Sime~Gen Roleplaying: District Controller's Office Scenario
Episode #162: Political Pan and Fire (2/22/00)
Harmony ambrov Keon, public relations director of the Quadrilateral Society, sits at her desk scanning today's headlines.
Harmony is a brilliant, stylish and beautiful female renSime of about 40 natal years.
Harmony refreshes her cup of exquisite Narosian blend tea from the fine porcelain tea pot with a gesture that would be breath-taking in its grace, if there were anyone there to see it.
Harmony checks her time sense, as she has an appointment scheduled at 10 a.m.
Harmony folds the newspapers and sets them aside, with a note for her secretary on items to clip for the files.
Harmony takes from her in-box the minutes of the last Quadrilateral Society meeting, which included representatives from the government and intelligentsia of 3 territories.
Arat approaches the building Harmony has her offices in, in a posh financial district in Capitol.
Arat is wearing civilian clothing (which renders him nearly unrecognizable to anybody who hasn't associated with him socially) and is alone.
Arat has been doing a number of difficult but necessary errands today, following a difficult but necessary night of thinking about Neptude's threats and Neptude's nephew.
Arat does not have to look to see if anybody is watching him enter the building; he can zlin everybody for blocks around and nobody is paying attention.
Arat enters, speaks to the receptionist, and is directed down a carpeted hallway toward Harmony's office.
Harmony zlins the visitor approaching her office and rises to open the door.
Arat feels a slight trepidation for the first time. While he is the sort of person who would theoretically associate with the circles Harmony is part of, his political volatility and his fixation on work have more or less prevented it from happening. Now he is not sure what sort of reaction he might get, or whether his background will be more of a liability than a plus.
Arat of course does not allow it to show, as he reaches the office.
Harmony: Hajene Farris? Please, come right in!
Harmony: ~~ gracious welcome ~~
Arat: Tuib Harmony.
Arat nods in return, and enters.
Harmony: Have a seat; make yourself comfortable.
Harmony ushers Arat into her impeccably decorated office.
Arat is dressed in a dark, severe fashion that Nick complained made him resemble an art snob. Arat is, of course, an art snob, but that's not why he dresses that way.
Arat thanks her nagerically and takes a seat.
Arat's eyes and laterals scan the office, and Harmony, automatically. He's too much the Farris to ever stop taking in information at full volume.
Harmony wonders why Arat Farris would want to see her. With his reputation, he has usually made a point of avoiding political contacts of any sort.
Harmony has of course assembled a respectable dossier on his history and current activities.
Harmony notes that Arat's body language expresses some discomfort.
Harmony: Can I offer you some tea, Hajene Farris?
Arat is somewhat distracted, but nods anyway.
Harmony pours the delicately scented trin into a second egg-shell thin cup and hands it to her guest.
Arat is still trying to decide if he's done the right thing by coming here. There's no question that this is the right place, of course. It's the question of his being here.
Arat is not used to that sort of question.
Arat accepts the cup of tea.
Arat: Thank you.
Harmony considers social chit-chat but, based on Arat's dossier, realizes this will probably not succeed in putting him more at ease.
Arat's mind files the quality of the teacup away somewhere.
Harmony: ~~ pleased that you are here ~~
Harmony: How can I be of assistance today, Hajene?
Arat sets the tea down.
Arat studies her face for a moment, while his nager makes sure no molecules are out of place, and then says, "Thank you for being willing to see me on such short notice."
Arat: I realize that this is an... unusual meeting.
Harmony smiles gently.
Harmony: You have not expressed an interest in the work of the Quadrilateral Society before.
Arat shakes his head slowly.
Arat: No. [admits]
Harmony: We are, of course, well aware of what you have accomplished here in Capitol and in New Othwol.
Arat nods acceptance of the compliment.
Arat: However, recently I have become involved in a project which would seem to have farther reaching scale than in the past.
Harmony: Really?
