Intergalactic Summit

Well perhaps go suicide ouf of pod; this version of Jinari has been plenty tedious in a short amount of time.

The main issue is probably lexical.

It is you as it is still the same identity with a similar memory and informorph pattern.

It is also not you as it is a different stream of consciousness, a stream belonging to someone else.

Please remember that the softclone is only activated when the Prime you (if any of us can be said to have a Prime given our status as capsuleers) is already dead. It's not like you have to contest your softclone for control of your assets. That version of you is dead.

Given all that, the best alternative is to have some version of your ideals, beliefs and personality go on.

That's a somewhat rosy view of things perhaps.
The sad truth is there's a number of baseliners who automatically consider all capsuleers to be enemies just on principle and a number of them may be powerful or at least crazy enough to have a go at a capsuleer.

I don't have any enemies that I know of (I don't rule out the possibility of enemies that have not announced themselves to me be they economic rivals, rival research entities or people that I have been engaged in combat with), and while I try to remain discrete about my status - Aside from the data jacks, I have no other obvious augmentations and when I do bring bodyguards (very rarely) they are almost always plainclothes security who meld into the crowd - but I have still had a number of negative reactions on occasion.

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I generally have a knife on me at all times for utility, though it's usable in hand to hand in a pinch, so I can always be considered armed after a fashion. As far as firearms go, I have a three shot scrambler derringer concealed on me at all times.

If I am in a bad part of town or feeling paranoid I may bring a proper pistol or even an SMG (depending how paranoid I am feeling). While I am trained in the use of multiple types of firearms and do visit the range from time to time for fire many of the types, rifles and shotguns are a bit unwieldy for everyday carry.

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Edit: Caldari vs Gallente has been done to death in recent months.
As far as clones and whether or not they are you, that's a whole different discussion (maybe someone should start a thread for it), but if you really want to get into it, what makes a soft clone not you while a pod clone is? Either way the last you is dead. There's only a very small number of capsuleers in existence that still inhabit their original bodies.

I've been experimenting with a series of capsuleer specific nano-viruses.

For example, one is tailored to leave small bumps on the genitalia and cost almost as much as a full set of standard +4 implants to cure.

A second, which is still in the experimental phase, is targeted towards low-grade clones and causes a sense of euphoria in the victim while simultaneously inhibiting feelings of empathy or guilt. The test subjects often report feeling as though they were 'awakening for the first time' or 'being truly free.'

I carry no weapons. That's what bodyguards are for.

Please consult your training and investigate the point of the capsule with regards to transfer of consciousness compared to a 'backup' inactivated clone.

Back to topic though, of course.

Our head security guy actually trains with swords. Like, those wicked looking Caldari ones with the slight curve to them? All part of his "Boo-shee-doo" thing he's into - also Caldari in origin, if I remember it right.

I swear he's not actually Caldari... he just thinks he is, ha ha.

Although I've heard it said that in the Empire itself swords are actually fairly common. Like it's this big tradition things with captains and they like to use them as a prop during prayers before battles and stuff. Not so much out here in the Mandate, of course. Much smaller fleet, less history, less need for tradition and all that. Still kind of neat how the tools of war from thousands of years ago have ridden on the coat-tails of the traditions that originated with them.

Some folk like to use Grizzly's in dueling, simply remove the clip and only reload by directly inserting the slug into the chamber and you have a legal dueling weapon. One great thing about the Grizzly is that you can select from a wide variety of ammunition in true Minmatar fashion, so for competition dueling there are plenty of nonlethal slugs out there.

My only personal problem with the Grizzly is that it's quite heavy, which is common for these rugged military weapons. Assuming you're taking a dueling stance, the average time it takes to draw, aim, and fire a Grizzly is 0.67 seconds. The average dueling pistols can be drawn in a mere 0.33 seconds. My personal record with my rather light family pistol is 0.14 seconds.

In a duel with a Grizzly, you're probably screwed, but if your opponent is slower or misses then that stopping power and accuracy will guarantee victory for sure. I wouldn't suggest trying to decrease the weight of the Grizzly either through removing parts or making one out of a light alloy, the recoil will break your wrist.

While we are getting down the the nitty gritty of all of these handguns, I'd like to take the opportunity to go into more detail about my family Dueling Blaster.

If family records dating back over a century or two are correct, this Dueling Blaster was handmade in a weapon shop on Gallente Prime. My great grandfather, upon aquiring the pistol, took it to the Crystal Boulevard and had the frame changed to a lightweight nano carbon, with an extremely thin layer of red crystal to decorate it with. Ornate patterns were carved by laser into the crystal and a flourecent gel that glows a lovely dark blue was injected into the pattern grooves. Another thin layer was placed on top.

The Pistol still retains it's old firing mechanisms, however the new lightweight nano-carbon reduced the mass of the pistol to under a kilogram, making it incredibly lightweight. The recoil of a blaster is almost non-existant, so being as light as possible is always a benefit.

It uses a traditional Blas-lock firing system. You insert a charge into the muzzle and use a laser rod stored underneath the barrel to lock it into the chamber properly. It operates very similar to ancient firearms that used powder and flint. As a result, the reloading time is slow, however being a dueling pistol, this is a trivial short coming.

I've been training with dueling pistols since I was very young. I would not recommend anyone who hasn't trained specifically in pistol dueling to try using one in an actual combat scenario. If you have military training, a regular pistol will do you much better.

I'm usually not a direct combatant when I'm in a battlezone. I'm either covering something for The Scope, or coordinating with DUST Mercs. As a result, I can get away with my dueling pistol most of the time, I rarely have to fire it unless things go south. On one occasion, I had to fight my way out of an ambush with several colleagues and DUST mercenaries. I turned down using a conventional weapon mostly because of my preference for the dueling pistol. It performed rather admirably, I never missed a shot and every shot took down and adversary despite our foes wearing rather thick body armor (armor of any kind is forbidden in lethal and non lethal duels as a result most dueling pistols are not intended to have armor piercing capabilities). I didn't have the time to check if they were all lethal hits, but they probably were. Anti-matter doesn't do a body good.

I wouldn't say it takes nerve to actually use it in a firefight, at least anymore than other weapons. It's merely a weapon I've been fond of and have a personal connection with. Soldiers have an affinity to their assault rifles, assassins love their knives, hitmen adore their snipers, and duelist such as myself prefer their dueling pistols. I appreciate the kind words however, thank you.