Intergalactic Summit

Ms. Tyrathlion, it's one thing to acknowledge the casualty rates. It's another to revel in it. Dea revels in it, and is a clear example of why some elements of the population would rather capsuleers never existed. Sociopathy is still a sign of a deranged mind -- a rabid dog you might want to unleash on your enemy, sure, but not one to be kept around.

The question, really, is where we draw the line. It's impossible to not participate in the cluster's endless slaughter. But one can at least give it context, and do well by those who serve us.

Ishuk-Raata personnel are all provided these same benefits. Our planetside facilities, starbases crews, doctrine-fleet crews, and station staff are all informed of these employment benefits upon signing their service contracts. Benefits are provided through Ishukone at a minor discount. Only starship crews are paid in ISK. All other I-RED personnel are paid in Ishukone scrip.

For my personal vessels I simply mirror I-RED's benefits program without actually employing them to I-RED. I also take a few extra steps to ensure they are appropriately treated. I make all attempts to see that demographics aboard my ships are largely homogeneous in race, each according to the ship origin. For example, a Caracal would be crewed with Caldari and Achura.

However, food is the single most important aspect of any crew treatment program. Feeding your crews ration bricks might be a cost effective way of doing things, but they won't be very happy and morale translates directly to combat effectiveness. To that end, I ensure that all my crews are fed well using higher quality ingredients. Anything cruiser sized and larger has an on-board cafeteria that I make sure is not removed or ignored. Smaller ships have pre-cooked food brought on board, which is sufficient as they tend to endure only short patrols without resupply.

Again, food is often offered according to cultural preferences, which is often determined by what kind of crew is on hand. A majority Thukker crew on a Vagabond would be feed primarily Thukker cuisine. I've found that with few exceptions, people prefer a taste of home.

You are a capsuleer.

Why are you "strongly" denied/pushed from ever leaving your ship and wandering in station in person? What kind of reputation do you carry as a capsuleer? What kind of reception awaits you from the mortal crowd?

((Don't make me pull chronicles.))

Guess where SCC gets your crews. (Unless you got some special arrangement for where you get your crews.)

Guess what awaits you below deck.

You all must be new.

As to wonder if I ever wanted to be this way...

You miss the point.

It's not what you do, or I do, there's unspoken atrocities committed by our kind that garner the rage of untold billions. And you open your doors to them hoping to be better.

Either everyone has been incredibly lucky where SCC pulled your crews or the crew simply has yet to have their perfect chance at you. In time, I pray that doesn't change and that your luck persists.

People don't like you. Possibly understatement of the year. As kind as you are, you're could make for an amazing example for others of your kind.

What society would love to do to you, each of you, to get their revenge or recognition is untold in the horrors committable in this universe.

You all want to take your chances, that's fine. Possibly the lot of you don't deserve the pod and curse that comes with it anyways.

I'm sorry... I've nearly died on several occasions by the mortal crowd, I've woken up to reality of what I am, and I would really like not to end up a martyr before being able to matter to same crowd that would seek to see me slaughtered.

I try to treat them well, but maintain a firm sense of detachment from them. Getting emotionally invested in them isn't a good idea, especially if you're a combat pilot.

Ms. Dea, I'm going to attempt to address your points one by one. Bear with me. This is going to be long, and as is often the case with this, some points will inevitably rest on value judgments that we're frankly always going to disagree about.

In the first place; you clearly seem to think we're naive little monsters, unaware of the dangers around us. What each person doesn't mention are the thorough security checks, background investigations, and psychological tests that occur with each recruitment. The level of scrutiny involved in recruitment is phenomenal, and mostly invisible to us in our day-to-day operation because the expense for manpower used is so far below the level we notice. We fraternize -- or don't -- with a select group personnel who have been subjected to a level of scrutiny that beggars the imagination. And, of course, they must be; they operate aboard our ships with ready access to arms and ammunition that can cause phenomenal damage. The question, then, isn't, "How do you treat a common, un-vetted person?" so much as, "How do you treat a servant or employee who has passed rigorous tests?"

In the second place; 'going into the common areas' doesn't necessarily mean to go into the lower levels. Even then, a careful capsuleer is indistinguishable from a baseliner. Your average person isn't likely to commit murder at the drop of a hat. It is, therefore, easy to commingle provided you take care. Certainly, the security staff in common areas may have instructions to 'return capsuleers to their clone bay' -- but you know as well as I that it's a large cluster, and that we can expect variation on enforcement and procedure from location to location. For instance, I can reasonably expect that, walking through the common areas of an Ishukone station wearing a Watch uniform, I will not be attacked. This doesn't mean I do it without some awareness of the situation and those around me, but consider that danger is always a variable and uncertain thing.

