outsiders | audio;

'Cause I'm the one that brought you here, and probably the one that's gonna pay for it, too.

[ York huffs out a breath through her nose, looking a little tired. It's been a long day. It's obviously about to get longer. ]

Besides, you asked, boss. So either you actually wanna hear an answer, or you're not gonna believe me anyway. So which is it, huh?

[ She'd be a lot more inclined to argue if she wasn't so damn dizzy. It's getting harder and harder to hold herself steady, and her fingers are twitching to draw her rifles but she's not fooling herself. On a good day she could take them all, easy. Today? Not counting on it.

Something about the way the woman says boss. Don't know what it is. Familiar.

Can't trust herself. Can't trust her head. Can't trust a goddamn thing. ]

Fine. Talk.

[ Man, Carolina's really not looking so hot. Maybe York ought to talk fast. If she'll even believe her. ]

All right, so this place? This station we're on, the galaxy it's in? Not your universe. Not mine, either. Same goes for almost everybody who comes in on those shuttles -- people from different worlds, different times, different realities. Don't ask me how or why, 'cause I couldn't tell you. Nobody could. We're all stuck here, every last one of us unlucky bastards, and they don't exactly like us here. And if there's a way to get back to where you came from, nobody's figured it out yet.

[ She grimaces a little, and she actually does look kind of apologetic, rueful. ]

Hate to say it, boss, but you're stuck here with the rest of us.

[ No, it's definitely familiar. So's her face, maybe, if she could just get her vision to focus. Something keeps prickling at her blurry awareness, something she should know but it's wrong and backwards.

All she knows is it pisses her off.

So much that the rest of what the woman's saying barely sinks in. ]

Why do you keep calling me that? How do you know me?

[ Oh, boy. This is not gonna be one of the easy ones, she can tell that right off. York pinches the bridge of her nose, drawing in a slow breath. Man, where does she even start with this. ]

My name's Natalie van der Haast. I enlisted in the UNSC when I was twenty-three years old to fight in the war. I'm what you'd call an infiltrations expert, and until a year ago, I was part of Project Freelancer. Code name: York.

[ She gives Carolina an almost exasperated look, shoulders slackening. ]

Seriously, does the eye not ring any bells for you?

[ Oh yeah. It rings a lot of bells, none of them good. ]

You want to go there? Okay. You want to tell me you're him? Fine.

[ Carolina's eyes narrow. ]

If you are York--some version of York--that's even less reason I should trust you.

[ Hand goes to her rifle. Head's pounding. Gotta hold it together. This is all so incredibly fucked up. ]

And you shouldn't trust me.

Edited 2013-06-09 06:38 (UTC)

[ Did she say this wasn't going to be easy? God, that's the understatement of the year. This is about as tough as it gets. York's met a lot of people she knows from other timelines, other realities, but she's never met anyone who had such a reason to mistrust her. Jesus Christ, Wash didn't mention anything like this.

York's hands go up, her expression turning alarmed. Carolina doesn't look so steady on her feet, but that doesn't mean York's confident she could disarm Carolina before she pulled a weapon, even in this state. ]

Whoa -- hey! Calm down, will you? Look, I don't know what happened between you and the York you knew, but every timeline's different, okay? Way different, in my case. So how about you stop reachin' for that gun and we talk about this a little more, huh?

[ Things had never really ended well between York and her Carolina, but Christ, they'd never been like this. Carolina had just been more distant towards the end than anything else. Grimly, she can't help but think that if she's going to get shot, at least she's near a doctor. Speaking of which, the salarian receptionist doesn't look too pleased at the scene that's unfolding in the clinic lobby. ]

[ It's an empty threat. She's way too dizzy to get any kind of clean shot even if she did mean to shoot. Which she doesn't.

Just like she couldn't with him. Damn it, York.

Her hand goes for the wall instead. Just to to steady herself. Except, the wall's not where she's expecting it to be. Nothing else seems to be holding still, either. ]

Oh god I do not have time for this.

