Sime~Gen Roleplaying: District Controller's Office Scenario
Episode #58: Born to Rule (8/1/99)
Pylor reports for his daily session with his Morale counselor.
Twudie smiles when Pylor enters.
Twudie: Why hello, Pylor, how are you doing today? [brightly]
Pylor thinks that the Tecton would be better served if they talked to Arat instead, but has regained enough control not to say so.
Pylor: Well enough.
Pylor takes a seat.
Twudie: Are you feeling better?
Pylor shrugs.
Twudie is always cheerful.
Pylor: Working with a Second isn't much of a challenge, but that isn't Darrel's fault.
Twudie: Do you feel like you'd be happier with more challenging work?
Twudie, ever the diligent Morale Division pawn, goes to work.
Pylor: I like to use my skills.
Twudie nods sympathetically.
Pylor pours himself some tea; one of the few advantages of being called on the carpet by Morale, in his opinion, is the better blend they keep around.
Pylor still resents the quick disappearance of the fancy tea Arat kept for Nick, upon his arrival.
Twudie notices the resentment, although she has no idea it's related to tea.
Pylor: Darrel was all right for a few weeks; he's got some interesting hangups. But he's pretty much over them now, at least with me.
Twudie: So your assignment has been successful, at least in terms of accomplishments?
Pylor: He doesn't require a First Order Donor, particularly for transfer.
Pylor: In fact, a transfer from me could cause trouble for Darrel.
Pylor frowns in concern.
Twudie: Have you told anybody of your concerns?
Pylor gives a cynical chuckle.
Pylor: Who is there to tell? Arat? He's convinced I'm an incompetent; he's not going to listen to me.
Twudie: You feel Arat thinks you're incompetent?
Twudie probes for clarification, a perennial Morale Division activity.
Pylor: Of course he does. He's made that clear from the first time we worked together.
Pylor: He seems to value Darrel, though, at least a little bit. Maybe that will convince Arat to not let the poor man develop a taste for what he can't have, at least not with any regularity.
Twudie: Tell me what happened. [smooth, kind professional manner]
Pylor: With me and Arat? Pretty much what happened with every non-Zeor Donor he's ever had, until Nick Reckage came along. He was irritable and demanding from the first, never satisfied with anything I did, wanting support 20 hours a day while complaining that it wasn't good enough.
Pylor: Why do you think he's considered the worst assignment in the Region?
Twudie: How did that make you feel, when you weren't able to satisfy his requests?
Pylor: I felt bad at first, and tried harder. When it became obvious that nothing I did was going to stop his complaints, I just wanted to move on to a channel who doesn't harass his Donors for recreation.
Twudie takes notes.
Twudie: So, you felt that his complaints were frivolous, and had no basis in actual discomfort?
Pylor: Does it matter, since I couldn't satisfy them either way? I suppose some of them might have been real, for all the difference that makes.
Pylor: Even hypochondriacs sometimes suffer genuine illnesses.
Twudie: I think it does matter to you.
Twudie: Doesn't it?
Pylor: It did, the first time I worked with Arat. I even hoped that I could be the one to help him work through his problems.
Pylor: That didn't last, after I got to know him.
Pylor is still trying to convince himself of that.
Pylor thinks it's ridiculous to be even a bit envious of Nick's effortless handling of Arat, since Arat was probably under strict orders to be nice to him.
Twudie: So, you are concerned that Arat's assessment of your skill level based upon your assignment together may have an adverse effect upon your assignments in the future?
Pylor: His folder shows that he's never given his Donors a good assessment unless they were ambrov Zeor and Farris-trained. I'm no different from the rest, except that this time, he has Controller Neptude's ear.
Twudie thinks that didn't really answer her question.
Pylor: And so I'm assigned to a Second for a transfer which could damage him, and ordered to spend an hour every day with you.
Twudie: ==scratch==
Twudie: Do you feel you have been treated unfairly?
Pylor: Well, I don't see any of the other Donors whom Arat rated as "inadequate" being treated like this.
Twudie: Have you considered that failing to raise your concerns regarding Darrel may increase, rather than decrease, any perception of incompetence Arat may have?
Twudie: And you might feel better if your concerns are at least on the record, even if nothing is done.
Twudie has learned that many Tecton employees derive increased morale from knowing their asses are thoroughly covered.
Pylor: Frankly, at the moment I couldn't care less what Arat thinks. The man's impossible. I've put a note in Darrel's file, and sent him by Arat's office every few days. If Arat is a quarter the channel he thinks he is, he ought to zlin trouble coming.
Pylor: Anything I said to Arat directly would do more harm than good, to both Darrel and me.
Twudie makes a note of the reaction.
Pylor: ~~ caught between a rock and a hard place, and a bit bitter about it ~~
Twudie smiles sympathetically at Pylor.
Twudie: I can see why you're frustrated.
Twudie: What do you think is the ideal work situation, that would make you feel good enough to perform at your best?
Twudie asks some of these questions every couple of days, because people's ideas change over time.
Pylor: I liked Capital just fine, before Arat came here.
Pylor: I like being in the center of things, and most of the other channels in the District are fine to work with.
Twudie: What do you think Arat could do differently to repair some of the problems between you two?
Twudie doesn't think Arat disappearing from the District is going to be an option just yet.
