Sime~Gen Roleplaying: District Controller's Office Scenario
Episode #169: Did Somebody Call Security? (3/6/00)
Jeniard waits in Arat's office for Lexus to meet him for their appointment.
Jeniard volunteered for the task of accompanying Lexus to examine Pylor not because he enjoys spending time with Pylor, but because he wants to get a zlin of Lexus for himself.
Jeniard has his own private opinions about why Lexus is there, which are at least 3 times as paranoid as Arat's.
Jeniard can be more paranoid than Arat when it regards Arat himself. This is because Arat suffers from the misapprehension that the Tecton genuinely values him as much as he's worth, and Jeniard, like any mother hen, knows better.
Lexus heads for Arat's office, leaving behind a stack of files several feet in height.
Jeniard thinks that Lexus is a rotten little spy, and probably a carbon copy of his blithering uncle. However, he has yet to meet the man face to face.
Lexus had not quite appreciated how the paperwork proliferates when managing several Sime Centers not just one.
Jeniard has several elaborate scenarios laid out in his head, for how Lexus may have been assigned here to make Arat look bad, or provide the straw that broke the scheduling camel's back, etc.
Jeniard always has, of course, the jealousy factor. Lexus was assigned to work directly with Arat. That could be a problem in its own right.
Jeniard would hate to see Arat work hard to win Lexus over to his own side. He'd have to allow it, but he'd hate it.
Lexus wonders how much paperwork would be spawned if you left several Sime Centers alone in a dark room for a month or two.
Lexus is looking forward to his interview with Pylor, the infamous high order Donor who tried to force Arat into a transfer.
Lexus wishes he had such problems with all his Donors; he doubts he would file formal complaints about it.
Lexus reminds himself that he is working without a Donor today and is at the end of his month; he puts his field in order.
Lexus signals at Arat's office door.
Jeniard gets up and goes to the door.
Jeniard: You must be Hajene Lexus.
Jeniard smiles, and has a pleasant enough nager, but there is a reserved core to him that most people know as the part that is for Arat only.
Jeniard isn't the sort of person people gossip to.
Lexus zlins Jeniard curiously; only a day in the 53rd District and he has heard rumors a-plenty.
Lexus: And you must be Hajene Jeniard.
Jeniard: Yes.
Lexus smiles amiably.
Jeniard: Shall we?
Jeniard: Sosu Pylor is waiting in Examination Room 464.
Lexus: Oh, I thought Hajene Arat would be here.
Pylor is, more accurately, fretting in Examination Room 464.
Pylor is still high field, and is beginning to wonder if any channel will ever again be willing to take transfer from him.
Jeniard: He and Beni are on shift in the emergency ward.
Jeniard: I told him I would handle it.
Jeniard told him in no uncertain terms, actually.
Lexus was hoping to observe the interaction between Arat and Pylor.
Lexus: Very well. Lead on.
Jeniard makes sure the door is secure, then starts down the hall.
Jeniard: You know, I've heard a lot about you recently.
Jeniard: Last couple of weeks or so.
Lexus: All of it good, I hope.
Jeniard: That depends on your point of view, I guess.
Lexus zlins Jeniard's reaction; at this time of the month he is at his most sensitive.
Jeniard's nager is mild enough, though his expression is a bit vague, in an unconscious imitation of Arat.
Jeniard is consciously controlling his emotions.
Jeniard has an unnatural amount of experience at that, for a Sime.
Lexus: I didn't realize I was well enough known for people to have points of view about me.
Lexus loves it when they do, however!
Jeniard: Neither did I!
Jeniard means, he didn't realize Lexus was anywhere near in the correct league to be considered for replacing Arat. Except as a case of pure nepotism, of course.
Jeniard idly turns over the idea of siccing Morca on Lexus.
Jeniard has kept her card, even though he vowed not to speak to her again.
Jeniard zlins Lexus' reaction and files it away for future reference.
Jeniard: Here it is. [near the stairwell on the 4th floor]
Jeniard: Would you like to enter first, or shall I?
