The Lost Goats, 59
Aug. 7th, 2012 11:41 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
avevale_intelligencer"I just wanted a new hat," Soren said into his drink. Nobody paid any attention.
"What's going to happen to the pirate lady?" Voltimand inquired.
"Same thing that happens to everyone Vigil 'arrests'," Zander said. "They'll hold her for questioning for a while, in case she names some accomplices, and then some smooth item with a briefcase will come sweeping in on cue, tell her not to say anything, insult the officers in charge and sweep her out. I can't rule out the possibility that the phrase 'we're done here' might be uttered."
"Vigil's privately funded, which means it's for-profit, which means they thrive on throughput," Soren explained. "Keeping prisoners isn't cost-effective. Executing them formally would raise a whole lot of questions they'd rather not answer."
"Like by what right, and so on," Zander said.
"It's immoral," Galen said, "but the showy arrests and the gun battles do have a certain deterrent effect to the uninformed."
"But don't imagine that they're not a threat, young Voltimand," said Soren. "They may be a joke, but like a lot of jokes, they're based on cruelty."
"I'll be careful," Voltimand said, "Soren."
"Oh, did you hear?" Zander said suddenly. "Palinurus's lot think there might be some mineral resources here."
"On Wuk?"
"I know, but times and technology have changed. They need different things now. One of the lasses was talking about deep omber, glim, possibly even traces of lucanol. Enough to make it worth a proper terraforming job."
"And then they'll turn it into another Oisenfeld," Galen said gloomily.
Zander shook his head. "Mining techniques have changed as well. They can lift the stuff out so gently you could pasture sheep on top of it."
"Or goats," Probity said, and Soren and Zander laughed. She frowned. "What? It was a serious suggestion!"
"Well, I can provide the terraforming know-how," Galen said. "All Fettorini's resources are still preserved on Otslag." He brightened. "That would play into my plans too."
"Plans?" Soren queried.
"You don't want to know," Zander said.
"I wish An were here," Probity said. "I don't know how we're going to tell Dik that she's--"
"Let's not worry about that now, Viscera," Galen said. (In fact, Dik had called him earlier that day, to say that An had mentioned she would be taking a leave of absence from the team, and that she had asked him not to bother Galen with it till the current crisis was resolved. She had not been able to give a precise date for her return to work, but had promised it would be as soon as possible. Galen was not looking forward to explaining that to Probity.)
"Well," Zander said, getting up, "I don't know about you lot, but Soren and I have a delivery to make to the homeship. And someone's going to have to go and fetch Cesar. His ship's here."
"Couldn't you maybe swing by and--" Galen began.
"NO!" Zander and Soren said in unison.
"What's going to happen to the pirate lady?" Voltimand inquired.
"Same thing that happens to everyone Vigil 'arrests'," Zander said. "They'll hold her for questioning for a while, in case she names some accomplices, and then some smooth item with a briefcase will come sweeping in on cue, tell her not to say anything, insult the officers in charge and sweep her out. I can't rule out the possibility that the phrase 'we're done here' might be uttered."
"Vigil's privately funded, which means it's for-profit, which means they thrive on throughput," Soren explained. "Keeping prisoners isn't cost-effective. Executing them formally would raise a whole lot of questions they'd rather not answer."
"Like by what right, and so on," Zander said.
"It's immoral," Galen said, "but the showy arrests and the gun battles do have a certain deterrent effect to the uninformed."
"But don't imagine that they're not a threat, young Voltimand," said Soren. "They may be a joke, but like a lot of jokes, they're based on cruelty."
"I'll be careful," Voltimand said, "Soren."
"Oh, did you hear?" Zander said suddenly. "Palinurus's lot think there might be some mineral resources here."
"On Wuk?"
"I know, but times and technology have changed. They need different things now. One of the lasses was talking about deep omber, glim, possibly even traces of lucanol. Enough to make it worth a proper terraforming job."
"And then they'll turn it into another Oisenfeld," Galen said gloomily.
Zander shook his head. "Mining techniques have changed as well. They can lift the stuff out so gently you could pasture sheep on top of it."
"Or goats," Probity said, and Soren and Zander laughed. She frowned. "What? It was a serious suggestion!"
"Well, I can provide the terraforming know-how," Galen said. "All Fettorini's resources are still preserved on Otslag." He brightened. "That would play into my plans too."
"Plans?" Soren queried.
"You don't want to know," Zander said.
"I wish An were here," Probity said. "I don't know how we're going to tell Dik that she's--"
"Let's not worry about that now, Viscera," Galen said. (In fact, Dik had called him earlier that day, to say that An had mentioned she would be taking a leave of absence from the team, and that she had asked him not to bother Galen with it till the current crisis was resolved. She had not been able to give a precise date for her return to work, but had promised it would be as soon as possible. Galen was not looking forward to explaining that to Probity.)
"Well," Zander said, getting up, "I don't know about you lot, but Soren and I have a delivery to make to the homeship. And someone's going to have to go and fetch Cesar. His ship's here."
"Couldn't you maybe swing by and--" Galen began.
"NO!" Zander and Soren said in unison.
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no subject
Date: 2012-08-07 01:58 pm (UTC)Docked, Zander gathered up the coup files and headed for the Library.
"I want these bestowed," he said, with some force, "where they can't by unbestowed in a hurry."
Soren, duster in hand, and already en route to the binnacle, nodded and gave a thumbs-up gesture. Once Zander had left the hanger, however, Soren merely dabbed at the dinnacle and then went out, to see who was in Hanger Control.
It was Rufius, and Mercialador, two of the youngest generation of Nyronds to be let loose on operational affairs.
"And how are you two ?"
"Well enough, thank you, Soren."
There was a pause, then Rufius said: "Do you fancy taking a turn ?"
Soren cold-eyed him: "In my day, I'd have been mustard-keen on getting all the details from someone who'd just come back."
"Times change," Mercialador replied.
"And Cesaar N-Banded an account last night -- we watched it in the ZZA Canteen."
"O'erleapt ? And by Cesar ?"
"It would seem so, Soren. So, we'll leave you to take charge here and we'll get back to the tutorial texts."
"Well, I suppose -- hey: hang on: there's always supposed to be two in Hanger Control -- "
"What ?" Mercialador said, with a blithe smile: "The mighty Soren, conqueror of the Perevertarious Sneed, unable to cope with hanger business ?"
Meanwhile Zander had returned the coup files to Abelard, signed the "safely-home" book in the Nexus, adroitly avoided the suggestion that he commit the entire oeuvre to hard-copy before his memory faded, and made his way to Jubal's quarters.
"Tea, dear boy ?"
"With two sugars, please."
"A slightly hectic day ?"
"Nothing that twelve or so hours sleep won't re-ravel up, I suppose."
"Did you want the Arts section or Sport ?" Jubal asked, extending two sheafs of papers.
no subject
Date: 2012-08-07 03:41 pm (UTC):) We'll have to sort it out in post-production...