Video; Late at night on June 20th

[peridork]

[It’s late at night, a few hours after the announcement of the Cauducian’s intent to attack has been broadcast, when a video message from a tiny green face is sent out for the whole crew to consider.

Like much of the rest of the crew, Peridot is scared... But that also means she’s agitated. And she’s definitely not the type to sit around fretting uselessly when something is this wrong, in her eyes. No. Peridot is a gem of action. Action and vicious, unapologetic criticism.

As soon as the video feed picks up, she just launches right into it.]



Alright, you know what!? I can’t take this anymore. Does NO ONE else on this ship see the numerous, massive logical fallacies in the Captain’s proposed approach to preparing for this imminent conflict!? I mean, I’ve heard some cloddy ideas before, but this!? I have no words!

[That’s a lie. She absolutely has words, and none of them are nice.]

We all heard the message, right? About how this ship, our one, SINGLE hope of getting back to our own universes, is being tailed by enemies that have just openly expressed their intent to shatter every single one of us? In just a little over one Earth week, these Cauducians, who are APPARENTLY so confident in their ability to exterminate us that they’re willing to allow us time to try and PREPARE for their assault, are going to rain fury down upon this vessel! And what do our supposed leaders do with this information? Do they stand up and take charge, and start, you know, LEADING the crew in preparing for this imminent crisis, like Captains SHOULD?

NO. They don’t! They decide that NOW, in the days leading up to what could be an altercation of great chaos and destruction, is the perfect time. FOR COOPERATION EXPERIMENTS! Like this is team building week, AT CAMP CLODDING HEARTS OR SOMETHING!

[There's A BRIEF PAUSE, FOR ANGRY PANTING, after she gets extra carried away up there]

Where is the sense in this!? We should all be working together on making ONE plan, and coordinating with one another to prepare the ship for potential battle! What good is wasting THAT MUCH TIME assigning the ENTIRE CREW to THEORIZING about THREE DIFFERENT PLANS, of which we’re only going to use ONE? What good does forcing participation from those who may not be willing or able to contribute to the strategizing process do!?

[Eyes flashing, she glares at the camera, as if really addressing the crew directly for the first time.]

You know what I say? Screw the Captains, and screw this pathetic excuse for a plan!

[She doesn’t even know what ‘screw’ means as a slang term; she’s just picked up that other crewmembers use it to refer to someone or something that’s pissed them off to the point of retaliation, and it feels SO GOOD to use it in this instance]

If they want to see teamwork so badly, I say we ignore their clodding groups, and join forces in the name of sensible efficiency to actually use the time given us to make real preparations! Look, planning is important, and if there are crew members who want to contribute to that process, MORE POWER TO THEM! Strategize away, work as a united front to come up with ONE BATTLE PLAN and lead the rest of us forward, just like these mud-for-brains captains SHOULD be doing! But it’s a poor allocation of resources divide the ENTIRE CREW’S focus in such an asinine and ultimately inefficient way, WHEN ALL OF OUR LIVES ARE ON THE LINE!

So on that note, if anyone needs me? I’ll be in my workshop. Actually doing my job, which is crafting weapons and equipment for the rest of you all to use! Because that's what I do best.

Peridot, out!

[End feed.]

Comments

[brightestnight]

I think they're doing their best to... try to make everyone feel useful? [She's... she's reaching.]

... But I do think it would be better to just concentrate on trying to talk to them...

[peridork]

[EYE ROLL...] Oh, Sure! But you know what's an even better way of making people feel useful? LETTING THEM CONTRIBUTE IN A WAY THAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY COMFORTABLE WITH, IN ORDER TO MORE EFFECTIVELY DEFEND THIS FLYING HUNK OF JUNK, THAT WE ALL CALL HOME!

[iseedeadbees]

I might not have worded it quite so aggressively, but I am in complete agreement. These so-called Captains have no idea what they're doing, I have to wonder if they've ever even had proper combat training.

[peridork]

They haven't. I don't think anyone even knows how they wound up in control of this ship in the first place, because they're always super vague about that little detail, just like they're vague about literally everything else. Normally, I would just try to ignore their cringe-worthy attempts at managing this crew, but our lives have never on the line like this before!

[iseedeadbees]

So they aren't even sharing the most basic information? I'm not in the habit of placing my faith in incompetent leadership, but shady leadership is even more concerning. Especially when innocent people's lives are on the line.

video

[saveyourserpent]

[There is much nodding going on here.]

I like how you think.

As much as I've been used to, not to mention prefer, working in a smaller team of specialists, clearly that's not what we have here.

I don't think they've been paying much attention to playing to people's strengths, either. Coordination seems like a pipe dream at this stage, at least the way they want it.

[peridork]

[From over the two-way feed, Peridot listens, jaw set, squinting and blinking frequently in a way that's reminiscent of an agitated cat. Not necessarily directed at the man on the other end, she's just really obviously still in a bad mood.]

Well that's what I'm saying. The way they want to achieve it is moronic, so WE should all cooperate in disregarding their orders and taking matters into our own hands.

[saveyourserpent]

[Liquid absolutely gets how she's feeling. He's not taking it personally.]

I've been pretty sure ever since I got here that they have no bloody idea what they're doing, and it seems to show more and more every time something comes up.

You're absolutely right. It's far easier to cooperate when everyone can play to their own strengths rather than what some people in dubious power assign.

