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We may have to leave it for an IOU, unfortunately. But let's see how the walk finds us. It might be nice to round off the discussion once we're finished.

[ And that it's the beginning of his 'day' seems to be...a bit of a tip-off, though she'll leave it. Hugo's someone she would like to keep as an ally and to press and pry too closely feels not only unkind but against both of their best interests. Instead, she treats things as she treats most others: Hugo can share what he wishes and when he's ready.

So she walks with him, allowing their steps to take them towards the streets leading to the docks. It'll be emptier and quieter there, and it's a nice enough early evening that it won't look ridiculous to be taking a stroll. ]

You've likely seen that I'm hoping to work on a project to revitalize the bridge city left behind by people from both Karteria and Kelsis. Now, more than ever, I think the project is worth pursuing.

[ While there is no guarantee that Patho-Gen can't reach them there (in fact, she's certain they can, considering their damn teleporter is right there), it can at least afford a measure of safety for a time. ]

But considering circumstances...I think it's too much to ask our fellow Augmented to wander back into Patho-Gen headquarters to make use of their teleportation services. And walking the entire length is doable, just tedious.

[ Hugo nods, since the arrangement is perfectly acceptable for him. It’s also a bit telling for the tenor of what she wants to discuss if it might warrant wine to finish it off, but that just makes it more interesting, honestly. So, while he could fill the space with small talk, chatty and sociable as he is, he just waits for Mel to start.

And immediately, he sees why this warranted a stroll rather than texting. His light smile becomes a more serious, thoughtful look. ]

Well, you won’t hear any disagreement on that point from me. Finding even a little slice of a safe-haven from Patho-Gen’s watchful eye would be extremely prudent.

[ And honestly, he wouldn’t even think it needs to be revitalized, but he won’t interrupt to say so. It would certainly be better if it was, and there were some additional dangers to be dealt with first, but to him, it’s little different than a Hollow. Sometimes you flee into a dangerous place to escape something more dire.

…But that’s also curious. She doesn’t know about that aspect of his work. Had someone mentioned it? He’s not exactly upset if so, but it’s interesting that she’s bringing this proposition to him. ]

I take it you have an idea for something to shorten the trip?

A friend of mine has recently come into possession of something like teleportation mirrors. And while his set are, ah, not reliable... [ Sorry, Jayce. ] ...the idea struck me that they could be used instead to get us out of the city. But my friend is using them for something else.

[ And she wouldn't necessarily take them from him, regardless. She'll need to get her own. But that brings her around to the point. ]

I'm looking into finding some kind of neutral business, more than one, where Augmented could slip into discreetly to use them without it being flagged necessarily by Patho-Gen or others.

While I wouldn't want to put you in harm's way, I thought I'd at least try to ask.

[ She has plans for her own set into an office of sorts, which might back up into something else. For now, however, she wants to keep options open and she'd prefer it if there are a few different ways for the Augmented to slip out. All it takes is for Patho-Gen to find one set for their chances to dwindle. Better to have multiple avenues. ]

I'm still looking for hidden places out near the bridge itself for an exit point, to be clear, so we're not quite ready to jump into this.

Ah…

[ He breathes out the little noise with a clear tone of interest. Right away, he can see how that fits into her plans, but also that it’s very useful. So, no, she clearly doesn’t know about his secondary occupation, since how he fits into it with the first is much more sensible. ]

And where better to hide a mirror than an art gallery? It could even be part of a larger installation so that the useful one is even better hidden…

[ He smiles easily, clearly delighted by the idea. Even if it’s simply a mirror rather than seeming like an art piece, it wouldn’t be out of place. He’s clearly forming some ideas about that idea of an installation already though, since that would be truly ideal. Even if Patho-Gen caught onto the plan, finding the correct mirror could at least be made as difficult as possible. ]

Your concern about my well-being is appreciated, but there’s no need to worry. That’s a risk that I’ll accept happily.

