001 + 1st Metal / Voice

[godsays]

[ There are a dozen things he wants to ask. But questions, he knows too well, are a sign of weakness. Like baring one's neck, to another's teeth. Another's knife.

So he hesitates as soon as he starts the journal, stumbles over what he really wants to ask. Ends up blurting something he doesn't really want to say: ] Something told me I wasn't crazy.

[ And he backs up. No. ]

I'm not sure why I'm here.

[ Still too much to say. So he settles for a single question, one that's a trivial issue on his mind: ]

What's a 'shower'?

[ The Final Empire isn't much for internal plumbing. Or running water. ]

Comments

[godsays]

No. Who is that?

[wedonot]

She's one of the librarians on board. She has a packet she distributes to new arrivals with information about what to expect.

[godsays]

...oh.

[ The tone of tense hostility diminishes. A hint. ]

And who are you?

[wedonot]

My name's Charles Xavier.

[godsays]

That doesn't tell me anything.

[wedonot]

Well, I'm a warden, here, and at home, I was a professor of genetics at Oxford University, but have since switched careers to focus on mentoring gifted young people.

wait hang on sorry

[godsays]

You study lineage?

no worries!

[wedonot]

Not exactly, but I suppose it's close enough.

I literally looked up the word to see if it was used in the books. It was!

[godsays]

What is it exactly, then?

fabulous :D

[wedonot]

It's the study of the molecular structure and function of genes, gene behavior, patterns of inheritance and gene distribution, and what that all means for a population, so it goes a bit beyond just determining who your great great grandfather was, but it can tell you a bit about him.

[godsays]

[ And suddenly in over his head. ]

Then you could say... why certain qualities inherit, when others don't.

[wedonot]

Yes, exactly. Well, there's always some amount of chance involved, but it gets easier to predict how or why things might turn out a certain way.

[godsays]

And you could find out why some lineages are superior to others.

[ Noblemen to skaa, particularly. Noblemen can inherit Allomantic powers; skaa can't, unless they have noblemen in the last couple of generations.

This is why the noblemen are meant to rule. ]

[wedonot]

Superior's not really the right word. There are dominant traits, but unless it's something like genes that control cystic fibrosis or Tay-Sachs, there's really no such thing as traits being inherently better or worse than each other. Us having dark hair doesn't make us somehow better or worse than someone with blonde hair, for example.

[godsays]

And what about powers?

[wedonot]

In my world, superhuman abilities are controlled by a person's genes, yes.

[godsays]

Of course.

Then those lineages are better. They're the ones made to rule the others.

[wedonot]

[... oh yikes.]

No, they're not. Having "powers" doesn't make you somehow better suited to rule anyone.

sob he has never had this viewpoint challenged before

[godsays]

But what about the rest?

Powers are... a symptom. A quality. Not the only quality.

charles is perhaps unshockingly very good at discussing these viewpoints B(

[wedonot]

What do you mean?

[godsays]

Noblemen are taller. They're smarter. They were made to lead.

[wedonot]

No one's "made" to lead based on their genetic profile. Anyone, from any background, can be a very effective leader.

[godsays]

Skaa can't. They're made to work.

[wedonot]

Do you mind if I ask for further clarification? I'm not familiar with the way your society is organized.

[godsays]

The Lord Ruler made the noblemen more intelligent, and powerful, and he made the skaa stronger and to have more children.

So the noblemen lead and the skaa work... how is it where you come from?