june intro log overflow

[hohnkai]

This is an overflow for the intro post.

Comments

[friendlyforce]

A plus from Tex. That is like twenty A pluses.

[ He is proud of himself! ]

She is very smart. And ... very, very scary. Tucker said not to stick anything to her. I wouldn't want to, because I don't think anything can be... maybe, magnets, but that probably wouldn't work. [ Yup. ]

[a_shadow]

[ Flattery does go places with Tex. She looks a bit pleased, but not to the point of smiling.

But there are other matters. ]

What did I say about listening to Tucker?

[friendlyforce]

Don't do it.

[ He likes that. Not listening to Tucker. It's good. Yeah, things are better, but it's nice to be able to say, "No, I can't listen to you anymore, because Tex said not to." Because Tucker wouldn't want to say that isn't right. 'Cause Tex! ]

It's nice to see you, again, Tex! It hasn't been the same without you!

[a_shadow]

Wash mentioned your spot in the timeline is further on from mine.

[ She pauses, and seems to make a decision. She sets her helmet on her hip and dismounts the motorcycle. Then she walks to his side, indicating that they can walk along the sidewalk in the direction he'd been headed. ]

What can you tell me about what happened after I was gone?

[ She knows it probably won't make much sense but even with the way Caboose tells things, it's possible to aim for some grain of truth in there. ]

[friendlyforce]

Um... Yup.

[ Because Tex isn't actually there, right? Right. His helmet tilts downward. But he lifts it back up when she walks at his side and he's happy to walk with Text. He can't remember the last time they did this! ]

In few words or all the words?

[a_shadow]

You don't have an in-between?

[ Of course he doesn't. She shakes her head. ]

All the words, I guess.

[friendlyforce]

[ Okay.

He takes a deep breath in. ] Well. Everyone was sent everywhere else! I was sent to a base where they were kind of mean to me and said that I needed to fix the machines, and I tried to fix the machines by talking to them like I would talk to Sheila and Sheila would tell me what I needed to do, but they wouldn't listen to me and so they ended up usually catching on fire when I was doing a good job fixing them. It was mysterious. And so they put me in a small room and locked me up and it was very sad in there. Until it wasn't sad, because they let me out. And I was so happy that I shot the air. In front of me. And the person in front of me fell over. Also mysteriously!

They said that I had to meet someone who was named Agent Washington. He said that I was an expert and I know that I'm an expert on stuff, but it's nice that someone actually wanted to meet with me and talk to me about stuff! Oh, right, and the Principal told me to never go backwards! I promised that I would remember that and so I never have. Gone backwards. Then Agent Washington said that we would go meet Church 'cause Church knows the most about AI. But that was before we found out that he was the Alpha. But that comes way later so pretend you didn't hear that, because I think that it might actually be upsetting to you to hear that sort of thing, too, and--

[ He stops walking to turn to her! ]

And I'm sorry that I mentioned it right away. Are you okay, Tex?

[a_shadow]

[ Tex looks at him, a bit bemused by his concern. ]

Don't worry about it.

[ Because of course she knew that part. ]

I suppose it surprised you to find out he wasn't actually a ghost.

[friendlyforce]

Kind of!

[ A small, quick nod. ]

But uh, this might come as a surprise... you're not a ghost either, Tex! [ He guesses. He waits to let the shock settle down. And he leans back just a little in fear. Then he leans forward so that he can comfort. ] It's just ... it's a lot to know, right? Church heard lots of stuff and learning stuff made him get all sad and his head not get right and I don't want your head not to get right, either. You're our friend!

[a_shadow]

It was a surprise when I first found out about it, yes. It made a lot of things make sense, though. It made my head get right for the first time, I think.

[ It's not too surprising to hear that Church had trouble with it though. She's suspected he would. They never did get around to actually talking about it while he was here. She should have stopped putting it off at some point. Some point before she went and died.

When Caboose calls her a friend she manages a soft smile. ]

Well, friends don't like secrets.

[friendlyforce]

Oh. Okay.

[ His helmet lifts up as he decides that he's not going to be worried anymore. Tex has always been really strong, right? Like really strong. She beat up lots of people. Reds and Blues. It was scary. But then everything was all right! ]

Yeah, they don't. Okay... so, we found Church and Church shot at me a lot of times. Like he always does. But he said that he missed me, so it was all right! Agent Washington said a lot of mean things to both of us and I decided not to really listen to them, except to tell him that he was saying the war wrong, but then he said more mean things and I don't remember much what happened after that. Because we went back to find the ship. You remember the ship? Sheila! She crashed, but she was all right. She could still talk and everything.

Anyway, she played a recording and stuff. And it said that ... the base had your body. Your robot body! Church wanted to go and get it, but we weren't able to do that. 'Cause of a lot of reasons. [ He whispers loudly. ] There were a lot of guns. Then we had to go somewhere else. It was a lot of running and driving. But we met a lady! And then we had to fight someone known as the Meta. And there was a grenade. I threw it really good but a wall got in my way. Oh, but that was after I helped the lady and she fell down. Mysteriously.

