IC Contact: Sanctum

[alaspooryork]

Hello! You have reached Delta's voicemail. Please leave a message and I will contact you as soon as I am able to do so. Thank you.

Comments

[alaspooryork]

[Delta bites his lip and nods, still looking distinctly unhappy - not that North probably notices.]

Acknowledged.

[Doot doot, it takes a while for him to look, but eventually he comes back with some more information.]

The feeds after she enters the Hub are all either restricted to local access only, or appear to be nonexistent. I apologize that I was unable to find more.

[bothbarrels]

[ North had returned after taking stock and when Delta gives him the news he glowers a bit. ]

Figures.

[alaspooryork]

[Delta nods; it does make sense, though, given the recent break-in.]

It is possible she has "gone home" as well. The CoHo or another point of contact while she is ill may be able to confirm this.

[bothbarrels]

After this, if you still believe that going home story...I'm not sure what to say to you. That's not what happens, Delta. They kept both of us in their facilities for months, wiped our memories, and then released us again when they had their reasons to. And I'm not surprised it was just before the Director came. Why do you think they want her again? It's too damn convenient.

[alaspooryork]

[Delta's eyebrows raise. Clearly North didn't hear his invisible quotation marks.]

Allow me to clarify. I do not believe anyone is actually sent to their home timelines. Rather, it is likely they undergo some other process, but we have not confirmed its results. I use the phrase "going home" to refer to their name for the procedure.

[The assumptions about being kept and memory-wiped? Pretty baseless, actually.]

I cannot speculate as to any reason they may have chosen her rather than any of the rest of us. Why do you assume the Director is involved?

[bothbarrels]

I can. He knew how much she wanted an AI. And she never got her chance to have one.

[alaspooryork]

[Delta winces visibly. "Never" is an awfully long time.]

No. That would not account for her expression in the video, her lack of contacting those who might care about her, the practical aspect of what benefit an AI would have to her without functioning armor or equipment, the escort, or her final destination. Upgrades take place in medical facilities, not the Hub.

[bothbarrels]

Hmph. I think it accounts for a lot of things, but that's just me. I don't think they'd be able to get her to do anything for them if she still had her memories of being here this time.

[alaspooryork]

[And yet Delta's pretty damn sure she would do a lot for them of her own free will if the right carrot were dangled - that's why he doesn't think she'd need to be drugged to go in if they offered her an AI.]

May I ask for your reasoning on that, and what your current theory is?

[bothbarrels]

[ He's getting annoyed with Delta's reticence to believe his theory. He frowns. ]

Look, I know her, okay? Better than anyone else. She can see what they're doing to you AIs.

My theory? My theory is they took her after they wiped her. I don't know what they're going to have the Director do but there's a lot he's capable of, and he won't have a problem with doing it.

[alaspooryork]

[He huffs. Maybe he knew her better than everyone else. No, no, Delta's supposed to remember that this isn't the South he's familiar with, or at least, it won't be her for another couple years.]

If anything, she should be happy they are modifying us. We can no longer provide what she perceives to be an unfair advantage.

The Director is aware that we already maintain suspicion of him. I do not believe he would risk himself openly this early in the game.

[bothbarrels]

[ North stares at him for a moment. ]

What's your problem, Delta? I mean it's one thing to disagree with me; fine, whatever. But you keep sighing and stuff.

[alaspooryork]

[Delta crosses his arms.]

My "problem" is that I believe we are all safer with her gone.

[bothbarrels]

[ North gestures with one arm. ]

That's nice. If she was a target, I'd rather have her with us so we could keep her safe, than have her get kidnapped.

[alaspooryork]

And if she is a traitor, I would prefer she be gone than with us to report our every movement.

[bothbarrels]

She's not a traitor. I explained to you what they're doing. The only reason they're going to have her cooperation is because they brain-wiped her.

[alaspooryork]

It is that sort of belief that led to your death, North.

[...Yeah he probably shouldn't have said that. Delta shuts his mouth abruptly.]

[bothbarrels]

[ That shuts him up. He scans Delta's face and rubs at his cheek. ]

What are you talking about?

[alaspooryork]

[Delta curses under his breath.]

You are aware I am from a later point in the timeline than yourself?

[bothbarrels]

Yeah. I am.

You know how I die, huh?

[alaspooryork]

She was working with Command, North. Her callsign was Recovery Two. She set up the encounter.

[bothbarrels]

[ There's a significant pause. ]

...What encounter?

[alaspooryork]

There was an unknown entity stalking and killing Freelancers with AI companions. It would attack, take the AI and equipment, and vanish before Command could gather sufficient data. In order to do so, Agent South set up an encounter using yourself and Theta as bait.

Action

[goddamngrenades]

[ After being gone for- well a day and a half more or less and no word from Delta he's not sure how he'll be received when he wanders in. Coat hung by the door he swings by the kitchen for a beer before sitting down across from North and Delta. ]

What've you got for me?

[bothbarrels]

[ North's eyes glance over at York for only a moment before he finds his tongue to respond to Delta. ]

I don't know where you got your information on that but it was wrong.