[text] - forward-dated to November 27th

[bashfulshifter]

Is everyone okay? I went down to the carnival this morning and it wasn't looking very good. Did something happen? Is anyone hurt?

Filtered to midgarhorizon

Can I talk to you about something, in private? I'm sorry for being so abrupt, but it's important.

--Patrick Dawn

Comments

[stitchedupbodyguard]

...W-we k-kind of choose different floors, I t-think.

[She found it sort of funny really, but she shook her head apologetically.]

S-sorry. I w-was waiting in t-the meadow.

[bashfulshifter]

[Rick basically facepalms.]

--I-I'm so s-sorry! I-- [He kneads his temples thoroughly.] --I r-really sh--should've just...t-told you, b-but--

[He passes a quick glance at the door.]

--There's s-s-someone...f-following me. R-Reading over my sh--shoulder, a-at the t-t-terminal...

[stitchedupbodyguard]

[Veronica face palmed at basically the same moment.] N-no, it's n-not your fault. I s-should h-have t-told you-

[She stops at his statement.]

...Y-you mean... l-like a ghost?

[bashfulshifter]

[He shakes his head and lowers his voice.]

N-Not...no. I-I think...h-h-he's a, ah...r-r-retrieval u-unit. I've s-seen them...f-f-following others, b-before, a-and the a-a-admins...use them t-to l-l-listen. I c-can't...I h-have to be c-careful, now.

[stitchedupbodyguard]

..O-oh...

[Retrieval units? Odd, she wasn't being followed. She would know for sure if she was.]

Weird, is t-there any r-reason why?

[bashfulshifter]

...M-Maybe. [Rick bites his lip.] ...I w-was...p-part of an, uh...i-i-infiltration, a f-few m-m-months ago--d-d-down to the a-admin l-levels. I th--think they d-don't w-want me t-t-trying that a-again.

[He pulls a face.]

...I-It's t-taken them a w-while, though--t-to start w-watching me, I m-mean.

[stitchedupbodyguard]

You were p-part of an infiltration?

[She's legitimately surprised by that. Although, the whole turning into a cat and stuff did make a lot more sense for it.]

W-well, I'm not being followed, s-so that s-sounds likely.

[bashfulshifter]

That's g-good. [Rick passes another anxious look over his shoulder.] ...I-I think I've l-lost him, but...w-we should be quick. Um...

[Deep breath--collect thoughts...okay, he's ready now.]

...I s-saw...s-s-something...in the p-park this m-morning. A...v-vision, or...I'm n-not s-s-sure. Did you...?

[stitchedupbodyguard]

...

[She didn't say anything. she simply nodded.]

I...I w-was... p-picked up by something, and I couldn't move at all. And t-they threw m-me at the g-ground. W-when I woke up, t-there was n-nothing there....

[bashfulshifter]

[Rick's expression immediately switches to shock.]

Th--Threw you? Are you h-hurt?

[stitchedupbodyguard]

N-no! It's okay, I'm completely f-fine!

[She frowns.]

I-It's just.... I h-heard something t-talk during it.

"B-begin destructive testing"

[bashfulshifter]

[Rick frowns back and pensively scratches his chin.]

...'T-Testing'...like...r-r-research, you think?

[stitchedupbodyguard]

[She shrugs.]

M-maybe, there's l-lot's of types of testing. Either w-way, it was p-pretty creepy. [She shuddered.] I h-hate ghosts.

[bashfulshifter]

[Rick nods, still deep in thought.] Y-Yeah, I...know w-what you m-mean. I'm j-just th--thinking...the p-people in m-my v-vision t-talked a-about some k-kind of r-r-research.

[stitchedupbodyguard]

...Maybe t-they're about the s-same thing?

[bashfulshifter]

...C-Could be. [He pulls a face.] It s-seems like, uh...a l-little too m-much of a c-c-coincidence for it n-not to be. Do you th--think o-others, m-maybe...?

[stitchedupbodyguard]

It's p-possible... We c-could ask around. M-maybe someone else h-has seen stuff like this?

[bashfulshifter]

[Rick nods.] ...I-I'll, uh...keep an e-eye out. I m-mean...this i-isn't the f-first t-time s-s-something has h-happened like this.