Reference:2003-11-26 Douglas Sharper speaks to explorers

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Douglas Sharper: Can I be honest?
Alan: Of course, you can.
Rivenchan: I won’t tell.
VuVo: No one will tell.
Douglas Sharper: I don't know many of you or where you stand. I talk as though you all have issues with the DRC and that isn't smart. Many of you could go to them with things I've said. That gets me in trouble.
Rivenchan: I think a lot of us aren't exactly pleased with how the DRC is handling us.
Alan: I have issues with the DRC treating me as if I were a 2 year old unable to take care of myself.
Douglas Sharper: Well, a lot [of people] have issues and a lot don't.
Guiun: I love the DRC. Except they're a little too lax.
Miroku: I have concerns about the way they are handling things.
Douglas Sharper: Many do. The DRC is touchy. Any little thing can be taken as "bad".
Rivenchan: If you don't want to talk about the DRC, we could talk about Yeesha and Zandi. I'm sure they wouldn’t mind if we say bad things about them, would they?
Douglas Sharper: I know Yeesha wouldn't care.
Alan: Could they keep you out of D'ni if they wanted to, Douglas?
Daedalus: I don't see how anyone would have the power to kick someone from D'ni. I dunno.
VuVo: So your advice is what exactly?
Douglas Sharper: No advice, really. Just follow the line for now.
Miroku: I worry that they are in danger of becoming power-drunk.
Rivenchan: I meant the DRC. The DRC doesn't seem to enjoy what Zandi's doing. So, I doubt they would mind what your opinions of Zandi and Yeesha are.
Daedalus: They're not governing, just restoring. But, they act like they're governing.
Alan: Well, I noticed that Douglas isn't wearing a Linking Book like the rest of us.
Douglas Sharper: Zandi: the guy bugs the DRC and I like that. Yeesha: dead lady so I don't care much.
Alan: We don't have much choice about following the line until they get rid of more of these cones and barricades anyway.
75th Trombone: Well, it is sorta their gig. I mean, I have "issues" like anyone else, but I haven't seen anything egregious enough to warrant quite this much consternation...maybe I've just not paid enough attention.
Rivenchan: I've heard rumors that Yeesha isn't really dead.
75th Trombone: So've I.
Douglas Sharper: I've heard rumors she is really dead.
Rivenchan: Who all thinks she's really dead?
Miroku: I have every intention of following the rules, but I want to know why the rules are in place. The word "safety" is not sufficient to allay my fears.
Alan: Good point, Miroku.
Rivenchan: Have you found Journals confirming it?
Douglas Sharper: Not me.
Rivenchan: Has anyone?
VuVo: Not one way or the other.
Douglas Sharper: She's supposed to be two hundred and some years old or something. What more proof do you want?
VuVo: 350 wouldn’t be unknown.
75th Trombone: We don't know how the long D'ni life spans may or may not have been diluted in Yeesha's genes.
Alan: Uh, don't the D'ni live longer than that?
Miroku: Time is relative.
Rivenchan: (laughs) you are talking about a descendant from a race that routinely made it to that age.
Guiun: She's not D'ni.
Douglas Sharper: Yeesha has a touch of the D'ni blood.
Rivenchan: Long life might be a dominant trait.
Alan: Well, Catherine was only supposed to be slightly less longer lived than Atrus.
Guiun: Heh. She's touched all right...
D'ehgan: But, not pure D'ni.
VuVo: I hope I look that good at 200.
Rivenchan: I mean, we don’t exactly know how long Gehn, Sirrus, or Achenar lived.
Douglas Sharper: And Atrus didn't live that long.
Alan: And Yeesha being their daughter, she's 3/4 D'ni.
Rivenchan: How long did Atrus live?
75th Trombone: How long did Atrus live? And how did he die?
devon: Catherine wasn't D'ni.
Douglas Sharper: Atrus was 1/4 D'ni.
Rivenchan: Umm... so? Just because my mother is 5 feet and my dad is 6 feet doesn't mean I have to be 5'6".
Douglas Sharper: Either way, I don't buy women living 200 years and running all over Ages.
VuVo: (laughs)
Douglas Sharper: Sorry.
Alan: So, are you saying there are no D'ni living now?
Douglas Sharper: Not saying that.
Alan: Good, cause didn't Marie write that she thinks she met one?
75th Trombone: Doug, it might do your cause good to not be quiiiite so impetuous in your opinion-forming...
Douglas Sharper: I'm not going to fudge my opinion to try and gain friends like the DRC.
Rivenchan: But you're fudging your opinions because you’re afraid of the DRC.
75th Trombone: Sounds like you're slightly fudging your opinion, yep.
Douglas Sharper: DRC is being real quiet. But, I think they've met one.
Alan: He's not fudging; he's just not giving his opinions.
