"Titans" -Warriors of Virtue

[Kitaro Sasaki]

Re: \"Titans\" -Warriors of Virtue

Thanks for the effort Channe...

I know that you are busy, but you still seem to find the time to contribute to the story!

I am going away to Whistler,BC for a few days to shoot a Canadian National Commercial---this weekend!

I've been working on alot of commercials lately opposed to TV/FILM shows...

Anyways, talk to you when I get back!

Cheers! -Warren T.Takeuchi- "Kit" -Ranger

------------------

 

[channe]

Re: \"Titans\" -Warriors of Virtue

Canadian National Commercial?

Is that anything like the stuff they're showing in the US now, with actors dressed up as firefighters and waitresses and cheesy announcers saying things like "We must all unite to overcome the horrible threat of terrorism so our children can live in a safe world?"

There's a lot of wierd propaganda cropping up around here. A lot of it is very, very unsettling.

You work in front of a camera; I work in front of a 13 inch LCD screen connected to a network. *grin* I can post a bit more easily

------------------
Channe, who lives for the One and dies for the peanut-butter pie
--
"The secret of writing: get your character up a tree, and throw rocks at him." -JMS

[This message has been edited by channe (edited October 28, 2001).]

 

[B5_Obsessed]

Re: \"Titans\" -Warriors of Virtue

INT. ISHNU CITY - CELL

Despite the dire situation, Kaheel has become lost in thought about his first meeting with "Doctor" Chenei, then barely qualified to assume that title since she had not even finished with her studies. The Bio-Research arm of the military had unceremoniously dumped the title on her after the Vai assault and the unpleasantness surrounding Professor Henderson's disappearance. So for all parties involved, she was the Doctor, no questions asked.

No doubt, she would've laughed a year earlier if she had been told that her idealistic pursuit of a medical career would make her a party to attempted genocide.

KRRZKADD
I AM DISTURBING YOU?

Somehow, even through the translator, the creature's tone came out as sarcastic, mocking. Kaheel had dropped into total silence and had not even responded to his captor's last comment. Somewhere back there in the dark corner, hidden by the barrier between them, Krrzkadd had viewed the scene with his usual amusement. It half suspected that the prisoner had suffered some sort of mental collapse and had lapsed into catatonia.

But Kaheel was not that far gone, not yet. His head snapped back up and he peered into that dark, impenetrable corner, hate filling his features. Fifteen years of unanswered questions! A life in ruin, lonelienss and despair. An insatiable need for vengeance still not satisfied. And before him, a focal point for his rage. His tone changes and he addresses his captor. His words are like daggers. A mad grin escapes him.

KAHEEL
You know what I am, don't you?
You understand WHAT I've done.
I was THERE!

KRRZKADD (agitated sounds come from the corner before the translated response)
YES

Kaheel pushes, not caring what follows. He may never get another chance to speak this way, and damn it if it didn't feel good!

KAHEEL
And yet you let me live? My torture will amuse you, I assume?

KRRZKADD
YOU ARE THE KEY. WE WILL RETURN TO..

KAHEEL (interrupting)
Your HOMEWORLD?!
I CURSE IT AND ALL WHO EVER LIVED ON IT!

Kaheel is standing now, shouting like a maniac at the thing in the dark. Eyes wild, spittle flying with each forceful punctuation. No one on Earth or Calder III had ever seen him like this, and hopefully never would. This glimpse into the secret world of Kaheel was for the sole benefit of Krrzkadd and his filthy race, damn them all!

KAHEEL
IT IS DEAD!.... FOREVER! DEAD!

He leans forward and finishes with little more than a whisper, savoring the moment.

KAHEEL
And I killed it. I killed your world.
You think I am the key to your salvation, but I will bring about an end to you, and all that remain of your kind.

KRRZKADD (very agitated mewling, groaning sounds)
MONSTER

KAHEEL
Yes. That we have in common.

KRRZKADD
DEATH COMES NOW.

KAHEEL
I welcome it. Come closer and deliver it yourself.

KRRZKADD
YOUR SUFFERING IS LIFE

At that, Kaheel hears the wet sound of some kind of orifice opening behind the barrier. With an ungainly shuffle, he can picture a large hulking creature forcing its bulk into the opening and disappearing through it. Seconds later the sound repeats itself. Closing? And the bar-like protrusions at the corner of the cell appeared to melt before his eyes and disappear into the floor and ceiling. He has the run of his entire cell now.

