oo2. text + audio attachment.

[xerampelinae]

sometimes a prayer is only a voice in all the noise
maybe this one was meant for you

[ A file is attached; ]

! TRANSMISSION ERROR.
! TRANSMISSION RETRIEVED.
! CONTENTS FOLLOW.

[ MUFFLED, STATIC SCRATCHING. IT CONTINUES, FADING ENOUGH THAT OTHER SOUNDS BEGIN TO COME THROUGH: LOUD AND SHAKY, WET GASPS OF BREATH, AND THEN A MORE DISTANT, LOWER RHYTHM. THERE'S A BURST OF DULL CLICKING NOISES, AND THE SOUND BECOMES DISCERNABLE AS A MALE VOICE. ]

—red of clearing up your m—s. If you'd ke— on top of th— we wouldn't be in this —uation. They'd be —already.

[ A LOUD BURST OF DISTORTED NOICE, ELECTRONIC SHRIEKING AND DISCORDANT TONES THAT ENDS AS ABRUPTLY AS IT STARTED. ]

No, see, ca— in point. This shouldn't be dam— control. She should— happened at all. You were [ . . . ] —ing with your toys, distr—ted, and you coul— manage to fix— when it started. Now we— an accelerating —sue and I've had to get involved.

[ FUMBLED SOUNDS, FABRIC SCRATCHING STATIC AGAINST THE MIC AGAIN. FOOTSTEPS THAT GROW LOUDER BUT THEN TURN, GROW QUIETER, AND STOP. ]

You're done. Han— her, clear out your pets and— time for me to take ov— [ A SCREAM OF DISTORTION INTERRUPTING, HEAVY, CRACKLING STATIC. WHEN SOUND RETURNS, HIS VOICE HAS PITCHED INTO CONFUSION AND ALARM. ] What? Y— can't, you don't have th—

[ A LOW THUMP AND THEN ANOTHER SHRILL, PIERCING SOUND, RISING HIGHER AND LOUDER UNTIL IT DISTORTS INTO BEATS OF STATIC. BARELY DISCERNABLE THROUGH IT IS THE SOUND OF SCRABBLING, BOOTS ON METAL, UNINTELLIGIBLE SHOUTS THAT BEGIN TO TURN TO SCREAMS. THERE'S A MUDDLED FUMBLE OF STATIC AND THEN THE DISTORTION BEGINS TO FADE, THE SOUNDS OF HARSH BREATHING AND RUNNING FOOTSTEPS FILTERING THROUGH. A FEMALE VOICE, MURMURING DESPERATELY: ]

Oh God, oh— please, I don't— [ A SCUFFLE AND THEN A LOUD, CRACKLING THUMP. ]

there's a saying from my world that explains the way of the universe
it begins with 'all of this has happened before'

i can't find the source
and the interference you hear is audio corruption
but human suffering has a distinct resonance

is it too late?

Comments

video | widowlock.

[xerampelinae]

[ There's something to be said about the way predators work. Eye contact is relevant.

There is nothing especially predatory about Natasi's videofeed back, save for that she is angular in the face and has a lot of very white teeth, but her gaze is direct, almost warm in amusement. ]

I thought you might say 'goodbye'.

video | widowlock.

[debts]

I thought about it.

[ Amusement, there and back again in the pull of her lips. ]

Natasha Romanoff.

video | widowlock.

[xerampelinae]

Natasi.

[ It doesn't sound like omission, no particular reserve in her tone save for flat study of her screen. Maybe she doesn't have a last name.

Head tip. ]

Hello.

video | widowlock.

[debts]

Hi.

[ Repetition. Natasha looks like she wants to laugh, or maybe is already, though it's not in a way that's unkind. ]

I like that. The saying, from your world.