Questions
for Aurora
Question
from Krista: Aurora,
why do you keep
that bulletin of Dictator Jimmy's locations and pictures on your wall?
Is it a
strange infatuation, or is it LOVE?
Answer:
AURORA:
(blowing the hair out of her eyes) It's
neither. It's a categorized record, that's all. You think I keep all
those
pictures there because I LIKE them? It's to help me keep track of his
behavior
patterns. I need to be one step ahead at all times. Who the heck told
you about
the wall anyway? -glare-
MARA:
Heh...heh heh...
Question
from Krista:
Okaaay then. Next question. *Coughs and
then puts microphone up to Aurora's mouth* What will you do once you
(hopefully) cure Dictator Jimmy and revert him back to the old Jimmy?
Answer:
AURORA:
Huh?
MARA:
(nods at Krista's microphone)
AURORA:
How do I know if it'll even work? That's
getting a bid far ahead of the game, wouldn't you say? If it works
according to
plan our troubles won't be over. My main priority will just be keeping
him
alive
Question
from Krista: Oooh, I see.Well then, say high
pathetically that the cure DID work, and Dictator Jimmy WOULD be
reverted back
to his original state. What would you do with him?
*The chorus of the song "Pop, Lock, and Drop It"
rumbles from nowhere* xD
Answer:
LIBBY:
(dancing) Sweet music!
AURORA:
(glaring) Ignoring the irritating song, do
you not get the concept? He's going to be a wanted criminal FOREVER.
It'll
never end. There'll always be people after him. I guess I'll...protect
him.
MARA: *blink*
I've never heard that song before. **runs off to itunes**
Question
from Megan:
Aurora, what sort of feelings were you
experiencing the last time you saw Jimmy on Earth?
Don't be afraid to break down and cry. :'( (I
understand. Well, technically I don't. And
I don't think I ever will)
Answer:
AURORA:
(tossing her hair) Puhleeze, I'm not going
to break down and cry.
MARA:
Not yet, anyway :-D
AURORA:
*evil glare*
MARA:
What?
AURORA: -_-
Nothing. And no, you couldn't possibly understand. I'm not exactly a
fan of
analyzing my feelings, but stupid Mara's always making me say things
that I
don't want to.
MARA: ^_^
AURORA:
I guess...Fear. Anger. Sorrow. Regret. I
remember thinking, "how did it come to this?" I wondered if I was the
one personally responsible for everything that had happened. I asked
myself why
he was doing this to me, why I was
his target. And the answer hurt. A lot.
**pause**
AURORA:
That's all.
Question
from jimmyandcindy: If
you had the chance to kill Dictator
Jimmy, would you?
Answer:
AURORA:
It depends on whether or not there was an
alternative. If Jimmy's antidote plan doesn't work out then yes, I will
kill
him. I should be the one to do it.
Question
from kprrs3000:
Aurora: How often do you cry?
Answer:
AURORA:
I can't afford to cry. Emotions distract me
from my goals and endanger those around me.
Question
from andrea:
Aurora:
1)
What will you do when you see Dictator Jimmy
again?
2)
Do you hate or have a grudge on DJ?
3)
What are you most afraid of now?
4)
And what did you do when you were alone in the
world until April came?
Answer:
AURORA:
Oh, so now you're gonna hassle me, are you? Fine.
Let's get these stupid
questions over with.
1)
Hopefully give him the antidote and end all of
this.
2)
Of course, wouldn't you?
3)
What am I most afraid of? ...Losing the people I
care about. Losing Libby, April, the kids...all of them. I've lost too
many
already.
4)
Concentrated on surviving, mostly. It's kind of a
blur. I remember spending a lot of my time trying to find food.
Am
I done now?
Question
from Miss Punk:
Aurora, exactly how old are you?
Answer:
Aurora:
21.
Question
from Cindyfan7:
Why do YOU have the bulletin board
full of Jimmy stuff in you'r room?
