[VIDEO]

[thedreamisdead]

I'd like to take a trip to Old New York. Or New New York. Or whatever it is they're calling it these days. It's a personal matter, nothing serious for anyone here. However, given my... unfamiliarity with the current time and my public status, I would like to request someone come along with me as an escort or a distraction for nosy cits while I take care of my business.

I'm willing to accompany you on anything you need to do while you're there. [Assuming it's legal.] No need for a wasted trip on your part, after all.

Comments

[deafleppard]

Yeah, sure. I can tag along.

[thedreamisdead]

Appreciated.

[deafleppard]

Sure thing. It's kind of where I'm from.

Well, a different version. Not this super-fancy really high tech version.

But that's cool too.

[thedreamisdead]

New York's underground where I'm from. Problems got so big it was decided just to pave over the entire thing and build a new city on top of it. Now it's infested with werewolves, cannibals, muties, and troggies.

We call it the Undercity. Kinda creepy. Went down there once when I was a cadet. Strange to see it built up like this.

[deafleppard]

First of all. Wow.

Second, that makes sense. Why fix your problems when you can just ignore them altogether. Soooo much easier.

[thedreamisdead]

I'm sure it made sense at the time. Does seem like a bit of a waste, but given how old it was it might've been cheaper than trying to upgrade a small town like that to fit in with the rest of Mega-City One.

[deafleppard]

So how did it end up with werewolves and cannibals?

Especially cannibals.

[thedreamisdead]

Not entirely certain on the werewolves. Some kind of virus, I believe.

We've had a number of massive crises hit my city over the last 40 years. Invasions from the Soviet Cities, alien invasions, gang wars, extradimensional beings trying to kill us all. Quite a few citizens abandoned the city during all that, heading either into the Undercity or the Cursed Earth.

There's not a lot to eat in the Undercity. No sunlight. Vicious animals. Troggies. When people get desperate and hungry, well...

[deafleppard]

Okay what did your city ever do to have all that happen to it.

Like, seriously.

[thedreamisdead]

Freedom overdose.

[She's joking. Honest.]

[deafleppard]

[And yet...]

Oh hell no.

[thedreamisdead]

It's true. Everyone wants some of our spare freedom.

[deafleppard]

So I'm gonna head into what might be dangerous territory for me.

That the reason why they named you that?

[thedreamisdead]

No big drama. My grandparents named my mother that when they first moved to Mega-City One. Full of hopes for the land of opportunity, I suppose. They believed in the American Dream. Never met them, they all died before I was born, but my father told me about them.

My mother was killed by the Judges. My father got pregnant with me a few months later and decided to start over. Do things right. Named me after her.

[deafleppard]

Hang on. Your father got...

What?

[thedreamisdead]

Men can have babies. True, the practice has died out largely due to robot midwives, but...

Well. In any case, my father didn't quite go that route. He was a bit... odd. After my mother died, he had his moved into her body. A guilt complex, I suppose. Had his original taxidermied up with robotics and programmed with some of his classics. Like I said, a bit eccentric.

Before he had the brain transplant completed, he had the doctors impregnate her.

[deafleppard]

That's weird.

Like.

So... weird.

[thedreamisdead]

I'm well aware of my father's oddities.

[deafleppard]

You're welcome for the reminder.