i have been listening to a lot of hozier recently and i don’t know if anyone cares but i, carrion (icarian) is literally february friday talking to radio/carys talking to aled .
february is literally described as a star/exploded star and has a lot of wording to do with burning, because of the burning of carys’ clothes right before she ran away
radio talks to february as if they are in the City’s atmosphere, watching over them from afar in the sky… and radio sings their praises and wonders where they are as they haven’t heard anything. meanwhile, carys had ran away and had their contact to aled intercepted in reality by their mother.
radio sees february as such a high spirited person perhaps even with such importance and height as a star or an angel. realistically, carys is just trying to make ends meet by herself and would not see herself at all to be such an inspiring figure for her sibling.
I really hope you are, old sport. I’ve got Zahar’s mobile radio that he gave me… I hope I sound alright.
We’re outside the building right now… Zahar said he knew a way to get in, so he’s working on that right now-
[CRASH]
...I thought we were going to take a more subtle route, but… I guess not.
Here goes nothing, old sport…
[...]
I’d describe what we’re seeing to you, old sport, but… There’s not much to describe…
This hall we’re in is so… empty.
It reminds me of Solus’ place… Long, empty hallway, but instead of metal walls, it’s plain, slightly off-white plaster lit up by fluorescent white lights.
Oh? There are some doors up front.
Oh- There’s a lot of doors, actually.
It almost reminds me of a school… Door after door staggered one after the other.
There are no windows on the doors, though; instead, they’re just intimidating, steel doors.
[Door knob rattles, again, and again]
…They’re all locked, I- Yeah?
Right, no problem, yeah, I’m going to keep moving through these halls.
Sorry, old sport, Zahar’s communicating in Zheomlin to me - he’s going to try lockpick doors while I keep looking for open ones.
[Door knobs rattles]
I’m not really surprised that the agency of all things would keep a million different locked doors… What is even behind all of these? Oh, hold on-
Yeah, this looks promising…
Old sport, there’s an end to this hallway, finally.
Not a dead end though…! A door. It looks different to the others. The only non-metal door.
[Footsteps]
I don’t know, old sport… I’m feeling lucky…
Okay… Here we go…
[Door creaks open]
Yes! [Shouting] Zahar! I found one! At the end of the hallway!
…Wow. Not much to see here either, old sport.
Pretty blank room, for what it’s worth.
The same fluorescent lights from the hallway haunt this room, too, only slightly flashing over a meeting table right in the middle of the room.
There are so many chairs surrounding this… But there’s no sign of any ongoing meetings…? No whiteboards, no papers, no computers… It’s a blank room.
Does this even get used?
If it doesn’t get used, then… [Chuckles], why would they have this?
[DOOR SLAMS]
AAAGH! ZAHAR? WAS THAT YOU?
[Door knob rattles loudly, Radio bangs against the door]
Oh, what the fu-
[???]: RADIO! GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN!
[RADIO]: Who- Hello? Who are you…? Why did you… Again?
[???]: YES! OH MY, DON’T TELL ME YOU DON’T REMEMBER…!
[RADIO]: What…?
[???]: HAHAHHA JUST A LITTLE JOKE I LIKE TO MAKE, YOU NEVER SEEM TO LAUGH AT IT!
[RADIO]: I- I don’t get it… Do I know you?
[???]: IN A WAY, YES… IN A WAY, NO… WELL, YOU’VE BEEN HERE BEFORE, RADIO.
[RADIO]: What?
[???]: NOT ONCE, NOT TWICE… WELL, I CAN’T ACTUALLY REMEMBER HOW MANY TIMES!
[RADIO]: What do you mean…? What are you saying?
[???]: I CONTROL YOU, RADIO. YOU HAVE LIVED THIS LIFE COUNTLESS TIMES BECAUSE OF ME… AND [SIGHS] I GUESS I HAVE TO END IT ONCE MORE…
[RADIO]: WHAT? Is that a threat? I SWEAR, I WILL FIND YOU.
[???]: OH… I DON’T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO DO THAT… CONSIDERING I HAVE YOUR FRIEND ZAHAR HERE… WE’RE GETTING TO KNOW EACH OTHER VERY WELL…
[RADIO]: Zahar’s not my issue.
[???]: OH IS HE NOT? WELL… THEN WHAT ABOUT THALIA?
[RADIO]: Thalia…? What-
[???]: THERE WE GO… ISN’T THAT FUNNY…
[RADIO]: Funny…? You- That voice… You’re-
[???]: IN YOUR HEAD… YES.
[RADIO]: You sound just like me... Just like my thoughts.
[???]: AND ISN’T THAT COMFORTING?
[RADIO]: No, you- You weren’t-
[???]: BUT I WAS. CREEPING AROUND IN YOUR HEAD… PLANTING THOUGHTS DIRECTLY TO THE SOURCE. THAT’S WHAT WE DO HERE, RADIO. WE KNOW YOU. WE CONTROL YOU.
[RADIO]: That- That’s impossible.
