TSW 21: Arina and Vernbeck

[15:42]	IcePickLobotomy	Arina: As you make your way back from the MAGI-control room and to the elevator you and Kerensky are waved down by Dr. Vernbeck. The woman pulls the golf-cart to the side and out of traffic as the elderly german approaches.
[15:43]	Arina	blinks, looking up. "Ah, good afternoon, Doctor."
[15:44]	IcePickLobotomy	"Dr. Kerensky, good afternoon. Miss Alkaeva, do you mind if I borrow you for a moment?"
[15:46]	Arina	stands up, getting off the cart. "Mm, I suppose...? What is it?"
[15:48]	IcePickLobotomy	"A couple of things, do you mind if we speak in my office?" He gestures to a nearby hallway "There's only one thing that shouldn't wait, but I'd rather we talk privately."
[15:52]	Arina	nods, following after him. "All right...?"
[15:52]	Arina	rubs her throat slightly.
[15:56]	IcePickLobotomy	He bides Kerensky farewell and the two of you walk a short distance to his office. The walls here are the same grey-ish white, though less dirtied than the ones in the main hallway. The floor is a touch more reflective and reminds you of the hospital that Rosa works at. "I owe you a apology Miss. Alkaeva." He says as he activates the retinal scanner to his office.
[15:58]	Arina	cocks her head. "Ah?"
[16:00]	IcePickLobotomy	"I misjudged you, I expected very little of you as a pilot. I had at best hoped you'd be little more than another body for the Intruders to go after. At worst. . . " he shakes his head.
[16:02]	Arina	"Get in the way of the useful ones?"
[16:04]	IcePickLobotomy	He opens the door. It's a large office with wood panels and a brown shag carpet. The wall behind his office is dominated by a massive bookshelf, and there are 2 more bookshelves around the room filled with books, folders, and binders. He moves to a large oak desk covered in papers folders and a open book.
[16:05]	IcePickLobotomy	"Yes. . ." He sighs "And for that I apologize, I am deeply thankful to find you one of our most effective pilots in the program."
[16:05]	Arina	nods, glancing around the office. "You're welcome, I suppose."
[16:08]	IcePickLobotomy	Arina: A few personally touches. A vase with a sunflower. A black and white photo of a man at his wedding. And a large poster showing the schematics for something like a OUTRIDER, though leaner, smother curves, less human.
[16:09]	IcePickLobotomy	"And I want to thank you again for stepping in for Kasra in the last fight. That's not something I would have expected from anyone. It means. ." He sits down in the large leather seat. "A lot to me to see Kasra have friends who hold his well being in high esteem."
[16:12]	Arina	hums, expression softening slightly. "I'd very much rather none of us died to this. And Kasra is... somewhat careless about his own well-being."
[16:13]	IcePickLobotomy	"I had a talk with him about that, though I can hardly fault the boy for his dedication either."
[16:16]	Arina	"Mm. It's work that needs to be done."
[16:19]	IcePickLobotomy	He nods. "But I wanted to talk to you about something you mentioned after the last battle, about feeling thirsty. You told me about it before too, and I saw you rubbing your throat a moment ago. It hasn't gone away has it?"
[16:19]	Arina	blinks, and shakes her head. "No matter how much I drink."
[16:25]	IcePickLobotomy	"Hmm." he jots down some notes on a nearby piece of paper. "Have you noticed anything else? Intrusive thoughts? Preoccupation with certain ideas, patterns such as a particular tune or image?'
[16:29]	Arina	purses her lips. "Nothing in particular, no. It started after my hallucination in the cave."
[16:29]	IcePickLobotomy	"And have you noticed any sort of pattern to when you feel this thrist most strongly?"
[16:37]	Arina	"Mm... I'm not entirely sure, but it seems to get stronger around my Outrider, and it was very severe when my plug breached in the last battle."
[16:39]	IcePickLobotomy	"Hmm. A correlation to AT Fields perhaps?"
[16:42]	Arina	"Contact from stronger ones? The... week of bleeding was a result of that Intruder getting close enough to partially erode my field, right?"
[16:43]	IcePickLobotomy	"We think so. We. . . found that the personal in the area had dissolved, for lack of a better term. Your Outrider's field protected you from the worst of it." He leans back and fetches a pipe from his desk "You don't mind do you?"
