apocalypsehowcomm | Event

Dogged

The message goes out to everyone on ADI's network. It seems to be something captured live. It's Pam Ruan, head of HR who holds a prosthetic finger up to her lips before whispering, "Everyone's pushing for transparency right now, right? Figuring out where threats are coming from and sharing. I think that should come at all levels. Let's see what Nia's talking about with Mr. Zyrian Steel, hmm?"

The camera flips around as Pam clearly creeps closer to an office door. There are muffled voices, and Pam sets the phone face up before using one hand to shove the thing under the door. The video shows a sliding picture of the office's bland ceiling for a moment before coming to a stop. The voices become much clearer.

"-down in Wolf Trap," a masculine voice is saying. Presumably, Zyrian Steel. "There's just no need for that."

"Zyrian, this ain't a negotiation." Nia Lehrer's voice is familiar to most people working at ADI at this point. They've likely heard her speak in some pre-recorded training videos at the bare minimum. Nia's tone is no nonsense and clearly on the edge of snapping in frustration. "You're not hiring us. I'm sending my people down to Wolf Trap next month. We've got evidence of those signalhead things being on the march, one down that way, your kick off for New Horizons in the park, and evidence out of there about the Lullaby Girl from some of my people."

There is silence.

"You remember her? Ava? Or Amber, it seems like. She's the one you gave us those Lucidio masks to help train our people against. Frankly, I'd be surprised if you don't remember her, Mr. S." Another drawn out pause. "You ain't been straight with me for a long time. You ain't been straight with ADI since Tawnya was Warden. You tell me you need us in Buffalo, payback for helping in Wolf Pen and Cortana and the mobile med units, and not only do half the staff come back with crab claws and whiskers, but I find out you're using us for business politics." There's venom in her tone. "Or were you just going to stay quiet about Etcher's enterprises competing with your own software companies? ADI is not your personal attack dog. You are our client. And I thought my friend. But I'm about 30 seconds away from firing you from both."

Further silence, then a heavy sigh. "And I was going to offer to send you and your staff on such a nice retreat." There's the sound of a chair being pushed back. "Warden, I think you misunderstand the nature of our relationship. You are the dogs. I am the master. I hold your leash. Or have you forgotten just how much technology I've donated to ADI over the years, how many of your systems run on things I built? We've had a mutually beneficial relationship up until now- Well… you and I have. Tawnya got to be a problem before the end, too. But I made sure that was taken care of."

"You self-aggrandizing son of a-"

"You're a much more practical woman than she ever was, even with those shiny ideals you hold so dear. You'll compromise for the greater good, to protect what's yours. Such a good Warden, looking out for her charges."

"What are you talking about? And get your hands the hell off my desk."

"Haven't you ever wondered about the title? Warden. Odd name for a leader of any organization, even one like yours. But maybe not so odd when you consider your more eldritch masters." A scoff. "The Hunt always does pick out the most oblivious avatars, doesn't it? What does a Warden do?" A beat. "She controls the monsters, Nia. Sniffs them out and contains them. And she goes after the poachers coming after her prey. Tell me, have you ever noticed how you're always picking up on threats far afield with uncanny precision. It's been getting stronger, hasn't it? Tawnya was the same way. As was her predecessor, I imagine."

"That's not- I wouldn't ever…"

"Wouldn't you, though? Every time you sent your own dogs after a threat, reveled in it, you were being such a good Warden, instilling terror in the hearts of your enemies, ADI's enemies. So many cults know who and what you are and they fear it. Fear the Warden of ADI, famed avatar of the Hunt. Even now, I know you've compromised yourself. Have you considered what that's done to you? You let that Visionary kid stay alive. I rather think that might have been the start of your slide, hmm? Making exceptions, just this once.

"Now," he continues, voice growing louder and footsteps starting toward the phone, "I realize this is a lot to take in, to think about. Why don't you do that self-reflection while I attend to other matters? You are doing good work, puppy. I need a dependable pet to take care of all those nasty pests who keep trying rituals. But no need to worry about the New Horizons launch, really. I'll just-" Zyrian pauses and everyone will have a view of a middle-aged caucasian man with dark, slightly graying hair and a beard. He's wearing khakis and a Hawaiian shirt, and he's looking down at Pam's phone.

"Well… fuck." He stomps a heeled shoe on it and the transmission ends abruptly.

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Nia continues to hold him, silent and glaring for several seconds. Then, she lets go and steps back, but she keeps hold of her knife. "Web?" It's definitely a question, but there's some disdain in her tone, as well.

