savetheearth | Let us talk

Entry tags:

Let us talk

Who: The American Secretary of Defense, numbered, and two surprise guests.
What: An important meeting.
When: 28th
Where: An expensive meeting room in downtown Locke.

The numbered have been told to meet the Secretary of Defense in a conference hotel in downtown Locke City, and are lead upstairs by two discreetly armed body guards and a young man in a suit who introduces himself as working for the city government. All three remain in the background once they enter an expensive looking meeting room on the top floor of the hotel. The Secretary is already there, together with a middle-aged woman, greets them and explains that they are waiting for one more person before they can begin. He then proceeds to ask them about the going-ons, both in general and a bit more personally. He expresses his regret for out of hand the whole situation has become, yet "...I trust in General Terrence Miller to keep the situation stable and safe from now, and we hope that the city's well-being can be handed back into the hands of a restructured police force in January. I am told that it has been a bit difficult to hire policemen and -women from other cities to come here, but that they wish to replace a good number of officers before everything resumes as usual. Taking the evil by the root, so to speak."

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Saretha has arrived, and on the dot at that. She's followed through on not taking any chances, however - while she's managed to make an outfit around it that works quite well and looks fairly professional, she's wearing Junketsu beneath a shirt and long, white coat. More than anything, it serves better than a bullet proof vest, and even though she doesn't technically mistrust the Secretary... the people he might have been hearing from until now?

They're another story entirely.

So along with her "guests," she gives the man a pleasant enough smile as she greets and listens to him.

Terrence Miller, huh...?

Even as her thoughts focus on the confirmation of the man in charge of the military action in the city, her face doesn't betray her for an instant. "Mm, yes, I can highly suspect that has been an ordeal, Mr. Secretary... but for now, I am most pleased someone higher up has finally decided to come and meet with us."

A slender young man is one of the two Numbered who flanks Saretha; he is still stunned that he was asked to accompany her, since this is a very important encounter... but the fact that she thought he was up for it means a great deal, and he is determined to demonstrate that her faith in his abilities is not misplaced. With Shou's help and superior taste, he's made a rare effort to pull together his appearance; he's been ill, and looks it, but he's also combed his hair, put on a dark grey suit that's crisply pressed and a new wool coat, and he stands straighter than is particularly comfortable for someone with a twisted spine. Diplomacy isn't his greatest strength, but today it's not allowed to be a weakness.

He remains silent for the moment, observing Saretha as she makes her introductions. So far, nothing looks suspicious or out of the ordinary, but if there's anything he's learned living in Locke City, it's that things can change very quickly. He doesn't smile, but he makes an effort to at least keep his resting face placid and neutral. Even the hint of hostility could hurt their chances.

Edited 2014-12-29 01:58 (UTC)

Shou was far too use to this sort of thing than someone with his colorful history as the family's black sheep. But as the eldest son, his father had felt the need to bring him along to meetings in order to get use to them. That Shou decided he wanted no part in being a politician or a financier did not mean he had forgotten how to behave and dress the part.

Although thanks to the changes the past few months had forced on him, he found himself making slight adjustments to his wardrobe, like the glasses specially tinted to block out the overly bright sunlight, the long scarf he had used to wrap around his head and only unwind it once they were fully inside, and the gloves he still haven't took off. With his usual white trench coat over a tailored black suit, he stood opposite of L and sketched a slight bow.

"There are many opinions on you in this country, Ms Kaiser, and many facts about you and variables had to be taken into consideration." There is a lot of politics behind the decisions of someone in his position to officially meet with numbered. "Recently, however, important factors have arisen - I do not want to begin to discuss them before our other guests have arrived, as they have more details, but I hope that this meeting will end favourably for all of us."

"Oh, I am well aware of the wide gulf between opinions on us," Saretha says, realizing this is slightly idle chatter. Which is fine, as she's taking the opportunity to take in her surroundings and develop fallback strategies while remaining perfectly poised and polite.

"Favorably would certainly be preferable, of course. In the end, I don't think our goals are too far apart, sir."

Still, that depended on their guests. Could it be the aliens? Miller? Miller and an alien? Some other, completely unknown factor that will make gauging their participation even more difficult?

