1; voice

[dislimb]

So, I've finally gotten access to this network... [ hmm... someone sounds wary and cautious, like he's afraid of hearing a response back. ] I have a lot of questions, and I'm seeing that I'm not alone in that regard. But for today, I just have one question that I need answered as soon as possible.

Can someone direct me to a doctor that can set me up with a new arm? I didn't really explore the medical bay too much, but I didn't see any available doctors while I was down there. [ and uh. med bays weren't the most comfortable place for him. ]

Comments

voice

[foundafamily]

An arm?

[What the hell happened to this guy?]

I'm assumin' you mean, like, a wooden one and not an actual arm? Not that you're likely to have much luck with either.

[He feels stupid saying it, but you do have to check with some people here.]

[dislimb]

...Why is this so shocking? It's kinda commonplace where I'm from. Unlike wood.

[foundafamily]

Most people don't just ask for arms, hard as it is to believe.

[The last part sounds strange to him too. Even his city has trees and he knows the world has a ton more outside of it.]

There's no trees or anything where you're from?

[dislimb]

--Well, yeah, I mean, it's not like everyone in my office had a prosthetic or anything, but it's not out of the ordinary for injured workers to just... get their limbs replaced.

And nope, not where I was born.

[foundafamily]

What the hell was your job?

[If people were losing limbs, maybe a factory worker? But, given the kinds of lives they lead where he's from, Firo can't imagine any of them being able to afford such a thing.

After it's out of his mouth, he realizes the question he probably should be asking is "what the hell is up with your world."]

[dislimb]

I was a P-SEC detective. I worked around a lot of engineers and miners. Limb injury and loss was pretty common.

[foundafamily]

Damn. Sounds like fun.

[And then he recalls that this guy was asking for help and it may not be the best idea to just sit here chatting with him. Even if he's about to boil over with questions.]

...You're not bleedin' or anything right now, are you? When did you, ah... lose it?

[dislimb]

I wouldn't call it fun...

[ sighhhh. that was an understatement. ]

No. The wound is cauterized and wrapped up. I... lost it shortly before I got here.

[foundafamily]

And I thought my time before comin' here was rough.

Still pain? They've gotta be able to take care of that, at least.

[dislimb]

It's not a competition. [ at least he sounds a little amused. ]

The pain's all right. My RIG's taking care of it for the moment.

[foundafamily]

Not one I'd wanna win.

RIG?

[Sorry, dude, now that he knows things aren't dire he's going to have trouble curbing his curiosity.]

[dislimb]

...You don't have one, either? [ this was really strange... ] Uh, okay, hold on.


[ he messes around and after a minute or two, he manages to get the video working. he sets the device down and turns his back to it. he'd see a bright blue light illuminating down his spine. ] This is my RIG.

[foundafamily]

[Whatever he expected to see, it was not something like that. His eyes widen and he leans away from the screen.]

What the hell is that thing supposed to be?

[dislimb]

A resource integrated unit. [ he turns back around to face the camera. ] It monitors my health status and helps distribute medicine through my blood stream. Everyone has one where I come from.

[foundafamily]

Resource integrated unit...

[Even with all the technology he's had to get used to on the Tranquility, it still takes him a moment to grasp that. And even then he doesn't so much grasp it as accept there's nothing he can do about such a weird thing.]

Sounds pretty damn useful. I bet whoever invented those made a killing.

[But does everyone really have one? He imagines that cost a lot more than just basic medicine and he knew people who couldn't even afford that...]

[dislimb]

It is. I have no clue about the inventor though. Pretty sure he's dead.

[foundafamily]

Huh. So even that thing doesn't make somebody immortal.

[dislimb]

[ he sighs. he's still on edge from all that happened to him, but somehow talking about something benign like technology was relaxing. ]

No, not quite. But close enough.

[foundafamily]

If it's really "close enough", couldn't it just... grow you a new arm?

[He doesn't mean it to sound as harsh as it may come off as.]

[dislimb]

[ oh look he actually laughs at that. ]

Hey, it may be able to keep me alive for longer than someone without one, but it's far from magical.

[foundafamily]

[He didn't intend that to be funny, but laughs with him nonetheless.]

Too bad. I bet it'd seem like magic to anyone from my world--people get hurt or sick and die all the time there and there's nothin' they can do about it.

[He says it matter-of-factly and without sadness. He hasn't worried about that for a long time.]

[dislimb]

...I see. [ Nate, on the other hand, wasn't as nonchalant about senseless death. mass suicides sought to that. ]

That's unfortunate. I'd be lying if I said there wasn't crime where I'm from, but ...

[foundafamily]

I'd be surprised if there was a place that didn't. People are the same wherever you go.

[dislimb]

I'm not sure if I believe that... [ his faith in people is too high.... ]

[foundafamily]

What? You've gotta be kiddin' me. You might not see it right away, but it'll always be there.