Sime~Gen Roleplaying on IRC: Snake River Dam Scenario
Episode #6: Interterritorial Relations (6/11/00)
Sayward shakes her head as she notices the scattered tents and bedrolls that litter the site. There is so much that needs to be done. Frustrated by the language barrier, there is not much she can do. Again today she walks the site and waits.
Cris swings wide to avoid the latrine trench and approaches the area where her prospective employer is supposed to have her tent.
Sayward gives up on the tour and sets off for her tent.
Cris is a female renSime who is 25 years old, with dark skin and frizzy orange hair. She wears a light pack on her back.
Cris' Diplomatic Service uniform is sweaty, dirty, rumpled and torn.
Sayward has moved her tent three times. They seem to glory in putting a latrine anywhere she chooses to set up. But as the number of people increases so do the number of outhouses.
Cris gets directions to Sayward's tent and marches forward. No point wasting time.
Sayward turns the corner of her tent and bumps into a young renSime.
Cris spots a Gen who matches the description she was given.
Cris is relieved that the Gen appears to be low field. She knows how touchy it can be working with out-Territory Gens.
Cris: Construction Team Manager Sayward?
Sayward: Yes.
Cris: Cris Boysee here. Diplomatic Corps Translator.
Sayward is relieved to hear English.
Cris: I been assigned to assist you.
Sayward: You have no idea how happy I am to meet you.
Cris: Happy to be of service.
Cris can zlin Sayward's relief.
Sayward ~~happy happy happy~~
Sayward: Please come in and sit.
Cris is happy happy happy that Sayward does not appear to be afraid of her.
Sayward holds tent flap open.
Cris: Thank you. It's been a long hike.
Cris enters the tent.
Cris removes her pack and sets it on the floor.
Sayward: Can I get you something to drink?
Cris: Forgive my appearance. I'll clean up when I find my lodgings.
Cris: Yes, some water or trin would be most welcome.
Cris is aware that an out-T Gen might not have the usual tea kettle always on.
Sayward: Not a problem. Lodgings on the other hand may be a problem.
Cris: Oh?
Sayward: I don't have trin tea but I do have some green tea.
Sayward: I forget, can you drink that?
Cris: I'd prefer plain water, thank you.
Sayward: One water coming right up.
Cris smiles broadly, hoping to communicate that the hospitality is appreciated.
Sayward fishes around in her storage bag and finds two camp cups and her canteen. She pours water into both and hands one to Cris.
Cris takes the cup and drinks thirstily.
Sayward: There's more if you want it.
Cris: Wooo, that's good.
Cris: Yes, please.
Cris hands the cup back to Sayward.
Sayward smiles at Cris and pours another cup full.
Cris retrieves the cup and sips a bit more slowly.
Cris: That really hits the spot.
Cris looks up hopefully. Gens usually keep some kind of goodies around.
Cris: I don't suppose you have anything with a bit of sugar in it....
Sayward: You are welcome in more ways than one. There is so much yet to get done before the official start of this project that I am dying to get started. Oh, where are my manners?
Cris has been hiking for the last 14 hours.
Cris usually doesn't have much appetite, but all the exercise seems to have roused it.
Sayward goes back to her storage bag and finds some muffins and cheese.
Sayward: Will these do?
Sayward hands them to Cris.
Cris: Oh, yes. Thank you very much!
Sayward: Welcomed!
Cris examines the offerings. The cheese doesn't look very appetizing, but the muffin is just right.
Cris begins to nibble.
Cris: You said there was a lot to get done.
Sayward: Oh, yes. A lot to get done.
Sayward: Boysee? Do you have any family around Griffton?
Cris: Uh, yeah, I suppose so.
Cris: My grandfather's brother and their folks moved out that way.
Sayward: Any relation to Aron Boysee?
Cris: Uh, gee, I don't know. I never really met that branch of the family. I think there was an Aron, though.
Sayward can't believe it. Cris is a cousin.
Sayward: Well hello cousin! We share a great grand father.
Cris blinks.
Sayward: Aron's brother is my grandfather Myron.
Cris: Well, I guess your folks are a bit more modern than mine.
Cris: My family didn't really want to lay claim to me after I changed over.
Sayward: Yeah, that still happens a lot. But I don't mind if you don't mind.
Cris: I get a letter from my brother Felin at Year's Turning and that's about it.
Sayward smiles feeling less like a stranger in a strange land. Family! Yes.
Cris: You sure we're really related?
Sayward: I think so. But even if we aren't, I like you.
Sayward has always been a good judge of character on first sight.
Cris examines Sayward. The skin color and hair are completely different but, yeah, they both have the same horse face and heavy frame.
Sayward: Boysee isn't that common a name.
Cris finds it strange to have a Gen claim her as family after all this time.
Cris thinks about it and decides she likes it, even if it's not true.