He walks to the corner, sees the telltale residue of his Vai captor. The creaure's stench hangs in the air but he can detect no trace of Krrzkadd's point of exit nor the protusions that had separated them moments ago. The floor, ceiling and wall of the cell were all deceptively solid and smooth. He sits back down on the floor and begins to seriously worry about Krrzkadd's threat. It had promised death, but to who?

EXT. ISHNU - FOREST PLAIN

Daly was sweating, out of breath, and definitely feeling the ill effects of the previous night's stimulant injection. He hadn't rested since then and his nervous system was staging a small rebellion against him. It was a most inopportune time.

DALY (into his COMLINK)
Downey? Where the Hell is it?

DOWNEY (over COM)
About 400 more yards, 30 degrees east of you. We're directly overhead and we have both you and the probe on our screens. That city, or whatever it is, is about four miles northeast of you and still moving.

DALY (panting)
Okay, I'm on it. Get the shuttle down here ASAP to meet me at the probe site. We have to catch up with that thing and find a way to stop it.

DOWNEY (over COM)
Aye, we'll pick you up in five. I'll be sending (SCREECH)...

Daly yanks the COMLINK and the blaring static interference away from his face. Just then he sees a bright light from the northeast rise up over the dividing hills like a sunrise. Before he can even react, he is buffeted by a wave of static electricity that washes over him with a tingling needle-like sensation.

DALY
Jesus! (into COM) Titans! Can you hear me? Get out of there, NOW!

But the comlink is dead, overloaded by the discharge.

DALY
Oh God...

Jonathan Daly looks up hopelessly as the horrendous alien fireball hurls up higher and higher into the midday sky of Ishnu, on a collision course with the "Titans".


------------------
By Grabthar's Hammer!
By the Suns of Worvan!
You Shall BE AVENGED!
~Doctor Lazarus, Qalaxy Quest episode 79, "Today is the Tomorrow of Our Yesterdays"

[This message has been edited by B5_Obsessed (edited October 29, 2001).]

 

[B5_Obsessed]

Re: \"Titans\" -Warriors of Virtue

EXT. ISHNU - FOREST PLAIN

Camera pans down to show Daly, staring up in horror. He looks right past us as the camera angle rotates to show the sky blossoming in a shower of fiery re-entry trails.

EXT. SPACE OVER ISHNU

A lone shuttle, damaged by multiple hull collisions, navigates through the swirling maelstrom of debris in a desperate bid to reach the surface of Ishnu.

There are three passengers onboard.







------------------
By Grabthar's Hammer!
By the Suns of Worvan!
You Shall BE AVENGED!
~Doctor Lazarus, Galaxy Quest episode 52, "Today is the Tomorrow of Our Yesterdays"

 

[channe]

Re: \"Titans\" -Warriors of Virtue

Obsessed! Wow! I'm going to post in about an hour and a half, when I get out of a meeting... talk about up the creek without a paddle...

------------------
Channe, who lives for the One and dies for the peanut-butter pie
--
"The secret of writing: get your character up a tree, and throw rocks at him." -JMS

 

[B5_Obsessed]

Re: \"Titans\" -Warriors of Virtue

Hehe. I've got a real destructive streak.

Seriously, I'm just trying to hurry the story along. I don't know how long I'll be able to contribute.

------------------
By Grabthar's Hammer!
By the Suns of Worvan!
You Shall BE AVENGED!
~Doctor Lazarus, Galaxy Quest episode 52, "Today is the Tomorrow of Our Yesterdays"

 

[channe]

Re: \"Titans\" -Warriors of Virtue

Last few days have been extraordinarily hectic...

--

EXT. ISHNU - FOREST

Daly deflates like a balloon. From the ground it's just a pinpoint of light, a hard, quick, bright flash of light, but for him it's a blow to his heart. His knees give way and he falls against a tree, in disbelief of what just happened, in utter and complete shock. He swore the last time he'd lost friends to the vengeance of metal and flame that he never would again - and now, he was alone on this planet, his ship gone, his crew floating in bloody pieces in the endless void, his team - who knows where -

(Note: I'm trying to figure out what is going on with Daly being on the ground, and such. As far as I can tell, I'm developing a framework where Mar and Downey are trained in ship welfare and Ari is ground ops- and although Daly, as the leader (not a captain as this isn't the military), knows both he is expected to go on the ground ops missions - anybody want to contribute?)

