1. (video)

[thisonetime]

[The feed comes on, but at first, everything's dark.]

The hell is this?

[Then there's a shot of Ellis's gray eye, and then it pans back out to his face. He's covered in a layer of dirt and various bodily fluids, and beyond that, he's tired and bruised in a few places. The stone ceiling of his barracks room can be seen in the background, and Ellis looks quite perplexed.]

Hello? Anybody out there? This funny little book's talkin' about worlds bein' unmade and records bein' kept and whatnot, but it ain't makin' much sense.

Like, how'm I here if everythin's not made anymore? And hell, you can't unmake shit! My friend Keith tried to unmake a car once, cause he thought it was haunted, but all he got was a broken car and a face full'a burnin' oil. He quit messin' with it after that, mostly 'cause he went blind for like six months. Don't know if it was really haunted or nothin', but I guess anything can happen, after the zombies an' shit...

[Ellis just trails off, then looks around the room. With his free hand, he rubs the space between his shoulder and neck and winces. Getting pounded into the ground by a charger sucks, and he's still aching.

Then, he turns back to the camera and smiles, though it's a little uneasy.]

So, hey, m'name's Ellis. I'm lookin' for Nick, Rochelle, and Coach, if any y'all out there.

[And they had to be, didn't they?]

Comments

[abstinentzombie]

[At least he doesn't seem like a crazy psycho killer. Which is good for her. And everyone else, too.]

Right, well, try not to attack anyone else. You could get punished for that. Most of the people here won't attack you without a reason, and there aren't zombies.

[She still keeps weapons on her person all the time, though, anyway. Because glowy blue freaks.]

To be cautious, the best thing we can do is send you to Sycora and see what she thinks. She didn't cure me, but she created a medication that prevents me from infecting anyone else.

[According to Sycora it works, and she's starting to believe it. Kloe has slowly, very slowly, become more lax with her precautions. And no one has died. Yet.]

[thisonetime]

[Ellis looks sheepish about having attacked the guy, but that passes. Instead, Kloe gets a look of confusion and curiosity.]

Oh, huh. Don't hurt, does it? The meds, I mean? Cause most'a the meds I been usin' have been, like, pill bottles fulla I don't know what and needles fulla 'bout the same. Does weird shit sometimes.

[abstinentzombie]

[Kloe takes a moment to pull up her sleeve and points to a lovely little patch on her arm.]

No pills. This is it.

[Point.]

[thisonetime]

[Ellis bends down to peer at the little patch.]

Like them patches people used instead'a cigarettes? That ain't so bad, I could do that, I mean, if I need to, I guess.

[He's not opposed, just... confused. And really hoping he doesn't even need the patch.]

[abstinentzombie]

...Yeah. Like that.

[Cigarette patches whaaat]

[thisonetime]

Yeah, okay, okay.

[He rubs his chin thoughtfully, and then one corner of his mouth lifts in a sort of hopeful, lopsided smile.]

So I gotta go see a Miss Sycora, get myself one'a these little thingers here, and then I'll be ay-okay?

[abstinentzombie]

According to her, yes. If your virus is considerably different than mine it might take a few days. I was in isolation for at least a week.

[thisonetime]

Oh, shit.

[He doesn't want to be in isolation for a week! But...]

Actually, that brings me 'round to a good question, one I been thinkin' about for a li'l while now. Where y'all from? Maybe we got the same thing.

[abstinentzombie]

[She kind of doubts it, since she's never heard of green fever or whatever it was he called it, but hey, you never know.]

New York. Or what was once New York.

[thisonetime]

[Ellis breaks out into a huge grin.]

Shit! Really? I ain't never been there, s'way too far north, but I always wanted to go. Thought it'd be real cool t'see.

[abstinentzombie]

I don't see what would be very "cool" about it.

[thisonetime]

What, no, come on - s'got all these big buildings, an' like, car shows, an' all kinds'a food, an' all these people live there, an' I guess it's got artsy kinda shit if you like that. Or, least, it did. Dunno 'bout now, though, zombies might'a got it.

[Ellis sighs, shaking his head.]

Goddamn zombies.

[abstinentzombie]

[Kloe just kind of gives him a look. A confused look. Until she realizes what the issue might be here. It's really jarring wrapping her head around the time-skipping things.]

Right, you're talking about the original New York. Then yes, I assume it was an interesting place eighty-something years ago. Before the Zombies took it over. I've never seen the ruins myself, I never went on recovery missions, but I've heard stories.

[thisonetime]

[Ellis just... stares. Okay. This is not the weirdest thing that's happened today, but it's still thrown him for a loop. He blinks twice, then a look of childlike amazement comes onto his face.]

Y'all're from the future?

[abstinentzombie]

[Kloe wonders whether or not it was a bad idea to dump all this information on him.]

Apparently. It's more like everyone else is from the past.

[Which is still really damn weird.]

[thisonetime]

[It was not a good idea. His head just might start spinning from all the new knowledge!]

Well, shit! What's it like? D'you got flyin' cars yet, or did the zombies all kinda keep that from happenin'?