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31_days2015-03-10 11:40 pm
insaneladybug.livejournal.com) wrote in 31_days2015-03-10 11:40 pm
[March 10th] [The Man From U.N.C.L.E.] Who Wants to Live Forever?
Title: Who Wants to Live Forever?
Day/Theme: March 10th - Immortality is stupid. Think before you wish.
Series: The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (specifically, The Odd Man Affair episode)
Character/Pairing: Mr. Ecks, Mr. Wye
Rating: K/G
By Lucky_Ladybug
One reason Wye laughed at most of the organization members was their idealistic idea of taking over the world and making a lasting peace through force. Perhaps some weak-minded people would agree to let their lives be controlled that way, but there would always be those who wouldn’t stand for it and would rise up in rebellion against their oppressors.
“You know what most of the organization’s probably really after?” Wye chuckled to Ecks one night as they shared a glass of wine in Zed’s house. Zed had gone up to bed, leaving his two best agents downstairs with the stipulation that they lock up when they left.
“What?” Ecks grunted. “Fame, fortune . . . the chance to be heroes, maybe.”
“That’s close,” Wye nodded. “They’re after immortality, Ecks. What could be more desirable than being hailed as the heroes what brought about global peace? That would be remembered through the ages forever more—or at least as long as it would take before everybody started rowing with each other again. They’d get statues, paintings, books, films, telly series, all manner of tributes paid to them.”
“That does sound appealing,” Ecks had to admit. “But if that’s what they want, they’re just a bunch of hypocrites to dress it all up as seeking the good of humanity.”
“They are at that,” Wye grinned. “That’s why Zed’s plan is so much better. At least he doesn’t make any bones about what he wants.”
“It’s still not crystal-clear, though,” Ecks pointed out, “since he’s betraying the organization while not letting them know he’s betraying them. He’s pretending to still be loyal to them and their goals.”
“And none of us can do differently,” Wye said. “We’d be shot without a second thought.”
“What about literal immortality?” Ecks suddenly ventured. “Physically living forever and all that.”
“I know THRUSH has tried to develop something like that,” Wye mused. “Of course they failed. I don’t think our organization has ever tried something that stupid . . . yet, anyway, and hopefully they won’t get the idea to go at it. No one is ever going to figure out how to bottle the Fountain of Youth. And even if they do, not everyone is going to want to take it. What’s that song I’ve heard you playing? Who Wants to Live Forever? Some people don’t. They want a rest from this blinkered, mixed-up world. Living forever would be more of a curse than a blessing to them.”
“I wonder if anybody would really want it, even if they thought they did at first,” Ecks remarked. “Supposing not everybody they cared about took the stuff. Eventually they’d still be living while the people they loved were all dead. That would be an awfully bleak existence.”
Wye nodded. “Of course, some people care more about just surviving than anything else, even other people. They’d probably be the first to grab the stuff. Maybe they’d never regret it, either. Or maybe centuries down the road, they would.”
He gazed into the fire. “If the world was a better place, however, where peace truly did exist, it might not be so bad for most people to live forever. There’s stories in most religions about a time when things’ll be like that.”
“If you believe in religion,” Ecks said.
“It’s nice for those people to think about, anyway,” Wye said. “Hopefully they won’t be disappointed someday. As for me, I don’t know how well I’d do in a peaceful world. Our skills don’t work that way.”
“A lot of people would be out of jobs, on both sides,” Ecks said.
“Another reason why it will likely never come to pass.”
They fell into a comfortable silence. Those had become much more common ever since they had started to grow closer because of their partnership. It was a welcome change from not being quite sure how to get along at first and from going about it in a very stilted, awkward manner, attempting to be professional while they were really thoroughly confused.
“So, you’ve been around longer than I have, like you’re always telling me,” Ecks said, taking a sip of wine. “Do you think world peace could ever happen for real?”
“Oh, maybe,” Wye mused. “If the people of the world ever want it enough. You see, Ecks, there ain’t world peace because too many people like to fight. And those that don’t have to fight anyway, to try to keep the fighting from getting too close to the people they love. It’s a vicious cycle, it is.”
