A Fight in the Mind

[Andrew Kasher]

"Yes... well, sort of.... I don't know. It might not have happened yet, or it might have already happened, or I might have been dreaming. But I was sure I was in a trance," Andrew says. "I mean, I must have been out for a few days.... Sometimes.... Well... this is why they thought I was a schitzo you know. Maybe I am. Maybe I can't tell my dreams from what I see in visions and reality anymore," Andrew says insecurely.

"It smells fine, really. If you want, I could give you cooking lessons or something, or lend you a cookbook. I mean, I know you're really partial to... meat and stuff, but...." Andrew says, trying to change the subject.

"Maybe I just need to eat something. Yeah.." Andrew says, trying to convince himself.

"So... where do you guys think you are going to go on vacation?"

["Zero" Americanski]

"Yes... He needs some time alone, and some time with each of us. And soon..." I say. "I'm glad you think it smells good, but really we both smoke too much. At the very least we should try to cut down around our nonsmoking friends..."

I turn to Andrew. "I mostly eat meat because I have to. I like it but it's too expensive to eat for just that reason. But thanks for the offer, I might take you up on it."

[Sophia]

I stand outside with the others, and keep a strange distance from Soren. I don't know if they even know I tagged along, but that's okay with me. I walk around the rest area vacantly, and wonder if I should say hello to Soren while we're waiting.

[Sakari Lehtinen]

"Yes, in the Chicago area. The revolution started south and worked its way north, however there were concentrated pockets of resistance in areas around the bigger cities, like Philadelphia, almost all of California, a few cities in the upper midwest. It became a stalemate for several weeks, then finally they took Chicago. The whites panicked, and fired the first nuclear weapon of the war, no longer caring about public opinion. Mister Futsu's grandfather had to cover that one up." Sakari replies, somewhat vacantly.

The dark gray day inspires me, and makes me feel alive. For some reason, I take a liking to bleak overcast days as opposed to bright and sunny ones.

"The fighting in Trenton was pretty fierce as well, however there are some great memorials in Philadelphia. The city is in ruins, and evacuated, one of the only cities Red Infinity cares about within former United States."

[Andrew Kasher]

"Is it the protein you need, or the iron? They make pure vegitable protein in bags,and it looks like ground beef. If you make them with something spicy, it is impossible to taste the difference, and the vegitable protein is lower in fat, with every bit as much protein as meat. If it's the iron, they make supplements for that, in addition to being found in nuts, beans, leafy green vegitables, and lentils. I like lentils. Next time you guys are over, I'll make Ethiopian food. I have been told I make a pretty good injera, and a pretty good vegitarian wat. I use lentils and barley...." Andrew says. He likes talking about food. It is one of his favourite topics.

[Mikhael Nadyezhda (Mischa)]

"Yes, I agree..." I say to Zero.

"Not really sure, Andrew, we were thinking maybe somewhere in Latin America, like Cuba perchance, or maybe even Mexico. We could bury Trotsky there, again, since Red Infinity mowed over the old burial site." I say, finishing my cigarette, but feeling impelled not to flick it out the window for some reason. I bring the butt inside, and throw it in the trash.

"That sounds cool, I haven't tried Ethiopian food before, and I like to experiment." I say, although somewhat hesitant to try Ethiopian food, I like to broaden my horizons. "I know you're a vegetarian Andrew, but there's just something about eating meat that I can't get out of eating vegetables..." I say, both trying to sound like I'm not preaching, and like I respect his vegetarianism.

[Andrew Kasher]

Andrew doesn't seem suprised, even though no one told him about Trotsky's death. He feels somewhat reassured. At least that wasn't some sort of dream, or hallucination, for sure.

Unless he is imagining all of this and....

That sort of pseudo-intellectual, 'is this real?' thought is best left to people who are stoned out of their gourds.

["Zero" Americanski]

"That sounds like a good idea. As I said he needs some time alone, some time with each of us and some time with both of us. He's under a lot of stress, and he needs to talk with the people closest to him."

I turn to Andrew. "There's a lot of things in the meat that I need that can't be duplicated by vegatable things. Protiens, lipids, vitamins, trace elements... It's easy to forget that I am a different species than the rest of you, and the price for my incredible strength and all my powers is that my body is extremely inefficient, which is why I eat so much and don't gain an ounce of weight."

[Andrew Kasher]

"Everything can be duplicated," Andrew maintains.

"Name whatever it is, and I can name a replacement for it, that isn't meat. It'll be cheaper too. I don't gain or lose weight either, but I think it is for different reasons. I can't grow a beard."

Andrew seems irritated at the last bit.

"Ah, but you know, that was... totally off topic."

["Zero" Americanski]

"If there was a replacement than I would know it. I am a carnivore by nature, no thanks to these d**n eugenics! It's as much a digestion thing as a nutritive one." I say. I finish my cigarette and resist the temptation to light another. I then dish up the stir fry for Mischa and myself.

[Frank Richardson]

(Sorry I got off so suddenly bu tall the rain down here was f**king with the internet cable.)

"Thanks." Frank said, downing one glass. His eyes widened as the foul tasting liquid poured down his throat. "Ugh!"

He quickly downed the other two as fast as he could, his face showing he clearly hated the taste. He shook his head and blinked rapidly then sighed.

"Thanks, Karina..."

[Andrew Kasher]

"You eat vegitables in addition to meat though... I mean, you ate my cooking. Unless you were just trying to be polite... if I gave you idigestion or something, I'm really sorry. Really."

[Freak Boy]

Freak Boy was now thuroughly drunk, as Erika probably was as well. If she wasn't then she was close at any rate.

"I'm-I'm... uhm....... still wondering what we're going to, uhm... to uhm... do about Iris...." Freak Boy said in a very slurred voice.

[Mikhael Nadyezhda (Mischa)]

I let out an unintentional laugh when Andrew mentioned he couldn't grow a beard, then immediately catch myself.

"Ah s-sorry... I mean, beards aren't that great to have, mine is more like a barametor of when I need to shower." I take a bite of the stir fry. Zero's right, she is a good cook.

"So do you eat dairy then, Andrew?"

["Zero" Americanski]

"Carnivores need to eat vegatables too, just we require meat to survive. It's a minor point." I state. Perhaps sometime I should go hunting, I've heard wild venison is excellent... "I hope this isn't too horrible, sorry but really I don't know how to cook..."