(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

[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]

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!]

[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.

[viced]

You went with what made you comfortable, right?

[ A beat. ]

With your radio show, you could always be more of an investigative reporter, you know.

[outofthepast]

You like something, you're good at it, you can do good with it-- might as well put it to use for you.

I've thought about that, really. I'm going to run out of stories of my own cases eventually. I'll have to make some new ones to tell.

[viced]

Well then, that'll be the time, right?

Or you can get started on it early. I'm sure there's a...shitload of stuff in the import community. We get pretty weird.

[outofthepast]

We do seem like an exciting bunch so far.

Says the machine-man.

[viced]

Aw hell, you don't know the half of it yet. If you're calling us exciting already, just you wait.

It gets worse.