video • un: washington

[sixth]

[ Although the image is mostly Wash's face, there's enough background in the shot to make it clear that he's standing in one of the Eluvio's corridors. There's a door behind him and just off to the left is a sign that reads: SIMSPACE. Once the feed's going, he jerks his thumb back toward the door. ]

If I don't come out of here in like a day, send someone in to get me.

[ He pauses, making a slightly exasperated, slightly apologetic face. ]

And hey, if using this thing unleashes some kind of virtual reality nightmare on everybody, sorry. [ Does that require a little clarification? Maybe it requires some clarification. ] I've seen the old movies. I know how this shit goes.

[ Agent Washington. Always a pessimist. He offers a faint, tiny smile. ]

Otherwise, if anybody wants to visit one of the beaches on my homeworld, come on down. I can give you the grand tour.


( ooc: i figured the eluvio could use its own version of the holodeck! i posted a thing to the locations list so if there's anyone else who wants to take advantage of these things, be my guest! )

Comments

[hellshot]

Too angry to die? Ha, that's a new one.

Either way, you're stuck in space with the rest of us now. Better or worse?


Stands for Soldier Enhancement Program. Training regimen for super soldiers I went through when I was about 30 years younger.

[sixth]

Bout the same. I've been in space since I was about 18.

They called it Project Freelancer where I'm from. But I went through something like that too. Military's bright idea to win the war that just turned out to bite them in the ass.

[hellshot]

Since 18? Then this is just a Sunday drive for you, then, isn't it.

'Project Freelancer'. Sounds similar enough. Especially with the latter point. If you didn't mention being in space all your life, I'd ask if we were in the same damn program.

Still with them?


[sixth]

Something like that.

Nah. The Project imploded. Turns out they were doing illegal things with their AI. Most of their agents were killed. The few of us that remain don't want any parts of it anymore. You can only be the government's bitch for so long, you know?

How about you? What happened to the SEP?

[hellshot]

Don't have any respect for the government. Not back then, not now. Always do things that are against even their own standards. Can't be trusted. Looks good on them that it collapsed on them after their bullshit--dead agents aside.

[The tone of his reply is nearly acidic--though it's hard to get across over text.]

SEP grew into a multi-national division of 'keeping the world safe' called Overwatch.
Collapsed not long after it grew into something good. From the inside.

Just a mercenary now.

[sixth]

[ Paranoid as Wash is about trusting people now, everything he's hearing makes him more inclined to give this person the benefit of the doubt. ]

Same shit, different worlds, huh? You'd think they'd learn. But nobody ever does. No matter how many times it goes to hell.

What kind of jobs do you take?

[hellshot]

[Gabriel would approve of Washington's paranoia, honestly. But he feels much the same--this person who he'd initially messaged in order to jeer at was quickly becoming legit in his book.

For now.]

People are easily swayed when greed takes over. Just human nature, at the end of the day. Pious people die before they get to do anything worthwhile with their lives.

Whatever pays well and isn't impossible. Trying to track down the pricks that ruined Overwatch, too.

[sixth]

Tell me about it. I saw a guy try to wipe out the entire population of a planet just to make money on alien tech.

[ Fucking Hargrove. ]

That's what we did with Freelancer. Took down what was left of it. Made the people responsible for fucking us all pay. What's your probability of success look like?

[hellshot]

Sounds like a prime example why governments can't be trusted. Killing people for a mission is normal. Wiping out an entire planet? Disgusting, honestly.

[He's got nothing against good old murder, but genocide is another thing altogether.]

Good to hear you succeeded. Plan on doing the same thing. And given I can't die, my possibility of success is high. Just have to play the waiting game and be patient with it.

[sixth]

That's the truth. Never met a government I could trust. Doubt I ever will.

But you said can't die. I'm assuming you mean that literally. How's that possible?

[hellshot]

That's a statement I can agree on. Wondering how long we'll be here before those in control start fucking up.


And yes, I mean literally. Already died once. Didn't take.

Not going to get into the long and short of it. Experimental medical science and nanomachines are involved.

[sixth]

They start experimenting on us, that'll be our first clue.

