steve
Commander
Posts: 548
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Post by steve on Nov 13, 2023 13:12:44 GMT -7
Sometimes, the editor just needs to jump in and offer a more robust explanation in order to provide nuance. After all, if other nations have cultural translation challenges, just imagine those challenges across other species. And it won't be the last time, either. The more slang that someone uses... Well, there's a reason why editors make the big bucks.
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steve
Commander
Posts: 548
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Post by steve on Nov 15, 2023 10:48:30 GMT -7
CONFESSIONAL - FROM A KLINGON CITIZEN
[Note - The text has been edited for clarity and context. It has been edited with contemporary Terran audiences in mind. Idioms and local references have been changed to the most appropriate Terran equivalent.]
"And... The mission was called off. Just like that."
"They never keep a mission going once they tell us to hold off on shipping supplies to other vessels. If they tell us to stop shipping supplies to one vessel... OK, that's more common than you think. Maybe they're doing repairs on the ship and they just don't want us in the way or the ship is doing some sort of maneuvers. But when they tell you to stop shipping supplies to ALL of the ships in your mission group... THEN you know something is going on."
"The next step is to travel to the nearest port for a vessel's IRRA (Inspection, Repair, Refit, Assessment). Like the acronym says, every ship needs to be inspected, repairs need to be made, if there are any upgrades or refitting then it is done there and finally a mission assessment before the vessel is assigned to a new mission group."
"A part of me likes going to Port. Another part of me hates it. It's just another part of being in the IKN."
"Ugh. I'm currently knee-deep in boxing up supplies and getting them ready for re-distribution. I'm grimy, sweaty, dirty, tired... AND we have to get all of these supplies boxed up BEFORE we reach port."
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steve
Commander
Posts: 548
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Post by steve on Nov 17, 2023 12:28:39 GMT -7
CONFESSIONAL - FROM A KLINGON CITIZEN
[Note - The text has been edited for clarity and context. It has been edited with contemporary Terran audiences in mind. Idioms and local references have been changed to the most appropriate Terran equivalent.]
"Before anyone asks... Going to port isn't 'fun time.' It isn't, as the Terrans say, 'Shore Leave.'"
"Unless you're part of the main crew, you will be re-assigned to another ship. That's just how it goes. The IKN will re-assign you to where they need you the most. Very rarely does someone stay on one ship for any length of time. The captain of a ship likely will and their immediate crew (helmsman, navigator, communications officer, etc.) will as well. You want to keep 'that team' together unless circumstances dictate otherwise."
"The rest of us? The IKN will re-distribute us as needed. Obviously, if you're an engineer and you're trained on certain types of ships, that's where the IKN will try and keep you. However, grunts like me can work on practically any ship. Sure, there's a learning curve when being assigned to a new ship but it's not THAT STEEP of a learning curve. After a week or so, you pretty much know where the toilets are, the cafeteria, the living quarters and so forth."
"OK... Maybe there's a bit of relaxation when you're in port... But it's nowhere near as much as people think that it is."
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steve
Commander
Posts: 548
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Post by steve on Nov 19, 2023 9:49:34 GMT -7
CONFESSIONAL - FROM A KLINGON CITIZEN
[Note - The text has been edited for clarity and context. It has been edited with contemporary Terran audiences in mind. Idioms and local references have been changed to the most appropriate Terran equivalent.]
"Everything has been boxed up and ready for re-distribution with five hours to spare. Yea!"
"We've been told that there will be no 'successful mission' celebratory meal. Of course."
"When you go into Port, especially at the end of a mission, there's a whole list of tasks that you have to perform BEFORE you get to port. It is exhausting. I don't know how to translate it... Suppose that you have a house. And, every now and then, you have to perform all of these tasks before a certain date. You don't really know when that date occurs but, when you do, you only have about a week to perform all of those tasks. You have to wash and wax all of the cars, vacuum the entire house from top to bottom, perform dusting, sort through paper work, wash all of the windows, etc. so forth."
