Things on the Horizon. (Day 3)

[originalcopy]

[Church is wandering the darkened passages.  Flickering movements and whispered voices... and laughter, dark laughter.]

Tex?  

[The voice was clearer, it was her,  confirming  what he feared most after seeing the ship explode that awful day.   And behind it, the other voice, telling exactly how he had failed her.   How he killed her.]

No...

They... they were only supposed to disable the ship...  

I didn't know!  

Oh god... no... I... I tried... I couldn't.... Please... oh my god...

[When he sees her.... Her body charred and broken, melted armor fused in places to her flesh....  he can't stop the screams.]

Comments

Filtered to Leonard Church forever

[alaspooryork]

[Well.

Now there's a voice that haunts his dreams. York is still busy trying to fix the ship, but this is too important to ignore.]

Church. Do you hear my voice?

[originalcopy]

... Delta?

Delta, you have to tell them... I tried! Oh God, I tried!

Nothing worked... nothing I did worked...

Delta please!

not here

[youfallback]

[Carolina can't listen to it. It's too familiar and she'll go ahead and make the promise to herself to not sleep ever.]

[alaspooryork]

Yes, Church. I know you tried. Please, you must remain calm. Are you listening to me?

[He's making an attempt to broadcast a very subtle message - almost white noise if one isn't paying attention, but it's really a soft Fibonacci sequence. Just a small thing, but every AI he's ever met finds it calming. Maybe it will help.]

Can you tell me where you are?

[originalcopy]

She was here... she was right here, I saw....

[He makes a quiet choked sobbing sound]

I... I, yeah. I'm listening... right, calm.

I don't... I'm not sure. A passageway. They all look alike... blood, blood everywhere.

I can't...

[alaspooryork]

Church, please continue listening to my voice. Can you use the walls to brace yourself? I need you to find your location. Is there a chamber nearby?

[Preferably one not covered in blood, but at this point Delta will take what he can get.]

You are capable of overcoming this, Church. I believe in you.

[originalcopy]

I... uh, I think... maybe.

[He'll start to slowly make his way down the passage.]

I shouldn't have trusted them... I should have known...

[alaspooryork]

They are not here. I am here with you. I will not allow them to harm you. Do you understand?

[He has to keep the constant stream of questions; keeping Church talking is a way to keep him from focusing on what's happening out there.]

You are on the Event Horizon. Do you remember your arrival onto this ship?

[compromisedarrow]

Church?

[He's slowly losing everyone he trusts on that ship.]

Hey! Can you hear me?

[originalcopy]

The, the castle... the castle sent us here.

Delta, everyone here is in danger. They're all going to die... I... I have to help them.

[alaspooryork]

That is correct. The castle sent us here. Paradisa. Do you remember that Agent Texas was not in the castle at all?

[And therefore couldn't have just been killed?]

I understand, Church. We are attempting to help as well from our side. We have restored power and are seeking a way to enter your ship for a rescue.

[originalcopy]

She's dead... she's dead and it's my fault... I couldn't stop her.

I couldn't.... I couldn't save her.

I tried. I tried so hard... You have to believe me!

[compromisedarrow]

I believe you.

[Wonderful. This is wonderful.]

I want you to listen to me, okay? Can you do that?

[originalcopy]

The castle... the castle could bring her back... if it wanted to right.

She wouldn't have to die... I could... I don't know, fix it.
I could try to fix it... It could bring Tex back to me.

Just for a little while...

[alaspooryork]

Church, do you remember what happened when York had Carolina returned to him? [You know, how nothing had changed at all and she seems to hate him now?]

I will not deny the possibility that it could bring her in the future. However, if it does happen, we have no control over when she will appear or how long she will stay. What is important is that you focus on the current situation.

[originalcopy]

I... oh my god...

I... I can't... listen... he's laughing because I failed... I always fail.

...She's screaming....

[originalcopy]

I don't care... she could be safe!

[He pauses for a moment]

Right... the current situation...

I have to find Nat... and South.
I have to find them, I can help them and... and... maybe I won't fail them too.

[alaspooryork]

At the moment, she is not here. Therefore, your actions here cannot compromise her safety. Do you understand?

How do you intend to help the ones you are on a ship with?

[originalcopy]

I don't... I don't know.

People here... they're getting violent. People are going to die, they're going to die if I can't find a way to help them!

I can't... not her too, please ... I can't let her die too.

[alaspooryork]

Church, I need to hear you repeat these words: Tex is not present.

[He'll wait.

Yes, it's also traumatic to lose other people, but he knows it will always be worse for Church if it's Tex.]

Once you verify you are safe, you can assist the others.

[originalcopy]

Delta I saw her! She was right in front of me!

[He sighs. It had seemed so real.]

Tex... is not, present.

I'm safe... I'm good.

I have to find her.

I have to find Natasha.

[alaspooryork]

Thank you. I believe the malfunction of the Event Horizon's gravity core is causing adverse mental effects in some who were near to it. I will attempt to to keep you company so you need not fall prey to them.

[Now, he doesn't actually know this Natasha, and he'd frankly be worried if Church was now obsessed with another black-wearing redhead badass supersoldier lady. But he wouldn't exactly be surprised.]

Where did you last see her?

[originalcopy]

[Now Delta, he's not exactly 'obsessed'. Ok, well he is right now, but he's not exactly stable at the moment. There's totally nothing going on between them, you can ask either one of them. Nothing at all.]

Right, that... that makes sense.
Ok... thank you Delta.

Um... she shot me in the face and then I lost her.

[alaspooryork]

[Delta stands by his original statement.]

I see. Your functionality is not impaired?

[originalcopy]

[Shhh.]

She wrecked my helmet. But otherwise I'm fine.