❧ Dreams Don't Turn to Dust

[luministimods]

[the device Nathan left behind finally turns on with a text message on the screen that reads: "Please make sure you're in a quiet, private area in the next five minutes and be prepared to broadcast this message to your friends on a private channel." once the five minutes pass, an audio message begins, Nathan's voice clear and far less strained than it was previously.]

Thanks to your preliminary investigations I've been able to crack into some of the laboratory's systems and should...[he sounds distracted]...be able to have them open in a moment now that I'm fully connected. Now just...know that I'm not entirely sure what doors I'm opening. I'm working with an outdated schematic and even with knowing there's some funny business going on with the--[there's a faint sound of a key being hit and he lets out a victorious little "hah!"] There we go! I'm hoping these will open up some of the labs--at least in theory anyway. I can't see what I've unlocked, but I don't think I've been lucky enough to hit upon Lab #3. No one is that--

[he stops speaking suddenly, and a split-second later, the flurry of keys can be heard. after a moment, he finally starts to speak again, the typing of keys continuing] I--I don't believe it, but--why doesn't she respond?! What's--okay, I'm patching this through. Whoever has this, press record to save this video on the device, all right? Going in three--two--one--

[once he's done counting down, the device lights up with a somewhat grainy video of a now familiar minimalist room with expensive furniture. only this time, there's only one occupant in the room moving about somewhat aimlessly. he's talking on what appears to be a small headset resting in his ear and from his voice, he should be recognizable as the young man Proctor has argued with in the past]

--es sir, we're starting in just a few minutes. [he sits in a chair facing the multitude of screens on the wall, then stands, swivelling his chair a bit before he sits again and stretches, propping his feet up on the empty one next to his. he seems quite pleased with this arrangement] Oh, that? No, no, no...I have something far more interesting planned. Call it...a stroke of genius. They're going to love this far more than the other stunt we had planned.

[his tone shifts slightly; it's less cocky and more on the casually sinister side] After all, once they figured out how to turn the life supports back on, then they'd know what to do every time after that--and besides, they'd die relatively around the same time, and we can't afford that break in the programming. Oh sure, it'd cause a certain amount of distress and sorrow amongst those still alive to see their friends die, but it'd be short-lived! [he gestures with one hand absently] These days, the people want to see the suffering and the struggle and the bickering--and get their money's worth while they're at it, so it's got to be one hell of a show each and every time. People live for that type of real-life painful drama, the sick bastards. So I'm going to give them what they want--and I think you'll be more than pleased.

[he nods, pausing for a second to listen to someone else on the other line] No, I don't need his approval. That's always been more of a...formality. He likes to think he's in control of such things. [another pause and sets a data pad on the arm of his chair, a smirk on his lips] No. Not anymore.

[the video ends just as the young man taps something into a data pad. the screen of the device goes black and Nathan doesn't come back on]

( OOC: Plot Details )