Hopefully enough will find it acceptable to break away from this so-called "plan."

audio

[springlocking]

...Yeah.

As someone who has no idea what to do now, and a total newcomer, I agree.

[She's seen what happens when you spend too much time messing around with the rules and laws and all that crap that's sometimes more of a burden than a help. Right now, it's more of a burden than a help.]

I want to help, if I can.

[peridork]

...Are you saying you want to help me, or that you want to help with bolstering the ship's defenses at large? Because I'm not here to hand out orders to anyone, you know.

audio

[springlocking]

In general, if anyone actually comes up with a plan and starts doing anything.

[She sounds a mite grumpy about the not actually doing anything thing...]

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[stompadour]

[Jasper's... surprised by this, actually. She wouldn't hesitate to admit she's been holding Peridot in contempt since she learned the truth about her loyalties, and it's easy enough to assume a gem who'd make a decision like that has got to be an idiot.

Apparently not. On camera, she raises one of her perfectly sculpted eyebrows and allows herself to smile for just a second. When she speaks, though, she's as curt and businesslike as ever.]

Hah. You'd think we'd only just crawled out of a cliff, with this nonsense. You're right, we need one solid plan of action so we can start making preparations now -- if our Captains aren't going to do that then I don't know what the point is in having them.

If anyone wants to make herself useful and put in some training hours instead of waffling over some ridiculous one-faceted plan, I'll be running worthwhile training exercises in the gym.

[peridork]

[Peridot is obviously trying VERY HARD not to betray how happy she is that Jasper's actually speaking to her at this precise moment. You can see it, though; it's in the way her eyes glitter.]

Y-Yes, exactly! And, when you're not doing that... I could also use some help with the heavy lifting involved with installing the new defense systems I'm designing. Y-Y'know. If you have the time and are amenable to the idea?

[HOPEFUL GRINNING.]

[stompadour]

[Jasper frowns at her.]

Too heavy for a big human?

text;

[skelepun]

well gee, perry, tell us how you really feel.

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[peridork]

That is how I really feel. Was I somehow not clear enough about that?

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[skelepun]

[Oh, that's right. Sans nearly forgot about Peridot's lustful affair with the concept of Literal.]

don't worry about it.

seriously, though... i'm actually on board with you on this, greenbean. but this isn't the first time the captains just decided shit arbitrarily. i mean heck, the job assignments around here are practically random.

[vengeance_driven]

You know, I am supposed to be the ship's diplomat? They put me on the team to help attack.

Do you know why I'm the diplomat? I asked to be because of them. So we could work to avoid what happened with them. And now this? I would like to do my job but it has been given to a whole third of the ship that is not me.

[peridork]

So you're saying that you even volunteered to be a negotiator. Like, went out of your way to step up to it... and they just brushed that off.

[What the fuck.]

And in favor of what? Making sure everyone gets a say? They could have done that just as easily without forcing arbitrary categorizations on us all! In fact, it would have worked better that way, because THAT way, two thirds of the crew's contributions wouldn't wind up being moot at the end of this long and ridiculous process!

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[notglitching]

Selection process: glitched.

[That much is a given. But it's not what Rinzler's most frustrated about.]

Additional error: ship placed on lockdown.

No way to infiltrate or provide forward analysis.
No way to act until the threat attacks.

Stupid.

[peridork]

Lockdown? Can you clarify that?

[warandpeace]

Last time I felt as though our own crew would have been better than mercenaries. I definitely don't always agree with their judgement.

I don't feel like I can contribute to my assignment, anyway. The method of peace I've subscribed to has been actively building military strength as deterrence. But that's not exactly a solution most people would want to consider.

I would rather just do the job I'm comfortable with and experienced in.

[peridork]

Seems like a lot of the rest of the crew don't agree with their judgement.

You know what? We can work with this. If so many of us are this discontent, we should take it directly to the captains! They've come up with this stupid plan to try and make us all feel like we're contributing, but it's clearly not having the desired effect!

video;

[isdronning]

[ Though she's hesitant to reply while someone is so worked up, Elsa does have some thoughts on the matter that she feels may be worth contributing. Possibly. Or it could just end in more yelling.

Either way...worth a try? ]

While I can agree that the plan seems to have been executed rather haphazardly, I don't believe the captains are coming from a bad direction, necessarily. Allowing everyone a chance to contribute to a plan means that they won't automatically be roped into doing something they're not comfortable with.

[ Although being involved in a battle plan at all is uncomfortable on its own... ]

And three plans offers choices for those who don't necessarily want to take an offensive or defensive stance. I don't think having options and others' opinions is a bad thing here. Although, from the sounds of things, it seems like they could have put more thought into what team each person was assigned to.

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[peridork]

[The more Elsa explains her interpretation of things, the grumpier Peridot looks. She's not impressed.]

Wow. Okay. In case you haven't noticed? People ARE being "roped in" to doing things that they aren't comfortable with doing! I know people on this crew who are pacifists and diplomats, who have been forced to contribute to formulating a plan of attack! It doesn't matter if the captains intentions are well-meaning or not, the point is that their plan is foolhardy, inefficient, poorly executed, and just plain isn't working!

You know what kind of management would actually lead to the results you're describing? Having us all function on ONE TEAM, INSTEAD OF THREE!