My head is reeling. I have to force myself to take a few slow, steady breaths until I can think again.
"It was barely a blip on the news, but when I joined I read up on the past programs. " I tell him. I noticed he didn't answer my question, deflecting it around to me again.
"I'm ok- this trip has taken it outta me. Had to use the injector on Caesar, but he came around fine. Took the daily pills until we ran out."
I don't know if I should be, like, reporting to him? Do I salute? I was never an officer- I joined the program with other scientists.
Oh, he'll happily take the shift with you. He'll even focus on watching things, just idly talk with you about old times, mostly when you were little in the pods. What do you tell him about?
"Caesar, me, Svenja. There were more containers, but the ship was damaged. We had to get out of there. It wasn't the ship we were supposed to be on- it was a junkship. Somebody threw us away."
And there it was. I had no idea where this planet was or what I was doing on it. We were supposed to help settle a new planet, but now... and who knows what the state of the government would be, a hundred years later.
Metro blinks a few times, like he's taking it all in. He huffs a dry laugh, "The one left for dead meets the forgotten cast-off... is that what this is?" He smiles, "It has to have been a clerical error, Stitch. Your eyes are far too amazing for anyone to throw away." His hand is on your shoulder, it was there to keep you steady, and now, well, it's still there.
"The ship's probably scuttled by now, right? Nothing worth taking anymore. That's how it goes. These Junkers are quite good at stripping broken things down to their bare essence. Less apt at re-purposing the goods for beneficial aims, though." He says this matter-of-factly, but there's a hint of acceptance in it. Sadness, too.
Oh frak... Embarrasing old stories? I've been saving this one for a rainy day. Ma' was always too embarrassed to tell it, 'cause it meant Dad was right, but she ain't here to stop me, is she? "Y'know, I think I only ever stepped in the pods once or twice when I was little... I can't even remember the first time, 'cause it was when I was way little. Apparently I was wailing for a day straight, and Ma' told me Dad wanted to bring me to LeeValley to sort it out — sayin' I probably just had gas or somethin'."
I pause to clear my throat, and hold my hands out like I'm framing the story."Ok, so ... Ma' kicks him out, 'cause she's convinced my screaming was, like, cancer or something..." I giggle, and brush a bit of hair back behind my ear, "Apparently, she panicked so bad she threw me in this wrap thing, hopped on her bike in the dead of night, and hauled ass for Podday, banging on the Doc's door with the guards bitching at her over her shoulder, at gunpoint." At this point, I'm beet red, and giggling every second word, gesturing wildly to accentuate each sentence. "So the doc, the grumpy old bastard that he was, takes me, puts me on an examining table, and starts rubbing my tummy. I fart three times, roll over, and fall asleep."
I'm killing myself... Wiping tears, holding my sides, and snorting like Pigby2. "Ma' apparently took Dad back the next day, telling him it was 'cause she needed a nap. I think he doesn't know the truth to this day." Gods... I don't think even Vee knows that one... I giggle a while longer, leaning against Rinso as we warm up by the fire.
"Ok, your turn," I say, pawing at his shoulder, "when's the last time you were in the pods?"
"So, what now? Is there a spaceport on this planet?" I ask.
My feelings all tangle in a knot. A weight I didn't know was there is lifted now that I can actually talk about being from a different planet. I wonder what he'll do, now that we know each other's secret. Will he stay in Salt? Come with us? Ask me to stay?
I chew on one of my nails nervously.
OOC: Read a person- What does your character intend to do?
Rinso is laughing with you, he's never heard this story, and the thought of your ma being wrong about anything is so shocking to him that he's blown away. It takes him a bit to recover his wits.
He's still laughing when he starts to answer, "Last time I was at Podday? Well... it's sort of a weird story. You gotta swear you won't tell Vee I told you, ok?" He looks at you and for a bit, its like he's going to chicken out, but I guess you give him a withering look or elbow him or something, right?
"Vee and I were, I dunno, twelve or something. You remember that harness we rigged up? Temple gave her a few wooden legs, but she kept running around in them, breaking them. And for, I dunno, a couple Junkfalls, they just stopped. So I made that VeePack, I called it. And she just rode around on my back. By then, I'd hit my growth spurt and she didn't weigh hardly anything, so I just carried her around. Because you know Vee, she HATED staying still." He's got a twinkle of pride in his eye talking about his friend. Your friend.
"Anyways, she'd finally gotten hold of that tech, you remember Trench? And he was gonna make her robotic leg for her. But he wanted some special bolts, about a finger long. Fifteen of them. And I'd seen them at Firestone earlier that week, so we did the normal routine to nick them. She crawled up, all cripple girl crying, and I snuck around and stole them," He's so casual about their trick. Did you ever help them on anything like that?
"So we have the bolts, but we know, just know, that they'll set off the scans. Podday was on lockdown, it was the really bad times. So... Vee says, 'Give em to me, Rinnie. I'll hide 'em.'" He pauses, to make sure you're following. Then, "And she made me turn around... then they were, well, gone. I figured up her shirt or something. And she tells me we're good to go. I'm not sure this is gonna work, but well, I really wanted her to be able to walk, so we went."
He does this head waggle as if he's walking along, "So we walk right up to Podday's entrance, and Rado wands us, and sure enough, it goes off. He pats us down, doesn't find anything, wands me, it doesn't go off. Wands Vee... it goes off. I'm frakking about to cry, and Rado takes us into a side room. I just know we're gonna die. He has us strip down, and I don't look at little Vee, but I'm listening... and I don't hear the bolts fall out of her shirt or dress or anything. And two dirty little naked kids are standing there in this clean storage room and Vee starts talking about eating all kinda canned foods and how she needs to see Doc for the lead poison and Rado... he just nods. Like, 'okay, that makes sense, that set it off.' And off we go." He gestures with a hand swipe like the kids took off into the air.
