77 lines
3.4 KiB
Plaintext
77 lines
3.4 KiB
Plaintext
Certainly feels like I did. I blink rapidly, reality rushing into view again.
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\ I don't have the gas mask on anymore. Also I'm laying on the floor, arms
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\ under me and slightly to the side.
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Old Man stands in front of me, his face showing both relief and a bit
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\ of embarrassment, holding a large contraption.
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"Ground control to major Mute, nod if you copy." -- I nod.
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"Oh man, you went so high this time, I couldn't get to you at all, so
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\ I figured maybe what would help is... you know... Looks like it did."
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Yeah, the metaphor is apt. So I didn't go under, I went up, into orbit, but then
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\ there was a re-entrance and a bumpy ride through the atmosphere and then
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\ a touchdown, it fits. Now here I am, the first pony in space-- well,
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\ a former pony anyway.
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So, what is this in his arms? A long brass tube, some wheels, a belt to transfer
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\ torque, and an eraser sitting on the top axis, slightly off to the side.
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\ A steampunk de-orbiting device, I guess.
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"Oh, this? Well, I don't exactly run a sex shop here, so I had to quickly put
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\ together a... you know... something that vibrates somehow..." -- he turns
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\ a wheel at the base of the tube, and the top bit shakes. I see. He puts it
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\ aside. -- "Anyway, the test was a success, let's get you back in shape
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\ and move along."
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I drink some water and he sits me on the bed, putting my legs on a chair. He
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\ takes a second chair and starts working his hacksaw again. I guess the chain
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\ will have to go after all. If we are on an explore mission, it may as well
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\ stay behind, sure.
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"I don't have a clock, so I can't tell you your new record, but it would
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\ be enough I'm sure."
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Time to start collecting things I'm good at. First item on the list: hanging
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\ in bondage. I'll take my victories wherever I can I guess.
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"I'm watching radiation, so far nothing to worry about. We should go as soon
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\ as possible, I can't imagine what we would achieve just sitting here. If
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\ the future will bring any change, it's not gonna be for good."
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The future is something I prefer not to think about.
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"So, where to go. The town is out. I've thought about it, and it's simply
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\ too dangerous. Radiation is the least of my worries, we can see it. Not so much
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\ all the other stuff, like poisons or diseases, and what if there are
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\ hostiles there. No."
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I'm thinking about urban ruins with mutants and zombies, and two of us in bright
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\ yellow suits, which we don't even have. Yeah, I can see how it might go
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\ slightly sideways.
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"But I know a place we can check out. Not far, maybe three or four hours away,
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\ so we can be back before night hopefully. I think we should go in the morning.
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\ It's evening now. It's a gas station, what's left of it, I hope there would be
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\ something of use in there."
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One link is now cut in one place, at a minimum we'll need another cut like this.
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"We need to remove the metal thing off your arms and then we'll have to deal
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\ with plastic. The steel looks high quality and it's thick, I'm afraid this
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\ hacksaw will not be enough. I mean given enough time and blades it can go
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\ through anything I suppose, but we may find something better.
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\ ~~Also I don't have infinite blades.~~"
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Oh good, now I start blaming myself for his hacksaw blades being used on my
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\ useless person. Come on Mute, would you in his place be annoyed or would you
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\ be glad that you can help? What better use is there for the blades than
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\ to free another human being from chains she put on herself?
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...
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[[Fucking hell, I'm all over the place.|next]]
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(end of page)
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