Accessing data files of former freelancer Agent North, Journal Entry #267
It's been a tough few days Theta, I'm not going to lie. Me and South rode the first ship out of sidewinder and we've been stuck here, wandering. Our radios were destroyed from the crash, and we've been wandering, trying to think of what to do. The truth is, I don't know. I'm scared Theta. I've been trying to hide it from South, but I don't know where we're going.I just don't know. I just want to keep you two safe
Why do you still call her South? Doesn't she have another name?
Yeah Theta, she does. It's just- I feel that I can't call her that. I've spent all this time with her in the project, and I don't think she's the same person Theta. The sister I knew before is gone. Now it's just South.
That doesn't make much sense North.
No Theta. No it doesn't.
"Well, so comes another day of walking around", Agent North said chuckling.
His sister South was in a much more pessimistic mood. "Ha-ha-ha. We still don't know where we're going."
"I told you: We're gonna try to find Jersey. He retired to a city on Earth, maybe we can find him there."
"And what if he tries to kill us or turn us in for the big target on us as we're kinda, you know, intergalactic criminals?"
"Then we can try Indiana. He finally got that house on the beach with all that rum."
"Again, what'll stop us from him turning us in? WE'RE FUCKING CRIMINALS!"
"DAMN IT SOUTH!" North shouted, temporarily losing his cool. "I'm trying to help us!"
South was taken aback. North cursed under his breath. Both were silent.
A moment of eternity passed by them before North finally spoke up.
"I'm sorry."
South said nothing.
"It's just... I'm afraid South."
She looked up at North in confusion. He was the cool, level-headed one. He was never scared.
"I just... I want better South. Wewere betrayed. We were lied to."
"Yeah", South said quietly, lowering her head.
"I want a home for us South. I want peace. For me, for you, for Theta..."
South jeered herhead up in anger. North realized what he said.
"What?"
"South, that's not what I..."
"IS THIS WHAT THIS IS ABOUT?" South screamed. "YOUR FUCKING A.I?"
"South..."
"NO, NORTH, South yelled, "DON'T FUCKING 'SOUTH' ME! YOU WERE JUST GONNA GET RID OF ME!"
"South, no! That's not what this is about. What's up with you?"
"WHERE IS HE? WHERE'S THETA? BRING HIM OUT!"
Theta emerged from North's armor.
"South, please stop. You're scaring me."
"Oh. Oh, I'm scaring you now. I'm scaring you?" South asked in a hushed tone dripping with pure rage.
"South..."
She opened her mouth, but was silenced by a lone bullet, centered right between North's legs.
The twins locked down in Theta's bubble shield. The unseen enemy fired round after round at both of them, the bullets flying off harmlessly. They both held their breath.
"South, we're held down here. I'm adjusting Theta's shield to match fire and we're moving in ten. Sync?"
South stared at him.
"South, sync? Are you ok?"
South kept staring. The gradual decrease of bullets told her that the enemy was running out of ammo.
"South I need you to focus. Syn-"
North was interrupted by a punch in the gut. He stumbled backwards, the sudden impact of the abrupt attack making Theta flicker. South turned around and stuck him with a roundhouse kick to the face, launching North back a few feet. Theta's sheild disappeared.
South took advantage of this temporary weakness and ran. She ran as fast as her legs could carry her, her freelancer training kicking in.
All of a sudden, two sounds stabbed her ear lobes, making her stop in place. A gunshot and a scream; a scream that came from a certain voice that South knew very well.
She dropped to her knees. She realized with teary eyes what she did. The impact of the death of her brother, that which she caused, stabbed her heart like a well placed bullet, came crashing down on her.
She got up shakily, and ran back in the opposite direction. She knew that the recovery beam was already sent, but she had to see him. She didn't even care if she was alone with their mysterious attacker. She just had to see him.
South was aware of every second ticking by. She could feel the gradual crawl of time slowly workit's waythrough. But she couldn't move. She was stuck here, staring at this body.
She did this. She killed her brother. South was expecting to explode in emotion, maybe even cry a bit. But there was nothing. South felt like nothing.
That's a bit of a stretch. Sure, she felt pain. Jesus fucking Christ, she felt pain. She killed her own brother for crying out loud. Her brother, who was always looking out for her, was dead, and it was all her fault.
But she wasn't expecting to be so calm.The revelation of her lack of care was shocking. But she knew it was true. Her brother was dead and she didn't care. It wasn't her fault he was dead: It was the Directors and those damn A.Is. Always making us compete, pitting us together until we split apart- that caused North's death. She didn't kill him. It wasn't her fault.
South Dakota was pulled out of her trance unexpectedly by the noise of an approaching vehicle. She pulled out her pistol and waited to see what was happening. A warthog suddenly appeared from around a corner, and parked right in front of her.
A grey figure hopped out of the car. He slowly walked up to her in a strictly business fashion, long strides, arms swinging like they were being forced to. The figure stopped mere inches away from her.
"Hello South. My name is Agent Washington."