DELTA: display activated. restoring functions. hello, how may i be of assistance to you? WASH: instruction: identify yourself. DELTA: executing. i am intelligence program delta, as created for the special operative program freelancer. i have been assigned to agent foxtrot-12, or york. my assignee was recently killed in combat. WASH: i noticed. hold on. [ turning away to contact command ] come in, command. this is recovery one. i've located the delta ai. he appears intact. COMMAND: this is command. we need a full inventory of the carrier's equipment before it's decommissioned. WASH: why do you need that? COMMAND: recovery one, please respond to the directive. perform a complete inventory. WASH: roger, command. recovery one out. [ turning back to delta ] delta, instruction: run a full system diagnostic with detail on armor components, analyze inventory. DELTA: executing. result: all components present, armor at 72% peak capacity. WASH: not bad for an old locksmith. hey, need you to start a countdown for me; one hundred on the clock. DELTA: initiating. one hundred, ninety nine, ninety eight — may i make an inquiry? WASH: go ahead. DELTA: why was i not destroyed? WASH: what? DELTA: when an assignee is killed in action, protocol dictates that all intelligence programs be — WASH: [ cutting him off ] yeah, that's what they told me at first, too. but you were encrypted until you could be recovered. i'm here to recover you. DELTA: recovery carries risk. destruction ensures that an ai will not fall into enemy hands. WASH: are you complaining? DELTA: not at all. just noting a discrepancy. WASH: what do you want from me, guy? you cost a lot of money, okay? it's cheaper to recover you than it is to delete you. go bitch to the accountants. DELTA: if i have offended you, i do apologize. WASH: yeah, i'm all busted up about it. now, store yourself in a portable component, okay? i'm moving you. DELTA: you could insert me into your own ai slot. i do not show it as occupied. WASH: i don't think so. DELTA: if you are having difficulty, i can walk you through the implantation procedure. WASH: i don't do that. DELTA: are you agent washington? WASH: that's me. DELTA: then i understand. you had . . . difficulties with your assigned ai unit. WASH: difficulties? yeah, i suppose that's a word. DELTA: in that case, i must insist that you terminate my program. destruction ensures that an ai will not fall into — WASH: [ talking over him ] look, delta, just relax. i don't think you're in any danger of getting hijacked by one of the four dead guys here with us. DELTA: three. WASH: what? DELTA: my sensors indicate only three inert human forms. yourself and one other remain active. >WASH: what — [ immediately interrupted by gunfire from behind ] great! thanks for telling me! DELTA: i suggest you return fire. WASH: you think? [ when a grenade is lobbed toward him ] son of a — [ ducking out of the way and returning fire when his gun jams/runs out of ammo ] damnit. [ the combatant retreats ] what the hell? DELTA: perhaps he realized that york's equipment was charged to detonate. currently t-minus four — WASH: instruction! storage, now! DELTA: executing. two, one. WASH: [ escapes with delta just as york's armor detonates ] well. at least that was easier than the last one. COMMAND: recovery one, this is command. we have a level one distress signal, immediate response necessary. WASH: i just wrapped that up, command. i'm headed home. COMMAND: negative, recovery one. this is a new signal. WASH: that's the fifth one this month. COMMAND: affirmative. WASH: [ heavy sigh ] all right. send me the coordinates. i'm on my way.
WASH: what i don't get is the motion tracker. no one can get by one of those while they're active. you sure you don't have anything in your logs? [ silence ] south. you with me? south. SOUTH: what? WASH: i need you to concentrate, south. okay? i know he was your brother, but the sooner i can piece together what happened, the sooner we can track this guy. SOUTH: right, uh. sorry. WASH: don't sweat it. now, your logs: nothing? SOUTH: no. not even a ping. WASH: and you didn't hear anything? SOUTH: i heard him — i heard him scream. i came around the corner, and then . . . nothing. WASH: you mean you didn't see the attacker? SOUTH: no. i mean, nothing. i heard him scream, i headed towards him, and then suddenly you're standing over me asking if i'm all right and telling me my brother is dead. WASH: yeah. you were out about eight hours. north's armor started a level one distress and they got me here stat. SOUTH: yeeeah. WASH: level one, south. something you wanna tell me? SOUTH: i'm sure you already know. WASH: i need you to confirm it. SOUTH: he still had theta. WASH: well, i didn't find theta on him, south. did you take it? SOUTH: no, i don't have it. WASH: do you still have yours? SOUTH: no, wash. i never had one. i was in the implant group behind you, remember? and after what happened to you, nobody got any more. WASH: don't sound so bitter. SOUTH: of course not. bitter wouldn't win the war, right? WASH: i have to take care of your brother now, south. you might not wanna watch this part. SOUTH: can i have a few minutes alone with him first? WASH: you can have one minute. SOUTH: i guess i should say thank you. WASH: i guess you should get busy. your minute's already started.
