Puzzle 038

[hintcoinplz]

[Luke's voice doesn't sound much like his voice anymore. The usual enthusiasm is gone, and he sounds utterly exhausted. His voice is shaky, as if he's been crying for a while.]

So.

Who else has talked to Zemekis? What did you learn from him? We [his voice breaks a little] w-we should put together what we've learned from him. He revealed something to me, but...

Well, if you really want to hear what he told me, then just say so. I'm not going to say it unless you really want to hear it. But just as a warning, you won't like it.

...We should find out what to do about Mrs. Johnson too.

Comments

[imjustpicky]

I... I didn't. I don't wanna go out. If... if she's out there....

[Picky is pretty sure that it doesn't need elaboration. Everyone knows how horrible Ms. Johnson is.]

What... what did he say? I really want to hear it. Even if it's bad. How... how bad is it?

[hintcoinplz]

W-we have to stop her. W-we've gotta stop her before she does something to us again.

[He pauses. Swallowing hard. He's not sure how to go about this delicately.]

We're copies. H-he...he couldn't bring us from our own world, so he...he made copies of us instead.

[theboywiththebook]

[Henry being probably one of the least damaged kids here has probably just broken to pieces upon finding out they can't ever get home. So, what's wrong with even more bad news?]

What did he tell you? He said we can't ever go home again...

[hintcoinplz]

...We're copies. He couldn't take us from our own worlds, so he made us instead.

[ceasetoexist]

Hit me with it.

[hintcoinplz]

We're copies. We are and aren't our real selves.

[strike_you_out]

[Slugger is here and listening, eager to learn all there is to know. He offers Luke a nod of encouragement, knowing full well that whatever it is he has to share isn't going to be good.]

Ready.

[hintcoinplz]

[Luke's silent, before taking a breath.]

Zemekis couldn't actually kidnap us from our own worlds, so he created copies of us instead.

[heartisabattleground]

Luke? What did you find out?

[hintcoinplz]

That we're copies. We always were.

[atailoftwoworlds]

...Tell me, anyway. [Zidane has a really bad feeling about this but he might as well get it over with. Better not to ignore reality, anyway]

Only when you're ready, though. [Poor kid, whatever he found out he obviously did not take very well. Better let him have a breather first though, if he wants it.]

[hintcoinplz]

[Luke's already given the information out to a few people, but each time his voice sounds a little more dull. As if the news is finally hitting him each time he repeats himself.]

...We're copies. Since Zemekis couldn't take us from our own worlds, he made perfect replicas of us instead.

[imoutos]

.. U-.. um.. I didn't really dare to go out there.. [ Even if talking to strangers is still scary, she wants to know, of course. Else she'll be the only one left out of the loop, so she has to at least try here.. ]

So.. w.. would it be okay if I a-asked what he said..? Was it really that bad..?

[hintcoinplz]

Before I tell you, are you absolutely sure you want to know?

[perfectsymmetry]

[Crowe's voice is as shaky and exhausted as Luke's.] Wh-what did he tell you. I-I want to know. Please.

I didn't get much from him. He... He basically just fell in too deep, a-and the rest of us suffered for it.

[hintcoinplz]

[Luke nods, his voice dull and empty as he speaks.]

We're copies in this fake world. He couldn't take us from our worlds, so he made replicas of us instead.

[allwehad]

I didn't get much out of him either, but whatever happens, we need to be really careful of this Mrs. Johnson. [Because yeah. She doesn't not sound like a bastion of sanity from her phone call.]

What did he tell you?

[hintcoinplz]

I...I'm not sure there's much we can do about Mrs. Johnson. I-if she decides to experiment on us again, I-I...

[he coughs, trying to keep himself from breaking into tears.]

W-we're copies. O-our original selves never left our worlds.

[drank_the_milk]

I talked to him. He said we still can't go back home.

[hintcoinplz]

T-that's right. We can't.

Are you sure you want to know why?

[motheringnation]

....Luke? Wh-what did he tell you?

[Why is he making her bb cry?]

[hintcoinplz]

Miss Ukraine.

[Oh no, does he really have to tell her too? What if she gets upset with him for telling her?]

A-are you sure you want to know? It's...it's the reason why we can't leave.

[crazyclownwoman]

.....Okay I'm kinda afraid to ask but...

Spill it.

[hintcoinplz]

[Luke nods again.]

We're copies. Our original selves are back in our world.

[shallbeavenged]

[Suddenly next to you. Because three + years haven't been able to get manners into her.]

What won't we like?

[hintcoinplz]

[Luke jumps, but this time only because he's been heavily sleep deprived and in a state of panic for the past few hours. He's not exactly in the best state for jump scares.

He regains his composure, giving Ai a dull look.]

The reason why we can't leave Mayfield.

Are you sure you want to hear it?

[theboytwin]

What did he say.

[hintcoinplz]

That we're copies. He couldn't get the real thing, so he made copies of us instead.

[a_clockwork_melody]

[It takes a few seconds for her voice to find something to say. That is, there's nothing she really can say here. She was there in the church, after all.]

... Luke, can I come over to you?

[hintcoinplz]

S-sure, if you want.

[He's not going to bother trying to stop her. All he really wants to do is find someplace isolated and stay there.]

[magicalrealist]

He was executed before he could tell me anything we didn't know. Sorry to say I can't give you any information in exchange.

...so what's the damage report?

[hintcoinplz]

I-I saw him get executed before I had a chance to finish asking him questions, b-but...

...he did tell me before he died that we're copies of our original selves.

[bread_goes_bip]

[Death doesn't like the sound of that. To the point that she'll opt to show up in person, instead]

Luke, sweetie? What is it?

[hintcoinplz]

[He looks up at her, not able to answer at first. He's been through so many phone calls, revealing this information to person after person and listening to the reactions that follow, that he's starting to feel overwhelmed.

He'll need a moment before he can start telling her what he heard. He looks like he's about to fall over.]

[witchofthechalk]

[Tiffany sits down next to him and passes him a cup of hot chocolate.]

Why don't you take a break for a while?

[hintcoinplz]

[Luke gives her a weary glance, before taking the hot chocolate. He can still hearing the phone ringing, but makes no move to answer it.]

I-I think a break would be nice. Thanks, Tiffany.