Almost imperceptibly, L's lips tighten. The small talk is already tedious, and though Saretha is responding with poise and confidence, she must sense it, too. He doesn't disagree with what's being said, but it doesn't need to be said. He tries to catch Shou's eye in an attempt to see if the other man is indicating that he feels similarly, in any way.

We were on time, weren't we? Saretha made sure of our punctuality. Where are the 'other guests,' and who are they?

He doesn't want to be rude, but he wants to talk business sooner, rather than later.

Miller was not someone he felt he could trust and he did not like the idea of having to wait for other guests. It stank of something wrong - at least it stank to his other, who had been the kind of person that met other criminals in smoky nightclubs and almost legit businesses in which normal people would glide in and out with no idea they were so close to men that would rob them blind. In that person's world, a delay in meeting other people often meant that someone some where was setting up a couple snipers nearby...

He cut off the thoughts before his expression could change from the bored blankness that he learned from modelling. Saretha could take the lead in talking to these people right now since she was both a cooperate leader and a U.S. citizen. He had no reason to say anything right now, and was pretty much there due to his own experiences and being levelheaded on top of representing those Numbered with monstrous changes. He didn't want to expose those changes to a bunch of normals, but if he had to, he would.

But for now, he fiddled with his cufflinks, looking all the world like the bored rich brat he always had been, calculating the exits and disadvantages that might lay in front of them if this was a highly elaborate setup.

The Secretary's eyes wander towards the door once or twice during the conversation - he's clearly waiting as well.

And just when he is about to speak up again, there are voices outside the door, and two more people are escorted in: A woman and a man that looks very familiar: Geoff Benwick. He smiles radiantly at everyone in the room, while the woman next to him only gives a curt smile.

"Ah, here they are. Mr Benwick tells us that you know him... and this is Mrs Young." Both of them offer their hands for a handshake to all three numbered.

[note: It is still very hard to not find Geoff trustworthy in person.]

Benwick. Of course, it would be. The warnings from November, and news of the orbital tower, circle in her mind, but... Suspicion she may have had then doesn't find its way there, in spite of that knowledge. Not that it would change her demeanor either way, of course. She has an image to maintain right now.

"Yes, Mr. Benwick and I have met in the past," Saretha says, shaking both of their hands. "However, I have not yet made Mrs. Young's acquaintance."

Though L hasn't had the pleasure of meeting Geoff Benwick himself, he also recalls warnings and whispers from several months prior... and also can't summon the caution or distrust he knows he would normally feel. Something about Geoff puts him remarkably at-ease, in a way that people like Tony and Torin have had to work for months to earn. When the handshakes come around, his grasp is firmer and more accepting than any handshake he has probably ever offered another person. The feeling fades by the time Mrs. Young comes to him; though he makes an effort to replicate it, it's not nearly as natural or genuine as it was when Geoff stood opposite him.

He remembered a few things about Benwick, mainly the way that the alien had triggered some of the more unsettling echoes of his other's life. There was a huge unsettled feeling about the guy but yet Shou couldn't find himself truly digging up the full resentment that he had felt from that time. Though he did pause a moment when it came to shaking hands before giving himself a mental shake. They were in America after all, not in some subtropical place between Japan and China.

"Aa, sorry," he said, his accent thicker than normal. "Yes, we have some dealings with Mr. Benwick in the past."

The two new arrivals smile at the mention of Geoff's earlier encounters with the numbered, though hers is a lot less charming and much more there to be polite than anything. It doesn't seem like she quite enjoys herself here, and she cuts Geoff short when he seems to want to speak up, nodding towards the comfy chairs by the window.

"Shall we sit?"

A sharp glance is thrown her way, faintly like those that he gives Badri, but with more respect in it. And returned. They hold each other's gaze for half a minute before the stare suddenly ends with Geoff nodding.

"Ah, yes." The Secretary gestures for the seats that overlook Locke. "Please, take a seat; coffee, tea or something else?" He walks over to the armchairs as he speaks, the two others following.

Something is definitely amiss. Saretha knows that much, but it's clouded. She knows what she does about the incident upon the Elevator, but that resounding feeling of trust - something with Saretha Kaiser does not consider lightly - lingers until she focuses in on Young. As such, she keeps her focus a bit more solidly on the woman. She catches the look between them, but turns to the Secretary as he speaks again.