Sayward: So, cousin, what are we going to do about your accommodations?
Sayward: Everything in that hole in the wall they call a town is filled up.
Cris shrugs.
Cris: I've lived rough before. If you can stand it in a tent, I certainly can.
Sayward: Why don't you bunk with me until we can do better for you?
Cris: ~~surprise~~
Cris: You would bunk with a Sime?
Sayward see the surprise on her face and smiles.
Sayward: Why not? I have to work with Simes and besides I miss having family around. You are welcome to stay or go as you choose, but I wish you'd stay.
Cris: ~~overjoyed; being able to room with a Gen is a luxury usually available only to settled in-T families~~
Cris: I'd love that.
Cris: I wouldn't even need a bed. I could just put my bedroll on the floor.
Cris: We Simes don't do much sleeping.
Sayward: Great! Glad you'll stay!
Sayward: If you're finished eating I'll show you around.
Cris basks in the welcoming warmth of Sayward's nager.
Cris has finished her muffin.
Cris: Yes, I'm done. On with the briefing!
Sayward: Why don't we walk and talk?
Cris: That's fine.
Sayward gets up and holds the tent flap for Cris.
Cris leaves the tent.
Cris: Have you seen my personnel file?
Sayward: No I haven't. Have you seen mine?
Cris: No.
Sayward: We're even then.
Cris laughs.
Sayward: You probably saw all the tents and camps scattered around as you were coming up here.
Cris: Yeah.
Sayward: First thing we have to do is get every thing better organized. We have people flopping anywhere they choose and that is going to be a problem when the supplies start to arrive.
Cris: Are all of these people project employees?
Sayward: Some are. Most are people hoping to get a job when the project starts. You are more familiar with Sime protocols than I will ever be. How should I start with these people?
Cris: Well, I saw Gens there too. And not all of them low-field. That's trouble right there.
Sayward: Hmmm. I'll see to them if you will point them out. I can't tell, you know. ~~rueful~~
Cris: Sure. There is a channel here, I hope.
Sayward: From what I understand there are two. One just arrived.
Cris: ~~relief~~
Cris: Well, high field Gens should get their fields taken down immediately, and you may have to segregate the ones from over the Lake who don't know in-T manners.
Sayward: But what about the Simes? I did notice that they are staying away from the Gens.
Sayward: So I guess that is good.
Sayward: Why don't we start with the Gens then? Help me find the highfield ones and we will get them taken care of.
Cris: Not if they want to work together. But an untrained Gen is terribly dangerous to Simes.
Sayward: Oh, okay.
Cris: Now for the Simes, there are basically three types of labor contract--government, union and common.
Cris: The Simes on government contract will have been processed before they come here, like the ones on the work crews.
Cris: No problem there.
Cris: Now when itinerant laborers just turn up and you put them to work, they're still protected by the common law.
Cris: Are you familiar with that? Like, for instance, if you require augmentation, you have to add a bonus to the wages to cover the increased selyn taxes?
Sayward: I had some idiot from Squat ranting and raving at me. Is he for real?
Cris: Squat?
Sayward: I couldn't really understand him. My Simelan is pidgin at best.
Sayward: Something about organizing the workers I think.
Sayward: I though he might be my translator at first.
Sayward: Boy was I wrong!
Cris: Do you mean SWAT?
Sayward: Yes, I think that is what it was!
Cris: Sime Workers All Together?
Sayward shrugs and nods.
Sayward: I guess so.
Cris: Yeah, they're a very powerful organization. They can make or break you.
Sayward: Bloody wonderful! So I have to make nice with the idiot.
Cris: And they're a party to the inter-territorial negotiations, so they have some concessions in the contracts.
Sayward: Okay I've done it before.
Cris: We can go over all the legal stuff later.
Sayward: Thanks!
Sayward shakes her head and feels the headaches starting already.
Cris zlins the beginning of the headache. She preferred the relieved happiness.
Cris: Don't worry. I'll watch out for you.
Cris: It will be okay.
Sayward is so glad to have Cris on her side.
Sayward: Thanks, cuz.
Cris is not sure it will be okay for Sayward in the end, but it will surely be better for Cris right now if Sayward is in an optimistic frame of mind.
Sayward: Well it's not like they can fire me. I'm the only one who would come up here.
Sayward: Even if they did I've got a dead clause in my contract. I get paid either way.
Cris is angry at anyone who would dare to give this lovely Gen so much grief.
Cris: So what did the idiot want?
Sayward: I really don't know. I couldn't understand him.
Cris: Okay, when he comes back I'll translate and we'll figure it out.
Sayward: Good. Now about those highfield Gens....
Cris: Well, you don't require translation there. In fact, it will be better if you do the talking. I'll point them out; you send them to the channel.
Sayward: Sounds like a plan.