Sime~Gen Roleplaying on IRC: Snake River Dam Scenario
Episode #154: They Turn on Their Masters (4/16/01)
Arat waits until Beni has finally finished packing himself off to lunch (which involved a lot of last minute coming back to fetch forgotten items, such as his gloves) and then settles down for what he hopes will be an entirely uninterrupted hour of peaceful report-compilation.
Arat utterly ignores Sylma, who is after all only there in a body guard capacity.
Sylma, unfortunately for Arat, has been waiting all shift for just such an opportunity.
Sylma approaches Arat's desk, with ~~ polite determination ~~
Sylma: Controller, might I have a word with you?
Arat's pen pauses just before it would have touched the clean sheet of paper.
Arat looks up at Sylma after a moment, his nager of course carefully controlled.
Sylma: I was wondering if you truly intend to drive my brother Sedel away from the Tecton entirely?
Sylma: ~~ worried, but not -- quite -- accusatory ~~
Arat frowns.
Arat's frown seems less worried than somewhat irritated.
Arat: Of course not.
Sylma decides to take Arat at his word, for now, and ignore the irritation.
Sylma: In that case, some remedial action might be appropriate. He... he hasn't been himself since you suspended him.
Arat waits for the rest of Sylma's explanation.
Arat has heard certain reports of a disquieting nature, but of course does not know if this is what Sylma is referring to or not.
Arat has heard, for example, that Sedel was heard to mutter certain phrases of a nature deemed uncomplimentary to Arat's person, while swinging an axe, doing weight lifting, and thrashing his sparring partners.
Sylma: He told me that it was too bad that channels didn't love Gens as much as they needed them. And that he saw no benefit to working for a Tecton which allows Gens to be treated badly as long as they aren't actually killed.
Sylma: I... I'm afraid that he might decide to just quit, and move out-Territory.
Sylma is, indeed, ~~ afraid ~~ of losing her brother.
Arat's open Farris expression takes on a cast of confusion, not something seen often on him.
Arat: Allows Gens to be treated badly? [repeats in puzzlement]
Arat was under the impression that the pair were punished precisely for mistreating a Gen.
Arat is certain that Sedel isn't complaining about his own punishment's leniency, but beyond that is not clear on the exact nature of the complaint.
Arat: Explain.
Sylma: Sedel doesn't mind accepting the consequences when he makes a mistake, but he's not at all used to the sort of utter contempt with which you treated him.
Sylma: As if he were a useless thing, and not a person at all.
Arat, who had been zlinning Sedel at the time, is quite certain Sedel refused to see himself as having made a mistake, much less accepting the consequences.
Arat also feels he was more than patient with Sedel's own contempt towards Arat during the period when his mind was still open as to Sedel's punishment.
Arat's frown deepens.
Arat: He feels he has been treated badly then?
Sylma: He feels that he was not treated as a colleague. Not even one who had made a serious mistake.
Arat: He was given an opportunity to speak for himself, and he chose not to.
Arat: Nor did I zlin any evidence that he admitted to having made a mistake.
Arat: Even to himself.
Arat: His acts -- and yours -- in the 'treatment' of Minister Plum would have been enough to justify the removal of both of you from service permanently.
Arat: I do not believe that have punished either of you harshly.
Arat means, as harshly as he could have gotten away with.
Sylma refuses to be drawn into a discussion of Minister Plum.
Sylma: The harshness of the punishment is not at issue. Your means of administering it is.
Sylma: Whether you intended it or not, you have convinced him that you view him as less than a person. If that was not your intention, you must act, or the Tecton will lose a Donor.
Sylma is trying very hard not to give in to her overpowering worry for her brother.
Arat zlins Sylma's worry seriously.
Arat places his pen back in its holder.
Arat: Perhaps it is simply a case of misunderstanding.
Arat: However, it is true that my opinion of him has suffered immeasurably, both because of his role in the mishandling of Minister Plum and in his handling of the interview with me afterward.
Arat: It is my hope that some time in the surroundings of his home and in the companionship of his earliest teachers will allow him to gain some perspective on recent events.
Arat means, he wants Sedel to cool off, then petition to work again as if a new recruit, preferably far from the Dam.
Arat hopes that Sedel's barbaric behavior of late is due to the stress of the Dam environment, and will fade with removal from this place.