Answer:
AURORA:
Okay, HOW many times am I going to be asked
this question? There's a reason I keep the thing behind a curtain. It's
a
behavioral pattern study. You must know your enemy better than anyone
if you
are to defeat them.
Question
from Miss Punk: Would
you rather be married to Dictator
Jimmy or have to fight him all by yourself?
Answer:
AURORA:
Married? Puh-LEEZE. Could you guys get your
head out of the gutter for like 5 seconds? Jeez. I'm not getting
married to
anybody! Besides, even with the help of all my friends, I am the one
who has to
fight him in the end. That's the way it should be though; mano y mano,
winner
take all.
Question
from Kate:
How did it feel when you found out that
Libby was still alive? If you could say one thing to DJ, what would it
be?
Answer:
AURORA:
When I saw Future Libby again in Shangri
Llama, I was...overwhelmed. I couldn't even feel myself breathe. I had
always
hoped she was still alive, of course, but I assumed that since she
wasn't with
Dictator Jimmy that he must have abandoned her somewhere, and that I'd
never
see her again.
What
would I say to him? Pff, Trust me, I've said
ALL sorts of things to him...except for perhaps the one thing that I
wanted to
say the most: Why? If I could ask one
thing and one thing only, I'd ask him why.
Question
from andrea:
Aurora: -do u miss your family a lot or
u've get used to it or what?
–have
you ever thought about going anywhere fun since
everything happened like an amusement park, parties, concerts ...?
Answer:
AURORA:
I don't think it's ever really possible to
"get used to" the death of your family. Granted, I don't think about
it every waking moment, but it's always there, somewhere deep inside
me.
As
far as entertainment is concerned, that hasn't
exactly been my priority these past ten years. Not to mention that
galactic
concerts are mind-blowingly expensive, and the theme parks are just a
ripoff.
If you've seen one six-armed three-headed green alien trying to sell
cotton
candy at jacked up prices, you've seen 'em all.
April
and I have gate-crashed a couple of really
obnoxious high-end parties in our day. There's nothing like barging in
on a
bunch of fat rich snobs and putting a few rounds into the upholstery.
The best
parties I've been to, though, are the ones kept under the radar. They
only
happen a couple times a year, when the lowest, dirtiest scumbags crawl
out of
whatever hole they've been hiding in to get together and get stark
raving
drunk. They're highly illegal, but they're the best place to pick up
information since you don't have to deal with bureaucratic red tape or
any kind
of normal inhibitions. They're pretty much a crime against all
intelligent
life, but they're extremely useful if you play your cards right. If you
want
reliable information, consult the criminals. That's rule number 1.
Question
from Piqguet: Aurora--So, have you adapted to eating Planet
Gorlock's food since you've been living there for 10 years, or do you
somehow still eat our food?
Answer:
AURORA: Ya, I've gotten pretty used to it. I still
make sure my food is DEAD before I eat it though.
Question
from Sunny: Do you know about the Lee-April-Nav triangle
thingy? If so, who do you think April should marry--Nav or Lee?
Answer:
AURORA: Ya, I could tell from the way Nav and Lee practically shoot
sparks when they're around each other. The funny thing is, I always
thought Lee and April would end up together - Nav's arrival just
interrupted the inevitable.
I feel bad for Lee, but he needs to get over it and find someone else.
Life is all about settling for less than what you wanted.
Question
from Sunny: I see. So if April came to you and said she's
considering breaking up with Nav because she just found out Lee is in
love with her and she desperately needs advice, what would you tell
her?
Answer:
AURORA: If she was considering breaking up with him, then I'd tell her
to do it. Marrying outside your species causes all sorts of problems,
and if she were questioning her love for Nav, then I think she'd be
better off with Lee. Though to tell you truth I don't think either of
us is really cut out for marriage.
