Crash Test Dummy (Literally) >> Audio ;

[justamobster]

[ The post goes up on the network a few minutes after touchdown planetside. The speaker is quite obviously trying to catch his breath, and there’s an undercurrent of laughter in his voice— sharp with both disbelieving amusement and a bit of panic. ]

The er, emergency landin’ system on the ships, yeah? That?

S’workin’. Just thought folks’d wanna know.

[ GUESS WHO ALMOST JUST DIED? This guy!

For context and any in-person concerns, see Prompt #1 here! ]

Comments

[mikoshi]

Makes it easier when I gotta swap 'em out with, say, a venomous one. [ But Toxic Gorilla Arms felt so cheap. Wants to feel his enemy's bones break when his knuckles connect, not the slimy slide of venom, then the scent of burnt flesh as the acid starts burning through their flesh. ]

My fear is that they're not gonna live long enough to toughen up. The desert doesn't come with training wheels. [ Vincent looks away for a moment, eyes a lifetime away. ] So many names, so many people. Some of 'em, their name is all I can remember. Forgotten faces — there are so many.

[justamobster]

... Nowhere does. [ Hell, that's a point of contention between him and the sixteen-year-old in his crew. Much as Guivres drives Ladon up the wall with his teenage bullshit, Ladon doesn't want him hurt or dead. ] S'why us older folks gotta keep an eye on 'em. Even if we ain't the best role models.

This place is step one. I got a feelin' there's a lot more out there after this.

[mikoshi]

Yeah, but this place has a way of makin' it memorable in the worst way. [ Vincent closes his eyes for a moment, the sharp stab of melancholy hitting his chest viciously. ] Or if they want nothin' to do with us.

Get the feeling it's gonna get worse 'fore it gets better. [ As it always does. ] And I'm not sure I'm up for it this round. [ Everything hurts because his chrome is locked out. He's a defective machine slowly burning itself to an early grave. Right on cue, his lungs start spasming, sending him into a coughing fit. ]

[justamobster]

We ain't gonna be on this planet forever. Maybe the next won't be bringin' back so many memories, yeah? [ God, it's almost like seeing himself from years ago, before Hardison dipped into his mind and locked away enough to let him function. He feels a pang of guilt for wishing Hardy were here to help-- partially because it's so selfish towards Hardy, and partially because he knows his former friend is a last resort, a destructive force that he hates himself for needing.

No, keeping an eye on Hardison Limael is the last thing he needs right now. ] Well. I ain't the sharpest tool or the brightest bulb, but you need someone t'listen... Hell. Lemme repay you for keepin' me from bitin' the big one out in the sand, yeah?

Name's Ladon, by the way.

[mikoshi]

[ It's not the planet, it's his body. Wherever you go, there you are. A coffin housing his (digitized) soul, trapped in it, yet unable to survive without it.

But these are things he can't just tell strangers. Sure, Vincent is an open book (for the most part), but he isn't without sense. There's too much context that'd need to be explained. Right now he lacks both the energy and the trust for it, even if the guy is offering. ] Maybe later. [ When he doesn't feel like death warmed over. ] V. Just V.

[justamobster]

'Course, V. Offer stands.

[ He huffs a little laugh, tips his head at the ship sticking out of the sand. ] Ain't exactly lammin' off anywhere any time soon.

[mikoshi]

Talkin' 'bout that... [ Vincent stares at the general direction of the ship, scanning it with perfectly normal eyes. Damn shame his Kiroshi software isn't available — could scan for problems in five seconds. Alas. ] Should check it manually, make sure it ain't leakin' fuel or what not. Heat's so bad out here it can ignite on its own.

[justamobster]

[ He... hasn't even thought about that.

Not the engine fuel specifically, though he hadn't thought of that either. What he's now more concerned about is what will happen if he injures himself significantly in this heat. Without a spark, he figured he was fine-- and it's been a long time since the last time he tried to light a cigarette with a bloody nose, a painful and lasting lesson.

Note to self: do not bleed on anything important. That's a good thing to keep in mind in general, but especially on the spontaneous combustion planet. ]

Er, yeah. Should prob'ly take a gander at that.