[16:45]	Arina	"A bit - I do need my throat in good condition to do my work."
[16:54]	IcePickLobotomy	He shrugs and sets the pipe aside "That's fair. But ah, yes. I don't want to overly alarm you, but nor do I want to leave you uninformed. The study of AT Field disorders is in it's infancy. There are only a handful of cases to my knowledge, and each one is unique."
[16:55]	Arina	"I suppose that's to be expected."
[16:56]	IcePickLobotomy	"We do have some equipment here that we can use to take a closer look, as well as monitor your field more closely during the sync-tests. I'm afraid that if it becomes more problematic our means of treating it are rather limited."
[16:57]	Arina	"Yes, I suppose you're still working on inventing the means."
[17:00]	IcePickLobotomy	"For the most part yes, the methods we have are imprecise and highly invasive. Unless you life or sanity are on the line I would not suggest undertaking those treatments."
[17:01]	Arina	"I'll bear that in mind, thank you."
[17:07]	IcePickLobotomy	"And please, keep me appraised if anything changes or gets worse."
[17:09]	Arina	nods. "Do you have any idea what 0x1dcaused0x1d this? Was there something 0x1ddown0x1d there?"
[17:12]	IcePickLobotomy	"I. . . I think so, the symptons of undue exposure to the Emitter are hallucinations and a decline in mental health, not. . whatever you are feeling." He leans forward "I must ask for your utter confidence here Pilot Alkaeva, there are things that METI does not /officially/ record. And for very good reasons."
[17:14]	Arina	raises an eyebrow.
[17:15]	IcePickLobotomy	"Are you familiar with the concept of Mutually Assured Destruction?"
[17:16]	Arina	nods. "Of course?"
[17:17]	IcePickLobotomy	"And you've heard of the Amerincan's intent on that "Star Wars" system of theirs too I take it?"
[17:19]	Arina	frowns, nodding. "I have, yes."
[17:21]	IcePickLobotomy	He slides a file folder from his desk. "Positron Technology is something /we/ made to combat the Intruders. Something /they/ " he spits the word in disgust "have taken to use for their own attempt to upset the balance of power. And I can assure you Pilot Alkaeva, the Soviets have done much the same."
[17:21]	Arina	glances through the folder, frowning. "Mm..."
[17:23]	IcePickLobotomy	Arina: It looks like a satellite, with a equipped positron weapon, one of the older models if you are not mistaken, built into it. "They aquired that technology from us. We had given it to them to build anti-intruder emplacements to maintain good order among their citizens."
[17:25]	Arina	hums. "I suppose they can 0x1dalso0x1d shoot Intruders with it."
[17:25]	IcePickLobotomy	"Hardly, atmospheric blooming means it's not much use outside of the upper atmosphere."
[17:27]	Arina	"Ah, I see. So only if an Intruder is caught coming from space. Not as dual-purpose as hoped."
[17:29]	IcePickLobotomy	"And they haven't even bothered claiming it's to shoot down Intruders." he sighs "My point being we are devolping cutting edge technology that makes fusion bombs look like firecrackers. Mainly the Outriders, but there are other things we have that are also quite damaging. And while we've gained greater independence these last few years, METI is deeply compromised by spies and informers on...
[17:29]	IcePickLobotomy	...most levels."
[17:32]	Arina	nods. "The nations want some return out of the investment."
[17:33]	IcePickLobotomy	"And they are entitled too it. We've made great breakthroughs in the areas of mechanical engineering, medicie, mental health, computing, all of which we've disseminated back to them. But /weapons/ however? Or the easily weaponized? I cannot say that they have proven themselves responsible enough for those."
[17:35]	Arina	hums. "That's a way to look at it."
[17:41]	IcePickLobotomy	"If we were to have encountered a location with a much higher AT Field activity than the baseline, or even more than one, we would be deeply wary about letting their existence be known. If we were aware of the gains to be made, and the dangers, of these areas, we would seek to prevent their exploitation by those who would endanger everyone with their short-sighted greed." he leans forward,...
[17:41]	IcePickLobotomy	...looking you in the eyes over the rim of his glasses "We would be even more wary if such dangers included the death of half the worlds population due to such exploitation being done in a unsafe manner."
[17:46]	Arina	cocks her head. "I see. So on the record, there was nothing down there."