“And where do we fit into it?” Ecks wondered.
“We just work for a bloke what loves to fight,” Wye said. “I don’t particularly enjoy it. I just kind of get a kick out of people doing stupid things.”
Ecks smirked a bit. “You’re a sadist.”
“If you’d seen even just some of the things I have, Duck, maybe you’d see how laughing at the world is the only way to get by in it without going completely daft.”
“Some people would say you’re daft as it is,” Ecks remarked, setting the empty wine glass aside.
“I suspect they would,” Wye agreed with a shrug. He poured himself a bit more wine. “As for this immortality thing our dear organization is striving for, it’s all nonsense, really. Nothing lasts forever, especially fame. Sooner or later their forced peace would be lost and they’d fall from their pedestals. No, the only sensible way to have any kind of immortality is to be cared about by someone in particular, not by trying to get the whole world to love you.”
“That makes a decent kind of sense,” Ecks said. “And it’s a rare gift when it happens.”
“That it is,” Wye nodded, gazing off into the distance. “That it is.”
****
Ecks sighed quietly to himself as he advanced to the ticket counter at the small, out-of-the-way airfield that he and Wye had used in the past when needing to travel.
“One ticket for New York City,” he requested. He handed over the money and was swiftly handed a ticket in return. He stared at it blankly.
Well, Wye, you’ve achieved some kind of immortality, anyway. The kind we were talking about.
But I wish you were really coming to America with me. I still don’t even know what I’m going to do on my own.
He looked out the window at the jet, which would soon be ready for take-off. He would just have to figure things out as he went along. Wye had believed in him and he wouldn’t fail now, not after the Hell he had survived and was just recovering from.
Perhaps he would try an ordinary job for a while. He had the feeling, though, that he really wouldn’t be useful at much else other than the spy work he had been trained for.
Would he ever get married and have a family someday? It wasn’t top priority in his mind, but it was part of experiencing life outside of espionage and intrigue everywhere he went, so perhaps it was something he would want to try sometime.
A ghost of a smile played on his features at the sudden, random image of him sitting on a chair with his kids gathered around him. He would tell them stories from his old life. Certainly he would tell them about Mr. Wye.
And in that way, the immortality would go on.
Day/Theme: March 10th - Immortality is stupid. Think before you wish.
Series: The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (specifically, The Odd Man Affair episode)
Character/Pairing: Mr. Ecks, Mr. Wye
Rating: K/G
One reason Wye laughed at most of the organization members was their idealistic idea of taking over the world and making a lasting peace through force. Perhaps some weak-minded people would agree to let their lives be controlled that way, but there would always be those who wouldn’t stand for it and would rise up in rebellion against their oppressors.
“You know what most of the organization’s probably really after?” Wye chuckled to Ecks one night as they shared a glass of wine in Zed’s house. Zed had gone up to bed, leaving his two best agents downstairs with the stipulation that they lock up when they left.
“What?” Ecks grunted. “Fame, fortune . . . the chance to be heroes, maybe.”
“That’s close,” Wye nodded. “They’re after immortality, Ecks. What could be more desirable than being hailed as the heroes what brought about global peace? That would be remembered through the ages forever more—or at least as long as it would take before everybody started rowing with each other again. They’d get statues, paintings, books, films, telly series, all manner of tributes paid to them.”
“That does sound appealing,” Ecks had to admit. “But if that’s what they want, they’re just a bunch of hypocrites to dress it all up as seeking the good of humanity.”
“They are at that,” Wye grinned. “That’s why Zed’s plan is so much better. At least he doesn’t make any bones about what he wants.”
“It’s still not crystal-clear, though,” Ecks pointed out, “since he’s betraying the organization while not letting them know he’s betraying them. He’s pretending to still be loyal to them and their goals.”
“And none of us can do differently,” Wye said. “We’d be shot without a second thought.”
“What about literal immortality?” Ecks suddenly ventured. “Physically living forever and all that.”
