Welcome to the Horizon
2.8: The Galaxy Brain
We hear the sound of the interior of the phoenix. Deidre wakes up.
Leif:
How’re you feeling?
Deidre:
I’m feeling better. You weren’t kidding about that warp gate. That was not a good feeling.
Leif:
You get used to it.
Deidre:
Holy shit, where are we?
Leif:
We’re fine.
Deidre:
We’re on something.
Leif:
It’s an ice hauler.
Deidre:
Why are we attached to it?
Leif:
You know those small fish that attach themselves to sharks?
Deidre:
Yeah.
Leif:
That’s what we’re doing right now.
Deidre:
... I’ve never seen anything so big.
Leif:
At any given moment there are about a million of these things traveling through the Triad, delivering ice. They scoop it up from accretion disks and make their way to whatever planet will pay for it. Fully automated and massive. If you’re small enough, you can attach yourself to the side— run on ghost power and you’re pretty hard to see. Slow but invisible.
Deidre:
And this thing is taking us where we need to go?
Leif:
Yeah. Shouldn’t be long now.
Eldin:
Feeling nostalgic, Leif?
Leif:
A little bit, sure.
Deidre:
Why are you feeling nostalgic?
Leif:
This was one of my first crimes in the Triad. It was me, Verge, and Dez. We’d attach to an ice hauler, reprogram the trajectory, and sell the contents to anyone looking for ice at a bargain.
Deidre:
You would steal these things?
Leif:
We would.
Deidre:
It’s the size of the Chrysler building.
Leif:
There’s a particular economics to the whole thing. We figured out there was a threshold of theft that the Teds would tolerate. If they lost a few ships per cycle, it wouldn’t be worth the resources to try and find out who did it— it was cheaper to take the loss. We made sure to keep it under the threshold. Hilariously, stealing a ship this big is the easiest crime in the Triad if you know what you’re doing.
Deidre:
... What was Verge like back then?
Leif:
The same, but different. Angrier, less trusting. First time we met, they pointed a gun at me.
Deidre:
Why?
Leif:
Because they didn’t know me.
Deidre:
And that was what did it for you, huh?
Leif:
I guess back then I liked a challenge.
Deidre:
As opposed to these days. Things are so simple now.
Leif:
At a certain point the challenges started looking for me instead of me looking for them. That’s not as fun. Part of me really misses the ice hauling days... What did it for you?
Deidre:
Me? Oh, well, I guess it was a million things... At first it was just because they were new. Not a lot of “new” in Hood’s Pocket... And they were tall. I liked that... And then a lot of crazy bullshit went down, and there we were standing in front of each other again, and... everybody puts on a show, y’know? There’s this show that they put on for everybody. But then, when you’re alone with them... There was something so tender and shy and awkward about them when you got past all the other stuff. That’s what really nailed me... That and they took me to the moon. Hard not to take your pants off for someone who does that for you.
Leif:
That’s definitely a move that only works on Earth girls.
Deidre:
I’m sure.
Leif:
...
Deidre:
... Let’s get ready.
Leif:
Okay.
Eldin:
Deidre, in the container to your left you’ll see a small device about the size of a penny.
Deidre:
Yes.
Eldin:
Attach that just behind your ear. It’s a comm-dot. That is how we’ll communicate with each other.
Deidre:
Okay.
Leif:
Also put those bracelets on
Deidre:
Wait, these are like Verge’s Earthsuit.
Leif:
We got them for you in Raxius. It’s like an Earthsuit in reverse. You call it a sham-suit.
Deidre:
Okay.
Leif:
Go ahead and activate it. It can take some getting used to.
Deidre:
Okay...
Deidre activates the sham-suit and slowly transforms into an alien.
Deidre:
Oh, my God.
Leif:
Weird, right?
Deidre:
I’m an alien.
Leif:
Poof, you’re an alien.
Deidre:
You guys. I’m pink.
Leif:
It kind of suits you.
Deidre:
This is so fucked up.
Leif:
That should keep you from attracting attention.
Deidre:
Having pink skin will keep me from attracting attention?
Leif:
Believe it or not.
Deidre:
Okay, if you say so. Do you want to explain this glass knife you gave me?
Leif:
Yeah. So that meteor shower that hit the mountain brought raw materials from all over the place. The knife is made from formica-3. It’s a mineral but you can forge it like steel.
Deidre:
Why do I need it?
Eldin:
Formica-3 has the ability to stop electrons dead in their tracks.
Leif:
You can jam it into anything electronic and not have to worry about getting shocked. It’s a bot slayer.
Eldin:
But the real reason, Deidre, is that even with the alien costume, you do not exactly read as a space pirate. You could use some accoutrements.
Deidre:
Well, at least I’ve got halloween handled next year.
Leif:
Blending in won’t be too hard. The Galaxy Brain usually has a few thousand people on it at any given time.
Deidre:
Jesus, it’s that big?
Leif:
Oh yes.
Eldin:
I have a visual on it now. Port side.
Deidre:
... I don’t see anything.
Leif:
Wait for the starlight to hit it just right.
Deidre:
... Oh, what the fuck?
Leif:
Welcome to the galaxy brain.
Deidre:
It’s a planet.
Leif:
It’s a gigantic hunk of black glass. Låfftrax built a space station inside it. Biggest in the Triad.
Eldin:
And 100% full of shitheads.
Leif:
... Hey.
Deidre:
Yeah?
Leif:
This is going to work, okay?
Deidre:
Breaking in to an evil space fortress, just the two of us? You’re sure of that?
Leif:
Deidre if there’s anyone in the multiverse I excel at defeating... it’s myself.
Inside the cavernous space station of the galaxy brain. We hear music playing and a voice comes over the P.A. system.
Britti-Bug:
Good evening, Criminals. This is Britti-Bug and THE Quirky Jester here to once again remind you that it is always crime o’clock in the Triad. We’ve got a lot of movers and shakers out there today. Let’s hear it for A Cat Named M who brought not one, not two, but three ore barges into port today. Where were they supposed to go? Who cares? That’s several metric tonnes of raw ore for us here at The Galaxy Brain. What will we make with this ore? Spoiler alert: it’s weapons. Also, let’s hear it for J.P. the I.T. Guy, whose credit siphoning scheme at Nathaniel Lee Industries finally paid off to the tune of sixteen billion unassigned credits. Let me repeat that: that is sixteen billion in funny money, my criminals. We all doubted J.P., But it turns out being a huge nerd pays off! J.P. will of course be spending his cut of the action on Naruto memorabilia. No judgment, J.P. You do you. Coming into port right now is the SS TheyPaints. The Big They has been on a tear recently, raiding the Rim Runners, and has the plasma burns to show for it. Yes, they have been stealing from criminals, but remember: money’s even more nice when it’s stolen twice. Isn’t that right, Quirky Jester?
