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sub_divided"Battle Fairy Yukikaze" is a space-military SF series about these poor schmoes who have to defend an alien planet ("Fairy") from the machines of a terrifyingly incomprehensible alien civilization, lest the aliens use it as a stepping stone to Earth. I've been reading ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
petronia's novel summaries. I also downloaded the anime, but got the fifth (and final - it's an OAV) episode fansubbed in Russian by mistake.
Nooooooooo! Some not!drabbles, while I wait thirty hours for the last episode in English.
High Turnover Rate
1.
He was cornered in the east corridor stairwell.
"General, I have to tell you something. You're the only one I can trust," the lieutenant said. Jack had to struggle for a minute to come up with his name.
"...Yes, Lt. Bridges?"
"It's about JAM." The man glanced up and down with a feverish glint in his eyes, making sure they were alone. Then don't corner me in a stairwell, Jack thought, exasperated. The sound was bound to echo.
The lieutenant's voice dropped to a fierce whisper. "I don't think the JAM are really alien A.I.," he said, conspiratorily. "I think they're machines built by Top Brass to train us for the reinvasion of Earth. It makes sense, doesn't it? For years, all the best scientific and military minds are sent here, to Fairy, where they're forced to develop more and more sophisticated weapons. Soon nothing on Earth will be able to stop us, if we haven't gotten to that point already."
Jack stared. "Have you told anyone else this theory?" he asked.
"No, I came up with myself," Lt. Bridges said.
"Don't tell anyone." Jack was developing a headache. The last thing the situation needed was more rumors. On second thought, he amended, "No, wait, I'll get you an appointment with Dr. Nash. We can trust him not to tip off the Brass."
"Dr. Nash? The psychologist?"
"Yes, he'll know exactly what to do," Jack said.
Lt. Bridges nodded solemnly.
2.
Dr. Nash's report came back "Has an overactive imagination, reads too much science fiction. Have prescribed methylphenidate and aderall, will continue to monitor."
In the private memo faxed to Jack's office: "Don't clog up the system with harmless cranks, we have enough real problems already."
3.
"Another batch? Already? What's our quota this time?" Major Fujisawa, head of the fourth squadron of the Japanese Air Defense Force, asked.
"Two engineers, three computer guys, and fifteen pilots. And they better not be incompetent this time, General Rydia says." His aide looked up from the clipboard with one eyebrow quirked sardonically, as if aware of the humor of that statement.
"Not incompetent! We've already sent some of our best men! And our quota is just a fraction of the total -- what are those Fairy people doing, anyway, to go through that many pilots in six months?"
"I'm sure I don't know, sir."
"...send out a memo, there'll be another simulator test in three weeks. We'll send them the top fifteen scorers, that ought to shut them up for a while. Honestly, this has been going on for too long. How I am supposed to maintain standards here with all my best people being shipped over there?"
"It's a mystery, sir."
4.
Word got out that the simulator test would decide who stayed, and who got shipped off. The results came back at an all-time low.
With one exception.
"It pains us to give up a pilot with such obvious potential," the general said in an interview. But word was that he didn't look at all pained; in fact, he was relieved. Everyone knew the new recruit was a troublemaker
When they asked why he did it, Rei said, "Because I want to go."
It wasn't like there was anything keeping him here.
5.
Rei took his usual spot in the mess hall, as far away from everyone else as possible.
"Mind if I sit here?" Jack asked, then set his tray down and slid into the seat across before Rei could answer that he did.
He didn't, really. It's was Jack's business if Jack wanted to subject himself to Rei's nonexistent conversational skills.
"You should talk more," Jack said. "Get to know at least one person here who isn't me."
Rei shrugged noncommittally, looking beyond Jack to the pilots at the nearest table. Half of them were newer than Rei, and he had only been here five months. The high turnover rate meant no one really expected him to make friends, a fact that suited Rei just fine.
"No point," he said.
6.
They hadn't always been this efficient. In the early days, before the escalation in firepower punched up the casualty rates to unbearable levels and well before the switch to computer-assisted planning and unmanned fighters brought them back down, there had been female as well as male pilots. FAF had had a generous maternity leave policy: a free trip back to earth for the expectant mother and whomever she named as the father, with neither due back for a full year.
Of course, most never returned at all. And when the casualties started to creep up, more and more started looking for a way to leave. At its height, FAF lost almost as many pilots to "careless contraceptive syndrome" as it did to JAM.
When Rydia took over administrative planning, the first thing she did was put a stop to all that. The official memo, circulated in English, read: "There will be no more maternity leave. There will be no more female pilots. In encounters between pilots and non-combat personnel, all parties will be required to use contraception at all times."
The unofficial memo, circulated in English, Italian, French, German, Portuguese and Japanese -- just so there could be no mistake -- read: "General Rydia hates children. If you are female and become pregnant, we will abort you. If the terms under which you joined your respective military organization before becoming a member of FAF preclude abortions for religious reasons, a doctor will be provided to you, and the resulting child will be shipped back to Earth without you. FAF disclaims all responsibility for its welfare."
The effect on morale was catastrophic, but effect on eliminating pregnancies was excellent.
