Sime~Gen Roleplaying on IRC: Snake River Dam Scenario
Episode #168: Duty is as Duty Does (5/24/01)
Nick takes advantage of Arat's (microscopically) reduced demands on his Donor after transfer to drop by the Tecton's administrative center at just about the time that Jeniard usually finishes his work there.
Nick flags Jeniard down as the channel leaves the building, a good half hour before his dispensary shift.
Jeniard winces. He'd hoped to have a little free time, which was the point of leaving early.
Jeniard: Nick... what's up?
Jeniard assumes a pleasant expression since Gens appreciate it.
Nick: Jeniard, I've got an idea for moderating the effects of Ro's interrogations on Arat, but I'd like your opinion.
Jeniard: Well, I guess I have a few minutes.
Nick: Thank you.
Jeniard writes off his break. Arat would have his guts for bedsprings if he found out Jeniard turned down a question like that from Nick.
Nick glances around for a private corner.
Nick has a gene-deep appreciation for how easily private matters can be overheard -- and spread to others.
Nick: Ro came by just after Arat woke up from our transfer, wanting to schedule another interview.
Nick: Fortunately, Arat was in the shower at the time.
Jeniard nods.
Jeniard had, of course, heard all about it already from Arat.
Jeniard hadn't gotten too many details, of course, since Arat hadn't heard the dialog, only zlinned their nagers.
Nick: I explained that their sessions were interfering with Arat's efficiency, and asked him to moderate them by not pursuing issues that make Arat uncomfortable.
Jeniard wonders how that will work.
Jeniard knows that Arat finds uncomfortable most of the issues he promised to discuss with Ro as a condition of Ro's loan.
Nick: He wasn't at all interested in cooperating, until I mentioned that the Tecton gives Donors the authority to veto a channel's after-work activities, if these interfere with performance.
Nick: Of course, you and I know what it would take to enforce that sort of thing on Arat.
Nick: He won't back out of his agreement with Ro just because it's turning him into a nervous wreck, and his performance reports will back him up.
Nick: Fortunately, Ro doesn't have any way of knowing that -- at least, if Arat doesn't tell him so.
Nick: Anyway, he agreed to meet with me to discuss ways to allow him to obtain at least some of the information he wants in the least stressful manner, to Arat.
Nick: I've got to have some sort of plan when we meet, or he'll call my bluff.
Nick: Do you have any ideas that might be helpful, short of stopping the interviews entirely?
Jeniard: You mean you had no plan whatsoever?
Nick: Not one good enough to satisfy Ro. He honestly doesn't care what happens to Arat, as long as he gets his information.
Jeniard rubs his chin.
Nick: The trouble is, I have only a general idea of exactly what sorts of questions Ro has been asking.
Nick has deliberately avoiding probing into the painful details, since that was counterproductive to the goal of getting Arat to relax afterward.
Jeniard: I see.
Nick: Has he mentioned what sorts of inquiries have been most distressing? Even in a general fashion?
Jeniard: He doesn't like the personal stuff.
Jeniard: You know that.
Jeniard: And Ro will never get him to state negative opinions about the current infrastructure of the government, no matter how much he tries.
Jeniard: It'd probably be a lot easier if he stuck to what Arat knows and feels comfortable with... but that's the same ground he covered a thousand times in therapy and with the press, when he was younger.
Jeniard: Ro could probably get that information elsewhere anyway.
Nick: He's convinced that there are critical personal secrets which are the true causes of the historical events. The problem is, in at least some instances, he's right.
Jeniard: No doubt. [dryly]
Nick: Perhaps if I insisted that he confine his questions in the next session to the pre-Unity history of the Audnes family?
Jeniard: Well, I'm sure there's nothing there that would upset Arat, if that's what you mean.
Jeniard also knows that Arat is not a whole lot more familiar with that aspect of his family than a lot of other New Othwolites are.
Nick: That might at least give Arat a respite, of sorts, from politically dangerous subjects.
Jeniard nods.
Nick: Did Ro ever mention how long he intended to stay?
Jeniard: No, actually.
Nick frowns.
Jeniard: I gather he intends to remain at least two or three weeks, but maybe even longer.
Jeniard: He did say he was planning on going to Capitol next.
Nick imagines Ro having a heart-to-heart with Neptude, and winces.
Nick: Well, he'll at least get a different perspective on Arat, that way.
Jeniard: Yes, and he can interview his uncle as well.
Jeniard: And perhaps Clerfia's mother.
