As Ryudo stepped into view of the pits, a sharp, whispering voice seemed to echo next to his left ear.  “Ah, an officer!  So very glad to see you.  Everyone in the male pit is an Orpheus member.  But more importantly, have you ever heard of the Geneva Convention?  It’s a set of old treaties that were adopted more than a thousand years ago on earth.  Essentially, they state that even if these Amazons were to come to earth, declare themselves our enemies, and start shooting people on sight,<em>we would treat them better than this.</em>”  The source of the voice was uncertain, but one young man was staring especially intently at the officer.  His hair was black and short, his naked body covered in twisting scars and tattoos of a grotesque litany of crimes and cruelties.<br/><br/>“Pride—one of my friends— is one of the most amazing scholars I have ever met.  Do you know much history?  He can describe the social customs of Asian earth civilizations since almost the dawn of time.  What I said about Geneva?  It was true in the area we now call China<em>four thousand years ago.</em>”  The voice rose slightly.  “We emerged on this planet randomly.  They at least consider us no threat to them.  But they still grabbed us all and threw us in these filthy, sun-baked pits.  The only food is tossed down in here, and if Pride didn’t know sanitation like a professional from 2000 years in the future, the food probably would’ve landed in human waste from previous occupants.  I’ve had 500 Calories and 12 ounces of water all day—Gluttony counted.  If disease doesn’t break out, starvation or dehydration will.  They did all of this unprovoked and with no explanation.”  Clenched teeth flashed in the man's mouth, then, “These people act like animals.  They’re millennia behind us in every way that counts, most especially humanity.  Their actions compare to violent throwbacks like the Vietcong, back in the days when people felt it was alright to torment your enemies.”  A deep breath.<br/><br/>“And as soon as my other friends finish comparing them to earth, the voice of reason steps in.  Acedia.  She points out that they probably have reason for acting like this.  That they must have experienced some horrible tragedy in the past which makes them so paranoid and cruel.  She talks about how wretched it must be to live like that, the kind of things these people must go through as children to make them willing to treat their fellow humans like they treated us on the march here.  One of them nearly emasculated me, and I've been hearing about just how horrible that is in detail.  So it would really be a kindness to save them from all that, don’t you think?  To free them from all of their fears and whatever demons they think stalk the jungle?”  Jude released a long, slow breath. The sigh came from the pit, though his voice still seemed to come from just behind the newcomer's ear.  “You see what I’ve been dealing with for the past fourteen hours.  When I joined Orpheus, I wanted to find a way to keep myself under control.  To keep my friends under control and find a constructive use for their abilities.  But you know what?  The voices in my head are starting to make sense.  It’s starting to sound reasonable to go out there and begin slaughtering these maddened brutes.  I’ve been holding out for as long as I can, but I am very much out of my depth here—I’ve known my friends for forty hours and been a member of Orpheus for about thirty.  I’m afraid bad things are going to happen, but the fact that you’re out there suggests that you can do something about this."  The voice sounded less vicious now, more human.  More desperate.  "So please, hurry.”