SAFE AS HOUSES --- communication network

Uh. Not to insinuate that I care or anything, but has anyone seen Langton?

I'm staying somewhere else tonight.

Totally wasn't me this time, guys.

All right, kids. This is a mob-owned town. Don't piss anyone off; there's a good chance that the nice girl selling you cranapple juice has an AK-47 under the counter. If anyone asks, you're staying with Boris Gilbert II. I have the owner of this house living in my brains, but he's supposed to be dead, so as far as anyone here is concerned I'm his long-lost son or something.

Also, this nice mansion we're living in? Haunted. Definitely bunk with someone else if you're not one of the five thousand people in this group fucking like rabbits.

I have to pee.

( ALPHA, WHISKEY )

Don't mean to cause no trouble, but what in the hell are you two playing at? Richard just got here. Who's Jim?

Hello little ducklings, how are we today? Those of you who haven't died in the meantime, I mean. Feeling a little claustrophobic, stir crazy, maybe? Excited for the holidays?

I finished my Christmas wishlist.

I was never asleep. I was always awake. I was making art. I was making artIama leaf on the wind, watch how I flaunt copyright, you can take a ride on my Firefly.

∝  ∝ ∝ ∝ ∝ ∝ ∝ ∝ ∝ ∝ ∝ ∝ ∝ ∝ ∝ ∝

Did I fall asleep?

Did I fall asleep?

Who's hungry?

AVA: You're a sick fuck, you know that?

ALPHA: I have to point out the irony here. I'm completely psychotic, and yet, I'm not fucking people I hate.

AVA: That's debatable.

ALPHA: It's not like you're running off to get married to him, anyway.

AVA: God no. I'm not the kind of girl to marry a guy just because he knocked me up.

ALPHA: So why keep the demon spawn?

AVA: It's not her fault I hate her father.

ALPHA: Girls are always little bitches. Really, I'm about to do you a favor.

AVA: I hope you burn in hell, you bastard.

ALPHA: You keep talking and I keep not hearing anything. (He sighs. It's inappropriately dramatic.)

AVA: Got to keep myself occupied somehow.

ALPHA: You're boring.

AVA: (Screaming)

I was reminded today why I put up with Fromage. He makes a damn good souffle. Otherwise I would have carved him out of my brain by now.

If Alpha had been there, nobody had seen him. Not Madeline, not Quebec, not Nel. Regardless, there it was in the kitchen: a crate of fresh apples, large and bright and crispy. Atop the crate was a note:

I didn't have much time. This was all I could get. -Pasha



* * *




It wasn't until they reached the bottom of the crate---from taking them out or eating them, it was up to the recipients of such a beautiful gift---was another note.



One of them is poisoned. Love, Alpha.

ALPHA: The plan is fine, the plan is fine. Shut the hell---don't tell me to shut the hell up! You would be nothing without me, nothing, nothing good, nothing useful, nothing... I want to go home. It's not here, it's not anywhere, back to Moscow, get on a plane and flyyyy. (Laughter, unsteady but amused.) Stop screaming. You're giving us all a headache. ---Everyone's screaming, everyone's screaming, the little one stopped, he stopped, he can't---can't remember anything. Can't... remember... ---Oh, fuck you. Fuck you. Stop it. Stop it.

Let me sleep---! Where the fuck is Whiskey---Whiskey can... fucking whore. Perfect, beautiful fucking whore, she's never here when she's supposed to be. (His voice becomes muffled as he covers his head with a pillow.) Haven't slept in hours---days, days, loud ones won't let me. I would cut some of you out with a knife---! Let me sleep. Let me go, let me sleep. Madison---Claire! Claire----!


(More soft muffling noises. Anyone listening quietly enough can hear him sob---or maybe they're just hearing things.)

Never say Alpha never gave you anything, Jackie.

OKAY. Folks. Listen.

We have some refugees from the Boston Dollhouse on their way to "Safe Haven." Seven of them. I don't know where we're going to put them. I tried to dissuade them but this could be an opportunity. We get up the elevator shafts, we man the doors, we wait for their arrival. Door opens, we find a way to keep them open. If someone's coming in it means there's an opportunity to get out. Apparently a couple of them need help. I don't know if they're all Actives. We can help them, and they can help us. Let's get this ball rolling. They'll be here sometime soon.

I can't exactly be climbing elevator shafts. I'm putting Royce, Ballard, and who else is gonna volunteer for this?

[ EDIT, 5 minutes later: ] On second thought, let's stay here. Why don't we stay here? If we try and get out they're just going to slaughter us, I'm talking a lot of blood, a lot of mess, and at least in here if we play by the rules we have a better chance of getting out of here alive and maybe letting Rossum cool down and maybe we'll all be fine if we just behave you know and let them in, let's just let them in and keep them as safe as we can in here because if we go outside who knows what's waiting for us out there we were told not to contact anyone out there who knows what the consequences might be, okay?

They're broken.