"The reason why all of this occurs is to give the repair crews as much time as possible with the vessel. They're not snobs; Repair crews are incredibly busy people. Imagine if you had to repair a staircase but, before you did that, you had to remove all of the junk off of a staircase. That's a waste of your time, being that you're the person making the repair. Best for the vessel crews to clean off the staircase BEFORE the repair team comes in to repair the staircase. And, since we don't know what they'll necessarily be repairing, we have to clean EVERYTHING first."
"It is exhausting work. Imagine sixteen-hour days where EVERYONE (yes, even the main crew) is doing tasks and getting everything straightened away. AND you're judged on how well you do. Of course. Everyone comes out of this sweaty and exhausted."
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steve
Commander
Posts: 548
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Post by steve on Nov 21, 2023 14:17:02 GMT -7
CONFESSIONAL - FROM A KLINGON CITIZEN
[Note - The text has been edited for clarity and context. It has been edited with contemporary Terran audiences in mind. Idioms and local references have been changed to the most appropriate Terran equivalent.]
"Docked."
"Whenever you get into port, there's a whole bunch of ceremony to go through. Dress in your formal uniform. Stand at attention. Watch as someone important walks past and inspects random things. Hear an 'inspiring' speech."
"Even before you dock, you are told what your next assignment is. I know Terrans think that Klingons still use rocks to count things but, yes, we do have computers and algorithms and smart thinkers. The IKN is very good and shuffling resources around in order to accomplish sophisticated tasks."
"And, of course, I'm onto my next vessel. When you work in inventory, they move you around from ship to ship all of the time."
"In my case, I have to wait here for about a week and a half until another ship comes in. The IKN Basvilk, and the mission is a simple Observation Patrol. OPs are when you go around in a mission group and your job is to go, 'Yup, that's there. Yup, that's intact. Yup, those things are still working.' It's not like the last mission where you examine stuff and survey stuff."
"I have to get settled into my temp quarters and get out of my formal uniform."
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Post by brickwall on Nov 21, 2023 19:00:02 GMT -7
This is a knock-out series! Thank you for putting in the hard work in making this possible! Excelsior!
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steve
Commander
Posts: 548
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Post by steve on Nov 23, 2023 7:08:32 GMT -7
CONFESSIONAL - FROM A KLINGON CITIZEN
[Note - The text has been edited for clarity and context. It has been edited with contemporary Terran audiences in mind. Idioms and local references have been changed to the most appropriate Terran equivalent.]
"Time to bust yet another stupid myth about Klingons: WE -- DON'T -- START -- BARFIGHTS -- ALL -- OF -- THE -- TIME!!!"
"Again, there's a TINY morsel of truth to the myth. Tiny."
"It must shock Terrans but the typical Klingon male has no interest in starting a bar fight. None. The typical Klingon female? Definitely not."
"Even civilian Klingon males who go to bars a lot only start bar fights as often as their Terran male counterparts. Dead serious. Watch a typical Klingon bar that isn't frequented by soldiers and ... It'll be painfully devoid of bar fights. You WILL be disappointed."
"Now, the percentage rises a bit when you get to Klingons in the national navies. There's a slight reason for this. See, we're an EMPIRE and even though we're an empire made up of nations, it's not as though those nations are completely isolated from one another. They do mix; There are formal military exercises involving multiple national navies. There are outposts that can have four (sometimes more) different national navies at them... And that's where things can get interesting."
"Look, this isn't the old days. Not even the old days were the old days. But when extremely macho Klingon men meet up with other extremely macho Klingon men... And when alcohol is involved... NOW we enter the territory where bar fights may occur. May."
"But here's the thing: Those fights are ALWAYS outside of the bar. Those fights are ALWAYS bare-handed and no weapons at all. And it's not so much a fight as more good-natured wrestling. As soon as you get a submission, the fight is over and everyone goes back to drinking and celebrating."
"And ladies SOMETIMES (not very often at all) have a version of this where they demonstrate feats of strength to see who is the stronger broad. Guys absolutely LOVE watching those events take place."
"Yes, there are times where the barfights are really 'barfights.' However, let's get something straight: You start a fight inside of a bar, you use a weapon during a bar fight, you injure someone seriously enough for them to need serious medical treatment... That's your career in the military RIGHT THERE. Enjoy your post in The Middle of Nowhere, Population: You and a few other losers."
