victory_road | [Video] backdated to May 29th!

_{[The scenery rushes by in a blur-- Heather and co are aboard the MAGNET TRAIN, because guess who woke up in Saffron after that weekend? Normally it wouldn't be a big deal-- but for once, Heather actually has obligations. The circus extravaganza is still on for a few more days.]

[But... the convenience had been too tempting to pass up.]

[Heather flashes a grin at the camera once it's on, and wastes no time in spinning it around to reveal...]}

Soooo... this is Snitter.

_{[The Type: Null, roughly large-dog-sized, is hunkered down on the floor, luminescent eyes blinking deep inside the helmet. It's bobbing gently to the rhythm of the train's chugs. Not just the head-- its whole body.]}

... They, uh... weren't lyin' when they said these guys had quirks.

Hey, Snitter!

_{[The chimerical Pokemon's head snaps up, eyes locking onto the camera, but its bobbing doesn't even miss a beat. It's half-cute, half-spooky.]}

Do the thing, Snitter.

C'mon!

_{[It blinks. And bobs. And doesn't do anything else.]}

--c'moooon, buddy. You were doing it a second ago.

_{[Just at that moment, a loud mechanical squeaking can be heard as the hot beverage cart is wheeled past... and apparently 'Snitter' SUPER DOES NOT LIKE THAT NOISE because it stands up so quickly that its legs almost seem to be spring-loaded, and then... runs backwards, directly into the wall of the train and, in its panic, tips right over and slams to the floor so hard that it makes the seats rattle.]

[Heather's tone goes from cajoling to alarmed.]}

Whoa!

It's okay, bud, it's okay! Bud--

_{[The 'Gear is dropped down onto the seat as Heather hastily leaps up to try and assist the mechanically-thrashing creature back upright before it damages something.]}

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

...Is everything alright? Is that a normal reaction for Snitter, or is this the first time...?

Honestly? I've only had him for maybe two hours, so I don't really know.

But that is the first time he's done... that.

_{[The Null is now loafing, partially under her seat, and vibrating. She reaches down to give him a comforting pat.]}

That's... a very odd start to your new relationship, but maybe he's just a little nervous. Or his hearing is super sensitive, I mean, they didn't mention that in their speech but that means nothing.

[Or maybe those people are giving away traumatized and damaged living creatures away to spare themselves the trouble. How nice.]

Honestly, judging by that ad, even they don't know what the heck they're supposed to do with these guys. That dude in the labcoat looked like he wanted to hyperventilate just being next to it.

_{[Of course, she sort of assumes it had something to do with the inevitable stage-fright that would ensue from sticking a dude who's used to having his eyeball jammed against a microscope in front of a camera that was broadcasting him to an audience of thousands, but he seemed pretty awkward with the Null, too.]}

Maybe that wasn't really a scientist, but an intern who drew the short straw and had to deal with their obviously less than stellar PR & Marketing section. Or maybe he's the sort of person who likes theoritical miracles of science, but not dealing with the physical results.

[Or Maybe Silph Co. just sucks.]

That wouldn't surprise me.

You'd think such a big company would have, like. Their advertising down.

Buuuut... well, nerds will be nerds.

_{[HEATHER THAT'S NOT VERY NICE...]}

...As a half-nerd with good enough PR to go from 'arrest this crew' to 'allow this crew access to major military bases' in less than a month, that kinda hurts.

[Just saying.]

Aw, don't take it personal.

I'm just stating the obvious-- that guy in the commercial?

Not half-- a total, purebred nerd.

...I've met engineers, roboticists and physicists who looked less nerdy, I'll admit.

[Okay, fine, she's a little right.]

_{[See? SEE? She nods. Of course she's right.]}

If you're gonna be on what's basically a commercial, you gotta have some camera presence.

I'm just saying.

Which means that either they really didn't want to do this, or they didn't have anyone more suitable.

[Both possibilities are alarming.]

Or they were too cheap to hire a PR firm.

Which, you'd think they'd have enough to do that, buuut...

Maybe genetic manipulation is more expensive than we think? Or they wasted part of their budget on their Christmas party.

I'm gonna bet on the latter.

They probably had one of those huge ugly ice sculptures and a chocolate fondue fountain.

Those hedonistic bastards.

They splurged on those bottles of expensive champagne and wine that taste the exact same as the regular ones, but didn't buy any food other than the chocolate.

...Which would lead to the state of mind necessary to design a Type: Null, now that I think about it.

... Yeah, you know, these things do kind of smack of something a wasted geek would draw on a napkin right before passing out in someone else's cubicle.

Which means they have a lousy PR crew, a lousy project vetting process and a lousy sense of ethics. I mean, I'm sure your Snitter will be happy and loving, but you can't tell me he was designed with his own comfort in mind.

YEAH... believe me, I'm under no illusions.

_{[Heather is hardly the kind of person who soapboxes. Or thinks particularly hard about the various ethical questions about this world. But she ain't blind.]}

This is some shady bullshit.

But now there's one less who's stuck there, dealing with their shady bullshit. That's about as much as anyone can do right now.

Yeah.

If they're gonna be making 'em anyway... I'd rather let 'em see what life's like outside of some creepy lab.

_{[She continues stroking Snitter's shaggy coat-- it appears to have finally calmed down into something like a sleepy state.]}

Maybe that knowledge will be the start of a future Type: Null revolution. Once they learn more about the world beyond their lab, they won't be content with it anymore. They just can't go back to that mindset.

[That sort of feeling is one he can understand all too well.]

We'll see.

I... know firsthand how hard it can be to adjust to how things should be when you're coming from a place that shouldn't.

_{[And she's been painfully reminded of it ever since the arrival of Walter Sullivan. Breaking free involves so much more than just physical escape.]}

And hell, maybe I'm just overreacting. I want to be wrong, you know?

But either way, well... Snits is in good hands. ... Or capable hands, anyway. 'Good' might be subjective.

[Video] backdated to May 29th!

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