EXSILIUM - contact.

[hostage]

UNIT№409



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

Comments

[hostage]

I could undo that, at least.

...Like, assuming anybody'd let me near you.

[vaccination]

Yeah. [There goes all the fun.] If it were something like that, Joel would make sure you would be able to undo it.

How long do you think it's gonna be like this? People thinking they have to protect everyone from you.

[hostage]

[At least he tries to sound gentle with her instead of sinking into that nasty bitter tone he gets with adults.]

Always.

Just the story of my life, Ellie.

[vaccination]

Being made out to be some sort of monster when the real ones are roaming the halls and sitting in other rooms?

I don't get it.

[hostage]

I did wrong, I totally admit it.

I just don't get why I'm still here when I already fixed what I did.

Easy target, I guess.

[vaccination]

You... gave the shit back and you're still stuck in there? What the fuck? What the hell are they waiting for?

[If Joel wasn't so depressed she'd ask him about what to do, how to deal with these people. But as it is, she hasn't said a word about this to him.]

This is bullshit.

[hostage]

Probably decided I'm too crazy to be around people. They made me talk to this shrink lady. Wrote up a report and everything.

[vaccination]

So they're just going to keep you in there until... what? We get hit by a meteor?

[hostage]

Maybe they'll leave me up here on the moon when all you guys go back.

[He sounds like he's trying to tell a joke. Trying...]

[vaccination]

That's not funny.

[Nope. She'd half expect the fuckers to try that.]

[hostage]

Relax. They're probably just trying to figure out what drugs to give me.

[vaccination]

Drugs? For what?

[hostage]

Being crazy just means you got chemicals messed up in your head. Drugs balance you out. Like, assuming you're on the right ones. Probably what'll happen when they dope me up is just I'll be sleepier. Docile, you know? That's what they like to call it.

[vaccination]

[She appreciates the explanation, because she has no idea about drugs being used to try and fix this sort of stuff. Still, it doesn't really sit right with her when she doesn't think Jesse is crazy.]

Docile. [That doesn't sit right, either.] In a war.

[hostage]

Hell, I'll take drugs over this damn cage. Don't gotta ask me twice, you know what I'm saying?

I hope they're listening to this thing.

[vaccination]

Yeah. I get that, at least. [Turn him into a zombie and set him free after painting a target on his back. Real nice. But maybe that is better than being a prisoner.]

We'll still hang out even if you're sleepier.

[hostage]

I'd like that.

[He's trying not to sound sad, but... He sounds sad.]

[vaccination]

You don't think it's going to be that easy, huh?

[hostage]

Where I come from, you could never pull any of this shit. Holding somebody for weeks without pressing charges, telling 'em they must be guilty 'cause they're asking for a lawyer... When they first arrested me, Sonya said they'd torture and starve me. Sure as shit wouldn't hear anybody with the police saying that back in my world. There ain't even laws here, so how could I have broke any?

And solitary... Solitary's a big deal. You don't just throw anybody in solitary.

[He sucks in a breath.]

I think all this... It ain't about what I did. It's about what I can do. I dunno what the answer to that's gonna be. All I know's they don't give a shit about me being "healthy". They wanna control me.

[vaccination]

[There's a small sigh and a sniff as Ellie listens. She hates that there's nothing she can do. Jesse's outnumbered and not even Steph seems to be in his corner.]

Fuck that chick.

You're not any more dangerous than anyone else out there. You didn't start a goddamn mutiny. You didn't even kill anyone. No one was fucking complaining when we went to the UE.

[hostage]

Yeahhhh. People always love me when I'm useful to 'em. And when I'm not anymore, then...

[vaccination]

Then they treat you like shit.

Is Saul doing anything?

[hostage]

[Yeah. Apparently telling everyone Jesse's a rapist.]

Saul's covering his ass is what he's doing. Knows a lost cause when he sees one.

[vaccination]

I'm sorry. [She wonders how quick Steph would drop her if she ended up having to kill people here, or do something else terrible. She loved her, but she said she loved Jesse, too.]

If I knew what to do, or if I could, I would. You know, do something. [She can't really do anything right now aside from be angry on his behalf.]

[hostage]

[Oh, Ellie...]

Hey. You're like one of the only people who's still talking to me. You're already doing something.