"So where did all of this 'Klingons start bar fights because we're bored' come from? Well, it came from Terrans who weren't used to the fact that Klingons engaged in this activity more frequently than Terrans. Terran bar fights are 'barfights.' You are beating the crap out of each other because... I don't know... Some stupid male crap that I'm not even going to try to decipher."
"Oh, and another thing: Sometimes, bars will have a section indoors devoted towards 'bar fights' in the event that there isn't any available space outside. So, maybe that ties into the myth a tiny bit. However, you can go whole weeks without seeing anyone ever use that space for a 'bar fight.'"
"Anyway, wrote all of that because I just walked past a bar at the port and walked past a crowd watching two guys wrestle with each other."
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Post by trynda1701 on Nov 23, 2023 11:06:31 GMT -7
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steve
Commander
Posts: 548
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Post by steve on Nov 25, 2023 12:08:41 GMT -7
CONFESSIONAL - FROM A KLINGON CITIZEN
[Note - The text has been edited for clarity and context. It has been edited with contemporary Terran audiences in mind. Idioms and local references have been changed to the most appropriate Terran equivalent.]
"What do you do during a 'layover'? Well, if you're in the IKN, they put you on MTD or 'Miscellaneous Task Duty.' Do you enjoy cleaning out wastepaper baskets? Performing menial office tasks that takes no skills to complete? Mopping floors?"
"Obviously, they don't have captains or main crews doing this stuff (although I hear that they sometimes do that although I'VE never seen it) but grunts like myself? Here's the mop and broom. Have at it."
"Depending upon your situation, your temporary commanding officer (CO) can either be a jerk or just a laid-back guy who's like, 'here's a list of tasks. Enjoy.' For the moment, I have a laid-back guy."
"I'm not the only one on MTD at the moment. There's a bunch of us and, as the case is, there's always a few people on MTD at a typical starport used by the IKN and national navies. It's kind of interesting to all be bunched together. I know that, amongst men, there can be tensions if between the various militaries but, amongst women, no one cares. If anything, it's more like, 'I really like your uniforms more then ours' and 'They allow that hairstyle in your branch? That's cool.'"
"When you're on MTD, you wear an armband that designates you as such. MTD is just for a single shift and, if there's nothing to do, then they just let you relax in the temporary quarters for personnel on extended layover. Technically, there's ALWAYS something to do but, most times, they're not obnoxious about it and only have you concentrate on stuff that's really needed. After all, the starport does have it's own staff."
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steve
Commander
Posts: 548
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Post by steve on Nov 27, 2023 13:19:36 GMT -7
CONFESSIONAL - FROM A KLINGON CITIZEN
[Note - The text has been edited for clarity and context. It has been edited with contemporary Terran audiences in mind. Idioms and local references have been changed to the most appropriate Terran equivalent.]
"Let's talk discrimination for a moment."
"I'm a half-breed. Half-Romulan, Half-Klingon. When Romulans and Klingons breed, one of three things can occur: You are mostly Romulan to the point where hardly anyone can tell the difference between you and an 'actual' Romulan, you are mostly Klingon to the point where hardly anyone can tell the difference between you and an 'actual' Klingon (which would be my Dad because he's technically a 'mixed' Klingon)..."
"OR you can be a half-breed, like myself. And that's bad. This isn't like if two Terrans that are different 'races' breed (and I don't know what any of those races are called); They may be different races but they're still the same species. Romulans and Klingons are different SPECIES. And, sometimes, the result... can be messed up. Like me."
"I should be EXTREMELY fortunate that I only have cosmetic defects (technically, the breasts are considered a slightly-more serious physical defect but, so far, they haven't given me any trouble besides social difficulties). There are half-breeds with severe mental deficiencies, half-breeds with severe physical disabilities..."
"I'm lucky. And I have to keep telling myself that all throughout my life. Yes, there are treatments and surgeries and, unless you were really crippled by Jordoklov's Disease, you can pretty much lead a productive life. Look different? Yeah, but at least you can operate like a functioning being in contemporary society."
