Sime~Gen Roleplaying: District Controller's Office Scenario
Episode #149: Replaceable (2/6/00)
see note 1
Lalique shakes her head.
Lalique: But, is that true? Did they really ask you not to go for treatment?
Buggfa looks rueful.
Buggfa: Well, it's not exactly like they asked.
Buggfa: They just said no.
Buggfa: You know, wouldn't give me the time off and stuff.
Lalique: So you asked them and they refused.
Buggfa: I guess so. They made like I was bugging them about stuff that just wasn't important.
Lalique wonders if this is just a case of typical out-Territory ignorance, or if Buggfa's managers could really be greedy enough to keep him a cripple for money.
Buggfa: There's this whole thing about asking for extras. Not supposed to do it.
Lalique: Your whole selyn systems a mass of scar tissue! That's a crippling disability.
Lalique: How can that be . .. unimportant . . . or extra?
Buggfa winces.
Buggfa: I know it sounds weird.
Buggfa: There's just this whole culture of... [gestures, unable to describe it]
Buggfa: Well, you just have to live it to recognize it.
Buggfa: It's like we should be so lucky they even let us hang around.
Lalique: So they just don't care about what happens to you?
Buggfa: Well they care, they wouldn't want me to like get hit by a bus or get nodes or something.
Lalique: If you got diabetes, would they help you keep healthy, or just keep you working any which way until you went blind or something?
Buggfa: Oh yeah, I mean, if it didn't interfere with touring and all, or if they thought a delay would be worth it.
Buggfa seems to view this as positive.
Lalique: Well, what you've got is just as serious.
Buggfa: Yeah, I guess, but diabetes doesn't sell records either.
Buggfa: Don't get me wrong, I know they're messed up in the head.
Buggfa: But I mean, it's been like this forever.
Buggfa: And if it was't them, it's not like the other labels would be any better.
Lalique: What I'm getting at is, did they really not know understand how badly you were hurt?
Lalique: Or did they really not care if you were hurt or not?
Buggfa looks at her curiously.
Buggfa wonders why she's so intense on it.
Lalique: Or is Mantia right, and they wanted you to stay hurt because it made the act better?
Buggfa: I'm thinking they thought I was dead, and then when I was alive, they only kept using me because of the song. It turned out to be a major hit.
Lalique notices Buggfa's look and figures she better do some back and fill work.
Buggfa: Hey, I mean, if it wasn't for that song, I'd probably still be stranded in Boring, New Washington.
Lalique: I thought you were a big hit before the song.
Buggfa: Nah, I mean, they were working us up and down the border, but it wasn't like that. Not before.
Buggfa: There hadn't been enough time for the word to get out.
Lalique: I want to know how it is working as a performer over the border.
Lalique: Part of this last month I spent out-T.
Lalique: There are a lot of things about the life there I just don't get.
Lalique: And the way your label treats you is a good example.
Buggfa: Oh yeah?
Buggfa: Well, I guess the way it works is this. Everybody wants to be where I am right now. They can do whatever they want because if I don't pan out, there's about a million other guys would want to take my place.
Buggfa: But on the other hand, they've already proved they can sell me, so they do a certain amount to make sure they can keep that going.
Buggfa: Like the vacations and stuff.
Lalique: And now they've got to let you have that therapy.
Buggfa suspects there aren't going to be any more vacations anytime soon, which is actually OK as they always seem to lead to getting kidnapped.
Lalique: Controller Arat will make sure of that.
Lalique: What's the reaction?
Buggfa: They're putting it all on Mantia.
Buggfa: Saying it was her fault.
Buggfa: And then making like they're cleaning up after her mess up.
Lalique: [grins] So you're not in trouble for running off with me and Riyyh and Nick?
Buggfa: Oh, man.
Buggfa: They've practically forgotten about it now, although I sure was in trouble at the time.
Buggfa: Now the idea that they'd OKed me rehabbing with Riyyh is like part of their key defense or something.
Buggfa figures it's OK to talk about this freely with Lalique since she knows perfectly well what the real story was.
Lalique: No fuss that Riyyh's not Tecton or that Nick was rogue?
Buggfa: Nah, at least not in public.
Buggfa: Who knows what all hair they rip out behind the boardroom doors.
Lalique: And are you okay with the rehab? You said you were back in rehearsal. Are you getting the time and care you require?
Buggfa: They don't let me out of here without goons to make sure I don't do anything I'm not supposed to.
Buggfa grins.
Buggfa: You should see the rehearsals.
Buggfa: There's security, and there's support, and then there's Tecton people watchin, and the Powers that Be standing around trying to look all casual but they're really anxious, of course.
Buggfa: And the designers all waving their hands saying they can't work under these conditions.
Lalique: And what do you think?
Buggfa: Well, other than a few extra people, it's pretty much a rehearsal.
Lalique: Are they pushing you too hard with all the therapy and rehearsals? You feel okay?
Buggfa: Physically I feel great. It is a little tiring just to think about it all every day.
Buggfa: All the politics.
Buggfa: And the different people all looking daggers at each other.
Lalique: Yeah. Are the Powers That Be getting fed up with the Tecton telling them what to do?
Buggfa: Big time.
Lalique: And what do you think they will do about that?
Buggfa: I don't think there's much they can do, or they would have just blown them off.
Buggfa chuckles.
Lalique: Hmmm. Well, Buggfa, I'd like you to meet the goon of the week.
Lalique grins and holds her hand out to shake his out-Territory style.
Notes:
1) This scene is continued from DCO #148. [return]