[ A cynical joke born of black, morbid humor. ]

I know a little about that. Freelancer used artificial intelligence instead of nanonmachines, but they changed us. Fucked us up. Didn't make us immortal though.

[hellshot]

If they start experimenting on us, I'm shooting the place up.

[That's no fuckin' lighthearted joke, either.]

Be thankful they didn't make you immortal. Living past your time isn't what it's cracked up to be.

And I don't like AI either. Unstable machinery that can flip a switch to be murder machines in a second flat.

Better off without them.

[sixth]

You won't be the only one.

[ Having outlived his family—the real one and the people who came to be much the same—he knows all about living beyond his time. Maybe not in the literal sense, but knowing what he does of loss, he doesn't want to be immortal. ]

That's pretty similar to the experience I had with them. Every once in a while you meet a decent one, but usually they're bad news.

What do you think of this place? The ship and everybody. Our situation.

[hellshot]

[He's glad to hear that, honestly. He's not against pulling a rebellion here if shit goes down.]

Omnics are a still-debated issue back home. Robots that claim to have souls because their programming lets them think for themselves.

Caused more than one war. A bunch of bullshit.

As for this situation, could be worse. Not comfortable with being out in space. But for now, it's just like dealing with the bullshit going on back home. Don't like being pulled out here without warning.

If they'd sent me a goddamn flyer looking for employees, might have gone over better.

[even without speaking, the dry tone somehow comes across fine.]

[sixth]

Maybe they do. I had an AI in my head once. Two of them. The things they remembered... Then again, I don't know if humans have souls either.

Good news is, we've got allies. Things go to shit, we won't have to handle it alone.

[ Him, he's saying. He'll be an ally. So will the other Freelancers. ]

Might not get paid for it, but at least we can make sure we aren't used again. Still not convinced there isn't a way back. Not a scientist, but doors swing both ways, right?

[hellshot]

Not sure I'd be comfortable in your case. AI in your head? Sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. Won't be commenting on the souls thing for now.

Good to know there'll be backup when shit inevitably goes south.

[He won't openly offer something like 'it goes both ways', he's not that nice. But he'll leave it as subtext in his reply, at least.
And the thing about souls? Well. He didn't feel like opening a can of worms over the fact that he can literally suck the life force out of people. Ha ha ahaha.]

...About that.
Since I've gotten here, noticed that sometimes people disappear, too.

Had thought exactly that: the door should swing both ways. So if people haven't been going back home...

[Where the fuck they been going.]

[sixth]

They disappear? Funny how that didn't get covered in "orientation."

[ He's not oblivious or stupid, but Wash has his own shit to deal with and has been focusing on that. Especially after Oros and the stupid injury. What happens to a bunch of people he doesn't know isn't terribly high on his list of priorities. ]

Guess it's possible they're getting pulled into another place. If these wormholes or whatever open randomly into this place, it makes sense for them to do it elsewhere.

But the tech here is different than what I'm used to. Some of it's better. Maybe, I don't know, maybe it isn't random at all.

[hellshot]

Of course not. That's basic government 'need to know' coverage.
Keep information that's potentially panic-inducing to a minimum and you don't have to fucking deal with riots or rallies from the masses.

Whatever the fuck is dragging people here can't be a singularity. There's an explanation for it. And either the ignorant fucks don't know what it is yet, or they're keeping it a secret because it's more dangerous than they want us to know.

Tech here is different from my home, too. Not that I know jack fuck about it. That's more my associate's division. Sure she'll start figuring things out eventually.

[sixth]

Guess that means it's time to do some digging. My interrogation training was a few years ago and I haven't had much reason to use it, but I'll see if I can get anything out of any of the crew.

Maybe ask around that black market I keep hearing about. Someone's got to know something. And if there's one thing I know, it's that secrets always have a way of coming out.

[hellshot]

Let me know if you find anything.
Will be keeping up tabs on events on my side, too. If you need backup with interrogation, I've got experience in that.

[Blackwatch was a fucking sketchy place, man.]

I'll send you the map to the black market. My associate from back home was kind enough to draw up a damn good outline of this place in her free time.

[sixth]

Roger that.

And thank you.

[ For the help. For the map. For getting it. ]

I'll be in touch.