Jeniard: [politely]
Lexus: Why don't you go first. Introduce me.
Jeniard: OK.
Pylor hears noises in the hall, and abruptly pulls his nager into shape.
Lexus thinks his uncle Neptude is a bit too squeamish about rogue Donors, but no sense taking risks.
Pylor got some practice doing that in his sessions with Snake, and is therefore zlinning under control when the door opens.
Jeniard enters cautiously, ready to suddenly stop zlinning if that seems prudent.
Jeniard is not as sensitive as a Farris, but Pylor has been a bit under the weather recently.
Pylor: Hajene Jeniard.
Jeniard sighs in relief as Pylor seems to be OK at the moment.
Pylor can't help looking beyond Jeniard for Arat.
Jeniard: Sosu Pylor, this is Hajene Lexus.
Lexus follows him, also guarding his nager, but pasting a warm smile on his face.
Jeniard: He's here to examine you for Controller Neptude.
Lexus: Sosu Pylor.
Pylor feels a ~~ pang ~~ of disappointment, quickly dampened, when Arat fails to materialize.
Pylor: Hajene Lexus.
Jeniard closes the door, so that anything untoward which may occur won't damage and/or scandalize anybody walking past.
Pylor is a touch ~ puzzled ~ at Lexus's presence, since it is obvious that he's not a Farris, and therefore that he couldn't possibly give as exact an evaluation as Arat or Snake.
Lexus is not pleased that Pylor doesn't focus attention on him, even after the invocation of Uncle Neptude's authority.
Pylor lets his (uncomfortably high) field assume a comfortable neutrality.
Lexus sees that Pylor seems reasonably calm.
Lexus: I am here as the Regional Controller's representative.
Lexus: He is considering your options.
Pylor: I see.
Pylor's Snake-enforced training bears him in good stead; only a Farris would be able to zlin his trepidation under his control.
Jeniard moves to a spot where he can zlin them both well and not interfere.
Lexus: I would like to ask, if it were up to you, what would you choose for yourself.
Lexus opens himself up to zlin Pylor in more depth.
Pylor's nager zlins very lusciously ripe, indeed.
Pylor: All I've ever wanted was to have a well-matched channel every month.
Lexus is not used to dealing with such a high-order Gen, and he has to pinch himself to stay duo-conscious.
Pylor thinks that the trouble came when he and his Controllers started defining "well-matched" in different ways.
Lexus: I've read your file. You didn't have trouble serving ordinary Firsts.
Jeniard thinks yeah, because he didn't jump down their throats with all sorts of prejudicial slurs, while turning their nagers to mincemeat with distortion.
Jeniard keeps his thoughts to himself, though.
Lexus: I saw complaints both you and Controller Arat filed about each other.
Pylor: We have not been able to work together comfortably, that's true.
Pylor thinks the less said on that front, the better.
Pylor is unsure how he feels about Arat at the moment, anyway.
Pylor has spend the past two weeks waking up several times a night, from dreams of Arat--and he's not sure if they count as nightmares, strictly speaking.
Lexus: Are you made uncomfortable by Arat as an individual, as a Farris, or because he was trying to stretch your abilities?
Pylor wonders if Lexus is really working for the Morale Division; that's the sort of nonsense question they keep asking. Over and over and over.
Jeniard finds Pylor's twinges of reaction very interesting.
Lexus zlins Pylor's ambivalent reaction to the mention of Arat's name.
Jeniard was born in Gen Territory and has spent hours of each day with Arat for 18 years and is skilled at picking up physical cues when the nager is unreadable.
Jeniard of course is better at it on Arat than on others, but Pylor is practically squirming in his chair.
Pylor: The three can't be separated, really.
Lexus: What made you change your mind? Why did you suddenly want to transfer with someone who makes you uncomfortable?
Pylor: I'm not sure of that, myself.
Jeniard had thought Lexus would be examining him physically rather than rehashing the same questions everybody else has been asking for months... but he doesn't mind seeing Pylor on the forks again either.
