The Last Heir of Omelas

[dignity_kept]

1 - [Near the containment block, open to anyone]

[So the creature that is probably Kagura has been feeling a lot better with the passage of time. It went from having trouble speaking to visibly burning with strength and floating around its cell. That said, it seems to spend most of its time either sitting in open space thinking, or manipulating the strange currents of energy and matter it can create, apparently for practice.

But seeing how it's been fairly peaceful, and how it seems that it's not radioactive unless it specifically wants to to be, the creature has been allowed out of its containment cell for a bit.]

Conditional already. I didn't expect to be getting points for good behaviour as a hazardous material.

[The multilayered, echoing female voices sound a lot healthier than Kagura ever did as it floats across the corridor. The vaguely sardonic, thoughtful tone, on the other hand, is rather more Kagura. Want to run into her in her first day out of the clink?]

2 - [Dusty area outside Alhambra, please only people with at least a little positive CR]

[Kagura is some distance away, floating in midair, very still. It's a bit hard to discern features in a face made out of fire and light, but the dull glow betrays a contemplative mood. She seems to be trying to remember something, and the voices mutter to itself - it's a rather unnerving effect, really, since it's hard to place where any of them is coming from]

"Great tree. Please protect us. And lead us in the future that we have not seen yet.
The world does not move. It moves only inside you..."
Is that the "HellSinker"? What did you want me to see?

[And that's when she notices you coming, and the head turns. She makes a quick greeting gesture with one hand, and the dim glow regains some strength as her inwards concentration diminishes, and floats down to meet you.]

3 - [For the NPC commanders]

[Well, it was inevitable. Finally a GRAVEYARD representative is here, with the intention of picking up the Apostle armor and its occupant. It appears to be a man in an officer jacket and five Executors with their Mistletoes as guard detail. He's asking (decently politely) to be allowed to meet with the suspected PRAYER as well as with the commanders of Unity, because GRAVEYARD would like to recover Kagura and make sure she's safe - and learn whatever she's learned.

So now he's at the door, waiting to be received.]

Comments

[srwu_mods]

"Welcome, welcome!" Commander Huffman greets the Executors with an exaggerated theatric bow.

"Certainly, records pertaining to the operation will be available to you. Unity Group has nothing to hide, PRAYERs are after all your specialty, aren't they? As for Major Kagura..."

"Well, let's see what she has to say herself, hmm?"

1

[actuallyselfish]

"Hey, Kagura!" Dido rushes up with a cheery grin, and quickly scans Kagura's readings with geiger counter/electrometer. "How's having a vocal range treating you?"

Re: 1

[dignity_kept]

[There's a momentary crackle in the air at the yell of "Kagura" as the thing's head slowly turns towards Dido. But it doesn't say anything. Instead it answers calmly with its strange, multiple voice]

If you take a minute to think where I've spent the last week, Sybil, you can probably ferret out the answer to that question yourself. A voice is not much use when you're in an isolation cell.

[dignity_kept]

[Lieutenant Kato returns the bow rather more stiffly. On the following, though, he can't completely mask an expression of distaste]

"Only "Kagura" now, ma'am. She is no longer a Major. No matter how much favoritism she enjoyed, she couldn't be allowed to keep command after having been influenced and subverted by the PRAYER".

The man then grows a bit colder. "And I don't really need to know what she says, ma'am. If you want to consider her a thing, she's property of my organization. If you want to consider her a "person", she went against orders and became subverted by the enemy and needs to be put on trial. Either way, I must take her into my custody.

To be honest, I had expected you would be quite happy to get rid of her."

[srwu_mods]

"Subverted by the enemy? Well, isn't that harsh. Anyway let's give her a chance to speak up for herself, hmm?"

Huffman picks up a communicator.

"Hello, Salomon speaking. Kagura, are you there? There are some nice people from Graveyard here to pick you up and put you on trial. What do you have to say to them?"

[dignity_kept]

[The man simply stays put, but from the slight I-am-tasting-lemon face you can tell that he looks forward to talking to Kagura about as much as one would look foorward to a kick in the teeth. There seems to be some personal dislike there]

[On the communicator, the manyfold voice pops - it crackles a little with interference, since Kagura's new form speaks weird, but it can be more or less understood]

That it took longer than expected. Be there in two minutes, Commander.

[The lieutenant definitely had a rather venomous expression for an instant there, even if he controlled it again. Yeah, definitely personal dislike going on here.]

[srwu_mods]

"She'll be right here. Don't worry, despite her unusual appearance our teams made extra sure Major Kagura is not radioactive or otherwise dangerous... unless angry, that is."