"And yet... And yet there are times when society makes certain that you KNOW that you are ONLY a half-breed."
"I can't write about this now. Maybe later."
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Post by trynda1701 on Nov 28, 2023 11:55:33 GMT -7
CONFESSIONAL - FROM A KLINGON CITIZEN[Note - The text has been edited for clarity and context. It has been edited with contemporary Terran audiences in mind. Idioms and local references have been changed to the most appropriate Terran equivalent.] "Let's talk discrimination for a moment."
"I'm a half-breed. Half-Romulan, Half-Klingon. When Romulans and Klingons breed, one of three things can occur: You are mostly Romulan to the point where hardly anyone can tell the difference between you and an 'actual' Romulan, you are mostly Klingon to the point where hardly anyone can tell the difference between you and an 'actual' Klingon (which would be my Dad because he's technically a 'mixed' Klingon)..."
"OR you can be a half-breed, like myself. And that's bad. This isn't like if two Terrans that are different 'races' breed (and I don't know what any of those races are called); They may be different races but they're still the same species. Romulans and Klingons are different SPECIES. And, sometimes, the result... can be messed up. Like me."
"I should be EXTREMELY fortunate that I only have cosmetic defects (technically, the breasts are considered a slightly-more serious physical defect but, so far, they haven't given me any trouble besides social difficulties). There are half-breeds with severe mental deficiencies, half-breeds with severe physical disabilities..."
"I'm lucky. And I have to keep telling myself that all throughout my life. Yes, there are treatments and surgeries and, unless you were really crippled by Jordoklov's Disease, you can pretty much lead a productive life. Look different? Yeah, but at least you can operate like a functioning being in contemporary society."
"And yet... And yet there are times when society makes certain that you KNOW that you are ONLY a half-breed.""I can't write about this now. Maybe later." Discrimination. An unfortunate occurrence to say the least, whether it be real life or in fictional universes. I think the novel "The Final Reflection" by John M. Ford, who helped shape the FASA supplement "The Klingons", touched on such occurrences between pure 'Imperial' Klingons and genetically engineered 'Human Fusion' Klingons in the story. FASAs' explanation for the differences between TOS and TMP onwards Klingons seems by FASA fans to be preferred over the TV explanation in "Enterprise" of the Augment Virus mutation. While not nice wherever it occurs, but it's interesting to see you describing how it affects your Klingon character in your universe.
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steve
Commander
Posts: 548
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Post by steve on Nov 29, 2023 12:39:01 GMT -7
CONFESSIONAL - FROM A KLINGON CITIZEN
[Note - The text has been edited for clarity and context. It has been edited with contemporary Terran audiences in mind. Idioms and local references have been changed to the most appropriate Terran equivalent.]
"Just because I'm on layover and just because I have MTD (Miscellaneous Task Duty) while I'm on layover doesn't mean that I can't enjoy myself. It's a starport, not a prison."
"I went to a clothing store the other day. A lot of the clothes were out of my price range (I'm in the IKN, remember?). Being in a Klingon clothing store (and NO, WE DON'T WEAR BATTLE UNIFORMS ALL DAY LONG! GET THAT OUT OF YOUR MIND RIGHT NOW!), a lot of the tops struggled to fit me because, well... They're cut for Klingon physiques and not 'kinda-sorta Romulan' physiques. But it was nice. The store staff was nice; They were all women. They don't see Romulans very much and I think they've only seen a half-breed like myself only a handful of times. They were more curious than anything else."
"I spoke Klingulan to them and they loved it. The Romulan Operated Zone has a sort of mystique to a lot of Klingons. What do Terrans call it? 'The Wild West'? I think that would be a decent analogy. There's a certain 'love-hate' relationship that Imperials have with it. They want to reconquer it and yet... They want to leave it alone. They want to walk through it as though it's a bizarre museum, a cool little alternate universe. To them it's this barely-tamed land. It's weird."
