Sime~Gen Roleplaying on IRC: Snake River Dam Scenario
Episode #56: Winter is Always Early (10/22/00)
Nick returns home from a scouting trip by the Narosian camp.
Arat has emerged from the shower, and is in the process of drying his hair.
Arat's eyes and nose are running. This has been happening every time he takes a shower, recently.
Nick is, as usual after these visits, in a rather strange state: half very relaxed indeed, and half rather alarmed at what he has learned.
Arat has no idea why, as he is unaware that Jeniard and Nick have been secretly allowing Riyyh to borrow the shower and then covering up as much of the evidence as possible.
Arat could have no way of knowing that small traces of expensive, but non-Farris-safe perfume have been assailing him as be bathes.
Nick notes Arat's state, and is glad that it will be temporary, if Riyyh's plans come to fruition.
Arat welcomes the return of Nick's field. The body guards make him feel physically safer, but they do nothing for him nagerically.
Nick also notes, as usual at such times, that Arat's family resemblance to Snake is strong, except for degree of cleanliness, of course.
Arat looks up at Nick, his hair in a state of complete disarray. It does resemble Snake's, except there is more of it.
Nick: Arat, I was able to discover the purpose of that shed the Narosian outreach team is building.
Arat isn't sure he likes how Nick is zlinning.
Arat: And? [warily]
Nick takes the precaution of shedding his coat at a safe distance, just in case it's picked up some Narosian perfumes.
Nick: It's a glass-making enterprise.
Arat looks puzzled.
Arat knows little of glassmaking, although he can make educated guesses.
Arat: What sort of glass do they intend to make?
Nick: Windowpanes, mostly, I think. They want to build a greenhouse-style bathhouse, next.
Arat: A bath house? [repeats]
Arat usually doesn't parrot other people's words stupidly like that, but he was astonished at Nick's words.
Nick: Riyyh was quite upset at the poor quality of the public, cold-water showers.
Arat: That's... [pauses]
Arat: It's not a bad idea.
Nick carefully doesn't look towards the shower that has been giving Arat the allergic reaction.
Nick: It should at least give people a place to get warm.
Nick finds Arat's response encouraging.
Nick: And the greater hygiene should help, too.
Nick: Of course, Mr. Birch is going to be furious.
Arat: How are they going to... [starts to ask how they intend to heat such a structure, and keep the deep alpine snows from crushing it, then decides he is better off not worrying about that]
Arat glances at Nick sharply. "How so?"
Arat doesn't need Birch furious about anything else, and he is well used to being mistakenly counted responsible for Narosian excesses.
Nick: He wanted Riyyh's people to work at locating the illegal Gens and convincing them to leave the area.
Arat puts his towel down (unknowingly laying aside the immediate source of eye irritants) and begins to don a clean set of clothes.
Nick: He's already furious because Sergeant Edka refused to do it.
Arat frowns.
Arat: He should not have asked that of him.
Arat may not be an expert on Gen Territory interpersonal subtleties, but he can see that.
Nick: Of course he shouldn't have. They're not his employees. But he's used to being able to order people about at his pleasure, and he doesn't enjoy learning that there are limits to his authority.
Nick: So he's not going to be happy about any other project the Narosians take up instead.
Nick: And when he learns that they intend to use his stock of sand for their glass-making....
Arat: His stock?
Nick: That pile of sand that's been set aside for concrete.
Nick: There'll be more loss due to erosion over the winter, than any amount the glassworks might use, but Mr. Birch can be a stickler for appearances, particularly when he's in a stubborn mood.
Arat frowns thoughtfully.
Nick: And if he thought he could intimidate Riyyh into taking care of his problem by making the glassworks impossible, he'll likely try to do it.
Arat: Riyyh of Naros does seem able to smooth over such difficulties in most cases.
Nick: Yes. And I don't think that Birch has any idea how stubborn he can be.
Nick's personal stubbornness is much more obvious, thanks to the 25% contribution of tactlessness from Prunida.
Arat imagines the slick-operating Riyyh bringing a bottle of fine liquor over to Birch's office and working his wiles on him for an hour or two, and decides there will probably not be much issue of the problem.
