They are playing a very ugly game, and Wash started it. Great. Add that to his ever growing pile of mistakes.
He tries to find his composure again and doesn't quite manage it. Close enough will have to do for now. He takes a breath, steels himself, and meets Chief's gaze.
"The full story is pretty complicated, but as for what happened to me..." What's the best way to sum up this personal little corner of hell? "The program literally tortured a smart AI to pieces, took the least stable fragment of that AI, and put it in my brain, and it drove me crazy. Literally. Straitjacket, padded room, couldn't remember my own name, kept trying to tear out the AI chip they'd removed several weeks prior insane." The words are sharp, more than he'd intended. As it turns out, talking about your own descent into mind-shattering insanity sucks. Good to know.
He takes another breath and reels his temper in. This was his stupid idea, and he needed to get through it, so he damn well will. When he speaks again, his words are forcibly calmer. "It took me a year to put myself back together, and the better part of another one to convince the Director that I didn't have the entirety of Freelancer's records in my brain courtesy of that AI." He shakes his head slowly. "I knew everything the project had done - all of its illegal activities. They started questioning me while I was still unstable and didn't let up through the entire recovery process. If they'd had any idea what I knew, they would have killed me. But here I am. So if you're wondering if I'm capable of keeping your secrets..." He lets that one trail off. There's no way Chief won't pick up on his meaning.
no subject
He tries to find his composure again and doesn't quite manage it. Close enough will have to do for now. He takes a breath, steels himself, and meets Chief's gaze.
"The full story is pretty complicated, but as for what happened to me..." What's the best way to sum up this personal little corner of hell? "The program literally tortured a smart AI to pieces, took the least stable fragment of that AI, and put it in my brain, and it drove me crazy. Literally. Straitjacket, padded room, couldn't remember my own name, kept trying to tear out the AI chip they'd removed several weeks prior insane." The words are sharp, more than he'd intended. As it turns out, talking about your own descent into mind-shattering insanity sucks. Good to know.
He takes another breath and reels his temper in. This was his stupid idea, and he needed to get through it, so he damn well will. When he speaks again, his words are forcibly calmer. "It took me a year to put myself back together, and the better part of another one to convince the Director that I didn't have the entirety of Freelancer's records in my brain courtesy of that AI." He shakes his head slowly. "I knew everything the project had done - all of its illegal activities. They started questioning me while I was still unstable and didn't let up through the entire recovery process. If they'd had any idea what I knew, they would have killed me. But here I am. So if you're wondering if I'm capable of keeping your secrets..." He lets that one trail off. There's no way Chief won't pick up on his meaning.