I keep finding myself back here, back in Nate's room, just sitting here and watching him. Part of me hopes that one of these days he'll just wake up and everything will go back to how it was. Unfortunately, there was still the part of me that feared he'd never wake up, that I would never have gotten to say good bye to him. Some days these feelings are small, but then there are days that feel like they will simply overwhelm me.
"Nate, I don't know if you can hear me, but please know that I will be here for you, for as long as you need me to be. I miss you, more than I thought I could miss anyone since my mother died. I've already had to face losing a friend that at times was no more than a simple acquaintance, and you saw how much it hurt me. To lose you, I really don't know what I would do. So please, if you can hear me, just… keep fighting. Fight for your friends, fight for your family, fight for, me."
So many bad things have happened to me that I feel that I'm helpless to do anything about. There are the Legionaries that despite how many we kill, how many we track down, we are no closer to finding out who hired them. There's that fucking boar, Baird, that no one can find, despite how many want him dead. Those damn mice that killed Blanche died with her, and I wasn't able to even hurt that fucking cannibalistic Overseer who nearly killed Nate, and now here I am, helpless to save the mammal I love.
That's why I need to be the one to go out and find the parts needed for Nate's replacement arm. Mark and Holly don't want me to leave, and I really don't want to either, but at the same time, everyone feels it's for the best. I know Mark and Holly are concerned over Nate as much as I am, but they're being level headed about it. I keep yelling, crying, trying to hurt others and myself, even I'm starting to realize that I wasn't taking this well. That's why I needed to do this. I needed to clear my head and focus on finding parts to help Nate live, not wallowing in a cesspool of negative emotions I've created for myself.
"I know I said I'll be here for you no matter what, but I need to take care of something, and that'll take me away from here. I need you to know that I will be back, and if you wake while I'm gone, I'll come straight back to you, no matter what is going on. There's nothing in this world more important to me than you are. I love you Nate, and no matter what, that will never change."
I gave him a kiss. I had no idea if he could hear any of that, and if he did there was no response. Even if he couldn't, it still felt good to say that out loud to him. I need to make sure that I keep telling myself that he will be okay, that he will wake, because then maybe my heart will start to believe it.
"You know he would be doing the same thing if the tables were turned."
Mark's voice, despite being calm and quiet, still scared me. "How long have you been here?"
"Long enough."
"It's probably silly to talk to someone in a coma, isn't it?"
"Not at all. When we rescued Holly from that boar, I found myself talking to her, despite the fact she was still unconscious. They say that a coma isn't simply a mammal locked in a deep sleep, but in actuality, many are fully awake and aware of their surroundings, just simply unable to show any physical signs of that. Until he wakes, talking to him is just as sane as having a conversation with me or Holly."
"When Holly was unconscious, did you ever… were you scared that she would never wake?"
"Yes, very much so. Just like how you feel about Nate, if she never woke up, I wasn't sure if I would've been able to go on. I'm still not sure. In times like this, you need to do two things to help keep your sanity. You need to stop saying if he wakes, but when he wakes."
"I keep trying, I really do but it feels as if that void he filled is slowly emptying, and it's bringing all sorts of painful thoughts with it. You said there was something else you can do?"
"It isn't for everyone, but in times of trouble, some well placed prayer can help, even if it's to help yourself to get through trying times."
"I never really understood praying."
"Many mammals of different faiths all take their prayers to different levels. Some pray to one or more gods, some pray to demons, or spiritual beings, some even pray to inanimate objects. I mostly pray to Saint Marian and my God. I'm not going to tell you who or what to pray to, or what to pray for, it's up to you to decide."
"But how can I decide? With so many choices, how do you know yours is the right one?"
"I don't. The thing is, it doesn't matter if my God is the right one or your god is, what matters is how you believe. Just pick a feeling, a thought, a pleasant emotion and go from there. You'll know you're on the right path when you find it. Trust me, it'll be plain as day."
"Thank you, I'll try anything to help see me through this. I've got time before Tuskgen is ready to depart anyways."
"You sure you wanna go through with this?"
"I have to. I need time to clear my head, to combat whatever dark feelings are within me. I still feel tormented, and I'm afraid that next time I lose it, I'll lose so much more than my emotions."