I sort of want to do another series on the alien-ness of JAM, but I'm prevented by having NO IDEA WHAT'S GOING ON in the anime half the time. *crosses fingers that the last episode will clear some things up*
petronia's novel summaries. I also downloaded the anime, but got the fifth (and final - it's an OAV) episode fansubbed in Russian by mistake. High Turnover Rate
1.
He was cornered in the east corridor stairwell.
"General, I have to tell you something. You're the only one I can trust," the lieutenant said. Jack had to struggle for a minute to come up with his name.
"...Yes, Lt. Bridges?"
"It's about JAM." The man glanced up and down with a feverish glint in his eyes, making sure they were alone. Then don't corner me in a stairwell, Jack thought, exasperated. The sound was bound to echo.
The lieutenant's voice dropped to a fierce whisper. "I don't think the JAM are really alien A.I.," he said, conspiratorily. "I think they're machines built by Top Brass to train us for the reinvasion of Earth. It makes sense, doesn't it? For years, all the best scientific and military minds are sent here, to Fairy, where they're forced to develop more and more sophisticated weapons. Soon nothing on Earth will be able to stop us, if we haven't gotten to that point already."
Jack stared. "Have you told anyone else this theory?" he asked.
"No, I came up with myself," Lt. Bridges said.
"Don't tell anyone." Jack was developing a headache. The last thing the situation needed was more rumors. On second thought, he amended, "No, wait, I'll get you an appointment with Dr. Nash. We can trust him not to tip off the Brass."
"Dr. Nash? The psychologist?"
"Yes, he'll know exactly what to do," Jack said.
Lt. Bridges nodded solemnly.
2.
Dr. Nash's report came back "Has an overactive imagination, reads too much science fiction. Have prescribed methylphenidate and aderall, will continue to monitor."
In the private memo faxed to Jack's office: "Don't clog up the system with harmless cranks, we have enough real problems already."
3.
"Another batch? Already? What's our quota this time?" Major Fujisawa, head of the fourth squadron of the Japanese Air Defense Force, asked.
"Two engineers, three computer guys, and fifteen pilots. And they better not be incompetent this time, General Rydia says." His aide looked up from the clipboard with one eyebrow quirked sardonically, as if aware of the humor of that statement.
"Not incompetent! We've already sent some of our best men! And our quota is just a fraction of the total -- what are those Fairy people doing, anyway, to go through that many pilots in six months?"
"I'm sure I don't know, sir."
"...send out a memo, there'll be another simulator test in three weeks. We'll send them the top fifteen scorers, that ought to shut them up for a while. Honestly, this has been going on for too long. How I am supposed to maintain standards here with all my best people being shipped over there?"
"It's a mystery, sir."
4.
Word got out that the simulator test would decide who stayed, and who got shipped off. The results came back at an all-time low.
With one exception.
"It pains us to give up a pilot with such obvious potential," the general said in an interview. But word was that he didn't look at all pained; in fact, he was relieved. Everyone knew the new recruit was a troublemaker
When they asked why he did it, Rei said, "Because I want to go."
It wasn't like there was anything keeping him here.
5.
Rei took his usual spot in the mess hall, as far away from everyone else as possible.
"Mind if I sit here?" Jack asked, then set his tray down and slid into the seat across before Rei could answer that he did.
He didn't, really. It's was Jack's business if Jack wanted to subject himself to Rei's nonexistent conversational skills.
"You should talk more," Jack said. "Get to know at least one person here who isn't me."
Rei shrugged noncommittally, looking beyond Jack to the pilots at the nearest table. Half of them were newer than Rei, and he had only been here five months. The high turnover rate meant no one really expected him to make friends, a fact that suited Rei just fine.
"No point," he said.
6.
They hadn't always been this efficient. In the early days, before the escalation in firepower punched up the casualty rates to unbearable levels and well before the switch to computer-assisted planning and unmanned fighters brought them back down, there had been female as well as male pilots. FAF had had a generous maternity leave policy: a free trip back to earth for the expectant mother and whomever she named as the father, with neither due back for a full year.
Of course, most never returned at all. And when the casualties started to creep up, more and more started looking for a way to leave. At its height, FAF lost almost as many pilots to "careless contraceptive syndrome" as it did to JAM.
When Rydia took over administrative planning, the first thing she did was put a stop to all that. The official memo, circulated in English, read: "There will be no more maternity leave. There will be no more female pilots. In encounters between pilots and non-combat personnel, all parties will be required to use contraception at all times."
The unofficial memo, circulated in English, Italian, French, German, Portuguese and Japanese -- just so there could be no mistake -- read: "General Rydia hates children. If you are female and become pregnant, we will abort you. If the terms under which you joined your respective military organization before becoming a member of FAF preclude abortions for religious reasons, a doctor will be provided to you, and the resulting child will be shipped back to Earth without you. FAF disclaims all responsibility for its welfare."
The effect on morale was catastrophic, but effect on eliminating pregnancies was excellent.
I sort of want to do another series on the alien-ness of JAM, but I'm prevented by having NO IDEA WHAT'S GOING ON in the anime half the time. *crosses fingers that the last episode will clear some things up*