meadowlark | @rey.solo

i made a mistake

-------

ETA
Riverstone is interested in cooperating with the Displaced to learn more about the people who brought us here. They figured out who I was when I put in the paperwork to change my name back. Apparently, I'm still on the UN's most wanted list, but someone prevented the UN from acting to bring me into custody.

I don't know who, and neither does Riverstone — in fact, they asked me about it.

But they know that I'm one of the Displaced, which actually explains a few things. I've been working for Riverstone for months. After I went to Everest, I was gone a bit longer than the rest of us, well beyond El's coverage. They gave me back my job anyway. I don't think this was news to them. If you ask me, that's a sign they're not out to get us, but I realize not everyone will agree there.

Now they want to talk to all of us, or as many of us as are interested. Riverstone is offering to pay travel expenses in New Beijing for one week for anyone who wants to undergo observation and testing of their power, and who's willing to answer some questions. I know that sounds scary. I know scary. The UNA had me in custody for some time, running "tests." But Riverstone claims that what they're offering is different, that we'll preview everything first.

Before you decide, I should mention ... they think they might know something about who's been dropping us off. In return for our cooperation, they're willing to exchange that information.

I'm not telling anyone what to do, and no one else should try to do that either. But if follow (this) link, you can register your information with the Riverstone employees in charge of this, and they'll reach out to you to arrange the trip.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Rounded up everyone they could find and put them into massive labor camps, so long as they didn't have any kind of visible physical defect
started ripping up anything they could repurpose for their fleet
metal, mostly, but once that's gone they'll probably move onto something else until the whole planet's stripped out
five, maybe ten more years if I had to guess
I don't know what they'll do after that, or if anybody'll be left alive to see it

I think I might be like one of the only people that woke up immediately stoked to be here, with sub-zero intention to go home

believe me, you're not the only one.

[ Which is about as much as he wants to go into that right now. More importantly: ]

but holy fuck. i don't think there's a hallmark card in the world that could communicate the right kind of consolation.

i'm just sorry you got the short end of the universe's stick.

[ Just gonna tuck that little comment away for later. ]

I mean, they have a 'sorry for the end of your world' section between 'world's best grandma' and 'happy bat mitzvah' but it's easy to miss

It's cool man
It could be worse
I could still be there
Granted I thought the monster apocalypse we just had was about to be round 2 and almost lost my fucking mind, but crisis averted

please know that i haven't said this often in my 2+ years of experience being kidnapped to other worlds, but
i'm glad you're here

Hey, thanks. Me too.
Sorry you been stuck away from yours for so long.

i wish it was that simple. it was more like a year there, a week and a half back home, another year there, and then we all managed to leave

a few hours back home

and then i was here

it is what it is

Jesus Christ, that's a mess
I mean it pretty much eliminates the possibility that your being here is the product of random chance, the statistical odds of that happening to you repeatedly without some kind of direct reason, or tether, or... pattern...

Lance told me about that place you guys were before, a little. That there was a rumor about it having to do with people who are either from chaos or are prone to chaos. I wonder if it's the same here.

And you didn't remember anything when you made it home, right? That's one consistent theme.

[ Nate's life was about as chaotic as it could get. ]

the universe either really likes me, or really hates me.

and yeah, didn't remember anything until i got back.

I'd say the fact that you're alive after half the crazy shit you've told me is an indicator of the former

that's probably for the best, if I get sent home to die I don't want lemon juice on the paper cut

i'm just lucky.

you made it sound like you'd joined up with some people. survivors?

Fuck yeah, have we met? I'd be dead sixteen times over on my own. Yeah we got a compound going at Crater Lake.
When I brag about my PVC pipe shower creation it's because we can't use almost any metal and it was a group showers installment
People smell fucking terrible at the end of the world, if you were curious
Or they did
Still kind of do a little because it's lake water but beggars can't be choosers

ah, this explains why you're so talented at applying siding.

[ Mystery solved. No aluminum-sided homes in an apocalypse where the invaders are sucking up all the metal, he supposes. ]

i have to ask
have you used a gun before?

Yeah, I have a rifle
or
Had one
I'm not exactly a fucking cowboy like SOME OF US but yes

i'm only a cowboy on days when giant rats are chewing through the concrete
are you a decent shot?

Yeah, I'm alright
as long as there's a nice fucking distance between me and whatever I'm shooting at, anyway
when they started getting a little too close for comfort I didn't stick around to find out, seemed like a better idea to book it than risk getting caught and processed

good call.

if i find another gun i'll give you one so i don't have to shoot all the rats for you. unless you prefer that.

If it's a choice between me shooting my own rats and you swooping in heroically to shoot the rats?

always option 2

you're the kind of guy who asks someone else to kill the roaches in his apartment, aren't you?

I'm the kind of guy who doesn't have roaches in my apartment because I do my dishes and take the trash out you weirdo

well, in fairness you're not living with two other people right now

Yeah, okay, no. That's fair. Staying on Kyna and Lance's couch for a week or two was plenty enough for me.

Who is it, your brother?

i was rooming with wade, and then my brother showed up, so things are getting kind of tight

Jesus
Well, if you need some peace and quiet, you know how to break into my apartment so

wait, really?

Yeah, man, of course really.

(no subject)

nonscriptum - 2020-10-07 14:20 (UTC) - Expand

wittingly - 2020-10-07 19:27 (UTC) - Expand