Sime~Gen Roleplaying: District Controller's Office Scenario
Episode #135: Discrepancies (1/15/00)
Nick follows Arat towards his (Arat's) office.
Nick: Are you sure you're feeling well enough for this?
Nick: ~~ concern ~~
Nick: Neptude's kept the District from collapsing for over a week, now. Sure he could manage another day?
Arat is spurred on by Nick's mention of Neptude and governmental collapse in the same sentence.
Arat hurries along.
Nick has gathered that there might be some unpleasant surprises waiting, and wants Arat in shape to deal with them.
Arat arrives at his office and enters.
Neptude is wading through a report on updated chemical inventories, wondering why such low-level paperwork is being referred up to the Controller's office, instead of being handled at the departmental level.
Neptude looks up at Arat, zlinning with concern.
Neptude: Arat! Are you sure you shouldn't still be in bed?
Arat's eyes dart to the desk in an attempt to ascertain whether anything is so screwed up it can be seen from the doorway.
Neptude, as usual, can't zlin through Arat's showfield, and looks at Nick in appeal.
Nick shrugs, as if to say "I tried".
Arat steps to the desk, picks up one of the chemical reports, and skims it critically.
Arat had not yet made a determination as to whether to fire Ormof or keep him around a bit longer.
Neptude: You know, your departmental heads should be handling this sort of thing.
Arat does have the option of sending him to that prison ward in New Nuyork.
Arat rarely sends employees off in response to pleas for personnel transfers and it wouldn't hurt to appear compliant from time to time.
Neptude vacates the desk chair.
Arat: Yes, I have been having some difficulties with Hajene Ormof.
Neptude: Here, man, sit down. You're looking peaked.
Arat sits, mainly because his attention isn't on what Neptude said.
Nick moves quietly to the tea table and starts assembling three cups of Narosian--he has managed to catch up with his luggage, while Arat was sleeping off their transfer.
Arat sighs and puts the report down.
Arat: What is the state of the District?
Arat: [to Neptude]
Neptude: It will survive.
Neptude: ~~ wry ~~
Neptude: I finalized the work schedules, pretty much along the lines in your notes.
Neptude does not realize he was working with a set of notes "amended" selectively by Snake.
Arat nods.
Arat doesn't realize it either.
Arat: I... should not have let things go so far.
Nick ~~ agrees ~~
Arat has taken up responsibility for what happened, in typical Farris style. Of course, the truth of the matter is that he begged Neptude for a change, not once but several times.
Arat wouldn't think of it that way now that he is more or less on his feet again, though. He's too arrogant.
Neptude: Now, now, we all make mistakes.
Neptude is, of course, quite happy to allow Arat to assume responsibility.
Neptude: The trick is to keep from making them a second time... Oh, thank you, Sosu.
Neptude accepts a steaming cup of tea from Nick.
Nick puts another cup in front of Arat, and returns to the tea table for his own.
Neptude decides a pleasant distraction is in order.
Neptude: I've tentatively scheduled a pledge party for our Sosu Nick, for day after tomorrow.
Nick feels the temperature in his boots turn Arctic, although his nager remains under control.
Neptude: It's too bad the weather has been so uncooperative, but I've assembled a decent guest list from those who are actually in town.
Neptude shoves a list towards Arat.
Arat picks up the list and examines it.
Neptude has, of course, invited everyone who is anyone, among the Tecton dignitaries.
Neptude wouldn't want anyone influential to miss seeing his triumph of rogue-rehabilitation.
Neptude looks at Nick with a kindly smile.
Arat would have preferred that few people got to zlin the newly compliant Nick up close so soon after his pledge, but is resigned to the fact that he will not be able to hold on to him.
Neptude: If there's anyone you particularly wish to be there... your grandmother, perhaps?
Nick: Shen, no!
Nick: ~~ rejection ~~ [carefully toned down for Farris laterals, of course]
Nick looks genuinely alarmed at the thought of Prunida on the loose at his pledge party.
Neptude waves a placating tentacle.
Neptude: Well, that's up to you, of course.
Neptude is willing to cut Nick's friends and family out, if that leaves room for more "distinguished guests".
Arat frowns to himself.
Neptude catches on that Arat is inexplicably not thrilled by his forthcoming vindication on the rogue-rehabilitation front.
Neptude: I've taken Sosu Pylor off your schedule, as you see.
Neptude comes as close as he can to an apology for the whole Pylor mess.
Arat puts down the guest list and picks up his scheduling ledger.
Arat pages through it, and then looks rather disbelieving.
Arat: You assigned Pylor's training to Wise Snake?
Arat would have thought Neptude far too conservative.
Arat had considered the same thing, but never did it because the risk was too great that Pylor would be damaged further.
Neptude: She's the only other Farris channel available. By all accounts, she's not having the same incompatibility problems with the man that you did.
Nick is, of course, not about to comment on the situation.
Arat: Whose accounts?
Neptude: There's an initial report right here....
Neptude sorts through the pile in the "out" box, and finally locates a note scrawled on the back of a napkin.
Neptude: You really must work a bit more with Wise Snake on proper reports.
Neptude pushes it towards Arat.
Arat's nostrils flare defensively.
Arat picks up the napkin, careful not to touch the greasy part, and glares at the scrawl.
Arat: Then you've authorized her leaving the premises?
Arat's tone of voice makes it clear he thinks only an idiot would do such a thing.
Arat turns the napkin around to show the embossed logo of a restaurant: "LeChic Grille".
Neptude: Leave the....
Neptude stares at the napkin's logo in ~~ alarm ~~
Neptude: Oh, dear.
