Your Picture Out of Time, Left Aching in My Mind [OPEN]

[jin-xuandi.livejournal.com]

As his mecha's gatling gun cools, Sima Yi finds himself trying, once again, to recall just how long he's been here.

The home he's still infuriated at the thought of having lost seems so near; and yet, he's here amongst innovations that make those of the first seventeen centuries after his death seem like child's play. Up until the first half of the 20th century, the technological advances were based on concepts he could grasp comparatively easily - but the implications of the introduction of the vacuum tube, the foetal stages of the computer era, are a little more than he can take in. He's still trying to wrap his head around the technology he's trying out now.

He'd ended up studying the evolution of war machines over those seventeen centuries - not just that of his own world, but of some similar ones as well. The machine he was trying out now would never exist in his own world, but it had been used in another one's World War II; its design had more in common with the tanks of that era than with his crewmates' mecha - and there were two or three just like it sitting in Weapons and Possessions.

It hadn't taken him long to decide he wanted one, even if the idea had frightened him at first; it had taken him a while to reassure himself that it really was safe to ride in something powered by explosions, but evidently where the machine came from, internal combustion engines were ubiquitous and no one really though twice about them. And even though the cockpit is sitting directly over a massive diesel engine, it's armored well enough to keep the pilot alive if that engine should suddenly become shrapnel.

Before he made a final decision, he was getting a feel for the machine's performance, and gauging whether he could stand being stuck inside it for hours, if necessary, during a mission. So far, the cockpit is more comfortable than he had expected, despite the cramped quarters and lack of ventilation, and the exhaust system designed well enough that the smell of diesel fumes wasn't a problem - and after seeing what the gatling gun could do to the broken-down car he's using as a target, he can definitely see himself getting to like this thing despite its flaws.

Another flaw was the fact that he'd have to get out to disconnect the spent ammo belt from the gun and feed in a new one - he's blown through one already because he was trying to get a sense of how to time his bursts of fire so that they were as short and efficient as possible, he told himself, not because of how enthralling the sight of what had once been a seemingly invulnerable metal vehicle being shredded into scrap by gunfire was. As he shuts off the engine and kicks at the bar securing the hatch until it opens, he reflects again on how many hundreds of moving parts this machine has - and he's going to need to learn how to maintain them all himself. Here, he couldn't expect to be able to enlist anyone to help him, and if the mecha developed problems on a mission, it would be a liability at best and an outright hazard at worst if he couldn't fix it.

He didn't realize how hot it had gotten inside the mecha until he climbs out - it almost seems chilly by comparison outside. As he ducks under the machine's tank gun - mounted on the cockpit - and makes his way over to the gatling gun - mounted on one of the machine's arms - to disconnect the empty ammo belt and feed in the new one, he's too absorbed in the task to notice that he's no longer alone in the sensorium.

Comments

[sent-herself.livejournal.com]

More wonders of the new world! Mulan is content to watch in awe until she recognizes the face of the driver as one who might not be a foreign devil like the rest of the crew. She waves as respectfully as possible, and bows the same.

"Please pardon this one's intrusion!"

[jin-xuandi.livejournal.com]

Intent as he is on the task at hand, the voice startles him, though he's not as irritated as one might expect. He's been hoping, albeit subconsciously, for the chance to show off his newest acquisition a little. "Think nothing of it - this is a public area of the ship, after all." He finishes loading the gun before looking up, and is surprised to see a very young-looking boy in armor that's clearly Chinese in design, though it's a little different from any he's seen before - probably from an era later than his, though clearly not much different, judging by the fact that it already bears the marks of battle. "What's your name, boy?"

[sent-herself.livejournal.com]

"Fa Mulan, honorable sir." And she pauses, wondering if it would be terribly rude to contradict one who may very well be her superior. But dishonesty, even by omission, is not becoming of a soldier who has been given her freedom to be honest.

"Though it is beyond this one's status to correct a superior officer, honorable sir, this one cannot be dishonest even by omission. I am a woman."