"We got Trench his bolts, Vee got her leg. And I never, ever asked where those bolts were." Then he chuckles for a bit, looks to see if you liked the story.
"No, Stitch, there's no spaceport. No escape. Not even comms can penetrate the atmo, a mixture of gases and metallic residue in the strat that bounces signals. It's a roach motel down here. I'm sorry."
He pauses, then reaches down to gently, very gently, take your hand, pull it away from your mouth, "That's a bad habit down here." He lets go of your hand, not like he's going to control you, right?
For a long moment, he just stares into your eyes. "Stitch, I'll let you in on a secret. There might be hope yet. I'm almost done with this tower. There are plans for twelve more, dotted across the villages south and north of the pods. I hope I can build an array, and with enough power, I should be able to boost signal to broadcast off planet. If I can bounce it up the transmitter relay that leads derelict ships right to our front door, maybe I can get someone to pick up the line. And get us out of here."
I let him move my hand and put it back down in my lap, keeping very still.
Of course he would have family or descendants to go back for. Why would he want to stay on this trash heap? And even if that signal never reaches a soul, working towards it is better than nothing, right?
"I..." I say softly, "I meant-"
A flood of memory hits me like a ton of bricks. I gasp for air. Pain. A man's voice shouting, screaming at me. I crumple onto the ground, crying. "Who is he?!" he screams. I shake my head, "There's no one." it's barely a whisper. He kicks me hard in the stomach and I scream before I black out.
I open my eyes for a second and lean out of the van. On all fours I'm sick on the ground, my stomach heaving. Tears still flowing.
When you come out of this, episode, you're on the crusty dirt and Metro is there, too. He shifted over to stay near you, and with one hand, he's sort of holding your hair back, it was loose today, right? So he's got a handful of it, holding it back, and with his left, he's gently rubbing your back. Amid all the memory and the harrowing confusion of it, plus being sick, his touch is a tiny bit of pleasure.
He's been quiet the whole time, you think. Watching with concern, but not interrupting. He lets you recover before asking, "Is this happening often, Stitch? Did this happen to you before stasis?"
Of course I nudge him into spilling. I'm sitting there with him, hanging on to every word, and giggling as he tells me his story. It's weird hearing how they were, growing up together, 'cause I never had the same troubles they did... When ever I needed something, I could usually put on a pouty face, and mention that I'm "Ollie's girl" — most folks would know he was good for it, or just give it to me. I got a lot of weird looks when I told folks I needed water based lube — but it was all for Vee's legs, honest!
Anyway, I'm laughing pretty heartily when he gets to the part where Vee "hides" the bolts for him. Oh Rinny... He's always been so nervous. Afraid of being caught doing something bad, or apparently worse — seeing Vee naked. I give him a peck on the cheek, "you're so sweet, playing dumb like that... I remember Vee mentioned playing "hide and go seek" to get her leg, but she never told me you almost got caught with her!"
I giggle a little while longer, composing myself, and cuddling against him for warmth. Eventually, once we've calmed down, I ask, "Rinny, you think I'll ever find out what happened to Ma' and Dad?"
Without hesitation, Rinso answers, "Yes, Kiddo. We're gonna find them. I promise." He leans in to kiss your forehead, then squeezes you against him a little.
The moons in the sky light up the foothills leading up to the valley with a dim blue light, and I look out onto the dusty, underused trail we'll be riding up tomorrow. Black, harrowing clouds still hang over the crest of the mountain — the fires in the Junkforest must still be burning.
I shiver a little... It's frakking cold out tonight. I dig into Rinso a bit, and get comfortable, "you think we could convince Kodak to make the stop at Simon's grave? I haven't been in years..." I don't expect him to say yes... That's cutting it awfully close to Sector — and nobody goes to Sector anymore.
I wipe my mouth on my sleeve and sit back. "No. It was a memory- from before."
I take a deep breath. "It's ok. It's just a side effect. I had too much to drink, probably. First time since waking up."
I put my finger up to my mouth to chew my nail but stop short. He's right, it's not a good habit. "So what was waking up like for you? Any others with you?"
Rinso squeezes a bit longer, then answers, "I bet he would make a side trip on the way back home. If not, then Venger an I could watch the caravan, and you and Vee could take the buggy."
Stitch,
Metro doesn't seem to buy it, the excuse about being drunk, but he doesn't push further. He reaches into his van and pulls out a metal cylinder, a water bottle, actually. He hands it to you, "I ozonated this water, it's purer than any of the distilled stuff Bicycle is serving. Swish it around in your mouth and spit, don't swallow at first."
He rocks back to sit on the ground and looks up at you. "There's nobody with me from Far Point. They all died on board, didn't make it to landing. It was rough." He reaches down to pick up a fistful of dirt, lets it slip between his fingers and watches it drop down to the earth again.
Then he's looking at you again, "We aren't alone, Stitch. I've met some others who survived re-entry, other spacefolk, as the Junkers call them. I spent a few years following re-entries, found a few of them. Never worth the effort, really. They only land in a very small area that's overrun by scavengers who are very violent. Except yours, right? It fell further south than any I've tracked. I wonder why."
I follow his instructions on the water. "Damn." It was the best tasting thing I've had since waking up- not that the food Caesar cooked up at Loot's was bad, but this... reminds me of home.
"Oh, I'm sorry." I say, making eye contact. I want to do, or say more, but I know the loneliness. I know there's nothing to say.
I don't know why the ship I was on fell down further south, but I can guess about the scavengers he's talking about. "You're talking about the Wendys, right?" I say quietly, unable to hide the fear in my voice.
Metro holds the eye contact for a bit. He has one of those unwavering gazes, unsettling to some. It isn't defiant, just... steady.
When you mention the Wendys, he nods, "Among others. Oh, don't get me wrong, the Wendys are very dangerous, but at least they're honest about it. Loud and showy and dressed like children's nightmares. At least you see and hear them coming, have a chance to run or hide. But there are others just as dangerous. They don't run around in hateful uniforms, some even seem like decent people. But more often than not, they aren't."
