Agent Washington (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
schrodingerscockroach) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
auroraexpress2020-06-17 06:11 pm
schrodingerscockroach) wrote in auroraexpress2020-06-17 06:11 pm
Entry tags:
(no subject)
Who: Agent Washington and Those Concerned
When: Day 65 to Day 66
Where: Lounge at first
[Dusk is taking a memory in the morning, putting in his token and immediately, the memory is kind of weird. There are flickers. At first, there is the backdrop of a dark forest, perhaps familiar to some. Then there is the image of a shattered mirror. Then the flickering settles to being on a ship.]
[He's in the waiting area for the surgical suite, pacing back and forth.] It's fine. It'll be fine. Carolina just pushed too hard. We knew there would be side effects. [He's muttering to himself, very clearly nervous.] You trained for this. You're meeting your partner today. [But despite the obvious nerves, there seems to be excitement at the same time. Anticipation.] And you're going to help end this war. We'll be an amazing soldier. We'll save a lot of people.
[And then finally, he's called into surgery. And there's the Counselor and the Director. He's prepped for surgery, for the Epsilon AI. Everything goes smoothly, the chip implanted at the back of his neck.]
[And whatever happens, it isn't shown on the screen. After all, what happens is solely in Washington's head. One moment, he's laying down. The next, he's screaming, and it's unknown what exactly it is. He's screaming, stumbling around the surgical suite, knocking things over.] Good-bye-don't say-stop-don't go-dead-dead-not dead- [Words jumbled with the screaming, until he's finally sedated.]
[When he next wakes up, he's strapped down to a gurney and there's the Director. There are questions. The Director puts on a calm air, but to a keen eye, his own tension is obvious. These are not questions of checking a person after a terrible experience. It's an interrogation.]
[And Wash acts confused, disorientated, very much the rookie puppy of his Freelancer memories. He asks if its normal to forget everything that happened after implantation, says he can't remember anything, says his head hurts. He says Epsilon doesn't want to talk to the Director when he asks and Wash just shrugs when he asks why, thinks Epsilon is sulking.]
I see. Very well. One final question, Agent Washington. What do you think of good-byes?
[There is a brief moment of hesitation from Wash.] They're sad. But you have to say them sometimes. Why?
[The Director doesn't answer. Just stares at him for a long time before getting up.] That will be all, Agent Washington. I'll expect you at training in the morning.
[Washington sighs as he leaves and leans back on the bed, closing his eyes.] Okay Epsilon. [And there is a dramatic shift in his tone. Gone is the puppy, its very much Dusk Dealing With Terrible Shit voice.] Let's talk.
[But it's in his head, conversation that doesn't need to be aloud, and time skips.]
[Washington goes to training. There are murmurings of shouldn't there be more tests, shouldn't he rest more, but he ignores that, and focuses on the implanted agents in training, on South, and briefly, Texas. Though anytime he watches Texas, he has to turn and leave after only a short time. It's obvious he's studying them intently, and there's murmurings at time.]
North doesn't even notice.
Carolina is going to burn out.
Maine's watching all of us more than normal, why?
[A time where he stares at the leaderboard.] Connie knew, didn't she?
[Moments of training mixed with others. In isolated hallways, Wash's room, the bathroom, usually leaning heavily on the wall or furniture, gripping his head.]
Calm down, please calm down. I'll figure it out. I promise. I just need time, Epsilon. I want to save them too. Just....please hold yourself together.
[His tone varies between afraid, worried, reassuring, and outright pleading, but its clear there are times where he has to calm down the voice in his head.]
[There are many times where the other AIs can be seen, projected from their Agent's armor. Epsilon never projects himself.]
[Wash is in training himself. It swings wildly between him being a tactical machine to tripping over his own feet. There is no in between.]
[And then Wash is sent on a mission. Information gathering from a planetside base, with Carolina and York. It's clear this isn't the best course of action. Wash is still unstable in his ability, and other is wired as all hell. She puts on a good front of being together, but she doesn't sit still, her eyes never stop moving and she doesn't look like she's slept in days, not really. York is the only one who seems together, besides the Heavy Concern he's covering up.]
[They get planetside. They split up. Carolina is to secure their exit strategy. York is to get in the main computers. Wash is to make sure no one is over there. He goes to the far side, looking for something to cause a proper distraction when finally]
[Epsilon appears]
[He does not look well.]