Daly picks up his comlink and tries, one more time... hoping that what he just saw wasn't his ship being blown straight to hell...

DALY
Daly to Titan...

When there is no answer, he swallows, and picks up his scanner. Carry on in the direction Downey indicated, he thinks to himself. There might be something left up there...

...it's too bad that the mission was a drop, not a mission where the shuttle stayed on the ground with them.

And then he stops, and looks back up at the sky, with a dogged, haunted look. This was supposed to be so easy. In and out, pick up some of the native life, return to base, get paid.

--
Will post more when back at work.

------------------
Channe, who lives for the One and dies for the peanut-butter pie
--
"The secret of writing: get your character up a tree, and throw rocks at him." -JMS

[This message has been edited by channe (edited October 29, 2001).]

 

[bakana]

Re: \"Titans\" -Warriors of Virtue

Perhaps it's time to discuss the "ground rules" for shared universe stories.

There are rules. This sort of thing has been done often enough to need them.

1. The person who Creates a character "owns" the character.
Other writers may use, abuse, beat, batter and pound on that character, but may NOT kill or permanently maim that character.
Only the person who Owns the character may inflict Permanent or Fatal damage.

2. The collaborators work together to create the boundaries of the story/universe. Unilateral changes that disrupt the entire story/universe are not permitted.

3. Good manners are mandatory.


Those three rules are (or should be) the only ones necessary, given a genuine desire to create a good story.
But they must be adhered to in order to keep things moving forward. Otherwise, the whole effort falls apart.



------------------
The 3 most common elements in the Universe:
Hydrogen, Greed, Stupidity!

 

[channe]

Re: \"Titans\" -Warriors of Virtue

Ok, I admit it, I'd rather not the Titan been blown out of the sky like that. But I didn't see that as a major change, as I never saw this as a shipbased story. This is a story about the last remaining member of Bravo team and her shipmates currently running an operation on the surface of the planet Ishnu. Upon Warren's return, I'm sure he'll give his opinion on this, and if needed, we can do something about it.

There are three people aboard that shuttle, the three people that we know: Downey, Chenei, and Mar. At least I'm assuming. If I recall correctly, they were on that shuttle before the Vai blew the ship to pieces. Nobody's been fatally maimed.

It's interesting to see what these people will do. A lot of them - Henderson, Kaheel, Chenei and maybe Ari and Daly - are going to come into contact with something that they really aren't prepared to deal with, something dark from their past. Reg is having to deal with it the first time. We'll see where Downey and Mar fit in, still.

The characters were created by Warren and I before B5_Obsessed joined the story, with the exception of Daly, who was once Martel when this was a silly fanfic.

More input?

------------------
Channe, who lives for the One and dies for the peanut-butter pie
--
"The secret of writing: get your character up a tree, and throw rocks at him." -JMS

[This message has been edited by channe (edited October 29, 2001).]

[This message has been edited by channe (edited October 29, 2001).]

 

[channe]

Re: \"Titans\" -Warriors of Virtue

This one's for crazybillyo.
--

INT. SHUTTLE

Chaos. Chenei, Downey, and Mar are strapped into the shuttle. A few things - pens, pads, random metal parts - float in freefall around them, and they would be too, if their shoulder-straps weren't in place.

DOWNEY
What the hell was that? Who fired? Swing around, swing around!

MAR
I'm not reading anything from the Titan.

DOWNEY
Is it still there?

Chenei, curiously quiet in the back, just watches them.

MAR
Checking. Yeah. A part of it.

DOWNEY
Put in on the screen.

A deathlike silence falls over the crew as the small viewscreen between Mar and Downey lights up to reveal the Titan and the damage. It's pretty bad; the entire engine section seems to be gone, and a quarter of the ship lies open to the void.

DOWNEY (after a moment)
Oh, my God.

MAR
How- how many?