Question
from Rachel: The WHOLE REASON you were angry with Jimmy and
sprayed the Megalomanium in his eyes in the first place was because you
were jealous of Betty and wanted Jimmy's attention. Do you ever find it
ironic that for the past ten years you've been pouring all your time
and energy into assasinating DJ?
Answer:
AURORA: DON'T remind me. Sometimes I think the universe runs on irony.
I was a dumb kid who didn't think about the consequences of her
actions, plain and simple. I wish I could take it back, but I can't. I
guess the ultimate irony is that I'm STILL trying to get Neutron's
attention, just in a different way.
Question
from Katie: To Aurora and Future Libby: If you could give only
one piece of advice to your alternate universe selves, what would it be?
To Dictator Jimmy, Future Carl, and Future Sheen: If you could
hypothetically give one piece of advice to your past selves, say, from
about 10 years ago, what would it be?
Answer:
AURORA: One piece of advice for Cindy? I guess...think before you act.
Don't be afraid to play dirty, and do what you need to survive...but
don't underestimate the value of friendship, and never take the things
you have for granted.
FUTURE LIBBY: I guess it would be somethin' along the lines of
"sometimes things go wrong BIG TIME, but if you keep goin', stuff's
bound to change". I dunno. I guess I would also remind younger me that
friends are more important than stuff...no matter HOW great clothes,
music and jewelry are, they aren't as great as the people you care
about.
DICTATOR JIMMY: I would remind my younger self just how much potential
he has. I would caution him in his choice of friends and hopefully do
away with a little of his naivete...although that will fade with time.
FUTURE SHEEN: I'd tell the younger me that he
has no idea how lucky he is. Good things come to an end, so enjoy them
while you can. I'd probably give him a few tips to help with the ladies
too ;-) I mean, I've always known Libbs would be a total babe someday,
and I should give myself a head start. Am I right?
FUTURE CARL: Umm...I don't really remember what I was like 10 years
ago. It's all kind of fuzzy. But I guess I wouldn't give him advice.
I'd probably ask him for some instead. What kind of person should I be?
What makes me happy? What do you remember about being a kid? I wish I
could be a kid again...
Question
from Sunny: Aurora: How did you feel when Future Carl let
you out? And how did you escape? Did you have any idea that he was
acting on Jimmy's orders, or did you think he was risking himself to
help a past friend?
Answer:
AURORA: What? He was acting under Dictator Jimmy's orders? I
don't believe you. He seemed terrified when he let me out of that cell.
And you should know better than to ask me questions like that. I don't
want to talk about it. But if you MUST know, I made my way through his
base, taking down whatever security got in my way, until I got to a
room in Sector 1 with escape pods...there was a self-destruct module
there too, but I couldn't figure out how to use it.
Anyway, I wouldn't know what to say to Carl if I saw him. "Sucks to be
us" maybe? Or "why the heck are you still sitting around helping him
you spineless coward"? But that's unfair, I suppose. I mean, Neutron
isn't the easiest person to get away from. Just look at me. I've spent
my whole life chasing him.
Question
from Sunny: If you knew perfectly well that Lady Jaya was going
to reject your idea (wasn't that part of the plan anyway?), why didn't
you just fill the vial with WATER? It would have saved you a whole vial
of antidote, and, more importantly, made sure everyone is prepared when
they split into groups and sneak in the ship.
Answer:
AURORA: Hey, you know what? The next time YOU face an evil
Dictator, meet up with his younger alternate self, concoct a crazy
plan, and then present that plan to a room full of criminals, YOU can
decide what to do.
I didn't KNOW Lady Jaya would reject the plan. I mean, I knew she'd
badmouth me, because she always does, but somehow I kept hoping that
the other people present would be a bit more...courageous? and back me
up. Cut me some slack, jeez. <.<
Question
from Noemi: 1.- Do you think DJ has a weakness? If so,
what is it?
Ahem [clears throat and almost whispering] I know u haven't told anyone
about what happened when u were captured, but anyway someone told me
your little secret...