In the third place; you take it for granted that this hatred and violence is unlimited, unfocused, and unrestrained. And yet Admiral Yanala was a capsuleer and is hailed as a hero by Caldari, baseliners or capsuleers alike; Otro Gariushi was also a capsuleer, and regarded by those in the liberal bloc as a man of great and powerful ideals. Maleatu Shakor is a capsuleer, and the highest elected official of the Minmatar Republic. The Empress Jamyl I is also a capsuleer, though the doctrine of Sacred Flesh prevents use of cloning technology. There surely is fear, yes; but some of the most powerful, famed, and respected people of the cluster are capsuleers. Do you feel they would be torn apart by a frothing mob if they appeared in the commons?

This isn't to say that there aren't dangers. This isn't to say that we can't and won't die-- at the hands of other capsuleers, at the hands of baseliners, at the failure of a seemingly fool-proof technological system, or at the slow, hateful hand of entropy. Maker, I sometimes wonder if the Sleepers are in fact what remains of the fabled old world, and what we are destined to become.

But this doesn't mean that, because there are threats, because we are weapons of war, that we can't attempt to hold onto some semblance of humanity, can't try to give context and meaning to the mountain of casualties. It may be sanitized, it may be filtered through a sieve to protect us from a vengeful member of humanity, but we desire to maintain the illusions for our own sake.

And you're welcome to go on being a merry little monster, using as justification that the grim, dark world we live in demands that you make it just that little bit more grim and dark.


((also, please no OOC on this forum; backstage.eve-inspiracy.com is a good place for that. a lot of us have in fact read all of the chronicles, a lot of the wiki, and the novels. canon is sometimes -- if not often -- contradictory.))

My crew and I have a mutual understanding. I tour the underdecks often and actually prefer to physical labor in keeping the ship up to speed. Thought I can feel her in every thought aboard, it's more gratifying to work on her without nanite/drone assistance at times. For this reason, I keep my crew small and consider them agents of mine. For all intents and purposes, I know they're in as much danger as I am for being a part of my crew. So I get to know them, down to intimate detail, and I expose them to the frail nature of who I am, who capsuleers are. I have no pride in myself and consider myself still human.

I rarely venture into unsafe space for this reason unless the job calls for it. Even then I bring only the most select of crew. I'm friends with them and them with I. If I can, I prefer to fly ships without crew. Frigates especially. If something doesn't work right and the nanites can't fix it, next time at dock I put on my mag boots and go for a walk outside while docked.

I'm still a man. Accountable for my actions, judged one day for the summary of who I abandoned along the way or walked over, and I will not forge an empire on a mass grave. SCC be damned, I'll send their guys packing with a fat paycheck, I need more than just a "crew" for where I'm going...

If one of them wants to take a shot at me, let them. I've had it coming. I'll make sure they don't miss.

My crew are trained military personnel.

They are expected to die if needed. I talk to each of them personally to find out if they are prepared to die or not. If not - they are asked (forced) to leave to be replaced.

Everyone in my crew is instructed to suicide if they survive ship explosion and hostile party was salvaging or boarding the ship remains. If they don't agree and would prefer to be captured by the enemy alive, they are asked (forced) to leave to be replaced.

I demand from my crew total obedience and failure in doing so will result in either immediate termination or imprisonment depending on situation (was it during active combat or not).

They are expected to follow strict regime, to behave with dignity and honor as soldiers of the State, and meet any guests of my ships with proper respects.

Also we have some training sessions and drills together, and sometimes I even feed them with my own food.

I expect them to treat me not just like a capsuleer, but rather as their captain.

I... Seldom think about it, to be perfectly honest. I prefer to leave crew selection and administration in the hands of the ship supplier or the local station authorities. I've never been paticularly good at attending to large groups of people, and I could only imagine a leadership position of any sort would make me far worse. I wouldn't trust myself to know the right approach, nor would I have a very good time seeking it, I think.

I've been told on numerous occasions that I am quite odd when it comes to crew.

I have a close relationship with my crew and I strive to while nigh on impossible with the purchase of my Orca to get to know every one personally or at least by first name. I've noticed that going out for a drink once in a while with the people that put their lives on the line serving on your ship.

I know they serve willingly, they get paid well and essentially should something happen their families are cared for by what I provide. I know I could lose them at any time, though I do my best to prevent this by flying cautious. I also know this is not always possible, and my crew knows this.

I have lost two vessels with large crews in the past, a Hulk and a Hurricane. I sent the letters to the families myself so I am all to aware of the fact that opening myself like this to get connected to people also opens me up to the pain of losing those you care for. But that has not stopped me, and I pray to the spirits that it never will stop me.