dualismail | (no subject)

Oh, there's lots more in there. Mello may've been a complete asshole, but he knew how to collect information. The diagrams I could make out were - I think the Iterations? Like, blueprints for how they're made. And there's one that shows how to make the EMPs we use - used to talk without being monitored. [she points up, gesturing around the room.] The biggest one's for this room, it's always on when there's people down here. Sucks a lot of energy, from what I heard, but someone figured out how to tap into the city's electrical grid, so at least we don't have to worry about generators catching fire or anything.

[she takes another bite of donut and falls into deep thought as she chews. there's too much in that packet for her to process, and looking through it overwhelmed her. but there were some parts that stuck out.]

Mello thought those places that don't move must be places where the Head's got a lot of power. The park and the dorms kinda make sense, I guess, they're central places in the city, but I dunno about the zoo. I haven't even been down to see it - zoos kinda creep me out. As for the first people ... well, lemme show ya.

[she sets her half-eaten donut on her leg, brushes the crumbs off on her jeans, and pulls out the handheld tape recorder. the tape zips back to the start as she presses down the rewind button, and once the button clicks off, she presses the button to play. a moment of soft, crackling tape hiss, then it's mello's voice coming through the speaker:]

If this tape has found its way into your possession, the probability is high that neither I nor the group of insurgents I've worked with during my time in this city are still alive. So I leave this recording, a compilation of facts I've uncovered about the history of this city and the motives of the artificial intelligence that calls itself the Head, along with my own annotations. There are full recordings on the other tapes, but this one contains what some might call the "nutshell explanations" - simply put, the most important parts of the data I've amassed.

[nick fast forwards for a couple seconds, offering her own commentary:] Blah blah blah. Kid really liked the sound of his own voice. [she stops the tape and presses the play button again. this time, it's a different voice that comes through the speakers, one hank may remember from the head's memory of its creator:]

This is ... HEaD Research Technician Arlo Moybek recording. Today is ... day 97 since the first confirmed case of the megavirus that has been ravaging this city was reported. [he pauses to cough, a long string of uncomfortable hacking noises.] I have now uncovered irrefutable proof of what I began to suspect far too late - this virus is not naturally occurring, but rather genetically engineered by none other than my own creation, the artificial intelligence that we've called MINDSEYE. It is ... deliberately killing us ... systematically wiping us out. Roughly eighty percent of the city's population has already succumbed to the megavirus. They're - [his voice breaks, and a muffled, strangled sound can be heard before he continues:] They're all dead. WE are all dead. There is no help for us. There is no hope for us. The city has been sealed off to quarantine the virus, no one in or out. [he's overtaken by another long fit of coughing, and nick stops the tape.]

Kinda lends some credibility to my idea about the Head just keeping us around to fuck with us, don't it.

[If they'd only given that information earlier then- well... beating a dead horse there. Practically literally. The Heart is gone and he can't really dwell on their mistakes. Just worry about how to move forward.]

[He listens intently, brow furrowing as the researcher speaks.]

'Mindseye'....

[Of course, he doesn't need to write down a few points, but he still reaches into his back pocket and pulls out his paperback. It's a new one, this time, all the notes transferred into the next volume of the series, but still his prefered information disguise.]

[He writes.]

Arlo Moibeck

artificial virus

Mindseye

City quarantined.

[He taps his pen against the book.]

Has anyone ever mentioned any other city? Ever? I mean, this is a whole fucking planet. But I've never seen a road out. Is anything about that in here?

[nick frowns lightly as she searches her memory for an answer to hank’s question. finally, she shakes her head.]

Nah, I’ve never heard anyone talk about any other city. Not in any of the official history stuff either, though we all know that’s a buncha bullshit. [she rolls her eyes.] But there’s gotta be other cities out there, right? Wouldn’t make any sense if this was the only one. I don’t think there was anything in the notes - wait.

[she reaches for the packet of papers, rifles through them until she finds the one she’s looking for, then gently tugs it loose to display for hank. it’s a map, crudely drawn and not to scale, but there are large red Xs labeling the dorms, park, and zoo. each of the bordering features is marked as well - lake, swamp, the temple at the top of the foothills, and the forest to the north. past the forest is another line, labeled FENCE. nick taps her finger on this feature of the map.]

I bet this is how they quarantined the city.

[If there's a fence, there might be some freedom and safety outside the city. Whether or not other cities are safe, it seems like the Head wouldn't want them roaming. He finally brightens; if there's not a chance to fight, there might be a chance to run and regroup.]

[That's something. Even if the fence sounds like it was built to keep people from getting out, it sounds also as though it's probably been a very long time since people made a significant effort to get out.]

[It's something. Even retreat is a glimmer of hope. Anything is.]

