video;

[pullback]

[ The video clicks on to...a dark apartment room. Which is interesting because it's early afternoon, there is definitely something weird here. The only light coming in is coming from a window. Victor's sitting at a table as he nods at the camera (rejoice! He's entirely in frame this time). ]

My name is Doctor Victor Frankenstein. Though some of you know me as I work at the clinic, some of you I still do not know. Hopefully this introduction will change that.

[ Short and sweet and to the point, Victor's not very good with introductions. The name Victor Frankenstein is said with the assurance of someone who doesn't know about Boris Karloff and neck bolts. And then, there's a paaaaaause. Don't mind him, just filming in the dark...which he knows he has to address, urrrgh he doesn't want to though. ]

In my quest to understand the electric system of this world I...accidentally rendered the electric bulbs in my room unusable. [ he was poking at things and totally blew a fuse ] Does anyone have a spare I could use?

Comments

[pullback]

[ It's both, buddy. Victor nods before realizing wait, it's dark, give a verbal answer. ]

I arrived with the most recent crop of arrivals. [ and once again he mentally curses the fact that there's no good way to have a calendar system in this world. ] How long have you been here?

[ they're at the laundry room now and Victor pushes the door open for Nick to enter, scrutinizing his face and his body as he does so. ]

[synthedick]

Seven months. It'll be eight when the Door opens again.

[Thankfully, Nick's internal clock has kept him relatively aware of the days, give or take a few. The hours in the underground city are tricky, and always have been as the gods have slowly adjusted the day and night cycles to their prisoners.

Nick walks past Victor into the laundry room, those glowing eyes scanning the dim room for the box. Just as it was in his apartment, there it is on the wall, just above the strange machine that's Hope's idea of what a dryer ought to look like.]

There you are.

[He makes his way over to the box, his gait unsteady: he definitely favors his left leg, as though something is wrong with it. Pulling open the door to the box on the wall, he fiddles with the switches inside a moment.]

Hey, bring that candle over here a second.

[pullback]

[ Victor dutifully follows, walking closer to Nick, leaning the candle closer to the box. He honestly didn't know fuse boxes were a thing and watches intently as Nick fiddles with the switches. ]

And I can simply do what you're doing every time, ah, a 'fuse gets blown'?

[ there's an unstated 'every time I mess things up' but no, Victor's pride is slowly trying to make a reoccurrence. ]

[synthedick]

Well, ideally, you don't want to blow a fuse at all. And every time you do, you'll probably need one of these.

[He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a spare fuse.]

We keep 'em at the dam, so I brought you a few in case another one goes. [Because if he blew one, chances are he'll do it again by accident. When nothing seems to happen as he flips a couple of switches, he pulls out the blown fuse and replaces it.]

What were you doing, anyway?

[pullback]

[ Victor practically stares at the fuse, looking it over, trying to put the image of the fuse firm in his mind.

And smart Nick, Victor will DEFINITELY blow more fuses. He watches intently as Nick replaces the fuse, answering his question while he still watches. ]

Partly I wanted to see what the limits of this electrical system were. [ he doesn't think he's going to try to raise the dead here but you never really know. ] Partly I wanted to see just how this electrical system worked. I'm afraid it was a combination of the two that "blew the fuse."

[synthedick]

[Given that answer, it's definitely a good thing Nick brought a few replacements. He can't blame folks for being curious, especially if they possibly come from a world where electricity is more of a novelty than a necessity.]

So long as you're not trying to run everything at once, you shouldn't have any more problems. Not unless you're overloading it for a reason.

[With the fuse replaced, he gives the switches a try again. Oh hey, there are the lights -- they come on, revealing the entirety of the synth before Victor. Given the tears in his skin and the visible mechanical workings, he's clearly seen better days.]

I don't think I introduced myself when I came in. The name's Nick Valentine.

[pullback]

[ Victor lights up, obviously pleased that the lights are on. He turns to Nick to thank him...and pauses for a moment. Visible mechanical workings. Is this man an automaton or some sort? Victor only thought they existed in fiction. ]

As I said, I am Doctor Victor Frankenstein. [ a paaaaause ] May I ask you a few more questions? I'm afraid these might be personal.

[synthedick]

[Right, a doctor. Hopefully not the kind of doctor a fictional fellow named Frankenstein would be, but while Nick is keeping that thought to himself, he gets the distinct feeling the gods of this place would have no problem with their Door bringing in even a character like that.

