002 | AUDIO | CALLSIGN: DI481O | LATE MORNING/EARLY DAY 003

[salamanca]

[ There's a click and static of the walkie turning on, and then... nothing. Just breathing. Each breath is slow, heavy, and labored, like the person on the other end is gearing up to say something, but it's too hard. The walkie clicks off.

Then back on again. One more deep breath. The voice on the other end is quiet, soft, ashamed. Lalo is trying to seem less hysterical than he was trying to come off when he first messaged Jet, but still sad and forlorn. Who knows if he's actually accomplishing that goal, but that's what he's going for, anyway. ]

Hello, everyone. This is Ben.

[ The voice on the other end is slightly warm, but low and sad; very very faint Mexican accent, if you're familiar with what a Mexican accent sounds like, barely there unless you really listen for it. ]

I have a confession to make. I —

[ Another pause. ]

I let two of you down last night. I'd like to promise that it won't happen again, but I can't. The thing is — the last thing I remember before I woke up here, some perp attacked me with an electrical cattle prod. Last night, I encountered one of the drones, and when I saw it coming at me, crackling with electricity, I — I — I — it was like I couldn't think straight. My whole world collapsed. I was able to keep it together for a little bit, but it was like that sense of helplessness, those awful feelings came rushing back.

I'll never forgive myself. I'm not asking any of you for sympathy. Or for forgiveness. I say this only because I believe it's only fair that all of you know this before trusting me with anything again.

Thank God for Jet. If anyone is wanting to know about Martin, Jet is with him now. In the building with the drones...

He's working to rescue him. We're keeping in touch.

Kokichi is with Jet too. Kokichi, I am sorry I failed you. I will never forgive myself.

[ There's yet another brief pause. ]

Please be careful, everyone. Stay safe.

Comments

cw: mention of child yeeting (humorous)

[sharktrash]

Y'know, the names you keep apologizing to?

[ Wow. This is better than the afternoon soaps, actually. ]

What did you do, exactly? Throw the kid at the drone?

[ He's not exactly forking over the details... ]

[ But nevermind that. ]

Ugh. [ He's... kinda useless with computers, actually. ] "Password"? If the computer's not used for much, he could try checking if any keys are more worn down. Any personal belongings around the desk, y'know, photographs or cards or somethin'.

[salamanca]

Right...

[ There's a scandalized little noise. ] Throw the—? What? No! I would never do that! I — no, he was trying to sneak off. I told him not to, but he wouldn't listen. We fought about it for hours. Then the drone came and I... I... I....

I tried to distract it, but it went after the kid anyway. When I saw it carry him off, I couldn't think straight. I thought that I was going to faint! Instead, I just broke down. I felt like I couldn't move. I just sat there. Useless.

Jet went after him. Then. He found the building. With the drones. He's there now.

[ DEEP breath. ] He already checked the desk for anything like that. No dice. The worn out keys are a good idea, though. I'll pass that along.

[sharktrash]

Ha. Typical cop.

[ Sitting on his ass while people die, all that. It's why mafia was first founded to begin with! Not that... Squalo necessarily has a lot of opinions about that part. They just happen to be on opposing sides, that's all, but he totally would leave someone behind or throw them under the bus if he didn't like them. ]

Sounds like they're fine. You're overreacting.

[ Says the guy, trekking the jungle without supplies to try to rescue the guy who was nice to him once on the internet, but who's keeping count. ]

Got anythin' magnetic? That fries electronic keypads sometimes. Maybe tell 'im to check the drones too, if they're the ones dragging people in then they had to open the doors somehow.

[salamanca]

[ Secretly, Lalo agrees, but he can't say that. Over the walkie he makes a sound like he's about to get offended or object, but thinks better of it, or maybe just feels he doesn't have the right to, and shuts up. ]

I'm not-- [ He has to cut off the walkie here or he'll laugh and ruin it. ]

Okay. I'll tell him. Thank you.

[sharktrash]

[ and so they pass each other, like ships in the night... ]

Hey, let me know if it works.