[One moment, he's a solid AI, the next he looks tattered, glitching, pieces of his code missing.]
This is a waste of time! What is information going to do us when we stop him?
Because I need time, Epsilon.
That's what you always say! The longer you take, the more Alpha suffers! The more everyone suffers!
Because it's true! It's just the two of us, it doesn't make it easy to get everyone out without getting them or ourselves killed.
You're already dead.
[Wash briefs in sharply and he groans, a hand going to his head.] He lied.
Maybe he didn't. Maybe you're dead, maybe they're all dead, maybe she's dead and this is just me lying to myself, lying, lying, always lying-ha-haha-maybe I remade my deceit, wouldn't that be great?!
Epsilon-stop-please-
[Epsilon doesn't respond, just staring laughing, a deranged, unhinged, glitched out sound and he flickers out of view.]
[And Wash continues on, pushing along the wall, murmuring pleas for Epsilon to calm down, to stop. At first. But then in moments, his choice changes. The cadence different, similar to Epsilon, over his own, angry and accusatory, calling him a coward, and they had to save them, he was the one who wanted them to be partners, well here they are with Wash letting the Director break all of them-]
[Wash starts screaming and draws attention. It's hard to track what happens, save the blur of motion that is Carolina who comes to save him and decides to FIGHT the base of operatives, so sure she can win.]
Don't let her die, not her, anyone, but her- [Wash who is Epsilon murmurs as he watches, trying to push himself off the ground.]
[Which is when York comes in on a Warthog and pulls them both out.]
[Wash gets quiet after that.]
[Time skips to the ship and silence.]
[Time skips to the medical wing and silence.]
[It takes two days for him to respond, when Maine comes in for another headache, asking if the big guy is okay. Just another headache, the doctor confirms. Maine doesn't respond himself.]
[He's taken off active duty. Time skips with repeated attempts of trying to get Wash and Epislon to work in sync for training, but more and more times, he's tripping over his feet stage of the swing. He'll wake up to doctors being concerned, mentions of being out too long from better part of a way to a few.]
[The Director comes and asks questions. His opinions of things. There are times where Wash knows he's said the wrong thing, and the questions get more persistent and he complains of headaches and tired and its usually after an intense session he's out longest.]
[There are many times at night where Wash is murmuring those pleas for Epsilon to calm down. To trust him. Give him time.]
[Until one night, the pleading sounds particularly desperate.]
I can't do anything if you're like this! I need to be trusted if I'm going to help them and I can't do that if you keep doing this. Please, Epsilon, I want to help, but I can't like this.
[The argument is circular as far as anyone will be able to tell. With Wash saying the same things. Saying he wants to help, for pleas for Epsilon to give him peace, but it doesn't seem to be working.]
[Until he breathes in sharply.]
What are you saying? [His voice is soft and afraid.] No....no, Epsilon, you can't. Epsilon, stop, we can get through this, we'll save them, we'll stop them. Epsilon. Epsilon, please, Epsilon, you can't do that! Epsilon, I can't do this alone, I can't-
[The monitors in the room are going crazy.]
You-Epsilon, it's not just you-no, no, no, no!
[And he's pushing himself up, ripping out cords as he reaches for the back of his neck, and while he had been pleading, desperate before, this time it's outright begging. He's terrified, terrified in a way that he's never been in memories. Terrified in a way Dusk had never been.] You can't do this, please, Epsilon, stop-
[He grabs the back of his neck]
[And freezes]
[And screams in a soul wrenching, throat tearing way, and it's unclear if the skipping is just the usual memory skips on the screen or if that's simply how Dusk can remember it.]
[He screams and there's flashes of blood staining hospital equipment. There is a flash of clawing hands into dirt. There is a flash of Faito, fear in her eyes. The flash of doctors, and needles, and so much screaming.]
[And then the memory ends.]
[And then the screaming starts, as Dusk hits the floor of the lounge, nose bleeding, and hands reaching for his neck.]
When: Day 65 to Day 66
Where: Lounge at first
[Dusk is taking a memory in the morning, putting in his token and immediately, the memory is kind of weird. There are flickers. At first, there is the backdrop of a dark forest, perhaps familiar to some. Then there is the image of a shattered mirror. Then the flickering settles to being on a ship.]
