Emerald City Blues

[acts_of_gord]

Gordon's unvoiced fears about his suit's weight to the contrary, the Aperture Science Emergency Vehicular Evacuation Vehicle neither punctured nor sank when he got in. The small inflatable may be the single safest and most reliable non-lethal device Aperture has ever produced, which of course probably means it was originally intended for something else.

He's trying not to think about that, though. They're quietly puttering closer to the shore, and very soon they'll have to get out. Unfortunately, right now Gordon is remembering one of the History Channel specials his father was so fond of in those rare times when Bill Freeman was actually at home. It was, he recalls, the life of Douglas MacArthur.

He's not going to say 'I have returned' when he gets out of the boat. He's not.

Comments

[acts_of_gord]

"Sorry," says Gordon, who's not really sure what else to say. Seems like as good a time as any to fall back on his default no-talking policies, at this point.

[smelltheashes]

The old man takes a deep breath and straightens in his seat. "Alright. I've got some questions I'd like to ask you, but based on past experience I'm not about to trust the answers, so we might as well skip over all that," he says. "Now, I'm not an unkind man, so I'm not gonna keep you locked up, but you're not gonna have free reign, either. You stay on this level of the base, you go nowhere without an escort, and you don't talk to anybody except that escort. We've got enough rumors flyin' around as it is without you stirrin' up new ones. Oh, and one more thing..." He nods toward the gravity gun and the crowbar. "If you wanna leave this room, I'm gonna have to ask you to leave your toys behind."

[acts_of_gord]

"Actually," says Gordon, who's more reluctant than he'd like to be parted from the crowbar, "right now I'd be happy if I could get someplace to lie down for a bit. Or somewhere quiet to sit and close my eyes, if that's not possible. Either way."

[smelltheashes]

"We should have a bunk or two that's not full up yet," offers the Latina woman. "In the east barracks?"

The old man nods and turns to the blond girl. "Eleanor, you're his escort for the time being. Keep an eye on him."

[acts_of_gord]

"All right," says Gordon. Somewhat reluctantly he extracts the gravity gun and hands it over. Somewhat more so, he turns over the crowbar. "That one was a gift, by the way," he notes. "I'm going to want them both back, but."

Then he'll be more than happy to follow the blond girl to wherever the east barracks is.

[smelltheashes]

"You'll get 'em back when we hear back from Jackson," says the old man, unmoved. "Now get the hell out of my office."

[acts_of_gord]

Gordon nods and gets up straightaway.

Here's hoping they all navigate the beach safely.