We hear the quirky jester CACKLE maniacally.
Britti-Bug:
My Criminals, it is going to be a larceny-tastic day here at the galaxy brain, remember to CC The Umbrella Mage with your intake loot, and for the next hour, the passcode will be: Fishypersona.
The music fades back up as we hear small feet running through the crowded mess of the galaxy brain. The feet run into a room where dark leif is waiting.
Geegaa:
Hey boss.
Dark Leif:
You’re late.
Geegaa:
Sorry, I got hung up in mess hall 22.
Dark Leif:
How does someone get hung up in a mess hall?
Geegaa:
Oh, I uh... I mean that literally. I was, uh... you know the guys they sometimes like to, uh... tie me up and hang me from the ceiling for a while, so...
Dark Leif:
... You’re just going to let them do that to you?
Geegaa:
Uh, y’know. Comes with the territory.
Dark Leif:
The territory?
Geegaa:
When you’re as tall as everybody’s waist, they kind of have a tendency to throw you around, right?
Dark Leif:
Geegaa, don’t let people treat you that way. Show a little more self-respect.
Geegaa:
Sorry, boss. I’ll do that.
Dark Leif:
Where’s Minsky?
Geegaa:
Nesso, he said. Something about a bunch of meetings.
Dark Leif:
That guy and his fucking meetings. Alright, walk with me.
Geegaa:
Okay.
The exit the room and make their way through the galaxy brain.
Dark Leif:
This gas attack Minsky orchestrated on Raxius was a bit of a wild card, but it may be an opportunity.
Geegaa:
Opportunity for what?
Dark Leif:
Raxius is a mess, but it was an organized mess. I need you to monitor the feeds and see how things play out. I’m hoping for a gang war. Factions turn on each other and it gives us the opportunity to finally move in and establish a foothold there.
Geegaa:
What if the Teds try and do the same thing?
Dark Leif:
I can handle the Teds. Just keep me updated.
Geegaa:
Sure thing.
Dark Leif:
And try and stay off the fucking ceiling, please?
Geegaa:
You got it.
Another door slides open and a thug comes running out of the room screaming. He runs down the hall, continuing to scream.
Geegaa:
What happened to his face?
Dark Leif:
Just keep me updated.
Geegaa:
Sure thing, Boss.
Dark leif walks into the room. Verge is locked in a cage that hums with an electric current.
Dark Leif:
... I need you to stop ripping off my guys’ faces, if you don’t mind.
Verge:
Sorry, I thought he was lunch.
Dark Leif:
... Speaking? I thought you were giving me the silent treatment.
Verge:
The boredom got the better of me, I guess.
Dark Leif:
... Sorry about the bounty.
Verge:
...“Sorry about the bounty”? Are you fucking serious?
Dark Leif:
I sent messages to every goddamn criminal in the Triad before I did it.
Verge:
I think that’s a response in and of itself, wouldn’t you say?
Dark Leif:
No.
Verge:
No love for subtlety, I guess.
Dark Leif:
Nobody ignores me.
Verge:
You’ve got my fucking attention, now what the fuck do you want?
Dark Leif:
... You were always terrified of Låfftrax. I’m nearly twice as powerful as Låfftrax ever was.
Verge:
It’s hard to be scared of someone when you’ve seen their ass in the moonlight, Leif.
Dark Leif:
... Honestly I was expecting a call. A message. Something.
Verge:
... You were?
Dark Leif:
I had just gotten rid of Låfftrax, which was no small feat by the way. That wasn’t good news for you?
Verge:
Good news?
Dark Leif:
Yeah.
Verge:
... How’d you do it?
Dark Leif:
It took some time. Låfftrax wasn’t a genius but they had almost supernatural instincts. I knew if I wracked up one too many wins that they would have me killed because I was too much of a threat. But I knew to have me killed, they would have to go outside of the organization. And there are only so many people outside of this organization. It wasn’t going to be Rim Rummers because they were too stupid.
Verge:
The Okwera.
Dark Leif:
Okwera don’t go back on their agreements. By the time Låfftrax had hired the Okwera to kill me, I had already hired them. And once Låfftrax was gone, everybody turned to me. And that was that. In the end, it was just about being ten percent more paranoid than they were.
Verge:
Well... Congratulations, I guess? Is that what you wanted?... I’ve always hated this organization, Leif. I still do. So you’ll have to forgive me if I didn’t send you a stripper inside a fucking cake.
Dark Leif:
...
Verge:
What the fuck is this about, Leif? I know you didn’t take out the largest bounty in the history of the Triad just to get me to say “Good job, kiddo.”... What do you want from me?
Dark Leif:
... Stop ripping off the guards’ faces or I feed you plants.
Dark leif walks out. We move to a quiet storage zone in the galaxy brain. After a moment a panel slides away on a storage compartment and Deidre comes stumbling out.
Deidre:
Oh my God, that’s fucking freezing.
Leif:
(In Earpiece.) You okay?
Deidre:
I realize this place is big, but do they really need this much ice?
Leif:
Water isn’t just for drinking. You can make a lot of stuff with it.
Deidre:
Okay, I guess I’m in a literal freezer.
Leif:
Yeah, that’s a good place to start. Get to the exit, check if the coast is clear, then try and blend in. You’re not going to be able to make a move until I do a few things.
Deidre starts to look for the exit. We can hear Leif ascending a ladder.
Deidre:
Where are you?
Leif:
Only part of this place is man made. There are a lot of nooks and crannies to hide in if you know what you’re doing. Any time I had a complicated project, there was a place up above the armory where I could get away from all the bullshit... And I just found it... Goddamn. This fucking guy.
Deidre:
What?
Leif:
His stuff is still here. Sleeping bag, rocket juicer, a stack of micro-servers.
Deidre:
He still sleeps there?
Leif:
No, it’s collecting dust. But he never broke it all down.
Deidre:
Why?
Leif:
Were you ever in a relationship with someone and they still held onto their single life just a little bit?
Deidre:
Don’t get me started on the stuff that Verge still has at the Horizon.
Leif:
Exactly... This guy rules about 99 percent of the underworld in three galaxies, and he still can let go of ghost drives in casinos and hacker flops in tight spaces.
Deidre:
Sounds like he misses it.
Leif:
I would too.
Deidre:
Looks like I’m at the exit.