Pylor thinks that if and when Lexus meets Snake, he'll understand.
Jeniard wasn't pleased at how Pylor treated Arat, not at any time and not now.
Lexus is annoyed that Pylor's nager isn't as easy to read as most Gens. The reports that Pylor is out-of-control have clearly been exaggerated.
Jeniard doesn't mind Lexus being annoyed, either.
Jeniard hopes the cocky little nephew-of-a-Controller gets discouraged and goes back to his little Sime Center in the suburbs.
Lexus zlins Pylor more deeply. He has the impression the Gen's nager has indeed grown in potential since his last official test.
Pylor finds his attention responding to Lexus's zlinning, coming to rest more firmly on Lexus.
Pylor is, of course, well aware that Lexus is in need.
Pylor has not been allowed close to a channel in need since his unfortunate breakdown in discipline.
Lexus: I would like to conduct a physical examination.
Pylor: Very well.
Pylor holds out his arms.
Lexus can't help enjoying the feel of the Gen's attention centering on him.
Jeniard looks on in great interest, rather hoping Pylor will pull the stunt again and entice Lexus into a transfer.
Jeniard thinks it would serve Neptude right.
Jeniard then considers what Arat would have to say about Jeniard allowing such a thing to occur, and frowns.
Lexus cautiously extends his tentacles to grasp Pylor's arms. He reminds himself to conduct the examination duo-conscious.
Jeniard sighs and steps forward into a support position for Lexus.
Lexus nods thanks to Jeniard.
Pylor prepares to maintain discipline while being tempted, a task made easier by the surprisingly small amount of temptation which Lexus actually presents.
Lexus: Your field strength has increased, with all the training, you know.
Pylor: So I'm told.
Pylor lets his nager fall into synch with Lexus's, which exercise makes it both more zlinnable and more tempting.
Jeniard thinks Lexus' statement sounded a bit more breathless than strictly speaking necessary, and applies what leverage is available into helping Lexus remain safely duoconscious.
Jeniard, not for the first time, wishes he was a Gen.
Lexus is exhilarated by the contact with the ripe Gen nager.
Lexus: Right now, you would over-match most Firsts.
Pylor: I know. It's been six weeks since my last transfer.
Pylor does not clamp down on the frustration/desire that thought evokes quite fast enough to prevent Lexus from zlinning it, in lateral contact.
Lexus: You want to remain a Donor. What made you lose control?
Jeniard thinks he detects a slight tremor in Lexus' voice during the word "control".
Jeniard inspects Lexus' nager for signs of intil, prepared to quash it if so.
Pylor: Snake can be very persuasive--and I wasn't ready for how Arat would feel.
Lexus's head is whirling, dazzled by Pylor's over-charged nager.
Jeniard decides it is definitely time to bring out the bucket brigade.
Lexus: What did Snake tell you?
Pylor: It's hard to describe, exactly. You'll know, when you've met her.
Jeniard: Um, are you done examining him now? [helpfully]
Jeniard thinks Lexus may have forgotten what he was doing along the way.
Lexus starts, realizing that he has been holding the Gen far longer than the time necessary for an examination.
Lexus slowly and carefully reclaims his tentacles and his ability to think straight.
Lexus: And how did Arat feel?
Jeniard retains his support of Lexus just to be on the safe side, but is glad that the physical contact is parted.
Pylor: It's hard to say. I think he wanted me, for a moment.
Pylor: ~~ wistful regret ~~
Jeniard looks at Pylor incredulously.
Jeniard thinks that if a channel in hard need being bombarded with need-to-give "maybe wanted the Gen for a moment", they basically did not want him.
Jeniard wonders since when did Pylor have wishful thinking in that regard, when it came to Arat?
Lexus notes both the regret and the incredulity.
Lexus: It will be difficult to find channels to match you as you are now.
Pylor: I know.
Lexus: Do you think you can serve channels who underrate you?
Pylor wonders if he has not been allowed a transfer as a disciplinary measure, or simply because no channel could be found who would accept him as a Donor.
Pylor: I have done so, in the past.
