burnt_orangesky | {Twenty-two (50)} &diams Audio Memory

Entry tags:

{Twenty-two (50)} &diams Audio Memory

[The radio clicks on. At first, there is nothing but a distant mechanic hum of some machine running in the background.

Then the voices start. One of them is obviously Fred's, and the rest are metalic, inhuman. There could be as many as three, but it's hard to say since they sound so like each other with only the tiniest of differences from voice to voice. (The Daleks are in colors, Fred is black)]

"Answer! Answer! Answer!"

There was a definite note of terror in Fred's voice as she responded to the harsh demand. "I don't know the answer, please leave me alone!"

"Detector indicates truthful response."

"We will continue."

"You will not remove your hand from the sensor!"

The faint sound of flesh slapping against a hard surface can be heard.

"Statement: your purpose in coming here was to sabatoge Dalek opperations. True or false."

"I don't know anything about the Daleks." Fred sounded a little less scared than before, but her voice wobbled in the middle of the sentence. It was hard to tell what emotion she was feeling from voice alone.

"Answer true or false! Answer! Answer! Answer!"

Fred shouts her response, fear once again clear in her voice. "False! False!"

"Detector indicates truthful response."

"Statement: you are in the employ of a space-power, and have been sent here to spy on the Daleks. True or false."

"False, false, false! Leave me alone." Fred's voice ends in a deep sobbing noise. The sobbing continues as the metallic voices speak over it.

"Detector indicates truthful response."

"Standard interrogation complete. Report analysis of responses.

"Analysis of responses indicates that subject is category 9."

"Category 9 subjects represent no threat to Dalek security. Release the prisoner."

The mechanical hum in the background slowly fades to nothing, leaving Fred's deep sighs of relief clearly audible. After a moment, she speaks again, her voice calmer now, almost normal. "Does that mean I can go?"

"Humanoids are useful work machines, you have no other value. You will be assigned to Labor Force Two."

Fred's voice sounds puzzled as she murmurs, "Labor force tw--"

"You will obey all Dalek commands instantly. You will complete your work schedule. If you fail, you will be exterminated!"

"Obey all Dalek commands!"

"Obey instantly!"

"Obey without question! Obey!"

"Obey!" "Obey!" "Obey!" "Obey!" "Obey!" "Obey!" "Obaaaaaaay!"

[The radio feed cuts out here. The brief silence that follows is soon filled with a small dog's hysterical barking, and if you listen closely, the faint sounds of rapid, shallow breathing.]

[[ooc: This memory happens at night, around... 9:30-10ish, fyi]]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

...Fred? Is that the past or is it now? Are you all right?

I-- [A pause; she tries to calm her breathing. Aven is still yapping in the background.

After a moment, he might hear her swallow as she makes a stab at a normal tone of voice.]

The past. Aven, hush.

I see. Are you all right? Do you need anything or want anything?

I... am fine for now, I think.

[Little pause.] May I come over? Later?

Please do, Fred. You never have to ask.

I will come by later, then. Thank you. [Her voice sounds almost calm now, though there is still an undercurrent of something wrong--especially when she says the last two words.]

You are always welcome, Fred. Especially at our house, especially when you are in need.

[And now Tribble is matching Aven's barks with his own]

Gah. Fed?!? [Someone was sleeping and knocked out of bed by the sounds of biffy shouting and crying]

Edited 2011-01-29 07:59 (UTC)

G-genius. [Her voice is shaky; it should be a big hint something's wrong.]

I... were you sleeping?

[There's a very soft 'quiet Tribble'and the barking stops before Genius speaks]

I--what? No, its only what? 9ish? Who sleeps that early?

[He does when he's emotionally exhausted and still bummed that Stellaris is avoiding him at work wait what? He did not just almost yawn into the radio.]

More importantly--are you ok? That was terrifying! THOSE are DALEKS? Those stupid looking robots?!

They hurt you.

[If she was anything but scared right now, she would be smiling at his obvious lie, and incredulity. As it is, it does distract her a little bit--but her voice only sounds a touch less shaky as she replies.] I am currently fine. Or I will be shortly.

Yes, those... were the Daleks.

Hey. [Long pause.] You ok?

That was... unsettling. [Shaky voice, the answer is clearly 'no.']

...Is anyone with you?

00.