"Just don't over exert yourself. I'm not sure how he will react waking up just to see you in the same position as him."
"I'll try. Plus I'll have Jasmine and Zack with me. Knowing Holly, she probably gave them each a shotgun full of tranquilizers just for me."
"You don't know the half of it. Ahem, anyways, I should probably be finding Holly. We both agreed to help Bo's wife with the garden. Just like you, we needed something to keep us busy."
"Not sure when I will be leaving, but I'll be sure to find you before I do. Keep Onion close to you both. I will feel more comfortable having a direct connection to the both of you."
"And we will make sure to keep you updated on any changes."
I gave Mark a hug before he left me and Nate alone. I looked over to him, once again hoping that I would see his eyes open, but he still looked the same as he has been. Mark had told me to focus on a feeling, a strong feeling. Right now my only feelings all involve Nate, but they are so congested, that it was hard to pick up a single one to focus on. So I turned my thoughts onto the second strongest feeling I have ever had.
"I've never done this before, and I'm not really sure how I'm supposed to even do this, but there has to be something I can do, and you always had a kind word and comforting answer to everything that ailed me in the past." I closed my eyes and concentrated on the feeling. "Mom. If you can hear me, I need help. I feel so very lost and I can't even begin to think how I can find my path again. I know it wasn't real, but I keep thinking back to that illusion of you. I had actually started to forget what you looked like, and remembering what you looked like made me so happy. I wish I had a picture, or even a small token to remember you by, but all I have are my memories, and as the years go on, I find them slipping more and more.
"Now, I have something else that I care about slowly slipping away from me. I have no idea if you're somewhere looking down on me, but I did something that I never thought I'd be able to do. I fell in love. I admit, it happened really fast. It wasn't really love at first sight or anything, more like love at fourth or fifth goofiness. I think you would like him.
"That's the problem though mom. I loved you and I lost you, and now I find myself on the verge of losing another I love again. I don't know what to do. I really don't. I've always been a problem solver, and you know that. No matter what the issue was, I managed to find a solution. For the first time in my entire life, I have a problem that I can't solve. If you were still alive, I know you would have some kind of motherly advice for me, some small bit of wisdom that would make all the pieces finally fall together. I need that, more than anything right now. So please, if you really are out there somewhere watching over me, give me something, anything. No matter how minuscule it might seem to others, it would be more to cling on than I already have."
I opened my eyes. Nothing had changed. Nate was still in a coma, no magical rays of light were dancing around me, nothing. Did I not pray hard enough? Was there something else I needed to do? Maybe my mom is really gone and there is nothing I can do to change it. If that's the case, then why even pray at all?
"Miss?"
Onion startled me and made me realize that I had been crying. I wiped the tears onto my sleeve and turned to face him. "Yeah Onion?"
"Well, I was helping Miss Tuskgen get ready for her departure when I one of my arm's servos fried."
"Oh, well let me get my tools and I can get that fixed for you."
"Actually Miss, Miss Tuskgen already fixed it."
"Then why tell me about it?"
"Well Miss, when she went to repair it, she accidentally overloaded my memory banks and had to perform a hard reboot to prevent anything from getting erased or corrupted."
"How the hell did she do that trying to fix a servo?"
"Unlike your singular mindset when it comes to tech, she seems to be working on five things at once and tends to get easily distracted it seems. The thing is, when she performed my reboot and my self-diagnostic initiated, I found a very small sector of my memory that I thought was blank, but it turns out it was a deeply encrypted file."
"What is it?"
"I have no idea Miss, it's far too complex an encryption. More than I can handle. I don't think it was for me to find either."
"What makes you say that?"
"Its encryption contains your Pip-Boar identifier."
"Wait, what? My Pip-Boar? Who the hell put a message in you attuned to my Pip-Boar?"
"Uncertain Miss. Shall I upload it to your Pip-Boar?"
"Yes, please."
This was just bizarre. Beside Nate and Tuskgen, no one had had access to his memory banks, and he sure as hell wouldn't let some random stranger mess with him. The way I snapped at Tuskgen, she would probably be to scared of me if she tampered with him, and Nate was way to open with me to do anything either.
