(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

[outofthepast]

Damn. Damn.

[There's a new sensation! Not a particularly comfortable one, either.]

What-- does it actually do? Could you do, I mean?

[viced]

I can...listen. It's like... someone like you is a symphony. Less complex machines are like a quartet.

I can also...tell machines what to do. Good news for you, though, most of you can fight it. Apparently free will gets in the way of commands. [ A smile, then, a touch sarcastic. ] Imagine that, huh?

[picksthenames]

Yeah sure, once I'm set up with tools and a workspace I'll take a look, see what I can do.

[outofthepast]

Senator, you could at least buy me dinner before you start that kind of sweettalk.

[If it was anybody else but the so-far amiable Senator telling him he could control, or even attempt to control him, Nick would have been a lot more nervous than he is.]

You may not find a more stubborn machine than me. Though I appreciate the heads up, and the discretion, there, pal.

[storyseeker]

[Elena laughs.]

I think I read about that one. It is pretty comic book-y, isn't it? But a lot of things here are, right down to all the superpowers.

[outofthepast]

I guess I probably fall into that category myself, to most people here. I imagine I'll get used to it pretty quickly.

[snarkbot]

That you'd be functional at all after that time is impressive. I've had to have my chassis replaced in a fraction of that. But it sounds like you dislike it altogether.

[outofthepast]

I've had the occasional help of the occasional mechanic, thankfully. But we're talking a place where duct tape is the basis of most construction and repair, too.

It is what it is, as they say. I'm just grateful most of my face is still attached.

[lightinside]

They can do things like that? Wow. That's amazing.

[She does genuinely find it fascinating.]

Anyway. Is there anything I can help you with? Aside from what you've already asked about.

[viced]

Yeah, I'm...not exactly in the game of telling people what to do. Convincing, but... Not actually ordering.

So unless you're going to die if you don't duck, you probably won't hear it from me.

[outofthepast]

Thanks. I appreciate that reassurance.

Hasn't been something I've had to deal with, thankfully but the very idea gives me the creeps. [Particularly when it meant the Institute would be the ones pulling the strings, back home.]

[shifting]

And was your doctor also worried 'bout you turnin' into a toaster?

[outofthepast]

She was probably a bit concerned, yeah.

A little rewiring and some heat coils and I'd make a great kitchen appliance, is what I'm saying.

[maevelous]

[ Maeve......doesn't get it! There's brief confusion that flickers over her face. But regardless, she plasters on a smile and pretends like she does. It's all about blending in with these people as best as she can! ]

So were you still able to utilize that technology? Or did you fall into less civilized ways. You'll have to forgive me, darling. The most I know of all this technology from my world is a piano that plays itself.

[viced]

No shit, I don't blame you. It'd give me the creeps too, if I were you.

[ A shrug. ]

Hence why I don't use it much.

[outofthepast]

Yeah, it sure is.

[Ethically horrifying, but definitely amazing.

Nick can't technically look a gift horse in the mouth, on that one.]

Nothing comes immediately to mind, but you're very thoughtful to ask. Could I get a name, perhaps?

[outofthepast]

What was left of it, yeah. There's some things that still run on nuclear power cores and things like that. Most everything else, though, is left up to good old-fashioned electricity.

Player pianos? Classy. Whereabouts are you from, Miss...?

[outofthepast]

You seem to be a pretty thoughtful guy there, Senator. What on earth are you doing in politics?

[Bet you've never heard THAT one before, Mitch!]

[maevelous]

Well, at the least you arrived here so you can enjoy these modern comforts.

[ Amusement creeps onto her face. Hell if she knows where she's from. But she answers with what she does know. ]

The old west. Cowboys, gunslingers, saloons. Don't know if you're familiar with that sort of thing, but it appears to have its own sort of culture surrounding it here. The movies aren't terribly inaccurate, though the reality of it is far less glamorous. The one thing I imagine we have in common. How terribly unglamorous our worlds were.

[outofthepast]

I seem to remember a bunch of those old movies. [Valentine was a fan, apparently. Not as much as the film noir genre, clearly, but a fan all the same.]

Reality never does have quite the same gleam as the silver screen. But I'd be interested to hear about the real thing all the same.

[viced]

[ nooooope ]

You know, I'm starting to think you're a little crazy. Nobody says that about me. [ Or maybe it's the fact that he favors machines. ]

But to answer your question... I tried other fields, but they didn't...take. At all. This was the one job I was able to do some good in, since...I got these powers. [ The ~Accident~ ]

[outofthepast]

I never claimed not to have a few screws loose. [see what he did there]

Eh, you gotta do whatever you can do your best at. I can understand how that goes. I was a handyman for a bit before I settled into the detective life.

I guess you could say it's just a part of me.

[shifting]

So... you're a robot? Or is that rude, callin' you one? Sorry, I don't know the protocol here.

[outofthepast]

Technical term for my line is "synth." But no worries about being rude. I'm not too sticky about it, given it's not a "thing" most people seem to be familiar with.

The idea's the same either way.

[storyseeker]

Everything becomes the new normal eventually, right? And when being here starts out with an extra-dimensional kidnapping of sorts, that makes a lot of weirdness seem less weird.