one █ voice

[uzi]

_{( The voice is clipped, sharp, and to the point-- no scuffling with controls or stopping to take things in, here. Also? Whoever this woman is, she sounds pissed off. )}

So, City—great name, by the way, though I think someone beat you to it—stop me if I’ve got any of this wrong.

Alternate dimension, time travel, and duplicates of people we might already know. Superpowers, overly ambitious AI, and absolutely no discretion about who it pulls in, despite claiming to want “heroes.”

And apparently no reliable way back, since you’re all sitting on your hands, here. Perfect.

Just one question—is the universe as I know it going to implode because of all this crap?

Comments

[uzi]

The scope of the place isn't going to change who I am or what I have to do.

[nottheanswers]

Self-assured. Driven. Can be good qualities.

[uzi]

And you probably wouldn't have said can unless you thought otherwise, am I right?

[nottheanswers]

Don't have a good read yet, so I have no reason to think they aren't. They only have the potential to be otherwise at this point.

[uzi]

Do you always talk like this?

[nottheanswers]

There will always be a need to ask, while there are still questions to ponder.

Which is a firm maybe.

[uzi]

Where "maybe" can be read as "yes."

[nottheanswers]

Sometimes it can. [Most of the time, in this case.]

[uzi]

So, being cryptic, is that your thing?

[nottheanswers]

Cryptic and annoying. More than cryptic is already, I mean.

[uzi]

I figured the annoying part was a given.

[nottheanswers]

I thought it might be reassuring to have it at least acknowledged.

[uzi]

Seeing as it's the one thing you've said straight? I should probably be worried about it, actually.

[nottheanswers]

If that's all you've got to worry about, I'd say you have it easy.

[uzi]

It's something easy to focus on, at least.

[nottheanswers]

Then let's hope this is the worst you get for now, aside from the sudden trip.

[uzi]

I'm not keeping my fingers crossed, but thanks for the thought. _{I guess.}

[nottheanswers]

Then I'd enjoy it while it's quiet, if I were you. Good odds it can't last too long.

[uzi]

I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try.

No chance of preventing whatever it is that'll break the quiet?

[nottheanswers]

Depends. Are you psychic?

[uzi]

Not the last time I checked. But I hear that could have changed.

[nottheanswers]

If you have an unfailing ability to predict the future, we could prevent everything that might crop up. Maybe.

Until that happens, we poke at the shadows we can and do our best to minimize the damage. Sure, there are known threats to keep under watch and warning signs to heed, but there are also the dead ends.

[uzi]

And I suppose if I say I'll wait around for such an event, and then trace it to its source, you'll say that the next one will come from somewhere different.

[nottheanswers]

It could. But taken out one keeps it from recurring.

[uzi]

Half-assed strategy is better than no strategy, then.