Harmony: ~~ sincere interest ~~
Harmony thinks that if it is important enough to drive Arat out of his bolt-hole in the District office building, it must be significant indeed.
Arat, after a hard night of thinking, decided that he could not accept the threat to his career and reputation that Neptude's recent comments brought to light, and must take steps to take matters into his own hands.
Arat nods.
Arat traces the delicate lip of the tea cup with a tentacle, feeling for the right speed of approach on this issue.
Arat: I am interested in becoming involved in the Snake River Dam project on a high level.
Arat isn't talking about channeling work, either.
Harmony raises her eyebrows in surprise.
Arat's dark eyes are sincere and intense, his nager less revealing.
Harmony is aware of Arat's disreputable family background, and lifelong efforts to appear respectable.
Harmony thinks this current request does not match his standard pattern of risk-aversion.
Harmony: What about the project appeals to you?
Arat: None of it.
Arat is not going to be dishonest.
Arat: However, it suits my purposes indirectly.
Arat: And... [aware that this is what will interest the political types the most] ... it is nearer New Othwol.
Harmony: Do you have any opinions in favor or opposed to the proposal as it stands?
Arat: I object to the portion of the project involving the founding of a city on the site.
Harmony: What is your concern?
Arat: If those funds were diverted to the dam project itself, it could be started in a more timely fashion.
Arat in fact has no objection whatsoever to the placement of a city there, but his plan does involve allowing a public panic to grow regarding the safety of the existing dam, and anything that will accentuate the problem is a plus.
Harmony nods.
Harmony: Certainly, some of the mayors downstream from the site have requested an accelerated schedule.
Arat: There is... some evidence that the government has actively suppressed information as to the condition of the existing structure.
Harmony: Well, certainly steps have been taken to avoid panicking the public.
Harmony: But the engineering reports indicate that the current time line should solve the problem before any crisis develops.
Arat regards Harmony.
Arat: The numbers might be interpreted either way.
Arat: In any case, the general public is rarely swayed by detail, but by the larger facts.
Arat does not doubt that it would be possible to create a national crisis of the dam, and to become the leader of the people regarding the dam project itself as a result. The difficult part is in doing it in such a way as to be acceptable to parties Arat does not wish to cross.
Harmony considers what Arat has said.
Harmony remembers that Arat's dossier said that he has been trying to return to New Othwol ever since he was forced out of it.
Harmony: The public is easily swayed in a variety of ways.
Arat nods.
Harmony: And what particular public would you wish to influence by a return to New Othwol?
Arat will allow honest discussion of his motives in returning to New Othwol, as a means of diverting any chance of anyone ever learning his real motives for this project.
Arat: As you know I have personal reasons for wanting to return there.
Arat: Many of them political.
Harmony: What are your ambitions?
Harmony knows that she will not be able to zlin if Arat is telling the truth, but his answer will be interesting even if it is a lie.
Arat's look hardens involuntarily as he is forcibly reminded of what he sees as his personal debt to a people.
Arat: My ambitions, as you describe them, lie in my duty to the people of Sime Territory and of New Othwol in particular.
Arat due to his upbringing has no difficulty in grasping the concept of duty and high privilege going hand in hand.
Arat tends to remind people more of the high privilege bit, while privately flogging himself with the duty bit.
Harmony: So all you want is to serve and protect our citizens?
Harmony, after years of immersion in high level politics, tends to be skeptical of claims of selfless service.
Arat's eyes glint with a touch of irony.
Arat: Is there any higher purpose?
Arat: Of course I demand respect, prestige, and a reasonable level of wealth. But all of that is secondary.
Arat doesn't mean it's optional, only that it doesn't drive his passions.
Arat has all three with the Tecton, and still lives in a dorm room, wears uniforms and spends all his time healing patients and doing paperwork.
Harmony: ~~ gentle amusement ~~
Harmony: Of course, we are dedicated only to the highest of purposes.