[17:46]	Arina	"On the record, why 0x1dwere0x1d we in quarantine? If on the record, we were never in the birthplace of the Red Plague?"
[17:48]	IcePickLobotomy	"You were never in the birth place of the Red Plague. You were at one of the 4 sites we've identified as containing the Strain Zero of the Red Plague. The first one was in Brazil where it had been weaponized."
[17:55]	Arina	purses her lips. "I see. So if the weaponization was in Brazil, what was being done at this location? By whom?"
[18:00]	IcePickLobotomy	"Nothing, it wasn't found until a few years later. It appears to have been a center for a earlier civilization, but beyond that it's only use has been by METI to study Strain 0."
[18:27]	Arina	rolls her eyes. "Doctor, if you're going to speak to me 'off the record', please reserve yourself to the truth."
[18:27]	Arina	"I've been to the lower levels, they were built in the fourties or fifties."
[18:29]	IcePickLobotomy	"We didn't build this facility."
[18:31]	Arina	"I gathered, as METI did not, to my knowledge, exist back then. But someone did. And was doing something at this location, presumably to the Strain Zero site."
[18:35]	IcePickLobotomy	"No, though we did exist earlier than official records indicate. METI was formed to fight the Red Death. We simply stuck around long enough to start dealing with the intruders." He takes a breath "Those who made the plague are dead and gone. We saw to that."
[18:38]	Arina	raises an eyebrow. "A somewhat liberal means of fighting the Red Death."
[18:39]	IcePickLobotomy	"Their goals were at odds with the continued health of humanity as a whole, they will not be missed. I can forward you some of their own documentation, redacted partially for security reasons, on their goals if you do not trust me."
[18:41]	Arina	's eyebrow rises higher. "That's encouraging. The same people at both sites, then? Or all four?"
[18:42]	IcePickLobotomy	"All four."
[18:44]	Arina	nods. "I see. And the other two?"
[18:58]	IcePickLobotomy	"The third, located in Siberia, is under our control. And yes, it is the location that Chernobog appeared from. The other has been sealed off."
[19:01]	Arina	's eyes widen. "... I 0x1dsee0x1d." She seems to be half-biting off a growl with that, eyes glancing to the side as she processes that.
[19:02]	IcePickLobotomy	"We only found rubble in the Siberia site, so whatever it was they did, well they payed for it."
[19:02]	IcePickLobotomy	The 'and so did your father' hangs unsaid.
[19:03]	Arina	grits her teeth. "... What in hell 0x1dwas0x1d this organization? My initial thought was NATO, but a location in Siberia suggests 0x1dotherwise0x1d."
[19:04]	IcePickLobotomy	"They called themselves Selee."
[19:05]	Arina	[Note to GM, it's spelled Seele]
[19:05]	IcePickLobotomy	*Seele
[19:05]	Arina	frowns. "... A... secret society?"
[19:06]	IcePickLobotomy	"Hell bent on world domination followed by. . . Something they called Instrumentality."
[19:08]	Arina	cocks her head. "... Seriously?"
[19:09]	IcePickLobotomy	He nods gravely. "I would not be joking about this. I know you do not trust me nor METI, and not without cause I am sad to admit. I would not waste your time playing games."
[19:12]	Arina	"The Red Death and the Intruders came from a secret 0x1dapocalypse cult0x1d?"
[19:13]	IcePickLobotomy	"The Red Death at least? Yes. The Intruders are, based on some of their surviving. . . documentation, already present on Earth."
[19:15]	Arina	"... From the same source as the Zero Strain."
[19:15]	IcePickLobotomy	"We think so, but it is only speculation thus far."
[19:19]	Arina	"No wonder METI was already so military. 'Dealing with the plague' from the start meant hunting them down, didn't it?"
[19:19]	IcePickLobotomy	"Exactly."
[19:20]	IcePickLobotomy	"And their power-base was extensive, we're still not sure if we got them all. Though whoever, if any, is left is dealing with a much weakened powerbase."
[19:24]	Arina	"Mm. It would've had to be extensive to construct these facilities at 0x1dall0x1d, let alone in sovereign territory."
[19:28]	IcePickLobotomy	"The latter wasn't a issue for them. There was at least one Head of State under their control before we purged them." There's a humorless smile "even if that /did/ kick of a civil war."
[19:29]	Arina	"... Brezhnev? 0x1dSeriously0x1d?"