Then time stopped. Then it sped up. And then the Meta was gone! Church said it was because he had Wyoming's abilities. I think it's because he had Freelancer powers. But I mean, agree to disagree. Then Agent Washington shot and blew up the body of the lady. I'm not sure why. But I made a friend. His name is Delta. He lived in my head for a bit. We talked. He was nice and made things simple by using simple words. Like ... memory is the key.

[a_shadow]

You met Delta? How is that possible?

[ No, she doesn't think Caboose will know the answer to that. He can't. Because she certainly doesn't know—York's armor was supposed to have deleted him. ]

Delta's a great helper, though. I bet he did his best to help you.

[friendlyforce]

Yes! Why wouldn't it be possible?

[ He tilts his head. ]

He really did. He made things really simple. I'd ask him questions and he'd give really simple answers. I said that, but he was really good. With knowledge. A source of knowledge. Yup. That's how I came to know him. That's why Epsilon turned into Delta first to tell me what I needed to do because I'd listen to him.

Oh, wait, that's way later. Sorry!

[a_shadow]

Because Delta was supposed to get destroyed the last time I saw him. He powered down, and I always thought he was gone after that.

[ She turns her head away for an instant. She's always kind of felt a bit guilty about York and Delta's deaths. Then she turns back. ]

How did you end up with Epsilon?

[ Another AI that was supposed to be done for—part of the reason she had left the Project. ]

[friendlyforce]

No. Some lady had him. Delta said that South did something to North. But that's silly. Directions can't do anything to each other.

[ He stops walking and turns very slowly to the side, suddenly very concerned about "directions." ]

Oh, that's part of the story. Okay, uh, maybe I should ... summarize...

[a_shadow]

No, no, just get to it when you get to it. I'll be patient.

[ Not too shocking to hear about South and North. She doesn't have to know what South did to know it was probably selfish. ]

So South had Delta? I wonder how that happened.

[friendlyforce]

Oh... uh, Delta said that South just put North in the position to have something happen. Then she was going to let Delta be taken by the Meta. That would have been bad, and I would have been very sad if that happened, but it did happen. But that happens later!

[ He breathes out a sigh. It's really hard to tell stories sometimes! ]

Anyway! We were walking again. Agent Washington told us about the Alpha. But I didn't know that he was talking about Church and Church didn't know it either. That's pretty silly of him, wasn't it? Only probably not. Church ... Church is pretty fragile sometimes. Anyway, we went to the windmill place. You remember that place, right? It's where Tucker got the key? I think it was a windmill. It always looked like one! But anyway, we ran into the Reds there and then we had to fight the Meta.

But the Meta was a lot stronger and then I ... I blacked out. Delta saved me! He sacrificed himself for me, but left a piece of himself in my head so that specific questions could be answered, I guess? It was really ... neat. Delta was really smart. I liked him a lot! Anyway, to ask any of those questions, Church had to go into my head. When he came out, Agent Washington saw him then Church explained that he was a ghost to Washington. Washington was pretty cool about it, and then we had to go and finally face the other AI!

[a_shadow]

Washington was cool about it?

[ Right, it's a Caboose story. That probably means relative to how Washington usually acts. ]

You know, I was with the AI when Church came.

[friendlyforce]

Pretty cool about it!

[ From what he remembers! ]

With Epsilon?

[a_shadow]

No, no—Epsilon was the only one not with us, actually, as part of the Meta.

I remember the bit you talked about, where the Meta picked Delta up. I might have found out why he was still alive but things were so hectic... I never knew the part about South having him.

[friendlyforce]

Oh. You were there.

[ Oh. Um.

He takes a step back. ] So ... what do you remember last, Tex?

[a_shadow]

Washington setting off an EMP. Church and I being interrupted when we were trying to have a goddamn reunion.

I woke up here. Well, not here. On the Moira.

[ She watches him for a moment. ]

Are you worried I'm going to do something, Caboose?

[friendlyforce]

Maybe.

[ He nods. ]

Right. I was getting to that part. Yup. The EMP. I was able to take Epsilon and run away, but everyone else... everyone else went away. [ He hugs Freckles as he summarizes the last bit of the story. ] But Epsilon wasn't able to forget. And ... [ Um. That's another story, isn't it? Another long one. But Tex knows up to that part, so that's probably good. ] I told him lots of stories so that he'd not feel lonely. Then he was able to remember Church and was able to be Church, again!

[a_shadow]

[ She nods at first, then frowns. ]

Wait—what do you mean, Epsilon was able to be Church?

[friendlyforce]

Epsilon said that he remembered everyone.

[ Memory is the key. ]

He remembered the Alpha, so he became Church.