『Elegante 005』► Audio

[skin_and_steel]

Question for you guys:

Ever notice how the people on this ship tend to be people that you couldn't stand back home? Hell, even a bitter enemy of yours?

It makes me wonder how deliberate Redd's choice is in plucking these people from our worlds. If it's a deliberate way to make the passengers' stay that much more hellish.

[He takes a deep sigh

Comments

[shenghuanzhe]

Simple answer is that Redd picks up people floatin' in the water.

[skin_and_steel]

...what do you mean, "floating in the water"?

[shenghuanzhe]

I mean look out the porthole, kid.

[Kage takes a moment to light up a cigarette.]

Redd chooses which folks floatin' in the water t'take along.

[skin_and_steel]

[Ed presses a hand to his forehead.]

Okay, then how do people end up in said water at all?

[He realizes he probably sounds like a fucking idiot right now.]

[shenghuanzhe]

Classified. That ain't any'a your concern right now, kiddo.

[Kage sucks on his cigarette, then exhales.]

[skin_and_steel]

Like hell it's not my concern. It's affecting every fucking person on the ship.

[shenghuanzhe]

Not anymore. Not since we fished you folk out the water. Now you're awright.

[Kage's voice is patient. He's very used to giving circular non-answers.]

[skin_and_steel]

"Oh, we ~saved~ you so you don't have to think anymore and it's all okay"? Really?

You can't expect us to sit here, twiddling our thumbs and not wondering how we got here in the first place. People question things, or else they're stuck under someone else's thumb. Tell a person that certain knowledge is forbidden, and they're going to go looking for it.

[shenghuanzhe]

True enough.

[Kage takes another drag on his cigarette, the paper and tobacco crinkling into an ember.]

You're smart enough and you got enough guts t'call me out, so I'll be honest as my captain allows me t'be, awright? I could tell you what you wanna know, but I got orders not to, and my desire t'please my captain is more important than any urge t'feed your curiosity, awright?

[skin_and_steel]

[Kage's willing to spill as much as he can without risking his own hide. He can respect that.]

I can agree to that.

You can't tell me how people end up in the water. But... hmmm. Can you tell me what happens to their worlds while they're in the water? Are they left alone, or does something destroy them?

[His words come slowly, clearly trying to phrase it the right way to avoid insinuating blame.]

[shenghuanzhe]

Atch-ch-ch, check out the big brain on blondie here! All I'm authorized t'say about your worlds is that they ain't your concern no more, and all questions will be answered once we reach the Golden Shore.

[skin_and_steel]

My brother's still there - I'm the only person who can get his body back to normal. Whether I'm there physically or not, I still gotta help him.