His mouth crooks into a wry grin.]

You can't possibly ask me anything I haven't been asked before, so go ahead. You mind if we take a seat first? I probably should get off this leg.

[pullback]

Not at all. There are chairs in the kitchen. If you'll follow me, [ Blowing out his candle, Victor walked back towards the kitchen. He pulled out a chair for Nick, then sat down at a chair directly opposite from him. ]

Obviously you're mechanical. Some kind of automaton, I assume?

[synthedick]

[He eases into the seat, Victor's assumption getting a laugh out of him. He's used to being asked questions like this, and while it does wear on him, he's generally more apt to answer for someone who seems like they might be able to help out around town. They could use more doctors.]

Heh. I get called a lot of things, but I don't get called that very often. I'm what's called a synth in my world. The newer models have organic components, but I'm all mechanical, as you said.

[He holds up his right hand for inspection -- the skin is missing off it, leaving only the bare, metal skeleton beneath.]

[pullback]

In that case, I hope we have a mechanic on staff—I'd be useless if you were to break.

[ It's said in a wry tone as he watches Nick, looking at his skin. How interesting. What sort of world was he from that the options for a mechanical man were available? ]

How common are synths when and where you are from?

[synthedick]

I live with a lady who has some engineering knowledge, so I'm in good hands. They've got synths where she comes from, too, though a different kind.

[But a kind, nonetheless. Whatever helps her keep him in one piece.]

Where I'm from, they're not terribly common, and that's a good thing. The folks that make 'em usually sends them out to replace real people. They infiltrate communities with them, and no one even knows it. Not all of them are bad, but let's just say the personal questions I get here are a lot better than what I get back home.

[pullback]

How could someone like you infiltrate humanity? Did you used to have skin?

[ Rude? A bit. But dammit, he's curious! ]

[synthedick]

[Geez, Victor. That does get a flat look for only a second, but Nick is good-natured about it, a wry grin crossing him. He knows what he looks like.]

You're right I won't be infiltrating humanity anytime soon with this mug, but the newer synths look as human as you. Rey — my er, [surrogate family] roommate I mentioned — is more like one of those. You'd never know she's got metal under her skin. I'm probably the most obviously artificial person you'll find here.

[pullback]

You're right, [ Victor remarked, with a wry little smile on his face. ] When I stitched her up, I thought she was entirely human.

[ He's hoping that Nick knows about the 'Victor patched Rey up during Hope's Monsterpalooza 2k16' but if not? SURPRISE, BUDDY. ]

[synthedick]

[If the way his eyebrow goes up is any indication, it is a surprise to him. His grin remains, though.]

I'll let her know she passed for human once again. So far, she's got me beat ten to one.

[pullback]

At the risk of pointing out the obvious, she has skin.

[ there's a slight sarcastic & teasing tone in Victor's voice, even if it's not very apparent on his face. ]

[synthedick]

She does. Hair, too. And I'm betting the fact her eyes don't glow like mine might have something to do with it.

[But he digresses.]

So what are you a doctor of, exactly? If you don't mind me asking.

[He assumes, with the stitches he gave Rey and the fact he works at the clinic, that it might be something more useful -- medically, at least -- than the other doctors in town.]

[pullback]

Specifically, I am a surgeon: my focus is on human anatomy.

[ Surprise, it IS something more useful. ]

[synthedick]

[That gets a smile out of him.]

Glad to hear they finally have a surgeon down at the clinic. You'll find there are a lot of folks of the non-human variety around, but beggars can't be choosers.

[pullback]

In that case, I hope that I'll be able to pick up on the non-human eccentricities of biology rather quickly. [ they're all shit out of luck if he doesn't figure out how non-humans work as fast as possible. ]

[synthedick]

Fingers crossed. I know we've got a few people who heal with magic around here, but not everyone trusts that.

[Coming from a world without it himself, he can't say he blames them.]

[pullback]

I certainly don't.

[ coming from a world where magic was most often used against him, Victor doesn't blame them either. ]

[synthedick]

[Nick figures Victor is too much a man of science to trust the magic of other worlds. If only he knew.]

Well, nothing at the clinic will work on some of us, magic or otherwise. Still, it's good they have more hands to help out. We're all stuck in this place together. Might as well pool what skills we have available.