My Pip-Boar beeped, signaling me that the file transfer was complete. I took a look at it first. Yeah, this was a very powerful encryption. It had to be at least twenty layers, each of them containing a different algorithm. Not even Burrow-Tec's stuff was this encrypted. Onion was right however. Every single layer had a single commonality to them. The identifier that my Pip-Boar, and only mine had. It could be a trap, it could be some kinda virus that will suddenly broadcast my very whereabouts to the entire wasteland. I shouldn't open it, but it was driving me nuts trying to figure out what it was. I had nothing better to do right now, so I opened it.
It contained two items. First was an audio recording. It was dated… the day after my mother died. I pushed play.
"Hello Olivia."
I couldn't believe it. It was Overseer Marsh's voice. Why the hell did she leave me a message?
"I'm sorry I couldn't say this in person, but you are still too young to understand. I hope that one day I can give this message to you and you can find it in your heart to forgive me. I was young, I was stupid, and I was in love. Before you were born, your mother and I were the closest of friends. We had been that way ever since we were kids really. The problem was, while I was simply a friend of hers, probably her best friend, to me she was so much more. I loved your mother, probably more than she ever knew. When she started to fool around with some of the males, I overlooked that. Loving someone and making love to them are completely different things. Then everything changed.
"I was the very first person she told when she found out she was pregnant with you. I was happy for her, I was happy to meet you when the time came, but I was also heartbroken. I thought that maybe it was just simply a byproduct of her promiscuity, but when she told me that she finally found the one, it felt as if she had just torn my heart from my chest. I was distraught, I was depressed. I was angry. I did things that I still regret, things I don't think you should know. But remember, it wasn't at her. It was never at her. Even then I still loved her, and nothing, and no one, would change that.
"When your father died, I waited. I waited for such a long time, hoping that she would see my kindness, that she would finally realize how much I loved and cared for her. As Overseer, I was able to do anything to make the two of you comfortable. Extra food, the best clothing and supplies we had, I even approved your mother's request to teach you herself, despite it going against every Burrow-Tec regulation there was. Still, it wasn't enough."
"That's when I found the recipe for Phero-X. According to Burrow-Tec files, Phero-X was designed to entice two mammals, regardless of gender, to fall madly in love with each other. Apparently it was used to test the effects of long term relationships between vastly different mammalian species, but to me, it was the answer I needed. I started to think of you as my own daughter. Your mother and I, working side by side to raise a child to be better than anyone else could possibly be in this Burrow. I thought that one day, maybe even you could be the Overseer. Oh how I wished that was the case, I really do. When she died, I knew you had no one to look after you. That's why I couldn't tell you until now. That your mother didn't die due to some freak illness. Your mother's death, it was… it was all my fault. I double, no triple checked the recipe, but even that wasn't enough. I didn't create a love potion like I wanted. I created a poison. One that killed your mother. I am so sorry Olivia. This will haunt me for the rest of my life. I couldn't sleep last night, I couldn't even eat anything. I don't know if you will forgive me after hearing this, I know I wouldn't. That is why I will do everything I can to help you. I will continue to treat you like my own daughter, but I will have to do it in secrecy. There is already enough strain between the rodent and rabbit populations. I had hoped that your mother and I would be able to change it together, but my actions might end up making things worse.
"In a few days I will have personally arrived to take your mother's possessions as per Burrow policy. I may be Overseer, but there are still things that I have to do in order to keep peace. I will, however, not be putting many of those possessions back into Burrow circulation as per policy. Some of them, pictures, recordings, even her favorite dress, I plan to keep them, in hopes that one day I can give them back to you.
"I can't possibly imagine how you're feeling right now, and I don't even know when, or if I will be able to give you this message, but remember. She loved you, probably even more than I loved her. I know I said it, but I am so very sorry I took her away from you. I was selfish. While I hope you can, I will understand if you can never find it in yourself to forgive me. Just remember, no matter what happens, don't forget her."
"Oh dear. Miss, maybe you shouldn't have…"
"Onion, can you go check on Mark and Holly?"
"Miss you…"
"Now."
He didn't say anything else before leaving, rather hesitantly. It felt like my brain and my heart were about to explode. I wasn't prepared for that. My mind, my emotions, my entire body was fighting me to just lash out. I wanted to break something. I wanted to kill someone, but there was only one thing my body agreed on.
