Standard Year 2785 [b]"You can't be proud! None of us . . . none of us can afford to be proud . . ."[/b] "Then what am I supposed to be? Worried, scared of who I am--" [b]"Yes! You need to be afraid of who you are--"[/b] "Why? Why can't we--" [b]"Because that is how you will stay alive![/b] The survivor couldn't remember the last time he had shouted at someone. He had yelled and raised his voice and given many boisterous speeches, but the last time he had been actually furious? Never-mind that, this kid had to learn, and if he couldn't learn, then he'd have to be taught. [b]"I can teach you how to hide it. Give you devices and clothing designed to hide your veins . . ."[/b] "Why should I want to hide it! Why can't I go with you?" "[b]Kid, do you want your parents to wake up one morning to see their only child gone without a trace, leaving them only evidence enough to think the worst had happened?"[/b] The thought hung there, a few seconds turned into half a minute of nothing but sheer silence, the waves breaking against the steel girders holding the hydro-farm afloat. It was a frigid, cruel idea. Especially to invoke upon a young man with no more than 14 years. But this was a frigid, cruel world during a frigid, cruel time. "[b]These gadgets are useful, might save you from time to time, but the burden of disguise will fall on you. Wear long sleeve shirts. If you think someone, anyone, is catching onto you, you get as far away from them as you can, for as long a time as you can. But most importantly is discipline of mind. If you get stressed, or scared, or angry, or even a bit too overly-anxious, your own blood and eyes will betray you. Keep calm, and if you ever need my help - and I mean, really, absolutely need it, matter of life and death for you or your family - you know how to find me. Good luck, kid.[/b]" He handed him an old revolver. The teenager wouldn't know the significance behind the piece, but he'd know how to use it, how to hide it. "[b]It's got seven rounds in the chamber. I know what it sounds like. If you ever fire it, I'll know, and I'll be there as quickly as possible. Good bye.[/b]" ~~~ Standard Year 2667, 2nd Month "I noticed you keep pretty damn quiet whenever one of those guys walk into the room. Stark contrast from your usually unending wit." "[b]You want to know something I learned pretty damn early in life. Something that's kept me alive more than once?[/b]" "Sure. I've got nothing better to do than listen to one of your long winded stories from 'a distant past'. "[b]'Keep your mouth shut when there's someone in the room worth listening too, someone you can learn something from.' If you're going to make a note of anything from today on that little tablet of yours, that quote would probably be a good thing to jot down.[/b]" "Yes well, I think I'll be the judge of what's worth noting. Speaking of, you have new firearms. Where did you receive them?" "[b]I built them. None of your "company regulation" equipment was up to par actually. I'm only wearing this half-assed armor until I can get something better than a few newspapers stapled to my skin.[/b]" "What is a newspaper? [b]"It's like a collection of online news articles, but on a big piece of paper."[/b] "What is a 'paper'?" "[b]Now you're just -blam!-ing with me.[/b]" "That would be correct, yes." ~~~ Standard Year 2785 The kid had left just an hour or so previous. The survivor wonder if the pistol would be enough. It was an old weapon, but that just meant it had stood the test of time. Fashioned after the revolvers told in stories of the old American Midwest. Not stories anyone from the current era would know, of course. But the survivor had grew up on those stories, romanticizing the life of an outlaw, the perfect and unique isolationism of a vigilante. The survivor wasn't a vigilante, he wasn't even a survivor anymore. He was a warrior, teaching the defenseless how to defend themselves. And giving them the means to do so. He looked at his old piece, an exact replica of the one the kid had. Seven rounds, iron sights. Only difference was the name, etched into the side of each. The once-survivor-now-warrior read the engraving on his piece. [i]War[/i]. Guess that meant the kid finally got his [i]peace[/i].