[He's in the waiting area for the surgical suite, pacing back and forth.] It's fine. It'll be fine. Carolina just pushed too hard. We knew there would be side effects. [He's muttering to himself, very clearly nervous.] You trained for this. You're meeting your partner today. [But despite the obvious nerves, there seems to be excitement at the same time. Anticipation.] And you're going to help end this war. We'll be an amazing soldier. We'll save a lot of people.
[And then finally, he's called into surgery. And there's the Counselor and the Director. He's prepped for surgery, for the Epsilon AI. Everything goes smoothly, the chip implanted at the back of his neck.]
[And whatever happens, it isn't shown on the screen. After all, what happens is solely in Washington's head. One moment, he's laying down. The next, he's screaming, and it's unknown what exactly it is. He's screaming, stumbling around the surgical suite, knocking things over.] Good-bye-don't say-stop-don't go-dead-dead-not dead- [Words jumbled with the screaming, until he's finally sedated.]
[When he next wakes up, he's strapped down to a gurney and there's the Director. There are questions. The Director puts on a calm air, but to a keen eye, his own tension is obvious. These are not questions of checking a person after a terrible experience. It's an interrogation.]
[And Wash acts confused, disorientated, very much the rookie puppy of his Freelancer memories. He asks if its normal to forget everything that happened after implantation, says he can't remember anything, says his head hurts. He says Epsilon doesn't want to talk to the Director when he asks and Wash just shrugs when he asks why, thinks Epsilon is sulking.]
I see. Very well. One final question, Agent Washington. What do you think of good-byes?
[There is a brief moment of hesitation from Wash.] They're sad. But you have to say them sometimes. Why?
[The Director doesn't answer. Just stares at him for a long time before getting up.] That will be all, Agent Washington. I'll expect you at training in the morning.
[Washington sighs as he leaves and leans back on the bed, closing his eyes.] Okay Epsilon. [And there is a dramatic shift in his tone. Gone is the puppy, its very much Dusk Dealing With Terrible Shit voice.] Let's talk.
[But it's in his head, conversation that doesn't need to be aloud, and time skips.]
[Washington goes to training. There are murmurings of shouldn't there be more tests, shouldn't he rest more, but he ignores that, and focuses on the implanted agents in training, on South, and briefly, Texas. Though anytime he watches Texas, he has to turn and leave after only a short time. It's obvious he's studying them intently, and there's murmurings at time.]
North doesn't even notice.
Carolina is going to burn out.
Maine's watching all of us more than normal, why?
[A time where he stares at the leaderboard.] Connie knew, didn't she?
[Moments of training mixed with others. In isolated hallways, Wash's room, the bathroom, usually leaning heavily on the wall or furniture, gripping his head.]
Calm down, please calm down. I'll figure it out. I promise. I just need time, Epsilon. I want to save them too. Just....please hold yourself together.
[His tone varies between afraid, worried, reassuring, and outright pleading, but its clear there are times where he has to calm down the voice in his head.]
[There are many times where the other AIs can be seen, projected from their Agent's armor. Epsilon never projects himself.]
[Wash is in training himself. It swings wildly between him being a tactical machine to tripping over his own feet. There is no in between.]
[And then Wash is sent on a mission. Information gathering from a planetside base, with Carolina and York. It's clear this isn't the best course of action. Wash is still unstable in his ability, and other is wired as all hell. She puts on a good front of being together, but she doesn't sit still, her eyes never stop moving and she doesn't look like she's slept in days, not really. York is the only one who seems together, besides the Heavy Concern he's covering up.]
[They get planetside. They split up. Carolina is to secure their exit strategy. York is to get in the main computers. Wash is to make sure no one is over there. He goes to the far side, looking for something to cause a proper distraction when finally]
[Epsilon appears]
[He does not look well.]
[One moment, he's a solid AI, the next he looks tattered, glitching, pieces of his code missing.]
This is a waste of time! What is information going to do us when we stop him?
Because I need time, Epsilon.
That's what you always say! The longer you take, the more Alpha suffers! The more everyone suffers!
Because it's true! It's just the two of us, it doesn't make it easy to get everyone out without getting them or ourselves killed.
You're already dead.
[Wash briefs in sharply and he groans, a hand going to his head.] He lied.
Maybe he didn't. Maybe you're dead, maybe they're all dead, maybe she's dead and this is just me lying to myself, lying, lying, always lying-ha-haha-maybe I remade my deceit, wouldn't that be great?!
Epsilon-stop-please-
[Epsilon doesn't respond, just staring laughing, a deranged, unhinged, glitched out sound and he flickers out of view.]
