Sime~Gen Roleplaying: District Controller's Office Scenario
Episode #106: Epilogue (11/24/99)
Leta pulls out a handkerchief and wipes her face.
Arat leaves the transfer suite and strides down the hallway, still frowning ferociously.
Leta stills her fluctuating nager.
Arat comes to the end of the hallway where Leta is waiting.
Arat: Please come to my office.
Arat appears angry, but not necessarily with her.
Leta pulls her invisible cloak of professionalism around her and follows the Controller.
Arat remains silent all the way back up to his office, although he gestures for her to sit when they arrive.
Leta is shaking, not so much with fear or nerves, as with reaction. She has never in her professional career had a channel refuse her.
Leta: I have never had a channel refuse me before! What's wrong with me?
Arat goes to turn on the burner and get some water started for tea, then sits down at his desk.
Arat: Last week you reported that all was well. How did that change?
Arat means, besides 'very dramatically'.
Leta: I'm really not sure what happened, exactly. Ever since we first met Hajene Homer has been giving me small gifts. Nothing elaborate; tea, homemade things. I thought that I made it clear that our relationship was professional.
Leta: Then today, just before we were due to meet the monitoring channel in the suite, Homer presented me with what he called "a gift for his transfer mate".
Arat listens carefully.
Leta: I explained that there was a difference between a transfer mate and a Donor, and that I didn't feel that I could accept it.
Leta shrugs.
Arat: And how did he react to that?
Leta: He was rather shocked. I probably could have handled it better. I was afraid he wanted more of me then I was able to give.
Leta: He seemed disgusted that I would give my selyn to just any channel!
Leta starts shaking worse.
Arat ponders that.
Arat: And he showed no other signs of negativity toward you before then?
Leta: No! We had been getting on rather well. I had thought that he was settling. The daily walks in the park seemed to help. He still showed disappointment that he couldn't get to know his patients better. But on the whole everything seemed well.
Arat nods.
Arat: You said you might have been able to handle the matter of the final gift better. What do you think might have made a difference?
Leta: I have no idea.
Leta: I did what I thought was right, Controller.
Arat: I see.
Arat thinks about that for some time, during which the water starts boiling.
Leta sits and waits nervously to see if the Controller understands that she did her best.
Leta hopes that he understands that her best, while obviously not the best for the channel in her care, was the best she could have been expected to offer, in the circumstances.
Arat: What did the transfer gift mean to him?
Arat: Did he tell you?
Leta: Sort of. He said it was a gift for a transfer mate, and that he was supposed to protect me, and that it meant that I had chosen him over others to protect me and for me to give my selyn to. Something like that. He was very sincere. It was obviously something that meant a great deal to him. I should have taken it or something! I tried to stay professional and not hurt him.
Leta chokes back a sob.
Leta: ~ upset ~
Arat studies her for a moment, then gets up and goes to pour her some tea.
Leta struggles to get herself under control again. The last thing she wants to do is present the Controller with an unprofessional nager.
Arat brings the tea over to her.
Arat is not by nature a terribly sympathetic person, but he is being pretty nice for him.
Leta takes the tea.
Leta: Thank you, Controller.
Leta looks at the tea.
Leta wonders what the Controller is thinking.
Arat remains near, watching her.
Leta sips her tea.
Arat is thinking that he is going to give her a day off and then give her a tough but unrisky assignment to get her confidence back up.
Arat: I would like you to write up a detailed report on what happened, including as many of his exact words and as much as you can remember of your impressions of his emotional state, as possible.
Arat: I will not require it until... tomorrow evening.
Leta: Thank you, Controller!
Arat: While you are thinking about it, if you have any ideas as to what you might have done differently, or what sort of Donor might be more effective with Homer, please include those as well.
Arat: You and I will speak of this again next week, when you have had some time.
Arat knows that for many people, an overall impression of situation can take a while to develop.
Leta: Yes, of course. Thank you again.
Leta puts her tea cup down and stands to leave.
Arat zlins her to make sure she is going to be all right.
Leta: ~ calming down, although still a bit shaken ~