"Tea is quite fine, but yes..." She moves to take her seat. "Let us get down to business, shall we?"

L's done a lot of drugs in his life. He's hesitant to compare what he feels when he makes eye contact with Geoff (as opposed to the woman at his side) with any kind of chemical influence, but in his experience, it might actually be the closest thing. Though even inexplicable trust is a kind and relieving thing, he finds himself focusing his attention on Young, much like Satsuki, simply because he is here to keep his wits about him. They came expecting a potential trap or setup, so it's not wildly farfetched to think that pulling out someone who feels like a friend with merely a glance or a handshake might be it. He shakes his head briskly at the offer of tea or coffee as he takes his seat in an armchair that seems too spacious for his narrow frame, with a soft "No, thank you."

At least one of us should abstain, in the case of poison, but... maybe that's too obvious? Or too obviously paranoid? No, no such thing as too paranoid when they're really out to get you...

He nods firmly, committing to the business part of the encounter. The pleasantries were all well and good, but at the end of the day, they wouldn't make the differences that mattered.

He wasn't sure if there were very many drugs that would affect him any more. Shou knew that drinking would only give him a slight hint of a buzz these days but he hadn't tried anything harder than that. The part of him that would have just to see what limits he had was buried under a hatred for most drugs these days, so he shook away the offer of drinks and plotted a way to sit by the windows without going up in flames. In the end he decided to lounge against the wall in the best socialite manner he had, which was a lot. He could pose like that forever, and had loads of style to go with it.

Ankles crossed, hands in his pockets and slouching just a little, Shou smiled and kept his eyes on the Secretary of Defense. The aliens, he decided, were just a little weird. "So. What do you wish to talk with us about?"

During the following words of the Secretary and the aliens, drinks are served - Geoff gets himself a water, the Secretary a coffee and the woman listens to everyone else's orders and then echoes Saretha's order of tea.

"A number of things; of course only meeting you has its own worth." The Secretary doesn't explain further, but his smile is more business than anything else at his last words. It turns completely serious at his next words, however. "But the main matter that we need to talk about is- Mrs Young, Mr Benwick, would you please explain?"

Again, there is a brief staring duel which Young wins. "I," not we, though she puts no emphasis on it, "have researched the matter of the monsters which awoke under Locke City and Las Vegas. I found out that they are a phenomenon that we are familiar with, though we have no experience with it that would be helpful under these circumstances. Yet I can tell you a few things about them as you seem to be better fit to combat them than Mr Benwick and the others, or any normal humans." A brief nod towards Geoff. "Mr Benwick was so friendly to put myself and Mr Obama as well as a number of others in touch, and with your help we hope to prevent a repeat of what happened in Locke, to keep your backs free for dealing with these."

She doesn't smile through any of this, perfectly business-like and serious. "These monsters are made of very powerful particles that are closely related to the one that causes all the irregularities on Earth, including you three. And though I cannot tell you where, it is clear that there are more of them on this planet - a dozen, perhaps. It seems reasonable to assume that the pink lights announce them." She looks up, her eyes resting on all three numbered for a moment, trying to find the eyes of each other them and lock stares before she moves on. "What I can however tell you with absolute certainty is that they all will wake, and that they are all very aggressive and cannot be stopped except through their death."

Saretha leans back in her chair, listening. She retains her focus on Young, which is much easier given she's the primary one speaking. What she says doesn't necessarily... surprise her. Certainly, it tracks with that which they've seen so far. There is definitely a kernel of truth in it, though she senses a need to dig just a little deeper to make certain of how much.

"It was very clear indeed that normal people do not have the capability of combating these creatures directly, yes," she murmurs, pausing to take a sip of her tea. She keeps her eyes on Young the whole time, however, before she continues. "And most of us had surmised that the lights herald precisely what you say. But I think the best question really is... what is it that wakes them? The alien renegade certainly seemed to have an idea of that, given what he accomplished last March."

The way Saretha leans back is something L wonders if he should mirror, but he is tense enough for that to be too tall an order. Though his feet are on the floor, there is a definite perching quality to the way he sits forward and attentive in his armchair. Of the two aliens, Young seems to hold the authority despite Geoff's preternatural charisma, making her the logical one to watch instead of the male at her side.

