Sime~Gen Roleplaying: District Controller's Office Scenario
Episode #155: Heathenish, Squalid, Brutalistic (2/14/99)
Nick manages to escape from the burn ward an hour early, with the excuse of reading a report or three.
Nick is a Donor whose channel is approaching need, after all.
Nick opens the door to Arat's office and slips through.
Nick: Can I hide here for a little while?
Arat looks up, surprised.
Nick: ~~ slight plaintiveness accenting full support ~~
Arat genuinely doesn't know what Nick means.
Arat genuinely appreciates the support, though.
Nick takes the lack of response as an answer.
Nick: Every time I've tried to get these read, someone drops by to chat.
Nick holds up the reports.
Nick slips into the Donor's chair, setting the reports on a cleared corner of Arat's desk, for the moment.
Arat looks at Nick.
Arat hadn't exactly been getting a lot done himself, though not because of interruptions.
Nick is, for some reason, far more interested in looking after Arat than in reading the reports, now that he's actually settled.
Arat has been doing surprisingly well, this month - at least, considering how bad the previous month had been - but it is awfully near the end of the month.
Nick: Here, let me make you more comfortable.
Nick reaches over to put a hand on Arat's arm.
Nick trails his fingers over Arat's tentacles.
Arat finds it difficult to retain his composure, as Nick's touch undoes all of the days of carefully structured denial that anything has been less than perfect.
Nick: I thought Jeniard was going to be with you, while I was downstairs?
Arat is not about to admit he had sent Jeniard down to fetch Nick, about 45 seconds before Nick turned up on his own.
Nick goes to work on Arat's intil factor.
Arat is still pretty conflicted about Nick, especially since the very strange conversation about the politics of water usage.
Arat had not been able to determine either way whether Nick has been ordered to probe Arat's loyalty to the Tecton, and he doesn't want to come out and ask directly.
Nick: Relax, Arat. Let me worry about your need for a while.
Nick has 75% of Riyyh's seductive ability, although it is directed somewhat differently, particularly when he's high-field.
Arat cannot deny that Nick's field is comforting, and he has had a lot of practice at doing his best to approach transfer dates with a positive attitude.
Arat forces himself to put his reservations aside for the time being, and take Nick's other hand.
Nick accepts the hand with a ~~ warm welcome ~~
Nick: What's bothering you so much?
Arat is extremely reluctant to bring up his actual worry to Nick.
Arat's expression shows it.
Nick keeps face and nager reassuring and inviting, and waits.
Arat: Your... [hesitates] ...conversation lately.
Arat: I can't help but wonder at its intention.
Nick: My...conversation?
Nick's complexion reddens noticeably.
Nick: And intention?
Arat looks at Nick pointedly.
Arat: Surely you cannot expect me to overlook being pressed to answer multiple questions about such an esoteric subject.
Nick: Well, no, I suppose that isn't reasonable.
Nick is not at all comfortable discussing the matter with Arat at such an early date, but figures there is no point in keeping the secret and losing the reason for its existence.
Arat: You nearly implied that you thought I should try to be transferred to the project, when it happens.
Arat had been quite flabbergasted by the thought, at the time.
Arat has since decided he must have been mistaken.
Arat simply can't imagine any person on earth more ill-suited to tending to a mob of heathenish, squalid laborers in a wilderness construction zone.
Arat has a low tolerance for dust, sweat, noise, filth, atmospheric contaminants, brutalistic and oafish people, and construction site politics.
Nick: Would you really rather stay here, buried in paperwork, with Neptude playing games with your transfers?
Arat: This is not an ideal situation, [admits, after a moment] However, it is not without certain advantages.
Arat: Chief among them, proximity to adequate medical facilities.
Nick: Well, yes. And the way you're treated, you require them often.
Nick lets go of his feelings towards Neptude before they ruin his work on Arat.
Nick: Arat, this isn't a hypothetical situation.
Nick: They're building the dam this spring--I gather that the old one was showing more stress than they originally thought.
Arat studies Nick more alertly.
Arat looks rather wary, which is typical of him when he is feeling a little pressure about something he is not at all sure about.
Arat: I have heard nothing of this.
Nick: They haven't exactly advertised it.
Arat: It will take many months. They mean to begin it this spring, or have it finished by then?
Arat being a Farris is incapable of automatically discounting the latter as unrealistic.
Nick: I got the first news from a wandering laborer who thought he might be able to get some work there if he could make it before the rush.
Nick: If they're lucky, they'll have enough of a crew to start as soon as the snow melts.
Arat looks at Nick suspiciously.
Nick: And they'll require channels to look after them.
Arat is wondering how Nick got mixed up with a wandering laborer, and how the subject came up, etc.
Nick: That could be dozens of Thirds--or a few good Firsts.
Nick looks at Arat to see how he is taking this.
Arat looks disbelieving.
Arat tries to calm down.
Nick assists with the calming endeavor.
Arat: This may sound like an ideal situation to you.
Arat: But your... experience... has been mainly with situations that were far less than ideal.
Arat: Wise Snake might leap at this opportunity.
Nick was rather counting on that, actually.
Arat tries to think of an appropriate way to say that for himself, the idea is so abhorrent as to make him feel claustrophobic.
Arat does understand on some level that complete freedom from entran can make up for a certain amount of other discomforts, but it is difficult to imagine that clearly from afar.
Nick is, of course, doing his not insignificant best to make sure that Arat is not feeling any distress.
Arat therefore probably isn't feeling quite as much panic at the idea as he might have.
Nick: Once the dam was completed, you'd be up for reassignment in Norwest Territory.
Nick: You might not get New Othwol back, but I expect you could get a lot closer than this.
Arat: Do you have any idea how long such a project would take to complete?
Arat absolutely cannot picture himself living in raw work camp conditions in the mountains for the two years or so he's heard estimated.
Nick: Two years, I've heard. Maybe a bit faster, depending on how the work goes.
see note 1
Notes:
1) This scene is continued in the next episode. [return]