[ It’s also personally useful to him, besides. It might not be the same as the labyrinthine mechanisms of Hollows and their Rifts, but there’s still value in making a quick escape. Hopefully, it wouldn’t ever be needed, but, well. You never know. ]

Your thoughts align with my own. And it would be nothing for other Augmented to be there in some capacity. I'm looking into other locations as well, if it is possible, but the mirrors were...a surprise to my friend.

[ So being able to get a hold of more is not precisely guaranteed. But if it's possible and she could potentially set up a few locations that would transmit outside of the city, her hope is that there will be multiple exits for their number in the event of an emergency.

...or even for the Karterians, but they will not last long outside of the barrier. She doubts, at this point, that Kelesis would allow for such a thing to be placed within its borders. ]

If you'll accept the risk, it's still something I'll be concerned over. I'm asking you to accept a vulnerability and I wouldn't want you to suffer for it. We've all been through...more than enough these past few weeks.

[ His smile does falter, but only slightly. It’s the reminder of their past few weeks, because even if he hadn’t been one of those to get kidnapped to wherever the hell everyone went… He felt it more acutely than he likes. It’s partially the imprints, because the void of the absence of the people he’d bonded with was stark. But also. He’s more empathetic to people than he necessarily likes too.

It’s either ironic or fitting. It’s a quality he thinks he shares with her. ]

Then allow me to rephrase. Thank you for the concern.

[ There’s a gentle sincerity in his tone just to underline it. He does appreciate that she’d worry about it, because he thinks it speaks well of her. It’s a brief bit of sentiment, since he’s back to his more business-oriented tone after. ]

I’m accepting knowing that it could go poorly. Rather extremely so, depending,

[ He shrugs, but it’s partially to fill the space of a pause. There’s one truth that he’s not inclined to tell—that he’s a scoundrel that will never turn down any opportunity that he’s presented. But the quickness of his answer wasn’t that. ]

These past few weeks have demonstrated that we must break the yoke Patho-Gen has foisted upon us, I think. So, if I can support those efforts, I will. I don’t feel any doubt about that matter.

[ That, at least, mollifies her somewhat. Continuously, Mel has had to reconcile that her suggestions continue to put people in harm's way, and though each and every one of the people she has spoken to is willing to take the risk...it doesn't do her heart much good now that she's embroiled in their midst, in the thick of their needs. Still, it's what needs to be done. She cannot slow down just to cradle her own concern.

The people she works with are making their own decisions. She has to at least trust them with that much. ]

I'll let you know when we're ready and I'll bring the mirror down for your inspection. But there's another matter, though it's not about much of that.

[ It's really because he's brought it up, that call to break the hold Patho-Gen has on them. ]

A shared acquaintance of ours is already grousing that he was correct about all of this. Which I can't disagree with, unfortunately. But I worry what steps he will take as he's been emboldened by what's occurred.

[ She can't blame Silco for wanting to protect himself. She simply worries it will get out of hand and will result in too much too soon. So many of their number still need to recover before a plan is made to take exacting measures on their captors. ]

[ Hugo nods, since the arrangement for the mirror is perfectly acceptable to him. For a moment, he thinks that they’ll get that wine after all, since while he completely understands why this was an arrangement that had to be made in person, it also went quickly. However, when the topic shifts to Silco…

His expression does get more serious. It’s actually markedly more serious than he had been about the mirror, which is rather telling about what he thinks about Silco, but more importantly? It shows that he understands why Mel is bringing this up. He understands the kind of drive and therefore danger that Silco presents. ]

…A fair worry, I think.

[ That’s putting it lightly, and his tone is lightly joking to say as much. ]

I can’t say I have any specific insight, but I think I know him well enough at this point to have a similar concern.

