ataraxion | username: algidus ⚫ 002 [Voice]

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username: algidus ⚫ 002 [Voice]

[Hello, fellow planetfall survivors. Today a rather reclusive individual is accessing the network for... well, probably the first time since the digital network was re-established by the resourceful group involved. Having his ear up against a whole bunch of human chatter was not something Algidus had been interested in; he'd, in fact, let his phone run dry and had to charge it at a hard line just for this occasion.

But it was an important one. Though Algidus didn't want to admit it, he was beginning to become worried--it had been a long time since he'd seen or heard from the one person who had actively agreed to help him in this place. And while mild discouragement normally wouldn't have been enough to keep him from using the bandwith-devouring video function of the phone, today he's opting for voice because he's having a hard time completely masking the concern in his expression. He doesn't want anyone to see even a trace of weakness.]

This is a... humble request for information. I--has anyone seen or heard from AJ recently? [And then, just in case a name doesn't ring any bells, he adds on:] ... Human. [Well, that probably goes without saying.] Woman. Tall, lanky, uh... long, dark hair. Sharp features. Often came into camp with me to make trades. [Then, just to attempt to mask the fact that he actually cares even a little for a human:] She and I were working together on something. Something important. If she's not here any more then I will need to... pursue other avenues.

[He pauses, tries to think of anything else to say, and finds himself not only coming up short but feeling an unfamiliar emotion welling up inside of himself. Rebelling against it takes up his focus, so for now, he's cutting his broadcast and waiting to hear from others.]

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[Sharp features? Don't you mean weasel-faced? HAHAHAHA-

[yeah no this sucks]

Haven't seen her. Was she staying at the camp with everyone else?

I... I don't think so. I know she spent a couple of nights in the camp but she also had... other settlements that she could have potentially been hunkering down in. I've checked all of them. Nothing.

Huh. Saw her last when she stopped by some time ago, hadn't seen her since then.

...

Will keep an eye out, just in case something may have happened. ["--and she may need help," is almost what comes out, but she figures he doesn't need to worry about his friend any more than he already does, considering the circumstances are already a little grim.]

When did she visit? Did she mention anything... out of the ordinary? Acting different? [He realizes he's sort of grasping at straws here, but he's not going to give up on finding her easily. In the very least, he needs closure on this.

Algidus takes a pause at the offer of help. He really should say something here, shouldn't he? He remembers how their last encounter went, the insults flung from both sides, and it chafes at him something fierce... right now, however, there are more important things going on. The alien hisses.] ... ... Thank you.

Shortly after the stampede, and before the storm hit. [And the masks. Fuck those things.] If there was anything going on, she didn't seem to indicate as such.

[She pauses a bit herself at that unexpected token of gratitude. Even someone like Rey has the social tact to not chide on someone who's dealing with loss, but it still comes as somewhat unexpected. Besides, she's too goddamn old to be holding grudges of any kind.]

Just wish this information could've been more helpful. Apologies.

[And Algidus was not expecting the apology. For once, he is not going to be a total ass--berate her, call her a useless human-look alike. Even he can see that would be beyond idiotic... even if venting his rage and blaming this on someone else wold make him feel better.]

That was... when I saw her too. Heh--helped her wrangle of those damned beasts... [He trails off again, surprised at how he'd slipped into a fond recollection and realizing that it made the absence hurt all over again. The alien gives another growl.] I'm going to figure out what happened.

[Good job, Algidus, you're learning. And let's be real, it's probably what AJ would've wanted, too.]

They don't taste bad once they're cooked. [Implying that she's taken some down as well, to no one's surprise.]

Been planning to do some recon in the jungle sometime. See if there are any hints as to where people have been vanishing to.

I've been combing the jungle ever since she dropped out of contact. But if you think you'll find something that I've missed--[his tone suggests he doesn't think it's likely, but he's doing his fucking best to hold back on shitty remarks like that]--then go ahead. It... can't hurt to have someone else double-checking the work. Can't be too careful with this.

No, you certainly can't be. And we may be trapped in a "cage" for the time being with this tether, but it's still a lot of ground to cover. There has to be something out there that someone hasn't scouted yet.

If there is, I'll do my damnedest to find it. I'm... I'm not going to stop searching, not until I have some confirmation... one way or another.

[She knows that there's a chance that confirmation may not come the way Algidus hopes. While Rey doesn't want to entirely get his hopes up, she doesn't want to smash them when she knows the other guy is quick to react.

[So she just sighs.] Will let you know if there are any new developments. Unfortunately, things are too different now from the way they used to be to know for certain where some people have disappeared to. When we were on the ship, we at least knew for a fact where people went if they went missing after a jump.

You're talking about Harris? Haven't spoken to her in ages. D'you think something's happened to her?

[There's some hedged concern in his voice.