I put my head on Nate's slowly rising chest and started to cry. This entire time, I thought my mom caught some unknown disease that killed her, that it was no one's fault. Turns out, it was someone's fault. The fucking Overseer killed my mom! She poisoned her out of sheer jealousy! I just wanted to find that fucking rat and squeeze the life out of her.
The problem was, my emotions were not of singular mind. I wanted to kill that woman, but at the same time, somehow I knew she was being genuine. Her voice, the way it broke, probably into tears during its recording, seemed so sincere that it was causing a rift between wanting to kill her and wanting to forgive her. She didn't deserve forgiveness. Maybe she didn't deserve to die, but she definitely didn't deserve forgiveness.
"I don't know what to think anymore Nate. It feels like all my walls are crashing down around me. First Blanche, then you, now I learn how my mother really died. I just… I just can't keep going without you. I need you Nate. Please, please, wake up. Please."
I just kept my face in his chest, letting out more tears than I think I have ever shed before. The void in my heart was emptying faster and I felt helpless to fill it back in. I thought that whatever that file was would have helped get my mind off of things, but it drew me even deeper into it. A small beep from my Pip-Boar was the only thing that broke though.
I didn't want to look at it, but after two more notifications, I slowly moved it towards my face. It was from Onion. I was going to ignore it, but what if something had happened to Mark and Holly? I opened the file and inside was a message.
"Miss, I know you are probably not in the best of moods after hearing that message. I know that if I had the emotional spectrum that most mammals had, I would be the same, but there was one other file in there that I think might help you. I am sorry for intruding on your personal space, but I had to know what the other contents were, for your safety and that of your friends. I will leave you alone until you contact me again."
He was right, I wasn't in the best of moods, I was probably in the worst mood that I had ever been in, but he was also worried about me, and I could tell. If even a programmed personality was worried, than it must mean something, right? I decided to look at the other file, hoping he was right. It was an image. When I opened it, I felt more emotions flood me, but these were not the same ones I was feeling now. These were better. I felt the good emotions and the bad fighting inside me. My paws still a bit shaky, and my head not rising from Nate's chest, I sent a simple reply to Onion.
"Thank you."
I looked at the image on my Pip-Boar, I looked at it so hard, trying to etch it's very existence onto my brain so I would never forget. When Nate wakes up, I will be sure to show him this. On my Pip-Boar was a single picture. A picture that I thought I would never see again.
A picture of my mom.
"Olivia? We're ready to go."
Jasmine's voice woke me up from a slumber I didn't realize I had fallen into. I was still in Nate's room, my head on his chest. I felt a bit bad that his shirt was now soaked from my tears. I gave Nate another kiss, and I don't know if it was from my own, but it almost looked as if the fur under his eyes was wet as well. I felt a paw on my shoulder breaking my concentration.
"'Livi." Holly's voice sounded mournful.
"Oh, hey guys." I wiped my eyes as I turned to see Holly, Mark, and Jasmine in the room.
"Now don't be mad, but Onion played that message for us. We… we are so sorry." Holly and Mark grabbed me and hugged me. Jasmine did as well, but more awkwardly.
"I'm not mad. I was planning on playing it for you guys, but perhaps it's better that I wasn't there a second time."
"Are you okay? You don't have to go with them. I know we suggested it, but with recent events, I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to stay here."
"No. I still need to do this. I need to show Nate that I wasn't simply sitting idly by when there are things I could be doing to help him, even if it isn't immediately helpful."
"I think he would understand 'livi."
"No Holly, I need to do this. I still don't know how my mind wants to react to all of this. I need to do something to clear it before I inadvertently do something that I, or someone else, will regret."
"We're not going to stop you. Just remember, you can turn around at any time. Nate can live without an arm. Not sure he could without you."
I gave Holly a hug again. "I promise. Plus I have Jasmine and Zack at my back. I'll be fine."
"It's not them I'm worried about."
"I'll be fine. Can't say the same thing if any fucker tries to mess with us."
"That is exactly what I'm worried about."
"C'mon Jasmine, let's go meet up with Tuskgen. Where's Zack?"
"They're both in the hangar gearing up the Tac-Lifter."
