The Drums of War

[Shroom Man 777]

Populations can survive genetic bottleneck. That stuff has happened to human race before, I think, during the Ice Ages. Animal populaces also survived such occurrences.

Those Vaults and Colony Ships can have massive reservoirs loaded with a whole variety of the most dominant genes in the cosmos. Sperm (and egg) banks that the brave men and women of Project Guardian labored long and hard to overfill in the name of the United States of North America.

Kamin should post stuff regarding the non-American stuffs too. Wonder what they gots.

[Blackwing]

Isn't one guy and ten women going to have lots of problems down the line with the limited gene pool; ie the next generation's all half brothers and sisters.

Not unless the father has a pre-existing genetic condition.

Inbreeding's reputation for producing 'defective' kids has more to do with what happens if there's consistent inbreeding between brothers, sisters and first cousins for generations upon generations, at which point genetic defects start being preserved within the line.

If the first generation's careful not to get it on with their direct siblings and to spread out the genetic heritage of their mothers as much as possible (i.e. if the son of mother A has a child with the daughter of mother B, that child should not have children with anyone of their generation who has either mother A or B as a grandmother).

The main necessity in this case is to get as many 'unique' pairings per generation as possible. Hence why it's better to have 1 man and 10 women in such a situation since the first generation will potentially grow with 10 every 9 months.
Meanwhile 1 woman and 10 men will result in 1 child every 9 months, plus every man has to wait 90 months to have another chance to have a child.

So Polygamy produces more distinct children over time, which helps counter recursive generational inbreeding much further down the line, since it more safely allows descendants of mother A to have children with other descendants of mother A because they have the option of having children with descendants of their first generation ancestor's siblings, rather than just descendants with the same first generation ancestor.

Polyandry on the other hand, has a much, much smaller potential first generation (assuming an equal likelihood of twins in both case, the polyandric option allows for only 10% the first generation number that the polygamic option does, because the first generation's mother(s) will eventually become infertile due to age) which limits the breeding options of later generations and is much more likely to lead to harmful inbreeding.

As for why I can supply this answer so readily: I played with introducing the concept for a race in Loaded Dice.

[Shroom Man 777]

You little Merkwürdigliebe, you.

[Booted Vulture]

Ok, Blackwing you've proved your point regards to 1man/10women vs 10men/1women, luckily I wasn't arguing for 10men/1women, which is a patently silly idea for the reasons you outlined. But a 1:1 ratio (say to keep similar numbers for the anaology; 5men:5women) yes you only get 5 babies in the same 9 months but there's no worry at all about inbreeding (if if that was a minor concern in first place) and it would seem to be more efficient in baby making. Since 1 guy having sex with 10 women is going to be exhausting for the guy and will not instantly produce 10 pregnancies. Some people can try for months and not conceive; biology not being a perfect process.

[Siege]

Here's a better argument: how many women do you think will sign up for this colonization project if their primary role is to serve in a harem of incubators? First you're stowed in cryostasis for an indeterminate amount of time, to arrive over a planet bereft of any of the comforts of civilization, where they'd have to help build a functioning society from nothing whilst serving as one of multiple women for a single man.

Yeah, that sounds like something the girls I know would sign up for right away. Oh wait, no they wouldn't.

Even if you were building a society with multiple women to one man, and let's ignore the potential for major societal difficulties for a moment, you'd be far better off growing kids externally in machines and raising them communally. That way the women of the colony don't have to suffer from a debilitating condition several months, which is important since presumably you'll need all hands on deck when building a new civilization around a distant star.

PS: Here's a question actually pertaining to what Kamin posted. How the hell do you manage to keep a military project secret when it is a "bane" on the taxpayers for a decade? How did they explain where they money went (and how do you construct a series of massive spaceships in the asteroid belt without anybody noticing anyway?)

[Shroom Man 777]

Since it is the posthuman future, perhaps the males can opt to equip themselves with fully functional uteruses? In SOTS, that would certainly be a possibility, and once the need for babymaking is over or when their uteruses have reached their expiry date, the men can discard them and equip themselves with their original organs* once more.

*Those men who volunteer to use uteruses wake up from cryostasis, equip themselves with uteruses, and leave their original organs in their cryostasis chambers for future usage.