Arat has been observing an increase in violence, clannishness and a certain moblike mentality among the people at the Dam -- mostly not Tecton people, fortunately -- which he attributes to lack of food, cleanliness, and sense of security.
Arat is prepared to believe that such effects could be seen with Tecton employees, in certain cases. It is one of the reasons he was so insistent upon sending an advance team to prepare quarters and so forth for the Tecton employees.
Sylma: If you do not convince Sedel that you, personally, respect him as a person and a colleague, I honestly believe he will resign from Tecton service first, and move out-Territory.
Arat: He has done nothing to suggest that he desires or deserves such respect.
Arat: It is true that his record is good, prior to his arrival here, and the pair of you had performed well prior to the incident with Minister Plum.
Arat: That certainly gave me reason for pause, when it came time to consider your futures.
Arat: However, he in no way resembles the Donor of his records folder now.
Arat: If he is not prepared to demonstrate acceptance of his mistake and genuine repentance for what happened to his patient, and if he is unwilling to speak for himself or to have me as his Controller, then there is little to discuss.
Arat supposes something could be done if Sedel evinced any one of those four tendencies, but he has not so far as Arat knows.
Sylma: If you had zlinned Sedel when Minister Plum collapsed, you would know that he understands how greatly we mishandled the situation.
Arat zlinned Sedel during their discussion -- or rather Sedel's refusal to speak -- regarding it, and zlinned nothing of the sort. It would appear that Sedel's understanding, however great it might have been, was no longer in existence by then.
Sylma: However, he does not believe that even such a large mistake justifies the degree of contempt with with you treated him. Frankly, I have a hard time seeing it myself.
Sylma is trying hard not to let her own distress at the situation stand in the way of the overwhelming necessity of persuading Arat to take remedial action.
Sylma: And if I can't understand it, neither will our Sectuib, if she starts making inquiries about why a heretofore dedicated Donor would decide to quit the Tecton.
Arat studies Sylma carefully.
Sylma is not trying to make a threat, she is explaining what she honestly believes is a very real possibility.
Arat is not particularly concerned about the Sectuib. He believes that he acted appropriately and that the evidence -- including the evidence zlinnable in Sedel's attitude -- will bear him out.
Arat is more concerned about Sylma's state of mind. He understands that there is a powerful House-loyalty between the two, as well as brother-sister closeness.
Arat knows that this will affect Sylma's ability to think clearly about the situation, as will her lack of channelling duties at this time.
Sylma's entran is at least momentarily under control, as Sedel took care of it after they made up their quarrel.
Sylma's composure, however, has not been helped by the unaccustomed inactivity and the disintegration of the most solid, dependable support in her life.
Arat: If you will think back to our interview, you will recall that Sedel demonstrated quite negative emotions towards me before I had yet made up my mind as to his future.
Arat: I do not believe that the entirety of his behavior at this time could be accurately attributed to my manner or any other behavior of mine, unless perhaps it had already developed in times previous.
Arat had not been aware that Sedel had anything against him privately, although it is true they'd had only minimal prior contact limited to dry brief performance reviews and the giving of assignments.
Arat: In fact, I do not believe that his current state of mind could be attributed entirely to the incident involving Minister Plum and its aftermath.
Sylma has a hard time believing that a channel as sensitive as Arat really doesn't understand the effect his cold, arrogant demeanor has on his staff.
Arat: Would a Donor who was happy with his position and goals in life challenge his Controller as Sedel did, and yet refuse to speak for himself when given the opportunity?
Sylma: It is true that Sedel had no particular fondness for you before the incident. However, your previous interactions did not leave him feeling like he was being view as Pen fodder.
Sylma: And he tried to speak for himself several times, only to be cut off short.
Arat realizes now that Sylma is remembering selectively.
Arat had asked Sedel if he had anything to say for himself, and Sedel had refused to speak. Arat was not then, and is now now, interested in playing games.
Sylma: If you had deliberately set out to put Sedel in a frame of mind where he was unable to accept any disciplinary measure as legitimate, you couldn't have done it better.
Arat: He arrived in that state of mind. [icily]
Arat: You should have been able to zlin that as well as I.
Arat: I understand that you are distraught; however, failing to analyze the situation objectively will only prevent you from coming to a solution.
Arat studies Sylma intently.
Arat: Are you certain that you and Sedel are being treated inhumanely?
