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ladytrollfishes · 6 years ago

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Cress: Make a Call

>Cress: Make a Call

Tang | MD (indigo) IT (maroon)01/17/2019

You purse your lips as you take the number Maera gave you from your notebook and dial the number. You didn't give yourself much time for this, but.... the amount of information you've found about Arctophi is disappointing at best. A single website with every possible link on the page broken, in a style outdated five sweeps ago? It was certainly suspicious. You dial the number, not entirely sure what to expect, even as you put a bright smile on your face. You could always hear the smile.

January 18, 2019

Kitty | neriticNomad01/18/2019

In an off-planet lab, a troll sits at a desk, shuffling papers and contact cards. They don't require a name, because they already have one, displayed by a card on their desk. They are named "L. Savery", and they have been assigned the work of a desk job for the day. They are discontent with the clutter of their workspace. The phone rings. They allow it to ring twice before picking up. "Arctophi Labs, Liaison office," they say. Their voice is bored, or perhaps preoccupied, as they are still organizing papers with one hand. "May I ask who's calling?"

Tang | MD (indigo) IT (maroon)01/18/2019

A very bored voice. Maera did say that they would be expecting you right? "Hi, my name is Cresce," you say. "I'm calling about Maera. She said you would be expecting me." You wish you had more information to work off with.

January 19, 2019

Kitty | neriticNomad01/19/2019

"Did she?" Shuffle shuffle. They contain the paper mess on one half of the desk and lean back in their chair. There's a few clicks on a mechanical keyboard. A quick check at their computer screen confirms Cress's story. "Yes, she informed us a few hours ago that you might call. That's pretty lucky - and pretty strange. MAERA doesn't do a lot of our tracting. Soooo... what is the purpose of your call, what can we do for you?"

January 26, 2019

Tang | MD (indigo) IT (maroon)01/26/2019

You wrinkle your nose a little. So Maera didn't tell them about the details of your encounter, leaving you to deal with the details. You chuckle a little. "Oh, I'm not the one being recruited," you say. "May I ask who I am speaking to?"

Kitty | neriticNomad01/26/2019

"Doctor Savery, currently. Mind, you may not hear from me on another day, you just happened to get lucky." They smile, an accent that translates even through the voice. "We rotate the liason position, but I'll keep a log for the next person, if you call back on a day I'm not on duty. If you're not interested in joining with the lab, are you interested in some some sort of business deal? Who do you work for?"

January 31, 2019

Tang | MD (indigo) IT (maroon)01/31/2019

"Maera really mentioned nothing, did she?" You're a little put out. "I am an agent of the Imperial Psion Corp. I'm interested in recruiting her for an informant, but she did say she answered to more than just herself and gave me this number to call."

Kitty | neriticNomad01/31/2019

They laugh. "Well, you know how it is. Information gets lost here and there, paperwork gets misplaced." On the other side of the phone, they're glaring at the paperwork on the desk. "It's probably somewhere here, or maybe the person who received her hail forgot to write it down. She would have said it, though. Her records are meticulous. Sorry about the hassle." They open a document on the computer, and begin taking notes. "She told you correctly. Maera, as an individual, does respond to the upper hierarchy of the MAERA project. They oversee her various jobs and connections. She's still being tested and improved, so they track her success in different tasks, adjust her programming and hardware, and what have you. So, they like to know what she's up to. "So you want her as an informant? Interesting choice, but, undoubtedly, she'll be valuable to you. Which branch will she be involved with, again?"

Tang | MD (indigo) IT (maroon)01/31/2019

You titter like you find incompetence charming. "Oh paperwork is such a mess sometimes I know," you say. "It's Torrent. I have to ask- how do you usually screen her usual clients? Do they go directly to her or through you?"(edited)

Kitty | neriticNomad01/31/2019

"Everything goes through the project higher-ups. The project is intended as a tool, so the higher-ups judge whether she's capable of completing a job, if it tests her abilities in the way they need, and so on. Some jobs don't make the cut. She is to redirect all offers she receives to her superiors, so they all end up in the same place, and they can make informed decisions for her. "Essentially, if you were hiring her, this is about the same process you'd go through, except you'd be contacting the robo-call that receives her requests for deployment. Then someone would call you back, to have a similar conversation to the one we're having right now, talking about the details of the job. A decision would be made, and then you'd have her assigned to the job. "Here's a question for you, though: What made a Torrent take interest in Maera?"

Tang | MD (indigo) IT (maroon)01/31/2019

"I suggest you vet your jobs more carefully," you say lightly. "You're rather lucky I'm of a more forgiving disposition than some of my coworkers. Just imagine the mess if Maera eliminated an imperial agent without realizing it? It would open more questions than I think you'd want to answer." "But I'm not interested in those questions. I'd ask Maera for more details if I were you."

February 15, 2019

Kitty | neriticNomad02/15/2019

They tap their finger on the spacebar a few extra times, while they consider this. "I'll pass your advice along," they say, finally. "I'm not sure what you're expecting from it. The business of killing trolls has always been dangerous. But rest assured, your threats have been noted. "Your interest in questions doesn't matter. I'm asking so I can add them to the file I'll be handing to the decision-makers here. Are you sure you'd like to refuse?"

Tang | MD (indigo) IT (maroon)02/15/2019

You wait patiently through the pause before the voice on the phone speaks again. Hunch confirmed- you're definitely not speaking with the decision makers here. "Sure would!" you exclaim chipper. "I prefer to talk to the decisionmakers myself, of course. If they have any further questions, I'd be happy to answer then."

Kitty | neriticNomad02/15/2019

They write this into the file, save it, and prepare it for sending. "Of course," they say, leaning back in their chair. "I'll put them in contact with you if anything comes up. But, all in all, this arrangement seems very cut-and-dry. You'll have an answer in the next five business nights. I expect it will be positive. "But while we're here, you should be aware that the Maera project is prone to... errors. There are a few issues still being worked out, with her technology. Should you encounter one of these, I can give you the contact information for her primary handlers, who can assist you. Do you have a place to write this down?"

Tang | MD (indigo) IT (maroon)02/15/2019

It really makes you wonder how this lab is speaking about Maera like this. Don't they know that people are more likely to respond if they think you like them? "Oh, of course," you exclaim, and grab a pen. "Please, go ahead!"

February 16, 2019