2.- Do you really think DJ kissed u as a way to defy u? maybe just to
hurt u or that it was a perfect excuse for him to do it on purpose coz
he wanted to? After all he personally caught u getting out the Half Life
3.- Now that u're going to DJ's fortress i was wondering ...which of
the 3 groups are going in without the antidote?
4.- Why don't u use the time machine to fix things up???
Answer:
AURORA:
1) He thinks he knows everything. Unfortunately, I've never seen him
act rashly - he really thinks things through, so his overconfidence
isn't necessarily a weakness. I don't know...
2) I don't want to talk about it...
3) The groups will be as follows:
Group 1 - Libby and me
Group 2 - Nav and April
Group 3 - the kids
4) You mean, why don't I go back in time and prevent Jimmy from ever
being exposed to the megalomanium? It would just create a paradox...a
new history. But my history would still exist somewhere. I can't
abandon it...I have to fix what's wrong here.
Besides, time travel makes my head spin.
Question
from Pigquet: How many times have you actually faced the
dictator in battle alone, not counting the first time back on the
deserted earth before he took off? Unless that's too personal or
upsetting for you to answer, in which case, sorry.
How and where did you get your piloting training, and when and how did
you become one of the top ace-pilots of all?
Did you have to go through any schooling on Planet Gorlock when you
moved there at age 11, since everything on Earth was pretty much out of
the question and not important anymore, since everyone was gone and
most important was surviving after this tradgedy. But, before entering
resistance and war training, did Gorlock have its own "educational
facility", as April called Linberg Elementary back on Earth when you
were there, for the children to attend, or no they didn't do care about
that stuff?
If so, what kind and what'd you do?
Answer:
AURORA: How many times have I faced him alone? Very few. I
wasn't willing to take that risk. I ran into him a few times by myself,
but all the major battles I participated in were group efforts. The
smallest number of people I've had for backup is 2 - Nav and April.
Hmm. Gorlock education is quite different from human schooling. As
young children, Gorlocks are allowed to pretty much run wild, playing,
learning about their environment, and forging friendships and enmities
that last a lifetime. There is very little structure to their learning
during their first 8 or so years of life. Then, when the child hits
about 9 years old, he or she is shipped off to a live-in school
environment that can best be described as abrasive, militaristic, and
emotionally scarring. Natural Gorlock traits such as toughness,
agressive behavior, and fighting abilities are carefully cultivated
over the next couple of years. The children, if they are successful,
graduate around age 13.
About 85% of Gorlocks go on to join the Gorlock army in some way. Some,
like Lee for example, inherit other positions from their family. Still
others, who show little capacity for bloodlust or who repeatedly fail
their competency exams, are given the lowest, worst jobs in society.
Being human, I wasn't allowed to attend Gorlock school. Luckily for me,
however, April's involvement in InterGalactic Showdown meant that she
was granted the highest marks and allowed to graduate early - which
seemed fitting for a child who had just helped save the planet. April
showed such aptitude in the fields of weaponry and aeronautics that she
was given an apprenticeship and allowed full access to all the ship
equipment.
April stole me a copy of the keycode, and I spent hours flying all
sorts of ships on the simulators. I practiced for over a year, and when
the time came for April to take her pilot's license test, I came along.
I switched with April, who knew how much I wanted to fly, and made it
through both the atmospheric and spatial obstacle course with
spectacularly high marks. I can't even tell you how surprised the score
keepers were when they opened the cockpit to congratulate April on
setting a new record - and found me instead. They were angry at first,
of course, but from then on they held a new respect for me.
I had no problem accessing any of the ships or other equipment after
that. I continued practicing, and eventually brought my piloting skills
into use in battle. My natural ability combined with my drive for
perfection made me one of the best pilots in the whole rebel alliance,
if not the entire galaxy.
Question
from Kaytron: Aurora, when you see April and Nav together,
do you feel lonely or do you long for someone to call your own? Also,
how does it feel to see your younger self and the Dictator's younger
self together and flirting with eachother?
