Differences from ANSK (meta)

The differences between the Turtles!verse and ANSK essentially stem from five changes: four choices decided differently and one missed connection.

## Decision #1: PPDC and human rights

First, there are different people involved in drafting the charter, namely a handful of reps from defense contractors: multinational corporations who stand to make a lot of money building military hardware for the war against the Kaiju. They offer to foot the startup costs of the Jaeger program in return for a guarantee of ten years' worth of contracts to build equipment.

Second, the program will be funded in part by licensing the patents for any technology or techniques developed by the program, hence the more aggressive pursuit of Drift Science and continued development of new Jaeger models.

Third, the creators decide that the human rights of the few (namely the pilots) are acceptable sacrifices to protect the lives of the majority.

Fourth, they go into the war aiming for stalemate, not victory. Endless war. A wall doesn't keep the war machine running, so it's out as an idea. Also explains the interest in raising up a new generation of perfect Rangers.

## Decision #2: Jackson and post-university employment

In both universes, upon graduating from the University of New South Wales in 2012, Jackson has a choice between two job offers.

In ANSK, he chooses the job in Melbourne, following his girlfriend, Lily, who has a scholarship to grad school there. Things don't work out with either the job (he's unhappy and underpaid) or Lily (they wind up breaking up angrily). Unhappy and feeling like he has no prospects, Jackson signs on with the PPDC for the summer 2016 Jaeger Academy semester. There, he learns to suppress his inner nerd and artist and play the tough guy.

In Turtles, he chooses the job in Sydney. The long distance relationship with Lily ends amicably early in 2013. Jackson's very happy with his job, which is both more his style and pays better. The improved state of mind and pay allows him to change his relationship with his brothers. Because he lives closer to Port Macquarie and has a nicer flat and more spare cash, he's in a position to protect and support Derek, meaning they're closer.

And living in Sydney puts Jackson in place to cross paths with the maker of Decision #3 ....

## Decision #3: Charlie's scholarship

In Turtles, Charlie accepts a scholarship to the University of Sydney after graduating high school rather than for a job as a park ranger.

Some background:

* In both universes, Wash leaves for her post-secondary life almost immediately after graduating in December 2014.
* Wirriri lost custody of her kids before Wash was born and came to live at the Darling homestead. In 2015, after her ex-husband dies, her children (and grandchildren) seek out the other side of their family.

The effects are as follows:

* In ANSK, Wash can make it to the park ranger job under her own power, so she leaves earlier. The organization eventually sponsors her entrance to the Academy. She comes back for a few things in May, before she leaves for Kodiak, which is when she briefly meets Wirriri's kids. Her early arrival to Kodiak means she's a victim of The Great Food Poisoning of May/June 2015 and is thus rechristened Chuck.
* In Turtles, Wash needs a ride to Sydney so she leaves later, thus is still at the homestead when Wirriri's kids arrive. She makes a connection with them, thus isn't as taken with the romanticism of Drifting and turns down offers of sponsorship from UoS, thus avoiding The Great Food Poisoning of May/June 2015 and a rechristening, so she stays 'Charlie'.

With her favorite across-from-campus coffee shop only a handful of blocks from Jackson's workplace ....

## Decision #4: Logan and polite society

In ANSK, Logan makes somewhat feeble attempts at playing by the rules all the way through high school and most of a semester at university before throwing up his hands and jumping into the underworld at about age nineteen (~2011), when he's at his full height and nearly full strength. When his ANSK life bottoms out in 2015 and he follows Jackson to Kodiak, he's only been surviving 'off the grid' for about four years.

In Turtles, Logan drops out of high school at age sixteen (~2008) and runs away from Port Macquarie to a bigger city. He's still growing and has never had to take care of himself before. He learns hard lessons about surviving quickly--nearly dying a couple of times in the process. The harsh experience puts a severe curb on his eagerness for fights and confrontations, leading to the more cautious, restrained Logan we see here. When we first see him in the Turtles tales, Logan's been 'off the grid' for seven years; by the time he reaches the Academy, it's been nearly fourteen years since he checked out of polite society, just short of half his life.

## Missed Connection: Pietr and the Academy Combat Instructor

In ANSK, some event happens to bring Pietr's natural fighting ability to the attention of the Jaeger Academy Combat Instructor, leading to his being groomed to become a Fightmaster.

In Turtles, whatever that event was doesn't happen and he stays under the radar, scrapes out of the Academy, and is assigned a position as a Jaeger mechanic in Sydney. Working on *Vulcan Specter*, he doesn't come to Chuck Hansen's attention as a possible copilot. Without that, he's never a Ranger.

With a permanent and stable posting in Sydney, Griet 'wins' the argument about their living together and they settle in to raise the large family they want.

Because Pietr's a 'lowly' mechanic--and a disabled one, at that--with poor Academy grades, he's not tested for Drift Compatibility and his Universal Compatibility remains unconfirmed.