[ Just in case he runs into something like that later... ]

[salamanca]

[ Sometime later, after Jet's message to him. ]

Looks like you were right, man! He's free.

[sharktrash]

Ha, nice. Watch me get no credit for it.

[ People were saved, Squalo! Isn't that the important part?.. ]

[salamanca]

[ A sad laugh. ]

Is there anything else you need from me, Mr...? [ He'll pause; wait for a name. ] If there isn't, I should probably get going and bring water to Martin and the others. You know. Try to make myself useful somehow.

[ Have a very sad and mopey sigh. ]

[sharktrash]

Squalo. [ Is it a name? Is it a codename? Who knows. ] No, go ahead and be useful. [ A little pause. ] Is there a source of clean water nearby, or are you going to wing it?

[salamanca]

[ It's enough for Lalo's purposes, anyway. He just likes having that personal touch, to know what people's real names are. Not just their call signs. ] There's a spring right here, as a matter of fact. It's nice! The water's fresh, clean. I got lucky.

[sharktrash]

Yeah, that's lucky. There's another one... west from where you are, I think. But it'd probably be a day's trip.

[salamanca]

And I haven't got a day, I'm sorry to say! I've got to go as fast as I can.

[sharktrash]

Better get to it, then. No more copping out, yeah?

[ Is he patting himself on the back for that one and snortlaughing as soon as his walkie is shut off? You'd bet. ]

[ichoosefight]

Wow, nice one. Here's your official credit, 20 points for thinking of magnets.

[ That's not sarcastic, she's just surprised that nobody else thought of it. It's so simple. ]

[sharktrash]

[ He's... definitely thinking she's being sarcastic, oops, but also it is a good idea, thank you! ]

It's not something people just carry around. [ Tsk. Then again, one of them engineer brains could probably build one with some wire. ] But if the drones don't have keycards attached to them, it's probably how they open the doors.

[ichoosefight]

Keycards...

[ Your loss, man, those 20 points are just gonna hang in the void if you take them. ]

They might be programmed into them. But if magnets worked, then the technology here might be just a little before my time. I know these days they try to make computers as magnet-safe as possible.

[salamanca]

[ Oh, Christ. Not more of this "multiverse" shit. ]

And when are "these days" for you?

[ichoosefight]

2008.

[salamanca]

Not that far ahead of me, then. [ There's a scratchy sound, like a hand is rubbing over a mustache. ] Isn't it amazing how quickly technology develops?

[ Frankly, talking casually about all of this "multiverse," different-worlds shit makes him feel like he's having some kind of out of body experience. There's a part of him that still can't help thinking, "Yeah, right," but he'd never get anywhere in conversation with anyone if he clung to that mentality. ]

[ichoosefight]

[ Like she said, you get used to it.]

They say it's exponential. Makes you wonder where we'll be in 15 years, doesn't it?

[ Spoilers: everything still sucks ]

[sharktrash]

And yet a bunch of military compounds will run on outdated shit they scrounged up from the 90's. Not saying they do, but it wouldn't be surprising. Not all electronic locks are digital, either.

[ He's used magnets on doors before and it worked fine, but it's not like he was the one in charge of the mission gadgets planning. Maybe they just got lucky. ]

[ichoosefight]

You say that's not what you mean, but it really does sound like you know this from personal experience.

[sharktrash]

[ Damn, he's really bad at this, isn't it? Well, uh, okay. It's not like breaking into places is a crime! ...right? ]

Sure. I said that might not be the case here is all.

[ichoosefight]

[ ...Well he sure is some kind of criminal. Or military, but that seems infinitely less likely. What's he doing breaking into military compounds? ]

Right.

Well, if that's what was used at one location it's probably the same for any others, so we'll want to keep it in mind.

[sharktrash]

[ Would she believe "stealing state-of-the-art military weapon technology because his bae boss wanted to use it to commit patricide and take over the familia"? Because that about sums it up. ]

Doesn't hurt to try either way. We might want a plan B or C on hand just in case, though.