Well, I killed an elite ealier today. Caught on camera too. The way these things are supposed to work is we're supposed to have a climatic battle with DeVries spinning it after the fact. What happened is both of us came out looking pretty stupid. I think I accidently made DeVries look bad too.

The short of it: He was invisible and I stepped on him.

The long of it: Film crew was following him around, I was super speeding across the field and my boot vaporized his chest. Dead on impact. I didn't even notice it. So I told DeVries there was no hostile contact and they told the press the same thing and then this clip comes out.

Is it just me or are novas more likely than baselines to die in these really stupid accidents?

Seems to me that it's not so much about being a nova as being an elite. The guy was on a battlefield. So were you. Its not all that surprising that one of you ended up dead.

Death is often stupid - rarely clever.

Hmm. Maybe. I don't know, it just feels wrong that I didn't realise it. Being an elite is supposed to be important. If you go down it's supposed to be more interesting and attract more attention than a bug on a windshield.

Why is being an elite supposed to be important? Not knocking you, but you get paid to kill people and destroy things. Unless you like the top ten in your profession, only dedicated fans know your name. That kind of fame is rather fleeting considering the risk to your life in my opinion.

Of course, I'm hardly likely to ever have an action figure either, or fansites dedicated to my exploits. That's a price I'm willing to pay for the good I can accomplish and the greater life expectancy.

Your comment answers your question. We're paid to risk our lives. Living close to death makes us more "real".

Violence may not sell as well as sex, but it's interesting when people die, or when people are in danger of dying. Look in the theaters. There's always an action movie or three in. And that's what we elites are, a continuing live action thrill movie... except we're *real*.

Your fellow professional is very real right now, Mr. Brickman. He's real dead. He's got a real foot-sized hole in his chest.

Odds are, one day you will end up that real too.

That is what they pay me for... but it's only while we're on the edge that we're really alive. I may die, but the rest of you are almost dead right now.

If that's the lie you have to tell yourself, so be it.

Amateurs.

Oh, it's not a lie, that's experience talking. I work for both DVNTS (elite) and DeVries (unaging people). There's no comparison. DeVries offers fun, serious money, power practice and all that, but it's not really being alive.

?

If that was directed at my fellow elite then I think I agree. His big power was invisibility and he had a camera crew following him around. If he'd been more focused on his job then he'd still be alive.

You are making the assumption that you experience life in the same way as others.

He made a statement that was his opinion on a subject, and you called him a liar. Was he lying about his opinion, or was his opinion a lie? Are opinions lies? Can they even be lies? Just because you disagree doesn't necessarily make him wrong. If I say that "Everybody who likes red is a jackass.", it is obnoxious and unnecessary. However, I may actually think that red is an obnoxious color and people who like it are indeed jackasses, and their like for red is just a byproduct of their rampant jackassery. He has an opinion of what feeling alive is that is different than yours. It may seem obnoxious, but it doesn't mean its wrong. Therefore, saying he is lying to himself is just being ridiculous.

And just in case, jackass is an insult that can be derived from a varying range of opinions. The definition of Jackass is a foolish or stupid person. Feeling alive is a feeling inspired by, most probably, adrenaline, and therefore everyone experiences it differently (I am relating that to your previous statement, by the way). The definition for alive is (Or one of the many) full of energy and spirit. Calling someone a liar, or being a liar, has a definition that is set in stone. Liar - Someone who doesn't tell the truth.

Anf further more, I do not mind the color red.

You need to talk to The Gnostic.

Who is a 'The Gnostic'?

And does it have to do with anything with Gnosticism? Because thats all kind of crazy talk, and I'm not sure why it has anything to do with me.

Note: I knew nothing of Gnosticism until my very fast and shallow internet search. Turns out they are pre-christians who believe in a Old Testimate God. The hellfire and revenge, Abraham God, not the forgiving, Jesus Christ one. Also, that they are perfect souls trapped in a evil human body, and that Abraham God uses this world to keep them trapped.

In my opinion Josh Brickman is a liar for saying (not saying "In my opinion") that one is only alive when one is risking one's own life, and/or threatening/taking the lives of others.

Fact: He did say "I may die, but the rest of you are almost dead right now".
That is clearly implying that I was amongst those nearly dead right now.
Fact: Since I'm not, he lied.
Had he kept his statements to himself and his experiences it would have been a different matter and I wouldn't have said he lied.

I hope you understand that is possible to lie to yourself. People do it all the time - usually in small ways, but they do. Sometimes they lie to themselves in big ways and get themselves or others killed.

I am going to hazard a guess and suggest that The Gnostic is someone who sees the world in very stark contrasts of Good and Evil, usually with most things in the world being tainted or evil.

Or I might be right, and you don't know what it's like to be really alive.