Answer:
AURORA: I pretty much gave up on the idea of marriage at age
11. I often wish things hadn't turned out the way that they did, but
there's nothing I can do about it except to keep fighting.
Jimmy and Cindy are ridiculous. When I see them bickering and flirting,
I want to punch both their lights out. It reminds me of the reason
we're in this mess, not to mention that it brings to light pretty much
everything I hate about myself.
People in love are ridiculous anyway. They don't realize how deranged
they look to everyone else.
Question
from Kaz: Hypothetically (damn you Krista) you wake up tomorrow
and it's suddenly 10 years ago, and you're eleven again. And only you
have memories of everything that has happened. How would you react?
Answer:
AURORA:
I hate hypothetical questions. Ugh. If I was sent back to the
day of Libby's birthday party, I would make sure to tell Jimmy ahead of
time that he had wrapped the megalomanium instead of the perfume. I'd
stop him or anyone else from coming into contact with it, and then
INSIST that it be destroyed.
Other than that, I guess I'd appreciate things a lot more. You don't
know how wonderful things are until you lose them. I'd treat my friends
and family better, for starters, and I wouldn't sweat the small stuff.
I think I'd give April a call sometime too. You know, I really do like
her.
Question
from Flank: I have a question for Aurora. You and April
must have some free time and, I'm sure, you are relaxing in some way.
What do you two do for fun? Watch intergalactic TV shows and eat tasty
synthesized foods, explore the wonders of the vast Galaxy, just go to
sauna coughwithnav?
Answer:
**April and Aurora exchange glances**
AURORA: Hmm,
I'm not sure if I should elaborate on all of our pastimes, since some
of them occur in rather...how do I word this...
APRIL:
Disreputable locations?
AURORA: There
ya go. April and I belong to the criminal underworld. We've done some
pretty sketchy stuff, honestly. For example, we have a few contacts who
are really into illegal gambling, and although
neither April nor I really gamble to any extent, we do end up at a lot
of dodgy joints. Then again, when I stop to think about it, most of our
excursions to places like those DO involve the war in some way, so I
guess they don't really qualify as "leisure time". Plus, it's not much
fun when you have to keep your guard up the whole time.
APRIL: Of
course, these sort of ventures can be very rewarding as well. We have
participated in quite a number of contests - fighting or otherwise -
that helped earn us our reputation and quite a bit of extra money.
AURORA: Very
true. Nav especially loves these, cause it gives him the opportunity to
make a complete fool of himself in front of large groups of spectators.
For example, since the nanites in Nav's system prevent him from getting
drunk, he can win any drinking contest he enters, hands down. Of
course, this fact doesn't stop him from pretending
to be utterly wasted...
APRIL:
(laughing) Haha, I will never forget the time that he stripped down to
his underwear and danced on top of the...
AURORA: Let's
NOT go there, April.
APRIL: Oh...
AURORA: Truth
be told, when we have long stretches of free time between missions,
things can honestly get quite boring. I go a bit stir-crazy, actually.
APRIL:
Indeed. When you are used to action, it is difficult to adjust to a
slower-paced lifestyle. My personal favorite leisure activity, of
course, is the study and practice of firearms, but since this is not a
social pastime, I cannot allow it to consume all of my time.
AURORA: Hmm,
what else? We've done quite a bit of spontaneous sightseeing. I mean,
when you cruise around the galaxy in your own private ship, it's hard
to miss bizarre things along the way. Basically, the universe is filled
with really weird stuff.
APRIL: I
believe you mentioned movies in your question as well...Nav is a...what
is the terminology...a real movie buff? He brings home all kind of old
movies, both from Earth and other extinct civilizations. He almost
never watches TV, but if it is a terribly made film with outdated
special effects, he loves it.
