TEXT: Day after the Festivities

[sociallychallenged]

Username: dpdhank@dualislink

My name is Hank Anderson, I'm a patrol officer with Dualis's police. I think I met a few people at the Dualis Days festival, many of them during the unfortunate opening ceremonies.

The police are conducting an official investigation but I want to conduct my own independent investigation. In my experience that usually solves cases a little more quickly. [That's how he and Connor made it as far as they did, superseding what was technically required of them. The end result was also the better result for the world, not the preferred result for the powers that be, too.]

I know some of you were close to the bombing. If you're interested and able to give me some information I'll be in the kitchen on floor six for the rest of the evening.

[Anyone that comes to find him will be lucky. For the moment he'll be listening to some jazz he loaded onto a music player and speaker he found in a thrift shop rather than metal. But you better believe when it's necessary he'll switch to metal if he has to. In the meantime he's also reading an actual paper book, a softcover novel that he was lucky enough to find.]

Comments

[cadiastands]

[Mira shakes her head. What do they teach Arbiters where he's from?]

At this stage, the government must not appear to be out of control. Publicity strengthens the insurgents, and even if they're defeated quickly, plants the seeds for future rebellion.

[The Head or whoever's calling the shots is using tactics right out of the Imperium's playbook--if you want a good read on what a totalitarian government will do in any given situation, ask Mira.]

[sociallychallenged]

Hmm. Sounds reasonable. I'm used to the government thriving off occasional bursts of nationalism against a common enemy. A lot of 'support our troops' shit when they don't do fuck for any public service workers when it comes to retirement.

[Which will make it harder to find out the truth. While they're shitting on info that common people could keep an eye out for. Of course, this means a few less Beckys and Sandras out there to put out bullshit calls about suspicions kids, but it's not worth it when they cost some valuable clues.]

If they got to the point of bombing there must have already been violence. Had to hit somewhere public for attention. They covered up this quick.

[cadiastands]

[That sounds like a personal problem to her, Hank. (Imperial Guardsmen rarely live long enough to retire, though the odds are slightly better for officers.)]

The Head cannot call on a sense of patriotism or duty because it inspires neither. [Mira doesn't actually have a problem with bursts of nationalism.]

The trappings of society notwithstanding, the creature is the warden of a well-appointed prison. It knows this, even if the majority of its captives have chosen to forget. [Judging by Mira's tone, that's not intended as a swipe at Hank.] The question is what this particular group of prisoners find distasteful enough that they will challenge their jailors over it. Either the risk of inaction is greater than the threat of reprisal, or they perceive it so.

[sociallychallenged]

I swear to fucking god if this turns out to be some 'Matrix' bullshit I'm going to fuckin' beat someone until my fists hurt. [That's muttered to himself, with that same sense of previous exhaustion. Because the convenient ability to forget makes him wonder. And he hates that he's wondering.]

Maybe the Head isn't the only AI at work here. [He comes around to thought. But fuckin' shit, there's no way for his ass to follow that fuckin' shit up. God he needs Connor.] Maybe to them it's worth dislodging one for the other.

Far-fetched, but I'm gonna put that one on the back-burner for later.

[cadiastands]

[Mira snorts.]

No need to requisition what the enemy has already supplied.

[Judging by her expression and tone, that probably means something like "don't borrow trouble."]

[sociallychallenged]

They've probably supplied more than they intended. Maybe more than we can handle.

[The trouble is already here. He's just gotta dig his way through it. It's what he has a habit of doing.]

Pretty selfish of 'em, I think.

[cadiastands]

[Mira shrugs.]

Crisis creates opportunity. [That sounds like another aphorism, but she doesn't leave it at platitudes.] To do what, I don't know. I have no mission here beyond survival, but you should make certain you know what yours is, and be ready to take advantage of that opportunity.

[Free life advice from the twenty-something.]

[sociallychallenged]

[His hasn't been about survival for a long time. But he doesn't say that, because who the hell wants to be protected by a cop with that kind of problem. It's something that Connor dragged out of him and he only told him about it because at the time talking to Connor was like talking to a fucking toaster. It didn't matter.]

My mission's always been to make people stop ruining each other's lives. And sometimes I'm actually pretty good at it.

[He's got a good record. Not here. But in the past? A good record. It's not exactly 'bringing in the bad guy', it's just making lives less painful by snagging the actual douchebags in the scenario. That's enough for him.]

Jesus fuckin' Christ I'm sounding like my partner. [With this 'complete the mission' shit. He should be fucking ashamed. Though Connor might actually be proud. Stop fucking thinking about him you dickbag. He's not here, and with any luck he'll never be.]

[cadiastands]

[It's fine! Mira doesn't trust any Dualis police to protect her, irrespective of their will to live. She also doesn't want to talk about Hank's partner the blasphemous abomination, because she's currently trying to avoid starting any unnecessary fights.]

You know, I've just realized we haven't been introduced. [Extremely smooth subject change, Mira, well done.] Second Lieutenant Miranda Nero, 203rd Cadian regiment.

[sociallychallenged]

[He'll have you know his blasphemous abomination is also an asshole and should be known as that first and foremost, thank you.]

Lt. Hank Anderson, Homicide Detective with the Detroit Police Department. Nice to meet you. And talk uninvited philosophy while you were trying to enjoy your fruit cup.

[He'll claim it for now. He's not technically lost his badge yet. He was ready to. Maybe Connor might have said something later that could let him keep his job.]

[cadiastands]

[Mira looks down at her snack, where a few fruit bits are still floating in the syrup. Oh, right. She picks it and the fork back up to finish it, and chuckles at Hank.]

How d'you do. [It's a quick, rote phrase acknowledging the introduction, not really a question.] It's fine. You're not shooting at me or threatening to report me to the Commissar for being out of uniform.

[Nice high standards, there, Mira.]

[sociallychallenged]

Your uniform would make you as different as any other person, right?

[He shrugs lightly because his uniform for the last ten years has just been a badge around his neck. Being a beat officer means he's gotta go back to wearing uniforms and fuckin' accompanying traffic cone colors. No one deserves that shit. He was glad to peel himself out of that and back into the offensive dress of his own choosing.]

Don't think your Commissar could say too much. ...Actually, what job did you end up getting here?

[cadiastands]

You've not met many Commissars, I see. [Very dry. Even the legendarily disciplined Cadians don't tend to like their political officers much.]

Laser tag? It's something to do with small unit tactics, I'm told. [David's explanation had helped somewhat, but she hasn't had orientation yet and thus can't quite picture it.]

[sociallychallenged]

I hope you tell me how you would evaluate the first battle you witness.

[Because Hank can guess how that'll go, and his face already says it. Small unit tactics is the best way to describe a bunch of idiots running around in a room making shooty noises at each other. And they do make shooty noises. Even on the guns that don't have sound effects, you will hear the occasional human "pew pew" or "shzap".]

[cadiastands]

[Mira shrugs minutely.]

It's just practice. I don't expect anyone will be particularly good.

[Her soul is going to leave her body, it'll be great.]

[sociallychallenged]

[Her soul is absolutely going to leave her body. His biggest regret is that he won't be there to see the first time she sees your average nerd attempt his first combat roll.]

I'm glad you're keeping an open mind.

[And low standards.]

You'll probably have fun with that eventually. [Who knows, in a few months maybe she'll be desensitized to foolishness.]