ECHO DIARY ENTRY #4: TEN WEEKS AFTER THE FALL OF HELIOS
[ this time, rhys isn't in a bedroom. he's in a brand new location, an apartment. it's pretty minimalist, fancy, kinda upscale. rhys is sitting at a desk, in front of a computer that's recording him and behind him is a view of his living room (leather sofa, glass coffee table) and kitchenette (metal stools, chrome everything). past that is a view of a pretty nice looking city, showing that he's pretty high up off the ground.
rhys is dressed in a white dress shirt, black vest and black slacks. the sleeves of his shirt are folded up to his elbows and for the first time since he started this video log, his hair is slicked back -- a few loose bangs falling over his face. he's leaning forward in his seat, hands pressed together against his mouth as he thinks. eyes flicking up to the video, he sighs before folding his hands and resting his chin on his knuckles. ]
I miss... I miss talking to someone, which is probably why I started this stupid diary. I can't see like, a shrink or anything -- not for something like this. I have no idea if Fiona or Sasha are still alive and if they are -- they definitely don't want to talk to me. They ditched me on Helios for crying out loud, those fucking assholes. Like hell would I talk to them anyway? [ he looks angry for a moment before he relaxes, the grief lingering on him since the first video returning. ] As for Vaughn... I left Vaughn with Vallory and last I heard, her and all her men were dead. There's no way he survived that.
[ he leans back in his chair, arms crossing over his chest as he sways back and forth and continues to look lost in thought. ]
I don't... really have any friends. Vaughn is -- was my best friend. Yvette, well, you know how that turned out. I thought Fiona was something but... nevermind what I thought about Fiona, it was obviously wrong.
[ a shake of his head and his head falls back against his chair. he talks up to the ceiling now. ]
Jack felt like a friend. He really did, you know? I know it was stupid of me, the guy spent most of his time calling me an idiot but damn, everything felt so right with him anyway. I know he was just an AI, someone's own made up idea of him -- maybe even the original Jack's idea -- but he was still so much fun. I really thought I was an exception -- that he liked me, that he wanted to keep me around. Guess that wasn't ever really the plan, in the end.
[ a few moments of silence again and then he sits back up, looking at the camera. ]
I have an appointment tomorrow to see what's left under Atlas's name and claim it. Properties, both intellectual and physical. Products. Employees -- though that one's probably ehhhhhh, considering Athena. Anything that could possibly be owned by Atlas, it's mine to take so, uh, I will. I'll take it because --
[ rhys pauses and he looks unsure for a moment, like he's not ready to voice this just yet. he steels himself though, chokes it out. ]
I have to rebuild. I have to right the wrongs that Jack has done. Hyperion is over, everyone died along with the company. If I can do something good with this, fix some of the bad I've done, maybe I won't be the worst person in the universe anymore. Maybe.
[ then, he bites his bottom lip before reaching forward and ending the video. ]
> vid_004
[ this time, rhys isn't in a bedroom. he's in a brand new location, an apartment. it's pretty minimalist, fancy, kinda upscale. rhys is sitting at a desk, in front of a computer that's recording him and behind him is a view of his living room (leather sofa, glass coffee table) and kitchenette (metal stools, chrome everything). past that is a view of a pretty nice looking city, showing that he's pretty high up off the ground.
rhys is dressed in a white dress shirt, black vest and black slacks. the sleeves of his shirt are folded up to his elbows and for the first time since he started this video log, his hair is slicked back -- a few loose bangs falling over his face. he's leaning forward in his seat, hands pressed together against his mouth as he thinks. eyes flicking up to the video, he sighs before folding his hands and resting his chin on his knuckles. ]
I miss... I miss talking to someone, which is probably why I started this stupid diary. I can't see like, a shrink or anything -- not for something like this. I have no idea if Fiona or Sasha are still alive and if they are -- they definitely don't want to talk to me. They ditched me on Helios for crying out loud, those fucking assholes. Like hell would I talk to them anyway? [ he looks angry for a moment before he relaxes, the grief lingering on him since the first video returning. ] As for Vaughn... I left Vaughn with Vallory and last I heard, her and all her men were dead. There's no way he survived that.
[ he leans back in his chair, arms crossing over his chest as he sways back and forth and continues to look lost in thought. ]
I don't... really have any friends. Vaughn is -- was my best friend. Yvette, well, you know how that turned out. I thought Fiona was something but... nevermind what I thought about Fiona, it was obviously wrong.
[ a shake of his head and his head falls back against his chair. he talks up to the ceiling now. ]
Jack felt like a friend. He really did, you know? I know it was stupid of me, the guy spent most of his time calling me an idiot but damn, everything felt so right with him anyway. I know he was just an AI, someone's own made up idea of him -- maybe even the original Jack's idea -- but he was still so much fun. I really thought I was an exception -- that he liked me, that he wanted to keep me around. Guess that wasn't ever really the plan, in the end.
[ a few moments of silence again and then he sits back up, looking at the camera. ]
I have an appointment tomorrow to see what's left under Atlas's name and claim it. Properties, both intellectual and physical. Products. Employees -- though that one's probably ehhhhhh, considering Athena. Anything that could possibly be owned by Atlas, it's mine to take so, uh, I will. I'll take it because --
[ rhys pauses and he looks unsure for a moment, like he's not ready to voice this just yet. he steels himself though, chokes it out. ]
I have to rebuild. I have to right the wrongs that Jack has done. Hyperion is over, everyone died along with the company. If I can do something good with this, fix some of the bad I've done, maybe I won't be the worst person in the universe anymore. Maybe.
[ then, he bites his bottom lip before reaching forward and ending the video. ]