There's a video file on the chip, the first thing that pops up, automatically when the chip is inserted. It's in York's room, on the bed the previous day. He looks pensive, a little ill, exhausted and sad.
"Hey York. Taylor. I- If you're seeing this message it means I've gone. And I'm sorry about that. I really am, but there's some stuff I need to take care of and it's better if you aren't there."
He scrubs a hand down over his face. "On this chip are all of my files. Everything I know about Charon Industries and a man called Malcolm Hargrove. But, I should probably start at the beginning.
After things went bad in the project I- I was stuck there. They declared me Article 12 which means that they could hold me indefinitely. The Director suspected that I knew about what he'd done to the Alpha. Epsilon left me a whole lot of information. And they tried everything to get at it. Succeeded too. If I hadn't already been declared insane, I probably would have then.
I got an offer. Hargrove is head of the Oversight Committee. He offered me a deal. If I worked for him, gave the information to bring down the Director, he'd get me out. Clear my record. Make it possible for me to have a life."
He ducks his head, staring down at the bed for a long moment before back at the camera. "I took it. It wasn't really a choice. And I got out. It was... easy jobs at first. The same kind of stuff we'd been doing anyway. And then the jobs got... riskier. Nastier. Mercenary work. Assassinations. And I went along with it. At first because I- I didn't have much of a choice. And then because I guess I'd reached a point where... I was dead. Why pretend I was anything other than a killer?
And then this mission. Chorus has a lot of alien tech. Things humans can't even imagine yet. And Charon wants it. The trouble is the population. So me and another merc in much the same position as me were sent here. They were already in a civil war. Our orders were just to... keep it going. Until there's no-one left. No-one to blame if the population killed themselves right? And he can sweep in and claim the tech."
He looks straight up at the camera. "And then you show up and... I remembered what I was supposed to be.
So I'm going to do what I can. Get the communications running at least."
He reaches out to switch off the camera and then pauses.
"The other merc with me... it's Carolina. She's... different. I don't know what happened to her but... be careful. She wanted me to bring you in. Don't know what she's got planned."
Another long pause, the camera just lingering on him. "I'm sorry. I told you I was a monster. And... I love you."
no subject
"Hey York. Taylor. I- If you're seeing this message it means I've gone. And I'm sorry about that. I really am, but there's some stuff I need to take care of and it's better if you aren't there."
He scrubs a hand down over his face. "On this chip are all of my files. Everything I know about Charon Industries and a man called Malcolm Hargrove. But, I should probably start at the beginning.
After things went bad in the project I- I was stuck there. They declared me Article 12 which means that they could hold me indefinitely. The Director suspected that I knew about what he'd done to the Alpha. Epsilon left me a whole lot of information. And they tried everything to get at it. Succeeded too. If I hadn't already been declared insane, I probably would have then.
I got an offer. Hargrove is head of the Oversight Committee. He offered me a deal. If I worked for him, gave the information to bring down the Director, he'd get me out. Clear my record. Make it possible for me to have a life."
He ducks his head, staring down at the bed for a long moment before back at the camera. "I took it. It wasn't really a choice. And I got out. It was... easy jobs at first. The same kind of stuff we'd been doing anyway. And then the jobs got... riskier. Nastier. Mercenary work. Assassinations. And I went along with it. At first because I- I didn't have much of a choice. And then because I guess I'd reached a point where... I was dead. Why pretend I was anything other than a killer?
And then this mission. Chorus has a lot of alien tech. Things humans can't even imagine yet. And Charon wants it. The trouble is the population. So me and another merc in much the same position as me were sent here. They were already in a civil war. Our orders were just to... keep it going. Until there's no-one left. No-one to blame if the population killed themselves right? And he can sweep in and claim the tech."
He looks straight up at the camera. "And then you show up and... I remembered what I was supposed to be.
So I'm going to do what I can. Get the communications running at least."
He reaches out to switch off the camera and then pauses.
"The other merc with me... it's Carolina. She's... different. I don't know what happened to her but... be careful. She wanted me to bring you in. Don't know what she's got planned."
Another long pause, the camera just lingering on him. "I'm sorry. I told you I was a monster. And... I love you."
The camera switches off.