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]

Suit came in before the aliens. It's a thing. Like a hobby. Keeps the terrestrial crazies to a minimum.

[urbanmagic]

Doesn't the suit get heavy? Rusty? Suddenly shut down and make it hard for you to move an inch?

[manofiron]

Uh, no. That would be a bad design. Why would I make a bad design?

[urbanmagic]

Just checking. Hey, this techno stuff goes over my head a lot, it's why I let others do it before I accidentally cause something to go boom.

[manofiron]

Depending on the tech, sometimes it'll blow up in their faces too.

[urbanmagic]

Are you speaking from experience, or you've just watched enough people blow up their stuff?

[manofiron]

Other peoples' stuff. Naturally. Mine only blows up when I want it to.

[urbanmagic]

As in they never, ever blow up without permission? Just who is this scientific genius I met?

[manofiron]

Precisely. Or unless they want to. Some of my creations can be a little... willful.

Tony Stark. Greatest mind of the twenty-first century. Or so they tell me.

[urbanmagic]

... Willful. How exactly?

[Huh.] Now that's an accomplishment. That explains the suit.

[manofiron]

Some of them have minds of their own. Literally. We don't always see eye to optical sensor.

[urbanmagic]

Let me guess. It gains sentience, decides it doesn't want to be led by you anymore and tries to blast you to smithereens?

[manofiron]

More like it doesn't agree on what kind of smoothie to make.

[urbanmagic]

... Well, that one's new. What smoothie were you even trying to make?

[manofiron]

It depends. Dummy's partial to the green ones. Me, not so much.

[urbanmagic]

Hopefully the healthy variety, not the I may have to question your stomach's capacity variety?

[manofiron]

Got it in one. His heart's in the right place, he just doesn't have taste buds to understand.

[urbanmagic]

Ooh. Ouch. Though if you programmed him, wouldn't you be able to insert taste buds that work to your favor?

[manofiron]

I could. But I won't. It's a free will thing. I'd rather argue with him than overwrite what he wants to do just because I don't like it.

[urbanmagic]

That's awfully sweet of you. Makes sense, I suppose, though it's the first I heard someone not modify a machine because they respect their taste.

[manofiron]

What can I say? I'm unique.

[urbanmagic]

Isn't everyone?

So what other things have you built?

[manofiron]

We will be here literally all day if I list it all.

[urbanmagic]

... Well then.

Guess I'll have to find out some other time. I can't stick around the whole day.

[manofiron]

That just gives you a reason to talk to me again. I'm perfectly happy with that.