Lost organs will be reimbursed by our postman prefabricated embryonics supply depots. Unless additional supply depots are required. Their organs will also be barcoded to prevent organ theft.

EDIT:

That is my vision of the future, anyway.

[Czernobog]

How the hell do you manage to keep a military project secret when it is a "bane" on the taxpayers for a decade? How did they explain where they money went (and how do you construct a series of massive spaceships in the asteroid belt without anybody noticing anyway?)

It was hidden as the construction of a new class of spaceship. And as for how they hid them in the Asteroid Belt, they did it in the inner regions, where pretty much no-one sane goes, out of fear of pirates. They also hid the traffic for its construction as mining ships, and the top staff of Sooryu Industrial Enterprises were in on the secret and helped divert resources to build them.

[Czernobog]

Orbital Weapons Systems

Kill-sats

Kill-sats represent the largest type of orbital weaponry, and are satellites specifically designed to strike ground targets with power ranging from that of an anti-tank railgun to city-destroying force. They come in many forms - ion cannons, railguns, fusion cannons, mass drivers, etc., in such variation that cataloguing all their types is next to impossible. Kill-sats are often controlled by AI, that is sometimes vulnerable to cyberwarfare, which can result in terrorists and rogue military forces hijacking kill-sats for their own ends, as tragically happened in the Nanjing Incident of 2139.

Laser Defence Systems

After the War of Korean Reunification proved the necessity of ABM systems after the tragic destruction of Osaka by nuclear missile, research was poured into such systems by the USNA. One of the most intriguing reports concerned satellites armed with lasers that could take out nuclear missiles as they were in space, something which with the limited range of conventional ABM systems was to prove a necessity in surviving thermonuclear war. Tests were conducted on December 12th 2020, and it was discovered that the USNA's new laser ABM systems destroyed 99% of the missiles, while conventional ABM systems destroyed only 60%. It was to prove to be a major step forward in military theory, along with the concept of the Eternal Patrol, which will be expounded upon later.

Japan was the second nation after the USNA to gain a laser ABM system, due to both being an important ally of the USNA and keen to develop one after Osaka was destroyed.

Spacebases

Spacebases are not weapons systems in themselves, but are often places where military spaceships are based and are in strategic positions, making their control vital to any interplanetary power. The USNA has by far the greatest number of spacebases, most small but others great like Discovery and New Anchorage. This is due to being the greatest spaceborne power in the world, and thus having an urgent need to base and resupply its mighty spacefleet.

[Siege]

I hate to break it to you but it's pretty much impossible to hide much of anything in the asteroid belt. The average distance between objects in the belt is 100,000 miles. Moreover anything with a heat signature significantly above absolute zero will stick out like a sore thumb even on moderately powerful thermal imaging equipment.

And you're not just hiding stuff in the belt, you're hiding it in an area known for piracy. So what's to stop any old pirate from stumbling across your super-secret project? It's not as if you only have to temporarily hide the project either, it's got to stay secret for a decade. That's ten years worth of resources vanishing into the belt, and no-one's asking any questions about that?

Halfway through the project everyone on Earth should have figured out that something's going on, especially considering a series of massive interstellar spaceships have nothing in common with other ships. Super-powerful engines, massive amounts of steel, cryo equipment, computer cores with extremely high redundancy... Any desk clerk in the appropriations office should be able to figure out that these materials that are vanishing are completely unnecessary for, well, whatever they designated the ships as that isn't an interstellar colony ship.

[Czernobog]

Halfway through the project everyone on Earth should have figured out that something's going on, especially considering a series of massive interstellar spaceships have nothing in common with other ships. Super-powerful engines, massive amounts of steel, cryo equipment, computer cores with extremely high redundancy... Any desk clerk in the appropriations office should be able to figure out that these materials that are vanishing are completely unnecessary for, well, whatever they designated the ships as that isn't an interstellar colony ship.

]

Hmm...the project was revealed 5 years before the election, which resulted in a defeat for Lucien...particularly as people were shocked to learn that he was wasting their money on his own personal projects.

[Czernobog]

And finally, a map:




I know it's hard to see, but it was the best I could do.


Note that Norway is a lighter version of the USNA's colour. The dark blue is the European Alliance, the pink the PRC, the blue-green the USNA, the brown the North African Confederation and the purple is India. The rest should be obvious.

