Vacationing

[sentryslinger]

[Continuing this thread, in which Spy has convinced Engineer to spend a vacation with him. Fishing, fine dining, and some enemy bonding ensue.


Engineer steps into the elevator, hitting the button for their floor, pulling at his collar to loosen that next button.]

Hey, thanks again for the dinner and the suit. I'll have to put it to use some other time to justify your spendin' money on all this.

Comments

[sentryslinger]

I'd think so, too. It was somethin' we didn't talk too much about back home. It's a fact that this job does have its benefits, though, for all the hell they put us through.

[not_onyourside]

Name one, ozzer zhan money.

[sentryslinger]

The technology I'm able to access on account of me bein' here, as well as some research I wouldn't have gotten my hands on otherwise.

[not_onyourside]

Hmm. Well I grant you zhat.

But having such knowledge ees also dangerous een zhe company's eyes.

[sentryslinger]

And that would be why I can't get out. Why none of us could.

[not_onyourside]

So you will just pass zhis on to your children?

[sentryslinger]

I'll be lucky if I get to have any.

[not_onyourside]

So zhe generations of indentured servitude ends wez you?

[He lays down his three of a kind, hoping what Engie has is worse. So far his luck hasn't been too terrible.]

[sentryslinger]

[He managed to get a single pair from his draw, but it's not enough to save him. Off comes his undershirt without fanfare.]

A part of me says it's better than damning them to this life, if that's what they choose to go into.

[not_onyourside]

Eef zhe company deems you so valuable zhey might make sure your offspring followed een your footsteps.

[He's trying not to leer. But it's a struggle.]

[sentryslinger]

I'm sure they might, now. The men who run these companies ain't in the best of health.

[He doesn't even seem to notice as he leans on the table.]

[not_onyourside]

I have not seen zhem een quite some time. I zhought zhey were dead.

[sentryslinger]

They aren't. And won't be for sometime unless somethin' else goes wrong with those machines that are keepin' 'em alive. That, and if there's always someone around to fix them.

[not_onyourside]

[He arches an eyebrow over his cards.]

Zhat would be you I presume?

[sentryslinger]

[His brow furrows.]

For now.

[not_onyourside]

Who else would do what you do?

[sentryslinger]

Nobody, as far as I know. They can get other engineers to take a look, but my grandfather is the one who built them the machines to begin with.

[not_onyourside]

So you see? You are far from expendable.

[sentryslinger]

I am right now, but even a machine can't keep you around forever. And once they're gone, who knows what they'll do with us.

[not_onyourside]

Probably fire us. Eef no one ees around to work for, zhen who cares eef we know what we know?

Zhat may work out for zhe best.

[sentryslinger]

Maybe, but I'm bettin' this all runs deeper than two old men fightin' over gravel.

[He swaps out two cards.]

It'd be nice to have a happy ending though, wouldn't it?

[not_onyourside]

I zhink at least a few of us deserve zhat.

[ His two pair will have to do because he's not drawing anything better. ]

[sentryslinger]

[He's not, either. At least his pair is a pair of jacks.]

You sound like you could, from what I've heard. And that's comin' from a man who barely knows ya.

[not_onyourside]

[ His two threes and two fours aren't great. But they're something at least. ]

I do not zhink I am meant to have a happy end. But zhat ees alright. So long as at least a few people do zhan I am content.

[sentryslinger]

Anyone in particular you'd wish that on?