010

[worldentire]

[The room is very dark, but there's a glass filled with some fluid glowing bright green in the middle of his desk. His voice, from the right, can be heard.]

I finally got it. I think I've cobbled together a brand new Plasmid. Not sure what'll do, or why it's just this color, but ...Goddamn.

Comments

[kindly_done]

[Jack stares at the glowing light for a long moment, clears his throat uncomfortably.

He doesn't say anything, but it's hard to hide the hunger in his eyes.]

[worldentire]

[He can see the hunger in Jack's eyes, and for a moment is silent. He still doesn't step into the camera's view. His voice is quiet.]

..I'm not sure what it does, if you're interested.

[kindly_done]

...I'm not.

[It's only partly a lie.]

[worldentire]

If you say so, son.

[He knows that look. He's seen it countless times. He wonders at whatever keeps Jack sane and decides it must be the girls.]

...How're you holdin' up?

[kindly_done]

[He thinks about it, decides to go with honesty.]

Not very well. I've heard some things I didn't like.

[worldentire]

[He leaves the video on, and he's not quite sure why. He never comes into view.]

Seems t'be a lot of it runnin' around these days.

[kindly_done]

[His tone sharpens.]

I talked to Dr. Lamb, Sinclair.

[worldentire]

[Oh, hell.]

[smoothly] You don't say.

[Locked]

[kindly_done]

She told me Delta harvested the Little Sisters for their ADAM.

[His voice quavers a little--of course he can't help but think of his own girls, of someone harming them.]

And you helped him.

[locked]

[worldentire]

[Takes a long drag off of the cigarette he (constantly) has while he thinks. He knows Delta had harvested one or two, maybe. At the most. His voice takes on a subtle, almost scolding tone, as if he can't believe Jack would accuse him of this.]

First of all, I have never helped anyone harvest anythin' unless there was somethin' in it for me, and I told him he'd have enough ADAM either way. Every turn he took I told him both paths - each path he took was his t'take.

Second, why exactly would I lie about this, Jack? I know how much it means t'you, and thinkin' I have any sort'a security in this place is just plain stupid. Delta wasn't the type t'harvest all the Sisters. It just wasn't in him. You can say it was the Daddy machinations still turnin' in his head or he still held onto some'a his humanity, but the truth is whatever was goin' on in that helmet didn't want the girls t'suffer.

[locked]

[kindly_done]

She said he killed them all.

[The strain in his voice is almost as much because of the conflict between the two stories as it is the idea that the worse one might be true. He wasn't there, has no way of knowing what happened in Rapture, and anything, absolutely anything, could be false.]

You say she lies, but who says you don't?

[locked]

[worldentire]

[His voice is very quiet.]

That's just it, Jack. I do. It's how I made my livin', beyond bein' good at what I sold. Of all the things I've ever said t'you, this may be the most truthful thing out've all of 'em. He didn't kill all those Sisters.

Even if he did, what makes you think I could've stopped him? He was a Daddy, capable'a slingin' fire and ice and rubble down upon my head, not t'mention the damn arsenal he had on him, as well as the drill he had. If he wanted me dead, it would've taken one second. I was a voice in his ear, kid. He made every decision as he wanted and nothin' - nothin' - I could do was goin' t'stop him.

[locked]

[kindly_done]

[He listens, frowning as he tries to process all of the information. What Sinclair says makes sense, but a lot of things have made sense to him, and that didn't mean that they were trustworthy or even real. It appears that the conversation is almost physically draining him of energy, leaving him with his head tilted downward, a little of his hair hanging lankly into his face, his mouth drawn tight.]

I don't know, I--I can't tell, I...

[locked]

[worldentire]

... I know you don't trust me as much anymore. [Yeah, he totally noticed.] I can't say I blame you. I'm not the best person in the world. I'm the first person to admit it. I don't regret the things I've done.

I can only tell you what you ask me for, and the rest is yours t'decide. I'm not goin' t'force you into believin' my words as the gospel truth.

I'm tellin' you he didn't kill all the Sisters, and that's all I can really do.

[Doesn't say more, though he wants to. It actually truly bothers him that Jack is so uneasy about trusting him now, though he knows it's his fault to begin with.]

[locked]

[kindly_done]

[He shakes his head slowly, though not in disbelief. He's just...overwhelmed.

Finally, in a voice that comes out sounding much more pathetic than he intended, he mutters,]

I just want to go home.

[locked]

[worldentire]

[His voice sounds somewhat sad and distant.] Don't we all.