[Blackwing]

Ion cannons shooting into the atmosphere? That's.... highly implausible, especially the idea that it would actually do sufficient damage for it's cost.

[Czernobog]

Ion cannons shooting into the atmosphere? That's.... highly implausible, especially the idea that it would actually do sufficient damage for it's cost.

Well, it's more of a Command & Conquer reference than anything...

[Czernobog]

Mechs

The Mech (standing for Mechanised Walking Machine) has a controversial position in the military. Many believe that the Mech has a role, a niche in the order of battle, while some vehemently argue that it will soon be nothing but a footnote in military history. Regardless, Mechs are in common use in the USNA, the European Alliance (where they are known as 'Walkers') and Japan (where they are called simply 'Mecha').

This article discusses the various types and marks of Mech.

Mark 1 'Archangel' Type-5 Mech

The Archangel was the first type of Mech to be seen on the battlefield, after many prototypes and experimental versions, and although it had numerous issues with reliability, it was easily mass-producible and so were the spare parts for when it broke down. Indeed, the Archangel, although it was limited to the ground, was an important step in the evolution of the Mech to its current form.

Mark 2 'Cherub' Type-5 Mech

The Cherub had a higher level of reliability than the Archangel, and was more humanoid in design. It also incorporated a rocket pack on its back, to enable it to fly for brief periods. It was fast and light and is still used in some places as a reconnaissance Mech.

Mark 3 'Ophan' Type-5 Mech

The Ophan is a multi-role Mech, designed to incorporate many new technological advances and still be reliable. It incorporates a pseudo-sapient AI that, while not adressing the need for a pilot, allows it to perform automatic damage control via nanobots seeded in the hull. It is more humanoid in form than the Cherub, and has a larger jetpack enabling it to fly for sustained periods.

Mark 4 'Seraph' Type-5 Mech

The Seraph is, some say, the ultimate evolution of the Mech. It incorporates, instead of a normal cockpit, a fluid-filled interior chamber in which the pilot floats, suspended by impact gel and breathing through a mask. In it, via a specially designed chip in his brain, he can interface with the AI of the Mech and take control of the Mech's various functions. This allows him to order it to fire weapons and move without pressing buttons or even moving. The Seraph has a multiple hardpoints in which various weapons can be inserted, is fully pressurised (with oxygen scrubbers) and is spaceworthy owing to its high-powered fusion drive.

'Shogun' Type-6 Ultraheavy Mech

Officially, the Shogun does not exist. But it does anyway, owing to USNA and Japanese research on ultraheavy Mechs. After several feasibility studies, the Shogun Project was begun, to create a non-nuclear deterrent to any attack on Japanese soil. The Shogun, along with the JSDF's Space Battleship Yamato, is highly-classified at the top levels of secrecy. However, several documents have been 'leaked' to the European Alliance, in a bid to use it as a strategic deterrent. The Shogun is approximately 40 metres tall, and uses much of the same technology as the Seraph, including the mind/machine interface.

Variable Configuration Fighters

Variable Configuration Fighters are not technically Mechs, and have been pioneered by the Japanese, but use many of the same configurations. It is, essentially, a machine that can transform from a fighter plane to a humanoid Mech on demand. The Variable Configuration Fighter has millions of moving parts, and is an extremely volatile and temperamental machine. However, as it can serve as a Mech as well as a fighter, it is in high demand by the USNA.

'Chevalier' Type-7 Walker

The Chevalier is in use by the European Alliance as a reconnaissance Mech, and is thus fast and light to fulfil this purpose. The Chevalier is also designed for stealth, with active camouflage and such. It also has a fusion drive to allow for sustained flight.

'Chausseur' Type-8 Walker

The Chausseur is a a multi-role Mech, designed from stolen blueprints from the Seraph. Unfortunately, the European Alliance was not able to duplicate the Seraph's unique control system, so they used a normal cockpit. All this does is make the Chausseur a cheap rip-off of the Seraph, a shadow of the Seraph's power.

'Cavalier' Type-9 Walker

The Cavalier is a heavy Mech, designed to crush the enemy in every way possible and to go toe-to-toe with superheavy tanks and win. To fulfill this end, it cannot fly, with the additional space used to put in weapons systems.

'Oni' Type-10 Mech

The Oni is a Japanese design, and is quite large. Its role is as a multi-role Mech, designed to be a 'jack of all trades' like the Seraph and the Chausseur. It incorporates the Seraph's technology, but has no means to fly, instead opting to incorporate more weapons and armour.