VuVo: Careful, Doug. This might be one of those things that will come back to haunt you.
Douglas Sharper: Not fudging my opinion...fudging my public voice.
Miroku: I don't want you to tell me what I want to hear, I want to know the facts.
Alan: Douglas, just speculation, but might the D'ni not like the fact that we've taken up residence in their ancestral home?
Guiun: The D'ni wouldn't have a say in us being here. They blew up the place and left.
Alan: Guiun, most of them were forced out by the plague, weren't they?
Guiun: (laughs) Sure, that's what they want you to think.
Rivenchan: Have you heard any news recently about the D'ni survivor?
Douglas Sharper: Maybe one of you should start a place where we can talk about the DRC without their knowledge.
75th Trombone: I was thinking about that yesterday.
Alan: How can we do that?
Rivenchan: News spreads like wildfire in this Cavern. If the DRC keeps their ears open, they'd find out about anywhere we could start up.
Douglas Sharper: There is always something on the surface.
D'ehgan: Their ears and eyes are everywhere.
Rivenchan: No offense, but the DRC also has internet access.
Alan: What we really need is an Age that the DRC doesn't know about.
Rivenchan: Unless we passcoded everything, I think it would be silly to assume the DRC wouldn't find out.
Douglas Sharper: Well, that's the tough part isn't it? Tough to be ruled by Big Brother.
Neema: What about in the Neighborhoods? I have heard rumor of a private meeting area in the Hoods.
Jensen: Who knows? Maybe I am a DRC member in disguise!
Guiun: Oh, yeah...
Douglas Sharper: Exactly.
Rivenchan: Why do you believe the DRC to be Big Brother?
Alan: The Neighborhoods that the DRC is setting up webcams in all the time? Those Neighborhoods?
Jensen: We have to take some risk.
75th Trombone: Victor would notice. He'd be able to see the new Neighborhood and wonder why so many people are there.
Douglas Sharper: Aren't you the one who just said they find out everything?
Guiun: (laughs)
Rivenchan: I said that can find out anything. I didn't say that they were intentionally watching us.
Douglas Sharper: Please.
Rivenchan: Do you think they are?
75th Trombone: Well, I would be if a bunch of yahoos were in a cavern I was restoring.
Douglas Sharper: Right.
Rivenchan: (laughs) That's true.
75th Trombone: That doesn’t make 'em bad though. Not to say there's not other stuff going on.
Douglas Sharper: Of course.
Guiun: I hope they are watching me at all times. That way if I fall and break a nail, they can save me.
Douglas Sharper: Ha!
Alan: Haha. We could always appropriate a web forum... Something unrelated to D'ni or the DRC...
Rivenchan: (laughs) I'd pity the people who were using the forum before we nabbed it.
Alan: Maybe some NASA forum or something.
75th Trombone: You mean a "meeting place" that the DRC wouldn't "find"?
Douglas Sharper: I like you, Alan.
Alan: Thank you, Douglas.
Douglas Sharper: Clever man.
Rivenchan: If the DRC is always watching us, is it even safe to discuss this here?
Miroku: What about someone's Relto?
75th Trombone: Doug might not appreciate that.
Alan: Well, it’s not like I'm saying, ‘here, go to this NASA forum and start a DRC discussion thread’.
75th Trombone: Alan> We get it.
Douglas Sharper: Only if someone from here tells them what was said. And then we know someone here isn't trustworthy.
Alan: I'm suggesting an alternative to holding suspicious meetings in a Cavern that the DRC has complete access to.
75th Trombone: Yep.
Miroku: The DRC doesn't have access to Relto...or do they?
75th Trombone: A "meeting place"...that the DRC could only "find" if someone roots it out from within.
Rivenchan: I don’t think they do.
VuVo: (laughs)
Jensen: Sharper> What do you think of Zandi?
Douglas Sharper: Interesting man.
Alan: Douglas, did you ever meet his father?
Douglas Sharper: Never had the chance. Of course, he is why we are all here.
Rivenchan: How did you form bonds with the DRC in the first place?
Douglas Sharper: Was a very early visitor. Back in the early days.
Rivenchan: But why did the DRC let you visit? Or did you sneak down?
Miroku: You predate the DRC, don't you? That is, you came down before the founding of the DRC.
Douglas Sharper: Around the same time. Well, I need to be heading off. Have a meeting with someone.
Alan: Thanks for stopping in, Douglas. It was nice to finally meet you.
Miroku: Good to meet you.
D'ehgan: good luck.
VuVo: Good talking with you, Doug.
Douglas Sharper: Good to meet you all.
Rivenchan: I hope the meeting the DRC is having about you goes well.
Neema: Later, DS.
Douglas Sharper: Talk to you later.
Alan: Well, well.