[And Wash continues on, pushing along the wall, murmuring pleas for Epsilon to calm down, to stop. At first. But then in moments, his choice changes. The cadence different, similar to Epsilon, over his own, angry and accusatory, calling him a coward, and they had to save them, he was the one who wanted them to be partners, well here they are with Wash letting the Director break all of them-]
[Wash starts screaming and draws attention. It's hard to track what happens, save the blur of motion that is Carolina who comes to save him and decides to FIGHT the base of operatives, so sure she can win.]
Don't let her die, not her, anyone, but her- [Wash who is Epsilon murmurs as he watches, trying to push himself off the ground.]
[Which is when York comes in on a Warthog and pulls them both out.]
[Wash gets quiet after that.]
[Time skips to the ship and silence.]
[Time skips to the medical wing and silence.]
[It takes two days for him to respond, when Maine comes in for another headache, asking if the big guy is okay. Just another headache, the doctor confirms. Maine doesn't respond himself.]
[He's taken off active duty. Time skips with repeated attempts of trying to get Wash and Epislon to work in sync for training, but more and more times, he's tripping over his feet stage of the swing. He'll wake up to doctors being concerned, mentions of being out too long from better part of a way to a few.]
[The Director comes and asks questions. His opinions of things. There are times where Wash knows he's said the wrong thing, and the questions get more persistent and he complains of headaches and tired and its usually after an intense session he's out longest.]
[There are many times at night where Wash is murmuring those pleas for Epsilon to calm down. To trust him. Give him time.]
[Until one night, the pleading sounds particularly desperate.]
I can't do anything if you're like this! I need to be trusted if I'm going to help them and I can't do that if you keep doing this. Please, Epsilon, I want to help, but I can't like this.
[The argument is circular as far as anyone will be able to tell. With Wash saying the same things. Saying he wants to help, for pleas for Epsilon to give him peace, but it doesn't seem to be working.]
[Until he breathes in sharply.]
What are you saying? [His voice is soft and afraid.] No....no, Epsilon, you can't. Epsilon, stop, we can get through this, we'll save them, we'll stop them. Epsilon. Epsilon, please, Epsilon, you can't do that! Epsilon, I can't do this alone, I can't-
[The monitors in the room are going crazy.]
You-Epsilon, it's not just you-no, no, no, no!
[And he's pushing himself up, ripping out cords as he reaches for the back of his neck, and while he had been pleading, desperate before, this time it's outright begging. He's terrified, terrified in a way that he's never been in memories. Terrified in a way Dusk had never been.] You can't do this, please, Epsilon, stop-
[He grabs the back of his neck]
[And freezes]
[And screams in a soul wrenching, throat tearing way, and it's unclear if the skipping is just the usual memory skips on the screen or if that's simply how Dusk can remember it.]
[He screams and there's flashes of blood staining hospital equipment. There is a flash of clawing hands into dirt. There is a flash of Faito, fear in her eyes. The flash of doctors, and needles, and so much screaming.]
[And then the memory ends.]
[And then the screaming starts, as Dusk hits the floor of the lounge, nose bleeding, and hands reaching for his neck.]
no subject
[ what? ]
[ what, no, no ]
Dusk-?! [ She reaches out towards him, only to stop before she can actually make contact, some ingrained reflex holding her back. ]
Dusk!
no subject
Epsilon-stop-please stop=!
[And there's that begging against, one hand is on a chair and there's an audible crunching as the wood under the padding buckles under his grip, his other hand going to his neck, though it's stilted. Stuttering.]
[Trying to resist.]
Epsilon-its not-need-neeed to-stop stop stop stop-
[And there's contact, fingers trying to scratch at his neck, hard swipes before trying to jerk away, trying to figure out those odd flashes, other moments, other things that aren't just Epislon-]
no subject
Dusk - [ What should she do? What can she do? Desperate to help and a little panicked, she falls to her knees next to him and casts a shield around his neck; a buffer to keep him from doing any damage to himself. ] Dusk, it's okay, it was a memory, you're safe ...
[ She hesitates, and then - ]
Wash! Agent Washington!
[ That's the name he used for longest, right? Maybe it'll help. ]
no subject
[He still tries, begging for things to stop, until that name, Agent Washington, and his gaze snaps up.]
[There isn't....clarity, no, but there's something, something beyond madness and desperation and fear.] Agent Washington is dead-
[His cadence isn't right, broken and something else.]