Yeah, that's what I'm betting. So maybe the disease is just here. But uh... it doesn't bode well that the fucking AI still exists. God I need to find more of this Arlo guy's shit.

[He taps the packet.]

Thanks. I know you regret getting me involved, but I would have been anyway. The fact you've helped me this much is a fucking weight off my shoulders.

Maybe there’s something in all of those notes that’ll have an idea about how to shut the fucker down forever. If anyone can figure it out, I’m sure it’s you.

[she shrugs, but smiles at hank in recognition of his appreciation.]

Hey, I’m just glad my stupidity could do someone some good in the end. Oh, there’s one more thing. [she digs into the back pocket of her jeans and produces a flash drive, holding it out to hank.] Vergil gave me this, before he - [she cuts herself off, expression darkening for a moment, then she shakes it off.] Um, Vergil gave it to me, but I don’t have a computer, so I have no idea what’s on it. Wanna take a look?

That's a hell of a vote of confidence. Hopefully they won't go fucking missing. I'm gonna quit the DPD. They're watching me too close. I think I know a few people I can veer this towards.

[He reaches out to take the flash drive, and then pulls out the drive that Vergil gave him.]

Well, that's two of 'em.

Think that's all?

[Somehow he doubts it.]

[hank is smart - smarter than nick believes herself to be. he’s resourceful, he’s experienced at puzzling through nonsensical clues, and he cares. she has full faith in his abilities, motivation, and dedication to finding whatever is of use in that pile of papers.

and she knows how much being a cop means to him. when he says he’s quitting, her expression creases into a somber frown, and her voice is quiet when she speaks again.]

Shit, Hank. I’m sorry.

[what else can be said for something like this, a confession to leaving so important behind? she wants to ask what his plans are after that, but the second flash drive takes her attention instead.]

Son of a demon, [she mutters, shaking her head.] I have no idea. He didn’t even tell me about this, why he was giving it to me - he just left it for me to find while I was asleep.

[she realizes about half a second late how that sounds, and races to explain:] Uh - not like that, honest. We were just hangin’ out at my place, it got late, and I passed out. He was gone when I woke up, and this flash drive was there instead.

[and that was the last meaningful time they’d spent together. nick’s heart aches sharply, but she refuses to cry anymore. never stop fighting - those were his last words, and she intends to do just that.]

Doth protest too much.

[The joke is gentle, though. Because who's reputation's gonna be wounded here? The ex mafia don who was made a spectacle of in front of everyone, and someone that was most definitely Nick's friend.]

We had a talk and I was trying to ask him some shit, about the places in the city that don't move. Then out of nowhere he gave me a hug and left that in my pocket.

[He'll have to take a look at these, might have to ask for help with them.]

Pfft. C’mon, Hank - everyone knows I’m a huge slut and not even a little bit shy about it. If he’d shown any interest, I would’ve gone for it in a heartbeat.

[she’s amused by the joke, at least, grinning crookedly as she tries to keep thoughts of all the things she’ll never get to tell vergil from crowding into the front of her mind. regret is a hell of a thing to live with.]

Yeah, that sounds like his overly dramatic ass. Couldn’t just be straight up, could he? Had to go with all that cryptic cloak-and-dagger shit. [she shakes her head.] Well, I hope you can figure out what’s on there. It’s gotta be important, if he went to all this trouble.

I think he probably just wanted us to work together. At least that's what I'm hoping he wanted and you know, that he didn't think that splitting up the parts would actually be useful.

[He turns the flash drive over and over in his fingers, thinking on it.]

I'll get some help.

Yeah, maybe ...

[maybe it was more of the same bullshit methods marie and mello used - split up the information, make sure nobody had the entire thing so the plans wouldn't be entirely compromised if (when) someone got grabbed. so much for that idea; here she is with a huge pile of all of mello's accumulated information. a flash of anger runs through her nerves - he held so much back that could've been so useful if he and marie hadn't been dead set on playing mind games.

and now they're both dead.]

I know you will, Hank. I trust you. [she pauses for a moment, realizing she's only talked about herself so far, and that's not really fair.] How're you doin' with all of this awful shit? And Connor? You said you were quittin' the police - what're you gonna do now?

Connor's a fuckin' champion. Always dealt with everything better than me. Even with all his guilt- I mean... his whole existence early on was to hunt his own kind. Connor didn't want to be a cop. Not really. Not after what was expected of him. For him? This was probably a blessing.

Me? I don't know. Just sad, I guess.

[He thought it was nice to be in a place not seething with corruption. But by default the place was corrupt. The Head had pretty much manufactured good vibes in favor of itself.]

Just remember, if this gets rough, talk to someone. Don't be like me. Don't isolate yourself and wait for someone to dig you out. It's not worth the wait.