the 002nd. || voice

[pike]

[ Much like Nigel's first post, there is only silence when the device first clicks on. Eventually, though, the young man on the other end of the connection clears his throat. His tone is politely curious. ]

I've been told that the dead do not stay dead here and in ways much more involved than the occasional curse. Which leaves me wondering, City: is there no need for undertakers here?

[ There's a pause and then Nigel adds: ]  I had hoped to make myself useful.

Comments

audio;

[thenormalsquint]

Sorry. Not much in the need for forensic anthropologists or forensic reconstructionists either. If we deal with death on a daily basis, we're out of luck.

Funny how that works out.

audio;

[pike]

[ Piqued curiosity. ]

And what, may I ask, is your area of expertise?

audio;

[thenormalsquint]

I did the forensic reconstruction. I hated it when I did it back home because it was totally depressing, but now, I kind of miss it.

audio;

[pike]

Forensic reconstruction. A combination of osteology, anatomy, art -- or so I've been lead to believe.

It must have been fascinating work. I can imagine why you'd miss it.

audio;

[thenormalsquint]

Whoever told you that was right. I'm really an artist, but that paid the rent and funded my Go Back To Paris account.

To be honest, when I got here, I couldn't be happier to have gotten far, far away from it. Now, I wouldn't mind going back to it because that would be my choice, not the City's choice of making me stay here.

audio;

[pike]

May I ask what you do instead? Here in the City.

audio;

[thenormalsquint]

I do IT at the hospital.

audio;

[pike]

[ Not very technological, this one. ]

'IT'?

audio;

[thenormalsquint]

[The poor thing.]

Information technology. We make sure the computers don't explode in people's faces.

audio;

[pike]

Not literally, I hope.

[ He's practically Amish by technology standards. Or quite possibly from the 80s -- canon's not too clear. ]

audio;

[thenormalsquint]

In some cases, literally.

[She's laughing. Not at you, kid, though even in the 80's they had computers. At least she had one. Let's go with Amish.]

audio;

[pike]

[ An Amish serial killing sociopath. At least it'd be a first for everyone involved. ]

Seems a bit of a change of address, occupationally speaking.

audio;

[thenormalsquint]

[Oh yeah. He's certainly unique in that way.]

A little bit, but I did minor in computer science in college and I used computers for identification purposes at home too.

audio;

[pike]

So did you study art at university? Or medicine? You did call yourself an artist.

audio;

[thenormalsquint]

I have a bachelor's in fine art. The closest to medicine I've gone is getting my master's in biomedical illustration. That was enough medicine for me.

audio;

[pike]

Squeamish?

audio;

[thenormalsquint]

Beyond belief.

audio;

[pike]

[ He laughs. ]

Then I imagine getting your master's was a harrowing experience.

audio;

[thenormalsquint]

Very. Especially when I saw the tuition bill.

audio;

[pike]

Such is the case with education. American, is it? Or perhaps from some random planet unknown to myself where everyone just sounds American.

audio;

[thenormalsquint]

Nope, just regular old America on regular old planet Earth.

I take it you're not American?

audio;

[pike]

I'm hearing that answer less and less each day. Believe me, 'regular old' anything is quickly becoming sorely missed.

English. Leeds, in particular.

audio;

[thenormalsquint]

After a while, you get used to it. Hearing somebody tell you that they're an alien vampire dog from outer space doesn't even make me blink anymore.

Ah, I lived in London for a while. Two weeks a while. I'm Angela, by the way.

audio;

[pike]

Angela. I'm Nigel. Nigel Colbie. Hello.

[ He muses on what she's just told him. ] Did you not take to England? Or were you simply passing through?

audio;

[thenormalsquint]

No, I was just... looking. Searching, really. Nice place, but I didn't stick.