012✖; (video)

[circumitus]

"Recently, you've all been told that there is a traitor.

"So you should probably know what it was I did."

[She pauses, searching for the words while she lets that sink in for a heavy moment. One might note that her tones are different; she doesn't sound like her usual robotic self when she speaks. Quite the opposite, actually. Rey sounds almost like-human. In her own way, you could say that this her one big "fuck you" to Smiley. You think she wouldn't tell everyone? Well, now she is. Full disclosure. So there.]

"I entered the dark corridors shortly after the DUPRR crew had docked the ship. Before long it became apparent that the things infesting the hallways weren't approaching me with any hostility. Because they weren't attacking, I was able to reach the secondary shuttle bay more or less without much incident. During that trek I made an effort to avoid others, not knowing the extent of the compulsion and whether it would also drive me to harm anyone who stood in the way." [Well, it's mostly the truth she speaks. You're welcome, William.]

"All that remained was the DUPRR pilot, Neson. Needing his trust, I tricked him into coming with me by pretending to be a person who was trustworthy. It's something I've become rather good at, actually -- pretending to be someone else, much like how I am right now. Despite the fact that something wanted me to kill this man, I decided to will against it.

"It didn't work as intended.

"Instead, I took him to the White Room. I opened the door. And I led him through.

"He's likely still in there right now, where it's kept him."

[She stops, still dizzied from the jump. The more she speaks, the more hoarse her voice gets. She hasn't been using it that much lately, and it's clear from her shadowed eyes and worn features that she's been neglecting more than just sharing this information.]

"Apparently, doing this has-- 'stopped the clock', whatever that means.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry."

Comments

[muscovy]

That is what they called it.

[He isn't sure if that is what it is - he would think so, but some other people called similar things power or technology. In the end, he assumes, it is about what people want it to be, and that determines what it is when you talk to them, so he just rolls with it.]

[circumitus]

[It's just interesting to her.]

...Never seen anything like magic before coming here. [Despite what she can do. In her case, it's technology that allows her to be able to do the things she does.]

[muscovy]

But you can make fire.

Maybe you just have a different word for it, like technology or power.

[circumitus]

Yes, those would be more apt descriptions. Was created through various cybernetics and genetic breakthroughs during my time.

[muscovy]

[Nodding.

Not that he actually understands all of it, but the most important things stick.]

Could you teach it to someone else?

[circumitus]

Don't think so, no. Even back home, it doesn't seem that they were able to replicate the same ability with any other synthetics. Was an "anomaly".

[Much like her brother, and a few others like her that were sentient.]

[muscovy]

But you could make friends here, yes?

[Usually, people don't like anomalies, but when everyone is away from home, everyone is an anomaly...]

[circumitus]

[She blinks. We're talking about friends now?

[Okay, we're talking about friends now.]

...Yes, um. Suppose so.

[muscovy]

Places like this one are really nice, because it gets easier to make friends. I made some, too. And more family.

[circumitus]

Same, even though it took a while. [Like, years, for her to start making any really close friends.] Pretty sure they're not going to be happy about this post, actually, but--

[She shrugs. It was her choice, even though Firo wanted her to not say anything at all, or go anonymous, which also just isn't her thing.

[At least they care? That's what friends do, right? Yeah.]

[muscovy]

They didn't want people to come and hurt you because you did a silly thing.

[That makes sense. He wouldn't want his friends to get hurt, either.]

[circumitus]

Wouldn't exactly describe it as "silly", but-- suppose that's fair.

[She'd probably not be very happy if it was the other way around. Even now it's still weird to think that people actually give a shit... Almost as weird as the fact that no one has actually come to hurt her. Yet.]

[muscovy]

But a lot of people would think so, yes? Or your friends wouldn't be worried.

[Simple logic, here. At least from where he stands.]

[circumitus]

Don't know what a lot of people would think. What seems "silly" is the prospect of an angry mob forming over something which we don't have all the answers to yet.

[And if they did then, well. Rey's pretty confident that she can handle whatever gets thrown her way. Or at least take anyone with her before going down.]

[muscovy]

They would think that it is silly, though. And that would be why they'd be angry and bad things would happen.

But it is nice that people here don't think so easily.

[circumitus]

Suppose it should be rather comforting to know that people don't seem to be immediately inclined to favor lynching as a viable option. Yet.

[Or perhaps Rey is just disposed to give her fellow prisoners a benefit of the doubt, more so than she would have with people back home. They're all freaks here, after all.]

Not like the ship's regulations are clear that any law was broken, anyway. [As if that makes things any better. (Spoilers: It really doesn't.)]

[muscovy]

There are laws here?

[He hadn't really expected that, it didn't really seem like a society that would have any.]

[circumitus]

Well, not necessarily. They're more like ground rules -- no killing people, no maiming or harming other passengers without good reason, no abusing your department power...

Basic things like that that everyone should be able to follow anyway.

[muscovy]

But sometimes you have to kill people because they were bad or because they are currently doing something bad.

[As in, executions, or in war or similar situations.]

[circumitus]

[Being a solider, she is... really not going to argue with that logic.]

Okay, no murdering people in cold blood, or even attempting to do so.

[muscovy]

[A nod.]

...What if someone did that back home, but doesn't do it here?

[This is... relevant. Not for himself, but for someone that he still hopes will show up eventually.]

[circumitus]

No one in Security is lawfully allowed to take action against anyone for things they did prior to their coming on the ship. If that were the case, a good decent handful of us would probably be in the brig.

[Rey herself included, hhh.]

[muscovy]

Even if they might do it again if the circumstances are so that they have to?

[circumitus]

if they have to and those circumstances are in self-defense. we've had someone suggest brigging/airlocking those who only MIGHT do harm and it didn't go over well.

[muscovy]

I don't think he can not.

But I will try to make sure that it doesn't happen, if he shows up. [Brightening up, and then tilts his head a bit, listening to something too far away for the com device to pick it up.] My lady aunt is calling.