Shipwide Announcement [Slightly bendytimed]

[governmentninja]

I really haven't bothered to do any campaigning, for a number of reasons. And even this isn't some kind of campaign speech, but on the eve of elections, I felt the need to talk to everyone for a few moments.

Forgive me if this rambles a bit, I'm not entirely sure what I want to say right now.

My father once told me that God puts you where you need to be. You can either stand there and complain about it, or you can do the best you can, and trust that God has a plan, even if you can't see it yet. I've never been a terribly religious guy, so I don't know if God has a plan, or if this is all random, or somewhere in between. But, looking back on my life, I can't help but wonder if my Dad might have been on to something.

I've been serving as Acting Captain of this ship for the past few weeks. What the title of 'Acting Captain' means is that... that this job belongs to someone else. Someone who, unfortunately, wasn't there to do it, so I took it upon myself because I was there and the job needed doing. I'm only on the ballot by default, basically. I have the job now, so if you want me to keep it, I'll keep doing it. If you don't, I'll gladly step aside for whoever you choose. I was quite content being Chief of Security, I had more free time to spend with my daughter, then.

That's really all I see this as, another job that needs to get done. That's mainly why I haven't bothered campaigning. If given the choice between either A) pandering for votes to keep a job that's been sucking up all my time, been grinding me to death, and wasn't even my job to begin with, or B) doing the job as best I can for as long as I have it... I'll choose option B every time.

And this is a tough job, made all the more harder because everyone I talked to expects me to pander for votes when I just want to cross a few more items off of what's become a massive To Do list. If this isn't my job anymore come tomorrow, then whoever wins, I do not envy in the slightest.

But maybe they'll handle the job better than I have. This job comes with a steep learning curve, and it's not like I'm a natural at this. I'm not a politician, or a monarch, and I've never been commander of an Imperial fleet, or led a revolution. I'm just a guy doing a job because someone had to do it. This whole thing has been a learning experience, to say the least. Which might be why I can't figure out what you all want in a leader.

I realize that, yes, everyone will want something different, but... I've been listening. I've also been barking orders for the past few weeks, but I've also been listening. Listening to the campaign speeches, to the responses, all of it, just trying to figure out what you guys want in a leader.

Strangely, while everyone has been going around saying 'this is what you should look for in a leader', no one has really bothered to ask what you want in a leader. This is probably why I felt compelled to address you all like this, so I can be the one to ask.

What do you all want in a leader? What are you looking for in them? What kind of person do you want them to be? When you go vote tomorrow, are you voting for the kind of leader that you do want? Or are you just voting for someone you can live with?

I guess I'm wondering because, on my world, politics tended to boil down to people voting for the least worst option on the table. I'm curious to see if that's what will happen here. I sincerely hope not.

Best of luck to all the candidates tomorrow.



Special Agent Leon S. Kennedy, US Strategic Command
Acting Captain, Transmigration 9

Comments

[staturity]

I missed the part where you were actually listening to me but O.K., if you want to say that.

[robots-omgh8u.livejournal.com]

Didn't say I listened to unreasonable people.

[staturity]

Because being concerned about equal rights is unreasonable. Gotcha.

[robots-omgh8u.livejournal.com]

No, because you didn't listen to what I was actually saying. I didn't say I was going to be singling out anybody. Just being pragmatic about it I wouldn't have that luxury so I'm willing to work with whoever is on this crew. Just don't expect me to have a beer after a mission with all of them.

[staturity]

No, you didn't listen to what I was saying. Which was how am I supposed to trust you with the safety of my crew mates when you're going solely by what is pragmatic? Why should I trust you to protect them and their rights as much as you would protect anyone made out of flesh? Way to miss the point.

[robots-omgh8u.livejournal.com]

Because we're in a war, and we need them. Can't give you a better reason than that. I don't have a lot of warm fuzzy stories about playing catch with a robot from back home, sorry. That was just my world, but this isn't, and I'm trying to adapt.

[staturity]

So you're only going to protect them because we need them? And the moment they stop being useful then what? What about the moment any of us stop being useful, like if we're hurt. What then?

[robots-omgh8u.livejournal.com]

You fix your soldiers, you don't abandon them. Not ever. As for down the road say when they are truly no longer useful such as when this war is over with? They can go home. I will be, and I have my own war to fight there.

[staturity]

And what if you can't fix them. What if they have to stop being soldiers? Are you willing to protect someone even if they don't fit in with your little war plan? Are you going to stop thinking of us as soldiers and treat us like people or are we just canon fodder?

[robots-omgh8u.livejournal.com]

Who said cannon fodder? Soldiers are never cannon fodder, and only an idiot would think of them like that. If they can't fight anymore there are plenty of other things they can do to help the crew, and the ship. Even if it's something as simple as cooking. A good meal can do a lot for their crewmates morale.

[staturity]

And if you had to sacrifice somebody, would you order an android to do it over a human or any other person?

[robots-omgh8u.livejournal.com]

I'm not sacrificing anybody if I can help it. We can't afford to lose anyone. If we do though I'll make the call that's in the best interest of the whole crew. Sometimes it's going to be humans, sometimes not. Would I prefer it to be robots over androids, yes. I'm not going to lie to you. Am I going to let that drive my decision, no. Playing favorites never won a war. I might not like having to make that decision, but I will. That's the situation, and I can't change it.