Eldin:
Deidre, I’m not up on the network yet so I don’t have your location. For the time being try to not attract attention and blend in with the others.
Deidre:
Blend in with space pirates, huh?
Leif:
You’re able to blend in in a town full of the weirdest fucking people I’ve ever met, Deidre. You can do it.
Deidre:
Okay... Here goes.
We move to leif’s location.
Leif:
Think these micro-servers are any good to us?
Eldin:
They’re a bit outdated, but If I network them it will increase our computing power.
Leif:
We’re going to need it. When evil me discovers I’m here, he’s going to unleash a lot of invasive shit into the network.
Eldin:
He’ll have more computing power on his end than we will.
Leif:
That’s true, but it’s pretty hard to hack yourself. There’s a protocol in my folder called “Memetic Hygienist,” we’ll start with that. After he breaks through that we’ll have our real level of security underneath it.
Eldin:
I’m assuming that’s going to be “Spiky Snapping Turtle?”
Leif:
That’s the one.
Eldin:
These names a ridiculous.
Leif:
If I numbered them I’d just forget which is which. Spiky Snapping Turtle will make us all defense up here, but with only one avenue of attack. We don’t need to destroy him, we just need to give Verge the opportunity they need.
Eldin:
That still won’t be enough. We’ll have the systems of this entire station against us.
Leif:
That’s not all I’ll be doing.
Deidre passes through a particular room in the galaxy brain and sees geegaa hanging from the ceiling.
Geegaa:
Hey, there.
Deidre:
Uh... Hi.
Geegaa:
You don’t look familiar, where are you in from?
Deidre:
Uh... Rax Prime.
Geegaa:
Oh wow, me too, that’s crazy.
Deidre:
Yeah...
Geegaa:
I’m Geegaa.
Deidre:
Hi, I’m...
Geegaa:
You’re-
Deidre:
Misti. Misti Dawn.
Geegaa:
Misti Dawn?
Deidre:
Mitchell. Misti Dawn Mitchell.
Geegaa:
Mitchell?
Deidre:
Junior. Misti Dawn Mitchell, Jr.
Geegaa:
O-okay. Nice to meet you.
Deidre:
You too.
Geegaa:
Let me know if you need any help finding anything.
Deidre:
Sure, uh... Are you hanging upside down from the ceiling on purpose?
Geegaa:
No. No, it’s just one of those things.
Deidre:
One of those things?
Geegaa:
Yeah, the guys around here, they like to have themselves a laugh. And sometimes that involves me hanging upside down from the ceiling.
Deidre:
Why is that a laugh?
Geegaa:
Uh... Now that you ask, I don’t actually know.
Deidre:
How about I get you down from there?
Geegaa:
I don’t know about that. Whenever I manage to free myself that tends to make them do it even more.
Deidre:
Okay, see, the problem is, I can’t just walk by and leave you there.
Geegaa:
Oh, sure you can. People do it all the time.
Deidre:
Maybe that’s part of the problem.
Geegaa:
What do you mean?
Deidre pushes a table over to Geegaa.
Deidre:
Hold still, I’m going to cut you down.
Back in verge’s holding cell. They step closer to the bars of their cage. We can hear the bars hum with electricity. They reach out and touch them and get zapped with a spark of electricity.
Verge:
Ow! Fuck.
Dark Leif walks back into the room.
Dark Leif:
Call me old fashioned, I still like to put people behind bars. That way if the power fails, they’re still in a cage... Not that you asked. I thought I’d mention it while you try and cook up some way to escape. There’s no way to escape, by the way. You’re stuck here.
Verge:
...
Dark Leif:
... Now you’re not speaking again?
Verge:
...
Dark Leif:
... you know I've got all the time in the world. That means you have all the time in the world. Even if you could get out of that cage, you're not getting off the Galaxy Brain. No one's coming to rescue you. Who's gonna come rescue you? One of the people from that weird fucking village you were hiding in? Nobody's coming. So I don't know what you're trying to accomplish.
Verge:
I really can't believe it, Leif.
Dark Leif:
What?
Verge:
... I'm used to being hunted. It's happened all my life. To the right person, I just look like a dollar sign. Wanted dead or alive... Dead or alive... But then this bounty of yours it's not wanted dead or alive is it? In fact, I have to be alive at all costs. In fact if I'm not alive, the person who kills me, they get punished don't they?... Your bounty was protecting me.
Dark Leif:
...
Verge:
... So, I thought to myself: he must think I have something. There must be something that he's looking for. I must have some sort of secret password or the key to some sort of treasure trove. Something of value— anything of value... But then, if I did have something that you wanted, that's the first thing you would have asked for as soon as I arrived in this cage. I’ve been waiting for it... It’s not coming is it?
Dark Leif:
...
Verge:
After all this. After everything you’ve done... you just... you just miss me.
Dark Leif:
...
Verge:
...
Dark Leif:
... I created a world where you don’t have to run anymore.
Verge:
Motherfucker.
Dark Leif:
I call all the shots now. Everything changes.
Verge:
I can’t fucking believe this.
Dark Leif:
Verge.
Verge:
Fuck you.
Dark Leif:
Do you have any idea what I had to do to make this empire? Do you have any idea?!
Verge:
Leif, I don’t care how powerful you are. You don’t get to rewrite history.
Dark Leif:
I’m not rewriting anything!
Verge:
You were a young, arrogant, little prick. You got one whiff of Låfftrax’s evil empire, and you couldn’t resist could you? Finally, you could fuck shit up the way you always wanted to. Finally, you can get back at the world. The only problem was, you had to leave me in the dust when you did it... So you went off and you fucked shit up and you broke things and you cackled as banks were drained and ships collided and cities burned. You became the story that they told to scare children. You’re that thing in the darkness that people hope they never meet. You’re the bad guy. You’re the villain, Congratu-fucking-lations... But now... Now here you are... You’ve climbed to the top of the shit-pile and you’ve decided you don’t like the view.
Dark Leif:
I like the view just fine.
Verge:
Then what are we doing here, Leif? You tore the Triad apart looking for me. And all because you decided to get out your little box of crayons and make me a little picture. “Look baby. I did it all for you.”... How many are dead, Leif? How many lives ruined?
Dark Leif:
If it wasn’t me, it would’ve been someone else.
Verge:
But they wouldn’t have been as good at it.
Dark Leif:
You hate the Triad just as much as I do.
Verge:
I hate the Triad more than you do, cupcake. I have a reason to. Refugee to runaway to renegade. That’s the only path I could walk. You could’ve done anything.
Dark Leif:
I didn’t want to do anything. I wanted to be with you.
