ijustlivehere | 13.) [video.]

[Neil is hunkered down in an alleyway, tamping explosive putty into threaded plumber's pipe. Scattered behind him are gardening shears, several more lengths of pipe, spools of wire and thread, tin cans, and a few boxes of nails. He is wearing a plain black t-shirt with the sleeves torn off, and his signature wristbands are missing when he wipes sweat from his brow as he works. His husky, Nym, stands at the mouth of the alley keeping watch.]

I've tried to lock this transmission from the enemy, but in the event that in should be intercepted, please. Don't follow my example. And tell... nah. Just, be safe. Get out, if you can.
If I don't make it through, remember me. My whole life has been combat, but remember the little things. Remember-- [He uses his teeth to tear off the end of the fuse he's fashioning.] --something other than this.
I guess that's all I can ask.

[ooc: Pullin' a genre switch from the grab bag! Not actually locked, because there isn't actually an "enemy" here. Open action, if somebody wants to find him in the alley? Neil thinks he's an apocalyptic war hero this weekend. He probably can't be persuaded that he's not actually at war, but you can try if you want to. Also, who knows if he actually knows what he's doing, but he seems to understand what he's up to in theory. Mun may possibly be a shameless Terminator fanatic. Also she may possibly have re-watched the Dollhouse Epitaphs this week. Shhhhh. Also you're getting only this userpic all weekend because it is so Kyle Reese-tastic.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

This is all a game. All for my benefit too.

[At this point, Neil has definitely deemed him to be a mindless robot drone.]

No use tryin' to reason with you, I guess. A machine can't feel.

Can't feel? A machine? [Have some laughter. It may be a bit maniacal]

Oh I can feel. I desire with everything in my existence. Also, there's your second problem. I'm no machine.

[That confuses him a bit, but he thinks about it and steels himself again.] Maybe they've programmed you to think you're one of us. Well, you never will be.

Programmed? No. I've been around a lot longer than the invention of computer programming. That makes it rather hard for me to be "programmed".

How can I be sure? How can you? They can put anything they want in any artificial skull. Plant memories, set responses, anything.

Because. I can still remember my king being excommunicated by Pope Innocent III himself. I still remember the tomb I was in for those 800 years.

You're not listening, drone. Any memories can be false. Maybe you've just had a pretty little story written into you, and it's so good even you believe it's real.

Let me rephrase myself. I am not a machine. I am an incarnation of human greed itself. Whatever these machines are, I would dislike them just as much as you probably do.

Interesting. [He has to admit to himself that this doesn't sound like something the robot overlords would bother programming their minions with.] You don't sound like much of an ally to me.

Ally? No. Someone who needs humans alive in some number? Yes. Still. What's one of oh so many?

Ah, we do want the same thing. Trust me, if I don't carry out my objective, soon there won't be any humans left.

No, we don't. Humans are only an ends to a mean until become complete, and well then... Well, I think you can imagine by how you're acting. Well, at least one possible future.

Well, how soon until the whole "complete" thing? Because soon means soon. The machines aren't going to wait around for you to finish up before they wipe out every last genuine free-thinking human.

I know the future's not set, but we're pretty far curied in this one by now.

Soon enough. Quicker than it will take those machines of yours to take over. Although, I'm not sure if you still have free-thinking humans anymore though... Pity.

You'd be surprised... but then again, you've probably never met something with a will like mine.

Don't put your money on it. The end's closer than you think.

Tell you what, you hold off until I save the world, and I'm yours if I survive.

Oh, I know it is. I give it two days before the end of your world. In fact, I know it is.

You some kinda future-seer?

No. I just know what's going to happen. The City while confusing, is a bit predictable at times.

The apocalypse is predictable? That's a new one.

You'd be surprised.

S'pose I would. So, how's this thing end?

Well, it will be the end of the world as you currently know it. And depending on how things went before the end, others may judge you. Then everything will return to normal.

To normal? [Clearly he's sceptical about this.] Well, I'm ready to be judged. I haven't done anything to be ashamed of. I never wavered from the cause.

Normal's a bit of stretch with the City, but it's appropriate considering this. Who said I was talking about the cause? I was talking about sins and virtues.