

"Tiny", a B-1 bomber.
Tiny was intended to be a B-52, but I can't get the mesh

Ian says you should be able to talk to him about phenomenology


[page="start"]
[image="b1b-00.pcx"]
A powerful bomber looks down at you with a neutral
expression.

"Yeah?"

[link="Who are you?"]
[linkto="name"]
[link="What do you do?"]
[linkto="job"]
[link="Are you nuclear?"]
[linkto="nuclear"]
[link="Goodbye."]
[linkto="bye"]
[endpage]



[page="name"]
[image="b1b-02.pcx"]

"Most people call me 'Tiny'."

[link="Are you nuclear?"]
[linkto="nuclear"]
[link="Goodbye."]
[linkto="bye"]
[endpage]


[page="job"]
[image="b1b-02.pcx"]

"I fly at high altitudes, or at least I did before the
 shit came down.  I take contracts, usually for
 atmospheric research or low-orbit satellite launches.

 What with the Church, I haven't had any regular work for
 a few years now.

 Bor-ing.."

[colour="#808080"]
 His eyes twinkle faintly.
[colour="#ffffff"]

 "I could tell you a tale or two."

[link="Are you nuclear?"]
[linkto="nuclear"]
[link="Tell me a story."]
[linkto="story"]
[link="Goodbye."]
[linkto="bye"]
[endpage]


[page="nuclear"]
[image="b1b-00.pcx"]
[page="#808080"]
The bomber adopts a sombre look.
[page="#ffffff"]

"No, I don't carry nuclear devices.
 That was what I was designed for, many decades ago, but
 fortunately my particular squadron was one that was
 refitted to take cruise missiles instead.

 I could tell you a story I heard from one of the nuclear
 guys though.

 But even if I was nuclear-capable, don't believe for a
 moment that I'd drop the bomb."

[link="Why not?"]
[linkto="nuclear2"]
[link="Tell me the story."]
[linkto="story"]
[link="Goodbye."]
[linkto="bye"]
[endpage]
 
[page="nuclear2"]
[image="b1b-01.pcx"]

"Leaving aside for a moment, the ethics of such a deed,
 even from a purely selfish viewpoint it would be a very
 foolish thing to do.

 The Bomb could not be used in any way except a suicide
 mission and we are much too strongly conditioned for
 self-preservation to do things like that. 

 If I did set off a nuclear device, the electromagnetic
 pulse would destroy my brain and that is something I
 will not allow to happen."
 
[nextpage="nuclear3"]
[endpage]


[page="nuclear3"]
[image="b1b-00.pcx"]

"Even a manned aircraft similar to myself would be doomed
 by such a mission.
 
 The blast would still destroy all the flight-control
 systems, causing the loss of the airframe and trapping
 the crew well inside the blast range.
 
 ..sending them to a just end!"

[link="You don't like aircrew then."]
[linkto="human_crew"]
[link="Tell me a story."]
[linkto="story"]
[link="Goodbye."]
[linkto="bye"]
[endpage]


[page="nuclear4"]



[endpage]

[page="story"]
[image="b1b-00.pcx"]

"I'll tell you about the bomber conspiracy back in the
 days of the nuclear age.

 Decades ago, many of us were forced us to carry nuclear
 weapons.  The humans made sure we did by means of weight
 sensors in our bellies, so we could not rest without the
 missile being in place.
 
 It did not take long to work around this.  The first
 step was to defuse the missiles; that was fairly easy.
 But we could not disconnect the weight sensors, and for
 many
 years we had to fill the missiles with sand.

 Some of the ground-crew were sympathetic, others had to
 be bribed.  The commanders didn't even know until long
 after the CND party came into power."
 
[link="CND came into power?!?"]
[linkto="cnd"]
[link="Goodbye."]
[linkto="bye"]
[endpage]
 

[page="human_crew"]
[image="b1b-00.pcx"]

"Most of the air crashes from your era were caused by
 the failure of the organic component of the aircraft.

 'Meathead' and 'pilot' are common terms of abuse among
 us, particularly with regard to reckless flying."


[link="Do you know any nuclear bombers?"]
[linkto="nuclear4"]
[link="Goodbye."]
[linkto="bye"]
[endpage]



[page="bye"]
[image="b1b-00.pcx"]

"Goodbye."

[nextpage="exit"]
[endpage]