CHENEI (speaking up)
I have - a staff of seven.

DOWNEY
And eight left in ship operations.

MAR
Nine. Danny.

DOWNEY
Danny. Yes.

Silence returns until Chenei pipes up again.

CHENEI
We need to get to the planet.

DOWNEY
I'm the one that decides what to do around here, Doctor.

CHENEI
We had a mission. Daly is counting on us to follow through -

DOWNEY (with barely restrained anger)
Our priorities have changed a little bit, don't you think? Daly's a big boy, he can take care of himself.

CHENEI
No, he can't. Trust me on this one.

DOWNEY
The last time anyone trusted your word, Doctor, people died. Forgive me -

MAR
Downey, that's uncalled for.

DOWNEY (talking over her)
Shut up, Nat. Forgive me if I go back to the ship to try and save a few lives. Readouts say that the ship still has life support in the upper pylons, the medical deck and the bridge.

Chenei shakes her head and breathes out, with the patience of a saint.

CHENEI
The Company will come investigate. They dispatch ships for a mission this large as soon as something like this happens.

DOWNEY
You have a lot of faith in the Company.

CHENEI
They don't abandon their own.

DOWNEY
And neither do I.

Mar, caught between them, wonders what to do...

------------------
Channe, who lives for the One and dies for the peanut-butter pie
--
"The secret of writing: get your character up a tree, and throw rocks at him." -JMS

 

[B5_Obsessed]

Re: \"Titans\" -Warriors of Virtue

Just a quick reply. I haven't read through all of your post yet Bakana, but I think if we rule this thing to death, it won't be fun anymore (at least not for me).

All the characters were thrown into the mix at once (the Big List), and we've begun to settle on certain ones. Although I did not create Kaheel, I kinda hijacked him and left a note to Channe and Warren that I was using him for a while. Channe did likewise with Henderson.

I like this little exercise's "happy accidents" that have resulted in some dramatic synchronicity. That's why I told Warren not to hint at us too much. Let's read each other, build off each other's work and let the story lead.

I did put the Titans in orbit, and so I also took it down because I think it's good for the story. It really ups the ante. I could've also said that the shuttle had 20 people onboard, but that would be a cop-out.

So I settled on three.

It seems now that Channe might've liked four, and I had considered that number myself. By I picked three and lobbed the ball back into Channe's court (since Warren is working) so she can choose, as it were, who lives and dies. I know who two of the three should be, but Channe may do it totally different. That's why it's fun.

If someone decides to kill Krrzkaadd by hitting it on the head with a falling chunk of "Titans" debris, that's just my bad luck. But do what you gotta do, if it serves the story. It better be good!

Let's keep it loose. I'm a f***ing accountant. Writing this story is like heroin for me!





------------------
By Grabthar's Hammer!
By the Suns of Worvan!
You Shall BE AVENGED!
~Doctor Lazarus, Galaxy Quest episode 52, "Today is the Tomorrow of Our Yesterdays"

 

[channe]

Re: \"Titans\" -Warriors of Virtue

About the "who lives or dies" thing...

Yup, my hands are off Kaheel for a bit; you are doing wonderful things with that character. Not touching his welfare with a ten-foot pole until you're done with the guy.

Downey, Mar and Chenei are now on a slightly broken shuttle in a debris field. If they get a hull breach, that's death for them. That's nature kicking them in the butt. If, for example, Obsessed creates a hull breach, and they don't get somewhere where there's atmosphere in time, they'll die. That's just the way of things in nature, and nature doesn't bow to rules about who writes which character. To add on that, we've all been doing Chenei, Downey, Daly, and Reg equally.

You upped the ante by firing at the Titan; I upped it even more by giving Downey and the others a hard decision.

As we build from each other's posts in this story, there's a remarkable amount of synchroninity. That's all we've needed in the past, and I have a feeling we all have the same opinion on the subject

An accountant? Talk about your life-sapping job... you just keep on keeping me on my toes, both of you!

------------------
Channe, who lives for the One and dies for the peanut-butter pie
--
"The secret of writing: get your character up a tree, and throw rocks at him." -JMS

 

[B5_Obsessed]

Re: \"Titans\" -Warriors of Virtue

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR> An accountant? Talk about your life-sapping job... <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Well you don't have to rub it in! Actually, I'm trying to jump careers into marketing before my left-brain withers to a stump.