"I spent a lot of time in that store, far more time than I had anticipated. But it was just so nice to talk about the ROZ and Klingulan and... I don't know... Be treated normally, I guess. Be treated with respect. Not have to constantly apologize for my appearance or anything."
"I kind of miss that."
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steve
Commander
Posts: 548
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Post by steve on Nov 29, 2023 12:42:33 GMT -7
Discrimination. An unfortunate occurrence to say the least, whether it be real life or in fictional universes. I think the novel "The Final Reflection" by John M. Ford, who helped shape the FASA supplement "The Klingons", touched on such occurrences between pure 'Imperial' Klingons and genetically engineered 'Human Fusion' Klingons in the story. FASAs' explanation for the differences between TOS and TMP onwards Klingons seems by FASA fans to be preferred over the TV explanation in "Enterprise" of the Augment Virus mutation. While not nice wherever it occurs, but it's interesting to see you describing how it affects your Klingon character in your universe. Discrimination... There is more to come, unfortunately. Such is the life of a half-breed (especially for one outside of the ROZ).
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steve
Commander
Posts: 548
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Post by steve on Dec 1, 2023 14:10:39 GMT -7
CONFESSIONAL - FROM A KLINGON CITIZEN
[Note - The text has been edited for clarity and context. It has been edited with contemporary Terran audiences in mind. Idioms and local references have been changed to the most appropriate Terran equivalent.]
"My next assignment has been delayed. Of course it was."
"Welcome to the IKN."
"The IKN Basvilk is experiencing mechanical difficulties and had to port early and elsewhere. While there to repair their current mechanical difficulties, they found a bunch of other mechanical difficulties. That 'bunch of other mechanical difficulties' were deemed serious enough to keep it in port to fix those as well."
"The IKN is currently debating whether I will wait out here for the Basvilk or be assigned elsewhere. Only the algorithm knows and no one knows when the algorithm will decide."
"In the meanwhile, since I'm going to be at the starport for a little while longer, there's no point in me continuing to be on MTD, emptying wastebaskets and washing windows. They're switching me over to the starport's inventory department since, you know, that's my profession. Also, they're moving me out of temporary quarters and into the starport personnel quarters. Honestly, I think that part of the reason was because the temp quarters was beginning to get full; They are, after all, meant to be 'temporary,' as in, 'less than a week.'"
"Did I write it before? Then I'll write it again: Welcome to the IKN... And we're the ones expected to go up against Star Fleet AND the Romulan Star Navy... And win."
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steve
Commander
Posts: 548
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Post by steve on Dec 3, 2023 8:56:34 GMT -7
CONFESSIONAL - FROM A KLINGON CITIZEN
[Note - The text has been edited for clarity and context. It has been edited with contemporary Terran audiences in mind. Idioms and local references have been changed to the most appropriate Terran equivalent.]
"Inventory is not 'inventory,' if that makes sense."
"You wouldn't expect a car mechanic who specializes on repairing sports cars to be proficient in repairing dumptrucks, would you? So where's the logic in placing me, who works on vessel-based inventory systems, to know the intricacies of starport-based inventory systems?"
"Look, I get it; The algorithm thinks that this assignment is the best fit available at the moment. It's an algorithm, though."
"Let's start with the basics - All inventory begins with sources. There's no point in acquiring inventory from temporary sources. ALL SOURCES MUST BE CONSISTENT WHENEVER POSSIBLE. When you go out on a mission group, you plan for what you need, you get what you need and then you go out on your mission. Even then, though, you acquire your inventory from a consistent source."
"There's two types of sources - Merchant sources and factory sources. They're both somewhat self-explanatory. Suppose you want to buy umbrellas. You can either go to a merchant who doesn't make the umbrella but buys it from someone else ('merchant source') or you buy it straight from the place that makes umbrellas ('factory source')."
"Whenever you can, you just go straight to factory sources. That's what you stock up on when you go out on a mission. OK, technically, the IKN buys it from the factory and then we get it from the IKN. If you need additional inventory for whatever unexpected reason and you can't get it from the IKN, you switch over to a merchant source."
