[Voice]

[deservinghell]

[For Henry, the past month has been rougher than any other in recent memory. Confessing to the only person in this wretched place he is comfortable calling a friend that she'd been keeping intimate company with a vampire was more emotionally trying than he expected. But that paled in comparison to a week spent living--finding himself with a pulse for the first time in four and a quarter centuries--and then having it taken away again.]

Surely I'm not the only one who'd rather our personal timelines never sorted themselves out.

Comments

[deservinghell]

[Even if he had recognized Drake, Henry wouldn't have passed judgment on the man based on a teenager's stupidity.]

That seems to be the consensus. It's only a shame it had to be all of us or none of us when it came to putting things back the way they were.

[assworthsaving]

[Except some people were kids and they sure as hell didn't belong in this place (even though he's sure he has seen a few). Which isn't what Henry meant, sure, but the Initiative didn't bring them here to relive the better parts of their lives either.]

That's because it wouldn't be beneficial to the Initiative. [Yep, that's sarcasm, but it's aimed at the assholes running this operation.] They don't have any use for kids, or people in their weaker forms, and this isn't a vacation. All we're here for is to fight their wars for them. They don't care about anything else.

[deservinghell]

But they aren't always in control. Accidents do happen. [This line isn't encrypted, of course, and he doesn't care.] One has to wonder what happens when one of us is rendered permanently unfit for service.

[assworthsaving]

[He averts his gaze for a moment as if thinking to himself, but he knows the answer to that. Personal experience and all with dying, even if he can't exactly explain it- and doesn't want to explain it.

He responds, mumbling his reply under his breath, though the words are clear enough.]

Pretty sure I've already figured that out-- [It's vague and he's about to leave it at that until he realizes something.] In fact, we might've just witnessed it by accident. That machine's proven to be capable of pulling people from different points in their timelines, so that's gotta be what they'd use to "fix" us up if we're ever incapacitated.

[deservinghell]

[It makes sense. The Initiative hasn't given them any reason to doubt that when things are in proper working order they exercise that sort of control over a transport's personal timeline.]

Then there's no escape, is there? We get to enjoy the curse of immortality. [Said with some obvious bitterness.]

[assworthsaving]

[The sound of bitterness is all too familiar to him. Can't really blame the guy, though.]

I wouldn't say that. Some people have been sent back without returning. It just all seems to be random or involuntary. Not sure if that means we should continue doing nothing about these missions or be bigger pains in the ass.

[deservinghell]

Pity uselessness doesn't seem to guarantee a ticket home either. I don't think it's a stretch to say no one's heart is in this war.

[assworthsaving]

[Sure, no one's heart is in this and he doesn't doubt that most of these people want to go back home, and yet...]

And yet they all continue to help the Initiative anyway with poisoning lands, destroying civilizations- rewriting history.

[deservinghell]

Cooperation and complacency are easier for many, I suspect. But you're right. No matter whose history it is, the idea of altering it is still troubling.

[assworthsaving]

Right. Glad I'm not the only one who thinks that way. And maybe I'm not entirely convinced that all this screwing around doesn't have far-reaching consequences.

[deservinghell]

And how many of us can refuse to fight, to back off the front lines before the Initiative has to put its foot down? I don't doubt their power to make our lives hell if they feel it's necessary.

[assworthsaving]

I don't know. Seems like they're getting by just fine with the volunteers they already have. I don't think they'd want to risk endangering their cause by pissing off everyone with threats. You've- ah, you've heard of that saying- 'You catch more flies with honey'? That definitely applies here. There's a lot of us, and they can't send anyone back; only bring more people in. So if word about threats got out to new transports then they'd have a rebellion on their hands on top of everything else.

[deservinghell]

It's true. I suppose the sheer volume of transports shuttled in here every month guarantees at least a handful is willing to play the game.