The pink lights announce the arrival of the behemoths, they are related to whatever phenomenon is causing the Numbered to express extraordinary characteristics, and they have to be killed. It seems clear and simple enough, but much still remains unclear, and remedying that seems to be a wise and shrewd course of action. He stares down Young, deciding not to try to soften his naturally severe visage; he feels that of anyone, she will appreciate an approach that is equally serious to her own.

"To research something effectively, there has to be existing data, some kind of point of reference. You said the information you have is unlikely to be helpful under these circumstances, and that might be true, but has anything like this happened elsewhere? Or is this truly the first planet that these particles have affected?"

Edited (Tablet tags= typos) 2015-01-02 16:59 (UTC)

He stayed leaning against the wall though he did look at Young, even if it was hard to tell under the tint of his sunglasses. It seemed like she had a lot of information, especially concerning the pink lights and the monsters that came from them. She also seemed willing to explain some of it to them, though what she said was something they had already figured out. The lights brought out their abilities, their abilities were what allowed them to bring down the monsters, and there were a number of them spread across the world.

But.

Shou had been around almost from the beginning. He had been around to listen to the living stone and the poor sculptor that ended up so much monster food before Wise Snake came out of the ground. He had a sneaking suspicion that while they were able to take out the living stones, they were probably brought to this plain in order to protect them. It made things harder since they ended up fighting and destroying two of the monsters due beyond circumstances that they could not control. Which meant that they really needed more data to know what the circumstances are to find some kind of control.

"I agree with both of my colleagues - we cannot begin to find or deal with these particles without first knowing more about them. Brute force we have, but it has resulted in damage both to properties and lives. If we are to act as scalpels instead of hammers, we will need more knowledge."

"This is the first planet on which they woke up; or at least the first that we know of. That is what limits the existing data, or the point of reference, that you were asking about." She nods towards Lazarus. "But we have records of beings like them before they were laid to sleep."

"It is unclear how exactly they were formed, but it will be useful to-" she pauses, and look for the right words, frowning faintly. After a moment, she leans over towards Geoff, and a short whispered conversation ensues before both sit up again. "My apologies, translating such concepts proves rather difficult between our language and yours." She

"Imagine that all of you have one "Soul" inside you. This "Soul" is a powerful particle that is the reason why you are like you are, or rather, are not what you were before you became like this," a brief motion towards Sho seated conveniently away from the sunlight, "because it remembers that you were once different and tries to return you there. "Soul" wants to be true to itself. Now, because you only have one "Soul", you are sentient and can experience a variety of motivations, goals and wishes, as you do not have to agree with anyone else about it.

Those ...."Animals"," she frowns again, unhappy with the word but unable to find a better one, "they consist of millions of "Souls", as each of their cells is one. This on the one hand makes them extremely powerful, so much so that if fully awoken they will be capable of destroying the whole world. Nobody, not even all of you combined, would be able to stop them then. Luckily, they seem to wake up gradually.

On the other hand, it means that all these "Souls" have to agree on an action, and have to bring their wishes and goals and motivations in line for this. Lacking true sentience, ethics, structure or anything similar, the sole thing that they can agree on is survival. Their own, that is, not that of humanity, the world or the universe. And they consider everything a threat. There is no way of reasoning with them because it is like," she tries to find a good example from Earth, "...reasoning with all inhabitants of China or Latin America at once, and having to do so at the same time, and having to convince all of them instantly.

That is why they were put to sleep. What it is that awakes them now I cannot say yet; I hoped that you could help with that part. Perhaps you have seen something, or Tiny mentioned it?"

Saretha's eyes narrow. At first, there's a great deal of suspicion that crosses her mind as Young pauses. Mind you, not that the suspicion wasn't already there, but as she continues... She's not entirely certain just here and now what to think, so instead she listens.

"So you're saying this 'Soul' is that which draws in the memories and powers we obtain," she says, seeming to grasp what is being said. "And that these creatures are similar in a respect, which does not exactly explain our connection to them or to you, but does further indicate there is one."

She purses her lips, thinking.