Verge:
... And I believed that... I started to believe that something else was possible in my life as soon as I was sitting on your ship, stolen goods in the back... You telling me about baseball... You were the first one that ever saw me.
Dark Leif:
I still see you.
Verge:
I know... The problem is, I see you, too... And I don’t like what I see.I loved you. I did. And I don’t regret it. But people can get lost, Leif. They can be led astray. They can lead themselves astray. And sometimes when they do, there's no going back. It's the Sheliak all over again, Leif. The worst parts of you took you over and now all you can do is watch... Turns out I did have something you’d been looking for... You wanted it all to mean something, but I can’t give that to you... You don’t get to be this... and have me.
Dark Leif:
I can make the world into anything I want. I could remake the Triad if I wanted to.
Verge:
No, you can’t, Leif. It already remade you.
Dark Leif:
... So I’m supposed to just sit here and be the bad guy, is that it?
Verge:
Don’t get upset with me because you’ve finally discovered consequences, Leif.
Dark Leif:
... Fine. I’ll sit here and be the bad guy. You sit there and be the prisoner.
Dark leif walks out of the room and into the chaos of the galaxy brain. Geegaa tries to follow dark leif through the crowd.
Britti-Bug:
Alright, my luscious lawbreakers, we’ve got jobs on the board! Who wants to rob a Hartoonian wedding? There will be piles of treasure and lots of rich folks there, but also lots and lots of security. This job is reserved for Level fives only— make sure your weapons card is validated and stamped before you even think about applying. Head down to the SS Lack of Lifestyle if you want to try and get on the team.
Geegaa:
Boss?
Britti-Bug:
Also, it is Jureek rustling season in the pleasure quadrant, so put on your spurs and big hats and head on down to the SS Arrow Jones Jubal.
Geegaa:
Boss?
Britti-Bug:
We don’t have a Captain for this one yet. It will be most likely Cass, but it’s not too early to sign up if you’re feeling like a little shootout on the open range!
Geegaa:
Boss!
Dark Leif:
WHAT!
The entire walkway hushes in fear.
Geegaa:
I, uh... I have an update from Raxius.
Dark Leif:
... In here.
They walk into the operations room.
Dark Leif:
What is it?
Geegaa:
Um...
Dark Leif:
Fucking speak.
Geegaa:
You were hoping for chaos in the city, but that’s... It looks like that’s not what’s happening.
Dark Leif:
What’s happening?
Geegaa:
We had three assets in the city. Two casinos and a credit stripper.
Dark Leif:
Yeah.
Geegaa:
They’re on fire.
Dark Leif:
... They’re on fire?
Geegaa:
Fire.
Dark Leif:
Put it on screen.
Geegaa puts a video on a large screen. We hear the sound of celebrating and flames.
Dark Leif:
What the fuck?
Geegaa:
The chaos we were hoping for isn’t happening. It looks like they’re actually more organized than they’ve ever been in Raxius.
Dark Leif:
... So this is how they want to play it, huh?
Geegaa:
... Boss?
Dark Leif:
This fucking city has been a pain in my ass for long enough.
Geegaa:
What are we doing?
Dark Leif:
Get an engineering team over to the Alex P. Keaton. Dust it off and get it staffed up. It’s time to squash some bugs.
Geegaa:
Okay, the Alex P. Keaton is a massive ship. It’s going to take some time to get it ready.
Dark Leif:
At what point did I ask for your opinion?
Geegaa:
Sorry.
Dark Leif:
Do it.
Geegaa:
Sure thing, Boss.
Geegaa exits. Dark leif watches the monitor for a moment, then storms out of the room into the busy walkway.
Britti-Bug:
Captain Sugar-Bear, your womp runner is double-docked. Please come re-dock your ship into an appropriate space. Remember folks, if you park illegally, your ship will be towed and painted an unflattering color.
He charges into verge’s prison room.
Dark Leif:
Why were you hiding in the mountains?
Verge:
Trying to get back to my roots.
Dark Leif:
You’ve never been interested in your roots.
Verge:
I’m embracing change. You should try it some time.
Dark Leif:
This little village of yours. It’s not on any maps.
Verge:
You know how those mountains are. Nobody knows what’s up there. Perfect place for secret hideouts and quaint little villages.
Dark Leif:
Stop being cute.
Verge:
Don’t ask a fish not to swim, Leif.
Dark Leif:
Have you been organizing in Raxius? Is that what you’ve been up to? The whole city’s turned against me.
Verge:
What’s more likely? That I turned an entire city against you, or that you’re just an insufferable fuckface?
Dark Leif:
This whole thing is coming to an end. Do you hear me? That city is going to regret that you ever showed up.
Dark leif exits the room back out into the walkway.
Britti-Bug:
Stop, drop, and roll, miscreants! You’re new password is here. For the next hour the passcode is: Sarah Nicole. We’re going to be-
The sound suddenly cuts out. Dark leif stops walking.
Britti-Bug:
-And as we always like to say: Money ain’t got no owners, just spenders. Isn’t that right, Quirky Jester?
Quirky jester laughs MANIACALLY. The lights all along the walkway begin to flicker then stop. COntrol panels on the wall buzz in unison and then stop. Dark leif continues walking and re-enters his control room.
Dark Leif:
Gort. Wake up.
Gort, Dark Leif’s ai, comes to life in the overhead speakers.
Gort:
Gort is awake.
Dark Leif:
Sweep the security assets. Full diagnostic.
Gort:
Full diagnostic.
We hear gort perform a security sweep.
Gort:
Integrity at 100%.
Dark Leif:
Have all the ships in dock been scanned?
Gort:
Scanning in progress.
Dark Leif:
Any ice haulers?
Gort:
Total ice haulers: 1.
Dark Leif:
Prioritize the ice hauler.
Gort:
Prioritizing ice hauler... Scanning complete.
Dark Leif:
And?
Gort:
Integrity at 99.937 percent.
Dark Leif:
Oh really?... Display node map.
Gort:
Scrolling node map.
A map of data nodes begins to scroll across the screen.
Dark Leif:
Stop there. Zoom in on that node.
The map zooms in.
Dark Leif:
Why is that node three degrees hotter than the others?
Gort:
Unknown. Fluctuation is within acceptable range. Tampering unlikely.
Dark Leif:
What’s the current fluctuation of the other nodes?
Gort:
Current mean fluctuation at 1%.
Dark Leif:
... Probably nothing... Which node is this?
Gort:
Node 42069.
Dark Leif:
... Oh, well, look whose a fucking comedian. Hardwire connect to that node.
Gort:
No tampering detected on current node.
