[The E]

Read it at Lightspeed Magazine!

I also recommend checking out the short interview Batts did about this story, to be found here.

[Luis Dias]

aye aye commander

[CKid]

Great story, I have been looking forward to this one for a long time now.

[General Battuta]

Can't get over the awesome art



She actually took time to not just sneak a tank in but also cover it in Kontakt-5 bricks. Seriously impressed.

[The E]

Yeah, that art is ****ing amazing.

[Luis Dias]

The funny thing about english not being my first language is that sometimes I have some difficulty beggining reading stories that are written with a lot of allegorical or metaphorical allusions, I never really know whether if the allegory is just psychological or actualized. Only by the middle of the story had I understood that the tank only existed psychologically. This ambiguity in the beggining for me usually creates weird Kafkaesque confused spaces where for instance, and specifically here, actual tanks speak with people as if they are still people, talking about PTSD issues, having jobs, smoking and drinking.

Then, when the inconsistencies are so many, the Kafkaesque interpretation shatters and a much clearer simpler one remains. At that point I have to read it again. And I enjoyed it!

[InsaneBaron]

The funny thing about english not being my first language is that sometimes I have some difficulty beggining reading stories that are written with a lot of allegorical or metaphorical allusions, I never really know whether if the allegory is just psychological or actualized. Only by the middle of the story had I understood that the tank only existed psychologically. This ambiguity in the beggining for me usually creates weird Kafkaesque confused spaces where for instance, and specifically here, actual tanks speak with people as if they are still people, talking about PTSD issues, having jobs, smoking and drinking.

Then, when the inconsistencies are so many, the Kafkaesque interpretation shatters and a much clearer simpler one remains. At that point I have to read it again. And I enjoyed it!

^^ 

Good read. Of course I might be completely missing the real point, but it struck me as a really thoughtful treatment of the question of cybernetics: how much of our humanity do we loose?

[Luis Dias]

Cybernetics? Not really, I think it's really just about trauma and encounter. How should we be with our friends, invincible for them or fragile, sharing their struggle? How to overcome traumas and remain human? Tanks and surgeries here were just allegory.

[Scourge of Ages]

Awwwww, from the first few paragraphs, I thought it was a BOLO story...

Also: your Wargame habit is showing, General

[AdmiralRalwood]

The interview more-or-less baldfacedly admits that the story was inspired by playing Wargame (unless there is some other series of Cold War strategy games made by Eugen Systems).

EDIT: I know I already said this on IRC, but very nice story, Battuta.

[swashmebuckle]

Hard to believe being a tank could actually get in the way of making sweet boom but I'm convinced. Great story!

[InsaneBaron]

Cybernetics? Not really, I think it's really just about trauma and encounter. How should we be with our friends, invincible for them or fragile, sharing their struggle? How to overcome traumas and remain human? Tanks and surgeries here were just allegory.

Unless Battuta says otherwise we might both be right

To be sure, there's more than one point made in the story; it's just one point that happened to strike me (given it's something I thought about as a kid: I'd love to have cool robotic arm with gadgets, but what would it do to my mind?).

[General Battuta]

The author is dead, it doesn't matter what I think

[InsaneBaron]

The author is dead, it doesn't matter what I think

So I guess Luis and me are both right

Good story to be sure. 

[Mongoose]

The author is dead, it doesn't matter what I think

zomg battuta's speaking from beyond the grave!

[StarSlayer]

I'd rather be a T-64BV!   

[Luis Dias]

The author is dead, it doesn't matter what I think

zomg battuta's speaking from beyond the grave!

Its called death drive. Better than Alcubierre's.

[perihelion]

Zombieauthortutta! 

[SypheDMar]

Did you realize you made it on mainstream io9?

http://lightspeedmagazine.kinja.com/io9-is-proud-to-present-fiction-from-lightspeed-magazin-1572148836/+charliejane

[Scotty]

Judging by his comment down at the bottom I'd say yes he did.