He stares up at you for a bit longer, then you see the smirk return. Not like he was joking, more like he's moving on, talking of other things, "KellyTires is a good man. Topps is alright, if a bit too confident of her own intelligence. I've heard good things about Kiddo, Hump and her crew. I mean... who hasn't heard of Ollie and Zero's kids? I think you're in pretty decent company."
I look up at Rinso, and smile. I'm glad he suggested it — because, well, that's probably what I'd have done if Kodak outright refused to let me go... But if Rinso's looking to get into my good books? That was a good start.
"We'll see..." I grab his huge hand, and kiss his knuckles before rubbing them to warm them up. "Maybe he'll come around, yeah? And we won't have to split." I doubt that too... Kodak did just lecture me about taking risks before we left Boomtown... I yawn, and look back into the fire. "But I won't drag you guys into danger on my account."
Oh, man- that smirk! Makes me forget about my troubles, that's for sure.
"Yeah, Kiddo took a shine to me. Helped us get back to Boomtown, set us up with jobs and such. She's young, but I guess everyone here is. She certainly can handle herself in a fight." I hadn't had as much of a chance to talk to her as I'd liked the last few weeks, but after the fight with the Mesas, I'm sure glad I'm on her good side.
Rinso peers at you, "I'm not worried about danger, Kiddo. I am part of this crew, right? And we have a nose for it." He looks away, across the scrub, "The Valley is probably safer than out here. Nothing but kid's ghost stories about the place."
Stitch,
Metro nods, "Most folks are young because living is difficult." He stands up, dusts off his pants, and reaches into the van. After a bit of fishing around and moving equipment, he comes back with a small radio the size of your hand with a bent antenna and a plastic baggie with the word Rainbow on it. "For your trip up north. A present. You can listen to Kelly's first broadcast with this. A handful of batteries, too."
I sigh, not sure what to make of that assumption... If the Valley was safe, then why aren't we up there picking up the lives we left behind? Why stay out here in this shithole, where salt gets into everything? "Kids don't tell ghost stories about safe places, Rinny." I look back up at him, "Running three convoy trucks through Wendy's territory for me to see my li'l brother is a stupid risk — not defying danger — and I don't want folks taking stupid risks on my account." I look back into the fire, picking at my lips.
I have an idea.... It's a stupid idea... If I tell Kodak I'm thinking about making that run, he'll try and shut me down — but I need to make that run. This is a really stupid idea...
... I should just go... I should just leave now, get there by sunrise, and haul ass back to the convoy. Nobody but Rinso and Vee would need to know, and everyone would be safe. I just gotta go, and get this out of my system. I'll get there, find two skeletons by an old 4x4 hammered into the ground in some old grove, and get back.
I look back up at Rinso. "I think..." I sigh, "I'm gunna make the run now..." It's only a few hours away. I can practically spot the place from here. I pull myself up, and rub some dust off my pants. I look back to Rinso, biting my lip nervously, "I'll meet up with the convoy on the way back."
"Thanks." I say, taking the bag and radio, not knowing what else to say. I think about the trip tomorrow- about the danger, about Union. I wonder if I should tell Svenja about the lack of spaceports. My mind is going in circles around the fact that I just puked in front of this guy.
I stand up, slowly, looking at the van. "You did a really good job. It's beautiful."
Rinso sits up straight, looking alarmed. "No, Kiddo. No. That's a bad idea. Kodak will... he stops short, realizing the futility of that argument. Then, "You're running security for this whole caravan, Kiddo. This is a good job. 'Tech put his trust in you. Not me, or Vee, or anybody else. You can't just run off by yourself."
Stitch,
Metro looks at the painting with you. "Thanks." He looks thoughtful for a moment, like he's about to say something about the painting. But instead, he steps sideways closer to you, puts an arm around you and says, "Reminds me of... better places."
Boy, do I ever not give a shit about what Kodak thinks... I sigh, and look back to Rinso, "What's so different tonight from on the ride back, Rinny? Tech didn't hire me to protect the goods on this truck... I mean, yeah, he did — but you think the pay is only for the ride there? No. We're supposed to keep his people safe too... You'll be on the road an hour at worst. You could stall him! Tell him I got too frakkin' drunk and wandered off or something. Or come with me!"
I reach out desperately for his hand, "Rinny... Half the reason I took this job was to get answers. Now all I've got are more questions!" Wait... Why am I arguing this? "I'm going. It'll be quick. The job is important, but I know you and Svenja can handle the truck for an hour or two while I'm gone — I'll even take Vee... Just... Please, Rinny. I was so sure someone here in Salt would know something... Just let me go see, yeah?"
Metro looks in the van with you, smirking. "That's a mess, huh? So easy to lose track of all the things you pick up along the way." He seems to trail off there. "I rest up front, seats are nice. Plus, I'm closer to the ignition if there's trouble."
He pulls his arm back, reaches out to the van and shuts the sliding door, then turns on a heel, sliding back to lean against the van. With a mischievous glint, he asks, "You want to go for a drive, Stitch?"
Rinso closes his eyes, he is not happy about this. But he says, "Take Rolo's bike. It's more dependable than that buggy at night, and faster. He owes me." He opens his eyes and looks right at you, "You better come back. This... it's a really bad idea, Kiddo."
I dive into him and plant a kiss on him like he's never had before. Rinso gets me way better than Kodak ever did... I pull back and grin, "You think you can keep Svenja off you until I get back?" I'm teasing... But it's just so funny to put him on the spot like that. Then, before he can respond, I run off to find Vee... She'd never forgive me if I made this trip without telling her...
If she's up to coming, I'll bring her along. Otherwise I'll grab Rolo's bike and roll out.