[jin-xuandi.livejournal.com]

"My apologies, then. Times must be very difficult where you come from, if even women are forced to take up arms." At least things haven't been that bad in most of his country since the late king of Wei's rise to power. "And while the courtesy is appreciated, it hardly seems necessary to stand on ceremony when we're all refugees here." There's an icy edge to those last few words, but not directed at her - it's thinly-repressed rage at their situation and hatred of everyone involved in putting them in it. "My name is Sima Yi, courtesy name Zhongda, by the way. Back home, I was First Secretary to the Imperial Han, under Prime Minister Cao." Even if the title doesn't mean much here, however, that's not to say he isn't quite attached to it.

[sent-herself.livejournal.com]

She was about to explain that no, it really wasn't all that bad, she was merely willful and shifty, but then she was distracted by holy crap THE Sima Yi.

"The Sima Yi?!"

[jin-xuandi.livejournal.com]

The reaction is a little more enthusiastic than expected, even if he is a high official. "The only one I know of," he replies. "Why - are our families from the same district?"

[sent-herself.livejournal.com]

"You're a legend!" She blurts it out before she can stop herself.

[kaya-waterwave.livejournal.com]

Katara was putting off a nap...or general sleep really, as long as she could. She wouldn't do it for long: she'd read up on the effects of those who missed a lot of sleep, and hallucinations didn't seem like her idea of a good time. So she resolved to get some sleep soon after a little wandering: honestly, she was feeling anxious and preferred to have something to take her mind off of that dread. So far she'd been doing well: she'd met Daja and Mulan, had a talk with Sheeana, had a confrontation with Alia and had gotten to know Nanoha and her best friend and girlfriend Fate a little better. All in all, it had been a pretty cheerful last few days.

Katara was going to stop into the Sensorium to possibly do some yoga with a waterfall backdrop but she saw someone was already in the Sensorium, next to a very curious machine. She was still getting used to the idea of robots that moved all by themselves and had their own feelings, but this particular machine looked like it didn't have a mind of its own, but Katara wasn't naive. She knew what something meant for a war, or at least a skirmish, looked like. She paused, staring at the curious machine, then the man loading what appeared to be some kind of weapons into its arm.

"Hello?" Katara said, stepping into the light. "I'm sorry to bother you, I was just wondering what you were doing. I've never seen a machine like this before."

She paused, then gave a small bow. "My name is Katara, of the Southern Water Tribe."

[jin-xuandi.livejournal.com]

Sima Yi's finally got the new ammo belt loaded when she arrives; he makes a mental note that it's something he's going to need to practice, until he can do it a lot faster. "Nor had I, before I came here," he rerplies. "This machine isn't even from my world, let alone my time." When she introduces herself, he inclines his head politely in return. "It's nice to meet you, Miss. I am Sima Yi, styled Zhongda, First Secretary to the Imperial Han."

[kaya-waterwave.livejournal.com]

"Sima Yi," Katara repeated. playing with the words a moment. He sounded like he might come from her world, but she knew better than to think that: after all, Mulan wasn't either, and her name had also sounded like she would have been part of her world. She could clearly see that he was familiarizing himself with the machine though: he was still getting used to the way things operated, and that, she knew, was no easy feat. What she was curious about was the whys.

"If you don't mind me asking sir," Katara continued on, "what exactly are you trying to do with this machine? Are you just trying to understand the technology, or are you training in the new team that just opened up for piloting ships?"

[jin-xuandi.livejournal.com]

"Right now, I'm mostly trying to gain a better understanding of the technology. There are a few machines just like this one in Weapons and Possessions - perhaps they'll be of use in the days to come." If there's a situation that requires heavier armaments, he wants to be able to meet it - and while he'd rather be able to rely on his sword and spear, it's clear even from the equipment on the ship that he'd be far outmatched if he tried.

[kaya-waterwave.livejournal.com]

"I wouldn't doubt it," Katara said, looking up with awe at the machine. "But if you're going to try and familiarize yourself with modern technology, why don't you look into gaining a better understanding with the firearms? Its not my cup of tea, since fighting for me is usually done through martial arts, but a gun usually does in a pinch what long ranged weapons from my time could never do."

Oh, they were getting there, of course, but they were nowhere near as affective as the ones on the ship.