I majored in accounting, but went on and got my MBA with Marketing/Management as a minor. So now I'm trying to find someone who'll take me on without direct experience and who will pay a reasonable salary. I've got a lot of mouths to feed.

I found what I consider to be my dream job about two weeks ago (Market Research with a major restaurant company), they just haven't found me yet. The position has been open since August, so they are being quite selective about it. Getting noticed is what it's all about.

------------------
By Grabthar's Hammer!
By the Suns of Worvan!
You Shall BE AVENGED!
~Doctor Lazarus, Galaxy Quest episode 52, "Today is the Tomorrow of Our Yesterdays"

 

[channe]

Re: \"Titans\" -Warriors of Virtue

Sorry! I'm basically a tactless person at times.

Go for it. In marketing/public relations these days, you *have* to be noticed, you *have* to be special... it has become part of the job description. At least in my city.

I spend most of my days attempting to be special

------------------
Channe, who lives for the One and dies for the peanut-butter pie
--
"The secret of writing: get your character up a tree, and throw rocks at him." -JMS

 

[bakana]

Re: \"Titans\" -Warriors of Virtue

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR> but I think if we rule this thing to death, it won't be fun anymore (at least not for me).
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Three rules isn't "Ruling it to death".

Those three rules are the ones that experience has shown are Needed when working with others to create a story.

They allow a LOT of creative flexibility, but keep the authors from stepping on each other's metaphoric toes.

You can't Kill someone else's character because they might not be Through with him/her yet. And they might just want to do it Themselves.

It's partially an Ego thing.

In a work that will actually be Published and sold for Real Money, it also becomes a Legal thing.
In that sort of book, the contributors work out a contract saying just Who owns what and who has what rights.
Like publishing Independent stories using the same characters.
Or NOT.

Here, it's just good manners. Rule 3.

For instance, If I write a segment where a Vorlon Planet Killer happens to be passing by and decides to test it's weapons on the planet, I would be royally messing up the story line.
No Survivors, no story.

Or, worse yet, I could have a CBS film crew show up and announce that this is really Survivors MCDLXXXVII and that the crew has decided to vote Pike off the planet.

------------------
The 3 most common elements in the Universe:
Hydrogen, Greed, Stupidity!

 

[B5_Obsessed]

Re: \"Titans\" -Warriors of Virtue

Yeah, I don't want to sound unappreciative for your suggestion of rules. I'm sure that they are usually necessary.

I just happen to think in this little story, it's been just the three of us and we've been intuiting each other's moves nicely.

There is a tentativeness about the writing where we suggest things leave options open for each other. I just like it that way. Now if there were many others involved and it turned into some kind of free-for-all, that would be different. I just think we've got a good handle on each other, and we've carefully nudging the story along.

It'll be nice when Warren get back, too.



------------------
By Grabthar's Hammer!
By the Suns of Worvan!
You Shall BE AVENGED!
~Doctor Lazarus, Galaxy Quest episode 52, "Today is the Tomorrow of Our Yesterdays"

 

[channe]

Re: \"Titans\" -Warriors of Virtue

INT. TITAN SHUTTLE

As before. The tension between Chenei and Downey is so thick it seems like it's about to strangle Mar, who is working quickly on her own projects.

CHENEI
Go down to the planet.

DOWNEY
Mar, calculate trajectory to bring us safely back to Titan.

CHENEI
Leonard -

MAR (ignoring her)
Calculating.

CHENEI
Leonard Downey, as the direct Company liaison and holder of the highest-ranking position on this shuttle, I order you to rondezvous with Zulu team on the planet.

Their voices begin to rise in conflict. Only Mar's stays slightly level and rational.

MAR
Don't, Chenei. There are your coordinates, Leo.

DOWNEY
Go look up the regs. In the event of a -

A storm begins to boil within their voices.

CHENEI
I am fully trained in ground-ops, I don't -

DOWNEY
In the event of a separation-

CHENEI
Go to the planet.

DOWNEY
Shut the hell up, you -

Their mutual diatribe is cut off by a shaking, rocking impact. Mar immediately cuts in, her voice sharp.

