outer_divide | 001 [video]

[Armand found his clothes and the communicator and his way as far as the base of the ramp exiting the ship. The utter unfamiliarity of the landscape hit him hard, and he didn't make it much further yet. So he fiddles with the device until his fingers find the combination he wants, though he has no idea why he knows it.

The tip of his nose is already red from the cold. He speaks with a noticeable French accent, and his voice is pleasant and cheerful, at least for the moment.]

I'm game if someone wants to tell me the trick. This is hardly England, nor France either. And it wasn't this cold last I knew.

[A pause, as he looks around yet again. He's not wearing a jacket over his shirt and waistcoat. Apparently he didn't have one with him when he was spirited from there to here.]

I'd go back inside, but it doesn't seem hospitable in there. I can see a city, but it looks a fair way off to walk. Is that where I should go?

Has anyone seen or heard of Sir Percy Blakeney or Marguerite St.--I mean Lady Blakeney? If you have, could you tell them I've been found though I don't know how I was lost this time? It's not my fault, anyway. I'm Armand. St. Just, that is. Margot's my sister.

The short of it is that I'm cold, and if I should just go back inside for a bit, I will, but I'm hoping to hear of a better alternative.

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[Wing has no idea what Armand did. He's just trying to be conversational.]

It isn't much, but it's safe, at least.

My kind has fought a war for millions of years. But I don't want to be a weapon, in my war, nor this one.

[Helping the Scarlet Pimpernel rescue French aristos from the guillotine, and oh, getting caught so someone can blackmail his sister into betraying her husband. Probably not so much call for that here.]

I wasn't criticizing your city. I meant that dome. It looks like a mountain, not a place to live.

I wouldn't want to be a weapon either.

[Wing would hope not!!!]

Ah. The dome is where they live--the Authorities. The ones who fought in their war. And it seems they can't survive for long outside of it.

[He releases the canopy latch, settling in to land.] They still view us as dangerous. It's another reason we try to stay together.

The Authorities. [Armand repeated it a few more times in his mind as well. That sounded ominous, so the news that they can't survive outside very long was a little bit cheering.

As soon as they were down, Armand scrambled out. He felt very strange being inside the one he was talking to, even if they'd taken the shape of a flying machine.]

We, as in the robot people like you, or we, as in the people who came from the . . . ship?

It would be less distressing if they did not attempt to kill us.

[Wing doesn't care for the name and all it implies, either, but it's accurate. All of it, even to their high-handed authoritarianism.]

[He waits till the human exited, before standing up into his robot mode. ]

Those of us who came from the ship. My kind is the largest target, but they hate all of us.

How many are there of your kind, specifically? [Because once you got over the scariness of it, tall metal people who could fly were interesting. He has so many questions.]

[Oh. This question.]

J-just me, now. There was another, a friend of mine, but he's....he's gone.

[A small frown. Sympathy.]

I am so sorry to hear that. Are you lonelier for it?

Yes. Very much.

[A sigh.] I thought we were happy--he was happy. I was wrong. Somehow.

[He forces a smile.] But I have other friends here. [Not the same, but he's trying to convince himself.]

[That sounded like he simply left. And that confused Armand, but he knew better than to poke further at an emotional wound.]

I'm sorry to have brought it up. I was only curious.

I'm sure since you're so generous that you have many other friends.

Oh, please don't apologize. And he may wake up again, some day.

[He doesn't sound like he believes that, though.]

I have a few. There are many kind people among us.

I hope, for your sake, he does.

[He wants to pat him on the arm, but isn't sure how that goes for metal people.]

I am glad to hear people here are kind. You say many? Are there any bad apples in the lot?

If he's perhaps happier as he is, I wouldn't ask him to come back, just for me.

[Wing tilts his helm, considering.] There was a man named Loki here. I thought he was very kind, but others seem to consider him evil. Even though he's gone. I can't say any of us have been anything but helpful when we've needed their help.

[Armand doesn't know enough about Norse mythology to make a judgement either way.]

That's what counts in the end, isn't it? People helping out when it's necessary.

It has brought out the best in all of us, despite our differences, yes.

It just occurred to me, and I'm so sorry for being rude. But when you said 'we were brought here' did you mean the metal people like you or everyone that comes from the ship? [Armand can't imagine being considered a fighter, but his proximity to such a great man as the Scarlet Pimpernel may have confused someone who was making hasty choices.]

It's not rude. Well, at least compared to whoever did this to us.

[That was an attempt at a joke.]

I mean all of us on the ship, who had a life before we came here.

Oh my. [That seriously takes him aback. He looks down at himself. Only about average height, not quite fully filled out, naive and out of his element technology-wise.] What would they have wanted me for?

[A pause.] Perhaps even they needed canon fodder for the front lines. [He shuddered.]

I don't know why they would have wanted me, either. Much less why us altogether.

Honestly, I doubt they know themselves, at this point.

I can't imagine they would have pulled us across time and space and dimensions...merely to be front line troops.

But I know nothing about war or fighting. I can barely defend myself with a sword. [He's confused about this.]

It seems many of those they brought here do not. We have doctors and scientists and even men who turn into wolves.

And a dinosaur. [Can't forget Darwin!]

[Totally misunderstanding the statement.] If you need protection, I would be glad to.

I-I, a what? Did you say a dinosaur?

Oh! Oh, no. Not like that sort of dinosaur. Though they have those too, here.

No, Darwin is apparently a scientist in her world. She's very curious, that's all.

This is confusing. [And he's getting cold again.]

Can you come in or should we talk later?

It is a lot to take in, yes. But everyone is very kind here.

[He gives a sheepish sort of shrug.] I cannot fit inside your buildings. But please. Don't let me keep you. And if you need anything, you can count on me.

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did_i_say_percy - 2013-02-03 03:04 (UTC) - Expand

001 [video]

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