COMMAND: this is recovery command responding secure. WASH: command, this is recovery one. COMMAND: hello, wash. we have you secure, go ahead. WASH: i'm on the scene. COMMAND: what's the status of the twins? WASH: north is kia. south is still functioning. COMMAND: what is the status of north's ai? WASH: you guys knew he had theta? COMMAND: recovery one, please respond to the previous inquiry. what is the status of the artificial — WASH: [ cutting her off ] it's not here, okay? it's gone. this one's gone, too. COMMAND: understood. please wait for directive . . . find out what you can, clean up the agent, and report back. WASH: already on it. COMMAND: the whereabouts of theta are top priority, recovery one. you of all people do not need to be reminded of — WASH: [ interrupting YET AGAIN ] no. you're right. i don't need to be reminded of anything. COMMAND: the mission is now level zero — WASH: what? COMMAND: — we need a full recovery of the current incident. WASH: are you serious? [ turning to look at south in the background ] COMMAND: recovery one, please confirm the previous directive. [ silence ] recovery one, please confirm: you are now level zero, you are ordered — WASH: yeah. i got it.
WASH: [ approaching south ] time's up. i'm sorry. SOUTH: i always thought being a twin was . . . a hard thing. everyone always finds a way to put you together. it's like you're not considered two people. even when we were kids, our parents dressed us alike, and when we joined up and got sent to the program, they stuck us together. people thought we were special somehow, i suppose. i used to hate that. all i ever wanted was to have my own life, and here i am now, just wondering how i'm gonna live without him. WASH: [ slowly lifts his sidearm ] yeah. [ fires sidearm ] i wouldn't go worrying about that if i were you.
WASH: you're dead now. remember that. SOUTH: i don't understand any of this. and my ears are still ringing from that shot you fired. WASH: it had to sound good for the radio. one second, i need to talk to somebody. [ turning away to summon delta ] DELTA: hello, how may i be of assistance? SOUTH: what? is that your ai? i thought it killed itself — WASH: pipe down. we don't have time for explanations. delta, have you been monitoring the situation? DELTA: i have. WASH: are we set here? is she clean? DELTA: can i interpret that to mean: "is south now off of command's active register?" WASH: yes. DELTA: affirmative. SOUTH: what — what register? WASH: instruction: give me thirty on north's clock. hold on the log. DELTA: complying. completed. WASH: now, log to command and include a similar description of south's termination. DELTA: that would be dishonest. WASH: yes, it would. DELTA: executing. completed. SOUTH: wait a minute! what, how did you get him to lie? WASH: there's a whole lot you don't know. we're moving. delta, storage. DELTA: complying. WASH: go. SOUTH: no. WASH: excuse me? SOUTH: i am not moving an inch until you tell me what the hell is going on. WASH: fine. stay here with your brother, then. everyone thinks you're dead anyway, and in fifteen seconds that will be true. DELTA: ten seconds. WASH: no sweat off my back. just one less lie for me to live. SOUTH: Huh. Well . . . shit. [ follows after wash ]
DELTA: i have been monitoring the comm channels. WASH: try again. i need you as accurate as possible if you're going to cover me. DELTA: still no activity to indicate that command suspects south is still alive. WASH: good. that means we're clear. DELTA: as much as you can be. and i would prefer it if you did not use the word "we". WASH: yeah, okay, delta. i promise to take the fall if we get caught. [ silence ] right. sorry. if i get caught. DELTA: thank you. WASH: now, south. i need you to test something. DELTA: i have concerns about our next action. agent south never rated for something like this. SOUTH: rated for what? what have you gotten me involved with? WASH: i didn't get you involved in anything. it did when it came after your brother. DELTA: agent washington believes that something is hunting the freelances one-by-one. WASH: in the last month, i've been ordered to the sites of five different dying freelancers in an effort to recover their intelligence programs. SOUTH: why you? DELTA: agent washington's experience with the epsilon program makes him a primary candidate for recovery. SOUTH: epsilon? epsilon went insane and killed itself inside his head. and from what i heard from the other recruits, he went nuts himself. weren't you certified article twelve after that? unfit for duty. WASH: the people who certified me were the same people who uncertified me. which, once they needed me, they did. funny how the system works. DELTA: in either case, he is the logical choice. it is highly unlikely wash would attempt to steal an ai for his own purposes. WASH: every freelancer i've seen in the last four weeks has had three things in common: their ai was missing, but — delta here was left somehow. i think that was a fluke. DELTA: my assignee was killed in an unrelated firefight. WASH: the agents were also dead, but for some reason you were left alive. and i want to know why that is. SOUTH: you said three things. what's the third one? WASH: during training, what enhancement did you get? SOUTH: my armor enhancement? i can make a domed energy shield. why? WASH: can you do it now? SOUTH: sure, i . . . wait a second — DELTA: the third thing they all had in common was their enhancement was removed. WASH: just like yours. the freelancers are being killed, and someone or something is stealing their ai and enhancements. DELTA: and now agent washington is trying to escort us back to headquarters as quickly as possible. WASH: no. i'm not. DELTA: excuse me? WASH: we don't need to. i've been following the trail of this thing for a while now, but once i got you, delta, that changed. now we're the ones being followed. south being left alive was nothing more than bait to slow me down. this thing has already killed four different freelancers, south. DELTA: all agents with higher battle ratings than wash. WASH: yes, thank you for pointing that out, delta. i'm not going to be able to take it out by myself. someone has to help me protect delta as well. DELTA: i see now. that is why you want me to implant in south. SOUTH: excuse me? in who? DELTA: the only way to properly protect me in combat is to integrate me into your armor. agent washington will not allow me to do that. WASH: and somebody has to. SOUTH: i, i can't. i haven't been rated for implantation. WASH: well, make up your mind quickly. it's here. DELTA: my motion sensors — WASH: are going to be useless. south, get delta in your head now and flank left. we have to stand against this thing here — [ explosion from behind ] move!