Dark Leif:
I know. It’s another hacker trying to send me their fucking resume. Connect to the node.
Gort:
Connected.
Dark Leif:
I don’t have time for this today. You want to disconnect from the network please?
Leif:
(Through monitor.) ... You’re a fucking disgrace, you know that?
Dark Leif:
Oh. Well this is cute. You expect me to be impressed with a voice clone? Skin the signal for modulations.
Gort:
No modulations on signal.
Dark Leif:
What?
Leif:
I thought about altering my voice, but I don’t have a lot of time.
Dark Leif:
This is exhausting. You know how many of you code criminals have tried to get my attention with a little thing that they made? Congratulations, you made a voice clone that can’t be stripped from the audio yet. Got any original ideas or just old ideas with a new paint job?
Leif:
Don’t talk to me about new ideas, pal. I just had a look at your network.
Dark Leif:
So you hitched a ride on an ice hauler, and now you’re jacked into our network off in some dark corner, right? I’ve seen it a million times.
Leif:
“Just because an idea is new doesn’t make it interesting, Mr. Thorvaldson.”
Dark Leif:
... Locate the connection.
Gort:
Connection locus unavailable.
Leif:
Trying to find my location? Good luck with that. It would help if each hardwire port had its own ID, but they don’t, do they? I guess you’ll have to check them one at a time. There’s only about thirty-eight thousand of them, shouldn’t take longer than a week.
Dark Leif:
What’s this about?
Leif:
I remember trying to tell Låffrax what a glaring security flaw it was, but you can’t explain data port security to space pirates, can you?
Dark Leif:
What the fuck?
Leif:
Of course, you’re in charge now, and yet you still haven’t fixed the problem... Getting pretty Lazy, Leif.
Dark Leif:
Crash the network and scramble access codes now.
Gort:
Crashing network.
The network goes down as we move to a bar on the other side of the galaxy brain.
Leif:
(In earpiece.) Deidre, how’re you doing?
Deidre:
Blending in, I think. I found a bar on one of these decks and I’m trying not to attract attention.
Eldin:
I have her location, she’s at Zapp’s Dingbats.
Leif:
Oof. Okay.
Deidre:
What’s wrong?
Leif:
Other me crashed his network trying to purge me. When the network comes back online it’ll be a good time to get moving.
Deidre:
Okay. Where am I going?
Leif:
Head over to the window.
Deidre:
Okay.
Leif:
Have a look outside.
Deidre:
... Holy shit.
Leif:
The entire middle of the galaxy brain is hollowed out. It houses all the ships.
Deidre:
I can’t even see the other side of it.
Leif:
Yeah, it’s big. You can see the ice hauler we came in on.
Deidre:
It looks so small now.
Leif:
You’re on deck twenty-three. Sadly you’re going to need to get to deck five hundred and twelve.
Eldin:
And you need to avoid elevators, Deidre.
Deidre:
Jesus Christ, are you serious?
Leif:
Sorry. Be ready to move. When he brings the network back online, that’s when the real fun starts.
Deidre:
Okay. Good thing I live on a mountain and I’m used to going uphill, I guess.
Leif:
I’ll let you know when to move.
Deidre:
Okay.
Geegaa:
Hey, there.
Deidre:
Oh. Hey.
Geegaa:
Geegaa.
Deidre:
Right.
Geegaa:
Misti?
Deidre:
Yes. Yes, that is my name.
Geegaa:
Thanks for the help earlier.
Deidre:
No problem. Does that... does that really happen all the time?
Geegaa:
Yeah. The boss keeps telling me to show a little more self respect and not let them pick on me, but having self-respect doesn’t make me four feet taller, does it?
Deidre:
I guess not.
Geegaa:
Hey, do you have access to the network right now? I can’t get access to feeds.
Deidre:
No, uh, I think the network is down. They’re working on it.
Geegaa:
Damn. Okay. Hey, did you hear what went down on Rax Prime?
Deidre:
Rax Prime? No, I haven’t heard.
Geegaa:
The boss had three places there in Raxius and they’re all being burned to the ground.
Deidre:
What? Why?
Geegaa:
The whole city is pissed off at us. You heard about the chemical pits right?
Deidre:
Oh yeah, I heard.
Geegaa:
Everybody in the city is pissed off about it. They’re in full-on revolt. And there’s some sort of weird thing going on with this little town in the mountains called Hood’s Pocket?
Deidre:
Huh.
Geegaa:
Look at this video I saved.
Geeaa opens a video on her device. A crowd is cheering and Steve is loving it.
Steve:
(On Geegaa’s device.) When I say “Hood’s” you say “Pocket!” Hood’s-
Crowd:
Pocket!
Steve:
Hood’s!
Crowd:
Pocket!
Geegaa:
Isn’t that crazy?
Deidre:
So crazy.
Geegaa:
That guy looks human, right?
Deidre:
Yeah, maybe it’s an Earthsuit?
Geegaa:
Maybe. I don’t know. Something weird’s going on. I’ve just... I’ve never seen someone stand up to the Boss like that. I didn’t even know it was possible. Oh, hey, want to meet my only two friends at this damn station?
Deidre:
Sure.
Geegaa:
Guys!
Deidre:
Shit.
Eldin:
Remain calm. Everything’s going to be fine.
Geegaa:
Misti, this is Battlepope and Bugaboo.
Battlepope:
Evenin’ ma’am.
Bugaboo:
Pleased to make your acquaintance.
Deidre:
... Hi.
Geegaa:
Misti just got here. I’m helping her get the lay of the land.
Battlepope:
Awful nice of ya’.
Bugaboo:
How do you find our little corner of the starways there, Misti?
Deidre:
It’s... real nice.
Geegaa:
So, Misti, believe it or not, Battlepope and Bugaboo just got a hell of a promotion.
Deidre:
Congratulations.
Bugaboo:
We got a whole slice of the cosmos all our own.
Battlepope:
We’re only here talkin’ to you whilst we wait for our brand new ship to get all gussied up for travel.
Bugaboo:
Before too long, it’ll be the lap of luxury for us.
Geegaa:
Isn’t that great?
Deidre:
Always great when someone gets what they deserve.
Battlepope:
Geegaa, myself and Bugaboo were about to sit down and watch ourselves a little Gunsmoke before we embark upon our journey to opulence.
Bugaboo:
But I can’t get no signal.
Geegaa:
Oh, yeah. The network’s down.
Battlepope:
That’s a damn shame, always like to celebrate with a little bit of Gunsmoke.
Bugaboo:
Ms. Misti, what line of work are you in?
Eldin:
You’re an ore-breaker.
