Video;

[manofiron]

[ The video begins with a dark-haired man centered in the middle of the frame. He’s got dark eyes, a precisely cut goatee, and hair that’s a little too styled to be naturally that neat. There isn’t a lot to see beyond his chin, he’s sitting too close to the camera, but what can be seen looks vaguely like a shirt of shiny red metal.

His brow knits almost immediately after the feed starts recording, his expression edging toward disbelief as his lips twist into a mild frown. ]

Look. I get it. In a time of crisis, rationing’s necessary to keep resources moving in the right direction. Perfectly understandable. You guys needed to save your turtle. What responsible citizen wouldn’t do their part for that noble cause?

[ There’s a slight hint f sarcasm creeping into his voice, as though he’s heard the whole turtle spiel already and not only hasn’t been impressed, but also doesn’t really buy it either. Not even after having spent half a day scouring the network for information about what’s really going on here before making this video. ]

But really? Twenty bucks?

[ The low, indistinct murmur of another voice can be heard, though what it’s saying and who it belongs to is anyone’s guess. Whatever it says, it’s enough to make the man roll his eyes. ]

Juulan. Whatever. Doesn’t matter. The point — [ Whether he’s talking to the camera or the unidentified voice is unclear. ] — is that it isn’t enough for a day, let alone the entire bogus adventure.

[ It isn’t so much the way he looks at the camera – his eyes have never left it – but the change of his tone, less querulous and more curious, that indicates that he’s talking to whoever’s on the other end of the console. ]

So really. Turtle propaganda aside. What’s a guy gotta do to get some decent money around here? Sell his organs? Hit the street corners? Scrub barnacles off the bottom of the turtle? What?

Comments

[manofiron]

Goes to it like it's drawn to it or like it eats it?

[ Normal turtles eat plants. He can't imagine what something the size of what they're living on eats. Energy, from the sounds of it. ]

You said it was sick at one point. Has there been a noticeable change in the available energy in the city since it's gotten better?

[angermanaging]

I have no idea what happens to it. Little hard to tell.

Well, the power's back on, [he says wryly.] I'd say it's noticeable. There's no real question that the sickness was affecting that-- we were on rationing, actual food rationing, for months.

[manofiron]

Sounds like we ought to figure out how to generate more of it. If it affects how much food's available, it's more important than just making sure the kids with fancy toys still get to play with them.

[ He doesn't have superpowers. He's not really sure how he feels about this. ]

And to do that, we need to know what it's made of. You know anyone who knows anything about metaphysical... stuff? Or did those monks in Asia or wherever you hare off to teach you their guru skills?

[angermanaging]

[Bruce isn't that concerned about powers either, for obvious reasons. He'd be happier if they all stayed off permanently. And he agrees with this reasoning without question-- that's why he'd made the hydroponics garden.]

I'm not really into the spiritual side, [he says dryly, because if there's ever been anyone that was an atheist, it's him.] I got a couple connections when I was making this. I need to talk to them again.

I'm with you, but the turtle's such a vast energy source, it's sort of like trying to titrate a meaningful amount into the ocean...

[And then we handwaved the rest of science that happened for the day, and no more existential crises were had. For now.]