[???]: REALLY? YOU THINK SO? YOU NEVER HAD A THOUGHT THAT DIDN’T SOUND LIKE YOU? NEVER SAID ANYTHING YOU DIDN’T SEEM TO FIRST THINK? NEVER HAD A DREAM NOT CREATED IN YOUR OWN MIND?
[RADIO]: The dream… Thalia telling me… She… She was actually…?
[???]: AH YES… THAT LITTLE STUNT PUT US BACK A BIT. SHE COULD HAVE BLOWN YOUR BRAIN TO BITS WITH ONE WRONG MOVE BUT NO, SHE DECIDED TO RISK YOUR LIFE TO TRY AND SAVE IT… WHAT A DISASTER.
[RADIO]: So, you do want me dead?
[???]: NO. OH, OH NO, RADIO. IN FACT, THAT WOULD JEOPARDISE OUR WHOLE MISSION!
[RADIO]: Our…? Who else are you working with?
[???]: YOU, RADIO! WHAT? YOU DIDN’T THINK WE WOULD HAVE RECRUITED YOU BY NOW? MY, HOW I FORGET HOW INNOCENT YOU ARE… HOW NAIVE…
[RADIO]: What are you talking about, I…? I would have remembered-
[???]: WOULD YOU HAVE? WELL WE COULDN’T HAVE HAD THAT… NO, NO, NO! YOU SEE, RADIO, YOU HAVE TOO MUCH EMPATHY. YOU HAVE TOO MUCH HEART.
[RADIO]: And that’s a problem?
[???]: OF COURSE IT’S A PROBLEM! WHEN YOU WEREN’T WILLING TO GIVE AWAY YOUR CONTACTS WHEN WE FIRST MET, WELL, I SIMPLY HAD TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
[RADIO]: You… Everyone I’ve met, you…
[???]: YUP! YOU ARE OUR RECRUITER, RADIO. AND WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SERVICE.
[RADIO]: Continued…?
[???]: YOU’RE LIKE OUR MAN ON THE “OUTSIDE”! LIKE… MAN ON THE INSIDE, LIKE… GET IT?
[RADIO]: …Don’t call me that.
[???]: ALL THESE ENTITIES THAT ROAM THE STREETS OF UNIVERSE CITY, WELL, THEY GET IN OUR WAY. AND NOW WE DIDN’T WANT TO DEAL WITH THEM, SO YOU DID IT FOR US!
[RADIO]: The sinkholes… All of the fights… They were just side missions to you, while I found new people like me in the City?
[???]: EXACTLY! SO MANY WERE TOTALLY UNPLANNED… SUCH A SHAME WHAT HAPPENED TO SOLUS… THEY WERE QUITE THE ASSET WHEN WE HAD THEM.
[RADIO]: Don’t- Don’t speak of them.
[???]: OH? BUT WHO DO YOU THINK LED US TO YOU? WHO ELSE WOULD HAVE SUCH KNOWLEDGE OF THE CITY AND ITS RESIDENTS?
[RADIO]: But, Solus… I had only just met them-
[???]: DID YOU? YOU BOTH MET SEVERAL TIMES… ALWAYS SUCH AN INTRIGUING ARC! I SUPPOSE NEXT TIME WE’LL HAVE TO SET YOU UP IN SOLUS’ PLACE TO FILL THEIR ROLE…
[RADIO]: What? Next time…? What are you… You’re not going to-
[???]: RESET YOU? WASH YOUR MEMORY AND START AGAIN? OH, RADIO, I HAVE TO. YOU MUST UNDERSTAND-
[RADIO]: NO! What do you mean "understand"? I have a life here, I have built connections, I have a set-up I have perfected, I- I can’t forget Thalia.
[???]: AH, WELL, I TRY NOT TO GET ALL OF THEM.
[RADIO]: Them?
[???]: YOUR MEMORIES. DON’T BE SILLY, I DON’T MAKE YOU FORGET ALL OF THEM.
[RADIO]: So, Thalia?
[???]: OH, YOU’LL FORGET HER. BUT YOU GET TO MEET ALL OVER AGAIN, ISN’T THAT SWEET?
[RADIO]: You’re sick.
[???]: OH? WELL, I GUESS I’LL JUST ERASE THOSE “FEBRUARY” MEMORIES TOO, THEN-
[RADIO]: NO, NO, NO, NO!
[???]: THAT’S WHAT I THOUGHT. IT’S HARD TO PICK AND CHOOSE, YOU KNOW? AND THAT FEBRUARY, AH… I DON’T KNOW WHO THEY ARE AND, HONESTLY, I’M NOT SURE IF YOU DO EITHER AT THIS POINT.
[RADIO]: I…
[???]: BUT IT’S STUBBORN. IT STICKS AROUND. IT'S GOOD, ALWAYS GIVES YOU COMFORT. ALMOST WITHOUT FAIL, EVERY TIME I RESET YOU, YOU ALWAYS TALK TO THEM FIRST. I SUPPOSE IT'S THE ONLY OTHER THING YOU REMEMBER.
[RADIO, sobbing]: Please… Please don’t do this.
[???]: IT’S BEEN AN HONOUR WORKING WITH YOU. GOOD JOB FINDING ME AGAIN, RADIO. SEE YOU NEXT TIME.
