day 9 | veronica

[jackhole]

[ and a message for veronica, sent privately through the BBS. ]

okay. private line. just me and you, veronica.

you said you want to help. what would you do? i know i'm staff but i have my own questions too about everything. i only just remembered the real story, for the record. i didn't before, when we killed you.

might have gone a little crazy because of it, if you noticed.

Comments

[onepunchgirl]

Yeah no shit. Don't expect me to feel bad for you though, considering you're literally working for one of my family's sworn enemies.

How about you give me your questions first, and then we'll talk about how much I can do from my position.

[jackhole]

i don't need your pity, i'm just trying to say it wasn't personal. i don't even know about your family? like, at all!

okay, how is it on the other side? who would you pick for your five? did you know anyone with a role?

[onepunchgirl]

Word of advice, Rhys: "It's not personal" is a shit excuse, and a non-apology. You can't distance yourself from your actions - none of us can.

The other side, as you call it, is a lie. It's a digital recreation of a Pre-War town. And we're nothing but code now in a server. Like our whole personality and memories have been backed up. I'm Veronica Santangelo, but I'm also not now because I was killed. By you assholes.

And I'm not answering those last questions. "Who would you pick?" It doesn't matter. When the Enclave is involved, everyone loses. We're all fucked.

[jackhole]

i feel like i'm being unfairly judged for doing my job. but fine, be that way.

and i feel like you're looking at it the wrong way here. so what if it's digital? you're still alive in some form, aren't you? shifting from one place to the next. why would you ever want to go back out there? there's NOTHING there. at least digitally, you can have anything you want at your fingertips. you can't tell me that isn't better.

they're going to be let out regardless once we hit the number limit. i want to make sure the people left are prepared to deal with it. THAT'S why i ask.

[onepunchgirl]

Fun fact about being digital: I can still manage to roll my eyes at you! Imagine that.

You're wrong Rhys. The world may not be perfect, but I would much rather live in it than on a server as code. I may be alive in a sense, but I can never go back home now. Never see my family again. That isn't better to me.

They'll be able to deal with it. Any and all of them. The world outside the Complex may not be what they remember it as, but they'll be capable. If I can speak with them as we have been, and if Judy stops fucking censoring me, I'll be happy to help direct them to proper safe havens.

[jackhole]

that... didn't really occur to me, about your family. i guess i kind of forgot about that aspect. i'm sorry, i'll try to see what i can do to make the state you're in as nice as possible. if you have anything you want and judy's not giving it to you, ask me. i'll talk to her. i guess i just figured everyone felt the same way i did.

okay, that might help actually? i can't go into detail but that's something we'll need. if you can make a list of some sort, a compilation of tips and advice, i can get it to the others when the time comes. i know you have absolutely no reason to trust me, considering everything, but right now i'm trying to sort of... fix it? kind of? or at least make things a little less terrible.

and part of that means having something to help the others when the time comes would be great. unfortunately, i can't lift the gag order because it's for their safety? it's part of the process and trying to circumvent it will lead into some pretty bad shit.

[onepunchgirl]

The only thing I want is a way out of this server. Apart from that? To tell everyone the identity of the staff member who chopped my body into fucking pieces.

Now give me a moment to compile some information.

[onepunchgirl]

Here's your list:

-The world outside is not actively radioactive, but you'll want to avoid water that hasn't been purified through filtration. The fountain is making people experience minor radiation sickness if they go into it.
-Most food has trace amounts of radiation in it, even if grown from the ground. Cooking the food is the best way to reduce the amount of rad intake.
-There's a lot of crazy mutant creatures out there, and you can eat all of them so long as you cook the meat to get rid of the excess rads.
-Seek out the Followers of the Apocalypse if you manage to get out. They're probably the best bet at a safe haven, and they take in pretty much anyone willing to spread a message of good will. They operate primarily in Dayglow and Angel's Boneyard, but exist throughout the West Coast as a whole.
-Failing that, the New California Republic is your next best shot.
-If THAT also fails, then just find any settlement out there that's populated and friendly to newcomers. Most are, as long as you're not a douchebag.
-If you are a douchebag, then you may as well become a Raider.

I suggest you don't share this list with anyone yet. Judy will likely try to censor you - I'm pretty sure she has it out for me.

[jackhole]

[ rhys' response to that isn't immediate, a delay as he considers the benefits of what he's about to say and feels a relief at having veronica's list. okay, this is helping. this is... helping?

but in the end, he commits since he's definitely in a position where... this, where gaining veronica as an ally maybe, might be more valuable. ]

thank you for this. i'll give it to them when i can.

and... i might be able to give you that, but i need you to be patient. can you wait till after the trial? then i can explain and we might be able to do something good together.

in the meantime, talk to luke. he's lonely and angry but he's a good kid and he wants to do the right thing too. we were stupid and now we're trying to change that, you know?

[onepunchgirl]

Which of the two can you give me?

I'll try but I make no promises. Luke hasn't exactly been a peach.

[jackhole]

i can give you ava's head on a platter, to be blunt about it.

and he's just being defensive. everyone sort of wants to kill him? he never killed anyone during his time alive and he's a teenage boy who got murdered because he got sick and it was "suspicious". you're all dead so the fuck does it matter if he was staff or not? right now, he's just a kid who everyone hates. have some freggin sympathy and give him a chance.