034 :: VIDEO

[prosopopoeia]

[ Her lab is wrecked. All of her work for the past year, all of her prototypes. Her computers. Her equipment. Marie almost can't care, just feels a numb stirring of something that she hopes is outrage, but can't be sure at the moment. Maybe she's just in shock. ]

Tu chatte sans valeur...

[ The culprit left no calling card, her security cameras have no footage. She's not even going to bother rebuilding the lab at City Solutions. All she can do is take her backed up data and move Underground. ]

Comments

[mortemscintilla]

[ :3 ]

[ ......Except Li's expression is schooled to a brow-knitted concern, ]

Is s-something wrong?

[prosopopoeia]

[Oh Li. You twerp.]

No.

[mortemscintilla]

[ The biggest twerp in all twerpdom. ]

Are you s -- [ He doesn't bother to ask Are you sure? He senses it (he knows it). Instead: ] Is there anything I can do to help? [ Like his alter-ego hasn't 'helped' enough. ]

[prosopopoeia]

No. What's done is done.

[mortemscintilla]

Well then... Maybe I could be of some help for the, um. Afterward.

[ pauuuuuse ]

I have a 1978 Montrachet in the cafe's backroom that no one's ever going to miss.

[medials]

That... is not good.

[prosopopoeia]

No, it is not. But it is done. Zhere is nothing 'ere to salvage.

[medials]

Want some help? With. I don't know - cleaning up?

[he's practically wincing when that comes out of his mouth.]

[prosopopoeia]

No. I will leave zhis to someone else.

[That's... not really like her.]

[medials]

Anything else I can do for you?

[candothat]

Is any of it salvageable?

[prosopopoeia]

I 'ave data.

[A shrug. The equipment, not so much.]

[candothat]

[He thinks he can guess the answer to this one considering Marie's paranoia, but hope springs eternal.]

You won't continue working at City Solutions?

[prosopopoeia]

No, zhe managerial rotation 'as long-since been tedious.

[She'll take herself elsewhere.]

[candothat]

I will miss working with you. No one else in the City is as intelligent or reminds me of Dr. McCoy so much.

[immortal_machine]

What will you do now?

[prosopopoeia]

Vacate.

[To somewhere more private.]

[immortal_machine]

I could help you relocate if you wish. It is only fair after you have helped me, yes?

[prosopopoeia]

No.

[No offense, Rebecca, she's said no to everyone.]

Zhat will not be necessary.

[immortal_machine]

With our world's technology, I would expected your security to be difficult to break for the City's residents...unless there is another of our level here. I suppose forensics here is not particularly capable, but is there a chance of determining who broke in and did this?

Because if they can get through you, they may have a chance of getting in my way if I don't pin them down first.

[intheblanks]

[It's sometime after the event when Chase drops by the wreck of a lab. He still consults at City Solutions, still has his pass.

He's not sure if she'll have kept hers.]

[prosopopoeia]

[She's sitting, smoking a cigarette. Not drunk yet, but she'll go home and get on that sooner or later. She turns her head to glance at him, expression empty, tired and empty.]

Zhere is nothing to see 'ere.

[intheblanks]

[Ah, so it's not deserted, yet. Walking through the bombsite toward her, he picks up a stool and lets it drag through the rubble.]

I didn't come for the view.

[prosopopoeia]

I didn't take you for a scavenger.

[She is not precisely being obtuse.]

[intheblanks]

Well I'm a sucker for a good bit of shattered glass. [As he sits, he looks around.] Nothing you could save?