five. (voice.)

[reconnaissance]

Uh. Okay.

As far as I can tell, Pete, Mitsuki and Fi aren't here any more. So I hope if any of you lot knew 'em, you made them feel appreciated while they were here.

( Her tone is vitriol and anger, and frustration because she knows she didn't. If there's anyone she can be counted on to let down, it's Fiona Maxwell. And now she's gone. )

And if you didn't know 'em, then you missed out. They were good bloody people. All right?

Are there any other Australians here, or am I just special, again?

( She's angry, maybe unreasonable, she knows it. But seriously, fuck all you guys. And by that she means The Initiative. )

Shit.


( well, that cheeriness interlude was nice while it lasted )

Comments

voice because why not

[curatesecrets]

[an irritable mutter comes over the feed]

I know everyone has problems to deal with, but could you do your angsting a little more quietly? Some of us are trying to do research.

[and by "some of us" he means himself. twitch. teenagers]

voice is the sound of freedom

[reconnaissance]

Then stay off the network. Christ, it's for communication, old man. What were you expecting? Blissful silence?

( She's... she's usually at least a little more friendly... sob )

[curatesecrets]

Useful information, actually. [he hasn't figured out yet that you can browse the archives with the voice feed off, okay. he only just figured out how to turn off the video the other day]

[reconnaissance]

The odds aren't in your favour.

( Spiky, of course, but there's an edge of curiosity. ) You new, or something?

[curatesecrets]

They never seem like they are. [because his name is not Katniss Everdeen and he hasn't even met her yet, but we digress.]

The new old guy, yeah. That's me. [if she can be spiky, he can be spiky right back. he's had more years of practice.]

[reconnaissance]

At least that's something we have in common. Hey, maybe we can even have a laugh about it, find some common ground, and that'll be enough for you to fuck off home too. Good! We've found the solution.

( She's... actually in a lot of pain. Fi is gone )

Have a name, cryptkeeper?

[curatesecrets]

[oh look, sarcasm in the face of extreme emotional pain. he hasn't seen that anywhere before at ALL. nope. TEEN. AGERS. and himself who are we kidding]

Hm. If I give you mine, can I still call you Pollyanna?

[reconnaissance]

"Ellie" is shorter. Might be easier for you.

( But at least it's honest.

ELLIE DEFIES YOUR STEREOTY-- nope no not at all )

[curatesecrets]

Easier, maybe, but not as appropriate. Though you'd have the same to say about "Artie", I guess.

[it's a good thing he's really only good at conversations with liberal amounts of snark, or about artifacts, piano nocturnes, or Cold War espionage]

[reconnaissance]

So, since you're such a funny guy, should I call you "Whittier"? Then we can be a real effective team.

( She has read the book, sir, and she is scathing. )

If you want information, the library is good. Everything else is just people talking crap.

[curatesecrets]

[scathing? well, no, but she's trying, and he can appreciate that. he laughs] Better then Pendleton, at least.

Where can I find this library? I haven't gotten to maps yet, I'm still looking through logs, trying to find out more about that ship thing that happened right before I showed up.

[reconnaissance]

Uh.

( Oh, hang on, she actually loves the library, so there is a slight interlude form the moodiness to give him some detailed instructions. And link to a map.

Before the scowl returns to her voice.)

Oh. The ship.

( Does she sound a shade guilty? She may have been on that ship. ) There wasn't anything shady about that.

[curatesecrets]

There wasn't? Sounds like you know what happened. Mind filling me in?

[it's almost not a request. almost. but this isn't home, and he's not in charge, so he remembers to rein himself in just in time, and put the proper questioning lilt at the end of the phrase]

[reconnaissance]

A few of us went over to the United Earth on a scouting mission, gathering intel. We wound up stealing the ship to get back here. The team tried to eradicate all bombs on the vessel, but didn't get all of them, so we lost control of the ship.

( Her voice sounds automatic, robotic. She's tired, really. )

It was a long trip, but that's the basics about the crash, if that's what you wanted. The person at the controls is really experience with space craft, it wasn't-- we didn't stuff up.

[curatesecrets]

Seems like no matter how hard you try, there's always something, doesn't it.... I hope you didn't lose anyone.

[reconnaissance]

( Almost a little laugh. Almost. ) Nothing ever goes to plan.

Everyone's right as rain. ( A beat, because she can be a moody monstrosity, but she does appreciate the sentiment: ) Thanks.

[curatesecrets]

Nothing ever goes to plan A. Plans B through Z occasionally have a better chance of working. [he's definitely amused by this conversation, now, moody as it started out. funny how that goes, isn't it.]

Don't mention it. We're all on the same side here, right?

[reconnaissance]

And then you need to back ups for the back ups, and end up improvising away from that, anyway.

( A few moments, and she sighs. )

Not always. Some people just like to stir shit. What I do know, is the UE is a mess. I think for now we're better off working with the Initiative than against them.

[curatesecrets]

... So this is one of those lesser of two evil things, is that what you're saying?

[he frowns. he's not sure he likes the implication there]

[reconnaissance]

They drug people to keep them in line and doing what they want. I don't like the Initiative too well, and it's not like we chose to be here, but they aren't drugging us to make us do what they want. And I'd rather try to help those poor buggers over in the UE. So-- yeah. I guess it is a lesser of two evils, but one of those evils at least has something to what they're saying.

Though maybe that's the nature of evils. I don't know.

( Such a jaded seventeen year old. )

[curatesecrets]

[he thinks about this - about the Warehouse, the way it keeps the artifacts, even though some of them could do so much good ... save for the horrible side effects. how many people have told him that they should be shared. how many have told him the Regents' system is a joke. HG, MacPherson... his hand goes to the fobwatch in his pocket almost unconsciously, and he wraps his fingers around it]

Sometimes it is. But if you look long enough, you can still find a clear path.

[he knows, even now, that he's still done the right thing all these years]