"I cannot say for certain what may have caused their awakenings in the past. Prior to 'Tiny' basically exploding and summoning up the snake almost a year ago, I do recall there was a lot of construction around the area it was unearthed. By Thunder Corporation. Similarly, every time one of these areas appears, there are creatures that appear with them... ones which we are quite certain are alien in origin. I believe they've been dubbed... 'Vermini,' and have at least two big brothers that get progressively more and more powerful. They too have been tied to us, somehow or another. All of that is clearly linked somehow, is it not? Of course... I haven't been here as longer as my cohorts, here."

At this point, she's throwing things out. She wants to see how they'll react, and if her companions can back up or add to anything... or if they've managed to pick something out of her speech themselves.

Edited 2015-01-07 18:29 (UTC)

Well if that isn't a lot to take in, L doesn't know what is. The whispered conversation has him immediately on his guard, more than he has been up to this point, which is saying something. He understands the need for quick communication, but is the covertness really necessary? The apology and reference to the language barrier get a tilted head and a restrained nod of acceptance; it makes sense, but it could be a great deal of other things. The scariest monster, after all, is the one that's an unknown quantity.

The word "soul" does not seem to impress him. He's never been able to believe in such a concept as most humans describe it, an ever-living piece of someone that makes up the very essence of their spirit and being. Lazarus has always firmly been of the opinion that any "soul" humans have is, in actuality, just a consequence of intelligence great enough to spawn arrogance. Even for lack of a better word, he is very reluctant to think of what's causing their echoes in such terms. But he was here to listen and challenge only when doing so is productive, so he keeps his tongue behind his teeth as Young explains further about these particles. One soul, as opposed to many... very quickly, terminology is the least of his concerns.

"I can vouch for my colleague's assertion that the Vermini and Vermedi appear alongside 'active' areas, but I feel the need to double back for just a moment. You called these particles 'souls,' and I take that to mean the culmination of memories and talents, capable of 'want' and truth to their individual natures. Aside from the number present, is there a difference between the particles that we possess, and those the creatures do? You compared attempts to reason with them with attempts to reason with the populations of entire countries, so... would killing one of these colony-souls be comparable to genocide? And even if we settle on that, considering it the lesser of two evils to save a life-bearing planet... 'capable' of destroying a planet doesn't mean 'motivated to,' especially if survival is their primary drive. Even parasites have the foresight to know that killing their host is a fast-track to the end of their own lives."

He was the oldest Numbered in this group, having been part of this strange group from almost the beginning. He was probably one of the few original first and second waved Numbered hooked into the Network these days, especially with the way echoes were lost and disasters caused more to move on. That did not mean there was much that he could give these people in information. Most of the time, they worked in the dark, barely knowing what was going on, letting alone what and who to trust.

Like these aliens. Even though Benwick was very likeable, Shou was sill a little leery to say much about what they did find out to just anyone. There were too many problems with laying everything on the table; one of the main ones being that every time a Numbered had tried to do so to anyone not immediately connected to the problem had made it worse. From the beginning, the only people they could trust were other Numbered, and even then, that trust was strained.

While the other two were talking, he watched the people across from them, his expression blank and his eyes barely visible behind his sunglasses. When Saretha and L were done, he snorted softly and shrugged.

"We don't know much of anything," he said. He was going to keep most of what had been guessed to himself and perhaps ask others on the Network later on. "The Vermini and their ilk were the first signs of something being off long before we actively sought each other out. Even then, we only hit walls when we tried seeking for answers. Thunder Cooperation and various members of the police force were our main opposition in anything we looked into, and when Wise Snake rose, that was caused directly by the activities of both while we tried to find a way to appease it. What little we gleamed from that time is that Wise Snake is a Guardian or defense but it was tampered with, causing its anger and rising.

We hoped you may know more, but it sounds as if you are as clueless as we are."

"I wish Tiny had not gone off on his own, he must have had a significant amount of data that we are now lacking." The female alien turns to her male counterpart, who nods grimly.

"And have saved everyone trouble besides." He looks over to the Secretary. "I will again apologize for that, it was regretful and unexpected." The Secretary nods and gives Geoff a smileof two men who have an understanding.