Arat suspects that both of them are unknowingly railing against what cannot be undone -- their own mistakes and a loss of trust in each other.
Arat knows that Sylma depends upon Sedel to stop her from doing anything impulsive and Sedel trusts Sylma to do the same. It is the nature of human companionship.
Sylma: Controller, after two weeks of watching you, I am convinced that you were not acting out of personal vindictiveness. As far as I can tell, you treat everyone with the sort of distant contempt that has alienated Sedel.
Sylma: However, that is hardly an argument that is likely to keep Sedel working for the Tecton.
Arat: Hajene Sylma. I would not want a Gen who would willingly and unrepentantly help to mishandle a patient so badly to work for the Tecton.
Arat: I would hope that after a long soul-searching at Dar, he will come to understand what he has done and seek to repair his reputation and his career.
Arat: I do not care what he thinks of me, nor do I care what he thinks of the Tecton. I do care for the safety of the Gens and renSimes of this area, and I will not stand by and see it compromised by my staff.
Arat: The Dam project cannot afford to lose a Donor, but it can afford an abusive Donor even less. Because he chooses to see what he did as right, and chooses to see me as the enemy rather than his mistake as his enemy, he must go.
Sylma is trying hard not to lose her last illusions about Farris channels, and their talent for pulling people together behind a Cause.
Sylma is feeling trapped between an irresistible force and an immovable object.
Sylma: If he sees you as an enemy, and that is preventing him from fully understanding his mistake, isn't it your duty as his Controller to show him differently, and keep him as a Donor?
Sylma: Whether or not he stays here at the Dam?
Arat would have hoped that after two weeks of watching him, Sylma would understand just how strung out responsibility-wise, labor-wise and health-wise Arat already is.
Arat has been disappointed that the period of observation has only made Sylma less sympathetic and more stubborn.
Arat looks at Sylma tiredly and tries to decide whether it is worth discussing the matter with her or if she will be as deaf to his words as she has been throughout the conversation.
Arat is not used to his words being used as mere fuel for more argument, without any innate value of their own.
Arat is also not used to extending this much patience to a demanding employee.
Arat: That is what I have tried to do with you. [says finally]
Arat: But it can be seen that not all are amenable to such techniques.
Sylma: You didn't try with Sedel. Not in a way that made sense to him. He can be an idiot, I know, but a small change in your behavior towards him could still salvage him for the Tecton.
Sylma still has one illusion about Farrises: that they have the ability to pull a rabbit out of the hat and salvage the most unlikely situations, as long as they view it as a technical challenge.
Arat notices that Sylma completely missed the point of his last sentence.
Sylma: Please, Controller. Talk to him. I'm not asking you to withdraw your punishment, only to convince him that it was imposed on a person, not a Gen.
Sylma uses a term which, properly speaking, defines the sort of heavily drugged Pen-raised culls that could hardly be given away to junct renSimes in attrition.
Arat's eyes narrow.
Arat feels he is not being unreasonable as interpreting her choice of words as the grossest of insults to his intentions, his integrity and his ability to handle employees.
Arat is quite certain his ability to handle employees is not as poor as she claims, as he has had quite good success in the past with only a small number of notable exceptions.
Sylma: You didn't mean that to be part of his punishment, I'm sure.
Sylma was not trying to be insulting with her choice of words, just to communicate how badly Sedel has misunderstood Arat's actions.
Arat gives her a long, hard look, then finally responds.
Arat: It was my intention that you would be the one to convince him of that.
Arat had been certain that Sylma could not fail to side with Arat after seeing what he has to deal with on a daily basis, but he had perhaps been too optimistic on that front.
Arat has already spent more time talking to Sylma now than he gets to talk to his lover on an average day.
Arat certainly does not intend to give her this much time again.
Sylma: I have tried. But I'm only his little sister.
Sylma: He knows that I can't possibly zlin through your showfield.
Sylma: The only one who can convince him that you see him as a person, is you.
Arat: I will attempt to put this explicitly, so that there is no chance of misunderstanding.
Arat: He is a low priority to me at this time.
Arat: He has made no attempt to approach me nor to change anything that led to my decision.
Arat: I have -- [lifts his hands to indicate his office, the Tecton compound, everything] -- an overwhelming responsibility to many other problems of much greater stature at this time, and that will not change any time soon.
