♠ | 001 | Video

[lastrat]

[Bond has been laying low, for the most part: investigating quietly, observing, looking for the Admiral and the Bridge and all the other things people initially told him he'd never see or find.

It galls him that they were right.

He's also spent his time half convinced that this is all a drug induced dream meant to obtain information from him. He still isn't sure either way, honestly, so when the video clicks on, Bond's face is inscrutable, because you're getting nothing from him, Quantum. When he talks, it's easy, smooth, because he is a very good bluffer.]

Suppose this is real. Suppose we are actually on a ship meant to cure us of our villainous ways. Tell me how it works. Tell me how often it works. And what do the wardens get out of it?

[He smiles, and it's easy but doesn't reach his eyes.]

While we're here, I've learned from my mistakes, 'Admiral.' [The inflection is small, but present: he really means Quantum.] Kindly send me back to live the quiet retired life, if you please. [There are much more important things than his immortal soul, or whatever the fuck this is supposed to be about, at stake after all.]

[Private to Ivy]

It strikes me that I may or may not owe you an apology.

[Private to Lark]

Heard anything?

Comments

[lastrat]

[Oh, that is unsettling. To James' favor, he doesn't jump or jerk back. A muscle in his cheek twitches once, twice, before he gets it under control and tries to decide if he just witnessed a hell of a piece of electronic equipment, or something real.

It can't be real. It doesn't look fake. Christ.]

How does it function as a weapon?

[lost_humanity]

Normally better than it does now. [Which he's not pleased about, but he goes over to stand up a book, stands away from the book, and a small blast from the skrill knocks it off the table.

Then back to paying attention to Mr. Bond.] It's usually very thorough. [And right now all it can do is cause a dull headache.] Somehow the ship makes it work less effectively, and my warden has informed me that only his permission can return its capacity.

[lastrat]

[Bond doesn't say anything at first. He watches the video, then taps a few keys like he's trying to determine if this is live, if it's possible it's partially a recording, if if if. His face lets very little of how unsettling he finds this on.]

And has he deigned to restore it soon?

[lost_humanity]

No, there are certain conditions he wants to be met first, and at the moment I lack the leverage to feel comfortable with them.

[Besides, he doesn't need the skrill to kill someone. It's just helpful.]

Retired?

[lastrat]

[And the lack of desperation in that means he's someone to watch out for. Bond just smiles a little.]

To put it nicely.

[lost_humanity]

[Little bit of a snort.] I doubt the Admiral cares much whether you're retired or not. [Technically his own career was done with the Atlantic National Alliance taking the authority from the FBI. But if he got someone from his world he would pretend as hard as he could that he was still a part of the FBI.]

But then again, who knows what faceless symbolic entities are thinking. [That's almost a joke.]

[lastrat]

[Almost.] I wouldn't deign to guess.