Rinso enjoys the never-had-before kiss and stays on watch at the trucks. You find VB chatting with some of the "guys at the tower", but you can tell from the way she's sitting that she's fishing for free drinks and compliments. She's all "hell yeah" when you suggest the idea.
And Rolo, and his bike, were at the room he's sharing with Cheetos. Yeah. But not like that. He gives you drek about the bike, so you have to tell him that he and Rinso are even-steven.
Then, just before midnight, you and Vee are on Rolo's bike heading north for your brother's grave.
--END SCENE (for you)--
Stitch,
Metro fishes his key out of his jeans, tosses it to you. It's on a little key ring with a weird rubber toy version of your favorite animal. What is it?
Metro continues to smirk as he opens the passenger door and climbs in. "Pretty flat ground here. I'm sure you can manage. Plus, it's an automatic. And best of all, older than either of us!" He laughs a bit as he waits for you to get in.
I assume you climb in the driver's side? This is a Frankenstein's Monster, really. In good shape, but the interior is not original. There's a Krankomatic radio in the dash, and it appears he's cut into the console and put in a set of toggle switches, a compass, a few meters and even a small HUD displaying distance and nav points. For a couple hundred year old machine, it roars to life pretty well. You can feel the engine's power rumbling underneath you.
The van jumps forward and in a heartbeat, you're moving over bumpy clods of dirt. Metro gestures towards the road, and I assume you veer that way, if only for a more comfortable ride. The power steering is in good shape, the van handles well. This thing feels heavy, though. Like the whole thing sits lower than it should.
You ask Metro about waking up, for the third time. He looks at you, really looks at you for a bit, and if you weren't the only folks on the road for maybe a hundred kilometers, it might be distracting.
Metro's smirk is gone. "I've misled you, Stitch." He pauses, this isn't easy for him. He peels off the glove on his left hand. You see a strange tattoo across it of an alpha-numeric code. "I'm an artificial person. I don't go to sleep."
"Oh." I say. It's dumb, but I can't think of anything else. I sit there, awkwardly.
I know they'd been making AIs for a while, but I had no idea they'd sent one on Far Point. It makes sense, really, but I have a hard time wrapping my brain around it. I push some hair out of my face.
"So... what do you do? When you're not sleeping? That's a lot of free time..." A tiny giggle escapes me. I woke up from a hundred year nap a few weeks ago and am driving an even older car while riding with an artificial person. This has gotta be a dream...
The giggle disarms him, helps him relax a bit. "This and that. Create blueprints for thirteen radio towers made completely of trash that will permeate a barrier that semi-functional comm beacons can't pierce, hand paint the side of a van I rebuilt piece by piece for a decade... flirt with pretty women. Oh, I read, too."
Metro chuckles, and the smirk returns. He turns in his seat to face you, "You do look familiar. Your eyes are completely unique here. I swear, you look so much like Far Point's pilot, Lieutenant Alessa Corrigan. I hoped you might be, well, spacefolk. Maybe one of her ancestors. It was a slim chance."
I'd seen pictures of her and we did look eerily alike. I don't think I'm related to her, but with the way the government saved DNA, who knows? "Not related that I know of, but you were right about me being spacefolk."
I put the van back in drive, my emotions at war inside my head. I'd really like to just jump him, but then he tells me he's artificial- can they even do that? And he's got this big plan to try and get off this rock whereas I don't know what the hell I want. This planet is as good as any, right? Maybe not, but I'm already here, might as well make the best of it.
I can do good here. People need doctors. So what if I can't settle down and have kids. My work keeps me too busy for that, anyway. Doesn't matter where I am now, it's better than where I was...
As you riding along, Metro is watching you more than the road. You're both quiet, lost in thought for a while. Then, "When do you need to be back, Stitch?" He's turned halfway round, facing you.
Metro quirks a little frown at that. "How long will you be up north? More than a few weeks?" Then, before you even answer, "Coming back through Salt on your way south?"
On the dusty gray wastes in between specks of humanity, on the side of a dirt road, you pull over a centuries old van made from a hundred different vans that lived and died millions of miles away. To talk with an android. Alone.
The two moons are bright overhead and you can make out details without the dashboard lights. Metro reaches over to cut the engine, and everything is quiet. In a soft voice, like he could break the stillness of the moment if he weren't careful, Metro says, "I'm going to be a tad forward right now, and hope that you aren't offended. But as you said, time is short." He pauses, like he is going to say more. That he'd considered much more to say.
But instead, he scoots to the edge of his seat, closer to you, and leans in closer, and with a steady, sure move of his neck, still smirking, a mirror to yours, he moves to kiss you. Soft at first, almost tentative. Testing. A brush of lips against lips, you taste the cigarette he smoked from earlier, but really, oddly, that's it. Not that lips have a very strong taste, but even that, you don't catch.
Metro chuckles lightly at your reaction, but before he resumes the kiss, he says, "I should try harder then, shouldn't I?" He moves in for a deeper kiss, with passion and a kind of urgency born from loneliness. Again, his tongue has no taste, but it feels right. As do his hands, which he's moved behind you, gently caressing your lower back.
And if you're interested in finding out if he's "fully functional", it doesn't seem like he's opposed at all.
What do you do?
(and by what do you do, feel free to fade to black when you like, I'm just trying to gauge how you two are interacting here)
"So, do you ever do more than flirt?" I ask in between kisses.
I slept with Scope the other night, sure, but that was just fucking. There wasn't a connection with him, really. There must be something wrong with me, that I connect better with a robot than a man, but then... I don't really care.
Metro shifts his weight and slides his face along your cheek, until his mouth is by your ear, "Are you calling me a... a tease?" Then he nibbles at your ear, down to the nape of your neck, drinking in pale skin. His hands move underneath your shirt, along your lower back, tracing up your spine.
He begins slowly working your shirt up your back, inch by delicious inch. It's pretty wonderful, right? Because he is intimate, and passionate, but the urgency fades away, like you've given him permission to trust in this moment, that it doesn't need to be snatched up. That it isn't just fucking for you.