Lexus: And now?
Pylor: I can manage.
Pylor hopes he can, at least--although he's very careful not to let any shred of uncertainty be zlinned.
Lexus notes the less than enthusiastic response, but that nager is just too delicious to let go to waste.
Lexus decides to play a direct role in Pylor's... uh... rehabilitation.
Jeniard is a tad concerned as he zlins a bit of something something going on between them.
Jeniard hopes they at least have the sense to wait until they're properly assigned.
Jeniard has, needless to say, been getting quite a tour of Lexus' personality during this session.
Jeniard will be expected to trot out the precise details of everything that occurred here (to the best of his ability to determine it) for Arat's benefit, later, of course.
Lexus: You seem to be doing well at the moment.
Lexus: I have the authority to assign you as my own Donor, if you are willing to cooperate.
Pylor looks at Lexus, surprised.
Jeniard blinks.
Pylor: Your Donor?
Jeniard had not been aware of this authority, and has a creeping feeling Arat isn't aware of it either.
Lexus: If you are willing. You require transfer.
Jeniard wonders if Lexus is just arrogantly assuming he can have any Donor he wants, or if Neptude actually told him he could run amuck on his new assignment.
Jeniard assumes the former.
Pylor can't imagine what therapeutic purpose would be served by a transfer with this young and nowhere-near-Farris-rated channel, but on the other hand, gift equines should not be subjected to dental examinations, either.
Pylor: I do require transfer.
Jeniard: I hardly think Arat will OK something like that. [points out]
Jeniard would like to see them get in a train wreck with the actual assigned authority of this District, but again he would have to face the Wrath of Arat for letting it happen.
Pylor's semi-raised hopes are flattened by the reminder.
Pylor: No, I don't suppose he would.
Jeniard: I mean, obviously you've been left high field for a reason.
Jeniard: And you, [to Lexus] already have an assignment.
Lexus: Regional Controller Neptude has assumed responsibility for this case and he approved this assignment at my discretion.
Jeniard looks at Lexus in disbelief.
Jeniard: If you say so.
Jeniard still thinks Lexus will never get it past Arat.
Jeniard of course has overlooked the possibility of transfer here-and-now, without consulting Arat at all.
Lexus, having gotten a taste of that big field, is not about to let it slip out of his tentacles.
Pylor tries to gauge from Jeniard's reaction whether he believes Lexus is actually lying, or merely mistaken.
Jeniard looks like he thinks Lexus is off his block.
Jeniard: [or, as they say in the trade, and quite appropriately in this case, one tittle short of a transfer card]
Lexus, reminded of Arat, is not about to let the erstwhile Controller interfere with what he is by now thinking of as his transfer.
Pylor reluctantly decides that his career won't survive another unauthorized transfer attempt so soon after the debacle with Arat.
Pylor: Perhaps Controller Arat should be informed.
Pylor's voice is perhaps slightly lacking in conviction.
Lexus: That's not necessary. I have authorization.
Pylor always has found authority compelling.
Jeniard: You don't even think he should know?
Jeniard gains new appreciation for Lexus' level of recklessness.
Pylor notes that Jeniard is arguing, not trying to physically drag Lexus away, or even interfere nagerically.
Lexus: He has nearly ruined this Gen as a Donor. But I believe he can be salvaged.
Jeniard does a double take.
Jeniard: What!
Lexus: Monitor us.
Pylor therefore has to assume that Lexus does, indeed, believe that he has the authority to claim Pylor for transfer.
Jeniard: What!!
Jeniard: [make that a triple take]
Jeniard now looks at Lexus as if he thinks he's six eels short of a pie.
Jeniard: Get a grip, man!
Jeniard: Do you always lose control like this around a high order Donor?
Jeniard: Pylor doesn't need this kind of a slip up. Think of his career.
Jeniard is mainly thinking of his ass, when Arat finds out, but Pylor's future does fit in on an intellectual level.
Pylor finds Jeniard's suggestion that Lexus "get a grip" sending his thoughts in unfortunate directions.