[ Now, granted. It’s not like Hugo disagrees with Silco’s desire to do so. He has a similar rage just underneath the surface, but he’s much more conscious of it and careful to keep it in control than Silco is. That also comes through in their two ideas of how they would drastically effect action. Silco probably imagines an uprising. Hugo imagines assassination. But either way, they’re cards he still keeps close. ]

…In fact. Can I ask? Just what did he do back in your home? He’s told me his own version of events, but he’s… [ Hugo waves a hand vaguely. ] You know.

[ It becomes a screed is what he means. It’s not exactly a straightforward telling. ]

[ Sorry, Hugo, no wine just yet. But she hums faintly in her throat, a sign of agreement, as they walk. While she can't say she disagrees with Silco, she doesn't agree with his potential methods. Those are what she hopes to stymie somehow but she treads the line between wanting to aid him with the things that will actually help the populace while presenting as a tentative barrier to the worst impulses he may have.

Unfortunately, Silco doesn't trust her, something else she doesn't fault him for. ]

Silco masquerades as a legitimate businessman and perhaps that's what he could have been, once upon a time. I'll admit that the Council in Piltover was led to believe that's what he was in part because of corruption among the Enforcers.

[ Boy, this will be a story. She wants to be clear about Silco's role, though, and then she can fill Hugo in on the politics that shaped him, as she is not without sympathy nor awareness of the role others played in his creation. ]

Silco deals in a potent drug called Shimmer. It's highly addicting, to my understanding, but it...offers relief from pain in smaller, shorter doses.

[ Oh, Salo. What a terrible way to live. ]

In larger doses... The things I've been told have not been good. Silco used it to control the people of Zaun and to keep a heavy hand on them. It was his way of bringing in money while cornering the market, I presume. All to one day try to lead a strike on Piltover and to even the playing field where there has been inequity for the last two hundred years.

I see… That certainly fills in some gaps that I was curious about, to be sure.

[ He’d never really asked what Silco specifically did as his work, and honestly? It was partially because it didn’t quite matter to Hugo. Silco clearly did unsavory work and had influence, but there were few lines of work that would make Hugo balk. Dealing drugs is a little surprising just because it seems like something a little beneath Silco’s ambitions… But illegal drugs were quite rare in New Eridu in the first place, so. He can also realize that he has a different perspective, most likely. ]

From what he’s explained about Zaun, I can see why Shimmer would be appealing. It sounds like a difficult place to live and work, to put it politely.

[ Hugo’s tone is neutral, though. While he does think some of the blame for that would lie with people like Mel, he also understands that these things are an entire system. The kind of suffering in Zaun wouldn’t be because of a single person—or even a group of people, probably.

…But it does put Silco’s movements and ambitions here in a different light. He’ll keep those to himself, but it’s worth keeping a careful eye on. ]

Though, honestly, you both have my sympathies, in a way. To be a whole world away and the politics of home are still so present sounds rather exhausting, honestly. [ He gives her a little smile and a shrug as he laughs. ] I learned more about it after that anonymous post, after all. Silco was rather sour about it all, but it at least got him to explain things better.

To survive to live another day, to manage through the pain... I can understand why people would turn to it. I fear it will happen again here.

[ As so many people are in pain, including their own. It's not a matter of being responsible or being wise to the nature of something so addicting; it's that vices provide a service, an escape. All of them have their ways out. Some, like Mel, work themselves into an early grave trying to do overmuch; some throw themselves into danger; others partake of some kind of imbibing. She doesn't judge it. It took her long enough to see why, as for a long time, it was only a concern.

Now, well. It's still a concern but not for the same reasons. ]

It's funny you say that. I've...mostly moved on from the politics of our world, even if that makes I'm slipping the lead on responsibility. Silco is the one who keeps bringing it up. He's mired in it. I... I have sympathy for him in that sense. His life was ruled by us and we neglected and failed him and his fellows at every turn.

[ Make no mistake, she's aware of her flaws, her foolishness, her cruelties. Nearly ten years, give or take, but it's a status quo two hundred years in the making. Still, she hums quietly. Knowing Silco at least opened up to Hugo means...a great deal, in some respects. ]

As I said, I don't disagree with Silco's desires, only his methods. His anger could cost him, could cost the people around him.