[Algidus bobs his head rapidly in a nod before he realizes that, right, voice.] Yes, yes! AJ Harris. I... I don't know, but I intend to find out.

That's rough, mate. She seems like a solid person. Definitely helped me out of a scrape when I first got here.

[On the other end of the line, James is distractedly dragging a hand back through his hair, making it stand on end.]

Need a hand there? Tell me where to look and I'll have a go at finding Harris as well.

[Algidus makes a sound low in his throat, like he's surprised by the sympathy--and moreover by the offer to help-- and is considering James' motives.]

I... I've checked everywhere I could think to look. I would not have posted this otherwise. But... if you could just... keep your eyes open. And alert me on this device if you see her.

[Pause. Come on, come on, don't be an ass.] ... ... I would... appreciate it.

'Course.

[And his tone indicates that it isn't even a question. For all of a pompous prick James can be, he's a good bloke at heart.]

I can cover a surprising bit of ground when I put my mind to it.

[Algidus fights the urge to scoff, because he's assuming this person conversing with him is human and that's how he reacts to humans talking themselves up. Anyways, now isn't the time to be an asshole.] I hope so. If you find anything... either some sign of her, or that she might have been somewhere recently... let me know. I can... I can offer exchanges for information, if that's what it takes.

If it's Harris, she owes me a great deal of alcohol. Don't tell me she's scarpered.

[Algidus starts to growl--of course, that's all this person would be worried about--then cuts it off awkwardly because he remembers he's trying to seem like he doesn't care, either. Awkwardness, thy name is ice alien.]

She wouldn't have just run off. I know that much. [Especially not on him, he thinks.] She's not that type of person, something must have happened.

Right.

[But there's being flippant and there's being willfully ignorant of the fact that something could have gone awry here.]

So when's 'recently'?

[Algidus stops to think... and experiences a sinking feeling in his chest when he realizes how long it's been.] Not recently enough. More than a week. It's... this isn't right.

'More than a week'? Oh, is that all. How forgetful are you? Checked your pockets lately?

[Kidding, and very rapid-fire. And anyways, he careens right into sincerity before any real offense can be incurred.]

Better yet, d'you know where she was sleeping?

[Algidus glares down at the device when he hears that, assuming the man is mocking him. He's not good at discerning when people are to begin with, and right now he's really not in a good state to tell. Sorry Sirius.]

Human! This is no laughing matter and I will not tolerate such glib remarks! I did not forget about her. She was my... [Now the wind seems to go out of his sails because he realizes that he still doesn't know where he and AJ stood, and now they're never going to have a chance to figure it out. It feels almost like... like something important got taken away. Like there's a hole there now, or something. When the alien speaks up again, his voice sounds very weary.]

She had a number of encampments set up around the jungle. I have checked all of the ones I know about.

Sirius.

[Easy-going correction. Human yourself, weirdo.]

Someone else is going to ask you to finish that sentence. I won't, but someone will. 'She was my', et cetera. You might want to think up an answer. [Still a little glib, but this time it's got the air of imparting advice--because he is, actually, imparting some advice. It's difficult to be very glib, because this does seem to be a bit important, so--] Can you tell me where the encampments are, 'cos even if you've checked, there might be more details.

[Clues. Scents. Tracker dogs could do wonders here, couldn't they. Wonder dogs even more so.]

[Algidus basically assumes that everyone else here is human until proven otherwise. Not the best assumption to operate under, but he hasn't met enough people that run counter to it to break this preconception yet. In other words: his bad, Sirius.]

Then I will tell them that it is none of their concern. I can tell you the location of the encampments, but it would be hard to get an idea without some sort of map--the jungle is dense, and can be difficult to navigate if someone is not prepared. Have you spent a good deal of time exploring it before?

Edited 2015-11-21 18:22 (UTC)

[shatter the preconceptions just wait]

Yep. Load of time. And what's more, I've got a map. Enchanted map, actually. Sounds as if I might be exactly what you're needing.

You--an enchanted map? What does it do-- what makes it enchanted? Does it highlight specific routes for you? Does it point out objects or locations? [Or does it do something else wondrous that he's not thinking of? Algidus has never been one to believe in miracle fixes, but right now he's going to hope... because the option is to fall back to cursing the universe for taking everything for him, as it has always done. Friendship, support... if even AJ--a clone just like him--had been pried away, then maybe those things were not for him. Maybe struggling to survive alone was to be his way.]

Nah. Nothing like that. S' like-- [He thinks of Harry's explanation quickly, having sort of memorised it so as not to come off as stupid--] --a movie, on a loop. The shots are spelled together so it goes on, continuously.

If it's objects you're looking for, objects are easy. Summon 'em up. People, those take more doing. Obviously.

You think somethin' out there got her? There any trace about what coulda' happened?