[19:30]	IcePickLobotomy	"We don't know what they promised him exactly, or the rest of their highest members, but it clearly held a great deal of appeal to a wide variety of men and woman."
[19:32]	Arina	frowns, sitting down in the chair across from the desk. "... This is ludicrous."
[19:33]	IcePickLobotomy	"You pilot a giant cybernetic robot to fight other giant monsters using your soul." he points out
[19:34]	Arina	"Yes, that's ludicrous too."
[19:34]	Arina	"I didn't say it wasn't necessarily the 0x1dcase0x1d."
[19:36]	IcePickLobotomy	"The primary purpose behind telling you this is to try and explain why we don't want the more dangerous technology getting into the world. It may be used irresponsible, or it may even be used by any remaining members of Selee against us. Or it may not be, but we are a rather risk averse organization."
[19:41]	Arina	"Mm. The exercise seems a bit moot, to be honest."
[19:42]	Arina	"Strain Zero sites and controllable elements are one thing, but less exotic technology was only developed by METI first because METI had the funding. You can't stop it getting out, because the laws of physics are right there for anyone who wishes to develop it."
[19:42]	Arina	"This isn't saving anything, it's just a holding action until the 0x1dnext0x1d person develops, say, positron weaponry."
[19:43]	IcePickLobotomy	"That is a fair point, but we would rather not have the balance of power upset while the Intruders are still active."
[19:47]	Arina	"Mm. We need to kill them, yes. But the exercise is quite moot if there's a nuclear war five weeks after the last one's grave is dug."
[19:48]	IcePickLobotomy	"What would you propose then?"
[19:56]	Arina	taps her cheek. "I would... take it as a given that someone is going to develop these technologies, and preempt them."
[19:56]	Arina	"Weapons technology is a matter of relativity. If all sides have it, no one has an advantage. This missile shield endangers the balance of power because it permits one nation to act as it sees fit, giving it the ability to direct a nuclear strike against any nation that gets in its way, while rendering it immune to the same."
[19:56]	Arina	"If all parties are shielded, the advantage disappears, and the balance of power is maintained."
[19:59]	IcePickLobotomy	"You would rely on the various nation-states maintaining equilibrium via MAD and a relative balance of power. The only problem I would have with that is that it means a single mistake could result in great ruin, though I cannot fault you for finding a better solution, I dare say I could not do better than that either."
[20:02]	Arina	"The real problem is that only the established nations would benefit. It would ossify the current power blocs."
[20:02]	Arina	"If, say, a nation had an internal civil war, or a small nation wished to break away from these blocs, the patron would be entirely free to use whatever weapons it wished."
[20:05]	IcePickLobotomy	He nods. "International relations are not field of study but there is nothing wrong with that assessment as far as I can tell." He taps his desk "I'm surprised, is politics something you studied much or is this natural talent?"
[20:07]	Arina	hums. "A bit of study, my school 0x1dfocused0x1d on music but that wasn't the only thing taught there."
[20:12]	IcePickLobotomy	He nods "That's good then, should singing loose it's luster I think you'll be able to find work in the diplomatic track."
[20:15]	Arina	"I suppose it's a possibility."
[20:16]	IcePickLobotomy	"It's a lot to take in, I hope I didn't leave too many blank spots here?"
[20:17]	Arina	hums. "You still didn't answer what this site was used for."
[20:17]	Arina	pauses. "Well, not truthfully, at least."
[20:18]	Arina	holds up her fingers and starts ticking them off.
[20:18]	Arina	"Brazil was used to develop the Red Death."
[20:18]	Arina	"Siberia unleashed Chernobog."
[20:18]	Arina	"The last location, unless I miss my guess, unleashed the second Intruder."
[20:18]	Arina	"So what was this one used for?"
[20:19]	IcePickLobotomy	"We think it was their headquarters and primary research facility. Their labs were cleared out when we stormed it, but the fact that they were as extensive as they were said a lot about how much they did here."
[20:20]	Arina	hums. "They developed the Outriders, didn't they?"
[20:22]	IcePickLobotomy	"Partially. We were able to capture some materials related to them," He stands up and pulls down the blue-print you had seen earlier "This, though it lacked a great deal of the, how to part. We had to downgrade from this and fill in the many, many, blanks in the data ourselves."
[20:26]	Arina	smooths out the blueprint on the desk, looking over it. "I see... Are there records on these Strain Zero sites, or...? How did we get the ability to build the Outriders from them?"
[20:28]	IcePickLobotomy	". . . How important is it for you to know that Arina?"
[20:32]	Arina	gives Vernbeck a half-lidded expression. "There are literally two members of my family that aren't risking or sacrificing their lives for this war, Doctor."
[20:33]	Arina	"Apathy is not a privilege I have."
[20:33]	IcePickLobotomy	He nods. "I suppose you moreso than anyone, well almost anyone, deserve to know what it really is your a piloting. I could tell you, but I think. . . you would rather see if for yourself."
[20:33]	IcePickLobotomy	"Wouldn't you?"
[20:35]	Arina	frowns. "... I suppose so."
[20:41]	IcePickLobotomy	He stands up and motions for you to follow. A sort and silent cart-ride later and you find yourself standing before the large bulkhead labeled "OUTRIDER Fabrication". A retinal scan, finger-print scan, key-card and pass code, later and the two of you are standing in the airlock.
[20:44]	IcePickLobotomy	The 2nd set of doors open and you step out into a cavernous space. There is the din of machinery here, assembly lines, and off in the distance the glow of furnaces and foundries. But it's the massive, almost 75 meter tall tank near the front of the space that grabs your attention.
[20:44]	Arina	looks up at the tank, frowning.
[20:45]	IcePickLobotomy	Inside it, floating in the mostly-clear pinkish murk of the BSL. . . is Chernobog, floating placidly in the water, missing a leg and half of it's torso. The malevolent emerald glow of it's 7 eyes little more than a pale green glow.
[20:47]	Arina	's fists clench. "... you never killed it at all."
[20:47]	Arina	's small body seems to be outright vibrating.
[20:47]	IcePickLobotomy	"Oh no, we did. After the nuke there wasn't anything bigger than my torso left. We simply regrew them in parts to build the Outriders primary frame."
[20:49]	IcePickLobotomy	He gestures to the chest, where a orb-like cavity can be seen. "They lack a core, the only part of them that cannot be regrown. We've had to make those ourselves."
[20:49]	IcePickLobotomy	"And even that wasn't enough, which is why we need a. . . pattern for their AT Fields to mimic. A pilot."
[20:49]	Arina	is still glaring up at the monster's seven eyes, shaking with rage.
[20:50]	IcePickLobotomy	The doctor falls silent to let Arina come to terms.
[20:52]	Arina	"... I see. I... thought they were reverse-engineered, but..."
[20:54]	IcePickLobotomy	"We were, are, desperate. We did what we needed to make sure we were armed as best we could have been in time."
[20:56]	Arina	swallows. "... I... see..."
[21:00]	IcePickLobotomy	Arina: As you watch a armature swings into the tank and slices off a chunk of the torso and deposits it onto the awaiting assemble line, where it soon disappears from sight.
[21:01]	Arina	"... repairs?"
[21:01]	IcePickLobotomy	"Yes. Based on the location that's going to replace one of the organs that was damaged in your unit actually."
[21:02]	IcePickLobotomy	"Or that would be my guess, I would have to check the logs to be sure."
[21:02]	Arina	"... i see..."
[21:02]	|<--	Mary has left irc.systemnet.info (Ping timeout: 123 seconds)
[21:06]	IcePickLobotomy	"I know it's. . . a lot to take in. . . . If you. . . need time I can have you placed on medical leave for some time."
[21:06]	IcePickLobotomy	"You won't have to undergo sync-tests or be deployed unless you choose to."
[21:09]	Arina	"No!" she snarls, whipping around to face him. "Are you 0x1dsick0x1d?! The next pilot in line is 0x1dNadya0x1d!"
[21:10]	IcePickLobotomy	He holds his hands out 'No, no not like that."
[21:11]	IcePickLobotomy	"It wouldn't be premament, your sister wouldn't be called up. Mostly it would just mean we won't ask you to maintain your training for a few weeks while things settle, that's all. We wouldn't bring her in from her training unless there was a permanent gap in the roster."
[21:14]	Arina	slowly catches her breath. "... i..."
[21:15]	IcePickLobotomy	"You're under a lot of stress I imagine, on top of the situation with your sister, and," he gestures around him "this. I'm not going to fault you for looking after your family."
[21:18]	Arina	"... this is..."
[21:18]	IcePickLobotomy	"Perhaps some fresh air is in order?"He glances over at the titanic form looming over you both.
[21:19]	Arina	"... i... please."
[21:21]	IcePickLobotomy	He quickly guides you to the nearby elevator, and you soon find yourself on the surface, atop one of the sky-scrappers overlooking the spainish country-side in one direction, Morocco in another, and the ocean in the last. He takes a moment to light his pipe (downwind of you), while giving you a moment to catch your breath.
[21:22]	Arina	just looks out over the view, expression blank.
[21:25]	IcePickLobotomy	Vernbeck waits, puffing on his pipe as he watches the sun set over the sea. The warm golden light reaching out across the city below, the distant sound of the sea mixing with the rumble of the road and trams. The heady scent of the sea-water wafting in with the smell of a restaurant somewhere below. All the while you can see the small ant-like forms of people going about their day.
[21:26]	Arina	leans on the railing, looking down on the city.
[21:26]	Arina	takes a deep breath, and wipes her eyes. "... I hope I'm wrong, Doctor."
[21:28]	IcePickLobotomy	He offers you a hankerchief from his pocket.
[21:29]	Arina	shakes her head. "I hope God does exist."
[21:29]	Arina	"So that all of you can 0x1dburn in hell0x1d."
[21:30]	IcePickLobotomy	"Should I met God, he will have to beg my forgiveness. And yours too it seems." He turns and heads back to the elevator.
[21:32]	Arina	leans on the railing, looking out over the city as her scarlet hair whips in the wind.
[21:32]	Arina	She's in private, so she doesn't bother wiping her eyes this time.
[21:34]	IcePickLobotomy	Arina: You hear someone step behind you. . . And a familiar hissing crackle of static.
[21:35]	Arina	whirls around with a punch. "[And 0x1dyou0x1d can fuck off!]"
[21:36]	IcePickLobotomy	Artyom blinks as you punch him in the chest. It's like hitting a padded wall of concrete. "[. . . . I can come back later.]
[21:36]	Arina	blinks. "[... eh?]"
[21:37]	Arina	looks up. "[... I thought...? It was... someone else...?]"
[21:37]	IcePickLobotomy	"[The doctor mentioned you were upset? I came up to see how you were doing.]"
[21:37]	Arina	flushes and turns back around, furiously wiping her eyes.
[21:38]	IcePickLobotomy	Static still hisses in your ear.
[21:38]	Arina	looks around. "[... where...?]"
[21:40]	IcePickLobotomy	Arina: You look down and. . . it's there, perhaps a few meters down, standing on the exterior wall as if gravity doesn't exist. It. . . just stares and watches you with a leering grin. "[Arina?] Artyom puts a hand on your shoulder and gently pulls you back from the edge "[What's wrong?]" He looks around, but doesn't notice it.
[21:43]	Arina	's body shakes as she glares down at it. "[... Can I borrow your shovel?]" He's Spetsnaz, he has a combat shovel.
[21:43]	IcePickLobotomy	"[Uh, sure? it's back at the apartment.]"
[21:44]	Arina	deflates. "[Ah... never mind then. It's nothing.]"
[21:45]	IcePickLobotomy	The static fades as Skinwalker vanishes from sight. "[. . . . I uh. . .]" He sounds out of his depth "[Do you want anything? My sister always liked ice-cream when she was sad?]"
[21:47]	Arina	"[I... thank you.]"
[21:48]	-->|	scya ([email protected]) has joined #TSWshenanigans
[21:50]	IcePickLobotomy	"[Uh. . Right, there is a stand not too far from the exit here, if you'd like?]"
[21:51]	Arina	"[... sure...]"
[21:53]	IcePickLobotomy	He doesn't say much as he shows you the way to a small street-cart ran by a old Moroccan man in a turban.
[21:54]	Arina	smiles wanly at the man. "Hello."
[21:55]	IcePickLobotomy	"Hello miss." He gives you a friendly smile "Not having a good day I see." He nods to Artyom "Hello again."
[21:56]	Arina	"... I suppose not."
[21:56]	IcePickLobotomy	Artyom nods. The man smiles "Well some ice-cream usually makes things better I find. What would you like to order?"
[21:57]	Arina	"Mm, what do you recommend?"