Deidre:
I’m an ore-breaker.
Battlepope:
Well that there is a profession we can’t begin to understand.
Eldin:
I know, you idiots.
Bugaboo:
Is that where you take rocks and turn them into a whole other type of rock?
Eldin:
Something like that.
Deidre:
Something like that.
Geegaa:
Well, hey. Since we’re all stuck here, how about we have some drinks to celebrate your promotion, guys?
Bugaboo:
You’re speaking my language.
Battlepope:
I am parched.
Leif:
Time to get moving Deidre.
Deidre:
Oh hey, I would love to but I just got here and I need to report to deck five hundred and twelve.
Geegaa:
Boo!
Deidre:
Sorry.
Battlepope:
Well, it was a pleasure to meet you, Ma’am.
Deidre:
Sure, yeah.
Geegaa:
Thanks again for getting me off the ceiling today.
Deidre:
Yeah, anytime. Bye guys.
Deidre makes a hasty exit.
Bugaboo:
... Don’t you be no stranger, now.
Dark leif walks into verge’s room again.
Dark Leif:
What have you been telling people about me?
Verge:
I have zero interest in spending the rest of my life as your little sounding board, Fucko.
Dark Leif:
What have you been telling people?!
Verge:
... You’re on my mind less than you think.
Dark Leif:
I had a professor in college who always said “Just because an idea is new doesn’t make it interesting.” Did I tell you that?
Verge:
I have no idea.
Dark Leif:
Think.
Verge:
Leif. You’re a bit of a talker. You expect me to remember everything you’ve said?
Dark Leif:
This is going to go a lot faster if you work with me.
Verge:
Hey. See these?
Verge hits the bars and they zap electricity.
Verge:
These are electrified bars I’m surrounded by. Forgive me if I don’t feel like working with you.
Dark Leif:
... Fuck.
Dark leif walks out.
Verge:
Fucking child.
The electric hum of the bars of the cage suddenly stops.
Verge:
Oh?
Verge taps the bars and they don’t spike with electricity. Then electricity turns back on.
Verge:
Hm.
After a few seconds it shuts off again.
Verge:
Is that you, shithead number two?
The electricity starts again.
Verge:
Aren’t going to make it easy for me, are you?
The electricity shuts off again.
Verge:
One... two... three... four... five... six...
The electricity comes back on again and continues in that pattern: seven seconds on, then seven seconds off.
Verge:
Seven seconds. Seven fucking seconds... great.
Dark leif walks back into his control room.
Gort:
Network back online.
Dark Leif:
Full security sweep.
Gort:
Conducting assessment.
Gort scans the network.
Gort:
100% integrity.
Dark Leif:
That’s more like it. Now he’s shut out. Deploy a security team, have them go door to door until we find this guy. No ships in or out until we do.
Gort:
Security detail deployed.
Dark Leif:
... What the fuck was that?
Leif:
(Through the monitor.) You know, for a while I was scared of you.
Dark Leif:
What the fuck?
Leif:
I guess it was more a fear of myself. What I was capable of. I guess if anyone imagines themself without a moral compass it can be pretty terrifying.
Dark Leif:
Who the fuck are you?
Leif:
This is a nice moment for me. I’m usually on the receiving end of moments like this, but now I get to do this to somebody. I didn’t realize how fun it was.
Dark Leif:
Crash the network again.
Leif:
I wouldn’t do that if I were you.
Gort:
Network reboot unadvisable.
Leif:
You can’t reboot your network while it’s under attack, Leif.
Dark Leif:
Fuck, what is he using?
Gort:
Two layer structure identified. First layer has been penetrated. ID: Memetic Hygienist. Second layer remains. ID: Spiky Snapping Turtle.
Dark Leif:
That’s my fucking turtle, you asshole!
Leif:
Leif, please. It our turtle.
Dark Leif:
Who the fuck are you?!
Leif:
This is your Dickensian moment, Leif. Very few people get one. I’m the ghost of Christmas Past, Present, and Future all rolled up into one.
Dark Leif:
Gort, shut down all audio ports!
Leif:
Oh my god, Dude. You named your AI “ Gort?” You fucking NERD!
Gort:
Audio ports deactivated.
Dark Leif:
Okay... Okay, I’ve got to think... What the fuck.
Dark leif walks out into the walkway.
Britti-Bug:
Okay criminals, you saw the order. The dock is sealed until further notice. Do we have a snake in the grass? A fly in the ointment? Some other sort of thing inside some other sort of thing?
and back into verge’s prison room.
Dark Leif:
Alright, goddamn it, you’re going to tell me what the fuck is going on, or I’m going to... Verge?... Oh shit.
Dark leif exits the room.
Britti-Bug:
Hey criminals, since we’re locked down, don’t forget it’s crafting Tuesday. Perfect time to put together a lovely scrapbook of all the heinous murders you’ve committed.
Dark Leif hurries back to his control room.
Dark Leif:
Send out a general alarm. We’ve got an intruder in the station.
Gort:
Audio ports must be re-enabled.
Dark Leif:
Fuck! Fine, do it.
Leif:
(In the monitor.) And we’re back! Kind of hard to run a space station without being able to talk to people, huh?
Dark Leif:
Shut up! Security, general alarm. We’ve got an intruder on deck 512, send all assets to this level immediately!
Leif:
All assets? That sounds pretty serious, man. Everything okay?
Dark Leif:
I don’t know who the fuck you are, but when I find you I’m going to-
Leif:
Yeah yeah yeah, you’re going to make me regret it, sure. Would you like to know the moment when I decided you were a creampuff?
Dark Leif:
A what?
Leif:
It was the warp gate, man... A warp gate a day away from the Galaxy Brain? I used to have to burn for a week before I got here. It was remote. It was invisible. It was a true secret hideout. How could he possibly tolerate a warp gate that close to home? And after thinking about it for a while, I could only think of one way that could possibly happen.
Dark Leif:
...
Leif:
You’re working with the Teds.
Dark Leif:
...
Leif:
I mean, what would a fascist empire be without a shadowy apparition to scare people with, right? “You’d better give up all your rights, so that we can better protect you from the evil figures in the darkness, citizens.” Never mind that the evil figures are on the payroll.
Dark Leif:
Nobody is on the payroll.
Leif:
I’m sure you tell yourself that. But I bet you haven’t had to hack a gate code in a really long time, have you? They give you free reign over the Triad so long as you stay away from certain assets and ensure that there is always a free flow of commerce across the system. You can be problematic, just not a problem. Because surly the mighty Ted Empire is the only thing that can keep such a powerful criminal organization in check... So, what is it? A point person? Monthly meetings? A conference once a year where everyone plays golf?
