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badly_knittedTitle: Unavoidable Damage
Fandom: The Fantastic Journey
Author:
badly_knittedCharacters: Scott, Fred, Varian.
Rating: PG
Written For: Challenge 489: Damage at
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drabble_zone.Setting: After the series.
Summary: It isn’t always possible to avoid causing damage.
Disclaimer: I don’t own The Fantastic Journey, or the characters. They belong to their creators.
A/N: Triple drabble.
Watching Varian slide the sonic energiser back into its pocket, Scott frowned, remembering what the man from the future had told them, back when they’d been preparing to rescue Fred, Jill, and Ben from the Privateers. The destruction of anything, whether life or property, went against his beliefs, and yet everywhere they went, their friend ended up having to destroy something to save their lives. It hardly seemed fair, and yet Varian never hesitated, always did whatever was necessary.
How much damage had he caused to other people’s property over the past two or three months? Short-circuiting androids, burning out control panels, blowing up computers, causing weapons turned against them to overheat…
“You okay, Scottie?” Fred asked, resting a hand on the boy’s shoulder.
“Yeah, it’s just…”
“What?”
“All the stuff Varian has to do to protect us. It’s just not right. He shouldn’t have to. He doesn’t like destroying things.”
“No, I don’t guess he does, but sometimes there’s just no better way out of the trouble we’ve landed in.”
“I know.”
“Is everyone alright?” Varian joined them, concern radiating from him.
Scott looked up at the tall man. “Yeah, we’re fine. Are you? I mean, you practically blew that robot thing apart.”
“I know. Maybe they can repair it.” Varian sighed. “But I wouldn’t count on it. They’d need to replace a lot of parts.”
“Does it bother you?”
“All the time, and if there were any other way…” Varian shook his head. “This isn’t the world I come from, and as much as I would prefer not to compromise my ideals, my beliefs, that’s not always possible. Sometimes damaging or even destroying other people’s technology has to be considered the lesser evil. Lives are more important than property. Things can be rebuilt or remade, but people can’t.”
The End
How much damage had he caused to other people’s property over the past two or three months? Short-circuiting androids, burning out control panels, blowing up computers, causing weapons turned against them to overheat…
“You okay, Scottie?” Fred asked, resting a hand on the boy’s shoulder.
“Yeah, it’s just…”
“What?”
“All the stuff Varian has to do to protect us. It’s just not right. He shouldn’t have to. He doesn’t like destroying things.”
“No, I don’t guess he does, but sometimes there’s just no better way out of the trouble we’ve landed in.”
“I know.”
“Is everyone alright?” Varian joined them, concern radiating from him.
Scott looked up at the tall man. “Yeah, we’re fine. Are you? I mean, you practically blew that robot thing apart.”
“I know. Maybe they can repair it.” Varian sighed. “But I wouldn’t count on it. They’d need to replace a lot of parts.”
“Does it bother you?”
“All the time, and if there were any other way…” Varian shook his head. “This isn’t the world I come from, and as much as I would prefer not to compromise my ideals, my beliefs, that’s not always possible. Sometimes damaging or even destroying other people’s technology has to be considered the lesser evil. Lives are more important than property. Things can be rebuilt or remade, but people can’t.”
The End
(no subject)
Date: 2026-02-16 11:43 pm (UTC)