Adventuring Survival Tactics, Period 4, A Classroom, 2/16/07

[nine-and-ears.livejournal.com]

The Doctor had beanbags in the classroom again. He gestured everyone in, then, when everyone was situated. He shut the door, turned, and began to speak.

"I've blown up planets, stabbed, shot, maimed, manipulated, lied, cheated, stolen, and a mess of other fiddly things that, when you don't look at the big picture, sound really, really bad. Now do not interpret what I'm saying as 'the ends justify the means' because that's just bollocks, that. What I'm saying is, the world isn't black and white. Hell, it isn't even grayscale or sepia tone. You can say 'I'll never kill a man, ever', but when he's coming at you, slavering spit and blood red eyes, large sharp rock gripped in his calloused hands, well, you do what you can to make sure he doesn't brutalize your skull into a pulp, don't you?"

He paused to let that sink in. "I've rigged ATMs to spit out free money, because I needed it to get by. I've lied to those I've loved, manipulated them so I could destroy great evil. Did that make it right? Well, I can't say anymore. I've had to deal with the lawes of millions of governments, counties, countries, planets, and even the laws of time. And you know what? I've probably bent almost all, if not broken them completely. And this is not me telling you all to go out and knock over a bank, or lie to those in authority. It's to tell you one thing."

He grinned.

"It's easy to pass judgement, but even harder to apply the rules to yourself. Forgive and forget, nice concept. Forgive and remember, that's, reality, that. I'm also saying that you can't prescribe your values on anyone else. You're all very young people, and I'm the only one here qualified to make those sorts of calls. And no, I'm not getting holier-than-thou, as that would imply I think myself holy. No. I'm just simply better than all of you. Sucks to hear, doesn't it? Eventually, you'll probably go on to do great things. You all have tons of potential, beautiful shining potential. Me, I've done lots of dark things, as I said. I've also saved the entire human race on countless ocassions. If it weren't for me, life itself would never have started on this silly rock, and you apes wouldn't have even gotten into trees, let alone came down from them."

His grin turned to a smirk.

"And now, a practical example. The Key to Time, an artifact in six pieces, scattered through the universe. I gathered them, and you know what they did, once all assembled? The power of a god. And not like that Ares and Hades chaps, oh no. At that moment, the entire universe could change itself according to my will. So, here we go. What would you do if you had that power? If anyone wants to ask after class, I'll let you know what I did. But I think I'd like to hear what you all have to say on the matter."

[ooc: Sorry for lateness. Windows spontaneously rebooted overnight and killed the unsaved text file I had of the partially written class. Wait for OCD, danke Huzzah! OCD Up!]

Comments

What Would You Do?

[nine-and-ears.livejournal.com]

No, not the old game show on Nickelodeon.

What would you do with absolute power? Would it corrupt you absolutely?

Re: What Would You Do?

[surferboy-09er.livejournal.com]

"To be honest I'd probably start out using it to get chicks." says Dick. "But then I'd turn into some supervillian and go bald and get a scar on my face and then chicks wouldn't want me anymore. Absolute power would suck."

Re: What Would You Do?

[slr-mercury.livejournal.com]

Ami thought for a very long time. When she spoke her words were carefully selected. "I was going to say i would stop all war and pain, but then we would have stagnation wouldn't we?"

Re: What Would You Do?

[nine-and-ears.livejournal.com]

"Saying things would get boring, are you?" the Doctor prompted.

Re: What Would You Do?

[slr-mercury.livejournal.com]

"Not boring... but what would spur invention?"

Re: What Would You Do?

[multiplez]

Z thought about it for a long time. She could take away her powers and be normal. Save Sirius. Save her dad. But what would be the consequences? She couldn't know, so finally she made her decision.

"Nothing. I don't have the right to have that kind of power."

Re: What Would You Do?

[nine-and-ears.livejournal.com]

The Doctor merely covered his mouth with a hand, to hide the smile that propped up from that answer.

Re: What Would You Do?

[strongestgirl.livejournal.com]

Pippi thinks and thinks... And thinks some more.

Finally, she shrugs.

"I honestly couldn't say."

Re: What Would You Do?

[dbiers.livejournal.com]

D knew exactly what she'd do. Which is exactly why she wasn't going to tell.

She didn't like the apes and trees bit either, but she couldn't pinpoint why.

Re: What Would You Do?

[nadiathesaint]

Nadia, apparently, would enforce a universal nap time.

At least, that was one might reasonably assume by the fact that by the second sentence in the Doctor's lecture, she was fast asleep in her beanbag chair.

Re: What Would You Do?

[nine-and-ears.livejournal.com]

The Doctor eyed Nadia and then cleared his throat, loudly.

Re: What Would You Do?

[nadiathesaint]

Oh, wait, that might have--

Er, no. She's still asleep.

Re: What Would You Do?

[nine-and-ears.livejournal.com]

The Doctor walked across the classroom, hovered above Nadia, and cleared his throat again.

Re: What Would You Do?

[nadiathesaint]

Nadia started to snore quietly.

Re: What Would You Do?

[nine-and-ears.livejournal.com]

The Doctor leaned over right next to Nadia's ear.

"A-HEM."

Re: What Would You Do?

[sarcasm-guy.livejournal.com]

"I'd use it to kill Lord Ozai."

Sokka thought for a moment, debating something with himself.

"And Azula, too. Not Zuko, even though he deserves it.

...And then I'd destroy the thing. Because that much power? Whoa, not good."

Re: What Would You Do?

[threeweapons.livejournal.com]

"Hope that someone else would take over, and quickly. I don't want, or need, absolute power."

Re: What Would You Do?

[the-right-ray.livejournal.com]

"I wouldn't know what to do with all that power," Ray said. "Delegate it?"

Re: What Would You Do?

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

Isabel thought about it. Would she prevent the crash? Save Alex? Destroy Kivar. "I don't think I'd want it. Because I'd want to change things. And that would change who I am."

Re: What Would You Do?

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

Luke was still a little pale from learning about another person who blew up planets.

"I don't want that kind of power," he said softly. "I've seen what it can do to you."

Re: What Would You Do?

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

"I'd save my Mom," Dean said simply. "And then... maybe take out all the demons who destroy families like one did ours."

Re: What Would You Do?

[twohalvesofaphd.livejournal.com]

"I'd say build a race of criminal robots to take over the world," Zack said thoughtfully. "But if I had absolute power I won't need to, and that would take the fun out of it."

Re: What Would You Do?

[stykera]

Stark was very quiet for a long moment, thinking.

"There are things I would like to do," he said finally. "Free all of them. Stop the rest of the universe from chasing our ship...but I don't think I could. Too much responsibility. I don't want that. What if I chose the wrong things, made everything worse? Don't want power."

Re: What Would You Do?

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

Absolute power. Jack took a long time, thinking about that. "I'd use it to make the world I'd want to live in, somewhere where things were simple, and my friends could be safe, and happy. Where I didn't get shot in the shoulder," he added with a grimace. "Where people I care about didn't have to sacrifice themselves to make a barely decent world."

Jack? Was pretty loopy on painkillers right about now, which might explain a lot.

Re: What Would You Do?

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

River found the question disturbing. She hid behind her bean bag and muttered something about how she knew how to save her friends and that she wouldn't kill people unnecessarily.