[ It comes out in a frustrated mumble, seconds before she crumples to her knees, and she's out. ]

[ Carolina goes down before York can really make a move to catch her. Well, shit. ]

Okay, I guess that could've gone worse...

[ She twists halfway to look at the salarian receptionist, who doesn't look too pleased. ]

C'mon, what're you waiting for? Get a god damn medic.

[ Son of a bitch who keeps knocking her out

Tex (no) Maine (no)

York

York wouldn't.

No idea what York would. Not anymore.

She's vaguely aware of being coaxed to her feet. Moved. Heavy. Head's a lead weight. And there's somebody she can't trust but it's nobody or it's everybody or she can't zero in on it, can't figure it out. ]

York, don't--

Whoa -- jeez, calm down --

[ York keeps a firm arm around Carolina's shoulders, hoping she can keep her still enough to keep from lashing out at any of the medics. They get her to a cot, try to get her situated, because dammit, these wounds need to be treated. ]

Hold still, okay? You're gonna be fine.

[ She is not fine not a goddamn thing is fine.

She goes down on the cot. Can't exactly help that. It's either there or on the floor. ]

Okay--okay but don't.

[ She's not even sure what she means herself. ]

Uh...yeah, I'll be sure not to.

[ Nobody really bothers to tell York to get out of the way -- the medics just work around her, and York peers down at Carolina with an uncertain grimace. It reminds her a little of back when she'd still been in her own world, still in the Project, when Carolina and Wash had really started to nosedive after their implantations. This Carolina -- does she still have her AI? York catches a glimpse of the bloody mess of the back of her neck and winces. Maybe not. Christ, what happened? ]

You're in a clinic, okay? The docs here are gonna get you fixed up. Just breathe, okay, boss?

[ She breathes. Not very sure of what's happening and not sure she wants to be--not sure if she opens her eyes, if she'll see human faces and if she doesn't, or for that matter if she does, is it even real? If she looks for a familiar face, is it going to be the man she left floating in an elevator shaft or a woman with the same eyes?

She's never trusted her own mind so little. And that's saying something. ]

Okay.

[ She sucks in a sharp, pained breath and squeezes her eyes shut because if she opens them and sees what she thinks she's going to see, she doesn't trust herself not to start screaming. ]

[ York opens her mouth to speak, to ask Carolina something, but a salarian in a blood-spattered lab coat finally gives her a meaningful shove in the direction of the door. York huffs, looking over at Carolina, but she's got her eyes closed like she never intends to open them again. She doesn't seem all that coherent, anyhow. York decides there's no use in trying to get anything out of her now, and turns halfway to the door. ]

I'm gonna leave 'em to it. You, uh, look like you need the rest. I'll come by later, yeah?

[ No guarantee Carolina will even really respond, and York wouldn't be surprised. She doesn't think she'd get a meaningful answer from her now, anyway, but hell if she isn't going to find out later what made Carolina look at her like that. She has to know. ]

[ York's voice sounds like it's coming from a long way off, but Carolina catches it through the muttered din from the doctors. Their voices sounds strange, sped up like a distorted recording. That has to be wrong too.

She manages a nod. ]

'Kay.

[ York wouldn't say it out loud just now, but she's relieved to get out of there for a little while. Just looking at Carolina like that, and the way Carolina looked back at her -- it's a little much, even for her. And it keeps eating at her, that nagging question of what this Carolina's York could have done to sour things between them so much. That look Carolina had given her -- it was hostile, with a startling clarity of mind. Whatever it is, it's not due to some deep, muddled confusion.

And that's what brings her back, really. She has to know, or at least she's gotta ask. The clinic docs tell her Carolina's awake now, and York sidles into past the curtain to Carolina's bed, her deliberately casual posture trying to cover for her apprehension. She's not sure if this conversation is going to go any better than the first, but hey, she has to try.

She doesn't come too close to the bed, hanging back, hands shoved into back pockets. She's dressed down in civvies, but now she's thinking that might've been a mistake. ]

Hey.