Ha— Why am I not at all surprised to hear that?

[ He responds lightly and almost jokingly after she mentions that it’s Silco that’s holding onto things. Clearly, Hugo knows him well enough to expect that, but then again, how much does that really take? It’s one of the clearer things about the man’s psyche once you truly get to know him.

He understands it, though. It’s why when he laughs again, it’s softer and more reflective. ]

I have sympathy too, though I learned very directly to not tell him that. I only know your world in broad strokes—Ah, no, or maybe like an impressionistic painting?

[ He can’t resist the artistic metaphor, at least in her company. ]

…But I feel that I’ve lived similar shades of both of your worlds. I’ve seen the very top and the very bottom of what it means to live in society, and I’ve found both are rife with their unique problems and miseries. It’s why I rather like you both!

[ He can say that easily even if he wouldn’t exactly expect either of them to return the sentiment. It wouldn’t bother him even so. Hugo has his issues, but he’s an extrovert. He finds it easy to like people, and the problem lies more with anything deeper than a surface level connection. It’s why imprints are so unsettling. ]

It’s why I understand his anger too. I feel like I could have had the same if I hadn’t gotten very lucky when I was a younger man. [ and hilariously, a way to bring up that hugo is not in fact as young as he looks,,, ] If my mentor hadn’t been a pacifist, I’m sure that I would agree much more with the methods that he seems to favor.

Yes, I wouldn’t tell him that. He’ll think you’re coddling him and we can’t have that.

[ It makes it all an impossible situation. If she were to try and apologize, he’d scorn it; if she offered atonement in some fashion he’d tell her there was never enough she could do; if he offered empathy, sympathy, concern, he’d tell her it was fake. There is no pleasing him, no way to make up for what’s been done, and perhaps that is the point of it all. There is nothing that any of them could do to mend what’s been broken. Power must be given back to Zaun and Piltover must learn not only to co-exist but to give Zaun its due. There is so much to be done that giving anything to Silco alone would be paltry, and so she understands his derision, the blades he cuts with.

And so it takes her by surprise when Hugo says he likes the both of them, mostly because she is…quite unused to being told that regardless of who’s on the other end of the statement. The lift of her eyebrow, however, is reserved for when he speaks about his age. And about having a pacifist mentor. ]

You still seem like a young man to me. [ Just saying. ] I think Silco’s methods are things that the Augmented will, at this juncture, be more willing to jump to. That is also my concern, even if I can blame neither him nor them for their outcry.

[ She made quite a mess as well, so she has no ground to stand on. But there will be a great deal of trouble if Silco incites open war and while Patho-Gen still has the ability to control them, to separate their souls from their bodies. ]

I think Silco is needed, and I do not mean that as a tool. He is someone who is willing to do what needs to be done when many of us still struggle to do so. But if he is left to his own devices and given free rein, I fear that not only he will be in danger but most of us by extension, and the people of Karteria he is supporting.

[ There’s a small lilt as his smile carries to his eyes at seeing her surprise. He can guess where it’s coming from, since maybe he’s projecting, but he does think they’re similar in this. Hearing and accepting that kind of sentiment is difficult. However, it’s quick to turn to an open laugh as she points at something else entirely. ]

Ah, and that’s exactly why Silco insists on calling me “boy”. My hair and skin routine works wonders, clearly~.

[ He even grins a bit roguishly, but with more of a laugh, he shrugs and shakes his head. ]

I’m just kidding. Though I do take pride in both, it’s just genetics. Elven people may not live longer than others despite the fairytales, but we age more slowly. I’m 35, just to settle the curiosity~.

