty of powerful aliens in the universe who would singly-mindedly torture lesser beings while thinking that it was doing them a favour. Come to think of it, there are Time Lords like that, too.

[majorum_pride]

An interesting theory, though that still isn't to say that the entity isn't also incorporated into the ship. That the vessel isn't a part of him. And he is typically quite kind to the TARDIS during floods.

And of course you are. Refusing to acknowledge the ancestry that created you doesn't free you from its binds, it simply gives you no grounds to refuse the instincts that you can't explain within yourself. If you were truly free, you'd have no need to compete or perception of ambition.

[timesbureaucrat]

Yes, it's possible. It's also possible that the ship is alive without being a programmed AI. [Now Narvin is desperately curious to know if any of the TARDISes have ever been affected by floods. And if they haven't, why not, since Data, the T-X, and the EMH have all been affected.]

Competition and ambition are social as much as they are biological. I'm not saying Time Lords don't have a biological foundation, or that we lack instincts entirely, simply that they are not mysterious and are totally under our conscious control. [Lies lies lies. Repression =/= control.]

I am so sorry for what's about to happen.

[majorum_pride]

[He sees through your awesome repression, Narvin. And he's going to move in like a predator for the kill.] And the reason for social developments is an extension biological instincts that have been in place since ancient times, then entire basis of civilization and progressive growth being based in the desire to surpass others of your kind. To place yourself at the head of an order, to be a protector, to be approved by a mate in a display of fierce sexual competition. Your people reproduce through genetic engineering, do they not? [This is an item of particular interest to him.] But you retain your genitalia and your capacity to use it

Don't be sorry; it's hilarious to watch Narvin sail down DeNial.

[timesbureaucrat]

[Narvin's eyelids twitch as he wonders how he managed to get himself into a conversation about Time Lord genitalia. He can't run away from the conversation or else it will seem like Rhade has won. (And he's pointedly *not* going to think about how this obsession with not losing face factors in to Rhade's theory of competition.)]

Time Lord competition is about political control, not about impressing prospective mates like some primitive mammal. Sex [he spits out the word as if it's offensive] has nothing to do with it.

[He's not going to go near the fact that Gallifreyans still have usable genitalia, or that marriages among the High Houses and therefore loomings are arranged for political gain and therefore the passing on of genes and political competition are very much related, even if Time Lords took sex out of the reproductive equation. And he's absolutely not going to go near his own hormonal confusions of the last few months, or think about whether he's trying to be the dominant figure or impress the dominant figure.]

[majorum_pride]

Every factor of society, including politics, branches from primitive instinct. Merely a way to civily choose a leader for the group without the bother of physical competition, but in the process involves honing mental prowess.

Are you not divided into houses? Families that exchange DNA for superior offspring collected from chosen traits? Can you deny the idea that suddenly you're feeling the urge to prove me wrong. Irrationally, only because you must prove yourself superior in an argument, because otherwise you would feel your genes were inferior and if your genes were inferior, you wouldn't have the respect of your compatriots?

And you certainly can't deny Time Lords have sex, whether they need to or not. There have been several examples aboard this very vessel. Strange, considering they don't need to. Or maybe they need to more than they realize, as a way to have the approval of the genes in their mate.

Rhade's unburying all kinds of weirdness and crazy

[timesbureaucrat]

[Narvin scoffs.] We've had more than a few former presidents who weren't the pinnacle of mental prowess. Or the pinnacle of anything beyond being in the right place at the right time.

Genetic manipulation for superior traits isn't instinct, it's rationality. And I need to prove you wrong because you *are* wrong. Time Lords divorced themselves from their instincts a long time ago. Lord Rassilon's revolution saw to that. [Ironically, if Narvin had hackles, they'd be raised right now.]

I don't feel any need to prove my genes superior and worthy of passing on. Quite frankly I think passing my genes on would be a very dangerous idea. [He says the last part before he entirely thinks about it. Ever since Brax told him that Pandora had manipulated his genetics he'd kept that information buried, hadn't looked too closely at it. To have conclusions he didn't know he'd come to suddenly pop up in the middle of an argument is terribly inconvenient.]And if some renegades are driven by mental instability to reject their heritage and

He's going to be way too calm for this.

[majorum_pride]

There is a particular sort of human that used to carry on their arguments in a similar manner. They were called "Creationists". At least Wayists focus on dealing with their instincts by realizing they're limited to their corporeal bodies, and their faith in the Divine helps them rise above their need for competition and desperation to please others for their own benefit.

And if Lord Rassilon's revolution saw to that, then he would have no need for any of you. But he is a father, and you are his children, and he's become desperate to save you all.

[He's going to go with the guilt-bubble there.] But you're not very pleased with yourself, are you? Not only are a heritage rejecting renegade that ruts like an animal, but you have genes that you don't wish to have passed on.

Rhade has now joined Holmes, Eddie, Brax, Nine, and Ten on Narvin's grudge list.

[timesbureaucrat]

[Narvin's jaw tenses at Rhade's statement and he wants to fight against the accusations, but after Kay's warning, Narvin is trying to back out of the whole he's dug for himself. Being called out on some of the more irrational aspects of his xenophobia and Time Lord rewriting of their own culture and history is proving to be a problem. He tries very hard to remain calm and to speak evenly, even if he rather wants to reach through the communicator and rip Rhade's tongue out.]

Faith in some divine entity has nothing to do with it. It's just scientific advancement. We used superior technology to take nature and animalism out of basic biological processes such as eating and procreation. Our food is not grown, or bred, or hunted, and our children are not born. We are not reliant on nature. We've created a society where access to food and sex is irrelevant and doesn't dictate our lives the way it does primitive cultures. That is all I'm saying.

[He's not going to address Rhade's last comments. He doesn't think he could do so

Narvin walked into that wall all by himself!

[majorum_pride]

So you're a culturally advanced race with superior technology, incapable of producing children without machinery, incapable of providing food for one's self without other machinery, and with a history of electing presidents with a lower mental prowess?

[This is why Narvin should not be the spokesman for Gallifrey.]

*THUD*

[timesbureaucrat]

That's not what I said. We *could* provide food for ourselves the natural way, and some extremist groups do. Most of us choose not to, thereby eliminating time-wasting competition for food resources. Starvation does not exist on my planet. And presidents typically aren't elected, they're appointed by the outgoing president. How much power the president has is dependant entirely on his or her ability to control the High Council. Unsurprisingly, the less mentally inspiring presidents don't wield much power.

[Narvin is a terrible spokesperson and a terrible diplomat.]

[majorum_pride]

...I don't understand. So, the previous president appoints a successor, so who appoints the High Council? And if they don't like the president why don't they get rid of them altogether rather than allow a fool to remain as figurehead and then work around them?

[Rhade would usually be nicer, but he's listening to his instincts.]

Narvin is very grateful. (Not that he'd ever say so openly.)

[timesbureaucrat]

Yes, that's exactly it. Thank you.

[Sometimes he likes Brax. At least when they're working together towards the same pro-Gallifreyan goals.]

Rhade is amused by it.

[majorum_pride]

Thank you, Coordinator. You've been very informative.

[This is why Rhade thinks Brax is genetically superior.]

[timesbureaucrat]

Indeed.

[Brax probably is. :(

Also, Narvin's goal now is to watch Rhade, find out where he's most insecure, and then stick a knife in him right there someday.]