Dark Leif:
... I don’t know what you’re talking about.
Leif:
I have to ask: what does BertBert think of all this, man? You must be constantly ducking voice messages.
Dark Leif:
... Who?
Leif:
... Right. Right, that clears up a lot.
Thug:
(Through the monitor.) Hey, boss?
Dark Leif:
What?
Thug:
We’re on 512, we’ve been going door to door and we’re not seeing anything, what should we be looking for?
Dark Leif:
It’s Verge! Verge is loose in the station!
Thug:
Uh... that could be bad.
Verge:
(Whispering in the thugs ear.) Such an understatement, sweetie.
In the monitor we hear the guard’s muffled screams and gunfire, then the signal goes dead.
Leif:
Looks like the fun has started. We’ll pick this up later.
Outside in the galaxy brain, alarms are sounding on the ship and people are evacuating level 512.
Britti-Bug:
We’ve got trouble, folks! Deck 512, you are the lucky winner of an intruder alert. Who dares violate our safe space? Why can’t we be left to do our crimes in peace?!
Deidre has arrived and she is out of breath.
Deidre:
Guys... Guys, I’m on deck 512. Oh, God, that sucked. Why did I have to take the stairs again?
Leif:
I’m shutting down the elevators off and on. It makes a little more chaos.
We hear more chaos and gunfire further down the deck.
Deidre:
Oh, shit.
Eldin:
Deidre, Verge is now loose on the ship as I’m sure you can hear.
Deidre:
Are they okay?
Eldin:
Well they wouldn’t be firing at a dead person.
Leif:
Head down the walkway toward the gunfire, but don’t get too close.
Eldin:
Wait for the gunfire to subside and then move further in.
Deidre:
Okay.
Geegaa:
Misti?
Deidre:
Oh. Hey.
Geegaa:
You’re just now getting here?
Deidre:
I had to take the stairs. Elevators are... against my religion.
Geegaa:
Oh. Okay, weird. Well, you’re going to have to head back down. They’re evacuating this deck, we should go.
Deidre:
I’m supposed to be up here.
Geegaa:
Well I’m supposed to be up here, too, but there’s a gunfight happening on the other end of the deck, so we’ve got to go.
Deidre:
You go ahead, I’m going to stay.
Geegaa:
No, Misti, we’ve got to go. There’s someone really dangerous on this deck and they just got loose from their prison.
Deidre:
Geegaa... Go find a ship. Any ship, it doesn’t matter. Get in, fly away, never come back.
Geegaa:
What are you talking about?
Deidre:
Geegaa. You have to go. Go now. You’re a kind person. How’d you end up here?
Geegaa:
... I don’t know.
Deidre:
Go.
Deidre walks down the corridor toward the sound of gunfire. People are running past her in the other direction.
Deidre:
How will I know when it’s safe?
Eldin:
Simply put, it will be safe when Verge is done killing everyone.
We hear two weapons power up behind Deidre.
Battlepope:
Pardon me, Ma’am. Might we have a word?
Deidre:
You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.
Bugaboo:
Ain’t no reason an ore-breaker would have any business up on this deck.
Battlepope:
And we were admiring those fine bracelets you’re wearing upon your person.
Bugaboo:
We was just about to call ourselves crazy for thinkin’ it, but...
Battlepope:
... Is that you, our Lass of Note?
Eldin:
I’m beginning to detect a bit of calculated incompetence on the part of Battlepope and Bugaboo.
Leif:
Deidre, don’t panic. I need you to get them to move about six more feet toward you.
Deidre:
... This is the third time you assholes have pointed guns at me.
Battlepope:
Please don’t take offense, Ma’am.
Bugaboo:
Comes with the territory, comes with the uniform.
Battlepope:
We’d truly prefer another means of getting where we need to go.
Bugaboo:
Any time you’d like to go dancin’ instead, we’d be much obliged.
Battlepope:
Now, of course, we’ll need to you to come along with us to meet our employer.
Bugaboo:
Time for us to impress him yet again.
Battlepope:
There are, if you’ll allow me to say, other ways to skin this particular buck.
Bugaboo:
If you’re amenable, that is.
Deidre:
Amenable to what?
Battlepope:
Well, not to be untoward... We got a whole kingdom waitin’ for us on the other side of this here galaxy.
Bugaboo:
Sure would be nice to have a lass such as yourself there with us to spruce up our environs.
Deidre:
Well, that’s quite an offer boys...
Leif:
That’ll do it. See that guardrail? Hold on to it harder than you’ve ever held on to anything in your life.
Deidre:
... But I’m afraid I’m spoken for.
Leif:
Adios, Muchachos.
An alarm starts blaring.
Overhead Voice:
Emergency airlock blow.
Battlepope:
Tarnation.
The airlock next to battlepope and bugaboo blows and sucks them out into the void of space.
Bugaboo:
Gol durn!
We hear the deafening sound of air rushing out the airlock.
Deidre:
Holy... shit!
The airlock reseals and everything goes quiet again.
Leif:
If that doesn’t kill those guys, I fucking quit.
Eldin:
Deidre, are you alright?
Deidre:
I really don’t know what I am, Eldin.
Eldin:
Regardless, you need to keep moving. Things are about to get very messy.
Deidre:
Oh, good.
We move back to dark leif’s command center. He is welding his door shut while shouting orders to gort.
Dark Leif:
Reroute node five to node fifty-six!
Gort:
Unresponsive.
Dark Leif:
Good. Use node fifty-six, connect to essential systems, and then connect essential systems to the system archive.
Gort:
Connection complete.
Dark Leif:
Okay.
Dark leif stops welding.
Dark Leif:
We’re going to reboot the entire network from an archived version and reinstall security protocols as fast as possible. That should give us control of the station again.
Gort:
Network archive not found.
Dark Leif:
What?!
Gort:
Network archive not found.
Dark Leif:
What the fuck did he do with our archives?
Leif:
(In monitor.) Hey, do my ears deceive me, or was that the sound of you welding yourself inside your command center?
Dark Leif:
Give me back my fucking station!
Leif:
Hard pass.
Dark Leif:
You’ll never get off this station. You realize that, right? You may have control of the network, but there are thousands of us here, and nobody gets out of here until we fucking find you!
Leif:
I saw that you sealed the dock gate. That is pretty problematic for a guy trying to make a hasty exit.
Dark Leif:
That’s right. So you can laugh it up all you want, asshole. Eventually, I’m going to find you and turn you into a hood ornament on the Alex P. Keaton!