COUNSELOR: agent washington? agent washington? WASH: sorry. what were you saying? COUNSELOR: were you thinking about epsilon again, agent washington? WASH: no. COUNSELOR: what happened with epsilon was not your fault, washington. WASH: i didn't think it was. COUNSELOR: we have safeguards for the unstable emotional patterns of an artificial intelligence. sometimes these algorithms fail. WASH: oh. so then it's your fault. COUNSELOR: we prefer to think of it as no one's fault. WASH: really. COUNSELOR: just a possible but rare and unfortunate outcome. WASH: how convenient. COUNSELOR: are you having any new feelings about the incident? WASH: no. just the same old feelings. you know, that i had another person in my head and i got to experience firsthand as their mind unraveled while mixed with my own. that i still have trouble distinguishing between its disintegrating thoughts and mine. you know, the usual. COUNSELOR: what about the hostility from other agents who lost out on assignments once we suspended the use of implants? WASH: what about them? am i supposed to feel bad for them or something? COUNSELOR: do you think you could work with an ai or another agent ever again? WASH: no, i don't. COUNSELOR: good, then we have a job for you.
WASH: south! i need you out here now! get over here right now! south! where are you? [ no response from south as she adjusts to delta's implantation into her armor ] south, i need you out here now! SOUTH: wash, i'm here. WASH: good, i need help on the left. this guy moves fast, so keep your eyes open. [ no response ] south? you okay? DELTA: she is experiencing difficulty with my presence. WASH: how difficult? DELTA: it should pass shortly. SOUTH: i'm fine! let's get this guy. WASH: no. SOUTH: no? WASH: you see that ship? you get to it and take off. get yourself, and more importantly delta, back to base. i'll cover you as best i can. DELTA: wash, is your armor adequately compensating for your wounds? SOUTH: you're hit? WASH: just twice, i'm fine. movement on twos. on my mark, sync. SOUTH: but — WASH: sync! SOUTH: sync. WASH: move! [ moves out and is immediately shot in the back by south and goes down ] DELTA: alarm: friendly target! cease fire! SOUTH: calm down. just stacking the deck in our favor. [ approaches maine ] listen to what i'm about to say because you have a choice. wash is dead. i put a timed charge on his body, so if you want his equipment you better get it now. or you can come after us and lose it for sure. so, what's it going to be? chase us in hopes of beating us, or go for the sure thing and find us another day? [ maine retreats to wash ] smart move. [ calling command ] come in, command. COMMAND: hello, recovery two. what is your status? SOUTH: mission accomplished, command. we were able to draw out the enemy just as you projected. sending logs now. COMMAND: excellent news. we will use the data to devise a new strategy to combat it. what is the status of recovery one? SOUTH: kia. the enemy took him down. COMMAND: understood. was wash ever aware of your efforts at any time? SOUTH: negative. he acted exactly as the profile predicted. he even set up the encounter. COMMAND: return to base. we'll rate you for implantation as agreed. SOUTH: negative. COMMAND: say again, recovery two? SOUTH: negative. you got what you wanted, and i have my ai now. you won't be hearing from me again. goodbye. COMMAND: south, you know we have other agents. [ silence ] we will find you, south. SOUTH: it's not you i'm worried about.
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RECOVERY ONE
PART ONE
PART TWO
PART THREE
PART FOUR