Fr--[He was just on the edge of sleep when he heard this, so it takes a moment to remember that he promised to use the other name.] Romana, what the... ?

Ge--[Same issue, only in her case it is fear rather than sleepiness that makes her forgetful.] ...Lyle. I... it was a memory. [But her voice still sounds too shaky to make that reassurance sound, well, reassuring.]

Edited 2011-01-29 16:12 (UTC)

Which means those bastards going on about the Daleks aren't here.

[Said matter-of-factly. He suspects it helps to hear others say the fact that the danger isn't present.]

I believe... those were the Daleks. [But her voice sounds calmer. Good move, Lyle.]

Edited 2011-01-29 22:33 (UTC)

Not surprising, considering how concerned they were with Dalek security. Though they seem to have something against self-referencing pronouns.

[A small pause, then.] I'd ask if you're all right, but it seems the others have that covered.

[Still, it's reassuring to hear she's calmed some.]

I suspect that is something of a trait of their... [hesitation, hesitation] ...species.

It was... I have had this memory before, I think; quite a while ago, now. But I had not known was was being said before now. [Another slight pause.] I still recall how I felt during the memory, and this... refreshed my recollection of it rather impressively.

Edited 2011-01-29 22:54 (UTC)

I'll just bet that it did. Damn.

I will be fine. [That statement might be less for Lyle's sake, and more for her own.] It will just take me... a little time. To recover from the shock. [Brief pause.] Thank you.

Fred, respond.

[her voice is sharp and urgent--the only reason she's using the radio is that she's still getting out of bed.]

00. [There is still a slightly panicky edge to her voice, but she's calmer now.] I am... it was a memory.

[there's a sound of putting on clothes.]

Do you need anything? I can make comforting food.

[ql/handwave?]

That... would be very nice, yes. [She mainly just wants to be around people right now, and food is a good excuse.

00 will hear the sound of Fred moving to get up as well.]

[I'm fine with either!]

[00 walks out quickly into the kitchen, getting out the makings of hot chocolate with all the precision and urgency as if she was undertaking a mission like the one she heard in her memory. The only difference is that she's wearing a sweatshirt over her pajamas rather than a plugsuit.

She looks around for Fred as she does so. It's obvious that the memory was terrifying, and Fred still sounded distressed over the radio.]

[Though Fred was out of bed only a few moments after 00 made her suggestion, it's another minute or so before she actually comes out. In that time, she threw on some haphazardly-grabbed clothes (the top is one of her Scavenger shirts, and has a splash of grease down the front and rust stains on the sleeves; however, the pants appear to be clean), and managed to calm Aven. The little dog is now being carried in her arms. He still trembles and growls a little every now and then, though it's hard to say whether he's doing that out of anger or fear.

She sits down at the table, and looks over at 00.] Thank you.

[The gratitude is clear in her voice.]

[00 takes careful note of Fred's state when she comes into the kitchen. She notices Aven's agitation as well. That doesn't seem like a good sign.

She watches the microwave as the mug spins around inside, conscious that her impatience is pointless. A second is a second, however much she wants it to pass quicker.]

You're welcome.

[She continues to watch Fred, wondering what she can say or do to comfort her. The Fred in the memory was obviously terrified. The Fred at the table is scared too, even though there is no danger here. 00 can't offer reassurance that she'll protect Fred from Daleks if they arrive in Edensphere, either. Her experience with the zombies showed quite clearly that her combat abilities are inadequate for such a task.]

[So she concentrates on making the cocoa and sets it down in front of Fred, sitting across from her.]

I think this will help.

[Fred pets Aven where he's sitting in her lap gently, calming him further as she waits for whatever 00 is making her. By the time 00 sets the cocoa in front of her, Aven is just about calm. The same can't quite be said for his mistress.

She curls both hands around the warm mug, leaving Aven to stay in her lap or hop down, as he wants. He stays there for now, though.]

Thank you. [She takes a quick sip, but seems more content to sit there holding the mug without drinking.]

[00 watches her face for a moment, then stares at the mug. She wants very much for Fred not to be frightened. It was a memory. The circumstances of it don't affect her now. But memories are... distressing. There is no way to know if Fred escaped from the Daleks, or if she eventually failed to complete her work schedule and was exterminated.

And 00 doesn't think that saying any of this aloud will be helpful. But Fred has always been good to her. She is a kind person, even if 00 doesn't understand her connections with others. But she feels she doesn't have enough information to comfort her.]