Lexus finds Pylor's unfortunate thoughts very enticing indeed.
Lexus: I am in perfect control and Pylor's career can be salvaged if he can still serve channels who underrate him.
Jeniard: You are not, [points out] in perfect control. If you can wait until tomorrow to do this, after informing all parties who should appropriately be informed, then I will believe you're in control.
Lexus: I am willing to risk myself to demonstrate that is possible.
Jeniard doesn't think "risk" is the word... he thinks Lexus is willing to throw himself headfirst into a giant nager in an orgy of self-indulgence, hardly professional behavior.
Jeniard steps forward to attempt to help Lexus lower intil.
Lexus wards off Jeniard's assistance.
Jeniard: Be reasonable.
Jeniard: At least wait until you're officially assigned.
Lexus: The assignment is already made and I don't care what you believe.
Lexus is convinced that if Arat gets involved, the assignment will be swiftly unmade.
Lexus steps towards Pylor, tentacles peeking out of their sheathes.
Jeniard makes a last ditch attempt to come between them physically, blocking for Pylor and trying to intercept Lexus' arms with his hands.
Pylor, who was starting to reach for Lexus himself, pauses at Jeniard's interference.
Pylor is feeling a tad confused about just who's in charge of assigning his transfers.
Jeniard's hands come down on Lexus' wrists.
Pylor very much wants it to be Lexus, however, as he has a sinking suspicion that he will have to wait quite a while if Arat has any say about the matter.
Lexus, who was fixing on the Gen, is annoyed by the zlin of Pylor's confusion and Jeniard's interference.
Jeniard: ~~~ calm down you maniac! ~~~
Lexus: Let go!
Lexus: Get out of here!
Guards, two in number, burst in the door.
Guards all over the District Offices have been super vigilant ever since the Snake/Pylor incident and the vicious dressing-down they received afterward.
Guards even got training in how to deal with unwanted transfer attempts.
Pylor steps backwards as the guards enter, holding his hands clearly in view to make it clear that he isn't attacking anyone.
Guards pile onto Jeniard and Lexus, pulling them apart by brute force. (That they can do well.)
Lexus's intil is shredded to confetti by the crossed-field interference.
Jeniard: Good grief! Watch what you're doing, you oafs!
Jeniard: Mmgpphhh!
Pylor debates trying to steady Lexus, but fears his actions might be misinterpreted.
Lexus: Shen it all, let go of me!
Lexus: The assignment's official! You have no right--
Jeniard finds himself thoroughly subdued face first against a wall, and sighs philosophically. At least the transfer was prevented.
Guards demonstrate their right to make Lexus remain silent.
Guard: Now, then, none of that. You'll go right to the lockup if you don't explain at once.
Guard: [officiously]
Other Guard nods emphatically.
Lexus, shaking, thinks about how Neptude is going to tan hides once he hears about this incident.
Other Guard: That's right. We have order here, we do.
Lexus: Check with Regional Controller Neptude.
Guards haven't been informed of Lexus' special powers either.
Guard: Your uncle, eh? We'll see about that.
Lexus: I have the authority to interview this Gen and assign therapeutic transfer at my discretion.
Guard glances at the other guard, a silent communication.
Other Guard nods agreement, something he is very adept at.
Guard: Right. Up we go, then.
Lexus considers that he will have to tell his uncle that Arat's new security forces are indeed on the job.
Guard hauls Jeniard away from the wall and marches him out the door.
Other Guard marches Lexus behind him.
Other Guard pauses in the door, looking over his shoulder.
Other Guard: You might as well come along, too, until we get this sorted out.
Pylor sighs, and follows.
Jeniard wonders where Mister Twist-Arm was when Arat was getting the bejesus scared out of him by Pylor the other day.
Arat meanwhile has been sent scurrying away from the Emergency Ward at high speed, because of a reported disaster during Pylor's examination.
Lexus sulkily lets the guard drag him along. His tentacles are wilting sadly.
Arat unfortunately was not given many details, only that the persons involved in the attack were being brought to his office.