How much living on the edge have you done? Been an elite? Something similar? I've tried your life ("you" defined as "all you who don't live on the edge"), and while it does have it's attractions (neatly summed up as "wine, women, and song"), it isn't as "real" as life on the edge is.

When you're out there on the edge, the world slows down and *NOW* becomes much more real.

I've considered that possibility, but I think you are wrong.


Enough to know the difference between an Adrenalin High and what living is really about.


Spoken like a true addict. You've found an experience that gives you the highest high you've ever felt and you are willing to keep reaching for that high even if it kills you, or you have to kill other people to get it.

If life was all about killing and death then we never would have made it here.

If the only thing in your life that you cherish is death, then I pity you.

This conversation is ridiculous. Neither parties are going to come to equal ground, so its just two people yelling at each other.

And sometimes I wonder why I don't frequent these boards more often.

Now that is a pity. While there are few guarantees that two people will get along, there is much to be learned by seeing their viewpoints. The statements made on this thread of been of use to me. I'm grateful for Josh Brickman opening up and discussing what's on his mind.

You're joking, right? The only thing you've done is sat there and called him a liar! It seems the only thing you've gotten out of this is that Josh is a Brickhead*!


* This is not my opinion of Brickman, I just felt like making toe joke. My bad.

Wow, talk about putting words in someone else's mouth. The point you're attacking isn't the one I made.

I already strongly implied (and now state) if I'd known Mr. Invisible was there I would have gone easier on him. It isn't about killing, or even death.

That's your problem right there. "I've considered". "I think". Less thinking, more doing. The way to experience life is to experience life, not to think about it. The reality doesn't match the thought experiment.

Troy Campbell, I don't think Josh Brickman is a Brickhead. He's a competent elite and has the mission successes to prove it.

Josh Brickman, there is a reason we hold addicts accountable for their actions. They don't go out (in most cases) wanting to kill someone, but when they do, they are held responsible.
You went out on a mission and in the course of that mission you accidentally killed another person. Now you tell us you went on that mission for the thrill of the experience. I hope I'm not the only one who finds that small comfort.

I have experienced life beyond cerebral pondering and proceed to do so. That doesn't stop me from considering my actions. I find the union of mind and body to be most fulfilling, were I can not only consider my immediate actions as they happen, but understand their longer term consequences. When it comes to for action, I act without hesitation. That's never been a problem for me.

As for dead 'Mr. Invisible'; he took his chances and ended up dead. He put himself on that field of combat. Few people would consider what Josh Brickman did to be murder. They are elites and they get paid to go out and risk their lives in combat situations.
I do not glorify the lifestyle though. It is no more real than thousands of other activities and professions. Your life is what you make of it. As a nova, if your life isn't real enough, blame yourself first and foremost. You have open to you possibilities most baselines only dream about. It’s up to you.

I'm pretty sure that Josh doesn't cherish death; it's the thrill of having the Baron a step behind him. I can understand that, only with me it's the enjoyment of the body and sensual arts.

And sugar - I think that life is about killing and death; you kill anytime you eat. You struggle against death by killing something else to eat, that has killed to eat and struggled against death. We're here because of killing and death.

I kind of thought that we are here because a man and a woman desired each other enough to risk procreation. If you are lucky, there was even love involved.

As a doctor, I am in opposition to the forces of death and dying. I'd stop the killing of our fellow sentiants if I could. It seems such a waste of potential.

I don't think Josh is a bad guy. He's part of a culture that exists today. I don't much like his culture, but its been around for as long as anyone can remember - this killing, death, violence, and war - and I don't think it will be going away anytime soon. So, he enjoys his job. So do I ... enjoy my job, that is.

Josh, better him than you I say.



Not sure. With great power comes the ability for spectacular stupidity. Still, we do tend to be brighter and more fleet of foot than baselines so I'm hoping the odds are in our favor. Me- I'm kind of squishy. That's one very good reason for me to stay out of combat.

That can be fixed.

Meh, it pays well. Does anything else really matter?

You are the second woman to tell me that. The first time didn't end well ... it was unsatisfying to say the least.

Common Sense isn't a Nova power, which is a shame. I've seen some might stupid Novas out there in the past couple a months.

If your next time is with me, then it won't be unsatisfying.

Thank you.:Josh waves his hand:

Right here Caramel. I'd love to be fixed by you.

Yeah, it does. Ideally (and for novas, realistically) you should be doing something you enjoy and also make money at. There's things I can do that make more money. It's a nice bonus to get paid to work out with my other powers off the field. But even if it pays better, that's all it is. Life is too short to waste it at a job you don't like.

Well, it's been a while since I tried my hand at castration. I'm sure I still have the snippers here somewhere though...

I kid. I'm so out of practice I wouldn't want to neuter someone; I'd probably clip the wrong thing.

Ow. Shot down again.

Not that this will stop me from trying again.

If I thought it did, I'd wouldn't say such things. Keep the faith, sugar.