[ The rest of their conversation might be serious, but he’s not one to avoid lightness when it presents itself. It’s a funnier topic, to be sure, which is why it’s almost a shame to just continue on… But the rest is more important. It’s why his laugh fades into a thoughtful little hum, because her words do resonate with him. Doing what needs to be done… That feels like the concise measure of most of what he and Silco have talked about. ]

…It is needed, though. To be serious about this. Considering what Patho-Gen seems to have planned for us—or at least some parts of Patho-Gen—I do fear that extreme measures will become necessary. But not would I say that everyone here can stomach what that means. The vast majority of the Augmented I’ve met are…

[ He trails off as he searches for a word, since “kind” is what comes to mind, but it seems too simple for what he means. It’s not unlike how he saw his work at home. There are some people that can take on difficult, dirty work for the sake of saving others from that kind of burden. ]

Well, if they can avoid being wrapped up in such necessary measures, then it’s for the best.

[ Thirty-five? That's... She certainly assumed he was younger. (This will teach her to respect the privacy of others on the network. She really should start vetting people more strictly.) At least she won't insult him with calling him younger than he is, or with the quips Silco says. And when he speaks of others, well... Mel has to huff out a quiet laugh. ]

They're hopeful and optimistic. I understand. Many believe that we can appeal to Patho-Gen and change things. Others believe rushing in and setting fire to the building would be best.

[ Look, she doesn't disagree with Takasugi's desires, just his methods. It's a wonder no one tried to have him killed. ]

But most of all, we are bound together. Many people here would charge in head first and forget that their fellows, their friends and loved ones, would be in immediate danger. And too many of them believe our enemies would hesitate. Silco doesn't have that compunction. He's lived with those consequences. And he knows what will happen if things go wrong. But that lived experience... I fear it will erupt out of him.

[ And that his ire, his rage, will move the flood of an uprising. ]

As do I. It’s… nice, to think that way.

[ Or naïve, but just from his gentler tone, it’s clear that he views it with more nuance than that. That he wishes he could see the world in that kind of optimistic way. He sighs and shakes his head. ]

Perhaps some of Patho-Gen would be on our side, if that recent post is to be believed. [ He doesn’t, but. ] But even if there’s division within their ranks, I have my doubts that it would be enough. I think the majority would be self-interested. I can imagine plenty of justifications they’d have for it, since they happen in my world too. If you’re fighting the end of the world, then things are different.

[ He shrugs, since honestly, though he’s heard about those things in New Eridu, he doesn’t have much emotional stake in it. He’s not a man that will solve the Hollow disasters, and he’s never had any interest in trying to. ]

However, I do agree that we’re all in this together. That much I feel certain about. It’s why I have no problem hosting that mirror, since it’s a step towards us being more self-reliant. And hopefully a step away from those that choose the more chaotic path like Silco, yes.

As much as I don't truly believe there will be a full schism in the ranks...I do think it's worth our time to keep an eye on things. In the end, they may try to silence our few supporters, and I would much rather have them on the outside with us and able to provide what information they can than to know they are gone.

[ It muddies the waters, of course. So many people in Karteria working for Patho-Gen means that they are bound to not only encounter heavy resistance in areas but also that they will need to be more discerning of who is the enemy and who is not. People looking for a better life and putting trust in an organization are not the same as those who blatantly hurt for the sake of raw data.

Mel hums a quiet note. ]

When we first arrived, I almost felt empathy for them. I can understand that if our world was in danger back home, would we not do anything and everything?

[ But there has to be a line and Patho-Gen has surely crossed it. ]

Anything you might need for your own protection as we move forward...please tell me. I know I'm not only asking you to take a risk but you and I know the stakes better than most. I don't wish to lose you as an ally so soon.

Agreed. Considering what they’ve done to some of our own, I have no doubts that if the dissenters became too inconvenient, they’d simply kill them. That’s what’s typical with my world, at least, and I see no reason to expect any difference here.