MAR
Collision to the port engine! Stability compromised!


------------------
Channe, who lives for the One and dies for the peanut-butter pie
--
"The secret of writing: get your character up a tree, and throw rocks at him." -JMS

 

[babylon six]

Re: \"Titans\" -Warriors of Virtue

I hope no one minds me contributing ; I've been reading with rapt attention to this story ... congratulation everyone on such a magnificent 'melting pot' of concepts !

About, my contribution, I wanted to contribute but didn't want to infringe on the story that was developing ; so look on this story as a sideline ... helping to put across my idea that, perhaps, the Company knew what was on Ishnu in the first place.

Without further ado, here's my contribution.

EXT. DEEP SPACE

A massive spaceship, the CSS ( Corporate Space Ship ) Shadow, moves through space,
approaches the camera and towers over us, menacing in its vast, metallic coldness ...

INT. SHADOW - BRIDGE

CAPTAIN HIRO SAKURA stands behind his chair, his crew work efficiently and with
no discourse interwoven into their work, quite a different atmosphere to the "Titans".
SAKURA faces forward, eyes almost drilling into the forward bulkhead, itself almost
entirely taken up by a massive viewscreen.

The young COMM TECH turns from her station, clutching her headset to her ear ...

COMM TECH
Captain Sakura ... the CSS Titans is sending out a text feed.
They're ... they were fired upon ... requesting help ...

SAKURA diverts his eyes to the COMM TECH for a millisecond before returning them to the massive viewscreen, as if the text feed was a trivial matter.

SAKURA
(coldly)
Ignore it.

COMM TECH
(almost astounded)
Captain ?

SAKURA doesn't even divert his eyes this time, but his voice is even colder than
it was before, if that's possible. This tone implies that if she doesn't do as he has
ordered then she'll find herself on the wrong side of a laser rifle ...

SAKURA
_Ignore it_.

COMM TECH
(unhappy)
Aye, Captain.

The COMM TECH turns back to her console ...




------------------

 

[channe]

Re: \"Titans\" -Warriors of Virtue

Something a bit different:

--

MEMORANDUM

TO: H. Schneider, Director, Operations
FROM: J. Callenegra, CEO
RE: L. Chenei, M.D., Ph.D.

It has come to my attention that Dr. Lynn Chenei, currently employed as Associate Research Director of the Extrasolar Division, has violated protocol 11-A of the company's Nondisclosure Agreement. As per proper protocol, please have her disciplined as you see fit.

An easier and perhaps mutually agreeable covenant can be reached by including Chenei as Full Director of Research on the forthcoming mission to planet Ishnu (Gamma Amaro 3), run by Ground Ops specialist James Daly (record attached). Dr. Chenei would be uniquely suited to the nature of this mission, as her prior experience and record show. It would also be very convenient for both of us and the Company's reputation.

Inform this office of your intentions by Friday of this week. Say hi to Danielle and the kids for me.

Joseph Callenegra
Chief Executive Officer

------------------
Channe, the next JMS
--
Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgiastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that's no matter - tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther... and one fine morning - so we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.
-f. scott fitzgerald

[This message has been edited by channe (edited October 31, 2001).]

 

[channe]

Re: \"Titans\" -Warriors of Virtue

For everyone's information, the current status of Our Heroes:

--

1. James Daly, Ground Ops specialist and Zulu team commander - onplanet, alone, tracking the City
2. Ari Keller, Zulu team second - imprisoned in the City, unconscious from alien energy weapon wound
3. Natasha Mar (can we change her name to Natalie? It's close and doesn't sound like we're cribbing from TNG, human hybrid

), Ship Operations - in orbiting shuttle
4. Reginald Lee, Zulu team - imprisoned in the City, upper leg wound
5. Leonard Downey, Ship Operations - in orbiting shuttle
6. Dr. Lynn Chenei, Director of Research - in orbiting shuttle
7. Kaheel, Zulu team (Calderan) - imprisoned in the City
8. Kate Henderson, Bravo team leader - imprisoned in the City
9. Somebody Horton, Bravo team - deceased, in a cell with Ari Keller

------------------
Channe, the next JMS
--
Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgiastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that's no matter - tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther... and one fine morning - so we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.
-f. scott fitzgerald