At 04:37 PM 12/2/97 -0500, Brendan wrote: <Lots of things, which don't need
repeating again, so they won't>

	Indeed, like I said earlier it's a personal beleif that if her 
programers were good enough to give her that kind of ability, the

restraint 

circuit wouldn't have mattered because her personality would have been

designed 

with no capacity to WANT to disobey orders.

It is concievable that at the start she had no desire to disobey orders,
but as 
she grew, she "gained" that ability. 
	Interesting to note that in the OAVs, it isn't really stated that she
wants to disobey orders. She does not believe it to be possible, and

dismisses

it out of hand (right up until the point Makoto frees her from Jinnai's
control).
Reminds me of something I heard about elephants (how, when young, the
trainer will
chain the elephant to a post; the elephant is unable to break the
chain/rope. After
a while, the elephant gives up. When the elephant becomes an adult, even
though it
could snap the rope quite easily, it does not, because it cannot concieve of
the possibility of it breaking the rope. Similarly, Ifurita cannot

concieve of

disobeying orders. She may not like them, She may wish she did not have to,
instead
preferring non-existence, but she obeys them anyway). A much more devious
way of
control really, and less likely to be broken.

	Excelent point, It's a subtle piece of work reinforced with two 
seperate controll aspects, the Controll circuit, and the need to be

recharged 

with the Staff (Which she can't do herself.)  Thus Ifurita has three

seperate 

restraints against independant action,  If the earlier generations had

grown to 

the point where they could overcome an inherant desire to obey orderes, this 
kind of redundancy and precaution would make sense.

	One wonders what her power source is that she needs to be "wound up" as it
were, like an older style of mechanical doll. Given her power level, it
would have to be able to produce tremendous amounts of energy quickly, yet
still be able to last years otherwise. Nowhere is it shown that she ingests
matter of any sort, so total conversion would not be it (and she wouldn't
need to be wound up either). 
	I suggest that maybe she collects ambient energy when she gets recharged
with the staff (the arcs of lightning when Jinnai winds her up the first
time), and stores it. May use this in the revision (which I am
contemplating on doing)....

	Who's to say that the CPU's are semi-organic. Have the brains work at a
quantum level (nanotech computers perhaps? They'd be pushing the physical
limits
of the universe for speed; extremely powerful and able to hold an

astonishing

amount of information-- very dense storage medium) for instance: something
where
randomness plays a factor. There's a veritable storm in our brains, which is
extremely chaotic (rather ordered when high on cocaine for instance, though.
Interesting, yes?) and for higher/abstract/independant thought, these brains
would probably be similar in that aspect.
	Of course, I like the organic/semi-organic brains for them. Hell, I 

even 

used that idea myself. Just saying that there are other possibilities,
thass'all.

	I like the organic part too, perhapse I should have said that whoever 
had integrated aspects of the human brain to create a new inteligence system 
with the capacity to think creatively.  And while the design wasn't

completely 

understood and it's detracters complained about it being uncontrollable and 
unpredictable, it was such an improvement that everyone had to use something 
similar or get trampled by the rest of the arms race.

	Exactly. With the CPU's being at least partially organic in nature, they
have a model to base it on already. One could also use the arguement in
Macross Plus (OAV 3), and have the bio-neural chips have a high survival
instinct, which makes them extremely dangerous/unpredictable (and, of
course, enhancing their combat value because of this).

	Although if there was a forth office who's resident was lost, then the 
priestesses might have some trouble if the Earth catalyst were found.  
Especially if they bonded to a proper applicant, who needed to be

trained in 

their usage.  Naturally there were no records of what sort of training

that 

would be so the Muldoon trio would have to improvise.  Hmm if the bracers

were 

found and bonded with Mr. Fujisawa, suppose they enhanced his strength

to 

uncontrollable levels?  To the point where they started geting him to

drink so 

he wouldn't level buildings with the force generated by neglegant

gestures.

	While strength would probably be a big part of the bracers, I see them 

as

enhancing endurance, turning the person into a veritable armour-cat, like
Ura, 
in their ability to soak up damage. Not to mention the ability to
manipulate the 
earth. 

	Didn't the TV series show something of the priestesses training?  Just 
because the catalyst alows the use of the power doesn't mean it's

accessable or 

controllable without work.  And uncontrollable power is not something

fun to 

watch.  For example, the catalyst is found by someone with an afinity

for it 

who puts it on.  They get into a fight, Swords bounce otheir skin, a

minuite or 

two later they pick up something wooden and get a splinter.(Ok I stole the

idea 
>from Mage: the Hero Discovered where Kevin gets run over by a train and
isn't 

scratched, then in central park he gets a sliver off a woden bench.)

	I don't know. I've only seen the first tape of the TV series, so I 

don't

know about that yet. Besides, one could argue that just because it is

true in 

the TV series does not make it true in the OAV series, as they are

definitely

separate universes, which differ in several aspects (the way they get to
El Hazard being one, and several of the characters are different/gone too).
Still, if nothing contradicts it in the OAV, why not assume it to be true?
Occam's Razor and all that, don'tcha know....

	Indeed there's nothing about the priestesses training in the OAV's, 
except for Ifurita recognising the combat style that Shayla-Shayla used,

(Along 

with the fact that she clearly hadn't had much real practice using it

outside 

formal training.)  Still, it feels better for the priestecesses to have been 
trained in the use of their catalysts to me.

	See? I knew there was something I was forgetting about. Luckily I left
myself a loophole....
Makes sense for the priestesses having to train with their powers, and with
the amplifiers/catalysts/artefacts too, until using them became automatic,
instinctive. No room for hesitation in a fight....
	I was thinking Ifurita's comment was more on Shayla's powers and abilities
rather than her actual style (which would most likely compliment her power,
but still there is a distinction).




Matthew "Shortfics are a way of life" Lewis
	maybeso@ican.net
___________________________________________________
The Second Question:
 What happens when you win?
   When your enemies are at your mercy: how will 
you act then? Compromise is the temptation of the
weak; this is the test for the strong.
What are you going to do?
	-Salman Rushdie, The Satanic Verses
___________________________________________________