exsilium | 1st story. (voice.)

( there's a bit of a pause before anyone speaks. when the voice does start, though, it's pretty low. flat, almost, like the speaker is tired, and her voice sounds pretty rough and husky-- and distinctly australian. she sounds decidedly... detached from what's just happened, considering it's her first entry. )

I remember, once when I was a kid. One of the shearers bought a kangaroo to the farm – not alive, though. It was roadkill. I couldn't tell you if... he hit it, or if he just found it. I don't know if that matters.

Anyway, he brings this dead 'roo over in the back of his ute, and hauls the thing off his trailer. I'm surprised he got it on there, to be honest. He and my dad, they took it over to one of the sheds and started butchering it. It was already dead, but they still went through all the steps they use for lamb or cattle if we're gonna be using them for food. Slice the throat, first. They took the whole thing apart, until there was just this... steaming carcass, and then they froze the meat for dog food, buried the guts so that the foxes couldn't get at them.

That's a bit what I feel like right now. Like I'm a carcass that someone picked up and dropped off here. It doesn't matter if I was alive or not when they found me. ( She laughs a bit, but it's a bitter sound. ) I'm here now, aren't I? Either I've gone bush crazy and I'll be dead soon, or I'm already dead. This Initiative bullshit is just-- Jesus.

( A sigh, and a long silence. )

My name's Ellie. Ellie Linton. I don't know if names mean much to the dead, but that's it.

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I don't think we're dead. Or I hope not.

You're filling me with confidence.

( Learn some manners, Ellie. ) Got any more nuggets of wisdom for me?

Sorry. There's a lot of unanswered questions. [ Also unhelpful but an explanation? ] Uh. Be careful if you train your weapon?

( On some level, the apology makes her feel a little bad for snapping. It quickly gets buried beneath all her self-righteous grumpiness, unfortunately. )

Wait, okay, hold up. You train dogs. ( She remembers something about weapons being said by that weirdo when she got here, but there was so much going on that some of it just flew in one ear and right back out the other. There's a slow, condescending touch to her words.) Animals and teenage boys: you train. Weapons: you use. They're inanimate.

Apparently not here. When you use them it's supposed to get stronger. Like it's alive.

( Silence for a bit, but it's short lived. Ellie's words just burst out with explosive anger. )

This place makes no bloody sense!

( flicking over to video, she's got her gun in her hand, and slaps it against the wall. ) Hey, mate. Sorry about that.

Oh, wait. I don't need to apologise, because it's a gun. Weapons are bad enough, why the Hell would you give them a life of their own?

I don't know. And it's not exactly believeable, I know that. [ She's still not sure if she 100% believes the sentience, she's waiting to find that out ]

Not exactly?

( It's enough of an understatement to make her laugh a little bit. )

How are you so calm about all this? Is it part of the adult handbook?

( And finally, Ellie is being less antagonistic. She just sounds like a tired, bemused teenager. ) Because I'd really like my copy of that, soon.

You'll get there. [ Which doesn't exactly answer any questions ] I need to get back. I have to be calm to do that. [ Enjoy the honesty ]

You lot always say that.

( Oh, adults. ) I guess. Trying to keep yourself calm isn't like having an on/off switch, though. I looked.

Hey. Where are you from, anyway?

1st story. (voice.)

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audio. Ellie just makes the best first impressions, such a polite kid

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