Case # 27: Video

[19centconstable]

[George is sitting at the table in his room. His helmet is in front of him, and he's scrubbing furiously at the badge mounted on it with a toothbrush. He pauses and peers at the badge through a magnifying glass.]

Oh, for the love of...

[Back to scrubbing. There are still small traces of tarnish. George eventually puts the toothbrush down with a frustrated sigh, and tells the viewers at home:]

I suppose I ought to be thankful at least that it hasn't grown a tree.

[Oh, did you think this was an accidental post? No, George's communicator has yet to act up, he was just distracted by the creeping rust.]

I had just wanted to say that the other day I happened to notice a suspicious damp bit on the floor of the fifth level common room, by the shark's tank, and I thought someone ought to check into that.

[Just in case, as George suspects, the shark has started piddling on the floor to get attention. Or, more realistically, the decay has made its way down to level five and has started eroding the tank. And nobody likes a loose shark. Particularly the shark, because they can't breathe air very well.]

Comments

[19centconstable.livejournal.com]

I suppose I'll have to get another toothbrush then.

[yourunichase]

Probably. I've got some gun cleaning shit that may help if you want to borrow it. It's meant for metal.

[19centconstable.livejournal.com]

I would appreciate that, if you could spare it.

Nothing terrible has happened to you today, has it?

[yourunichase]

Just the normal sunshiney and happy fucking life of people aboard the barge.

[19centconstable.livejournal.com]

...I'm not sure if that's seriousness, or sass.

[yourunichase]

Does it need to be one or the other?

[19centconstable.livejournal.com]

If it's sass I'd have to be worried that something terrible had happened to you.

[yourunichase]

I'm fine, George. I'm just sick of all the bullshit haunted house effects.

[19centconstable.livejournal.com]

Thank goodness.

But yes, it's beginning to get me down as well. It's the waiting, I believe, which is the worst.

[yourunichase]

Definitely. I fucking hate the waiting. It makes everything so much fucking worse when it happens.

[19centconstable.livejournal.com]

And yet: you go along just wishing it would happen already.

Like when a dentist has to pull a tooth.

[yourunichase]

Yep. I just want it fucking done. Or to get off this boat.

[19centconstable.livejournal.com]

A port would be a welcome change.