"Why not move to a more fitting location for this kind of encounter? It's preferable to standing around the entrance, hmm?"

With Huffman's lead to a meeting room, all that is left to do is wait for Kagura to actually make it on the scene.

[dignity_kept]

"You'll understand if I insist on keeping some bodyguards around. Kagura was already violent before whatever it is she got done to herself" the man says, and so the five Executors follow as you head into a room.

On the way, though, one of them discreetly passes the Commander an envelope. It seems closed really quickly and haphazardly, and inside is just a quickly hand-scrawled note that someone must have put together in thirty seconds of hurry: "IMPORTANT Kato just figurehead, DON'T let Kagura lose her temper! Please! - Suzu".

...A task that might prove a bit harder than expected, though, because when what is probably almost completely Kagura finally appears and comes in, the moment she sees the officer, the fire surrounding her grows much more intense, and she advances with an aggressive stance as all the Executors close ranks]

Kato?! What the hell are you doing here?! [The resonating voices fill the room as Kagura echoes, angrily. Yeah, there seems to be history here. And little of it good]

Re: 1

[actuallyselfish]

"Ah," Dido says, wilting. "Sorry, ma'am."

She busies herself with scanner readings. Then she jerks up as she remembers something.

"This belongs to you," she says, reaching into her coverall and unbuckling the concealed carry sidearm given to her by your last testament. She check's the firearm's slide and safety, then holds it out butt-first. "Thank you for letting me carry it, Major."

Re: 1

[dignity_kept]

I'm not an officer anymore, Sybil. I better get used to it.

And keep it. If I start having to take back everything I'd never be done.

[srwu_mods]

"So you know each other? Well well, that saves us the time on introductions. But give our guests some room, they're here only to ask us a few questions."

"For example: what have you to say about what happened in the underwater dome? And try not to burn the furniture if you please, hmm?"

2

[pulledplug]

[No offense Kagura, but floating in midair like that really makes you stick out. More than you might normally.]

You say something about a sink?

[dignity_kept]

[Kagura stops advancing at Huffmann's words, but the flames do not diminish in the slighterst. She looks about ready to pounce. All the Executors are on high alert and visibly tense. But she stays still.]
"Please don't misrepresent my intentions, Commander Huffmann. I'm not here just for questioning. I'm here to recall Kagura. The questioning is a side effect" [The lieutenant speaks coldly, and leaves "Major" out of the address so pointedly you can practically hear the empty space]
Recall me? I'm a lawful prisoner here. And I'm not a GRAVEYARD Major anymore, remember? You can't order me to pass the salt, Kato. [The echoing voices are outright venomous]

[srwu_mods]

"I'd say the situation is quite simple." Huffman turns towards Kagura.

"Do you want to go with these gentlemen?"

[dignity_kept]

Something like that.

Rather above your thinking paygrade, Garnette.

[pulledplug]

Well excuse me for being a bit late to the "actually getting to go to bed with a full stomach and getting proper education to learn about all the crazy stuff in the world" club. Sticking around boss man did quite a lot to let me catch up though.

And fine, you wanna be proper? Hellsinker.

Where'd you hear the rest of that fancy poetry from though?

[dignity_kept]

Millenia ago, in a city that could not have existed.

[dignity_kept]

"You'd commit a crime to help her?" [Kato answers first, sounding rather incredulous. I mean, who would actually defend Kagura] "I must remind you, Commander, that GRAVEYARD's purview given by the UN is the study and elimination of PRAYERs, including the right to repossess any retrieved PRAYER technology deemed unsafe - which is all of it because they're PRAYER, they are never safe. You could be accused of several charges if you don't surrender that armor she came in - armor which, I remind you, she tried to kill your men in. I'm begging you, Commander, please be reasonable.

And as for the... subject itself" [The lieutenant turns his head towards the form of Kagura, and the bitterness becomes practically palpable] "I am not interested in her opinion. Too much listening to this jumped-up experiment has already been done, and look where it led."
"Uh, sir...?" [The Executors around Kato don't look happy about the idea of a venom-filled rant right now, and the woman leading the group interjects slightly in a "sir-please-stop-antagonizing-the-creature-that-can-microwave-oven-the-room" voice. Kato just ignores it and continues, though, too caught up in years of pent-up bile at the AI that, in his eyes, cost him his own rank]
"That's what you never got. You are not a "lawful prisoner". You were not a real officer. You were an experiment using technicalities to get your way over your betters, and now the new toy shine is over and finally the admirals are going to treat you like what you are, you egocentric jumped up creature-"
You call me out?! [Kato doesn't get to finish the sentence. The voices come like a hammer, nearly bowling him over] YOU?! Do you even remember, you self-aggrandizing, pompous, MURDERING SON OF A-

[Oooookay, yeah, that made Kagura angry. Pressure erupts from her, forcing everyone in their room to drive their heels or get thrown into the walls as she floats higher and opens her arms in an obvious prelude to attack. The Executors get ready to rumble, SEAL fields turning on. This thing ain't ending well.]