Jeniard doesn't think that will take long.
Nick: He'd be better off talking with Clerfia, I expect.
Nick: If I can't talk Ro out of abandoning stressful topics, do you think it would help matters if one of us was present during the interview?
Jeniard: Well yes, of course. He'd have wanted me there for all of them if it were feasible.
Jeniard thinks it would have worked out a lot better if Ro's interviews didn't tend to be six hours long or even longer.
Jeniard: Although your presence might be more hindrance than help, when it comes to private subject matter.
Nick frowns.
Nick: I know.
Jeniard: He's said several times he won't permit your presence during the interviews.
Jeniard: Why do you think he told you not to come when he did the one right before your transfer?
Nick: I know. If I'd had any idea that session was going to be worse than the others, I'd have walked in on them anyway, and stopped it.
Jeniard: Ugh, yes. What a time to pick to delve into his lifelong hang ups.
Nick: If Arat can accept you at such sessions, though, we should try to manage that.
Jeniard: Don't you think we've tried already?
Nick: Ro wouldn't cooperate?
Nick: Or was it Arat?
Jeniard: The only time Arat can free up in blocks that long are his own work sessions. And with Riyyh gone and Tiarala not here yet, that leaves only Snake on duty.
Nick: I may be able to talk Ro into shorter sessions, although there might have to be more of them.
Nick: And if Arat is willing to let me be present when the less private matters are being discussed... of course, that would require Ro's cooperation.
Jeniard: There's the danger of making things too complicated. [cautions]
Jeniard: You don't want him to balk.
Nick: I know.
Nick frowns.
Nick: I just wish the man weren't so cold-blooded about this. He admitted to me, quite freely, that he was fully aware of what his questions have been doing to Arat. He just doesn't care.
Nick is, perhaps, not being quite fair to Ro, as they are starting from hugely different perspectives about the importance of Ro's research.
Nick: Well, I'll do the best I can to work out something with Ro that will be more bearable to Arat.
Jeniard: Good luck.
Jeniard personally has chosen to adopt the let-Arat-make-his-own-decisions-and-concentrate-on-patching-him-up-at-night approach.
Jeniard thinks that Arat can outlast Ro, unless Ro plans on spending next winter here.
Nick considers the situation more urgent; he has spent far too long working with a channel who deals very unpleasantly indeed with people who torment her.
Nick decides that this is as good a time as any to mention some ideas that have been troubling him, ever since his bath was interrupted by Sedel.
Nick: Tell me something, Jeniard. You're a First. Does that give you a particular responsibility to change the world? Or are you content to just keep your portion of it as livable as possible?
Nick is ~~ genuinely interested ~~ in Jeniard's opinion.
Jeniard's eyebrows raise.
Jeniard: Well... [considers for a moment] ...if we don't change it, who will?
Nick is a bit surprised by this response.
Nick: I hadn't thought of you as particularly interested in politics.
Nick: What sort of changes are you working towards?
Jeniard: Well, mostly I just donate to worthy causes. And I try to keep Arat sane, which should improve a lot of people's lives.
Jeniard isn't being at all sarcastic.
Nick thinks over Jeniard's answer.
Nick: So you feel that looking after particular people, as individuals, is just as effective as, say, trying to get laws passed to deal with widespread problems?
Jeniard considers.
Jeniard: Well, I mean, Arat does more than enough of that last for the both of us.
Jeniard doesn't want to come right out and say that taking care of Arat is a full time job for three professionals and a whole host of untrained laborers.
Nick: Do you always agree with what he does, in that respect?
Nick: Or are there times when he works for changes that you feel are wrong? Not just dangerous for him, but wrong?
Jeniard winces.
Jeniard knows that Nick has no idea what connection Arat had with the Capitol riots. Fortunately.
Jeniard: Usually we agree. And when we don't, I can usually change his mind.
Nick: What do you do when you can't change his mind? And if it's an issue that isn't Arat's decision as a Controller to make? Do you give up on that issue, or do you try to accomplish the changes you think are necessary despite his opposition?
Jeniard: It's... usually the other way around. [admits]
Jeniard: I mean, it's usually that he wants a change I do not think is necessary.
Jeniard: Or that I think it'd be imprudent to move on at that time.
Nick isn't completely surprised by this admission: Arat is a Farris, after all, and Farris channels are notorious for setting out to change the world. And doing it.
Jeniard: That hasn't been as much of a problem lately, or at least not usually lately [thinking of the riots incident which is a heck of an exception]. More often back at New Othwol.
