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| Wow! You've really got a knack for surviving certain doom out there, don't you, Doctor? |
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| * Quick wits and a sharp tongue. It'll get you places. |
I'll say.
What was it this time, another Mason attack? |
Doesn't sound like it. Different suit, different weapons, different profile.
They're ID'ing her right now, seeing if we can narrow it down to anyone we got a record of. |
| I thought Mason was the last one. |
| The higher ups hoped so, too. |
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* So, what I'm hearing, is the mad bitch who tried to make a balloon dog outta my windpipe is down in the ratways with my specimens, and we've got, what, zero plans to find 'em?
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Don't worry your little head, Doc, this isn't your concern anymore.
We've got this. |
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* Oh of course, you've got this. How could I forget.
* Scuse me a minute.
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Doctor Blaise! I heard about the attack.
Is it true? The humans are gone?? |
Oh, Helix!
That's really... That's such a shame.
There are so few humans left. Getting to study them was...
We were just starting to understand their social behaviors!
I understand you were very invested, in that project.
I'm sorry. Really. I... |
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* It's alright, mate, condolences accepted. No need to get weepy on me.
* Which department were you, again?
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| Um. I'm the... lead? Lab director? The... boss? |
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* --!!
* I. Meant that rhetorically. |
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* You know, as in, you're obviously not in charge of bio.
* Cause if you were with bio, you woulda been fucking doing something about the prime fuckin' specimens that just went missing!
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* So CLEARLY the departmental responsibilities don't divide like I THOUGHT they did!
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I-- I--!
I had to-- I was filing an incident! A, a report! But, um. I couldn't seem to find you in our system, and-- |
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| * I just nearly got my head unscrewed like a fuckin' twist top, and you're shitting around with a payroll issue!? |
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* Look, let's just ignore all that and focus on the here and now.
* We got two humans missing, captured by some choke happy maniac, and we need to get them BACK before she carves 'em up like a fuckin' wedding cake.
* You follow?
* You see the fuckin' stakes here? |
| But, the problem you're describing. That's... the military's responsibility. |
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* The military?
* I wouldn't rely on those dipshits to locate and retrieve their arses with both hands.
* We're doing this operation ourselves. |
| That sounds. Highly against protocol. |
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* ...
* Mate, you ever notice how I have a medal, and you don't?
* Ever wonder what the difference in our behaviour is, y'know, maybe explains that little discrepancy? |
| Um, um, okay. That's. Um-- |
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| * Hold the fuck on. Why's every cunt and their space-dog guarding the weird doorthing. |
Oh, that?
It's the military. They're keeping watch over the exits. Everywhere out of this facility.
So. The intruder doesn't escape with the specimens.
At least. Without us knowing... |
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* Fuck damn, she sure won't.
* Nobody's wheeling a crate through there any time soon... |
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* Christ fuck, gimme a minute...
* Think think think.
* Fuck it. I need some brain food. |
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* That's better.
* Staying nutriated is important, y'know.
* It's like that dungeon manga Sitara was trying to get me to read. |
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* Now's not the time to fret over every detail, mate.
* We are in the SHIT right now.
* We can sit around waiting on someone else's timeline, or we can take action. |
That's very. Motivational. But.
What exactly do you mean by "action". In this context. |
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* Even just getting intel. Y'know?
* There's gotta be some method or means in these labs to track our specimens down. |
Oh, like data? We need data.
Analyze where they were. Model where they will be.
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| * Exactly, mate! That shit! |
Ah, well, if I were to hypothesize...
There's the other specimens, in the xenobiology labs.
Our preliminary studies indicate that some may employ methods of extrasensory perception...
If they witnessed the attack-- imagine the implications! If we had some way to extract that information...! |
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* There we go! That's what a fuckin' plan sounds like!
* I'll get back to bio, put my voicebox to use squeezin' the deets out of our angels.
* You, keep those ideas flowing.
* Every line of investigation pops in your head, run that shit. |
The new human! A completely unknown variable in the system!
If I can characterize that one's behavior, constrain the priors on their last known vector and predict their trajectory...
Oh this is exciting. And when we pass our findings on to the military--
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* No! No, you fuckin' nong!
* You get those triggerfinger fucks involved, best case scenario they're retrieving us a pair of smouldering bodybags!
* What you find, you tell me. |
| Um, you realize... I'm your boss? |
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* And I'm teaching you to delegate.
* I'll handle this. |
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* You have to ask?
* Same way I handle everything. |
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| * Hasn't failed me yet... |
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