savetheearth | Entry #A-15: "Accomplishments" [Video]

[Lazarus' number is written on a blackboard with a piece of chalk, opening a connection to the network. Dim light streams in through the high, dusty windows, falling on broken-down desks in a decrepit, once-grand lecture hall. A broom leans in the corner, along with several trash bags; Lazarus himself is wearing crummy clothes and more than a little breathless and sweaty. You would be too, if you'd been working on solo renovations for hours.]

If any of you are familiar with the building that was formerly the Willow Ridge Boarding Academy in Locke City... like back in the 1970's... it's ours now. It was briefly a linen processing facility but it wound up being foreclosed on when the company went bankrupt, so I went ahead and bought it from the bank. Under a different name, of course.

[He takes a second to shrug out of his sweater, draping it across one of the desks.]

The building's big, with a spacious basement. I want to move Project Jump as soon as possible to this new location, since both I and Espresso Yourself are too well-known at this point and I don't think it's safe for it to remain. I can rent a truck but the more discreet the move is, the better. It has to happen very soon. In the meantime... I'm going to continue to work on renovations. Security. Furnishing accommodations... on that note, if anyone has any computer monitors, servers or any other equipment they're willing to sell or donate, I'm more than interested.

[He returns to what he was doing before he opened the connection, which is, apparently, using an axe to break apart unsalvageable desks and bagging up the resulting debris to clear some space.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

They don't stick as well, unfortunately. They're just frustrating.

[He holds up one of his hands and holy shit blisters.]

[Holy shit is right]

Dude, go to a clinic or something and get those looked at. Your hand is basically one giant blister.

[The reaction seems to startle and scare him more than the blisters, and he quickly puts his hand out of sight.]

It's not so bad. I'll go...

[Later, when he's finished. He can't leave this unfinished.]

No, you should go now. Just to get them looked at, and then to get some work gloves.

[A clear struggle is taking place behind his glassy, dark eyes.

On one hand (along with blisters), he has an obligation to fling himself into his work and complete as much of it as possible. For every moment he's not working, he knows that some extension of Albero is.

...on the other hand, Killian is his friend. He'd said so. L nods quickly.]

Yeah... OK. Yeah, I'll go now.

[He drifts away from the chalkboard and the feed cuts out, but he's only gone for perhaps an hour. When he returns, he's got bandaged-up hands and a happily-rattling pill bottle.]

Antibiotics. They were pretty worried about infection.

[Killian was kind of worried in that hour so he's relieved when L comes back]

Yeah I bed they were. Lemme guess, not allowed to do much?

[A pause.]

They didn't say that, exactly.

[Technically, it's true. Whup, there he goes picking up his axe again.]

I think when it's all set we can board at least 70 comfortably. I'm installing cameras to cover every inch of it... and the basement will be very useful. I'll be able to fight Albero much more effectively.

L, put down the axe. You shouldn't do anything with your hands that bandaged and fucked up. With our luck, you'd end up chopping your foot off or something.

[It's frustrating. He's already made a concession today, and he wonders if Killian knows how much effort that took.]

Killian, this has to get done. The future of the Numbered in Locke City might depend on it.

[L's referring to the project as a whole, most of which he hasn't yet revealed to most people. The way it looks, sadly, is like he's genuinely convinced that all depends on his ability to turn ruined furniture into kindling.]

[He doesn't, but]

I know. Look, if I were there or if I could get there easily, I'd be right there helping you. But you literally can't do anymore today, L. D'you want me see if I can get someone to go over there and help you? There's a few guys on the Network I know of that might be able to help.

[A small, frustrated sound escapes him. This is why he works alone, it's uncomplicated and he doesn't have to change his plans to accommodate the comfort of others.]

...do you trust them?

Yeah. I know a few guys who aren't Networked that I trust if you want me to call them up. Or I can let you ask the Network. But you seriously can't do that alone, man.

[If I don't sleep, I can, he doesn't say.]

Albero can't find this place. Our leak is off-network now, but I would rather not open up any more possible channels for word to reach him. I think we can let our guard down someday, but not while Albero's still a presence in Locke.

If anyone comes to help, I'll accept it, but I took this on, and I'm responsible for it.

You are, but responsibility doesn't mean doing it all yourself. That's kind of the opposite of responsible, really.

[That's novel, and gets a tilted head from L in response.]

The opposite?

[He doesn't understand.]

But I'm making so much headway. Before tomorrow I can sand down the floors in the gym and start refinishing them.

Yeah, the opposite. Overworking yourself just leads to you being sick or hurt and unable to do anything.

I've spent the best years of my life so far sick and hurt. I have a lot of lost time to make up for.

I really need this, Killian. I have to leave behind a better world.

I'm not saying you can't do it. But please don't do it to the point that you can't. Literally, physically are unable to do something.

Hey... thanks for caring. I want to be useful for as long as I'm still around, so I'll be cautious. I'll pay attention to when I need to rest. I don't want to cripple myself again, I lived that and I know it's awful, so... please try not to worry too much.

[He smiles a little]

I'll try. I just get worried about my friends is all.

[There's that word again; he smiles, and it actually lights up his dark eyes.]

Right... right, OK, I won't let you down.

Entry #A-15: "Accomplishments" [Video]

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