More to come...

[Shroom Man 777]

Ion cannons shooting into the atmosphere? That's.... highly implausible, especially the idea that it would actually do sufficient damage for it's cost.

Lightning guns?


Hey, how about some non-USNA weapons for a change?

[Blackwing]

Uh-oh Kamin, now that you've included Mechs, you've committed a Sin against Siege.

However, if the discussion starts, I have your back since I wanted to include Mechs in my own Loaded Dice reboot.

Two things I would like to point out however:

First is the control of the Seraph, using a chip implanted in the brain.

Recent developments have made it so that in the future, we can probably have mental control over wide variety of machinery without the need for intrusive surgery. Which is both more appealing to potential military pilots... And allows plucky spikey-haired tweens to fall into the cockpit more easily

Secondly, Variable Fighters are a bit too obviously Gundams... And also incredibly impractical. A mech-fighter transformer would have far too many moving parts not to be a maintenance nightmare and more importantly it would be too heavy to fly.

[Czernobog]

Uh-oh Kamin, now that you've included Mechs, you've committed a Sin against Siege.

However, if the discussion starts, I have your back since I wanted to include Mechs in my own Loaded Dice reboot.

Two things I would like to point out however:

First is the control of the Seraph, using a chip implanted in the brain.

Recent developments have made it so that in the future, we can probably have mental control over wide variety of machinery without the need for intrusive surgery. Which is both more appealing to potential military pilots... And allows plucky spikey-haired tweens to fall into the cockpit more easily

For the Seraph, I wasn't aware of that development. As for intrusive surgery, it's pretty much a given if you want to join the more elite branches of the military, as cybernetic implants are mandatory for most of the elite branches.

Secondly, Variable Fighters are a bit too obviously Gundams... And also incredibly impractical. A mech-fighter transformer would have far too many moving parts not to be a maintenance nightmare and more importantly it would be too heavy to fly.

Yes, it would be too heavy to fly with today's engines. But in this 'verse, most planes can go hypersonic and go into orbit, because they use what are essentially mini-torchdrives. The Variable Configuration Fighters are slower than most planes, and they are maintenance nightmares, as well as extremely temperamental. As for them being Gundams...Gundam doesn't have them, Macross does.

[Czernobog]

Notable members of SCORPION

As the Deathwatch Agency knows, SCORPION is the #1 threat to freedom and democracy throughout the world. Thus, a dossier noting its known prominent members is obviously important. Recorded here are its known important members, designated as 'Enemies of Freedom'. These men are all extremely dangerous.

Enemy of Freedom #1

Commander-in-chief of SCORPION

Mikhail Rodion

'All hail the Red Star!'

Mikhail Rodion, also known as 'the Red Star', is rumoured to be a clone, created in illicit experiments, of the same Mikhail Rodion that fought with the New Soviet Union in World War Three. There is a great deal of evidence for this, most notably that the two men look almost exactly the same. Regardless, Mikhail Rodion is a superb commander and administrator, while maintaining impressive skills in the field of battle and a good deal of skill in terrorism. He is utterly fanatical to SCORPION's poisonous ideology, but retains a good deal of intelligence and pragmatism.

Enemy of Freedom #2

Scientist; Head of the Research Division

Halldora Gunnhild

'Science demands sacrifice'

Halldora Gunnhild comes from Norway, and particularly hates the USNA. Regardless of that, she is an amoral scientist devoted utterly to science for its own sake, with no regard for morals or ethics. She is known for her cruelty toward her test subjects, whom she tests various deranged theories on, and is thought to have a God complex, believing that her research will enable her to reach the level of Godhood. Backing up these rumours is the belief (substantiated by several reports) that she is researching Project BLACKLIGHT and the serum that produced the TABRIS entity in particular, in a bid to turn herself into 'a new God'.

Enemy of Freedom #3

Head of the Military Division

Ayako Hikari

'Kill them all'

Ayako Hikari hails from Japan, and is most concerned with terrorism and guerilla warfare, and was thus elevated to head of the military division of SCORPION. She is a meticulous planner, highly cunning, and should not be taken lightly. She also concerns herself with buying NBC weapons on the black market, and is a complete and utter nihilist, believing that 'existence is meaningless', with a demonstrated willingness to 'burn this corrupt world to the ground, so that it may be reborn in fire'. She is also a narcissist, and cares nothing of other people.

