trans_9 | But Sooner Or Later God'll Cut You Down [Open]

'Running away' is, in Howard's opinion, the most useful thing the human body can do. And unfortunately, he has plenty of reasons to think it will come in handy at some point, or at various points, in the future.

That's why he's set up a 400 yard circular track-slash-obstacle course in Hydroponics, as well as set up markers for hundred meter, two hundred meter, and mile routes. Every other morning, before Med Bay shifts, he's here, improving on speed and stamina. He knows full well that even if he gets into the best shape of his life, he can still be outrun (or outflown) by his super-powered, magical or metahuman peers, but it's better to have that added little bit of competence if and when he ends up sprinting away from danger.

He's feeling the results, too. There's no way to time if he's getting faster, but where he was once just skinny, he's becoming lean, and the mile run that used to exhaust him leaves him considerably less winded than it did a few months ago. And he's getting much more confident going through the tunnels and up the ladders of the obstacle course.

The only thing looking worse for the wear is his shoes. At some point he's going to have to relegate his velociraptor shoes to a beloved keepsake, because the seams are literally coming apart around his toes.

Howard double-knots his shoelaces and stretches a bit before running the obstacle course again.

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Daja frowned. "But there has always been magic," she said, perplexed by the very idea. "And before humans, there were the gods."

She looked at Howard, considering. In theory, Howard's attitude was entirely sensible. But form all her experience with Howard, Daja had the sinking feeling that the young man tended to take this attitude too far. "Having plans for basic contingencies is certainly a good idea. But there comes a point where planning becomes...well, too much."

"Oh." Howard pauses. "You're not one of those people who thinks time's circular, do you?"

Howard tries to keep his voice neutral, but it's pretty clear he thinks that kind of philosophy is downright stupid.

"I don't think so. I mean, you're overprepared, what do you lose except some time and sleep? You're underprepared, you're done for. Or you just barely scrape by."

"You mean like reincarnation? Those who follow the Living Circle religion do, but I am a Trader. When we die, Bookkeeper Oti balances the accounts of our life, and sends us to our afterlife," Daja said, feeling not entirely sure that she was following Howard correctly.

"Time and sleep are valuable - and if you prepare too much, you may mistakenly think that you have prepared for everything, and find yourself unable to deal with something that your plans have not accounted for," Daja said. "If your plans are too strict, you have no flexibility."

"No, like the idea that the worlds ends and then all this happens over again and...wait, your god is an accountant?" Howard manages to catch himself from laughing by making it sound like he's coughing, but Daja is doing nothing to raise his opinion on religion.

"You can never be prepared for everything. You only think that way if you're clueless." He folds his arms, looking somewhat uncertain, like Daja's asked a question he doesn't know entirely how to answer. Or like she's asking him to acknowledge how fragile all his nets of security and backup plans are.

"That sounds like a very strange idea," Daja said. Then she frowned, displeased with the way Howard was talking about Bookkeeper Oti. "Bookkeeper Oti is a keeper of records," she said, sounding a little cross. "A Trader must not die with debts owing. If Oti did not check to see if our records were balanced, how could we be sent to the right afterlife?"

After the life Daja had lived, Daja might not be the most Trader-like of Traders anymore. But Traders were her people, and Trader Koma and Bookkeeper Oti were gods who demanded respect. She didn't like seeing others scoff at the Trader ways and gods.

"Then why do you seem to be trying to?" Daja said, her eyebrows raised.

Ah, so apparently Traders take this economy thing very seriously. It reminds Howard a little bit of Albert. Fortunately for Howard, no nostalgic feelings of longing bubble up for his former roommate and business partner.

"I'm not saying anything. It's just, you know, me and religion don't get along so well most of the time." That's as polite and diplomatic as Howard can manage on the subject.

He shrugs. "Because it's better than just giving up, right? At least I might be ready for something, even if it's not everything. You know. When something awful happens." When, not if. Optimism is for the weak.

Daja watched Howard with slightly narrowed eyes. Daja had plenty of experience with diplomatic answers - she was a master of them herself - and she had the definite feeling that Howard was simply hiding many unpleasant thoughts.

He didn't have to believe in her gods, but she would expect to not hear him disrespect them.

"That is true," she acknowledged, bowing her head. Daja paused for a moment, and decided that it was time she was moving on. "It has been good speaking with you again, Howard," she said politely.

Howard just barely stops himself in time to keep from saying "it's okay, I've heard of dumber religions." Given that religion tends to bring out a spree of vituperative vitriol from him, it's only because he's slightly scared of Daja that he manages that much.

"Yeah. You too." He waves a bit, then stretches for a second. "Later."

With that, he runs off.

But Sooner Or Later God'll Cut You Down [Open]

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