[RADIO]: NO WAIT, PLEASE-
[STATIC]
Hello. I hope somebody is listening.
I’ve had a tough week. Not like I compare the days anymore, as I did when I first found myself in the City, though I can’t recall exactly when.
The cyborgs have been particularly stronger this week, not that it was an issue for me.
It’s odd, the bright lights of the City in its street lamps and advertisements continue to lightly flash every now and again. It seems silly, but they feel almost rhythmic. Must be some very coordinated faulty wiring.
In other news…
[...]
I feel you shining down on me, February, filling my nights with much more light than ever before.
Oh, my world felt so dark before you.
If there ever was a time before you, for you are a star glimmering in the night’s sky, a permanent fixture in so many lifetimes…
And how lucky we all are to be of such privilege.
I wish to hear from you, February. I do hope you respond.
Zahar has certainly been keeping me busy, old sport.
It feels a little silly to admit, but… I really do think we might be able to do it.
Defeat the agency, that is.
Defeat, free, dissolve… Whatever we end up doing…
I just have this feeling…
This underlying feeling that it will all be okay.
It does come with an equal feeling of unease, though.
Because when have I ever… Felt like things were going to be okay in the City?
It almost feels as though I am not in my own mind.
Almost like there is some kind of infiltrator in my thoughts.
Maybe this is just another typical side effect of being in the City.
Some kind of parasite that not only seemingly eats away at your memories, but also manipulates them now, too!
[Sigh] But that is simply just another thing to worry about once the agency is destroyed.
Gosh, I still have so much to do.
What do I even say to Thalia when she is free?
Oh, I should buy her hair dye! [Chuckles] That would be a cute gesture, I think.
I can’t wait to talk to her again… Freely.
No Morse code, no light… No burial setting.
I can say with confidence, old sport, that I still have plenty of original thoughts.
Maybe it’s a little embarrassing to admit, but… I haven’t stopped thinking about kissing her again. The idea of being with her, touching her, being close to her again…
She got taken from me so quickly, I just…
The idea of us, together… Free from the agency, free to just work together and find a way out in peace… That’s…
Well, it just sounds too good to be true…
It’s funny to think that only one thing stands in the way of that reality…
Just one thing… One establishment…
Did I say funny…? I… I wouldn’t say it’s funny at all…
The desks…! I told you about the papers in the desk drawers before, right?
Well, turns out there was a reason that they were separated from the rest.
Remember when Solus and I were investigating the Change? They pulled out the sinkhole documents from their desk.
It was all the documents they had edited most recently.
So, most of the desk papers were on the sinkholes, and the Change.
Old sport… They knew.
Solus knew.
The whirring noise… The first time I heard it was when Solus was being abducted… But Solus had heard it much earlier than I did.
When we figured out that the sinkholes had been filled up from top to bottom, they didn’t tell me… But they knew it was alien business.
They started their own research into them.
They didn’t know I had a connection to Zahar… They… They didn’t know about Zahar.
I shouldn’t really be surprised. I’m not.
Despite having so many connections… So many contacts… Solus always truly worked alone in the end.
They are Solus after all… Solitude. Work has always been their independent game of solitaire. Other people were simply stepping stones to their end goal.
Sure, Solus had data on aliens, but… Nothing like Zahar.
Aliens are not an obscure sight in the City, especially not these days. But a spaceship is a different question.
I knew that Zahar had one of the only ships in the City.
If Solus just-
[Agravated scream, a loud bang against a desk]
[Shakily] Sorry… Old sport, I…
I did all this to find out where the agency is located.
I read… All of these documents… Just to find something that Solus could have just told me… Showed me… If they were still here.
[Sighs] Old sport… The worst thing that could have happened… Happened.
The cameras gave me all the answers and more.
Right as I left my last call with you, old sport, I went straight onto the live camera feed.
It was like he was waiting for me.
Shivers instantly ran down my spine as I made eye contact with the smiling, waving figure.
It was Zahar.
Standing proud and unbothered, he continued to wave his hand as I zoomed further in on the footage.
That clearly grabbed his attention, changing his constant wave to a message. Zheomlin. A language that has no spoken words. His native language. The language of all aliens in Universe City… To my Knowledge.
While we dated, I got to learn the basics… I wasn’t great at it, at all, really… But in my defence, the aliens here do have way more fingers than I have. Some of the words were quite literally impossible for me to imitate. At least Zahar could speak my language…
But! I got good at introducing myself.
Which is why I immediately knew what Zahar was saying.
“Hello, Radio.”
Over and over, with a teasing, cocky wave at the end of each repeated sentence.
After about a minute, which felt closer to an hour, Zahar quickly changed his wave to the opposite hand.
“Bye,” in other words.
He turned around, picked up more leftover metal from what was once his ship, and walked away.
I thought there would be more to it.
I thought he would be outraged.
I crashed his ship.
He killed Solus.
Why is he acting as though nothing has happened?
As though nothing has changed between us?
Is he up to something?
Does he know about the agency, too…?
Is he… Is he willing to help me?
Should I even ask him for help? After what he’s done… After what we went through…
