hard times / open!

[tarakan]

Hilbert is fine. He is just fine. He has to be just fine because the alternative, getting angry about this, won't be of any use. Push it all down, deal with feelings later, just focus on the here and now for the moment. He has a specific end date for his crimes. He will get out of here eventually. He is fine.

He's not fine, but considering he honestly has no idea how to deal with that, repression is the name of the day.

It's no big secret that Dr. Nerd doesn't have much experience with manual labor. Whenever he does his shift at the oar bank, at the end of it, he leaves without hesitation, but then spends the next few minutes in a nearby corridor, out of the main flow of traffic, inspecting the blisters on his hands. He'll try and grab the attention of anyone else who looks beaten up or not used to this sort of work before rather rudely trying to manhandle them in the corridor, away from prying eyes as well.

The yard is Hilbert's place of choice, especially as there's a few chessboards set up. And Hilbert is annoyingly good at chess. Most days you can find him sitting at a chessboard, thinking to himself, while also scanning the yard for anybody who might give him a good game as well as just looking for someone in particular. If he spots an Advocate, however, he'll walk up to them and ask two questions. One, is there any way for Prisoners to request or purchase certain items? Two, have they seen a young man, smaller than he is, who goes by the name of John Mandrake?

It's not that Hilbert's worried about Mandrake or anything. Certainly not. That would imply sentimentality and he has no room for that. It's simply that he'd rather the young man not be on this ship. That's it. Nothing more.

Comments

[tarakan]

"I can. But part of being quite clever is knowing that if you can ask others to help, sometimes it is best to do so."

He gestures towards Daniel, "Hence, our conversation."

[choosetoforget]

"I won't be used again," he says softly. "I was - once. Under the tutelage of a man who had me commit - terrible acts for him."

[tarakan]

"Then it is a good thing I do not plan to use you in that way—or use you period," Hilbert corrects himself.

Which isn't entirely true. If he finds a use for Daniel, he'll take advantage of that. But Daniel himself doesn't need to know it. And, again, that's if he finds a use for Daniel.

"Can you tell me more about the man who tutored you?"

[choosetoforget]

"Alexander of Brennenburg," he says softly. "He was a Prussian baron. Or - so he told me. But he really was some sort of - extraterrestrial. Or perhaps a being from another dimension."

He moves his King out of check, though he can already see he's been defeated. "He taught me how to harvest vitae from - from people. He told me he was saving me, but it was really to extend his own life."

[tarakan]

Unfortunately for Daniel, that grabs Hilbert's interest.

"What do you mean by harvesting vitae?" A pause, as he moves his bishop. "Checkmate, by the way."

[choosetoforget]

Daniel sniffs once. This is a topic that he doesn't really get into with most people but it's been so long - what does it matter now?

"Certain animals, humans included, secrete Vitae in the blood when they are terrified and - and in pain. So Alexander taught me how to extract that from - from people."

[tarakan]

"And Alexander used that Vitae to extend his own life."

There's a pause as Hilbert thinks things over. "Did the Vitae have any other applications? It seems silly to have an extended life if you could still die from cancer, for example."

[choosetoforget]

"He was centuries old. He never said much about it because he was - hiding its true purpose. But he was never once ill."

He sets up the game again, though he isn't certain he wants to play again.

[tarakan]

That could be very useful indeed. Still, Hilbert is well aware that the more blatantly invasive questions he asks, the less likely it is that Daniel tells him more about this. So he instead gives Daniel a little nod and resumes helping to set up.

"I mean no disrespect, but your tutor sounds selfish. Cruel as well."

[choosetoforget]

Daniel visibly relaxes. "Yes. He is. I - have to kill him when I return, to stop his final ritual."

[tarakan]

"Best of luck," Hilbert says, with a little nod. "Suspect you might need it."

[choosetoforget]

"Thank you," he says, taking his words at face value. "I will need it when I am ready for it. But until then, I must live with the choices I made to forget everything I did."

[tarakan]

"You gave yourself amnesia?" That is interesting. And definitely something Hilbert would like to learn more about, if only because he's supremely nosy. "How?"

[choosetoforget]

"There is a potion. Made of Damascus Rose," he says softly. "But - I don't quite know what it is."

[tarakan]

"What the potion is or what Damascus Rose is? Because must confess, I have not heard of Damascus Rose either."

But he's already making a mental note to study it.

[choosetoforget]

Daniel shakes his head. "Without my memories, I couldn't tell you. I know the scent and I recognize it, but not why."

[tarakan]

"If we were back on the Barge, I could try and find it for you," he frowns. "Wide assortment of books, wide greenhouse. I have worked with plants before, so I already have experience in that regard."

There's a pause before Hilbert shrugs. "Considering we are not on the Barge, I doubt I could be much use."

[choosetoforget]

"If we get back to the Barge and we can discover how to make it, then I will help you as best I can," he says softly. "But I couldn't search for it myself. Jon would find out."

If he could get his hands on the amnesia potion somehow, if he could have that in his hands again, Daniel would do almost anything.

[tarakan]

"I can keep a secret," Hilbert points out. Because he is very quickly realizing that Daniel, Daniel who knows how vitae works and who might have secrets relating to eternal life, he is definitely someone who Hilbert wants on his side.

"All we have to do now is get back to Barge."

[choosetoforget]

"Yes. Until then. I have some of my journals. I can search through them for any information and give it to you."

It would at least be something to do. And if they never get back to the Barge, then it doesn't actually matter.

[tarakan]

"I would appreciate it," he nods. "Anything to help keep busy is useful."

[choosetoforget]

He holds out a hand to him over the chessboard. "My name is Daniel," he tells him softly.

[tarakan]

"Alexander Hilbert." He takes Daniel's hand and gives it a firm handshake. "It is pleasure to meet you."

[choosetoforget]

He withdraws his hand as he stands up.

"I expect we will see more of each other."

[tarakan]

"That we will. After all, it is small ship."