I loved Avatar, but I wish certain parts of it were explained with a little more depth than was possible in a regular length film. This is a collection of the human characters' video logs that gives more background and believability to the personalities and actions of characters of both races and introduces some story arcs and twists that either build upon or weren't in the original film. As I imagine them, these are complex characters whose actions have much more weight behind them than just a new love, a sudden change of heart, an evil hatred, or a profit motive.
I'd appreciate it if you let me know what you think. Check back soon for new chapters!
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Chapter 1
Jakey. 718.
They had him cremated today. I'm glad Mom and Dad aren't here for this. They always knew Tommy was the one with the real chance in life. I was never interested in what it took to succeed in the world, I was always trying to get out of whatever I had to do, and when I finally realized what it took, I did it in all the wrong ways. But not Tommy. Tommy knew how things worked, he was always on the team, and he was great at it. The guy got his PhD in two years. Two years! This would have killed Mom and Dad, to see this.
I mean don't get me wrong, they supported me, they loved me. They were always there for me, you know, until the end. God, I never should have told them about it, it was even worse for them than it was for me. There's like a whole separate compartment in my mind I live in most of the time, almost like a separate brain I got control of, and I just never transferred Venezuela over to it. It's something that a guy in my job had to pick up fast, you know, just to live. But Mom and Dad, they never had to build that up. Venezuela hit em like a ton of bricks. It's not like my story was new, we'd all been reading the same news stories about the military doing the same things for years, but just the fact that it was me really ended it for em. I was devastated after their murder, partly cause I missed em but more so cause I wished I didn't make their last years on Earth so terrible. They deserved time enough to get over it.
But now I'm almost glad they're gone. They shouldn't have to see this. Only two of their kids made their 21st birthday, and as far as they were concerned I never came back from South America. And now Tommy? I'd call it tragic, you know, if it was unusual.
Yeah, so I guess I'm gonna do the whole Pandora thing. Why the hell not? There's nothing for me here anymore. I'm just back here now to grab this journal and a couple other things and I'm leaving everything else. Not even grabbin pictures. Maybe eventually this place'll start stinkin so much that the landlady'll figure out I left. Gonna take a while though. Did I mention this? Yeah, they opened that new waste plant down on Landfair finally. Gotta say, it's not a pretty smell.
You know, Tommy never said so, but, I think the whole reason he wanted to leave instead of keeping his research going here was cause after Mom and Dad passed he felt like all his connections to Earth were gone. Even me. Well after tomorrow, he's gonna be right.
See ya, Tommy. Here's wishing that closing a box on a body really can send it somewhere better.
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Quaritch, Miles. Personal Journal. Y2152 Entry 244..
The new meat got here today. Finally. Six years in that cage, and they probably think they're free. Dumbasses. You rather be in a nice safe prison, everything safe and provided for, or you rather be in a place where even the dirt is trying to kill you? I know my answer. Best six years of my life went by in a flash without dreams in that hull. Wouldn't mind that kind of life right now, I'll tell you that.
Had another attack on the base again this afternoon. Those fucking hammerheads, whole reason they exist is to rush us, I swear that's their whole goddamn purpose in life. We got armor piercing rounds, we got machines the size of buildings, we throw both of them at those things and our shit just breaks. I swear Pandora's tryin to kill us. Fuckin moon. Well guess what baby? I'm gonna open up your box and I don't care what kinda mess jumps out, gonna take those goodies inside right away from you anyway. I wish to hell command would quit worrying what people back home think and just let us nuke this place into cinders.
Just about to go give em the ol security briefing. I love security briefings. I love seeing the smiles on the newbies' faces like they think I'm joking, or like they think they know what rough is. They don't take it seriously. I remember the ones who smile. Retards. Gives me more time to prepare my figures on how many reinforcements I'm gonna need to make up for their deaths.
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Chacon, T. Personal Journal. Y2153 Entry 129.
It's pretty damn weird how life works out sometimes. You know who's coming to Pandora? Fuckin Jake ass Sully. I wouldn't have thought I'd ever see him again.
It's been hard. I'd never say it to him, but yeah, it's been hard. I mean I never said anything to him before. No point buckin that trend, I guess.
I think he's gonna like it here. I like it here and me and him always did things pretty similar. Yeah, you can't be an idiot, you gotta follow Pandora rules, but once you get used to that? I'll tell you this, I flew a lot of places back home, but I ain't ever flown through the middle of a floating mountain.
I wonder why he signed up? He was lucky, had his whole family still. Last time I saw him was in that VA hospital with his legs like wilting little rose petals. Did he ever get that fixed? Being an avatar driver. Heh, wonder if you can do that without a spine.
But it'll be good to have someone to hang out. Nobody likes to hang out here. They'll have a beer with you, they'll tell jokes, they'll trade stories, but they don't know who you are and they don't give two shits neither. I mean I've made a couple friends here, but each time I do they do something stupid like walk into some thanator's home turf or shoot a viperwolf for fun when its family's nearby. I wasn't even that upset about hearing they died. I don't wanna hang around the kind of idiot that'd do that anyway. God, I am so fuckin lonely sometimes. Heh. Good thing this shit is private, I swear.
I hope Sully isn't like that now. But then, I never thought he'd do what he did back home either. We'll see. That piece of shit. Missed his silly ass.
Gonna make sure I get assigned to cart his team around. Grease that wheel, baby!
