Agent Washington (
parannoyed) wrote in
piper902020-09-22 05:56 pm
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A Clear and Consistent Manner | [locked/encrypted] cw: mention of shock punishment in narration
[Wash is quickly learning that Jorgmund isn't the hardest to lie to. One of the benefits of working with middle management in a corporation instead of army leadership, he supposes. They bought that the egg stasis containers Wash tampered with were hit by acid spray during battle, and they even bought his excuse for why they failed the mission objective, why he hadn't acted as a "corrector."]
[Nobody died, after all. Wash pointed out that he'd gone into a conflict where they hadn't even assigned a field leader and walked out with everyone alive. And aren't the New Hires a very expensive and difficult to replace asset, as well? Or else they wouldn't have the shock collars to ensure their compliance.]
[Jorgmund had agreed with his assessment and told him his performance was adequate, and that his assessment of the situation was correct.]
[Then they'd shocked him, told him they expected better than "adequate" in the future and that he wasn't supposed to follow through on a correct tactical assessment unless they told him to.]
[Wash can tell they're trying to soften all they're doing with faux benevolence and nice words with everyone else - why call them "New Hires" if not to make what they're doing seem normal and reasonable? He wonders if they're dispensing with that faux softness with him because they know he's competent enough to see right through it - and because they have an extra bit of leverage to ensure his total obedience regardless of what they do to him. It's a daunting prospect, having to work with people that think there's nothing he'll say no to and who know there's more of chance he'll never fight back than some of the other New Hires.]
[But for now, at the very least he gets to keep both his life and the implant, and now he has to focus on continuing to keep them. To do that, he needs this group to be able to meet their mission objectives (and he doesn't dare risk sabotaging that again). And to do that they need to get their act together. It's not their fault that last mission was disorganized and sloppy, it was Jorgmund's for sending a bunch of brand new agents out there with the regulars, with unfamiliar equipment, and having not even met yet.]
[But it's still a problem that needs to be resolved.]
[It'll also be a lot easier to perform to expectations when they're not randomly getting almost-murdered.]
[After the self-executing encrypted code executes (something he won't tell Jorgmund about on the off chance the resistance here is effective enough to actually get them all out, but will keep in his back pocket if needs it) he gathers intel first, quietly lurking and reading.]
[Then he introduces himself like someone who's used to walking into different situations and immediately bossing everyone around, as ones does (if you're a Freelancer, at least). His voice is clipped and a little stiff, but occasionally dips into dry and sardonic.]
I'm Agent Washington. I may have run into some of you on that mission with the aliens...
[A pause.]
From Aliens.
But otherwise I'm new here. I need a sitrep and an overview of your defense plans so I can recommended improvements.
Also, who's in charge here? I know Jorgmund hasn't appointed anyone formally - because I asked - but you had to have made some kind of decision informally.
[Because the alternative is total anarchy and who lives like that??]
Then again, that mission in Pilton was a disaster, so if you haven't chosen a leader internally, why not?
[Look at Judge Judy all up in here.]
[Nobody died, after all. Wash pointed out that he'd gone into a conflict where they hadn't even assigned a field leader and walked out with everyone alive. And aren't the New Hires a very expensive and difficult to replace asset, as well? Or else they wouldn't have the shock collars to ensure their compliance.]
[Jorgmund had agreed with his assessment and told him his performance was adequate, and that his assessment of the situation was correct.]
[Then they'd shocked him, told him they expected better than "adequate" in the future and that he wasn't supposed to follow through on a correct tactical assessment unless they told him to.]
[Wash can tell they're trying to soften all they're doing with faux benevolence and nice words with everyone else - why call them "New Hires" if not to make what they're doing seem normal and reasonable? He wonders if they're dispensing with that faux softness with him because they know he's competent enough to see right through it - and because they have an extra bit of leverage to ensure his total obedience regardless of what they do to him. It's a daunting prospect, having to work with people that think there's nothing he'll say no to and who know there's more of chance he'll never fight back than some of the other New Hires.]
[But for now, at the very least he gets to keep both his life and the implant, and now he has to focus on continuing to keep them. To do that, he needs this group to be able to meet their mission objectives (and he doesn't dare risk sabotaging that again). And to do that they need to get their act together. It's not their fault that last mission was disorganized and sloppy, it was Jorgmund's for sending a bunch of brand new agents out there with the regulars, with unfamiliar equipment, and having not even met yet.]
[But it's still a problem that needs to be resolved.]
[It'll also be a lot easier to perform to expectations when they're not randomly getting almost-murdered.]
[After the self-executing encrypted code executes (something he won't tell Jorgmund about on the off chance the resistance here is effective enough to actually get them all out, but will keep in his back pocket if needs it) he gathers intel first, quietly lurking and reading.]
[Then he introduces himself like someone who's used to walking into different situations and immediately bossing everyone around, as ones does (if you're a Freelancer, at least). His voice is clipped and a little stiff, but occasionally dips into dry and sardonic.]
