009; (Voice)

[andblockbuster]

[This is that moment in a horror movie where comms just start going staticky like crazy and you're sure there's actual talking going on, but it's almost entirely garbled, either because of the mass panic of the person the other end or because it's plot convenient. WHO KNOWS. Either way, Topher's comm is doing a lot of static and the only thing that actually gets through in the haze is a single sentence.]

░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░

░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░

░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░DID IT HAVE TO BE RATS?!


[Congrats, TQ. Now everyone knows of Topher's rodent problem. For the record, he's sequestered in a far corner of the genetics labs to avoid the rats and most of his shouting is telling people THERE ARE RODENTS HERE. GET THEM GET THEM. We can assume someone dragged him bodily out of the labs later, but for now? HE AIN'T MOVIN'. Or contributing.]

Comments

[theyalldieforme]

[Some days John feels like he's Topher's personal bodyguard, but at least he likes Topher, so that's not so bad. He sees him freaking out in the corner of the lab, and being a man of foresight, he has his AK-47 with him.

He kills the rats around Topher - sorry, they had to die - and moves up to grab him by the arm]

Come on.

[andblockbuster]

[Topher has found a cabinet to perch on and is doing quite well for himself despite the hyperventilating and panicking and generally hating everything is concerned.

He covers his ears at the gunfire and glances up. And it really says a lot about his life at this point that he's not really surprised it's John.]

What? No "come with me if you want to live." You're holding out on me, John. [He's being sarcastic when he should be thanking him, but he's terrified and even the thought of stepping onto the ground with the bullet-ridden ROUS corpses is a problem, but he clambers down anyway, albeit with hesitation and fear.]

[theyalldieforme]

If you want that you'll need to get Cameron.

[Okay so maybe that was a bit too much information, but considering Topher is Topher, he figured he should have been more surprised that it didn't happen earlier.

He takes his handgun from the holster in the back of his jeans and hands it over]

Don't make me regret giving this to you.

[andblockbuster]

[Normally, Topher's a little nicer about the fourth wall, considering how often he flails at Josh and Mike, BUT NOW IS PANIC. PANIC MEANS NO MAS NICENESS.

Topher stares at the gun and then at John.] I actually get a gun?

[HE NEVER GETS A GUN. SUDDENLY THE CLOUDS HAVE OPENED UP AND SOME AMBIGUOUS DEITY SAID, "HERE TOPHER, YOU HAVE EARNED THIS."]

video;

[pitied]

[The reliability of these things is still shoddy at best. Still someone is amused.]

At least this time you know it wasn't me.

video;

[andblockbuster]

[The video's pretty garbled, but you can still see Topher's unimpressed face.]

░░░░░░░░░ou ░░░░░░ not this sa░░stic.

video;

[pitied]

[His face only makes her smile again. Her image flickers before she speaks.]

You mean changing something's dynamic to make it different? No, that's your field, Dr. Brink.

video;

[andblockbuster]

░░░░░░even remotely what I ░░░░░░aid.

[voice]

[testgasm]

░░░op--stop screaming and take th░░ ░░░ift back up, you're not ░░░░░ing any good ░░░░ming, that's how they ░░░░ind you.

Also, I ░░░eed you in Med░░░░░░.

[voice]

[andblockbuster]

░░░░░░ Are you ░░░░░░ kidding me? ░░░░░░

[WE HAD A MOMENT...]

[testgasm]

░░o, or course I'm not ░░dding you, it's very import░░░░░░.

Sto░░ ░░░eaming.

[andblockbuster]

I'M ░OT ░░░░░░EAMING.

[Well... Now he is.]

[video]

[glassesonachain]

[Bennett just looks at him, slightly confused for a long time.]

But they're...they're just rats. Why are you afraid of them?

[voice]

[andblockbuster]

[SOB BENNETT. Hold on he's not talking about that.]

░░░░░░nent? ░░░░░░ou okay?

[voice]

[glassesonachain]

I'm fine. But you didn't answer my question.

[Video]

[tables]

[ . . . ]

Rats?

[voice]

[andblockbuster]

░░░░░░tant rats. My worst ░░░░░░mare.

[voice]

[tables]

[Damn.]

Assistance?

[Marius attempts to keep his responses short and to the point, to avoid getting cut off. The malfunctions seem to happen in long bursts of communication, anyway.]

NOT HERE.

[northerner]

[ because robb is otherwise occupied, but topher jesus christ you are the worst bannerman ever. ]

voice;

[leaps]

St--reaming a--gher ground!

[ hikaru sulu: giver of helpful advice. ]

voice;

[andblockbuster]

CABINET. ░░░░░░░░░igher than that.

voice;

[leaps]

Don't you have a gun?

[voice]

[soyed]

░░░░

If ░░░░░░░ rats it'd be something ░░░░░░░░░░░░░

[voice]

[andblockbuster]

░░░░░░ing is worse than rats.

[HE IS DEAD SERIOUS.

DO YOU THINK THIS IS A GAME???]

[voice]

[soyed]

Bad ░░░░░░░░ce?

[He believes you. He's never really had an issue with rats though. Regular rats. But see rats through the eyes of someone who's had a bit of Soy Sauce in their system and then we'll talk about rats more.]

You better hope one of them doesn't want to be friends then.