Leif:
... Or at least it would be problematic. If the guy trying to make a hasty exit didn’t have access to, say, an Ymir-Class Ice Hauler that you just brought into dock a few hours ago.
We hear a far off, massive engine begin to fire up.
Gort:
Unauthorized drive ignition.
Dark Leif:
You’re out of you mind.
Leif:
Am I?
Dark Leif:
You’re going to rip the station apart!
Leif:
I doubt that, this station is huge. It’s going to fuck up a lot of your ships though, that’s for sure.
Gort:
Unauthorized ship maneuvers in main dock. Collision imminent.
Alarms begin going off throughout the ship.
Dark Leif:
Shut the drive down remotely.
Gort:
Access denied.
Dark Leif:
What the fuck did you do to my network?!
Leif:
It was the reboot, Leif. You crashed the network and rebooted to get rid of me. Did you happen to look where you rebooted from? You’ve been running off my system since the reboot. This is my station now.
Dark Leif:
... Fuck.
Leif:
It’s a real rookie mistake, Leif... What happened to you, man?
Gort:
Collision imminent.
Leif:
Sounds like you need a refresher course. Allow me to take you back to school.
Gort:
Brace for impact.
Dark Leif:
Fuck!
A massive explosion rocks the entire station. Chaos ensues. After the chaos slowly dies down, a door slides open on deck 512 and deidre walks into a room. Carnage is everywhere.
Deidre:
Oh, my god.
Verge is on the other side of the room, breathing heavily. They charge up a weapon and point it.
Deidre:
Verge. Verge, it’s me.
Deidre deactivates her sham suit.
Deidre:
It’s me.
Verge drops the gun. Deidre runs to their side.
Deidre:
Verge.
Verge:
I’m sorry.
Deidre:
Jesus, you’ve been shot. Leif! Verge is in bad shape.
Leif:
(In earpiece.) We’re ready to go. Get them on their feet, I’ll tell you what to do next.
Deidre:
Verge, we have to get up.
Verge:
I’m sorry.
Deidre:
Baby, it’s okay.
Verge:
Why do they keep turning me into this... I don’t want to be this. Why do they keep making me do this?
Deidre:
It’s okay.
Verge:
They keep turning me into this-
Deidre:
They can’t turn you into anything. They’re not in charge anymore.
Verge:
Can I talk to who’s in charge, please?
Deidre:
It’s me. I’m in charge.
Verge:
... What am I?
Deidre:
... Mine.
Verge:
...
Deidre:
Get up. Here we go...
They struggle to their feet.
Deidre:
Leif! What next!?
Leif:
Okay. Let me preface this by saying that I once did 35 seconds in the void of space and I’m doing just fine.
Deidre:
Leif. Why are you telling me that?
Leif:
We’re right outside your window in the Phoenix, do you see us?
Deidre:
I see you.
Leif:
We’re going to blow the airlock in that room and then you guys are going to need to jump to the wing, then get in the back cockpit.
Deidre:
... In space?
Leif:
Yeah. Space.
Eldin:
We can’t go back through the station, Deidre. We have to do it this way.
Leif:
It should only be about ten seconds in pure void, that’s a piece of cake.
Deidre:
A piece of cake?
Eldin:
On the plus side, pure void is surprisingly therapeutic for plasma gun burns.
Deidre:
Fuck you, Eldin.
Eldin:
Sorry.
Leif:
Find a place to grab onto the bulkhead and let me know when you’re ready.
Deidre:
Oh, my God. Okay, over here.
Verge and deidre stumble across the room.
Deidre:
Stand there.
Verge:
I’ll try and keep you warm.
Deidre:
Hold onto me. Don’t let go.
Verge:
Never.
Deidre:
Oh, god. Oh god, oh god, oh god.... blow it, Leif.
Leif:
Here comes the Tastee-Freeze!
The airlock blows and oxygen rushes out into the void. We fade out on the sound and into the sound of the phoenix in flight. Leif talks with dark leif as they travel.
Leif:
I still remember that moment. Dad thought that he could keep us busy by giving us one of those RC cars that you had to assemble yourself. He even insisted we not use an automatic screwdriver because some of the parts were plastic and we would strip it. But probably he said that because he just wanted us to be busy for longer. Didn’t work... Remember how it was like... it was like it spoke to us. Even after we were done with the assembly, it was like it asked us to change things, add things. Then, suddenly we had a fully autonomous RC car that would follow us wherever we went... Dad hated it, took out the batteries, took it apart, hid it. We could have left it there, but we chose the other way. And then all throughout life it was choosing this instead of that, this instead of that, over and over again. You chose this instead of that one too many times, my friend.
Dark Leif:
(In comms panel.) Who the fuck are you?
Leif:
We can get to that part later. As a primer you might want to brush up on the Many Worlds theory. For now, let's say this: You spent a long time on your own. Without anybody challenging you. You remember those days, right? Låfftrax would rack up victory after victory, and they'd start to get anxious, angry, until finally one day they'd kick open the door charge in the room and they would say:
Dark Leif:
“Somebody bless me with an enemy.”
Leif:
Blessings be upon you, young man. I'll see you on Rax Prime.
Leif ends the transmission.
Verge:
We’re not heading home.
Leif:
We are. I just need to make a stop first.
Verge:
...
Leif:
...
Verge:
He’s going to come for us pretty hard.
Leif:
We’ll be ready... You guys okay back there?
Verge:
She’s asleep...
Leif:
We’ll be able to get out and stretch our legs soon.
Verge:
I honestly don’t ever want to move from this spot... Stars above, her breathing on my neck... Thanks for coming to get me, Leif.
Leif:
... It was enlightening.
Verge:
He wasn’t what you expected, was he?
Leif:
No... He was sad... Went that way instead of the other way one too many times, and now he’s... He’s trapped...
Verge:
...
Leif:
... I wasted so much of my life.
Verge:
I know, Baby... I did too.
Leif:
You didn’t have much of a choice.
Verge:
No... But the Triad wanted a villain... And I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy giving it to them... just a little bit... I convinced myself it was all I deserved.
Leif:
... I’m glad you were convinced otherwise.
Verge:
... It was you. You convinced me otherwise... a little message in my inbox telling me to go to Hood’s Pocket... because I deserved it.
Leif:
...
Verge:
... I love you, Leif.
Leif:
... I love you too, Verge.
Verge:
...
Leif:
...
Verge:
... You should get some sleep, too. It’s going to be a long week.
Leif:
Good idea. Eldin, take the wheel for a while.
Eldin:
I have the wheel. Course is set for the Rectangle Nebula... the skies are clear.
The end.