I'm Agent Washington. I may have run into some of you on that mission with the aliens...
[A pause.]
From Aliens.
But otherwise I'm new here. I need a sitrep and an overview of your defense plans so I can recommended improvements.
Also, who's in charge here? I know Jorgmund hasn't appointed anyone formally - because I asked - but you had to have made some kind of decision informally.
[Because the alternative is total anarchy and who lives like that??]
Then again, that mission in Pilton was a disaster, so if you haven't chosen a leader internally, why not?
[Look at Judge Judy all up in here.]
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I know it's mostly Jorgmund's fault but that means all the "New Hires" [quotey fingers because he knows how bullshit that descriptor is and that it really just means "prisoners"] are going to need to work harder to compensate.
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[Shame they couldn't rescue everyone, though.]
We do what we can, Agent. Trained personnel are a minority, many of the people here were civilians before being... hired.
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close enough right
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We don't really have a leader. [Much to his distaste, but he had dropped the ball a little when the time came to seize control of the group.] Several of us have taken charge at different points, but a solid, centralized leadership position is untenable when dealing with this situation, especially with 'New Hires' getting transferred or 'fired' seemingly at random.
Better, I think, to have a group of experienced people to rely on in case someone goes missing rather than one or two people holding all the cards. Especially when there's so much work to be done.
Adding to that, we don't have a choice in who goes on what missions, so flexibility in command matters is a key point.
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That way whoever is assigned, there might be at least someone ready to lead on any given mission. And the rest of the group should train with them so they're comfortable taking their orders.
What has Jorgmund done so far to train everyone as a unit?
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Jorgmund takes no action for that kind of training. And the people who are willing to take classes in small unit operations and leadership tend not to be the people who need to take those classes.
[Peer pressure only goes so far and Armstrong can't exactly have anyone flogged for flouting a command.]
Jorgmund's training is largely in weapons and physical training. And the man in charge of the physical training lacks... flexibility.
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[LOCKED for Wash's delicate ego]
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Besides, no one can look authoritative when they’re dressed like GenX ran them over with a Spencer’s. ]
Hey Wash! You’re late. Brainy’s here, but nobody’s in charge. It’s more like a Ouija board at a slumber party - nobody and everybody’s steering the decisions.
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...And I'm supposed to know who that is?
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[ Although the fact that he’s even asking kinda gives away that he doesn’t. ]
Brainiac 5, the - actually, if you want his credentials, we’re taking this conversation offline.
[ “The Legion of Superheroes resident supergenius and the guy who got us all an optional way home the last time we were getting sucked into rips in the very fabric of time and space” is a fantastic description and would certainly put Querl under more Jorgmund scrutiny, so Robbie won’t put it on an open feed. ]
But he’s kind of a big deal. You really don’t know who he is? Did you take too many zaps at orientation?
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[Because 1) he's mostly worked solo for a long time now, and 2) if he's not at the front, he can more easily slip away and make "adjustments".]
But if you don't want actual organization here I'll make sure the flowers at your funeral are tasteful. White lilies are a classic but I've always thought that gladiolas were understated and elegant.
Do you have a preference?
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Dude, you’ve been here ten minutes. This is not how you win friends and influence people.
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I'll stick with purple chrysanthemums, by the way. What about you? Seeing how adamantly you're digging your own grave here, you might need some sooner than me.
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[Yes, Remy, that's the important thing to take away from this. The fact that lillies are poisonous to cats.]
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[Emily is waving vigorously at the camera. There is a difference between her baseline unsettling good cheer and when she's experiencing whatever minor level of genuine happiness her...issues allow her to feel, and this is the latter.
Wash in his current state probably can't tell that, though.]
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Uh...hi?
And your name is?
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Did you get shot in the head again?
[Said like a parent exasperated their kid has come home covered in mud, rather than with any actual concern.]
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yknow once upon a time we were all staying anonymous on here just in case of leaks but i guess we gave up on that entirely
whole lotta names being slung around while openly shitting on jorgmund
just taking a steaming dump on their doorstep while simultaneously flipping off the security cameras
i guess it probably wasnt that important
some of us were pretty obvious anyway
so youre trying to take charge of this flaming shipwreck huh
lol good luck
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[The words are bitter.]
But they're going to want us actually effective at mission objectives. It might chafe some asses for us to talk about how bad they are at that, but they'll probably just be relieved at the cost effectiveness of not having to lift a finger to help us pull it off.
[Even if he hadn't sold out already, he knows how bloated, corrupt bureaucracies work.]
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[This seems highly unlikely, if only because Nora's image is upside-down, her head flopping back over the arm of a chair while she talks into her hovering comm. She also doesn't look old enough to drive, assuming one is good at guessing the ages of inverted teenagers.]
First order: chill out.
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[His voice is dry but not quite as much as before. He's not entirely stiff and humorless here.]
I'll get right on obeying that order as soon as you graduate from middle school.
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