[21:59]	IcePickLobotomy	"I think chocolate would do you best today." The vendor says as he hands Artyom a cone with a scoop of bright pink ice-cream.
[22:02]	Arina	"Sounds good, thank you."
[22:05]	IcePickLobotomy	A double-scoop of chocolate ice-cream later, and you and Artyom are walking along the boardwalk. This area is mostly empty, the waters lapping placidly on the shore as the sun sinks lower into the sky, staining the waters gold. Gulls flap and cry above you, and down below on the sands you can see a pair of crabs dueling. "[I won't pry, but I know how important it is to talk about these...
[22:05]	IcePickLobotomy	...things, to have someone to listen to you. I won't say that should be me, but I can if you'd like."
[22:08]	Arina	sighs, licking at her ice cream. "[... probably not an option. METI secrets.]"
[22:10]	IcePickLobotomy	"[Ah, yes, METI and their secrets. The Doctor mentioned those, this is about how they made the Outriders I take it? I already know about that.]"
[22:11]	Arina	"[... i see.]"
[22:12]	IcePickLobotomy	He sighs listlessly and looks out at the sea.
[22:16]	IcePickLobotomy	"I'm sorry. I understand how you feel, I think."
[22:17]	Arina	"... i suppose it's not terribly hard to guess."
[22:20]	IcePickLobotomy	"I meant more that. . . I'm sorry."
[22:21]	Arina	"... does everyone in this entire organization know except us?"
[22:22]	IcePickLobotomy	"I'm a special case actually. Walker doesn't know, the Colonel doesn't, most people don't really. They don't need to know."
[22:23]	Arina	"... you were security for gathering it up."
[22:24]	IcePickLobotomy	He shakes his head "No, I was, am, the protege of one of METI's founding members. The man who formed Section-0, our direct action group."
[22:25]	Arina	"Ah. John's father."
[22:25]	IcePickLobotomy	"Yes."
[22:27]	Arina	sighs, looking out over the sea. "... this is just..."
[22:28]	IcePickLobotomy	"Overwhelming?"
[22:29]	Arina	"... no, overwhelming was when they sent fifteen-year-olds out to fight space monsters and put the future of humanity on our shoulders."
[22:30]	IcePickLobotomy	"They've never asked little things of anyone."
[22:31]	Arina	"... i just..."
[22:32]	IcePickLobotomy	He watches the sea.
[22:38]	Arina	"... i thought they were asking too much to take Nadya in the first place. ... but this... what those things 0x1dare0x1d... they're going to put her in 0x1dthat0x1d...?"
[22:38]	Arina	"... do they even know what shame 0x1dis0x1d...?"
[22:41]	IcePickLobotomy	"No, they don't."
[22:45]	Arina	"... and i've been prancing around in that monster the entire time."
[22:49]	IcePickLobotomy	There is a long wait as Artyom considers his words
[22:51]	IcePickLobotomy	"Most of the others would justify themselves behind the end of their goals. That humanity's survival is too great a thing to . . ." He frowns and spits at his feet "Easy for them to say when they are not the one's paying the price. We have wronged you, and I apologize for my part in that."
[22:54]	Arina	sighs. "... and the worst part is..."
[22:54]	Arina	"... i'm going to keep on doing it."
[22:55]	Arina	"... i wish a hell existed so they could go there and rot."
[22:57]	IcePickLobotomy	"Hell exists Arina. It's a place of our creation." he stares long out at the sea, past the setting sun and the sky.
[22:58]	Arina	"... I'm hoping for the other kind, because they will never, ever see justice in this life, will they?"
[22:59]	IcePickLobotomy	"Only if we lose."
[23:01]	Arina	"... not an option."
[23:05]	IcePickLobotomy	". . . This didn't help much did it?"
[23:05]	Arina	"... not really."
[23:06]	IcePickLobotomy	". . . Sorry."
[23:07]	Arina	"... it's fine..."
[23:09]	IcePickLobotomy	"I. . . for whatever it's worth . . you know where to find me if you need anything. I'll try what I can to, you know, make things at least a little-bit right. For once."
[23:09]	Arina	smiles wanly up at him. "... thanks."
[23:12]	IcePickLobotomy	He doesn't look away from the sea. "It's the least you deserve. . . . Let me know when you're ready to head back."
[23:13]	Arina	sighs, licking at her ice cream. It's half-melted already.