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[shawt]

SAMEEN@TORNA.ORG

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[shawt]

And I'd rather not have to shoot you.

[flawing]

Now you're trying to be sweet.

[ a breath. ]

Relax. I'm basically just -- local tech support.

[shawt]

[ a pause. ]

And the chip?

[flawing]

You know how I feel about surveillance.

[shawt]

I'll keep it in.

[ after a bit of hesitation. ]

As long as you don't keep checking in on me.

[flawing]

[ quiet. ]

You wouldn't want me to lie to you, Sameen.

[shawt]

[ the little silence is more telling than the rest of it.

she would roll her eyes if only it didn't make her headache worse, if only she didn't expect this kind of aftermath.

but root's fine -- and she's still alive, without a hole through her skull, brains splattered on the concrete. she's not asking for very much when she's fine with this kind of playing field, but it's a shame that these things don't last. ]

I'm fine.

[ it's a kind of sigh, an audible frown. ]

You, on the other hand.

[flawing]

I'm going to assume that was the local idea of an initiation.

[ light again, deliberately so. ]

I'm not sure how happy they'll be with the results, if they brought me in to play brute force.

[shawt]

You said you were tech.

[ it translates rather short, almost snappish. ]

[flawing]

It's what I've been doing. That wasn't part of the routine.

[shawt]

. . . Can't you tell them that wasn't in the job description?

[flawing]

What did they tell you before you came?

[shawt]

Shouldn't they give you a gun if you're sent to do the dirty work.

[flawing]

[





oh. ]

Don't tell me they didn't let you carry your equipment on board. As I remember, you get pretty attached.

[shawt]

Gave me poison and a pistol and called it good.

[ dry. ]

Didn't even bother to stock my fridge.

[flawing]

[ . . .

a terribly thoughtful noise. ]

I guess that's one way to keep you from getting out of hand.

[shawt]

[ with insult: ]

I behave.

[flawing]

It doesn't count if you only keep the handcuffs on while people are still around.

[shawt]

[ a breath. ]

Aren't they just for show these days?

[flawing]

Well, I haven't seen them recently. . .

[shawt]

. . .

Don't get any ideas.

[flawing]

You did mention that they didn't exactly equip you for the job.

[shawt]

Unfortunately the police here aren't well equipped either, if they haven't crashed the party yet.

[flawing]

You know how it is. . . where there's humanity, there's crime. You can't blame a police force for not controlling all base instincts.

[shawt]

I can't, but I can envy their stockpile.