"Be nice to finally fly in one of those things not half unconscious or too worried to enjoy the view."
I gave Mark and Holly another hug, and told Nate I'll be back soon. Part of me actually hopes he doesn't wake up until I return, because I want to make sure he knows I'm alive. I don't know if he is dreaming, or even able to think, but if he is, I'm sure he is reliving everything that happened, wondering if I was okay, just as I have been reliving everything in my own dreams. I look forward to us being able to cuddle together again. What I wouldn't give to simply feel his tail wrap around me, drawing me close to him. I miss the little things, the things that remind me that we're alive.
Holly and Mark remained back in the room as Jasmine and I left. I had been in there so much, I was probably preventing them from having their own time with Nate. I need to remember that it isn't just me that's worried over him. I'm just the only one expressing it on an extreme scale.
"I'm sorry."
"For what Jasmine?"
"Your mother. She cared for you, didn't she."
"She did. I care about all my friends, but my mother and Nate, they have been the two mammals in my life that I cared for the most. I'll admit something though. I was devastated when my mother died, but I feel a hundred times worse right now, and Nate is still alive."
"He'll pull through. From what Holly and Doc tell me, he's a lot stronger than he looks."
"He sure is. Heh, Doc? You mean Mark, right?"
"Y-yeah…" She sounded as if she said something wrong.
"Don't be like that. It suits him. Honestly, when he's in full on doctor mode is when he seems to really shine. If it wasn't for him, I'd be dead ten times over. Tell me, do you ever miss your mother? Even remotely?"
"I… is it wrong of me to say no?"
"With how she treated you, no, it's not wrong at all."
"I did love her, and for a time I thought she loved me, until the Red-Necks. She was willing to put their lifestyle before me, so much that she would even betray her own daughter to appease them. I wish I could get her to love me again, I really do, but I know that will never happen, so it's better to just not love her at all."
"We all have some pretty messed up parent issues it seems. Just remember, we care for you, and I can tell that Zack cares for you a bit more." I could see her face redden upon the mention of his name. "As long as you have people who truly care about you, you'll always have a reason to look towards the future."
She just smiled at me. It's funny how inside your own mind everything seems screwed up and untrustworthy, but when you comfort a close friend, all the truths and best things to say come pouring out to them. If I could easily tell her that, why was it so hard to believe them myself?
"You two finally made it! Hurry, we gotta go so we can make this trip before it gets dark. We got six hours before we need to report back."
Zack and Tuskgen were both standing next to one of the larger Tac-Lifters. Zack was all dressed in his Stalker uniform, a visored helmet held under one arm. Tuskgen was wearing some kind of tactical vest and pants, with enough pockets to make Nate jealous. On her head was a helmet that had all sorts of gadgets and gizmos attached to it.
"Defender King is in one of his moods again. He's been getting worse since the Chief left."
"Should we be worried Zack?"
"Naw. He might be an oversized ball of steam, but he's either too loyal, or too stupid, to ever do something. Plus he's spent more days in the brig than the entire force combined, so he knows what'll happen if he gets out of line. Stalker Logan knows how to deal with him."
"That's good to hear. Let's make this trip quick. I wanna make sure I'm back for when Nate wakes."
"Don't worry, we'll be in and out quicker than lightning. Just hang on, it's been a few months since I last flew one of these things."
He was right too. The moment we lifted off, the whole thing was shaking so hard I thought it was going to fall apart. Once we cleared the base and were in the air, things started to smooth out. I know that the wasteland air is probably not the freshest thing out there, but it felt nice to breath it in. I watched as the ground started to get farther and farther away until we were skimming the cloud cover. From down there, everything looked like one giant overturned trash can, but from up here, it looked almost pleasant. Sure the ground was made up of muted browns and grays from the dirt and concrete, and there were dilapidated buildings all over, but I could also see mammals with large carts racing across trodden paths. I saw the flickering lights of gunfire between two small groups of raiders. From up here I could see everything.
I started to remember Drake. He saw this type of view all the time. I actually envied him a bit. Imagine if I had wings and could go where I want when I want. Danger littered the ground, but up here, up in the air, it was free. I really hope he is doing okay, I may not think of him as much with everything going on, but I still miss him. Once Nate is better, I promise you, I will do better to find you.
