Chapter Nine [Video]

[thebestseller]

Who: Richard Castle and YOU
Broadcast: Fleetwide
Action: N/A
When: August 21st

Windrose crew, please don't worry too much, but I have been tossed in the pokey, so I won't be coming home tonight. Jeez, it's like the other factions don't have any sense of humor at all...

[Castle shifts uncomfortably.]

Really, no appreciation for fine artwork, these people. And they take this team business way, way, way too seriously.

Vision, please take care of the bots, and remember me fondly if I rot away in prison.

Comments

[video]

[passingthrough]

You help the police department..........write more creative police reports? [Come again?]

[video]

[thebestseller]

I help them solve crimes, actually. See, years ago, a killer was going around that was basing their crimes on the ones in my books. I got hauled in as a suspect, and after I got cleared, well, I just couldn't keep my nose out of it and solved the case, so I work as a special consultant.

[video]

[passingthrough]

What do you do? ...Something like profiling?

[video]

[thebestseller]

A bit of everything. I look at the evidence, try and find links, look at crime scenes, interview suspects and witnesses...

[video]

[passingthrough]

What makes you better at it than detectives? [Curious, more than challenging.]

[video]

[thebestseller]

Eh, I wouldn't say I'm better at it than them. Originally, I wanted to hang around to do research for my books, but they kept me around because I think outside the box, wheras Kate can be... hmm. She tends to color inside the lines, as it were.

[video]

[passingthrough]

Kate is your partner?

[video]

[thebestseller]

Now fiancee, yes.

[video]

[passingthrough]

I'm not sure if I should congratulate or console for that. [Separated and all.]

[video]

[thebestseller]

A bit of both, I think. I was really looking forward to my wedding, but I'm glad she's not stuck with me here, too.

[video]

[passingthrough]

In that case, congratulations. She must be out of her mind. And I'm sorry. It's hard being separated from people you love. [She knows the feeling.]

[video]

[thebestseller]

I'm just gonna keep reassuring myself that time has frozen back home... because otherwise... well. I don't like thinking too hard about her, or my kid, and they state they'd be in if I were to disappear.

[video]

[passingthrough]

Frozen time sounds good to me. [Who knows what really happens or if anyone ever gets home.]

[video]

[thebestseller]

It seems like that's the most likely explanation, because people have had others come from home, and it was like they were never gone back home... [He doesn't sound 100% convinced.]

[video]

[passingthrough]

Sure. It makes sense. [It might even be the easiest explanation which makes it a good one. Just can't really know.] You should have heard how they explained that at the last place I was in.

[video]

[thebestseller]

Do tell. Is it worse than Atroma's benign neglect?

[video]

[passingthrough]

Mmm, hard to say there.

But what they told us is that they send dopplengangers of us who won't commit crimes like we would back in our place and that's why no one notices we're gone. Creepy and less believable.

[video]

[thebestseller]

[Castle visibly shuddered at that.]

And if you weren't a criminal to begin with...?

[video]

[passingthrough]

According to them we all were. So, I guess no more speeding and loitering or defending people from those who want to commit genocide. That kind of thing.

[video]

[thebestseller]

Jeez. Sadly, I can think of a lot of stuff that would get me labeled a criminal in that case. Jaywalking, for instance.

[video]

[passingthrough]

That would do it. I'm not saying there weren't real crimes committed by some people. Myself included, but not everyone.

[video]

[thebestseller]

[Castle nodded.]

For other folks... they were just looking for an excuse to imprison them, which makes THEM pretty damn criminal. It's a criminalception.

[video]

[passingthrough]

Actually, the first AI warden got convinced of that and arrested the engineers who created it. Didn't stop it from bringing more of us in or keeping us though.

[video]

[thebestseller]

Jeez. I think I'll take our Stepford Wife hosts over that kind of environment.

[video]

[passingthrough]

It wasn't always so bad. All I wanted to do when I got here was get back there.