Oh, thank goodness, he gets to be Down now- though he does make a little bit of a face when even she makes the assumption. Ugh, Annabelle.

"N-No, actually, though I've been told they were... interested. Among other people." He rubs the back of his neck just for something to do with his hands. "It was, uhm. The Lonely, actually."

Another pause. "I can see it. So, what? You're Entity catnip?" There's clear skepticism in her tone.

Well that just gets a sigh. "Unfortunately. I think. I didn't-- I don't know, it wasn't on purpose, I suppose I just wasn't very scared of them after a certain point? It's-- it's a long story."

He's eagar to get the topic off him, so he's going to keep going with the conversation and hope she follows. "If it helps, we've-- you've been doing a really good job. So far. With all the stopping stuff, it's-- it is helping."

"Hmm..." Skepticism turns once more to suspicion, but she relents after a moment. "Doesn't feel like it some days. Not when you find out you're one of them." Nia shakes her head and finally sheaths her knife. For now. "So, you've got experience. Fine. I can use that.

"When you say it's helping, how do you mean? From the sound of it, your world ain't in a great place."

Okay, this is going WAY better now. He breathes a sigh of relief to be able to answer questions under less duress.

"So-- So in my world, the Entities won. They got into our world and, and totally took it over. It was-- someone created a ritual that invoked every Entity, and that's how it worked. They can't come in one by one. Someone, someone has to do a ritual for all of them or it won't work. So stopping them here, especially since-- especially since they seem to be working together? More? Is, is really good, actually."

She gives him a long look. "So, what? Rituals with just one, even if no one stops them, they just don't work?" Her tone says 'tread lightly.'

"In... well, f-from what I heard in my world. I'm not the one who did it, but the logic held." Gertrude was wild as hell, but it still hurts to know what happened with the Stranger- that Tim didn't have to die, and he swallows those feelings down as best he can for right now.

"Nothing happened until one person was used to do a ritual- one that had been affected by every Entity. Which, which is why I'm getting kind of worried about here and now, because I think a lot of people at ADI are p-probably reaching that mark? Uhm, myself included."

Nia's brows knit together. "So, what happened in Wolf Pen... We could've just left that and nothing would have-" She cuts off, lips tightening. "No. They would've still tried their ritual, wouldn't they? All those people would've been murdered for less than nothing."

He nods. "I don't think this is something that's well known, or well, y-you know, no one would be trying regular rituals. But those people, they-- they still would have been hurt. Could have, uhm, d-died. So it wasn't, uhm, t-totally useless."

This is getting rough, and he can tell Nia is reckoning with it all, so Martin tries to give a sympathetic smile. "I still think you've helped a lot of people. And that ritual, it-- it was more than one, right? Desolation and Buried? So something... something could have happened. It was better we were there."

"Desolation, Buried, and Dark. It's the first time we've seen them working together like that." A small shake of her head. "I can't- Fuck. Just... fuck." She doesn't quite deflate, but she seems like she would if there weren't still so much to do.

"I don't have the time for an existential crisis. I still mean to stop Zyrian doing whatever he's trying to do. Even if it wouldn't succeed on it's own. It's still putting too many people in danger."

Ah hell, of course it was. Maybe they're learning. Maybe it works differently here. It makes Martin wish double that Jon was around, that someone smarter than him would just do something right for once. Really, it makes him wish he went to uni. Maybe Uni Martin could have done something about this.

"No I, I agree, but-- we can help. You don't need to do this on your own, and-- I think it would be better if we did. For you and, and for everyone."

"I'm not planning on doing it alone. So, you wanna help right now? Either get to hunting down artifacts and putting them back in their boxes, or keep folks who can't help with that out of here and safe. That's my number one priority today. We need to make our home base safe again."

Martin immediately thinks of all of the ways in which this place will never be safe, and wrestles himself out of saying any of them. "Right, I-- I can do that. And, and I'm keeping an eye on Elias, too, so he doesn't do anything creepy. Or... creepier than he already is. Sorry about that."

"I can deal with an Oculus bastard." Her gaze narrows. "And if he keeps trying his little bullshit tricks, I'll take out those eyes he's so proud of. Good luck."

So saying, she gives him a curt nod and moves to head out.

Edited 2023-08-29 01:05 (UTC)

Oh, many have tried Nia, but Martin would pay money to see it anyway. That said, he nods a little abruptly, unsure of what else to do. Does he salute or something? No, that would be stupid. He'll just settle for the nod and call out to her as she leaves.

"Er-- right-- good luck to you, too!"

Event - Dogged

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cw: mention of violence/injury/removal of eyes

get em nia, anyway, wrapped i think!