(1) Voice

[outofthepast]

[There’s a few minutes of unsure tapping on the communicator’s microphone, accompanied by some quiet mumbling about radio frequencies. A voice with a Chicagoan accent that is just faintly reminiscent of Humphrey Bogart finally makes itself audible.]

Been a long time since I’ve seen one of these. Hope I’m not accidentally talking through somebody’s refrigerator.

Anyway, good afternoon, to everybody listening. Nick Valentine here. Nice to meet all my fellow "Imports," I guess, is what they're calling us. Figured I should get used to the broadcasting life, since that's what they've hired me to do. I always thought I had a face for radio.

[The slightest of pauses while he gathers his thoughts.]

I’ve been to a couple of hardware stores now and I think it’s time to swallow my pride and just ask. You folks wouldn’t happen to make Assaultron circuit boards yet, would you? Anything with titanium wiring and rad-guard circuits would work, though. My last diagnostics didn't look so good and I'd rather fix it before it gets too out-of-hand.

I’m starting to get the suspicion I’m out of luck on that one.

While I’m on the subject, though, anybody know a good mechanic? I’m not half bad myself, but I could probably use a primer on all this old tech. Don’t want to end up turning into a toaster or anything.

Give me a ring if you’ve got anything for me. Thanks, and... hm. I'd better come up with a catchy sign-off, pretty quick here.

Comments

[picksthenames]

Okay, my man, [ He laughs a little, uncertain. ] Back up a step or two. What kind of tech are we dealing with here, because you're making it sound like you're a robot or something.

[outofthepast]

[Welp. He's starting to figure out just how interesting he's going to be to people around here.]

Well. The technical term is "synth," actually. But yes. A robot "or something" is about right.

[viced]

Weird. That makes you a one of a kind, huh? A lot of responsibility.

[ But man, back to that institute. ]

I can see why. All the forward-thinking of science without any of the actual care, huh? I'm not sure how well they'd do here either.

voice

[hypnotherapy]

Hardware isn't my expertise, but if you need any debugging or patching for your software, I can help you with that. And I know people you can contact for the hardware part, if you haven't gotten help for that already.

This world isn't very up to speed on robotics, though, so you won't find what you're looking for here, I'd think.

[outofthepast]

Responsibility? That's an interesting way to look at it. Guess I've always just tried to do the best I can with what I got.

It's a little more ambiguous back home. We're coming out of a bit of a slump in civilization. I can see how some might get fixated on the idea of progress, and forget about the humanity side of things.

I imagine that's not too far off from human nature wherever you go.

[picksthenames]

[ Cisco lets out a low, impressed whistle. ] Holy Asimov. Okay, might be a little out of my depth but I've never met a circuit board I couldn't handle.

[outofthepast]

Maybe you could figure out the software for me. I'm not too inclined to mess around with it much, given it's my brain and all. But it wouldn't hurt to at least be prepared with it.

I'm used to not working with the best of parts and mechanics, though, so hopefully it won't be too different here from what I'm used to.

[hypnotherapy]

I'll do my best to take a look at it without disturbing anything. [ Though he pokes through his own code on a regular basis. It's like diagnostics?? ] When was the last time you had a software checkup?

What was your world like, then, to be that sparse...? You don't have to answer if you don't want to, of course.

[viced]

Sounds like you're not doing too bad so far, if you don't mind me saying.

[ Wow. Mitchell? Being nice?

It must be the robot thing. ]

Yeah, that's... fair, though. I can imagine that if you're trying to pick back up, it's a little more...complex of an issue. I can't say that I'd blame them, unless they're not really bringing up the rest of the world with them. Institute sounds a little...shadow-council for my tastes.

[outofthepast]

I can run my own diagnostics whenever I like. But I'm basically stuck with the version I'm on.

My world? It was, uhhhh... [What's a nice way to put it...] Let's say we had a bit of a civilization setback that we're just bouncing back from.

[outofthepast]

I'm not exactly used to the best of maintenance and technical support, so it's encouraging that I've lasted this long on my own. But it wouldn't hurt to at least make sure things are stable, now that I've got the chance to.

[outofthepast]

Oh. Well, thanks, pal.

[Nick's not too used to compliments, especially from people he hasn't done personal favors for.]

They're not. Hence all the lovely tension. Most of the regular folks are terrified of them, and "shadow-council" isn't too far off. Even I don't know anything about them beyond the rumors, and I've got their "made-by" stamped in my backside somewhere.

[viced]

Yikes.

So... creepy scientists... that's not exactly a plus for your place, no offense. There's gotta be some good.

[outofthepast]

[Um. Well...]

It takes a pretty optimistic eye to find much good about the Commonwealth.

But the way I see it, people are working their way back up from being kicked down about as low as you can go. There's troubles, sure, but for the first time in a long time, things are being rebuilt rather than destroyed. People are getting stable again, and things are getting better.

[shifting]

I don't, actually.

[viced]

That's... pretty beautiful, actually.

I'm glad to hear that. I mean, when everything goes sideways, at least people bounce back, in the end.

[outofthepast]

Oh. Well, thanks.

[Sideways, upside down, and into a nuclear crater, even!]

People are pretty adaptable. They get knocked down, but they're pretty good at scrambling to get back up, too. I'd say it does my heart good to see it but, well. You know.

[viced]

Well, your...mechanical heart?

Although from the way people have spoken to me before -- some people seem to think machines are pretty heartless, so...

[outofthepast]

That is the big question, isn't it? Where's the line between machines and people? I can't say I've always enjoyed being a big ugly question mark right in the middle of that line.

What do you mean by that, Senator? You got a little machine in you, too?

[outofthepast]

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, or something like that.

My doctor back home used to nag me about that kind of thing, at least.

[viced]

Ah... not exactly? [ Scratches. At the side of his face. He totally does. ]

I, uh, talk to them.

[outofthepast]

Well, you certainly do, in the brief time I've known you. [It's almost like he pauses for the rimshot.]

[viced]

Ha. Ha.

[ Dryly. ] What is it with you guys and witty comebacks. It's... not like that. It's a hell of a lot different, and way more uncomfortable. For you, anyway. Hence why I'm not doing it, right now.

[outofthepast]

So it's not talking, really. It's talking.

Mind elaborating at all?

[viced]

Er --

IT'S STILL TALKING...


[ but nick will notice its deeper, somehow. Like he's talking to every part of him, individually.]