[ He shrugs, but it’s as his frown deepens. ]

…It’s almost funny, actually. My world is one that’s in as dire straights as this one. I’ve personally seen how those in power justify things that feel similar to what they seem to want to accomplish here. Soldiers who are cloned, others who are put into the shells of Intelligent Constructs—all things that are known and simply accepted as part of a cost for our continued existence. What other choice is there? That’s always the question, and I don’t have an answer for it either.

[ He understands it. It’s simply part of life in New Eridu, and while he’s stumbled across some secret details of those measures before, it’s not like he’d ever made an effort to stop them. It’s why he sighs, since it feels like more a personal failing now. But, still. It’s not the same. He looks to Mel more seriously now. ]

Yet, I’m not keen to be a martyr for their cause. That is where Silco and I agree.

[ The methods, perhaps not, but the resolve and the anger? Absolutely. The latter has only gotten more intense as of late, and the line between his own perception and what his Spectral Soul encourage is growing ever blurrier. ]

At the very least, I don’t think you have to worry too much about losing me, save for Patho-Gen interference that can’t be planned for anyways. I’m a Spectral, you see, so I’ve already died. I think I’m very much here to stay.

[ It’s a shame Hugo has no other answer despite having experienced much of this. She’s certain he would have at least shared what it was by now. Still, he has that understanding, and it’s one she leans on now. As Hugo looks her way, his expression somber, Mel’s gaze is steely. It never shows in her expression, too schooled for that. ]

Nor would I ask you or anyone else to give so much. No one should need to be sacrificed at the altar of our safety.

[ But that’s the expectation by the Karterians. Their struggle is now that of the Augmented’s by nature of their existence here. They are to be cannon fodder. It’s something she’s discussed at length with Silco: that there must be another reason for their presence, because finding Katalyth isn’t cutting it. There has to be something else, but she’d…hoped, perhaps naively, that the real reason wasn’t rampant experimentation or using them as scapegoats. In this, she supposes Silco was right again, even if she wishes that wasn’t the case. ]

If we start allowing martyrs, then we can make any justification as is necessary, and no one will be spared even between us. [ Mel sighs. ] Far be it for me to sound foolish but…I think we need to make fewer concessions, not more, because if we continue to compromise then we will lose everything.

It’s one thing to help the Karterians, to support their rebuilding, to support the health of this world. But what is being allowed…

[ There is something wrong with this city. She wishes she could say that if this occurred in Noxus, in Piltover, in Zaun, there would be a stronger outcry. But she knows how Piltover would react if Zaun’s people were harmed; it would be the same as here, with silence in the days following. ]

I don’t have a solution either. I wish I did. And I wish it didn’t involve people like you dying.

Well, when it comes to my death, I place the blame for that squarely on Patho-Gen.

[ He responds to that first, because ironically, that’s easy. He’ll always feel Takasugi’s teeth in his side and the heaviness of Silco’s water in his chest, but what had led to that at all? It’s easy to turn his ire towards the ones responsible for it in the first place. ]

I feel much the same for their plight at this point, so I hardly think it’s foolish. I may be sympathetic towards it, and I feel especially for the people who have no choice in our being here, but. It’s not as if we volunteered for this task and are having second thoughts. [ He huffs out a laugh as he shrugs. ] There’s a reason I never volunteered for any of the organizations dedicated to fighting against the Hollows. I’m just not the self-sacrificial sort~.

[ He might be light and joking in his tone, but the sentiment is sincere. Even if Patho-Gen had begged for his help, he would have refused. He’s not the heroic type. He never has been and he never will be. ]

…But, that said. If you happen to hear of anything that might be useful to end up in our hands, I might be able to assist. I did run an art gallery back home, that’s all perfectly true, but my much more lucrative profession is stealing from places like Patho-Gen.

I think that's the piece that rankles me the most. The people here surely understand we were brought here against our wills, and yet we're treated like animals and outsiders, but in the same breath they want us to believe we're saviors.

