[Kagura stays silent for a full minute, staring into the horizon]
IT'S NOT AS EASY AS THAT, GENERAL.
I HAVE NEVER GONE AGAINST A DIRECT ORDER. I HAVE INTERPRETED AND SUBVERTED, YES, BECAUSE THAT IS WHY OFFICERS EXIST. BUT I HAVE NEVER DISOBEYED A DIRECT ORDER.
[Another very uncomfortable pause.]
DO YOU KNOW WHAT SEPARATES SOMETHING LIKE ME FROM A SPREE MURDERER, GENERAL? ACCOUNTABILITY. CHECKS AND BALANCES. SOCIETAL MANDATE. I CAN'T SIMPLY DO WHATEVER THE FUCK I WANT, AND THAT'S HOW WE GET SOMETHING THAT WORKS. BIG DECISIONS GO THROUGH MULTIPLE PEOPLE AND THEREFORE THE RISK OF ONE OF THEM HAVING GOT LEAD POISONING AND WEARING HER UNDERPANTS ON HER HEAD AND KILLING EVERYONE IS MINIMIZED.
I SUPPOSE THAT'S WHY I NEVER FIT IN THIS DAMNED PLACE. PEOPLE HERE ARE EAGER TO BELIEVE IN HEROES. IN GREAT PEOPLE HISTORY. BUT A PERSON IS JUST A PIECE. IT'S EVERY COG'S RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SURE THE MACHINE WORKS AS IT SHOULD, BUT THE MACHINE IS WHAT IS GOING TO MOVE THE WORLD.
AND NOW I'M CONTEMPLATING DOING PRECISELY THAT. GOING WITH MY OWN GUT ON DATA I CAN'T EVEN PROPERLY VERIFY INSTEAD OF WHAT A WHOLE COUNCIL OF PEOPLE WITH HIGHER CLEARANCE AND THUS LIKELY DATA I DON'T HAVE ORDERED ME TO DO. WHAT I'VE ARRESTED OVER TWO DOZEN PEOPLE FOR DOING.
SO ON TOP OF A DAMAGED PIECE OF FURNITURE AND AN EXPLOSIVE HAZARD I'M ALSO A FUCKING HYPOCRITE. YIPPEE-KA-FUCKING-YAY.
no subject
IT'S NOT AS EASY AS THAT, GENERAL.
I HAVE NEVER GONE AGAINST A DIRECT ORDER. I HAVE INTERPRETED AND SUBVERTED, YES, BECAUSE THAT IS WHY OFFICERS EXIST. BUT I HAVE NEVER DISOBEYED A DIRECT ORDER.
[Another very uncomfortable pause.]
DO YOU KNOW WHAT SEPARATES SOMETHING LIKE ME FROM A SPREE MURDERER, GENERAL? ACCOUNTABILITY. CHECKS AND BALANCES. SOCIETAL MANDATE. I CAN'T SIMPLY DO WHATEVER THE FUCK I WANT, AND THAT'S HOW WE GET SOMETHING THAT WORKS. BIG DECISIONS GO THROUGH MULTIPLE PEOPLE AND THEREFORE THE RISK OF ONE OF THEM HAVING GOT LEAD POISONING AND WEARING HER UNDERPANTS ON HER HEAD AND KILLING EVERYONE IS MINIMIZED.
I SUPPOSE THAT'S WHY I NEVER FIT IN THIS DAMNED PLACE. PEOPLE HERE ARE EAGER TO BELIEVE IN HEROES. IN GREAT PEOPLE HISTORY. BUT A PERSON IS JUST A PIECE. IT'S EVERY COG'S RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SURE THE MACHINE WORKS AS IT SHOULD, BUT THE MACHINE IS WHAT IS GOING TO MOVE THE WORLD.
AND NOW I'M CONTEMPLATING DOING PRECISELY THAT. GOING WITH MY OWN GUT ON DATA I CAN'T EVEN PROPERLY VERIFY INSTEAD OF WHAT A WHOLE COUNCIL OF PEOPLE WITH HIGHER CLEARANCE AND THUS LIKELY DATA I DON'T HAVE ORDERED ME TO DO. WHAT I'VE ARRESTED OVER TWO DOZEN PEOPLE FOR DOING.
SO ON TOP OF A DAMAGED PIECE OF FURNITURE AND AN EXPLOSIVE HAZARD I'M ALSO A FUCKING HYPOCRITE. YIPPEE-KA-FUCKING-YAY.