IC Inbox

[lastdecember]

This is the after hours contact for Nicholas Wolfwood, Logistics. If this is an emergency, stop wasting everyone's time and page me.

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[heartofhealing]

[ Baizhu freezes as Wolfwood tells him to hold up, unprepared to suddenly have the other man by his side. What he barks out is confusion, and the good doctor's brows furrow as he listens to what he has to say. ]

Seeing things?

[ That's the first part, but also; ]

Is L3TH3's issues so bad that it requires this level of lying? Are you worried about your safety?

[lastdecember]

[ Yeah, Doc, he said seeing things. Everyone's seeing things -- doesn't Baizhu know that? ]

You're damn right I'm worried, and you should be too.

[ He gets it, he really does. For somebody who's used to the AI being a helpful tool, obedient and easy to direct, it's got to be a shock to learn that this AI has a different idea about what helping looks like. Wolfwood was raised to distrust machine intelligence, but he knows that he's the outlier there -- everyone else seems to think they're great. Which maybe they are, when things are going well.

L3TH3 can't hear him, but he keeps his voice low anyway, out of habit. ]

It will kill you if you try to get into cryo, you understand that? It'll drop you where you stand. And yeah, all we're doing is looking at the video feed, but we're doin' it after L3TH3 said no. It doesn't like it when we do shit behind its back. I don't know what it would do if it found out, and I don't want to know.

[ What if L3TH3 decided that the crew couldn't be trusted anymore, and locked them out of all the systems, except what's absolutely necessary to do their jobs? It's already messed with the food and the intercom -- who knows what it might decide to adjust next, to control their behavior?

At some point, couldn't it decide that this shift is too much trouble, and just get rid of them all? ]

Assume it's listening all the time, and don't let it hear anything other than you bein' on your very best behavior.

[heartofhealing]

[ He didn't get to the 'seeing things' part yet!! What the absolute fuck did he wake up to? ]

I... that's a lot. Thank you for telling me.

[ Baizhu looks a little bit lost, before he manages to take a breath and turn back to that calm state of mind. There was no reason he should believe Wolfwood without discussing it with Dr. Hilbert, first. This was the man that broke down and tried to kill the captain, right?

Worrying over Qiqi is really messing with his work. ]

I understand. I will think it over and get back to you about the cryo footage, I don't want to make the AI suspicious.

[ He doesn't quite leave yet, though. He has a theory. ]

Before I leave, would you mind looking at me and take a few deep breaths? I understand that you've all been working very hard, and I'm seeing rather large amounts of stress deterioration in some crew.

[ Baizhu holds up a finger for Wolfwood to look at. ]

...so if you would indulge me for just a moment. For all of our sakes.

[lastdecember]

[ This is the man who tried to kill the captain, yes. And he was right to attempt it.

Baizhu looks overwhelmed at all this, and Wolfwood can't blame him for that -- this isn't the tour of duty anyone signed up for, and it's not like they can quit. All they can do is keep their heads down and hope to get through the day.

But then Baizhu starts talking about breathing and holds up a finger, and all sympathy for the man goes right out the window. What kind of bullshit hypnosis is this?! ]

I said pretend like this is a checkup. I'm breathin' just fine.

[heartofhealing]

I'm aware, I can hear you speaking.

[ Baizhu states with the slightest hint of snark, and gestures to Wolfwood again. ]

If you'd just give me a moment, I'll get out of your hair. I won't touch you, I'm just asking you to breathe.

[ Compliance is part of patient evaluation. ]

[lastdecember]

[ There's a lot of things Wolfwood could say in response to that -- and most of them would get him reported to HR -- but if the fastest way to end this conversation is compliance, then he'll comply. Once.

Fixing Baizhu -- his face, not his finger -- with a challenging scowl, Wolfwood draws in a sharp breath, and exhales through his nose like an angry bull. ]

Happy?

[heartofhealing]

[ The smile he gets in return is honest, gold eyes crinkling a bit at the edges. ]

Thank you, Mr. Wolfwood.

[ Baizhu takes his hand down and then steps away to head for the door. ]

I'll remember everything you shared with me. For the record, though... have you seen anything?

[lastdecember]

[ That smile says that he lost this round, but any encounter with a doctor that doesn't end with medication -- or worse -- is a win in Wolfwood's book. Baizhu is heading for the door, so Wolfwood turns to head back to his workstation, replying as he settles back into his seat. ]

No. They're just dreams. That shit doesn't mean anything.

[heartofhealing]

[ Baizhu makes a bit of a humming sound at that, but nods.

"You'd be surprised how much dreams can have meaning sometimes", he wants to say - but he's agitated the man enough already. Instead the doctor slips out of the room and disappears. ]