Meanwhile, Young takes the thread of conversation with the numbered back up. "Thunder Corp. I will have a closer look at their doings. Perhaps..." She shakes her head and moves on. "Souls," she looks at L here, "have a variety of properties, depending on the context in which they appear. The base line of them is" she searches for a way to put it and falls quiet for a long moment, her forehead furrowing in cocentration "a consistent force of life, perhaps. They are not carriers of sentience or will, or any of the traits that you seem to assign to "humans". There are different kinds of them; yours are tied to memories and abilities because they were created from persons when they perished. That is not the case with the Animals souls. ...I might not have phrased it very well before; with an individual of these souls, you could not reason in the way in which you can reason with humans. You can reason with on the level on which you can level with a stupid animal: They have, individually, more purpose than to survive, but barely any ability to reflect on it. And because they have such a low level of intelligence, they will not realize if they destroy what sustains them in their attempt to defend themselves, no matter if their might is real or not. Besides, it isn't unlikely that they don't need Earth to live. ...I have seen them rage before, and the damage that they wrecked last year was minimal in comparison."

She leans back lightly. "As for Wise Snake having been a guardian... I assume that the Animals power could be utilized for such a purpose as long as they are asleep, though I have never heard of that being done." Another shake of her head. "I wish that I could offer more as well; I have however only been assigned to this mission very recently, to streamline things a bit."

Saretha's significant brow furrows. There's something she's missing. Something rather distinct, but she can't put her finger on it and that infuriates her. There's a distraction present here, that much she's sure of, as that excessive, unquenchable willpower of Satsuki Kiryuin's scrapes at her conscious mind. Yet, a part of her is almost avoiding it. She can hardly describe it, but she doesn't otherwise give it away in her poise.

"If they were guardians, I wonder what from." It's a rhetorical question really, because it's a good question. Had such a positioning of them come from nowhere, or not?

She lets it hang in the air a moment, frowning.

"Regardless. Even in the wild, an animal does not lash out simply to lash out. They do not kill simply to kill, that is a trait we more... evolved species have picked up over our growth. Destruction for destruction's sake requires a certain level of intelligence. Even if these creatures are just lashing out..."

She shakes her head.

"There must be something specific inciting them. The pattern that begins with the lights in the sky. All of that is connected, and we cannot rest on our laurels waiting for these awakenings one at a time, either - each one causes untold death and destruction, and simply awaiting such things is only going to promise more. I feel there is a piece we may be missing, here."

The Secretary, at least, seems to trust Geoff, and Lazarus can't really blame him. There's something comfortable and relieving about accepting that he represents something good, and the harder he tries to pick apart the drawbacks to such unconditional trust, the more difficult it is becoming to not see common goals, connections, and a deep and caring understanding of everything that is important to the detective in Geoff's kind, open face. As someone with an inherently lonely nature, slipping into complete acceptance of Geoff's strange charisma isn't just tempting to Lazarus, it's inevitable.

He's grateful for the time and effort Young puts into answering his questions, even if the explanation raises many more questions than it answers. Saretha, fortunately, picks up one of the more relevant ones, the missing piece being that even unreasonable manifestations of sheer life force don't simply rage for the sake of raging. Perhaps it's applying nature's rules too rationally for the situation, but the perspective of an earthling who abides by these natural laws requires a starting base.

"Are you suggesting that finding them before they awaken and killing them prior to causing that death and destruction would be ideal?" he asks Saretha, sounding like he doesn't consider the idea to be a bad one. "Where there's a will, I'm confident there's a way... I suppose it wouldn't be very sporting but the advantage would be undeniable."

"I can't see it as being a reasonable step in any case," Shou said, still not liking the fact that there were few answers. That dislike was only a small murmur in the back of his mind, but combined with the sheer stubbornness of his former self and the Other self, it was enough to make him a little irritable.

And then there was the fact that he should be sleeping right now. With the sun high over head was something he could ignore, the changes that came with becoming a vampire also included a kind of lethargy in sunlight. It was like running on an hour's worth of sleep on top of having a hang-over. He could do it, but it doesn't mean he would be pleasant about it.

"Those things can be damaged by normal means, but it takes a lot of fire power that could also rebound onto innocent people, and we're not infinite in strength or numbers in order to make simultaneous strikes."

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Let us talk

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apologies, missed this!

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