let's go home

i had a vision

Admin P: I am not a religious man. By any means.

Admin P: ...But dear God, I hope so. This is our last resort.

[F notices P's overheating again. But this time, he says nothing, swallowing dryly.]

[They can deal with it later.]

[It's now or never.]

[C is in his room. He's idly clicking on and off on a walkie-talkie. It still works, but nobody ever picks up anymore. Perhaps its partner stopped responding.]

Admin C: ...

Admin C: T-Turn it off.

Admin F: The cameras? C, we're in the middle of something here. Someone needs to say something or we're all fucked, I'm not turning them off!

Admin C: I can't hear him talking like this anymore-! I just- I- turn it off-!!

[C grabs his head, flinching away from the cameras. P parts the two of them, pointing for C to go to his room for a bit. C obliges. F, in a panic, tries to turn on the Intercom to yell some more, but P puts an arm out to stop him.]

Admin P: ...Let me right this ship.

Admin P: Swap. You will be doing your test today. This conversation is over.

[Swap looks around to the others, stewing too deep in what Freeman's said. He doesn't exactly trust the Admins at this point, either, but...]

[He looks back at the messages tick-tick-ticking in. Many of them are voicing their support for him.]

[He trusts them. And he wants to prove he can be good, because they said he can, too.]

[He knows what he has to do.]

Swap: ...Fine. But come meet with me in my room. I'm the one who's gonna pick where it starts. I'll only do it on that condition.

Admin P: I accept your offer.

[Oh, all the Gordons' attentions are to the messages now.]

Swap: ...Loverboy. Please be honest with us. What are the messages talking about?

Loverboy: Gosh- I don't know! Something's got them all wound up about this traitor thing again! But I'm not a traitor! I'd never do anything to hurt all my new friends!

Player: I... I don't even wanna think about it... who would have a reason to just... mess with us all like that...?

Doc: I, for one, know I would shutter at the idea of getting stung in the back.

Freeman: ...