I don't think there are any Daleks here.

[Fred looks up again at that, and sighs a bit. She came out here to try and distract herself from the memory; drowning herself in recollections of the first time she experienced it isn't allowing her to distance herself from it properly.]

...yes. I hope they never come here; I rather think it would be worse than anything we have experienced thus far. [Or that could just be the fear talking.

She drinks a little more of the cocoa.] Ah... how have you been, 00? It seems I never take the time to really sit down and talk with you.

[00 looks at her, somewhat surprised. There have been a great deal of traumatic and disastrous incidents in the Sphere. 00 herself was born during the aftermath of one.

But Fred changes the subject after she sips the drink. 00 decides to follow the new thread of conversation. She isn't sure what else to do. But it takes her another moment to think about it.]

I've been well. [pause.] I don't talk very much.

[She's aware of that fact about herself. Fred shouldn't find it odd.]

[Fred can't explain the feeling; she is well aware that it could simply be the prejudice caused by fearing something that makes her think that. But she feels strongly that if Daleks turn up here... there would not be much left of Edensphere.

But she's very grateful 00 goes with the subject change.] Perhaps not, but it still seems like we never... erm. Do anything together.

[00 considers this for a moment.]

We eat dinner together. And we live in the same space.

[But maybe that isn't sufficient? 00 has visited playgrounds, the Wilderness, and gone to a party with others, even if her daily routine doesn't vary a great deal.]

What do you do with the other people that are important to you?

[Fred paused at that, actually taking a moment to think about it. 00 was so different from any of her friends... most of the Humans she knew seemed to need social interaction to survive, almost, and many of them did it as naturally as breathing. She thought of Genius, and a wry smile crossed her face. Well, sometimes breathing needed a little help to be natural. But he was getting the hang of it, slowly.

But 00 seemed to be content not doing any of that.] ...well, I suppose I eat dinner with them as well. But we... ah, Genius calls it 'hanging out.' We... 'hang out' together. Do things that are frivolous, fun. Like... walking in the park.

[She wasn't sure if 00 would like video games.]

[For 00, having social connections--friendships--is still something that feels strange. Even though it's been over a year, she's reluctant to venture out into the deep end of the socialization pool without some metaphorical foam noodles. She's simply happy that she has these bonds.]

I've heard that term.

[She could get the hang of video games, though the value would still be in who she was playing with. At the suggestion of walking, 00 tries to think of things along a similar line.]

We could visit the Aquarium. The sea life is interesting to watch. [...] Can you swim?

[Fred smiled; it wasn't a very big smile, but at least it was a smile.]

I have not gone there very often. That sounds like it may be interesting.

[00's question gave her pause for a moment.]

Swim? Yes, I can. Why?

[The smile is good. 00 is glad to see it.]

It is interesting.

When the seasons change, we can swim in the lake.

Then we shall have to go there soon.

Ah, of course. [Fred paused for a moment.] But what of Bernard? Surely she will not be content to let us swim in peace, from what I have heard of her.

[Planning for the future was a nice distraction. It was allowing Fred to put a little distance between herself and the memory, to regain her composure once more.]

[Ben opens his mouth, and there's that easily missed almost-speaks-but-doesn't noise as he changes his mind, having heard other people talking to her.]

[Sorry, Ben, she doesn't even notice your almost-contribution to the conversation.]

Fred, do you need anything? I'm coming home...

[She's calmer by the time he says anything.] Ah. You don't have to... [But she would like the company, yes.]

I'm coming regardless, so the best thing you can do is say yes.

...alright. Yes, company would be... most welcome.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

{Twenty-two (50)} &diams Audio Memory

no subject

...i really don't have many icons adequate for this sort of thing XD

lol. Never enough icons, alas.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

and yes the typo was intentional

Lol, aww

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

...totally wrong icon

Man, I feel like Fred's talked to him about Daleks, but don't remember if the word was used. :|9

Before this memory, she didn't know what they were called :|b

Good to know!

no subject

[radio]

Re: [radio]

[radio]

Re: [radio]

[quicklog]

[quicklog]

[quicklog]

[quicklog]

[quicklog]

[quicklog]

[quicklog]

Re: [quicklog]

[quicklog]

[quicklog]

[quicklog]

[quicklog]

[glacierlog]

[watching paint drylog]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject