May 1 10:15:15 107 PA - Planes and Women

From Chronicles

The temperature is pleasant, and it is one of those rare (as of late) spells of a nice breeze together with a clear sky. Aircraft taking off and landing, and in particular their strobes can be seen from quite far away. Jack is in a lit section of the ramp, apparently working on something that neither resembles the commercial planes - too small - nor anything generally seen around here, just by the general look of it. As far as planes go, it just looks like it wants to fly ... and fast. There's another couple people helping out, one by the main landing gear, another has crawled into one of the intakes. Jack is on top, inspecting the mechanism that raises the airbrake, though not everyone would know to call it such.

One of those people who most definately would not know what it is comes walking down the landing strip towards the public hangar. That individual is Ash. One hand rakes through his hair to settle the spiky mess just the way he wants it after a wash of air from a take off or landing passes by. It seems he's gotten his armor once again as he's wearing it, repainted to cover where the patch job was done. He pauses when he spots someone he recognizes somewhat at least, messing around in the old jet fighter. "Where'd you get that relic Jack?" He calls out to the man hopefully loud enough to be heard over any engine roars.

Jack looks over; this plane is dormant, but there's others definitely coming and going and making noise. There's a bit of a pause as he processes the question - some lip reading is required. "Hey! Oh, someplace!" he says, waving a hand. He makes his way to the root of the wing, and climbs down. It's a bit too tall for jumping. "I see you got your armor back mate, good deal!"

Ash waits until Jack gets close enough that they can have a reasonable conversation before he answers, "Yeah, Galvin did some nice work on it. Now I just need to save up and get my bike fixed. Would love to see if he could put a more powerful laser cannon on that thing. Hell my pistol hits harder than it does." He grins wryly, "Just without the range." He studies the plane, "Think I seen something like that in the museum, or pictures of it at least. Some kind of old fighter plane isn't it?" He asks curiously.

"Yeh. It's an Eagle - it's called an Eagle. It's an F-15, that's what they used to designate'em like back in the time. THey don't build them like this any more ... you know what though? It can out-fly pretty much almost anything that's built today. They just ain't built like this any more" Jack chuckles, shrugging his shoulders. "So, how do you aim a gun from a bike?"

"Computer targetting a lot of the time, if it's on a swivel mount, or if it's fixed forwards you just get used to the angle and know how to make attack runs." Ash answers as he looks at the plane. "Can she survive getting shot at though? I figure, lots of speed and maneuverability is lost by having to make them tough enough to survive modern warfare right? I've seen old cars and stuff that would go up if I sneezed at it practically, even when restored."

Jack mm. "Oh, this? Well, it relias on not taking hits" Jack shrugs his shoulders. "You fly right, you don't get hit. They'd also shoot a missile and good luck dodging it, those days, it ain't like today. These things were packed with electronic counter-measures, and they fly too high for anyone from the ground to hit'em easy. I think most weapons will probably not reach it, and any time you're low in this, your exposure is what ... well, think about it, you're doing a thousand feet a second. Usually you're out of someone's horizon in what, three or four, and they've waisted two looking to see at what made the noise."

Ash shrugs, "Dunno, not really my thing." He grins, "Seems kinda impersonal. If I am gonna kill someone, or something, I want it to know who did it." He chuckles, "Not that I go looking for fights, they just sorta... happen you know?" He shrugs a bit as he looks at Jack, "Surprised something like this survived at all. Even glitter boys aren't exactly common and they're about the toughest thing I've heard of."

"Don't care about it being personal" Jack replies, shrugging. "You can take out just about anything with a single bomb, and the target won't likely know its coming. That's how weapons were ... " he takes a breath and hmms. "Well mate, some old man thought it was a heritage piece, i guess" he chuckles.

"Yeah. Bombs. Indiscriminate killing weapons that don't care about how many innocents it kills." Ash says with a shake of his head, "Give me a gun or sword any day, then I know I've killed the one I wanted to kill." He shrugs a bit, "It's not always about the biggest bang mate." The quick-flex says with a grin then he looks over towards the hangar. "Sides we seem to be killing each other just fine without them." He looks back towards Jack, "Wanna go get a beer?"

"You think there's a weapon that isn't indiscriminate?" Jack asks, looking amused. "Air superiority is about dealing with armor and enemy strikers. Bombs are blowing things up - and really, machine guns, laser guys ... they kill just as good, and just as indiscriminate. How many house walls will your pistol shoot through?" he wags a finger, and takes a breath. "Hm - beer sounds good, these philosophical discussions tend to go nowhere. Where'd you like to go?"

"Depends on what the wall is made of and which pistol I use." Ash says with a grin, "And it's not indiscriminate. I have to -look- at what I'm killing see. If you don't even have to see the people die... there's no emotional impact to it at all. You don't see it, don't live it." He shrugs, "Not a good thing to me. Hell, I'm not the nicest guy in the world, but I still don't think death should be made -that- easy." He grins, "As for philosophical discussions, doesn't matter if they go anywhere so long as the people talkin' don't take it personal yeah?" He head nods back the way he came, "Nut and Bolt?"

"Ah, but it is about it being that easy. Why put yourself at risk if you don't have to? But that's a different type of thinking altogether I suppose" Jack replies, nodding, "Sounds good - they got some rough music there ... " he chuckles, nodding.

"Why?" Ash asks conversationally, "To make you think twice about killing someone. Every time you go to kill someone, there should be that thought. 'I might die doing this.' Without that thought, without that idea of self preservation, then killing becomes to easy." He holds up a hand, "One sec." Then the D-Bee runs, at speed, like 50mph speed into the hangar. He's gone for a moment then he is running back and he skids to a stop next to the other man. "So yeah, there needs to be that risk, to make taking a life important. Is it worth dyin' over?" He picks up the conversation where he had left off. "If it's not, then it's not worth killin' over either."

Jack smiles, cocking his brows up, and then he blinks at the running man, blows out a breath, and waits; then he continues, "No, that isn't true. You're thinking of fights, not wars. This thing wasn't made for duels, races, or anything of the sort. It was made to win wars. It is extremely deadly because it can touch you without being touched - well, that is how it was anyway. There's no war where one side cares for the other."

"I don't agree with the concept of war." Ash says, "One only has to take a look at the Skulls or their former bed buddies at Free Quebec or the Federation of Magic to see the kind of idiocy that comes with War. War doesn't care about who it kills, it just kills. To many and to easily." He frowns and shrugs as he continues at a walk back towards the street. "So, resurrecting something like that," He head nods towards the F-15, "Is a bad sign in my book. Killing should -always- be personal."

"That is a nice idea, but it isn't how it is" Jack replies, shrugging his shoulders. "It is exactly how you don't want it to be. Want to end war? Divest yourself of killing ... but can you? You cannot. And in the end, there's always an us and a them. It just grows and gets bigger, and you have a war. Gangs, villages, towns, cities, countries ... the shit starts rolling down the hill, and it just doesn't stop, mate."

"Tell me about it." Ash says with a scowl, "But that doesn't mean we should be making it -easier- to wage war." He grins amusedly, "I bet it was a lot different when both sides only had rocks and sticks." He shrugs, "So what got you all interested in planes anyways? You ever work on any other kind of vehicles?" He asks curiously, "Like Hovercycles?"

"I can probably drive one, but it sticks too close to the ground for my tastes" Jack explains, "I suppose I might be able to fix one up as well, if I had to ... as for what got me interested - my dad flew, and it was pretty fun" he chuckles, "Still is. Right, from gliders to helis and jets ... " he shrugs.

Ash chuckles, "You should save up for that Phaeton Juicer rig. I hear it turns any man into a kick ass pilot, someone like you might well be a god of the skies. So long as you save up and get out in three years.... but think about it man, three years of that kinda power." He grins amusedly. "As for the hovercycles, I like 'em. They're fast and fun, beats walking any day of the weak. And you can't fly a plane down the road and stop where you want to with any regularity."

"Why would I want to poison myself?" Jack asks, "Though that's neat, I guess, get a bunch of stuff pumping through you and you're something you weren't. Here, let me give you a little hint though. No juicer, no matter how quick, will never, ever have much of a chance against a real fighter pilot. It doesn't matter how fast you are - it's all in here" he points to his head. "Oh, that you have a point in, but I still can't afford one, I think" he chuckles.

Ash shrugs, "I imagine a regular guy who isn't a pilot would go for one of the other juicer augs than the Phaeton too. So my bet is you might be surprised what one of those Phaeton's can do. It's crazy what a -regular- juicer can do, let alone one with piloting jets in mind yeah?" He grins. "Still, I wouldn't do it either. I know it -can- be done for my race, but I hear it burns us up even faster... and you know what, I'm fast enough already." He grins amusedly. "So... what was that going on the other day with you and Bailey?" He asks slyly, "You two have a thing goin' on?"

"Let me ask you something ... what would a juicer rig do for your hovercycle's acceleration?" Jack queries, and blinks his eyes then, suddenly. "What? Huh, what?" the whole thing about Bailey catches him a bit by surprise, and then he laughs and waves his hands, "I'm not all that certain she knows I'm alive mate, and if so, not sure if she's at all interested."

"It wouldn't do anything for the cycle, but what it -would- do is make the rider of the cycle more responsive and react quicker to what's going on around it right? Your regular pilot with normal senses, might not see something that a Juicer might, or it might react that much slower and still get clipped." He gestures back towards the F-15, "So, if you ask me, when flying something like that that's designed to -not- get hit, then a Phaeton Juicer would be your best bet. Tough enough to handle any extra G's, could push it to the limits."

Ash adds with a grin, "Dunno, you seemed kinda cozy the other day."

"That isn't how it works" Jack points out, "That thing here" he motions to the plane, "It can break you, but you're just as likely to break it before you break yourself. Surely, a juicer can take the g's for a longer time, but it makes little difference: Fights get low and slow quickly, and in general whoever has the better initial entry wins in less than a minute in a guns fight. Reversals are rare, and it's all about experience. Where will the juicer get his? Even I'm getting rusty over here - but hey, I ain't gonna bore you with this stuff, it gets pretty dry unless you live it" he winks.

"Er...cozy... we did?"

Ash shrugs, "I still think it's foolish to think a normal pilot would be better than a juicer pilots. That's the whole point, juicers just do things -better-, but the price they pay for them is high. To high. I'd never do it." He then grins, "Sure, all chillin' and relaxin'. Feedin' her beer after beer." It's clear he's amused with that subject change. "You like her?" He asks curiously.

"You are right, but I'll show you why you're also wrong one day" Jack laughs, lifting a hand to clap Ash on the back once. "Er - well. She does seem nice. Sharp teeth, but I guess you have to look past some things, right?" he jests. "Certainly not a slouch, all in all an interesting woman, I would say, and driven." There's a pause, then, "Yeah, okay - I guess I do like her."

"Nah, I don't think I'd be keen on getting in an airplane if I wasn't flying it." Ash says with a grin, "Never mind a jet." He chuckles and shrugs, "She's interesting, it's a pity she's got it in her head to wage this private little war of hers against the gangs in the Dregs. There's no way she'll make it through." He sighs, "Maybe if she had a glitter boy or something but otherwise..." He shakes his head. "I kinda made a play for her once, she didn't even notice. Was worse than a brush off."

"I think she's smarter than that, but I've been wrong before" Jack shrugs, "Oh yeah? Ouch, man, ouch ... can't say I had that same experience - got to show though, she can pick and choose anyone she likes. I think she likes Galvin" he smiles, shrugging again.

"Dunno. Last time I saw her really noticing nay guy it was that new cowboy Liam." Ash says with a smirk. "Practically fawning all over him. 'Bout made me sick. Felt like knocking his teeth in just so he wouldn't be pretty anymore. Bust him up good." The quick-flex sends one fist into the palm of his other hand with a loud 'POP' as apparently, the quick-flex is -much- stronger than he looks.

Jack laughs, "Right mate. Is this cowboy psychic or something?" he asks, "I've heard a few times people saying they don't like feeling like what's for dinner. I must ... disagree, in a way" he winks, "You think there's something there, mate?" he motions ... to the world in general, looking amused. "So, what happened, or did you leave before the sugary goodness would rot your teeth?"

Ash shrugs, "I had information to give her that she'd asked for. Expensive information. I gave it to her, free of charge, and a bunch of other information she wanted to. All for free." He shakes his head, "Last time I ever do something that stupid ever again. She just kept looking apologetically at Liam like I was some big ass hassle or something... something to fucking apologise over." His expression darkening even further.

"Strange ..." Jack comments, making a face, "But eh, chicks are fickle mate, what'll you do, right?" a sigh and a wave of his hand later, "Plety of fish around, plenty of fish. Most of them like being harpooned, too" he chuckles at his own crude joke briefly.

Ash glowers, "Think it's that fucking coalition breeding of hers. She doesn't even look at me like a real person because I'm a d-bee. At best, something to be used and then discarded or destroyed." He shakes his head and then forces himself to relax, hands uncurling from the tight fists they were in as he stretches his fingers out, flexing them a few times. "So... you likely have a lot better chance at that cold fish than me."

"Ah - prejudice is a difficult, nearly impossible habit to lose, mate" Jack nods in agreement, frowning faintly. "Yeh, I'll give it a shot maybe, no? And maybe I'll drop a bomb on on the cowboy or something" he jests. "Don't get upset over it, not worth yer nerves."

"How am I supposed to not get upset about it?" Ash asks seriously, "I mean really. You don't really know what it's like, to want to be friends with someone, to maybe even have feelings for them and they look at you like a monster, like garbage, less than garbage... better off dead."

"MMh ... look, you ain't the only one to run into things like that" Jack explains good-naturedly. "Just let it roll of your back, I mean ... what else can you do about it? Now don't get me wrong, I'm not claiming you can just turn it off like a switch, just don't dwell on it if you can help it, and it'll pass."

Ash looks over at Jack, shakes his head, "You just don't get it man." He says with a shrug, "Don't worry, won't bring it up again." He continues on down the landing strip until finally making it to the turn for the bar. "You know, you might run into more fish if you didn't hang out around airplanes so much." He grins amusedly.