[pulledplug]

But you're... you were a fairy. And now you're like some sort of... Wilhelmina-'O-The-Wisp!

You should be like the last person here to say something can't exist!

[dignity_kept]

You do realize I can fry you with a thought right now. [The resonating, echoing voices don't sound angry, though. More deadpan than anything. Kagura does not find the Wilhelmina of the wisp thing humorous]

And Mistletoes are well documented. On the other hand, tell me this.

If I told you of a great city with incredible technology that existed before any of our assumptions place humanity discovering about fire. Where everyone was happy. Where every wish was granted. Where even the laws of causality and fate were servants of the great tree guardian that kept the utopia going.

Does that sound to you like a thing that was real, or like a two-bit fantasy novel, Garnett?

[srwu_mods]

"Ha ha. Ha ha ha!"

And while everyone is preparing their arms, Huffman just... laughs.

"Crime? Charges? Are you trying to threaten me, Lieutenant? Are you entering my own home to threaten me, hmm?" He shakes his head, faking a disappointed look.

"GRAVEYARD has jurisdiction and priviledges, but it so happens that Unity Group has its own as well. What happened in the dome was an official Unity Group operation, and everything related to it - including the aftermath, falls under our purview. We may choose to cooperate with outside forces, for example Executors."

"Choose is the keyword here. And it looks like Kagura does not want to come with you Lieutenant, so I must ask you to leave with your hands empty, hmm? A member of Unity Group won't be extradited to another organisation without agreement of its command staff, which at the moment is yours truly. And I refuse. Better luck next time!"

"Yes, a member of Unity Group. Kagura just so happens to be one, which she will prove..." A glance in direction of the burning humanoid.

"By listening to a superior officer, one Salomon Huffman, and standing down. Right now. And then everyone else will say their good-byes, because this meeting is over."

"Aren't I right?"

[pulledplug]

Well now I do. Not gonna make me take anything back though.

But that city...

[He paces around Kagura, shrugging.]

Who says there couldn't be? You guys had to deal with crazy dinosaur people and dinosaurs came from way before even that...

Yeah I'm no history dude, but you gotta roll with the punches so yeah, I'll buy it. And that sounds a hell of a lot better than some fantasy books I picked out of bookstore dumpsters when I was on the street.

[dignity_kept]

Stand down?! Do you have any idea who this incompetent little piece of piss is?! I'd be doing the organization AND the world a favor!
[Kagura does not attack, though. She's stopped in her tracks. But she does not come down. Lightning still crackles around the walls, and she's tense - just barely restrained. After this, Kagura is probably going to need to pay for a replacement for several expensive things in this room...]
"What, you made her an official member of Unity Group? Since when? She is GRAVEYARD property! Are you going to go around scrounging for any Adeles the ESUN forces forget to put an alarm on, too?" [Well, he does have a bit of a point there. As far as anyone knows, legally, this is probably kind of theft. On the other hand, to some people, Kato's constipated expression right now is probably worth the legal hassle.

(The Executors, on the other hand, are looking at each other for support on whether bonking their superior officer on the head so he stops trying to commit suicide would be a valid course of action)]

[dignity_kept]

Utopia itself is an impossible concept, even before you start with everything else.

And yet, I know it was there. I remember being there because she was there. Most of it is fuzzy, but I can still walk some of its streets in my head.

Do you have any idea how maddeningly confusing this is?

[srwu_mods]

"Adeles, hmm? I'll have to remember that one! After all, one of ours came up with their design... but there's a difference. Kagura is not just equipment. She is sapient and a person from where we stand. People are not property, that'd be a little thing I like to call 'slavery'. Please, file an official complaint if you disagree with this judgement."

"And quite a feisty person to that. But you see..." Huffman now turns to Kagura, giving her full attention.
"I don't know how things are run in the GRAVEYARD, but this is Unity Group. In Unity Group, we do not attack guests. In Unity Group, we follow the rules and do what we're told by the superiors."