I... I don't know. She's not stupid and she doesn't just drop her guard... but it's also not like her to just... run off. I don't know what happened. [And he doesn't really want to consider all the options. He'd heard rumors about there being other settlers somewhere on this planet... and he'd caught wind of the corpse that had been discovered in the camp when the winds had died down. He doesn't want to connect the dots.] No trace. Everything is where she left it, as far as I can tell.

[He sighs.]

People disappear all the time here.

[He pauses. They didn't hit it off well, and Firo's not the type to keep reaching out to someone who puts a bad taste in his mouth. But this concerns someone else. And he supposes that there is a part of him that's still willing to try with the guy who seems to have some connection to his old friend.]

You want a hand in lookin' for her? ...She was kinda weird, but she wasn't a bad sort.

That--no. That can't... [Algidus feels at a loss. The one thing keeping him from completely losing it here, where everything had been taken from him and he had no way to get back home, was knowing that there was someone else who understood how shitty everything was here weathering it with him. Someone that would help him and wouldn't give up easy because of that. The prospect that she just up and disappeared has him feeling deeply, terribly alone all over again... and perhaps that is partly his own fault, given how abrasive he had been towards everyone since he was raised from that old basement.

Perhaps it's that, coupled with his desperation to not be faced with that sense of loneliness, that allows him to respond in the manner that he does despite the poor circumstances of he and Firo's meeting.] Yes... please. I'm not going to give up.

Edited 2015-11-21 16:50 (UTC)

I'm gonna tell you right now not to get too hopeful. ...but there's no point in givin' up completely just yet.

[It's simple logic to him, even if Firo's special brand of the stuff isn't always the most potent. They'll probably be disappointed, but they're guaranteed to be disappointed if they don't even try.]

Where are you? And where've you already looked?

The universe is not fair. I know this better than anyone. [So, yeah, he's not feeling particularly hopeful either. Familiar resentment is bubbling up to the surface again...]

I am... in the camp, right now. I don't have a permanent living space. As for where I have looked--I have scoured the camp and the jungle alike. I have checked all around our usual meeting spaces. I can see no trace of her...

Hey, save the pity party for later, all right?

Then I guess we can start with everywhere between the 'usual spots?' You want me to come meet you at the edge of camp? Where the water is or somethin'.

[Given how huge the ship is, it doesn't work well as a landmark.]

You mean Harris? I haven't seen her in some time, come to think of it.

What is it the two of you were working on now? Perhaps the project has held her up.

We were looking into any possible means of escape from this planet. [And that's all he is going to give on the matter, at least for now. Once he actually forces himself to admit that AJ isn't here anymore, he'll eventually be forced to start reaching out to others on the issue. Right now he's feeling concerned and bitter, so he's defaulting to keeping himself distant from others.]

No. That's not how it worked. We agreed to share information. Maybe... maybe she found something. And... someone didn't want her spreading the knowledge. I... damn it!

Perhaps. As much as I would like to assume that no one brought here by the ship would be actively working against the idea of escape from this place, even I am not that optimistic.

If that is what happened here, I will find who was responsible and I will rend them limb from shivering limb! [Algidus' voice is suddenly harsh and filled with malice. Focusing on revenge, that's much more familiar than all of these new feelings AJ's disappearance had whipped up. That's how he got by in the Box and that's how he'll get by here, if that is all the universe has for him.]

[Good job diffusing the situation, Carlisle.]

If, lad. It's just as likely to be something else. Perhaps even more likely.

[A pause.]

I... don't mean to worry you further, but you don't suppose she'd have put on one of those masks, do you?

[That stops Algidus up for a moment. His eyes go wide and his gills flare open and closed haltingly for a moment or two, before he regathers himself to respond.] I... I don't know. She might have put one on but... she wouldn't... she's too smart to just get herself hurt. [He really, really hopes so anyways. Damn it! He should have gone looking for her the second those stupid things showed up, wind storms be damned.]

[Despite Algidus' alien appearance, Carlisle recognizes the concern that bleeds into his voice.]

I'm not the type looking to get myself hurt, either.

[Realizing that probably isn't easing Algidus' concerns, he backs up.]

She's far more, er... streetwise than I am, however. Was she much of one for experimentation?

On some things. Engineering, crafting, making things... these things she experimented with. She was... she was good at it. [Again, fond recollection slipped into his voice without him realizing it, catching him off guard. The alien clears his throat, but his tone falters. Those masks were unassuming, and no one had any way of knowing what they did to the mind. He's just realized that it's not too much of a stretch to think that AJ might have tried one on, even if just for a moment... he forces out a guttural snarl to cover the way his voice wants to waver.] I can sit here no longer. I must search again!

I can come with you, if you'd like. Perhaps I can be of some assistance, should you find her.

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username: algidus ⚫ 002 [Voice]

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