Pylor: All I want from Arat is a clean record, and the permanent removal of his name from my rotation schedule. It doesn't do either of us any good to have to work together.
Twudie: A clean record?
Pylor: You know what I mean.
Pylor is making a reasonable deduction, because he has mentioned his belief that he is being subjected to undeserved discipline as a scapegoat rather frequently.
Twudie: I see.
Twudie makes several notes.
Twudie: If you could redo everything over again, what would you have done differently?
Twudie thinks this is a reasonable question to ask of somebody who wants his record erased.
Pylor considers.
Pylor: I'd have taken the scuttlebutt about Arat more seriously, and not let myself get so interested in Arat's Donor problems. That way, I could have shrugged off the griping and demands. He wouldn't have been able to get to me so easily.
Twudie takes notes.
Twudie: And what do you think would be best to happen this month?
Twudie: With Darrel?
Pylor: He should be reassigned to a good, steady Second--Belva might do. As soon as possible, too. His records suggest that he might not take a last minute change of Donor very easily.
Twudie: And for you?
Pylor: Darrel could never satisfy me. Of course I want a First.
Pylor is a little surprised that Twudie would ask.
Twudie: But you'd rather Darrel than Arat.
Pylor: If it wouldn't harm Darrel, yes. But I think it would.
Pylor: And the man's taken enough abuse.
Pylor thinks that in a fair world, Darrel would be a First and Arat, a Second.
Twudie: Well, of course this is all theoretical, since I can only make recommendations, not actually affect your schedule.
Pylor: And Arat is hardly likely to arrange matters to suit me.
Pylor: ~~ futility ~~
Twudie: I still think you should talk to him about it. Open communications is often the key to solving problems.
Pylor: I don't think Arat and I have ever communicated. Not really.
Twudie looks at him curiously.
Twudie: Perhaps it's time to start. That's all I'm saying.
Pylor shrugs, his nager anything but optimistic.
Twudie: He is, after all, your Controller right now, and might be for while.
Twudie: I'm not saying it'll work like magic, but being at odds with your Controller is possibly a large part of your current dissatisfaction with work.
Pylor tries to figure out what would be worse: Working under Arat, or the threatened rural assignment.
Pylor: Perhaps you're right. Still, I'd hate to risk an innocent third party on the chance that Arat will be reasonable for a change.
Twudie spreads her hands.
Twudie: Maybe you should ask Darrel what he thinks.
Twudie: All I know is, if two people are having a disagreement, somebody has to be the first to start being reasonable.
Pylor: Arat's said to read over the personnel files frequently. Maybe he'll take my note a bit more seriously than he's taken my opinions in the past.
Pylor: ~~ hope ~~
Twudie gives him a "oh come on!" look.
Twudie: Can I ask you a question, can you be perfectly honest with me? Is there another reason you don't want to speak to Arat in person?
Pylor: Besides the fact that we mix about as well as oil and water?
Twudie considers.
Twudie: Are you afraid of Arat, do you find him intimidating?
Pylor: He was an arrogant, unpleasant child, and that wasn't improved when he went through changeover and turned out to be a Farris.
Twudie: So... you've never liked Arat?
Pylor: I don't know if I'd phrase it like that. It's not as if the Audnes heir was allowed to associate with us commoners, after all.
Twudie: There's a name I haven't heard in a while. [muses]
Pylor: It was one he never let us forget, even though his family had lost their Genfarm. 1
Pylor doesn't pause to wonder how much of that situation was due to the griping of the suddenly unemployed Genfarm workers.
Twudie: Does that... mean a lot to you? The past?
Pylor: If he'd been willing to mix with the other children, perhaps he could have blended in, and we would have accepted that as past history. Instead, he tried to act as if his family still owned the town.
Pylor: And its inhabitants.
Twudie: Do you feel the Audnes legacy matters today?
Pylor thinks that very little has changed: As the New Othwol Controller, Arat owned the town almost as securely as his grandparents did.
Pylor: I wasn't all that surprised when Arat managed to end up among the Tecton's ruling elite, if that's what your asking. Or that his rogue daughter is said to have taken possession of the Bender Cove slums.
Pylor thinks the slums is the perfect place for Snake.
Pylor wishes she'd never left them.
Twudie: Do you... have feelings of resentment about that?
Pylor: It's a waste of time to resent what you can't change. I'd settle for an armed truce.
Pylor has lost his taste for open warfare, after losing the last battle so spectacularly.
Twudie nods.
Twudie: Well, I have to go to my next appointment now. Are you going to be OK until tomorrow?
Pylor: I'll survive.
Twudie is aware that Pylor thinks she is something Arat inflicted upon him, instead of a service provided him by the Department of Morale.
Twudie however continues to go through the motions of offering help.
Twudie: All right. I'll see you tomorrow then, OK?
Pylor gets to his feet, wondering what poor clod is being subjected to the shame of an official morale investigation next.
Pylor: Fine.
Pylor stands and makes his way from the room, wondering if Twudie's report to Arat will be enough to get him to act on the danger to Darrel.
Twudie thinks that last line of conversation showed promise, and starts writing up her session summary.
Notes:
1) It was more of a farm than a Genfarm, but some Gens were bred there and "Genfarm" sounds a lot more dramatic. [return]