But first, I needed to make sure Nate got better. Right now he's the most important thing in my world.
Fallout: Zootopia After Show
Featuring:
'Stripes in the Morning'
[Stripes]
"Good morning Zootopian Wasteland! This is Stripes with Stripes in the Morning! Before I begin, I want to address something. Often when there is a bit of, how should I put it? Extreme backgrounds involving very murder, rape, torture, and all that stuff, it is after a very long thought out process. Especially that message from Burrow Seventy-Six's Overseer, Tara Marsh. Many people perform extreme acts out of love, but often lack the foresight to understand how that will effect those around them, including those they truly love. Just remember, after the war took it's toll on the world, it effected everyone, even those within the Burrow. It will be very hard pressed to find a mammal with a clean and happy background. Don't get me wrong, they do exist, but generally they make for boring stories.
"Now that that is out of the way, you know the problem with adding an extra day to the posting schedule? It means that I have less and less time to come up with anything good for the After Show, yet I don't want to leave you guys hanging. Sure, there are a dozen and a half mammals I can interview, and still plenty of lore items to talk about, but sometimes I just have a hard time thinking of something good that will interest the audience, yet something that isn't either a spoiler or something that hasn't been covered already, especially with twenty more After Show subjects to come up with. I'm going to remove a few bricks from the wall to also let you the audience know of another project that's kinda impeding upon my After Show development.
Many of you probably discovered this story on the ZNN site. Others might even know of a certain month long project called the National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo for short. The ZNN has started their first annual NaZoWriMo event where authors of any caliber are tasked with creating a Zootopia fan-fic of any design during the month of November. The goal is fifty-thousand words by December first, but that isn't a set in stone goal. The entire point of the event is to not only have fun, but to also potentially unlock the hidden writer in anyone who wants to participate, or if they already are, to challenge them to potentially work outside of their normal boundaries. Of course you can do whatever you want, even if it's inside your current limits, but the point is to have fun!
"Now, I'm not affiliated with the ZNN nor do I have my hooves involved with this event. However, I'm participating in it. Before you all shout 'yay another Fallout story!', I won't be doing that for this event. Yes, I have the sparks of my own spin-offs that I want to deal with at some point, a few that Max has even helped me flush out already, but the thing with this little world I have created is that it needs time to develop, to mature, no pun intended. Rushing through something as in-depth and complex as the world I have created would take much longer than thirty days to do, and I know I would not have fun with trying to cut corners just to make an addition to my world. So, what will I be doing for that event you may ask? It's an oldie, but a goody. A Zootopia AU based around a classic movie from decades ago that was remade into a new one that didn't hold a candle to the original, just don't ask Max about it. He REALLY hates that remake. So, who you gonna call? Ghostbusters! I will be posting in on the same sites you're reading this on, so stay tuned for December! Even if I don't make the fifty-thousand word goal, or if I don't get it finished, I will still work on it and post it because I have quit way too many projects, projects that may have been better than I thought it would be.
"So, now that I have put those bricks back, what should I cover today? I could talk about some lost technology, or I could wander out of the safety of my own place and talk to the first mammal I see, or I could…"
Sound of phone ringing
[Stripes]
"… answer the phone? Um, since when did I have a phone? Is there even a phone company still in existence?"
Sound of phone ringing
[Stripes]
"Yeah, yeah. One moment. Where is that blasted thing coming from? Oh, here we go. Wow, a rotary phone none the less. Wait, there isn't even a cable attached! Max! Is this some kind of joke?"
Sound of phone ringing
[Stripes]
"Um… hello?"
[Voice On Phone]
"Hello Sir or Madam, I'm a Burrow-Tec Representative. How are you today?"
[Stripes]
"Um… Burrow-Tec? I didn't think you guys still existed."
[Voice On Phone]
"That is right Sir! We at Burrow-Tec pride ourselves in our efficiency during these troubling times. I am sure you have seen the news and read the papers about mammal-kind's uncertain future, have you not?"
[Stripes]
"I'm sorry, but that 'uncertain future' has already happened unfortunately. You're about two centuries too late I'm afraid."