Enemy of Freedom #4

Asian Front Leader

Sadao Araki

'Japan will live free again!'

Sadao Araki is head of JINRO (Japanese Imperialist National Revolutionary Organisation), a terrorist group determined to recreate the Japanese Empire of World War Two. He is also leader of SCORPION's Asian Front, a vast area that extends from Tokyo to Istanbul. He is a self-professed Japanese ultranationalist, and is completely deluded about many, many things.

Enemy of Freedom #6

European Front Leader

Gustave Reynaud

Gustave Reynaud is head of SCORPION's European Front, with the delusion that he is the 'New Napoleon' who will bring Europe into an age of 'glorious and magnificent anarchic liberation'. His goal is to see all Europe collapse into anarchy, and it is desperately hoped that it will not bear fruition.

Enemy of Freedom #7

Head of Finance Division

Emmerich Engel

Emmerich Engel is responsible for SCORPION's finances, and increases them through several means: dummy corporations and groups, money laundering, shady banks, and outright theft. He is a criminal mastermind and should never be underestimated.

[Blackwing]

Actually, as of Zeta gundam, almost every Gundam series has at least one Gundam that transforms into a jet.

For instance the titular Zeta Gundam, Gundam X's GW-9800 Airmaster (and Airmaster Burst, it's upgrade), Gundam Wing's Wing Gundam (and Wing Zero, it's upgrade) and Taurus and Epyon.

But that's not the point anyhow. So if I understand it correctly, the whole intention behind Variable Fighters is that they're intentionally awesome, but impractical. Something the top brass wants because it's 'advanced' and 'theoretically versatile', but in practice rather over-engineered and expensive, sorta like the JSF. I like that. Goes to show that a USNA isn't some kind of uber-efficient (and thus unrealistic) powerhouse.

[Czernobog]

But that's not the point anyhow. So if I understand it correctly, the whole intention behind Variable Fighters is that they're intentionally awesome, but impractical. Something the top brass wants because it's 'advanced' and 'theoretically versatile', but in practice rather over-engineered and expensive, sorta like the JSF. I like that. Goes to show that a USNA isn't some kind of uber-efficient (and thus unrealistic) powerhouse.

Yes, they are awesome but impractical, and you are correct in your analysis of them. Now, off to working on my article about the world's spacefleets...

[Czernobog]

The World's Spacefleets

Having a Spacefleet is more than just a military advantage - it is an icon of national prestige, the ability to wage war in space. This article is a list of the world's spacefleets, and the classes of ship that make them up.

The British Star Navy

Thunderchild-class Space Battleship

Named after the fictional ship from H.G Welles' The War of the Worlds, the Thunderchild-class is a fine example of British robustness and simplicity, using primarily mass drivers to inflict devastation upon the enemy.

Waterloo-class Space Cruiser

The Waterloo-class, named after the battle in which Napoleon was defeated, is smaller and faster than the lumbering Thunderchild-class. As such, it is often used to send lightning raids on the enemy.

Russian Spacefleet

Rodina-class Space Superheavy Battleship

The Rodina is a true terror of the space-lanes. At 1.5 kilometres long, it represents a triumph for the Russian people, can project flickering ion beams and terrifying missile swarms, and is guarded heavily by electromagnetic deflectors and thick physical armour that can endure even mighty fusion blasts. It has no main weapon, instead making do with the ability to wipe out whole fleets with guided missile swarms.

Rossiya-class Space Battleship

The Rossiya-class is not as terrifying as the Rodina, but is powerful in a unique way. It has a highly experimental and classified FTL drive, that while only capable of going 2 times the speed of light (itself a major advantage) allows the battleship to strike at any location (but not too close to gravity wells) without warning, and to disengage from any fight wherein it lacks the upper hand. Recovered from Tunguska and restricted to the Archangelsk (of the Rossiya-class), the FTL drive is one of Russia's best kept secrets.




The USSF

The USSF is the largest spacefleet in the Solar System, with over 50 ships (not counting shuttlecraft, fighters, bombers, gunships, etc.) and a long history of proud service to the USNA.

