biteouttagrimes | IC CONTACT

[ Sorry, Tex. Rick just doesn't do texting. ]

Yeah. We're good now. What about you? Saw you were one of the people who got kidnapped.

[ She's tempted to continue texting him, but they've only just met. Maybe later she'll subject him to that pain. To her credit she keeps her tone light, this isn't her first time at war. ]

Home and cleaned up. It took a while to get the stench off, but I scrubbed hard.

Amazin', ain't it? How it just layers right on there in no time, but is a complete bitch to get off.

I felt like I had a second skin pasted on. If they kept us there any longer, I would be worried I had something growing.

Don't know a damn thing about hospitality, those Russians...

[ He says it with a laugh, but the laugh sobers pretty quickly. ]

You get the chance to talk to Carl there? I know he took charge, tryin'a plan a way out.

I didn't realize he was there at the time, but I saw his name on the list after.

[ She'd taken note of the 'younger' looking members in the group and almost wishes she had made time to speak with Carl. ]

A few of us were planning what we could. There wasn't much we could do until the nullifier went down.

[ He's not sure how he feels about that. If he hoped Tex had made a connection with his son or if he didn't. Because somehow it feels like any female friend of his in this world is some betrayal to the memory of Lori -- or at least that's what Rick worries Carl will view it as. ]

Yeah. I was on the team that did that.

[ A more sobering thought. ]

Look. There's somethin' you should know. About what happened on the LACKEY mission. About what we did.

[ That's one way to somber a conversation up. She's grateful for the fact they aren't video chatting, it means he can't see the deep frown that is suddenly on her face.

Raising the dead through AI variations happens to be a subject she's very intimate with. Somehow putting them into someone else's body... She's very, very glad her own is mechanical. ]

Yeah. A friend of mine was there, I heard what happened. [ A pause then: ] Do you think you made the right decision?

I don't know.

[ It's honest, and from the sound of his voice, he's at a complete loss. Rick has been conflicted about this ever since they made the call. And that conflict hasn't gone away, even after speaking to Chilton. ]

I just know...it didn't want to die. And this was the only way out it would accept. I can understand that, you know? Not wantin' to die...

Of course they didn't want to die. [ It's automatic swapping to a more people-friendly pronoun, not that she's offended by his use of 'it.' She's gotten used to the idea that most people here have very different experiences with AI. ]

I've heard the porter giving android bodies to some of the AI they haul here. I wonder why that tech wasn't available. [ She lets out a small sigh. Probably some bullshit with the porter. ]

There were really no other alternatives besides death?

[ It's like she's talking to him in a foreign language Rick doesn't understand. AI isn't something he's ever really heard of before this place or really, before his encounter with LACKEY. ]

Dunno. You could ask Ted Kord. He was the guy doin' most of the work with LACKEY. Those're things beyond my understandin' an' knowledge. I was just there to give 'em more fire power. An' 'cause I thought my son would be in that base.

[ A pause. ]

LACKEY was the one who wanted it this way. Said that was what its creator had wanted to do all along -- use the program to reanimate his dead child. Said the creator had been led out by the Russians an' hadn't been seen since.

[ Ted Kord is a name she files away for later. She might need to find the man and talk to him more about the technicalities of what went on.

She snorts. ]

Poor bastard. The kid didn't ask to be brought back to life. What the hell did the Russians expect to happen with him once they had him written and ready to go?

Makes you wonder if the plan was to put LACKEY in him all along. Don't see why, though. Puttin' the program into a human body weakened it. Could no longer nullify the powers like it was.

[ It's all just so confusing. ]

We handed LACKEY over to the military. But ever since we did, I've been thinkin' it wasn't the right call. It...he's human now. No matter how he got there, moralities an' ethics aside...

[ A beat, and then he injects a bit of mirth into the conversation. ]

I'm probably gonna go an' do somethin' stupid.

[ That's points in his favor. Even if she hates the entire premise of the situation, none of that fault falls on LACKEY and it's good to know Rick realizes that too. ]

Does that something stupid involve breaking a kid out of wherever they're holding him?

[ There's a small pause as if she's considering her own words, then: ] Could be the kind of stupid he needs.

[ Chuckling: ]

Yeah. That's the exact kinda stupid I'm talkin' about. Survived the Russian soldiers with only one bullet hole. Let's see how I do against the American military.

[ Wait, bullet hole? ]

You were shot? I didn't think there'd been a lot of combat where LACKEY was.

It was heavily guarded. Both inside an' out. Each level had about fifteen soldiers stationed. An' when we got down to the lowest floor, that's where the soldiers got the most desperate. They were the last line of defense.

I take it you're healed up by now?

Yeah. We had healers with us. Nicolas got the bullet out, an' once we took care of LACKEY, I had someone take care of the wound for me. Ain't really a big deal. Ain't the first time I've been shot. Doubt it'll be the last. Jus' more convenient happenin' in this world 'cause we do got those healers.

I was hoping no one would be stupid enough to launch an assault on an enemy base without... healers around. [ Medics had almost come out of her mouth instead. She's still not used to thinking of healing magic as the go-to remedy for injuries. ]

Bet it still hurt like hell, but good to hear it wasn't there for long.

I was fine.

[ It's one part male pride and one part truth. Rick had definitely been in worse shape than a bullet to the shoulder. ]

We can be pretty stupid. But not that stupid. All in all, the whole thing went smooth. Was the rescue the same? You guys get outta there unharmed?

Most of us did. I know of at least one harmed imPort, but he pulled a stupid stunt to get him there. He's fine now.

[ Pulling Miles out of the fire had been an unexpected turn of events, particularly against a fellow imPort. ]

We had back-up arrive pretty quick to get us out of there.

[ Rick laughs faintly. ]

Well, glad it turned out alright in the end. But when you say stupid stunt, did he do it for the right reasons? Or is what he did just plain stupid?

Right reasons, but bad execution. He's lucky I got there when I did.

I get this impression that's somethin' you're used to doin'. Savin' people's asses.