"At a starport, though, this amount of precision isn't really necessary. There are A LOT OF merchant sources. And there is a lot of 'inflow,' meaning that you are receiving inventory. On a mission group, there's far more 'outflow' (you giving stuff to people) than 'inflow' (you getting stuff from people)."
"Yes, technically, this is still an inventory department. But it's also very different from what I'm used to."
"Ugh. Get me out of here."
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Post by trynda1701 on Dec 3, 2023 9:49:15 GMT -7
CONFESSIONAL - FROM A KLINGON CITIZEN[Note - The text has been edited for clarity and context. It has been edited with contemporary Terran audiences in mind. Idioms and local references have been changed to the most appropriate Terran equivalent.] "Inventory is not 'inventory,' if that makes sense."
"You wouldn't expect a car mechanic who specializes on repairing sports cars to be proficient in repairing dumptrucks, would you? So where's the logic in placing me, who works on vessel-based inventory systems, to know the intricacies of starport-based inventory systems?"
"Look, I get it; The algorithm thinks that this assignment is the best fit available at the moment. It's an algorithm, though."
"Let's start with the basics - All inventory begins with sources. There's no point in acquiring inventory from temporary sources. ALL SOURCES MUST BE CONSISTENT WHENEVER POSSIBLE. When you go out on a mission group, you plan for what you need, you get what you need and then you go out on your mission. Even then, though, you acquire your inventory from a consistent source."
"There's two types of sources - Merchant sources and factory sources. They're both somewhat self-explanatory. Suppose you want to buy umbrellas. You can either go to a merchant who doesn't make the umbrella but buys it from someone else ('merchant source') or you buy it straight from the place that makes umbrellas ('factory source')."
"Whenever you can, you just go straight to factory sources. That's what you stock up on when you go out on a mission. OK, technically, the IKN buys it from the factory and then we get it from the IKN. If you need additional inventory for whatever unexpected reason and you can't get it from the IKN, you switch over to a merchant source."
"At a starport, though, this amount of precision isn't really necessary. There are A LOT OF merchant sources. And there is a lot of 'inflow,' meaning that you are receiving inventory. On a mission group, there's far more 'outflow' (you giving stuff to people) than 'inflow' (you getting stuff from people)."
"Yes, technically, this is still an inventory department. But it's also very different from what I'm used to."
"Ugh. Get me out of here." I understand her frustration. It can be distracting when you doing a similar related job to the one you've performed for a long time, but even though things change over time in the original job, this more drastic, sudden change can be a bit disorientating.
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steve
Commander
Posts: 548
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Post by steve on Dec 5, 2023 13:32:17 GMT -7
CONFESSIONAL - FROM A KLINGON CITIZEN
[Note - The text has been edited for clarity and context. It has been edited with contemporary Terran audiences in mind. Idioms and local references have been changed to the most appropriate Terran equivalent.]
"I'm a half-breed. I get that. I've understood that for as long as I've been born."
"Outside of the ROZ, you expect a bit of discrimination, especially with older people. Younger ones, such as my age or younger? Not so much. If anything, there's a 'cool mystique' about the place. I think that I displace some of the discrimination since I'm in the IKN in order to become a full Klingon citizen."
"However, there are times when I'm very thankful that I'm not 'other races' trying to fit in."
"Let me be blunt - Terrans who try to live in the Klingon Empire... AS... KLINGON... CITIZENS!"
"Sigh."
"It's one thing to meet a Terran who is, you know, a Terran. They come in from the Federation, they are VISITING the Klingon Empire and then they leave. But they are always a Terran. They act like a Terran (don't get me started; I don't hate but also don't love). They smell like a Terran. They say Terran things."
"Then you have the crazy [ed note - We replaced the original obscenity used with a much cleaner one] Terrans who honestly, legitimately, think that they can be 'really-for-real' Klingons."
"Dear Terrans - There is nothing Klingon about you. Nothing. And this is coming from a half-breed who grew up and lived a majority of her life in the ROZ."
"They are mentally ill. It is very frustrating to deal with them. That's all that I'm going to write about this for now."