Arat had come into the office feeling as if he were stepping cautiously out onto thin ice, hoping it would hold him. Now he has done the moral equivalent of plunging into the water and realizing there was never any ice there at all, just wishful thinking on his part.
Arat takes a long moment to school himself; Neptude may be incompetent in Arat's mind, but there is no use in antagonizing the man when he has already demonstrated his whims can have a devastating effect on Arat's situation.
Nick steps behind Arat and puts a hand on his shoulder.
Nick: ~~ reassurance ~~
Arat can't realistically expect Neptude to have handled the problems he left behind him.
Arat thought he could have realistically expected Neptude to at least keep them from getting worse, but one must accept what one can. In this case, at least he'd had the illusion everything was under control while he was in the worst of his recovery. That was important.
Arat controls his voice with an effort.
Nick personally thinks that much of Arat's last breakdown could have been avoided by letting Snake whip Pylor into shape earlier.
Arat: I will look into it.
Arat: Perhaps it is for the best.
Neptude: Good, good. I'm sure it will work out fine.
Arat of course is still under the illusion that he "didn't" arrange for this, while Neptude thinks it was all his idea.
Neptude is, perhaps, under the illusion that Snake will use Tecton standard methods on Pylor.
Neptude: Do let me know how Pylor progresses.
Arat nods, not looking very happy.
Arat can't really imagine anything that Snake might do with Pylor off the premises that wouldn't damage Pylor's reputation further.
Neptude is well aware that Pylor's failure to reach Farris levels is the weakest spot in his ass-covering attempt.
Neptude: I admit, I can't quite understand why he's been such a problem.
Arat looks at Neptude questioningly.
Nick wonders what part of "complete incompetence" Neptude doesn't understand, then thinks over Neptude's actions of the past week or so, and comes up with an answer: Most of it.
Neptude: He has the potential--all the tests agree on that.
Neptude: And he was progressing at a normal enough pace, since his Establishment.
Neptude: One wouldn't think that this would be so different.
Neptude: Have you been able to determine exactly why he dislikes the idea of working with Farris channels in general, and you in particular?
Arat looks uncomfortable.
Arat: He says that he has disliked me since he was a child.
Neptude: That's right, you both grew up in New Othwol, didn't you?
Arat nods.
Neptude: Can you recall any specific incidents that might be responsible for his feelings? Childish rivalries? Playground feuds?
Arat: We were not in the same social circle. I do not remember having had any direct interaction with him.
Neptude: Surely you had some interaction with him? If only in class?
Arat is unaware that a good number of his frosty silences and cynical or dismissive glances were considered very direct interactions by other students.
Arat combs his admittedly badly faded memories of that distant time.
Arat: We were in different age groups. We would not have been in the same classes except under unusual circumstances.
Arat: There were some subjects in which I was in advance of my age group, so it is possible.
Neptude: But you don't remember any incidents in which you interacted?
Arat: I was not in the Tecton school much of the time. It was not possible to maintain ongoing relations with the other students.
Arat: It is possible there was some event, but....
Arat gestures with a hand and tentacles.
Neptude: I see.
Neptude: Well, if you do recall anything, it might be helpful.
Neptude pushes aside his (empty) tea cup.
Neptude: I really must go over to the Regional offices and take care of some business.
Arat: Very well.
Arat: I... [forces himself to say it] thank you for your assistance.
Arat thinks that his real opinion - that Neptude caused his collapse and then has only made things worse since then - will not be of any use at this time.
Neptude: Not at all, not at all. That's what the Tecton is for: We cover each other, and get the job done.
Neptude does not... quite... pat Arat's shoulder in a collegial fashion.
Arat is going to be stuck with Neptude until he is no longer District Controller to Neptude's Regional Controller - and there are a lot of very unpleasant ways that could be arranged.
Neptude: Don't overdo it, your first day back.
Neptude: I'll be back later, and I'd be happy to handle anything you don't care to fuss with.
Arat watches Neptude leave.
Arat's eyes narrow.
Arat: I wonder why he asked about that.
Arat begins to fret as he imagines Wise Snake putting forth crazy theories to Neptude, behind Arat's back.
Nick ~~ soothes ~~ Arat.
Nick: I think he's worried that the whole Pylor incident will backfire on him, unless he can finally manage to get the man trained properly.
Nick: He's grasping at straws.
Arat: He must be, if he assigned him to Wise Snake.
Arat: I thought Neptude didn't trust her at all.
Arat: Has he said anything about it to you?
Nick decides to leave out what he knows, and suspects, about the assignment's origin.
Nick: Not really.
Nick: But Snake thinks she can get results out of Pylor.
Nick has, of course, spent his off-duty time (all half hour of it that wasn't required for immediate personal necessities) with Snake, rather than Neptude.
Arat zlins the half-truth, and frowns.
Arat looks down at his desk and begins trying to sort the papers left on it.
Arat knew it had been hoping too much that the haywire would have been straightened out by the time he recovered.
Nick summons up a positive attitude on the Pylor question.
Nick does this mostly by thinking that by the time Snake's finished having fun with him, he'll either be reformed or dead.
Nick's opinion is that either would be a distinct improvement.
Nick: You don't have to have the whole mess sorted out today, you know.
Nick of course has no intention of allowing Arat to overdo.
Nick prefers voluntary cooperation from his channels when possible, however.
Nick has, perhaps, been spoiled by several months of working with Riyyh, who almost always does exactly what his Companion tells him to.
Arat looks up at Nick.
Arat hands him the guest list for the pledge party.
Arat: See if there is anybody you would want to add.
Arat turns his own mind to more immediate, if possibly less gnarly, tasks.
Nick looks at the list, and gulps.