Nick: What about issues that really don't have anything to do with Arat? Do you ever get involved in them? Personally, I mean. Not just by giving them money.
Jeniard: Ummm....
Jeniard tries to think of some tactful way to say that Arat demands all of his quality attention and he usually has no brain left for anything else afterward.
Jeniard: Well, I try to, but I don't have very much time.
Jeniard: I appear as a speaker sometimes, and endorse things officially, that sort of thing.
Jeniard: Nothing major.
Nick: Does it ever bother you, that there are reforms which you might be able to accomplish, as a First, but that you don't have time to pursue?
Jeniard: You know, to be perfectly honest, it bothers me more that I don't have time to pursue my own interests.
Jeniard: What I wouldn't give for five hours a week to myself!
Jeniard laughs ruefully.
Nick chuckles too, with real ~~ sympathy ~~
Nick: Well, I have to admit that while I can see certain problems with the way the Tecton runs, I don't think that I'd necessarily do any better, if I was in charge of it.
Nick: Rather the opposite, actually.
Nick: I wasn't raised with the expectation that I would ever speak to a District Controller, much less look after one.
Jeniard: There is that. What we see is a compromise made by many experienced leaders.
Jeniard: If it was easy for one person to change things dramatically just by wishing otherwise, it wouldn't be a stable system.
Jeniard: And stability is what's needed now.
Jeniard means, bureaucracy.
Nick: Tell me, are all of those leaders Firsts? Or is there room for Seconds and Thirds to contribute their ideas as well?
Jeniard: What do you mean?
Nick: You referred to the Tecton as a compromise, worked out over time. I know that the ranking Controllers have to be more sensitive than the channels they schedule, and that usually means they are Firsts. But does that mean that the Seconds and Thirds have no power to make changes, on issues that don't require precision zlinning?
Jeniard scratches his head.
Jeniard: Not as far as I've ever noticed.
Jeniard doesn't inspire the kind of fear and reverence that Arat does at meetings, of course.
Jeniard: You should see the melee that breaks out when we start to discuss accounting paperwork changes.
Nick: Would a Second who wanted to change Tecton policy in more fundamental ways than paperwork be able to get a fair hearing, if his or her ideas had merit? Or would the suggestions be ignored because they came from a lower-ranking person?
Jeniard: Well, it really depends on how they went about being heard, Nick.
Jeniard wonders what Nick is getting at.
Jeniard: I mean, in any large hierarchical organization or in any large society it is going to take work for a person to get heard, if they're not already at center stage.
Nick sees Jeniard's confusion, and decides that an explanation is in order.
Nick: A few days ago, Sosu Sedel sought me out to ask me my opinion on certain issues regarding Tecton policies.
Nick: I think he was hoping that my answers could help give him the perspective he requires to decide his future.
Jeniard nods.
Jeniard: Well, for a Second like Sedel, I'd say the most likely way to get heard regarding changes to the Tecton is to find a champion. A superior of his would be the easiest.
Jeniard: Or maybe a member of his House.
Jeniard: Or if it's greater societal changes he is after, then perhaps one of his District or Regional representatives might catch his fancy.
Jeniard: Through letters, or even face to face conversations depending on the location of course, he could make his opinions known.
Jeniard: I'm sure most people do take those kinds of comments into account. It's often the only feedback they get.
Jeniard wonders if Nick remembers how quickly he jumped to assist a lower order clerk who came crying to him about Jeniard's management style.
Nick: I think Sedel's much more of an idealist about the Tecton than you or I. Maybe it comes from being a Householder?
Nick: In any case, he implied that it was my duty to take up reforming the Tecton, because Seconds like himself had little chance of success.
Jeniard: Well, I don't know about it being your duty.
Nick: I don't know what specific reforms he had in mind, except that they would be intended to make Tecton life more Donor-friendly.
Jeniard: Then he didn't do a very good job of hitting you up did he?
Jeniard: A good lobby attempt generally includes some specifics as to what is wanted.
Jeniard: Maybe you could coax it out of him next time; that may also assure him of your interest in his opinions.
Nick: I'll seek him out, then. That should demonstrate my interest, and leave me to bathe undisturbed.
Nick: Thank you for your advice.
Jeniard: Any time, Nick.
Jeniard waves, then scurries away toward the dispensary.
Jeniard makes a mental note to relay the entire conversation to Arat the next time he sees him.
Go on to Episode #169: The Wicked Witch of the Woods
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