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Post by trynda1701 on Dec 5, 2023 17:56:33 GMT -7
CONFESSIONAL - FROM A KLINGON CITIZEN[Note - The text has been edited for clarity and context. It has been edited with contemporary Terran audiences in mind. Idioms and local references have been changed to the most appropriate Terran equivalent.] "I'm a half-breed. I get that. I've understood that for as long as I've been born."
"Outside of the ROZ, you expect a bit of discrimination, especially with older people. Younger ones, such as my age or younger? Not so much. If anything, there's a 'cool mystique' about the place. I think that I displace some of the discrimination since I'm in the IKN in order to become a full Klingon citizen."
"However, there are times when I'm very thankful that I'm not 'other races' trying to fit in."
"Let me be blunt - Terrans who try to live in the Klingon Empire... AS... KLINGON... CITIZENS!"
"Sigh."
"It's one thing to meet a Terran who is, you know, a Terran. They come in from the Federation, they are VISITING the Klingon Empire and then they leave. But they are always a Terran. They act like a Terran (don't get me started; I don't hate but also don't love). They smell like a Terran. They say Terran things."
"Then you have the crazy [ed note - We replaced the original obscenity used with a much cleaner one] Terrans who honestly, legitimately, think that they can be 'really-for-real' Klingons."
"Dear Terrans - There is nothing Klingon about you. Nothing. And this is coming from a half-breed who grew up and lived a majority of her life in the ROZ."
"They are mentally ill. It is very frustrating to deal with them. That's all that I'm going to write about this for now." Terrans trying living in the Klingon Empire as citizens? Did not see that coming! Wonder how long they would last if it WAS allowed? Would like to hear a bit more about them!
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steve
Commander
Posts: 548
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Post by steve on Dec 7, 2023 10:54:36 GMT -7
CONFESSIONAL - FROM A KLINGON CITIZEN
[Note - The text has been edited for clarity and context. It has been edited with contemporary Terran audiences in mind. Idioms and local references have been changed to the most appropriate Terran equivalent.]
"They can't decide what to do with me for now. Great."
"Let me start by saying that this isn't the first time that I've been in a non-starship based inventory system before. EVERYONE starts out their resource management training at a military base which is pretty darn close to the inventory system that they use here. And there's nothing wrong with it either; For this type of environment, it's perfectly fine."
"It's just DIFFERENT. And once you get used to a particular type of system, it's very hard to switch back with any amount of efficiency. Unfortunately, the algorithm can't figure that out."
"For instance, in a vessel-based system, you are always starved for inventory space. Always. So much so that you have a dedicated computer program constantly packing and re-packing items in order to give to you 'that much more space' for you to operate with. A good chunk of your day is reshuffling items back-and-forth. Today, the toilet paper is here. Tomorrow, it's there. Next week, it's someplace else. In three weeks, it's back to where it started from. All to give to you just enough space to fit some other item in."
"In a stationary-based system (such as a starport), items never move. It's downright unsettling. If there's extra space... Then there's just extra space. You have to fight the urge to compact and shuffle things around because the computer / algorithm / whatever absolutely depends that the toilet paper is right there, all the time, every time."
"And that's just ONE difference between the two systems. And it's maddening. Ugh. Get me out of here."
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steve
Commander
Posts: 548
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Post by steve on Dec 7, 2023 11:05:32 GMT -7
There's a difference between being a different species but BORN into a culture and being a different species and IMMIGRATING to a different culture. Sometimes, when someone adopts a culture, they "over-adopt" it and I think that's the point that was coming across in the post. Whenever you witness someone "over-adopting" a culture, they don't fit in but, instead, stand out and stand out obnoxiously so. An overly-simplistic example would be (and all regions of the world are different so apologies in advance for any cultural offenses): Suppose someone from Brazil immigrates to Canada as an adult. They over-adopt the culture by attending every ice hockey game they can, eat maple syrup as much as possible while canoeing wherever they possibly can (while wearing flannel shirts). They may think that they are adapting to the environment but they are so obnoxiously trying to integrate the stereotypes of the culture into their own lives that they stick out like a sore thumb, so to speak, instead. Hopefully, that clarifies the post.