That beard of his against my cheek and neck make me close my eyes and sigh. "You call this teasing?" I say, breathy and smirking. I move my hands to his chest and down, playing with his belt.
There's definitely a part of me that knows exactly where I want this to go, but another part of me is in absolutely no rush. I want to savor it. I wonder what he feels. What he desires.
He eases back when you pull back from him, not frustrated, more curious at this change. "Are you teaching me how to tease now?" He reaches a couple fingers up to touch your cheek, looking into your eyes, sharing your smirk.
Metro is delighted. He's only shared his secret (that's he's an android) with a few souls, and to meet you like this has been unexpected. He enjoys physical intimacy with you, and while he doesn't have the base need to procreate, he wants to take this as far as you're comfortable.
It seems like you two are going to fade to black here, two lost souls in the middle of nowhere on a forgotten planet. Seems ripe for a custom move.
When you are physically intimate with an artificial person, roll +Weird. On a hit, fire off your Sex Move like normal. But also, choose options. On a 7-9, choose one. On a 10+ choose two (you can double-up on option three if you wish) * You've learned something about yourself and the bounds of humanity. Mark an XP * The two of you form a bond, and they have very long memories. Take +1 Forward when dealing with them * You have 1 hold over them, per the Skinner's Hypnotic move They can spend your hold, 1 for 1, by: • giving you something you want • acting as your eyes and ears • doing something you tell them to
On a miss, the intimacy was "nice", nothing wrong with it, not really. It's just, you know, adequate. Take -1 Ongoing with that android until you two have a long talk about it. Your Sex Move did not fire.
Comments
"It was barely a blip on the news, but when I joined I read up on the past programs. " I tell him. I noticed he didn't answer my question, deflecting it around to me again.
"I'm ok- this trip has taken it outta me. Had to use the injector on Caesar, but he came around fine. Took the daily pills until we ran out."
I don't know if I should be, like, reporting to him? Do I salute? I was never an officer- I joined the program with other scientists.
Then I assume you fool around for a bit, and Rinso doesn't fight you about taking his shift. He's pretty happy.
Stitch,
Metro asks, "Caesar? How many survived? Is the ship intact?" His voice sounds interested more than desperate.
Oh, he'll happily take the shift with you. He'll even focus on watching things, just idly talk with you about old times, mostly when you were little in the pods. What do you tell him about?
And there it was. I had no idea where this planet was or what I was doing on it. We were supposed to help settle a new planet, but now... and who knows what the state of the government would be, a hundred years later.
Metro blinks a few times, like he's taking it all in. He huffs a dry laugh, "The one left for dead meets the forgotten cast-off... is that what this is?" He smiles, "It has to have been a clerical error, Stitch. Your eyes are far too amazing for anyone to throw away." His hand is on your shoulder, it was there to keep you steady, and now, well, it's still there.
"The ship's probably scuttled by now, right? Nothing worth taking anymore. That's how it goes. These Junkers are quite good at stripping broken things down to their bare essence. Less apt at re-purposing the goods for beneficial aims, though." He says this matter-of-factly, but there's a hint of acceptance in it. Sadness, too.
I pause to clear my throat, and hold my hands out like I'm framing the story."Ok, so ... Ma' kicks him out, 'cause she's convinced my screaming was, like, cancer or something..." I giggle, and brush a bit of hair back behind my ear, "Apparently, she panicked so bad she threw me in this wrap thing, hopped on her bike in the dead of night, and hauled ass for Podday, banging on the Doc's door with the guards bitching at her over her shoulder, at gunpoint." At this point, I'm beet red, and giggling every second word, gesturing wildly to accentuate each sentence. "So the doc, the grumpy old bastard that he was, takes me, puts me on an examining table, and starts rubbing my tummy. I fart three times, roll over, and fall asleep."
I'm killing myself... Wiping tears, holding my sides, and snorting like Pigby2. "Ma' apparently took Dad back the next day, telling him it was 'cause she needed a nap. I think he doesn't know the truth to this day." Gods... I don't think even Vee knows that one... I giggle a while longer, leaning against Rinso as we warm up by the fire.
"Ok, your turn," I say, pawing at his shoulder, "when's the last time you were in the pods?"
OOC: Read a person incoming.
(Rolled: 2d6+2. Rolls: 4, 1. Total: 7)
My feelings all tangle in a knot. A weight I didn't know was there is lifted now that I can actually talk about being from a different planet. I wonder what he'll do, now that we know each other's secret. Will he stay in Salt? Come with us? Ask me to stay?
I chew on one of my nails nervously.
OOC: Read a person- What does your character intend to do?
Rinso is laughing with you, he's never heard this story, and the thought of your ma being wrong about anything is so shocking to him that he's blown away. It takes him a bit to recover his wits.
He's still laughing when he starts to answer, "Last time I was at Podday? Well... it's sort of a weird story. You gotta swear you won't tell Vee I told you, ok?" He looks at you and for a bit, its like he's going to chicken out, but I guess you give him a withering look or elbow him or something, right?
"Vee and I were, I dunno, twelve or something. You remember that harness we rigged up? Temple gave her a few wooden legs, but she kept running around in them, breaking them. And for, I dunno, a couple Junkfalls, they just stopped. So I made that VeePack, I called it. And she just rode around on my back. By then, I'd hit my growth spurt and she didn't weigh hardly anything, so I just carried her around. Because you know Vee, she HATED staying still." He's got a twinkle of pride in his eye talking about his friend. Your friend.
"Anyways, she'd finally gotten hold of that tech, you remember Trench? And he was gonna make her robotic leg for her. But he wanted some special bolts, about a finger long. Fifteen of them. And I'd seen them at Firestone earlier that week, so we did the normal routine to nick them. She crawled up, all cripple girl crying, and I snuck around and stole them," He's so casual about their trick. Did you ever help them on anything like that?
"So we have the bolts, but we know, just know, that they'll set off the scans. Podday was on lockdown, it was the really bad times. So... Vee says, 'Give em to me, Rinnie. I'll hide 'em.'" He pauses, to make sure you're following. Then, "And she made me turn around... then they were, well, gone. I figured up her shirt or something. And she tells me we're good to go. I'm not sure this is gonna work, but well, I really wanted her to be able to walk, so we went."
He does this head waggle as if he's walking along, "So we walk right up to Podday's entrance, and Rado wands us, and sure enough, it goes off. He pats us down, doesn't find anything, wands me, it doesn't go off. Wands Vee... it goes off. I'm frakking about to cry, and Rado takes us into a side room. I just know we're gonna die. He has us strip down, and I don't look at little Vee, but I'm listening... and I don't hear the bolts fall out of her shirt or dress or anything. And two dirty little naked kids are standing there in this clean storage room and Vee starts talking about eating all kinda canned foods and how she needs to see Doc for the lead poison and Rado... he just nods. Like, 'okay, that makes sense, that set it off.' And off we go." He gestures with a hand swipe like the kids took off into the air.
"We got Trench his bolts, Vee got her leg. And I never, ever asked where those bolts were." Then he chuckles for a bit, looks to see if you liked the story.
"No, Stitch, there's no spaceport. No escape. Not even comms can penetrate the atmo, a mixture of gases and metallic residue in the strat that bounces signals. It's a roach motel down here. I'm sorry."
He pauses, then reaches down to gently, very gently, take your hand, pull it away from your mouth, "That's a bad habit down here." He lets go of your hand, not like he's going to control you, right?
For a long moment, he just stares into your eyes. "Stitch, I'll let you in on a secret. There might be hope yet. I'm almost done with this tower. There are plans for twelve more, dotted across the villages south and north of the pods. I hope I can build an array, and with enough power, I should be able to boost signal to broadcast off planet. If I can bounce it up the transmitter relay that leads derelict ships right to our front door, maybe I can get someone to pick up the line. And get us out of here."
As for what he intends to do, it's exactly that.
Of course he would have family or descendants to go back for. Why would he want to stay on this trash heap? And even if that signal never reaches a soul, working towards it is better than nothing, right?
"I..." I say softly, "I meant-"
A flood of memory hits me like a ton of bricks. I gasp for air. Pain. A man's voice shouting, screaming at me. I crumple onto the ground, crying. "Who is he?!" he screams. I shake my head, "There's no one." it's barely a whisper. He kicks me hard in the stomach and I scream before I black out.
I open my eyes for a second and lean out of the van. On all fours I'm sick on the ground, my stomach heaving. Tears still flowing.
When you come out of this, episode, you're on the crusty dirt and Metro is there, too. He shifted over to stay near you, and with one hand, he's sort of holding your hair back, it was loose today, right? So he's got a handful of it, holding it back, and with his left, he's gently rubbing your back. Amid all the memory and the harrowing confusion of it, plus being sick, his touch is a tiny bit of pleasure.
He's been quiet the whole time, you think. Watching with concern, but not interrupting. He lets you recover before asking, "Is this happening often, Stitch? Did this happen to you before stasis?"
Anyway, I'm laughing pretty heartily when he gets to the part where Vee "hides" the bolts for him. Oh Rinny... He's always been so nervous. Afraid of being caught doing something bad, or apparently worse — seeing Vee naked. I give him a peck on the cheek, "you're so sweet, playing dumb like that... I remember Vee mentioned playing "hide and go seek" to get her leg, but she never told me you almost got caught with her!"
I giggle a little while longer, composing myself, and cuddling against him for warmth. Eventually, once we've calmed down, I ask, "Rinny, you think I'll ever find out what happened to Ma' and Dad?"
Without hesitation, Rinso answers, "Yes, Kiddo. We're gonna find them. I promise." He leans in to kiss your forehead, then squeezes you against him a little.
I shiver a little... It's frakking cold out tonight. I dig into Rinso a bit, and get comfortable, "you think we could convince Kodak to make the stop at Simon's grave? I haven't been in years..." I don't expect him to say yes... That's cutting it awfully close to Sector — and nobody goes to Sector anymore.
I take a deep breath. "It's ok. It's just a side effect. I had too much to drink, probably. First time since waking up."
I put my finger up to my mouth to chew my nail but stop short. He's right, it's not a good habit. "So what was waking up like for you? Any others with you?"
Rinso squeezes a bit longer, then answers, "I bet he would make a side trip on the way back home. If not, then Venger an I could watch the caravan, and you and Vee could take the buggy."
Stitch,
Metro doesn't seem to buy it, the excuse about being drunk, but he doesn't push further. He reaches into his van and pulls out a metal cylinder, a water bottle, actually. He hands it to you, "I ozonated this water, it's purer than any of the distilled stuff Bicycle is serving. Swish it around in your mouth and spit, don't swallow at first."
He rocks back to sit on the ground and looks up at you. "There's nobody with me from Far Point. They all died on board, didn't make it to landing. It was rough." He reaches down to pick up a fistful of dirt, lets it slip between his fingers and watches it drop down to the earth again.
Then he's looking at you again, "We aren't alone, Stitch. I've met some others who survived re-entry, other spacefolk, as the Junkers call them. I spent a few years following re-entries, found a few of them. Never worth the effort, really. They only land in a very small area that's overrun by scavengers who are very violent. Except yours, right? It fell further south than any I've tracked. I wonder why."
"Oh, I'm sorry." I say, making eye contact. I want to do, or say more, but I know the loneliness. I know there's nothing to say.
I don't know why the ship I was on fell down further south, but I can guess about the scavengers he's talking about. "You're talking about the Wendys, right?" I say quietly, unable to hide the fear in my voice.
Metro holds the eye contact for a bit. He has one of those unwavering gazes, unsettling to some. It isn't defiant, just... steady.