Washington-class

The Washington-class is a class of Space Superheavy Battleship recently constructed by the USSF. Like the Liberator-class on the water, the Valley Forge is designed to absolutely dominate any engagement that it is involved in, and thus has a ridiculous amount of guns, fighters and missiles. It, unlike the United States-class, has no Wave Motion Gun, instead preferring to use ridiculous numbers of fusion-tipped AI-guided missiles. Regardless, it is not yet ready for combat operations, and will be by December 13th 2150.


Lady Liberty-class

A great veteran, the Lady Liberty-class of Space Battleship is a thirty year old spaceship class, due to be decommissioned and placed in mothballs any time soon. There are talks about making her a museum ship, but no-one knows what will truly happen to her when she is decommissioned in three years' time.

United States-class Space Battleship

The United States-class is a new class of Space Battleship, and is renowned for its immense size and incredible amounts of armament. It has a Wave Motion Gun, developed from top-secret technology pioneered by Japan, using magnetic fields to channel the energy of a fusion blast into a beam of devastating force that can annihilate enemy spaceships and devastate whole cities.

Alamo-class Space Cruiser

The Alamo-class is a class of cruiser, not as powerful as the Space Battleships, but with a large amount of weaponry for its size. It is also a carrier, containing approximately 150 Shining Star Aerospace Fighters.

JSDF Space Wing

The Space Wing of the Japanese Self Defence Force includes only 17 ships, but it is still a powerful force.

Yamato-class Space Battleship

The Yamato is a mighty ship, armed, like the United States-class, with a Wave Motion Gun and several broadsides' worth of fusion cannons and mass drivers. It, officially does not exist, but does so anyway, a strategic deterrent whose existence is widely hidden.

Kurushio-class Space Cruiser

The Kurushio-class is the mainstay of the JSDF Space Wing, with 16 ships in service. Individually, they are weak, but together they can rout much larger numbers.

[Shroom Man 777]

Archangelsk-class Space Battleship

The Archangelsk-class is not as terrifying as the Rodina, but is powerful in a unique way. It has a highly experimental and classified FTL drive, that while only capable of going 2 times the speed of light (itself a major advantage) allows the battleship to strike at any location (but not too close to gravity wells) without warning, and to disengage from any fight wherein it lacks the upper hand. Recovered from Tunguska and restricted to the original Archangelsk, the FTL drive is one of Russia's best kept secrets.

Valley Forge-class

The Valley Forge-class is a class of Space Superheavy Battleship recently constructed by the USSF. Like the Liberator-class on the water, the Valley Forge is designed to absolutely dominate any engagement that it is involved in, and thus has a ridiculous amount of guns, fighters and missiles. It, unlike the United States-class, has no Wave Motion Gun, instead preferring to use ridiculous numbers of fusion-tipped AI-guided missiles. Regardless, it is not yet ready for combat operations, and will be by December 13th 2150.


Gettysburg-class Space Cruiser

The Gettysburg-class is a class of criuiser, not as powerful as the Space Battleships, but with a large amount of weaponry for its size. It is also a carrier, containing approximately 150 Shining Star Aerospace Fighters.

I am supersads because I have been preempted in writing articles for Arkangel(sk), Valley Forge and (New) Gettysburg spaceships with pew-pew space lasers. I know those names aren't exactly original, but through sheer unfortunate circumstances it seems like all the spaceship names I proposed months ago ended up being taken first. I am an unhappy hippoes.

[Czernobog]

I am supersads because I have been preempted in writing articles for Arkangel(sk), Valley Forge and (New) Gettysburg spaceships with pew-pew space lasers. I know those names aren't exactly original, but through sheer unfortunate circumstances it seems like all the spaceship names I proposed months ago ended up being taken first. I am an unhappy hippoes.

You can still use them for Comix, I won't have any problem with it.

[Shroom Man 777]

Thank you. I am happy that I can still use the ship names I originally mentioned months ago.

[Malchus]

You can still use them for Comix, I won't have any problem with it.

Not the point, Kamin. I think Shroom's bummed that you seemingly took his naming ideas, so I think you should've thought about whether Shroom himself would've had a problem with you using the names for this.

Also, the Kurushio is the name of the NAKAIDO sub in This is Some Party. To be fair, it is the name of a real Japanese destroyer. But given the other names also seem to be taken from Comix I'm not sure what to think.