002 | text

[relinquishing]

[It takes him all day to muster himself out of his bed to make this post in the dormitory levels. Had he not been slammed with a message about his new "job", he would have kindly stayed in his room for a day or two just to... he wasn't even sure what the right word was. He didn't need to relax. He needed to detox. His journey home had been short, but he hoped and prayed it was just a dream. Only a dream, please just let it be that. But he'd seen the barren landscape, inhaled the putrid, acidic smell of miasma leaking out of every crack and crevice, seas of purple mud and poison all that remained of his world.

Of course he wanted it to be a dream.

...]

Two questions. Feel free to answer or not.

First: How many of you have been back home? As in: how many have returned to what used to be their home, only to come back? What did you see, and did it... feel real?

[...]

Second: What are we left with if the worlds we all know are really gone? Is it just us, this Tower, countless years and a few grim expectations?

I really am starting to wonder.

Comments

[Text]

[relinquishing]

Heheh. Yeah, it's usuallly good. Just means that you're a lot braver than some people might think and that you stick to what you think is right.

Just don't go getting into too much trouble because of that.

[Text]

[technologic]

Oh, I see! Then thank you, I'm glad you think that!

... And I'll do my best. But if it helps, I can usually get myself out of trouble when I get in it.

[Text]

[relinquishing]

Mmm. I'd say it's a nice trait to have, as long as you don't get cocky about it. Being cautious isn't a crime.

[Text]

[technologic]

Yeah, that's true. I was pretty bad when I was younger, but I'm learning to be more cautious.

[Especially since she now has to sometimes fight without her powers.]

[Text]

[relinquishing]

Keep practicing. Let yourself look at what can be done with what you have first and foremost, bravery aside. If it makes you smarter and safer in the long run, I believe it's gonna be worth it.

[Text]

[technologic]

Okay, I'll keep that in mind and I'll do my best. Thank you for the advice, Guy!

[Text]

[relinquishing]

You're welcome!

...

If you don't mind me asking, though: what was your world like, April? You said before that you'd lived in desolate condition.

[Text]

[technologic]

It's a wasteland, basically. Plants don't grow, water is dangerous to drink unless filtered right and all of the old cities are in ruins. But we've managed to establish small settlements here and there, and we're working on rebuilding.

[Text]

[relinquishing]

I see. Sounds like it's pretty rough.

It's nice to hear that you're working for survival regardless. What happened to make things fall apart like this, though? I mean, I assume these cities of yours weren't always ruins.

[Text]

[technologic]

There was a massive world war around a 100 or so years ago, and it wrecked everything. People had to stay underground for a while since it was too poisonous to live on the surface, and it's only during the last few years that we've managed to get properly rebuilding.

[Text]

[relinquishing]

[There's a twinge in his gut as he reads.

A world wrecked by war and poison...

He has to suppress a shudder at the memory of his own world.]

Does this poison still affect people outside food and water?

[Text]

[technologic]

[There's a bit of a pause.]

It's thought that the poison was a volatile chemical found by people years ago. It's mostly cleared now, but mutants that have been born are thought to have this chemical in them. So yeah, I think it does.

[Text]

[relinquishing]

[It's a small universe after all, then.

He stays quiet for a very long time, staring at the keyboard with clouded eyes.]

Do people with these mutations have any chance of survival?

[Text]

[technologic]

Yes. We- They are able to survive and most are granted different abilities, but they usually tend to steer clear of normal humans. There's some animosity between them.

[Text]

[relinquishing]

Differences can bring conflict, yeah. A lot of fear, I imagine. Stubbornness and frustration over what they can't or don't want to understand.

[Text]

[technologic]

That's pretty much it. It's been getting better over the years, but it's still bad. You can imagine how well things go when some humans discover their kids are mutants.

[Text]

[relinquishing]

Mmn. You'd have to wonder how many of the parents blame it on themselves for things like that. It isn't really fair.

[Text]

[technologic]

[That's not a viewpoint April had thought of before. And she isn't sure if she wants to to really think about it.]

It isn't, for anyone. But luckily the animosity between them is slowly fading, even if there are hiccups along the way.

[Text]

[relinquishing]

Ah. That's good to hear, at least.

...

I know this is a sudden question. But the brace on your leg. Does that have anything to do with these mutations?

[Text]

[technologic]

[There's a pause as she thinks about this for a few moments.]

I'm not sure, but it might since I was born with some sort of bad muscle development in my leg.

[Text]

[relinquishing]

You seem to be functioning pretty fine, despite that. But do ou think some would still consider you a mutant for something like that? Or is there a higher distinction than just poor development?

[Text]

[technologic]

The powers that we have. Every mutant I've met, myself included, has an ability of some kind.

[Text]

[relinquishing]

[Well, there goes the elephant in the room. So she was a mutant, then.]

I remember you mentioning that before... Sorry, I wasn't aware you were--

...

Annyways. What kind of abilities do you mean?

[Text]

[technologic]

It's fine. And my abilities are generating and controlling electricity and controlling electronics. So it makes tech work really easy.

[Text]

[relinquishing]

[Did you just say tech hell yes you just said tech

Although Guy isn't as familiar with electricity, but he knows at least how it acts as a power source.]

So it's like being a walking power supply, sort of. That doesn't sound horrible at all. Especially given your world's circumstances

If it's not too strange, I'd love to see some of the work you do sometime.