Arat may dislike Riyyh, but he can be honest about the double-edged nature of Narosian slipperiness. What annoys him can be beneficial as well.
Nick: After all, Mr. Birch has been forced to bathe in a washtub heated on a stove.
Nick is glad that at least the Tecton elite has been spared that indignity.
Nick doesn't share his sire/grandsire's enthusiasm for hour-long soaks, but does appreciate hot water on demand.
Nick takes up Arat's comb and starts to work on the mass of wet hair.
Nick: Still, Mr. Birch is right about one thing: it will be easier to move the extra Gens out before the snows start.
Nick: After all, it won't help those people to be clean, if they're starving or freezing to death.
Arat sits down on the bed to make Nick's job easier. He hates being harried by a shorter helper, like a small terrier tugging and nipping at him.
Arat: The IDAS is responsible for that. 1
Nick: Has there been any sign that they intend to respond to your communications?
Arat: No, but there has been significant coverage of the illegal presence in the Dam area in the media. I should not be surprised if they are in the process of some plan to counter the problem.
Arat expects that heads will roll later if that is not the case.
Arat: Their forces still number no more than fifteen, and I only have official records of three illegal Gens removed to date.
Nick winces.
Nick: At that rate, they might have processed the first arrivals by the time the dam is completed.
Arat thinks that while the sight of misplaced Gens being marched off by jack-booted thugs is very inspiring, there are only so many people who can view three such arrests at a time. The rumors don't scare anybody, not after the other rumors they have heard.
Arat supposes that any OT Gen who was not scared off by the selyn shortage rumors, nothing to eat and no work could scarcely be convinced by the threats of a distant government agency.
Nick: In fact, that sort of slow response is an open invitation for those Gens to stay.
Arat: What role did Mr. Birch envision Naros taking in this? [after a pause]
Arat doesn't like Naros, but they all know the Gen problem is serious, and likely to only grow worse. Perhaps Naros' peculiar charisma and persistence would be of some use.
Arat: Did he have something specific in mind, or did he intend them to fashion their own solution to the problem?
Arat supposes someone not familiar with Naros could easily make that mistake.
Nick: I think his plan involved sending large groups of his Gen workers in to run people off, by force. The Narosian Simes would be used to spot those who tried to hide.
Nick: But frankly, I got the impression that he'd prefer for someone else to take on the whole problem: anyone else, actually.
Arat frowns.
Nick hopes that Arat won't let himself get conned into taking on the responsibility, however urgent the problem might be.
Arat: That would be a serious mistake.
Arat: The risk of violence breaking out....
Nick pauses to work loose a particularly nasty tangle.
Nick: I don't think Mr. Birch understands subtlety.
Arat revises his original opinion. There are worse things than having a Gen removal plan fashioned by Riyyh. Whatever the Narosian thought of, it wouldn't involve violence.
Arat: What have you learned regarding Riyyh's intentions for this winter?
Nick: He plans to stay long enough for his people to get their bathhouse up and running, at least.
Nick: I don't think he wants to spend the winter here.
Arat: But the two are mutually exclusive!
Nick can't blame his sire/grandsire for that.
Arat: It is nearly winter now, and they've only just started.
Nick: I know. I suppose it depends on how fast they work, and whether winter is early or late this year.
Arat is enough of a businessman (just barely, through his stock holding experiences) and has seen enough since coming here, to know how long it takes to build anything fancier than a shack.
Arat: Winter is always early.
Arat scowls to himself.
Arat is silent for some time as Nick works on his inconveniently Farris mane.
Arat: I cannot decide which way I would want him to decide. [complains]
Nick: I know.
Nick is well used to having ambiguous feelings about his predominant progenitor.
Nick consoles himself with the knowledge that while Riyyh's amiable nature makes him appear feather-headed, there is very little that will dissuade him from any course which he believes will make people happy.
Notes:
1) IDAS: Immigration and Donor Assimilation Service [return]
Go on to Episode #57: Pressing Business Elsewhere
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