video | un: Priorly (old man yells at clouds)

[priorly]

[After a cluster of days spent surfing park benches, with sleep only a brief and unwelcome interruption, Prior has finally made it to the space station. He comes onto the screen, a black shadow in a gleaming hallway: if he looks like death on a mission to avenge itself, that is the intended effect. It may be more Norma Desmond descending a staircase, but that's not far off, either. He's still clutching a cane just to hold himself upright. His voice is raspy but loud, and just a few notes higher pitched than it should be.]

Is everyone back from the dead now? Good. Wouldn't want our new arrivals seeing the aftereffects of that little mess, would we. How good that our merciful overseers can let us go through days of torture, days of agony, let our skin slough off and our eyes burn out, let us choke on gas until we suffocate from it, then kindly bring us back so we can all do it again next time someone in this sadistic little shithole gets a fresh bee in their bonnet.

You know - on earth - I always had trouble with the idea of a non-interventionist God. But non-interventionist omnipotent aliens? Well goddamn. Fuck that. Fuck them.

Oh, they can play with the native's minds so a talking racoon looks like business as usual, but they can't stop them wanting to kidnap us?

They can see everything we do and they can't tell our fucking friends where we are?

What is the point of them, then? What's the point of any of this? They haven't rescued us from any storm, they've just left us stranded on a tiny, hostile island, wondering whether our little bit of sand is going to wash away before or after the natives get around to eating us.

Well I am tired and I am sick and I am through with this bullshit. Was anyone else told they'd look after our loved ones for us? Because I have loved ones down there now, and they were not looked after well. Maybe I should let a few of the next-to-wake know exactly how reassuring all those promises look now.

I don't know what to do, but it seems to me that we're being hung out to dry down there, and someone needs to do something. So I'm going to start by finding one of these assholes and seeing what happens.

Comments

[vorrutyer]

Yes, you're widely known for your stoicism.

What if we spent a while being angry together? [ Never mind, of course, that he doesn't seem terribly angry. ]

[priorly]

[He's texting not talking, Prior already guesses that means he doesn't trust either his voice or face.]

I thought you could be angry with me when I get back.

[Though not so much the 'in company with' sense.]

[vorrutyer]

If you got back.

[priorly]

I intend to. You'll still speak to me, when I do?

[vorrutyer]

If I said no, would that give you pause in this mission?

[priorly]

I already considered that you might not. But.

[vorrutyer]

But you decided to set your lance and charge headlong at this windmill regardless.

[priorly]

After a few days pause, I suppose so.

And I thought that, since I'll be fine and am known for my persistence when it comes to hopeless cases, you might come around in the end.

[vorrutyer]

I feel underestimated.

[priorly]

I thought you liked that.

[vorrutyer]

On the contrary. You know how prideful I am. Especially where my spitefulness is involved. I can hold a grudge for decades.

[priorly]

[It's a little while, this reply.]

Would you tell anyone else not to do this? Everyone else?

[vorrutyer]

Yes.

Prior, I'm not going to cut you off. You are your own man. But power doesn't to the little bugs it can crush underfoot. It just crushes.

[priorly]

Then maybe I'm wrong. I don't feel wrong. Maybe I am.

I just think... someone should tell them anyway. Even if they won't listen, even if they won't change. If nobody tries we have no right to complain about it, and I have some complaints to make. If I don't do this now, then I'll never know what might have happened if I did.

[vorrutyer]

Dear heavens. Sometimes Terrans make me want to rip my hair out. I don't think I've ever heard anything more stereotypical of your people and your culture.

[priorly]

Would it be better if I was up here with a cudgel and a hammer, hoping someone isn't guarding their skull?

[vorrutyer]

It would be better if you offered your cudgel and hammer to their service.

[priorly]

They watched while we were tortured, Byerly. That's not what I want to serve.

[vorrutyer]

And what of it? The point of power is that it doesn't matter whether or not you want to serve it.

[priorly]

Well it matters to me. And if we're serving whether we like it or not, if we're useful, then we ought to be able to ask for something in return.

[vorrutyer]

Ought-to rarely has any bearing on what is.

[priorly]

Still. That doesn't change that it ought to.

I know you're trained to see the worst possibility in all cases, but I'm not. If I did I'd never get out of bed.

[vorrutyer]

"Trained" seems a bit grandiose. I just have my culture, as you have yours.

[ He is not out of the closet, after all. ]

But do as you will, Prior. I won't stop you, and I won't hate you.

[priorly]

[Oh, it's not just Impsec that's responsible for that inculcation.]

Then I'm going to go and be a cultural stereotype. I'll see you soon.

[vorrutyer]

I do hope so. Be in touch.