[Unsigned, undisguised]

[stiffserpent.livejournal.com]

So what exactly happened to the Head Doctor, and what is that VLM5030 thing doing here instead?

Also, "federal training"?

Comments

[unmocked-lawr.livejournal.com]

A transcript of the intercom's last message last night appears to read as if the Head Doctor was killed by the reanimated corpse of Alec Doyle last night, though this has not been confirmed and ought to be taken with a very large grain of salt. By "VLM5030" I assume you mean his replacement on the intercom this morning, which is widely thought to be a recorded message from the Institute's early days but, again, has not been confirmed. We are still unsure about the meaning of the phrase "federal training," though my personal guess is the theory that this institute was originally intended as a military training program.

Granted, the entire thing could also be a set-up. There are no clear answers here.

[stiffserpent.livejournal.com]

The reanimated corpse of Alec Doyle?

[unmocked-lawr.livejournal.com]

Were you in town last night?

[stiffserpent.livejournal.com]

Yeah, and I had a great time, but who is Alec Doyle?

[unmocked-lawr.livejournal.com]

He was a man who turned up on the radio regularly under the pseudonym of "Jack" when I first arrived here three weeks ago, offering clues and vague encouragement to the patients. Occasionally he would turn up among the patient populace, either to prove Landel's incompetence or for his own amusement. He was confirmed killed by Landel himself two weeks ago and his body was found in the morgue at night.

It eventually came to light that he and Landel had once been close working associates, but had some sort of falling-out over an unspecified woman.

[stiffserpent.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a pretty trivial reason to me. Are you sure there wasn't more to it?

[unmocked-lawr.livejournal.com]

I rather wish I could be sure of anything in a place like this. Under no circumstances do I mean to imply that the woman was the only reason for the falling-out, or that the woman had any significant role in it at all. This is all we know at the moment; the staff hasn't exactly seen fit to provide us with a comprehensive biography of Landel or Doyle.

[stiffserpent.livejournal.com]

Just one more thing.

When you say Doyle was a reanimated corpse, do you mean he was like the zombies in the town, or was he just himself, alive again?

[line drawn to link]

[unmocked-lawr.livejournal.com]

I don't know; I wasn't in the building at the time, and as far as I know, nobody actually saw him. Here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned_bulletin/494002.html?thread=14382002#t14382002) is a transcript of what was apparently heard.

Other patients have vouched for the first speaker being Landel; whether the second was Doyle is up for debate, as his voice was apparently distorted. With that in mind, I'd venture to say he was no better off than the zombies in town.

[stiffserpent.livejournal.com]

There weren't any zombies in the town who were better off than when they were alive, then?

Someone being brought back to life younger and stronger, or anything like that?

[unmocked-lawr.livejournal.com]

As far as I know, all of them seemed to be in moderate to advanced stages of decomposition.

Might I ask what all this is about?

[stiffserpent.livejournal.com]

It's nothing. I'm just curious.

[unmocked-lawr.livejournal.com]

But of course.

[stiffserpent.livejournal.com]

That's what I told you. And if you don't believe me, that's your business. If you can't trust me, stop posting here.

[unmocked-lawr.livejournal.com]

I make a regular habit of not trusting people. That's what law enforcement does to you.

But it's clearly your business. I just wondered if you might have a lead.

[stiffserpent.livejournal.com]

First my friend comes back after his own death, restored to when I last met him. Then he tells me that I used to be here as a middle-aged man, and I ended up taking my own life, and then I woke up here again as the person I am now.

I still don't know why, or how.

[unmocked-lawr.livejournal.com]

Landel tends to do that. Time and death, apparently, have very little meaning to him. You're not the first one I've heard of who's come back a second time from a different point in their life, and I suspect you won't be the last.

But I doubt the events of last night were caused by Landel.

[stiffserpent.livejournal.com]

Yeah. It wouldn't make sense for him to revive his enemy, after all.

But then again, an [small blob of ink and handwriting restarts a little higher up on the page, indicating a pause in writing] enemy of mine brought me back to him even though I was defeated. And it doesn't seem like making sense is important to Landel.

[unmocked-lawr.livejournal.com]

That may be true, but I'll leave the constant worrying over his motives to someone else for the time being.

[stiffserpent.livejournal.com]

That makes sense. I've got a job to do anyway; I can't drive myself crazy worrying about something I'll never know.

[141-12.livejournal.com]

What?

[stiffserpent.livejournal.com]

Otacon? Is that your handwriting?

[141-12.livejournal.com]

That's right.

Why would you ki How is it even possi Why does this always I don't know whether to be more disturbed that this apparently happens all the time, or that it specifically happened to you.

[stiffserpent.livejournal.com]

He said I went insane. That there was little more of me left then a shell.

The thought of me ever killing myself It's so out-of-character that You knew me from then. Did I look to you like someone who'd kill himself?

[141-12.livejournal.com]

"Middle age", huh? You were the furthest thing from a shell at that time. It might surprise you now, but you could be inspiring, even.

No I can't really say No. Not without a good reason.

[stiffserpent.livejournal.com]

"Inspiring"? What the hell could someone like me ever inspire in anyone else?

[141-12.livejournal.com]

You've helped several people understand what they were fighting for. You helped me, anyway. Although when we'd met, I don't think you had any idea why you were fighting.

[stiffserpent.livejournal.com]

Are you trying to tell me something? Because I don't need a lecture.

[141-12.livejournal.com]

Just reminiscing. It's a bad habit, when you get to be my age.

Were you told anything about the last time you were here?

[stiffserpent.livejournal.com]

You're acting like you know something.

oops sorry that was supposed to be "anything else"

[141-12.livejournal.com]

Any little detail might be useful in understanding how this place works. The nurses only answer questions in roundabout ways, so they're not much help, but if you were here before, then there has to be some reason for it. I mean, this can't all just be some sadistic game.

Snake, I'm not hiding anything from you. Most of what I know has to do with your future, and I don't see how telling you any of it now is going to make a difference.



Er. That sounds really bad, doesn't it? Look... I'd rather talk about it in person. I've never li I won't lie to you, Snake. Not if you really want to know.

[stiffserpent.livejournal.com]

Otacon -

You can hold it against me if you like, but I have no idea if I trust you yet. I know I should be able to, but I've seen so much deception and betrayal in my life that I don't know if I believe a single word you say. Is that clear?

Also, I have absolutely no interest in knowing my future. I've never believed in horoscopes or fortune tellers. Besides, since I'm here, it's not as if that future you say I'm going to have is actually going to happen.

And it can't just be a sadistic game, but the way my life has gone, I'm starting to wonder. It's like the mundane people toying with us just get pleasure out of watching their puppets suffer.

[141-12.livejournal.com]

To be honest, I'm surprised you've trusted me this much so far. It doesn't matter. Even if we don't share the same experiences — or will ever share the same experiences, at that — I'm still your friend.

They picked the wrong people to toy with, then. There's not a fortress we've met that we haven't able to get into and out of.