Pylor wishes he'd gone ahead and given Lexus the transfer he wanted so badly, since he's under arrest either way, it appears.
Arat should consider himself lucky to have even gotten those details, and gotten them accurately, since they were entirely made-up by the 3rd guard who had been abandoned when the other 2 ran in to intervene.
Beni pants as he tries to match Arat's pace.
Lexus decides to make the best of things and draws in his tentacles and lifts his chin proudly.
Guards march them up the stairs and down the hallway without wasting any time, and arrive at Arat's office only seconds after Arat himself.
Beni is still trying to catch his breath, although his nager is in order.
Arat stares as Jeniard and Lexus are escorted in, while Pylor walks freely behind.
Arat is not out of breath, since he has a long stride and was deliberately staying with Beni so he wouldn't have to face a [presumably berserker] Pylor un-Donored.
Arat stands up, managing to look affronted, outraged, and incredulous all at once. (Well, he's had practice after all)
Arat: Release them at once.
Lexus: I will certainly tell the Regional Controller your security is now adequate.
Arat: I demand an explanation.
Beni does note, as his breathing slows, that for some reason Pylor, the presumed cause of the disturbance, is the only one of the three without a guard fastened to his arms.
Arat stares at Lexus, since he assumes that whatever-it-was was not caused by Jeniard, and in any case he can get Jeniard's explanation later.
Lexus: I was examining Sosu Pylor, as we discussed.
Jeniard rubs his shoulder and manages to avoid giving the guard a reproachful look when he is released.
Jeniard wouldn't want to be reprimanded by Arat for giving the security staff a mixed message, after all.
Lexus: Controller Neptude wanted to know if this Donor could be returned to duty serving ordinary Firsts.
Lexus: He gave me leave to assign myself for a test transfer if I thought it was safe. And I did.
Pylor had somehow gotten the impression that Lexus was not completely concerned with safety at the time, but feels no urge to elaborate.
Lexus: The guards misinterpreted the situation.
Arat can zlin perfectly well that the first part was true, and the second part an omission of information at best.
Arat: Why was I not informed of this beforehand?
Lexus: You will have to ask the Regional Controller.
Arat: You are assigned to me, as my assistant. [points out]
Arat: If you had prior orders that contradicted mine, you should have informed me when you arrived.
Arat still doesn't know how guards became involved, but he can't imagine he's going to like that answer either.
Lexus: I was not aware of any contradiction in our orders. I regret the misunderstanding.
Lexus: ~~ despite the polite words, regrets nothing except that he didn't get what he wanted when he wanted it ~~
Arat can zlin both the lack of regret, and the lie about not being aware of the contradiction.
Arat's eyes narrow.
Pylor thinks shen, things weren't bad enough; now I'm a bone of contention in a power struggle.
Arat: You are hereby relieved of your scheduled duties until I have spoken to your uncle.
Arat uses the term "your uncle" because it is fairly clear it is the Uncle factor that is causing the problem here.
Lexus is not concerned by this, as his uncle is the boss.
Arat thinks that it is bad enough that Neptude saddled him with his nephew as a trainee, but to do so without an explicit explanation of his expectations is unacceptable.
Arat of course has no idea Neptude really did OK this; he thinks that asking Neptude about it is simply a formality which will also allow him to determine just how thoroughly disciplined Neptude wants Lexus to end up.
Lexus assesses Arat's self-righteous grimace and thinks the Controller is in for a big surprise.
Arat: As for you, [to the guards] I will speak to you later. And you [to Beni]
Arat: ... go on your lunch break. Or something.
Beni looks at Pylor a bit apprehensively, but being more obedient than Nick, merely nods and leaves.
Lexus: I will see you again... as soon as you speak to Controller Neptude.
Lexus straightens his uniform where the guards rumpled it.
Lexus strides briskly out of the room, heading straight for the Regional Controller's building to be sure Uncle Neptude hears his side of the story first.
Jeniard watches them all file out and resigns himself to alternately being grilled and providing support for the foreseeable future.