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steve
Commander
Posts: 548
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Post by steve on Dec 9, 2023 10:49:56 GMT -7
CONFESSIONAL - FROM A KLINGON CITIZEN
[Note - The text has been edited for clarity and context. It has been edited with contemporary Terran audiences in mind. Idioms and local references have been changed to the most appropriate Terran equivalent.]
"There are some benefits for being in a starport. Watching the 'bar fights' is interesting. I've met a few half-breeds (they look far more Klingon than me) and even a Romulan (and NOT from the Romulan Occupied Zone, either). He said I had a very thick ROZ accent and it was very amusing. I practiced my formal Romulan with him and he said that it was good, for the most part, but the accent made it hard to understand when I spoke faster. His Klingon was... Well, at least he acknowledged that he isn't proficient at it. I gave him some tips."
"I'm not a prude. I do like to flirt. But... I'm too dark-skinned for Romulan men and not 'Klingon' enough for Klingon men. It's frustrating."
"And don't get me started on other half-breeds; There's almost an unwritten rule amongst us that we're not attracted to our own kind and go far out of our way to seek out 'pure-bred' companions as a means to 'validate' our existence."
"And there's no way I'd ever go out with a Terran or an Orion. Ever."
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Post by trynda1701 on Dec 9, 2023 10:58:03 GMT -7
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steve
Commander
Posts: 548
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Post by steve on Dec 11, 2023 13:16:11 GMT -7
CONFESSIONAL - FROM A KLINGON CITIZEN
[Note - The text has been edited for clarity and context. It has been edited with contemporary Terran audiences in mind. Idioms and local references have been changed to the most appropriate Terran equivalent.]
"The algorithm decided to save me. Thank goodness."
"The IKV Dngost will be arriving shortly. It's going to join up with a mission group performing border duty. Oh goody."
"Border patrol isn't as suspenseful or dangerous as it sounds SO LONG AS it's a Romulan or Terran border. But this won't be that. This will be a border patrol in 'open' territory. Unknown space."
"Ick."
"The individual nations patrol their border on the INSIDE of their boundaries; The IKN patrols on the outside but we also patrol a certain ways away from that boundary. Although a national military always has to be 'shadowing' or monitoring us in case we get into an emergency, some militaries are more helpful than others. With internal politics such as that, who needs Star Fleet?"
"I've already begun to help in assembling the inventory that the mission group is requesting when they arrive. They're not here just to pick up little-ol'-me."
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steve
Commander
Posts: 548
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Post by steve on Dec 11, 2023 13:17:40 GMT -7
I'm afraid that I can't speak for her preferences. However... "To each their own"?
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steve
Commander
Posts: 548
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Post by steve on Dec 13, 2023 13:27:49 GMT -7
CONFESSIONAL - FROM A KLINGON CITIZEN
[Note - The text has been edited for clarity and context. It has been edited with contemporary Terran audiences in mind. Idioms and local references have been changed to the most appropriate Terran equivalent.]
"Believe it or not, I won't be working on the main inventory ship in the mission group. That's both good and bad. I'll be working as the main inventory person for the Dngost. Before you call it a promotion... It really isn't. Yes, I'll be technically 'Head Resource Guidance Manager' for the Dngost but that's like calling a janitor a 'sanitation engineer.' The inventory space will be smaller and I won't have any 'real' authority. It's a lot more work for no additional benefits."
"At least I'll be back on a vessel, though."
"I spent the day getting my gear in order and doing the necessary paperwork. The military loves it's paperwork. It also loves it's physicals."
"That reminds me - One of the reasons why I've been assigned to the Dngost is that it has the only doctor in the mission group qualified to perform physicals on half-breeds. Lovely."
"Anyway, whenever you leave an assignment or arrive to a new one, you get a physical. That's just how it is. And it's not because they care about you; This is the IKN we're talking about."
"The reason for the numerous physicals is because they want to know when something breaks on you because, if they can't fix it right away, that's pretty much the end of your career. Even though the IKN is hurting for recruits, they also can't afford a damaged soldier that's expensive to repair. The IKN is a lot like the Gorn in that way; It's far easier to replace than to repair."
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