[Voice On Phone]
"Nonsense! The safety of all mammals is our responsibility as a citizen of this fine country. Sure, the war has been a little turbulent, but we at Burrow-Tec know that every mammal deserves a second chance at life, and we are here to provide that. Now, it seems that you have been one of the lucky individuals to be assigned to a Burrow, and I am here to make sure that the paperwork is all in order. You never know when the war will come knocking at your door. This will only take a moment Sir."
[Stripes]
"I assure you, that even if you are who you say you are, which I am most certainly sure you are not, I have never once shown even the remote interest in a Burrow. Have you even seen the state most of them are in?"
[Voice On Phone]
"I assure you Sir that Burrow-Tec's Burrows contain the most modern of amenities and the best technology backs it one-hundred percent! Now Sir, may I get your full name to verify my records?"
[Stripes]
"Max! If this is some sort of joke you can cut it out now!"
[Voice On Phone]
"Max, did I catch that right? Your name is Max? I am sorry, but that does not match our records. Do you have another name?"
[Stripes]
"Gah, it's Cider Stripes, alright? Happy now?"
[Voice On Phone]
"Cider Stripes… ahh, here we go, a one C. Stripes. Yes, it tells me you are a zebra, male, thirty four, currently single…"
[Stripes]
"What does my relationship status have to do with this?"
[Voice On Phone]
"You see Sir, while all the Burrows contain everything you would need for an extended time, they do not have unlimited space. If you have a significant other, or even children, that would play heavily upon not only your acceptance status, but what Burrow you may be placed in. So, am I correct that you are single?"
[Stripes]
grumbling "Yes."
[Voice On Phone]
"Splendid. Not that you are single of course, but that our records are correct."
[Stripes]
"Wait a second… where did you even… who are you?"
[Voice On Phone]
"Your friendly neighborhood Burrow-Tec Representative of course. Now, do you have any medical conditions that you are aware of? I see you are an alcoholic, is that correct?"
[Stripes]
"NO! I am most certainly NOT! I drink in moderation, and never once needed it… why am I even talking to you about this? You haven't even given me a name yourself!"
[Voice On Phone]
"I didn't? I apologize. My name is…" static "… so, may I continue Sir?"
[Stripes]
"What… no… you just… what is going on?!"
[Voice On Phone]
"I should probably mark you down as easily agitated and prone to aggression. That may negatively impact your processing, but fear not! We still have plenty of room within your local Burrows. Now tell me, have you ever had sexual encounters with any robots or non-mammals?"
[Stripes]
"WHAT? What kind of… no, I'm done. Good bye whoever you are!" slams phone "Sorry about that folks, I really have no idea what that was about. I think…"
Sound of phone ringing
[Stripes]
"No. I just… no."
Sound of phone ringing
[Stripes]
"Not gonna do it. Nope."
Sound of phone ringing
[Stripes]
"Gah! Hello!?"
[Voice On Phone]
"We must have gotten disconnected, I apologize for that Sir, now where were we?"
sounds of something breaking and frustrated grunts
[Stripes]
"That's it! Shows over. I need a drink. Take care everyone, I will be back Sunday with hopefully a better turnout for the show."
Sound of phone ringing
Sound of phone ringing
[Celeste]
"Did it work… Well? Did it? Diditdiditdiditdidit?"
[Max]
"Hang on I… Yup… Worked like a charm! I never knew prank calls could be so disturbingly fun! Shame we don't have phones anymore…"
[Celeste]
"Hee! See?! I TOLD you this would be great…By the way, you sure you're in the right line of work? Cause I swear you have great potential as a voice actor… Uuunnless I decide to keep that talent for my own personal amusement."
[Max]
"Sometimes… You scare me… Then again you're probably the best thing that's ever happened to me in my life! So I think being a bit of a slave to love can't hurt… Oh crap… He left the system broadcasting…"
[Celeste]
"Um… This… Pipes through the whole station too doesn't it… We…We should probably go… Like… Now."
Sound of phone ringing
[Max]
"Um… Sweetie we can stop now…"
Sound of phone ringing
[Celeste]
"That… That's not me Maxie…"
Sound of phone ringing
[Max]
"… LEAVING NOW!"
Sound of phone ringing
[Voice On Phone After being knocked off hook]
"Hello…? Burrow-Tec calling!"
Sounds of haunting laughter