When you mention the Wendys, he nods, "Among others. Oh, don't get me wrong, the Wendys are very dangerous, but at least they're honest about it. Loud and showy and dressed like children's nightmares. At least you see and hear them coming, have a chance to run or hide. But there are others just as dangerous. They don't run around in hateful uniforms, some even seem like decent people. But more often than not, they aren't."
He stares up at you for a bit longer, then you see the smirk return. Not like he was joking, more like he's moving on, talking of other things, "KellyTires is a good man. Topps is alright, if a bit too confident of her own intelligence. I've heard good things about Kiddo, Hump and her crew. I mean... who hasn't heard of Ollie and Zero's kids? I think you're in pretty decent company."
"We'll see..." I grab his huge hand, and kiss his knuckles before rubbing them to warm them up. "Maybe he'll come around, yeah? And we won't have to split." I doubt that too... Kodak did just lecture me about taking risks before we left Boomtown... I yawn, and look back into the fire. "But I won't drag you guys into danger on my account."
"Yeah, Kiddo took a shine to me. Helped us get back to Boomtown, set us up with jobs and such. She's young, but I guess everyone here is. She certainly can handle herself in a fight." I hadn't had as much of a chance to talk to her as I'd liked the last few weeks, but after the fight with the Mesas, I'm sure glad I'm on her good side.
Rinso peers at you, "I'm not worried about danger, Kiddo. I am part of this crew, right? And we have a nose for it." He looks away, across the scrub, "The Valley is probably safer than out here. Nothing but kid's ghost stories about the place."
Stitch,
Metro nods, "Most folks are young because living is difficult." He stands up, dusts off his pants, and reaches into the van. After a bit of fishing around and moving equipment, he comes back with a small radio the size of your hand with a bent antenna and a plastic baggie with the word Rainbow on it. "For your trip up north. A present. You can listen to Kelly's first broadcast with this. A handful of batteries, too."
I have an idea.... It's a stupid idea... If I tell Kodak I'm thinking about making that run, he'll try and shut me down — but I need to make that run. This is a really stupid idea...
... I should just go... I should just leave now, get there by sunrise, and haul ass back to the convoy. Nobody but Rinso and Vee would need to know, and everyone would be safe. I just gotta go, and get this out of my system. I'll get there, find two skeletons by an old 4x4 hammered into the ground in some old grove, and get back.
I look back up at Rinso. "I think..." I sigh, "I'm gunna make the run now..." It's only a few hours away. I can practically spot the place from here. I pull myself up, and rub some dust off my pants. I look back to Rinso, biting my lip nervously, "I'll meet up with the convoy on the way back."
I stand up, slowly, looking at the van. "You did a really good job. It's beautiful."
Rinso sits up straight, looking alarmed. "No, Kiddo. No. That's a bad idea. Kodak will... he stops short, realizing the futility of that argument. Then, "You're running security for this whole caravan, Kiddo. This is a good job. 'Tech put his trust in you. Not me, or Vee, or anybody else. You can't just run off by yourself."
Stitch,
Metro looks at the painting with you. "Thanks." He looks thoughtful for a moment, like he's about to say something about the painting. But instead, he steps sideways closer to you, puts an arm around you and says, "Reminds me of... better places."
I nod my head at the interior of the van. "So where do you sleep, anyway? What is all that stuff?"
I reach out desperately for his hand, "Rinny... Half the reason I took this job was to get answers. Now all I've got are more questions!" Wait... Why am I arguing this? "I'm going. It'll be quick. The job is important, but I know you and Svenja can handle the truck for an hour or two while I'm gone — I'll even take Vee... Just... Please, Rinny. I was so sure someone here in Salt would know something... Just let me go see, yeah?"
Metro looks in the van with you, smirking. "That's a mess, huh? So easy to lose track of all the things you pick up along the way." He seems to trail off there. "I rest up front, seats are nice. Plus, I'm closer to the ignition if there's trouble."
He pulls his arm back, reaches out to the van and shuts the sliding door, then turns on a heel, sliding back to lean against the van. With a mischievous glint, he asks, "You want to go for a drive, Stitch?"
Let's see a Manipulate here. Leveraging Rinso's trust in you,
(Rolled: 2d6+1. Rolls: 5, 4. Total: 10)
Rinso closes his eyes, he is not happy about this. But he says, "Take Rolo's bike. It's more dependable than that buggy at night, and faster. He owes me." He opens his eyes and looks right at you, "You better come back. This... it's a really bad idea, Kiddo."
I laugh to myself- I'm surprised the back of that van isn't full of women he's picked up along the way...
If she's up to coming, I'll bring her along. Otherwise I'll grab Rolo's bike and roll out.
Rinso enjoys the never-had-before kiss and stays on watch at the trucks. You find VB chatting with some of the "guys at the tower", but you can tell from the way she's sitting that she's fishing for free drinks and compliments. She's all "hell yeah" when you suggest the idea.
And Rolo, and his bike, were at the room he's sharing with Cheetos. Yeah. But not like that. He gives you drek about the bike, so you have to tell him that he and Rinso are even-steven.
Then, just before midnight, you and Vee are on Rolo's bike heading north for your brother's grave.
--END SCENE (for you)--
Stitch,
Metro fishes his key out of his jeans, tosses it to you. It's on a little key ring with a weird rubber toy version of your favorite animal. What is it?
The keychain has a little fox on it. That's weird. Ever since I was a little girl, I've loved foxes- so beautiful.
The keychain:
Metro continues to smirk as he opens the passenger door and climbs in. "Pretty flat ground here. I'm sure you can manage. Plus, it's an automatic. And best of all, older than either of us!" He laughs a bit as he waits for you to get in.
