[video]

[smarterthandad]

[There is a blue-eyed child looking at you. She can't be more than three. She is, however, wearing a very grown-up expression of dissatisfaction. And some kind of superhero outfit with a big "6" on the chest.

Ordinarily, Val would be cagier about immediately going public in a strange place, but, well, she has A Problem. When she speaks, it's with fully adult syntax and no hint of a lisp or any other childish speech impediment.]

Hi. I'm Valeria Richards. Assuming no alternate timeline stuff--not a safe assumption, I know, but sometimes you gotta live dangerously--it looks like there are a few people out there who're friends of my parents. You've got a couple of hours to come get me before they [she turns the phone to show a pair of what are presumably social workers, looking simultaneously put-upon and patient] try to stick me in foster care and things get sketchy.

[Anyone who knows Val will know that's more for the prospective foster parents' protection than hers. No one wants her turning some unfortunate family's appliances into her robot escape army.]

...'Bye.

Comments

[aggressiveapathy]

A doer. Don't you have better things to do with life. Like sleep. Or collect moldy jello.

[smarterthandad]

[Val.

Just.

Stares.]

[aggressiveapathy]

Oh, good. You do have a hobby.

[smarterthandad]

My hobby is projecting polyhedrons of arbitrary dimension into 3-space. It has cryptographic and space travel implications.

[YOU WOULDN'T UNDERSTAND.]

[aggressiveapathy]

Nah. You should stick to the glaring. Way more useful.

[smarterthandad]

Right. Nice meeting you, Ms. Ludgate.

[CLICK.

Val miiiiight not like her. Just a hunch.]