EXSILIUM - contact.

[hostage]

UNIT№409



_“ Hey, it's me. Wait for the thing. _”

Comments

[legal_eagle]

Why not? If you don't mind the twenty questions.

[hostage]

It'd be like lying to myself.

[legal_eagle]

If I'd inherited my granddad's ability instead of my mom's, I wouldn't see myself as being all that different.

[hostage]

That'd be different.

[legal_eagle]

How?

[hostage]

'cause you'd be inheriting it. That'd be who you are. It wouldn't be you pretending to be somebody you're not. It's totally not the same thing as me going to the Initiative and having 'em mess around with me.

[legal_eagle]

Hm.

You know, back home, people would kill to get their hands on someone with a gift like yours.

[hostage]

[He shuts up for a second there. Then:]

Yeah. Yeah, I know.

[legal_eagle]

[A nod. After a moment - ]

Half wish we had someone. It would make my job one fuck of a lot harder, but...It might be better.

[hostage]

What do you mean?

[legal_eagle]

My home, you have a useful gift - like healing, say, or teleportation, something like that - it's a quick path to an easy life. And that's pretty bullshit. You win the genetic lottery, you automatically do okay, no matter how hard you work, no matter the content of your character.

[hostage]

Somebody like me, though... Somebody like me only makes that worse.

[legal_eagle]

If you're corrupt, yeah. Or if you're corrupted. If you're decent, though, if you sell to those who can earn enough - that'd be better. At least then it'd be on merit.

[hostage]

If the people making fat stacks are the ones already stomping all over everybody, then even if I do that...

[legal_eagle]

Got it backwards, kid. People stomping all over everybody are the ones making fat stacks. Cause and effect are reversed.

[hostage]

Whatever. What I'm saying is, all I do is make 'em stronger 'cause they're the ones who can afford it, not the little guy.

[legal_eagle]

Tell me, Pinkman: when's the last time you saw the little guy getting what he deserved just 'cause he deserved it?

[hostage]

It still sucks.

[legal_eagle]

Well, what would you do about it? Say you came to my world. What would you do?

[hostage]

Nothing, if I know what's good for me.

[legal_eagle]

[A short laugh.]

What, you think us so barbaric?

[hostage]

I just know what happens when people want me for something.

[legal_eagle]

And what happens?

[hostage]

Umm... I get kidnapped. And some other stuff. Usually there's different people fighting over me, so that's great. Then somebody I care about gets killed in the crossfire, which is the best part. Yeah. It's awesome.

[legal_eagle]

...Is that some sort of joke?