I assume you climb in the driver's side? This is a Frankenstein's Monster, really. In good shape, but the interior is not original. There's a Krankomatic radio in the dash, and it appears he's cut into the console and put in a set of toggle switches, a compass, a few meters and even a small HUD displaying distance and nav points. For a couple hundred year old machine, it roars to life pretty well. You can feel the engine's power rumbling underneath you.
What do you do?
I look over the dash. I can totally do this. I put the van in drive and hit the gas- not flooring it, but not being all timid about it, either.
"So how long ago did you wake up?" I ask him again, keeping my eyes on the road.
The van jumps forward and in a heartbeat, you're moving over bumpy clods of dirt. Metro gestures towards the road, and I assume you veer that way, if only for a more comfortable ride. The power steering is in good shape, the van handles well. This thing feels heavy, though. Like the whole thing sits lower than it should.
You ask Metro about waking up, for the third time. He looks at you, really looks at you for a bit, and if you weren't the only folks on the road for maybe a hundred kilometers, it might be distracting.
"I never went to sleep, Stitch," he admits.
That's impossible. There is no way he could have survived over a hundred years in stasis while conscious. And yet... why would he lie?
I stop the van and put it in park in the middle of nowhere. "How did you survive? God, how did you manage it?" My voice, full of concern.
Metro's smirk is gone. "I've misled you, Stitch." He pauses, this isn't easy for him. He peels off the glove on his left hand. You see a strange tattoo across it of an alpha-numeric code. "I'm an artificial person. I don't go to sleep."
I know they'd been making AIs for a while, but I had no idea they'd sent one on Far Point. It makes sense, really, but I have a hard time wrapping my brain around it. I push some hair out of my face.
"So... what do you do? When you're not sleeping? That's a lot of free time..." A tiny giggle escapes me. I woke up from a hundred year nap a few weeks ago and am driving an even older car while riding with an artificial person. This has gotta be a dream...
The giggle disarms him, helps him relax a bit. "This and that. Create blueprints for thirteen radio towers made completely of trash that will permeate a barrier that semi-functional comm beacons can't pierce, hand paint the side of a van I rebuilt piece by piece for a decade... flirt with pretty women. Oh, I read, too."
"So did I really look familiar or was that just a line?" I say- interested in the answer, but also trying to fluster him a bit.
Metro chuckles, and the smirk returns. He turns in his seat to face you, "You do look familiar. Your eyes are completely unique here. I swear, you look so much like Far Point's pilot, Lieutenant Alessa Corrigan. I hoped you might be, well, spacefolk. Maybe one of her ancestors. It was a slim chance."
I put the van back in drive, my emotions at war inside my head. I'd really like to just jump him, but then he tells me he's artificial- can they even do that? And he's got this big plan to try and get off this rock whereas I don't know what the hell I want. This planet is as good as any, right? Maybe not, but I'm already here, might as well make the best of it.
I can do good here. People need doctors. So what if I can't settle down and have kids. My work keeps me too busy for that, anyway. Doesn't matter where I am now, it's better than where I was...
"Yeah. In a week or so." I answer. I go to bite my nail again, but stop myself, still smiling at him.
"What time is it? I don't have to go right away..." I say, blushing a little.
Then, "What time is it?" The smirk returns, "Best time in the world. Why don't you pull over. I'm afraid I might distract you."
The two moons are bright overhead and you can make out details without the dashboard lights. Metro reaches over to cut the engine, and everything is quiet. In a soft voice, like he could break the stillness of the moment if he weren't careful, Metro says, "I'm going to be a tad forward right now, and hope that you aren't offended. But as you said, time is short." He pauses, like he is going to say more. That he'd considered much more to say.
But instead, he scoots to the edge of his seat, closer to you, and leans in closer, and with a steady, sure move of his neck, still smirking, a mirror to yours, he moves to kiss you. Soft at first, almost tentative. Testing. A brush of lips against lips, you taste the cigarette he smoked from earlier, but really, oddly, that's it. Not that lips have a very strong taste, but even that, you don't catch.
Metro pulls back, looking into your eyes.
And if you're interested in finding out if he's "fully functional", it doesn't seem like he's opposed at all.
What do you do?
(and by what do you do, feel free to fade to black when you like, I'm just trying to gauge how you two are interacting here)
I slept with Scope the other night, sure, but that was just fucking. There wasn't a connection with him, really. There must be something wrong with me, that I connect better with a robot than a man, but then... I don't really care.
He begins slowly working your shirt up your back, inch by delicious inch. It's pretty wonderful, right? Because he is intimate, and passionate, but the urgency fades away, like you've given him permission to trust in this moment, that it doesn't need to be snatched up. That it isn't just fucking for you.
Or maybe. Maybe he is teasing you.
There's definitely a part of me that knows exactly where I want this to go, but another part of me is in absolutely no rush. I want to savor it. I wonder what he feels. What he desires.
(Rolled: 2d6+2. Rolls: 1, 4. Total: 7)
I pull back for a second to look at him.
Metro is delighted. He's only shared his secret (that's he's an android) with a few souls, and to meet you like this has been unexpected. He enjoys physical intimacy with you, and while he doesn't have the base need to procreate, he wants to take this as far as you're comfortable.
When you are physically intimate with an artificial person, roll +Weird.
On a hit, fire off your Sex Move like normal. But also, choose options.
On a 7-9, choose one. On a 10+ choose two (you can double-up on option three if you wish)
* You've learned something about yourself and the bounds of humanity. Mark an XP
* The two of you form a bond, and they have very long memories. Take +1 Forward when dealing with them
* You have 1 hold over them, per the Skinner's Hypnotic move
They can spend your hold, 1 for 1, by:
• giving you something you want
• acting as your eyes and ears
• doing something you tell them to
On a miss, the intimacy was "nice", nothing wrong with it, not really. It's just, you know, adequate. Take -1 Ongoing with that android until you two have a long talk about it. Your Sex Move did not fire.
(Rolled: 2d6+1. Rolls: 6, 2. Total: 9)