[ There's a kind of cognitive dissonance to it but one she still can't fully fathom and accept. It troubles her deeply because the wall feels too damn high to breach, and while several Karterians came to their aid when people were kidnapped... That it took them this long to think on it, to understand it, to truly realize the horror of it— ]

I understand their blind loyalty to Patho-Gen for their years of service. But we're missing something, I feel.

[ What other horrors have these people seen, where the sight of tortured Augmented is startling but not enough to cause open conflict or louder, more persistent concern. But to his comment, Mel turns over a few things. ]

...There was a man here months ago who broke in and got information. Chuuya is his name, though I haven't seen him around at all. Brickston tried to break in as well and was caught. But if you're looking for specific things, I have a name for you. I only ask that you keep the name from Silco.

[ Not that she thinks Silco will harm Momo, but she fears he'll use him, and she wants Momo's involvement in anything, especially after all he's suffered, to be a consensual one. ]

I will.

[ He agrees to those terms easily and without questioning why. It’s not exactly hard to guess in broad strokes, since Silco is a dangerous man. Whether that’s in ideology or straightforward violence, it doesn’t matter. Hugo understands why Mel would want to be careful in keeping people away from him.

That’s the easy part. The rest… ]

I worry that I know part of what we’re missing, and it’s all the more reason that having a safe settlement would be wise.

[ His expression is serious, but subtle though it may be, there’s a quiet anger underneath it. ]

Just so I don’t repeat information you might already know, did you see what was underneath Kelesis?

[ They're in lockstep on that piece. It's something that's been nagging at her for weeks now and even though a safe settlement will not prevent them from being controlled or brought back into the city... It's a start. And it's better than the alternative. She's about to give him the name when Hugo's expression changes, and hers does almost in an echo of his own.

There's a tip of her head in a nod. ]

I did. You did as well, obviously. [ Or he wouldn't be bringing it up. ] What they've done to those creatures, those who were likely people once...

[ It's vile. ]

That’s good, in a way. It’s not something where I’d want to be the bearer of very bad news, you know?

[ There’s half a joke in that, but he sighs as he shakes his head. The rest of this is serious. ]

While some [ most, ] were raiding Patho-Gen’s headquarters, I decided to head to Kelesis instead. I found Patho-Gen employees down there as well, though nothing useful on them other than the fact that they were there. That they’re aware.

[ It’s damning, to him. Between that and such a large portion of their own being taken away to be tortured, he doesn’t trust Patho-Gen at all. Even if there are good ones, does that matter? There’s enough that’s rotten that he’s inclined to be harsh and say no. But those are also thoughts he’d be more inclined to share with Silco than Mel. Even if he and Silco are rather aligned in their way of thinking, Hugo seeks a different public reputation than he does. ]

…And that’s where I worry that we’d very quickly lose public support. Perhaps the average person isn’t aware—I’d even say they certainly aren’t—but I think the purpose of those Terra were clear. I think we’re more fundamental to how this place survives than they’re letting on.

[ Mel is quiet for a time, gaze a thousand miles away and briefly unseeing. It's something she's been planning to do, to try to help those creatures, but she has no idea how to free them without exposing them to sunlight and causing them to frenzy. There's no telling how conscious they are, how sane, and that's the worst of it all. Anything they might try to do to help will just end up hurting them, and leaving them is worse. ]

Silco and I had a similar conversation some months ago before all of this was found. That our purpose can't just be for finding Katalyth. So whether we are reduced to food and servitude or something worse, it does not matter; they likely have little intention of fixing this world without us becoming the linchpins of their needs.

[ And so they should start considering what their relative Full Shifts can do and how that could benefit a society in any way, and that will likely give them a better answer. ]

I doubt the average person knows where their food is coming from. But those creatures, those people, are suffering. I'm certain Patho-Gen is hoping we can be substitutes in some fashion. Although... [ A pause. ] ...are you aware that there was a significant amount of Katalyth wherever they took the other Augmented?

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goes to actually request the gd mirrors before this tag lmao

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assuming this takes place prior to her helping out with Mercy Kill...