maverick status - 2:15 p.m. 09.26.2004
Alright, I'm gunna pull a Jes now and get all philosophical here.
I just realized that I have a bit of a problem with, of all things, the Mega Man series. I'm conflicted.
So, in the Mega Man X series, the world consists of sentient, thinking robots, called Reploids. Think of these more-or-less just as metal people. In this world as well, a reploid can malfunction, and go what is called "Maverick".
Now, upon real medical inspection (let's say 'medical'; it applies to robots too...), it CAN be definitively confirmed whether or not a reploid has gone maverick. However, more often, a maverick is destroyed before he can be really inspected.
Maverick symptoms are ill-defined. They include such things as: violence, insanity, hated for humans, megalomaniacal interests, and I'm kinda stretching here.
Herein lies my problem. It seems like, on Earth, in the future, in 22XX, anyone with conflicting ideas can simply be called Maverick. And moreover, anyone deemed maverick is up for annihilation by the police-sanctioned Maverick Hunters, of which Mega Man is a big part.
If someone is acting insane, murdering, making no sense, etc, they are usually called maverick and hunted. However, defining the illness the opposite direction is ill-defined. If you are crazy, you are probably maverick. But, if we are to Make you Maverick, I'm not really sure what that would entail. Craziness, violence, lack-of-logic, etc, Maybe.
It seems like "going maverick", which is a real disease, is also far more commonly used to label societies unwanted.
Anyone who disagrees with the government must be maverick, and thus killed. Any idea generated by someone "maverick" is completely discredited. Even when, as in the latest game, the idea itself wasn't bad.
It seems like the government has found a way to give license to kill any dissenters. In the latest Mega Man game, X isn't sure he's doing the right thing; he isn't sure that the enemy is really evil, or just wrong. His partner lays his problems to ease with, "We gotta do it! He's maverick!"
Here's my problem. Is X being used by the government, trusting them? Is he fully ok with killing dissenters indescriminately upon orders? I mean, lately, he seems unsure of him self, but... rightfully so?
I mean, admittedly, there's never been an enemy in a game who was just doing peaceful protests or pamphletting for his cause; they've all been murderers.
But, still; the whole concept of maverick status seems to lend itself to the government branding undesirables for murder.
Good comparison: to disagree with the state is crazy; crazy is a dangerous illness; anyone crazy is to be killed.
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