“I know THRUSH has tried to develop something like that,” Wye mused. “Of course they failed. I don’t think our organization has ever tried something that stupid . . . yet, anyway, and hopefully they won’t get the idea to go at it. No one is ever going to figure out how to bottle the Fountain of Youth. And even if they do, not everyone is going to want to take it. What’s that song I’ve heard you playing? Who Wants to Live Forever? Some people don’t. They want a rest from this blinkered, mixed-up world. Living forever would be more of a curse than a blessing to them.”
“I wonder if anybody would really want it, even if they thought they did at first,” Ecks remarked. “Supposing not everybody they cared about took the stuff. Eventually they’d still be living while the people they loved were all dead. That would be an awfully bleak existence.”
Wye nodded. “Of course, some people care more about just surviving than anything else, even other people. They’d probably be the first to grab the stuff. Maybe they’d never regret it, either. Or maybe centuries down the road, they would.”
He gazed into the fire. “If the world was a better place, however, where peace truly did exist, it might not be so bad for most people to live forever. There’s stories in most religions about a time when things’ll be like that.”
“If you believe in religion,” Ecks said.
“It’s nice for those people to think about, anyway,” Wye said. “Hopefully they won’t be disappointed someday. As for me, I don’t know how well I’d do in a peaceful world. Our skills don’t work that way.”
“A lot of people would be out of jobs, on both sides,” Ecks said.
“Another reason why it will likely never come to pass.”
They fell into a comfortable silence. Those had become much more common ever since they had started to grow closer because of their partnership. It was a welcome change from not being quite sure how to get along at first and from going about it in a very stilted, awkward manner, attempting to be professional while they were really thoroughly confused.
“So, you’ve been around longer than I have, like you’re always telling me,” Ecks said, taking a sip of wine. “Do you think world peace could ever happen for real?”
“Oh, maybe,” Wye mused. “If the people of the world ever want it enough. You see, Ecks, there ain’t world peace because too many people like to fight. And those that don’t have to fight anyway, to try to keep the fighting from getting too close to the people they love. It’s a vicious cycle, it is.”
“And where do we fit into it?” Ecks wondered.
“We just work for a bloke what loves to fight,” Wye said. “I don’t particularly enjoy it. I just kind of get a kick out of people doing stupid things.”
Ecks smirked a bit. “You’re a sadist.”
“If you’d seen even just some of the things I have, Duck, maybe you’d see how laughing at the world is the only way to get by in it without going completely daft.”
“Some people would say you’re daft as it is,” Ecks remarked, setting the empty wine glass aside.
“I suspect they would,” Wye agreed with a shrug. He poured himself a bit more wine. “As for this immortality thing our dear organization is striving for, it’s all nonsense, really. Nothing lasts forever, especially fame. Sooner or later their forced peace would be lost and they’d fall from their pedestals. No, the only sensible way to have any kind of immortality is to be cared about by someone in particular, not by trying to get the whole world to love you.”
“That makes a decent kind of sense,” Ecks said. “And it’s a rare gift when it happens.”
“That it is,” Wye nodded, gazing off into the distance. “That it is.”
Ecks sighed quietly to himself as he advanced to the ticket counter at the small, out-of-the-way airfield that he and Wye had used in the past when needing to travel.
“One ticket for New York City,” he requested. He handed over the money and was swiftly handed a ticket in return. He stared at it blankly.
Well, Wye, you’ve achieved some kind of immortality, anyway. The kind we were talking about.
But I wish you were really coming to America with me. I still don’t even know what I’m going to do on my own.
He looked out the window at the jet, which would soon be ready for take-off. He would just have to figure things out as he went along. Wye had believed in him and he wouldn’t fail now, not after the Hell he had survived and was just recovering from.
Perhaps he would try an ordinary job for a while. He had the feeling, though, that he really wouldn’t be useful at much else other than the spy work he had been trained for.
Would he ever get married and have a family someday? It wasn’t top priority in his mind, but it was part of experiencing life outside of espionage and intrigue everywhere he went, so perhaps it was something he would want to try sometime.
A ghost of a smile played on his features at the sudden, random image of him sitting on a chair with his kids gathered around him. He would tell them stories from his old life. Certainly he would tell them about Mr. Wye.
And in that way, the immortality would go on.