004. voice.

[sorrycharles]

My name is Erik Lehnsherr.

[ His voice is rough, still raw from the scrape of the breathing tube up and out through his trachea. Blood from his nose is clagged thick down the back of his throat, the taste of copper on his tongue soured further by bile. ]

For the complacent -- for those of you content to shelter in place gumming canned corn while this ship bends you to its will: you need only ask if you crave the added comfort of certain death.

For the rest of us: we do what we must to survive so that we might live. It’s true that no dead prisoner has ever escaped captivity.

But neither has any man who hasn’t tried.

If you have a chance, take it. If you’re afforded a choice, make it. Fight, and suffer, and die screaming before you pass on an opportunity to break this cycle.

If no one else will take up the mantle of Commander Shepard’s mission, I will.

[ A pause, then: ]


An entity with nothing to fear from the truth has no need to kill to protect it.

[ The feed ends. ]

Comments

[voice]

[sorrycharles]

Do you expect me to argue with you.

[kutte]

Yeah. You made a great speech, not gonna harp on about your qualifications? Better strike while the iron is hot and all that bullshit.

[voice]

[sorrycharles]

If I do strike, it won't be with my résumé.

[kutte]

Just with a fuckload of people you're leading into the fucking halls. Again. At least wait until we've--

[ he breaks, physically can't make light of her death. ]

You want company while you go running out in the dark to retrace her steps?

[sorrycharles]

There's no need to concern yourself with 'fuckloads.'

You're the first.

[ There's a metallic click. Sounds like a lighter. ]

I'd welcome the company.