[ Carolina's up, sitting cross-legged on her cot, exploring her omni-tool. Anything to keep herself occupied. Sounds as thought they'll be cutting her loose soon, and she's both itching to get moving again, and dreading it. Because there's no place for her to go.

The talk with Wash is still hanging over her. Supposes she has to believe him, as far as where she is anyway. As for the rest... she can't even deal with thinking about the rest right now. Later. When she's figured out her next step toward finding a way back.

She looks up with a start as York enters. Right. York. That happened.

Carolina nods guardedly. ]

Hey.

[ Hoo boy. Alright, well, Carolina's not throwing anything at her. That's, uh, a start. Still, York doesn't really make any move to come any closer, either, not looking quite guarded, but definitely ready for anything. She rocks back and forth on her heels for a second, drumming her fingers against her crossed arms. ]

So...you've probably got a few questions.

[ Carolina lets out a laugh. It's short, sharp, and a little bitter, but it's definitely a laugh. Probably her first since she landed on this... wherever this is. ]

Think I've heard about all the answers I can take for one day. And then some.

[ God, this is strange. Things might've been sort of blurry earlier, but she remembers the gist of what happened. Surprised she came back, to be perfectly honest. But then... she probably shouldn't be.

It's what York would do.

Carolina winces slightly.

Part of her says she should apologize, and it irritates her, because how the hell was she supposed to react? Can tell the woman's shaken up, with the distance she keeps--which Carolina doesn't particularly mind.

Not like she has any idea what to say. ]

[ Wow, so York doesn't think she's ever been in a conversation this uncomfortable since, like, high school. Talk about a chill in the room. York clears her throat a little, not really sure how to respond to that. So...what, Carolina just straight-up doesn't want to know? Right now, at least.

Man, this is not how she envisioned her day going. ]

I, uh, guess I'll see myself out, then.

[ Exactly what he would've--christ. She wasn't imagining it before, and it's all standing out sharper now that her she's not dizzy and falling over. It's not just that she looks like him, right down to the eye and the scars. It's not even that she sounds like him, her inflections, the way she words things... hell, it's everything, the way she moves, that little rock on her heels, the way her damn mouth moves when she talks.

She's York. Even if nothing Wash said had even begun to convince her... the woman standing in the doorway is York. Some version of York. Probably different from the York she knew in some way... some way besides being a woman. But she's York.

Carolina sighs.

She does want answers, she just can't get the ones she wants from this York. Still. ]

York, I--

[ Oh, good. Now she's right back with no idea what to say. Better come up with something. ]

You don't have to go.

[ Stalling. Damn it, Carolina. Should've just let her go. ]

Listen, I--I'll pay you back for this.

[ She needs to do that, at least. Hates to owe anybody anything. ]

[ York's honestly surprised to hear her name come out of Carolina's mouth. Carolina seems like she's pretty well in denial, or at least she had. But now...

Well, this conversation isn't getting any more comfortable, that's for sure.

York shrugs one shoulder, almost uneasily, and shakes her head, huffing out a laugh through her nose. ]

Hey, I don't want your money. Consider it a welcome gift, 'cause you're not gonna catch too many breaks from here on out. "We're not in Kansas anymore" is a gross understatement.

[ Carolina snorts. Almost a laugh. A little less sharp than before. ]

Yeah, I picked up on that.

[ She pauses. Suppose she should be asking some questions. Still so overwhelmed from everything Wash told her, she almost managed to forget what was going on right in front of her. Like alien doctors. Alien doctors who, evidently, didn't try to kill her, seeing as she's still breathing.

She nods to York. Still going to pay her back, no matter what she says. Soon as she figures out what passes for currency around here. And where to get some. ]

How long've you been here?

[ So she's making with the questions anyway. Well, York's not all that surprised. But hey, she knows how to answer questions. That's what she figured she'd be doing, anyway. York rubs a thumb over her chin, shrugging. ]

Four months. And before that, it was some other hellhole I was stuck on. This one's better, I think.

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