[jin-xuandi.livejournal.com]

"In my world, battle is done with martial arts and more traditional weapons as well, but even the best repeating crossbow can't come close to the five hundred rounds a minute this machine's Gatling gun is capable of. There may come a time when I need the firepower." Evidently, being podpopped in the middle of a zombie attack has somewhat colored his opinions of his circumstances. "And personal firearms are easy to use and maintain, so I've been studying them when trying to memorize the schematics for this thing gets to be a little much."

[savin-ur-data.livejournal.com]

Mei Ling had been watching curiously. His vehicle was an odd blend of technologies, but interesting nonetheless. Mei Ling was far from an expert on war machines, but she was intrigued and impressed.

When the driver stepped out, she realized she had been watching for longer than she had anticipated. She offered a sheepish smile and a polite bow, "Pardon my intrusion. I was saw your vehicle and wanted to watch it in action."

[jin-xuandi.livejournal.com]

He'd caught the flicker of movement out of the corner of his eye when she entered; he finishes loading the fresh ammo, replying, "Not a problem - this is a public area, after all." As enthusiastic as he is about the machine, he feels the need to clarify one point. "It's not actually mine - it's from over seventeen hundred years after my time. However, this seems to be one of those situations where one must adapt or perish - and I have no plans on dying here."

[savin-ur-data.livejournal.com]

"Oh my!" Seventeen hundred was quite the long time. "May I ask where you are from?"

[jin-xuandi.livejournal.com]

"I'm from China - the one of Jian An 25, if it exists in your world." That's 220 A.D., by much later calendars. "And yourself?"

[savin-ur-data.livejournal.com]

"Oh yes, it does exist in my world! I am from a country called the United States, 2005 A.D., but I am of Chinese decent," she replied enthusiastically. "May I ask your name?"

[jin-xuandi.livejournal.com]

"That's..." He has to think about it for a moment. "Nearly eighteen hundred years after my time, isn't it?" Not that that was entirely unexpected - there seem to be many here from very far in the future of his world, or at least one like it. "Anyway, my name is Sima Yi - courtesy name Zhongda. First Secretary to the Han, under Prime Minister Cao."

[onceadragon]

Claudia had been watching the whole thing in complete and utter awe. A big ass robot - thing! How friggin AWESOME! She rocked forward on her toes, trying to get a better look at all the gadgets - from afar, she didn't want to get stepped on or anything - that would have been not so cool.

Seeing the guy climb out of the cockpit, she's all but bouncing up and down. "Dude! That," she motions toward the mecha with both her hands, "is just... it's just friggin' sa-weeeeeeeeet! Where did you find it?!"

[jin-xuandi.livejournal.com]

"It's... there are a couple like it in Weapons and Possessions." He's caught off guard by the girl's enthusiasm and strange dialect - and her very, very red hair. "As my era's weapons are somewhat outdated by the ship's standards, I thought it might be best to learn how to use something a little more modern."

[onceadragon]

"Seriously?" Oh she was so going to have to go and raid that place again... Hopefully the furball wouldn't try and attack her... Maybe she'd have to think that one over.

She headtilted a little, looking the guy over. "What era are you from?"

[jin-xuandi.livejournal.com]

"The end of the Han Dynasty." Though it hadn't ended yet, he and his lord - the new king of Wei, Cao Pi - had been laying plans to force the emperor to abdicate in favor of Cao Pi. It would have only been a matter of another few months before their plans came to fruition. "Jian An 25, to be more exact. What about you?"

[onceadragon]

Claudia's eyes widened and she stared at the guy. "Woooooooow. That was a way long ass time ago in my time." She was quiet for a moment, as she did the math in her head. "You're from like eighteen-hundred years or so in my past..."

She shook her head. "I'm from 2009... Dude, seriously. You must find all this technology crazy cool, huh?!"

[jin-xuandi.livejournal.com]

"I believe the year I'm from is 220 by your calendar, though I could be wrong. It's hard to keep everything straight after a while." That's putting it mildly - especially when he's also subjecting himself to the burden of trying to memorize the workings of a piece of machinery that won't be invented until very, very long after he's dead. "And personally, I'd put the full stop after the 'crazy.' This particular machine is from 1941, though not the 1941 of your world, I'm guessing."