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]

[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.

[video]

[thebestseller]

... really?

[video]

[passingthrough]

Shocking? I was in charge of the Defense Force there. I was trying to get people home. [She cared about them. She still cares.]

[video]

[thebestseller]

Ooooh, OK. That makes more sense. Were you at least able to be more proactive there than we seem to be able to be here?

[video]

[passingthrough]

We were organized. We worked as a team. We had records.

And no. Not even a little. We never got close to getting out or if we did we didn't know it. One step forward, two steps back.

[video]

[thebestseller]

[Castle sighed.]

Now that you've told more, I think I'd prefer at least being able to participate in a resistance. Atroma seems untouchable thus far, and sometimes waiting for them to show a crack gets old.

[video]

[passingthrough]

Mmm, I'm kind of enjoying a break from resistance. I've been in that business a long time.

[video]

[thebestseller]

Mmmm... I can see that, too. Both systems have their good and bad points, I suppose.

[video]

[passingthrough]

If there was a crack. Something to actually attack or gain some ground with... I'd be there.

[video]

[thebestseller]

And a lot of us would be right behind you. Myself included.

[video]

[passingthrough]

Oh, now I'm a leader? [She smiles a little.]