Harmony: You understand, of course, that the Snake River Dam is not actually in New Othwol.
Arat: Of course.
Harmony: Nor is there any certainty that the project could be used as a stepping stone to a position there.
Harmony: As currently planned, high officials on the project might reasonably expect to move into permanent positions in the new communities the Dam will create.
Arat: I expect as much.
Arat thinks it sounds loathsome, but he is willing to go rather far for the sake of his honor.
Harmony: Such as the city whose construction you wish to postpone.
Arat: My interests lie mainly with the safety and conditions of the workers, and of the cities downstream of the dam.
Harmony zlins and observes Arat closely to see if he is in earnest.
Arat is always in deadly earnest. He simply does not know how to be any other way.
Arat actually has two modes, "deadly earnest" and "hysterical panic attack". He hadn't experienced the latter in some years, but Neptude's little comments brought back a refresher session, which kept Jeniard busy. Arat is not interested in going back to that part of his life.
Harmony considers that Arat was sent away from New Othwol because he held inordinate political influence with the local renSimes. Thousands of them may need to be recruited for the Dam's construction.
Harmony considers Arat's record as a trouble-shooter who has succeeded in taking control of problem organizations and individuals and making them perform efficiently.
Harmony has no doubts all these skills and more will be required to make the Dam project a success.
Harmony: You are aware that the Snake River Dam project is not just an administrative challenge?
Arat certainly is.
Harmony: The waterways involved cross Territorial boundaries and cooperation between various governments will be required to assure success?
Arat nods.
Harmony: The project leaders will find themselves in a blinding political spotlight.
Arat regards her evenly.
Harmony: Are you sure you want to subject yourself to that kind of public scrutiny?
Arat: Whether it appears to be the case or not, I have been subjected to such scrutiny for most of my life.
Arat in fact is planning this terrible future as a way to avoid even worse.
Arat would rather roast in a thousand hells than suffer a public disgrace. Even if the thousand hells are a disease ridden, filthy and brawling construction site.
Arat came to that realization last night as part of the long, difficult thought process, and though he isn't proud of it, there it is.
Harmony: You have been subjected to it, but you have not previously sought it out.
Arat: Not often. [agrees]
Arat: And when I do, it must be done with care and precision.
Arat: And fully coordinated with the intentions of others.
Arat means the others whose opinions matter, not those other others.
Harmony knows that Arat is an effective administrator within the Tecton hierarchy, but she wonders if he has the skill to engage in the rough and tumble of public politics.
Arat spent the first 13 years of his life watching his parents rouse junct renSimes to repeated revolution against the Tecton that kept them alive, and does not think it would be so difficult a matter to do the same with regards to the dam. It would be regrettable, however, to make enemies of certain groups in the process, Harmony's being one of them.
Harmony realizes that the Audnes legacy gives Arat both advantages and disadvantages in the situation in question.
Arat would, needless to say, not be able to actually show his influence in any but the positive, healing side of such events, but he has already paid visits to some who would be of use in the other half.
Harmony does not have the authority to make any decision here, but Arat's surprising suggestion surely deserves the attention of the Society.
Harmony: Your concern for the future of the people of the Snake River Valley moves me deeply.
Arat can of course zlin exactly what Harmony feels about it.
Harmony: I will inform the membership of the Society that you are interested in participating.
Arat looks thoughtful at her phrasing.
Arat: Very well.
Harmony: I have no doubt some role can be found for a channel of your unique talents.
Arat: Thank you again for meeting on such short notice.
Harmony doesn't know what the high muck-a-mucks who make the decisions will decide to do about this, but she is sure they will find it interesting at least.
Harmony thinks that if they don't want Arat on the Dam Project, they may well find some way to involve him in some other scheme.
Harmony knows that the Quadrilateral Society has its tentacles extended into every facet of society, and it can surely find a use for an independent Farris channel with Arat's unquestioned abilities.