Arat: I do not have time to experiment with his dislike and resentment of his Controller, particularly against his will.
Arat: However, your request has been noted.
Arat rather wishes Beni would come back from lunch about 50 minutes early, but there's no chance of that since he asked him to stay away for a whole hour.
Sylma doesn't have to be able to zlin through Arat's show field to add an unspoken second half of Arat's sentence: "and has been filed in the circular file".
Arat has, in fact, made a note of it -- in Sylma's file, which was ready to hand in a pile of special attention cases.
Arat sets that aside.
Arat: As for yourself, do you feel that you have been treated... as a Pen Gen?
Arat for his part uses the term used by the aristocracy for the lowest of drugged Gens... it is more similar to "poor unfortunate beasts" than anything else.
Sylma studies Arat's features for signs of sarcasm -- those expressive features are a help, when dealing with an impenetrable nager.
Arat seems genuinely interested in her opinion. The irritation and tiredness from before have not vanished either.
Arat's features really prove their expressiveness when displaying things like "interested irritation".
Sylma considers the question for a moment.
Sylma: No. I've been treated more as a temporarily discarded tool.
Sylma feels the honestly asked question deserves an equally honest answer.
Arat frowns.
Arat: I had hoped you would view my choice as a good deal more deliberate than that.
Arat had also hoped that Sylma would have had the sense to perceive that her re-entry into service was dependent upon proving herself ready for it rather than upon random whim and circumstance.
Arat had also gone to considerable trouble to choose an occupation for Sylma that would be more rewarding than helping out in the accounting department, which is where they can really use someone who knows transfer mathematics.
Arat decides that the bodyguard idea has been a failure on all fronts.
Sylma: Oh, I've seen enough of you by now to know that you treat everyone with that sort of coldness. Even your own Donors.
Sylma: Sedel hasn't the advantage of that perspective.
Arat sees little point to repeating what he'd said about Sylma lending Sedel her perspective, so he says nothing.
Arat instead gets up to get himself a cup of tea.
Arat only does this when 1) completely alone, 2) around people who don't mean anything so he may as well be completely alone, or 3) profoundly upset.
Sylma: And as a Gen, he can't help living with the knowledge that if he had been born thirty years earlier, legally, he would have been a Pen Gen.
Sylma uses Arat's aristocratic term, this time.
Arat is of the opinion that anybody who thinks of themselves as what they would have been 30 years before Unity is 1) mentally disturbed, 2) going to make themselves terribly miserable when other people's opinions don't match, and 3) doomed to a life of catastrophe and failure.
Arat had this impressed upon him rather brutally in First Year.
Arat: I have never seen or zlinned such a Gen. I think that perhaps you have not either.
Arat: Let us not discuss the idea that I think of Sedel as such a creature again.
Arat walks back to his desk with the cup of #3.
Sylma: I am not accusing you of thinking of Sedel as a... portable selyn generator.
Sylma hopes the less inflammatory term will assist in communication.
Sylma: Only that that is the impression he gained of you.
Sylma doesn't think that Sedel would be thrilled to learn that Arat thinks of him as a broken tool instead, but she might be able to talk him around from there.
Arat sits down, and fastidiously has a sip of tea while he considers her words.
Arat: It is more accurate to say that I find him disrespectful, unreasonable, and dangerous.
Arat thinks, more like a junct Gen-trader who has just woken up and realized he has spent a night wasting an entire month's profits on a heck of a hangover.
Arat has heard of several such, from New Othwol townspeople.
Sylma wonders if Arat has followed the common practice of listing his grievances in order of urgency -- and if so, whether it is the dangerous or disrespectful aspect which bothers him most.
Sylma: That, he could live with. Properly managed, he would even try to change it.
Sylma: The other, if the misunderstanding is allowed to persist, will just drive him away from the Tecton entirely.
Sylma is pretty sure that she could talk Sedel into dealing with the dangerous part, anyway. She doesn't place quite the emphasis on the importance of the first two that Arat does.
Arat takes another sip of the tea and then places it carefully in a location where the precious stuff won't be spilled.
Arat: Then you will want to consider that, and your own position, when you speak to him next.
Arat picks up his pen again and turns back to his report.
Sylma is too preoccupied to wonder, as she has before occasionally, why even Arat would take such care with Tecton #3.
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