AURORA: Oh
GOD yes. Don't even remind me of all the B movies I've had to sit
through with that man. Like "Quicksilver Highway"...how many times has
he watched that now?
APRIL: 27, I
believe.
AURORA: JEEZ.
APRIL: Oh,
remember the time we were watching Old Yeller,
and Nav started bawling his brains out?
AURORA: I
know! He's more of a woman than we are!
APRIL: And
then Lee walked in, watched like five minutes, and started crying too?
AURORA: I
know! What the heck?
...
NAV: If I am
indeed a woman like you, then I suppose you wouldn't mind sharing that
sauna with me...
AURORA: Get
lost!
Question
from Macey: So FC is a huge wimp who has stuck with DJ
this whole time, but he did give you your suit and stuff. In other
words, let's say he appears in front of you right now- what do you say
to him?
Answer:
AURORA: I'd say, "move".
Question
from Sonicjet: How did you acquire your ship? Have you ever
had the urge to call April "Spock"?
Answer:
AURORA: April may speak a bit robotically, but her people are more like
the Klingons in ST: The Next Generation than the Vulcans. If anything,
I should be calling her "Worf" (though in the Gorlock language, the
word "worf" refers to a kind of fungal eye infection, so I don't think
she'd appreciate the reference). As for the ship question, it's
one of the few things we've actually acquired through legal means. We
bought it.
Question
from Pedro: Why and how did you name the Desperado.. well..
the Desperado?
Answer:
AURORA: "Desperado (noun): A desperate or reckless
person, esp. a criminal; a person urged by furious passions, regardless
of the consequences. " Pretty self-explanatory, right? Actually,
April and I didn't name the ship. You can thank Nav and his usual
flippant wordplay for that one.
Question
from Katie: What do you miss the most from your life before
the megalomanium incident?
Answer:
AURORA: This may sound superficial, but honestly, I miss the
everyday stuff - like worrying about what shoes to wear, or spending 20
minutes trying to get my stupid cowlick to behave itself. I miss having
garage sales and listening to track #5 on repeat on Libby's boom box. I
miss homework assignments and having little adventures and imagining
what high school would be like. I miss being carefree and not even
knowing it.
Question
from Emily: Athena and I were discussing this last night,
Aurora, and without being too explicit, we were wondering how you keep
yourself groomed and clean since the suit's been ingrained into your
skin for so long...
Answer:
AURORA:
I still take showers, if that's what you mean. The parts of the
suit that can't come off have a self-cleaning function of some sort,
though I'm not entirely sure how it operates. Either way, the silver
tubing doesn't cover any, erm, important areas, so no festering for me.
Question
from Lizz: If you didn't have that suit stuck on yourself,
what outfit would you wear?
Answer:
AURORA:
Well, I used to wear a lot of camo and army surplus gear back
when I was a teenager. I tried Gorlock suits for awhile, but Gorlocks
don't sweat as much as humans and those leathery clothes just don't breathe.
I guess now I'd wear something simple and black...or maybe I'd even try
street clothes for a change. Who knows.
Question
from Georgia: Aurora and DJ : How did it feel to see and
meet your younger, alternate selves? Was it like suddenly gaining a
sibling? Or did they just seem like stupid kids, dead weight? I mean, I
know that without them both of you would be dead right about now, but
what did you think of the situation? And, specifically to DJ, on a
scale of 1 - 100, how surprised were you to see the AU kids appear at
the end of your battle with Aurora?
Answer:
AURORA:
Well, to steal a phrase from Nav, meeting those kids was like going on
the world's weirdest acid trip. They weren't dead weight, certainly -
having them in tow gave me the same sort of feeling you'd get if you
were to find and read your own long-forgotten diary. Except in my case,
the diary came alive and the version of me contained within its pages
began to judge me on everything I've done wrong in my life.
DJ: I'd rate
my surprise at about 70.25. The number would be higher, except that I
was under the impression at the time that I was suffering from some
sort of auditory and visual hallucination.