Assignment Briefing
((Alternate viewpoint here.))
Niss was starting to run out of preamble, which was unusual for her. She’d been doing most of the talking for about ten minutes now, all about the brief she’d been given, the Nexus, and how it was convenient that they’d been assigned together on this. But the Controller opposite her had been nearly silent for a while, and there was only so much even Niss could do with that.
Actually, the courier was staring as if she couldn’t understand why Niss was in front of her. Niss relaxed into her chair and met that gaze, because she could. Telrim could stare, but she was no threat.
“I could understand if you hold a grudge against me,” she said. When they’d met the first time it had ended with the death of the Controller they’d been trying to find. It was her mistake that had gotten him into that position, Niss supposed, but Telrim had pulled the trigger on him.
Maybe that made it worse. She should think about that
Telrim started. “I don’t-“
“Our last meeting wasn’t in good circumstances at all. Probably the only way they could have been worse is if I’d been threatening you, or turning traitor. Or if I had killed you, of course, but that would render this meeting-”
“Niss!” she burst in. “I don’t have a grudge!”
Niss blinked and considered her carefully. She doubted that was entirely true: some associations were hard to shake. And she didn’t think she’d drawn any gratitude for helping Telrim determine Asfil’s fate. It was important to keep track of these things, if you wanted to use them later.
“Oh,” she said. “Really? You just seem very unhappy. I mean, considering you’re getting proper reinforcement at last.” She leaned forward and made her voice encouraging. “Every scrap of information you fought to gather will be put to use, every danger you faced, you’ll share with others now. No more haphazard orders, no more risk of being trapped and alone... the Empire is finally coming to help, Telrim! Shouldn’t you be glad about that?”
“I am!” Telrim fumbled in the way of people who are trying not to say things. “I mean- of course that’s excellent news. And I’m thankful. But- I wonder why now, after all these months. We’re on the brink of one invasion - is this the time to be diverting forces to start another?”
“It’s a perfect time…” Niss said absently, flipping through to find those recommendations the courier had made.
“And why you?”
She looked up at that, and grimaced as she explained, “The time for propaganda on Earth is over. Or that’s what they tell me.” She shrugged. “It’s totally wrong, of course, but I can wait for everyone else to figure it out. And this Nexus holds so many opportunities: I’m not going to complain.”
“Still... by yourself? Pardon my ingratitude. But you’re hardly the full force of the Empire, Niss.”
‘The full force of the Empire’. Now there was a flexible concept. “You think so…? I wonder. The voice of the Empire - its speech, its will, its thoughts - that’s something, isn’t it? Infiltration is one of our defining abilities, after all. Our very ability to extend our reach, our influence to places beyond comprehension, that’s almost a perfect expression of Yeerk power.
“There’ll be others, anyway. You’ll meet them eventually. I’m just to lay the groundwork - at least at first. Clear the way, make arrangements, supply strategic information- you know the kind of thing. You were a scout once.” She’d remembered things.
“Strategic information?” That was… a surprise to Telrim. A little disappointing - Niss thought she knew better by now - but kind of good, as well. “You?”
She rolled her eyes comically. Why did people think ‘silly’ was useless? She couldn’t remember. “Yes,” she said patiently. “Maybe not the way you understand it - not a way anyone else seems to understand it, around here - but I know something about strategy just the same. I’ve reviewed your memory dumps-”
“What? All of them?” Telrim sat up much straighter at that.
“Every detail,” she said easily. She was good at handling information.
“How long has this been going on?” She was studying Niss’s face the way people did when they were trying to work out your real reaction. Niss was used to that. People just weren’t usually so nervous about it. But Telrim didn’t seem to realise she was doing it - it wasn’t something she’d normally let herself do, somewhere formal like this. So Niss didn’t let her know what she’d thought.
Instead she said mildly, “Oh, weeks and weeks and some again. I kept losing track of time. You know what it’s like, when you’re neck-deep in other memories. You see though, you needn’t worry. We’re not rushing into this. And you really need someone along who’s good at handling information - and people. Yes, people. That’s what we need for a true foothold.”
She pulled out the orders she’d been given to pass on and laid them in front of Telrim. “So I talked to the visser, and here are your new orders, just to start with.”
Telrim picked the orders up; Niss watched her read them. Watched the little signs of discontent. The hard, sharp stare, the trace of alarm in her eyes…
“Less contacts, more hardware.” Telrim acted as if it was a joke, but there was incredulity in her voice and the twist of her mouth. Not amusement. “Should I introduce myself as a mercenary now?”
“If it’s up to me, you can use any cover story you like.” Niss smiled at her, rather hoping she would. It’d make the reports so much more interesting. Oh, but business, first. She set it out simply. “We both know what we’re good at, Telrim. You stick to the technology. I’ll take care of the people.”
Telrim nodded and went back to reading. “Honestly, Niss... better you than me.”
Niss chuckled softly over her papers, and silently agreed.
Niss was starting to run out of preamble, which was unusual for her. She’d been doing most of the talking for about ten minutes now, all about the brief she’d been given, the Nexus, and how it was convenient that they’d been assigned together on this. But the Controller opposite her had been nearly silent for a while, and there was only so much even Niss could do with that.
Actually, the courier was staring as if she couldn’t understand why Niss was in front of her. Niss relaxed into her chair and met that gaze, because she could. Telrim could stare, but she was no threat.
“I could understand if you hold a grudge against me,” she said. When they’d met the first time it had ended with the death of the Controller they’d been trying to find. It was her mistake that had gotten him into that position, Niss supposed, but Telrim had pulled the trigger on him.
Maybe that made it worse. She should think about that
Telrim started. “I don’t-“
“Our last meeting wasn’t in good circumstances at all. Probably the only way they could have been worse is if I’d been threatening you, or turning traitor. Or if I had killed you, of course, but that would render this meeting-”
“Niss!” she burst in. “I don’t have a grudge!”
Niss blinked and considered her carefully. She doubted that was entirely true: some associations were hard to shake. And she didn’t think she’d drawn any gratitude for helping Telrim determine Asfil’s fate. It was important to keep track of these things, if you wanted to use them later.
“Oh,” she said. “Really? You just seem very unhappy. I mean, considering you’re getting proper reinforcement at last.” She leaned forward and made her voice encouraging. “Every scrap of information you fought to gather will be put to use, every danger you faced, you’ll share with others now. No more haphazard orders, no more risk of being trapped and alone... the Empire is finally coming to help, Telrim! Shouldn’t you be glad about that?”
“I am!” Telrim fumbled in the way of people who are trying not to say things. “I mean- of course that’s excellent news. And I’m thankful. But- I wonder why now, after all these months. We’re on the brink of one invasion - is this the time to be diverting forces to start another?”
“It’s a perfect time…” Niss said absently, flipping through to find those recommendations the courier had made.
“And why you?”
She looked up at that, and grimaced as she explained, “The time for propaganda on Earth is over. Or that’s what they tell me.” She shrugged. “It’s totally wrong, of course, but I can wait for everyone else to figure it out. And this Nexus holds so many opportunities: I’m not going to complain.”
“Still... by yourself? Pardon my ingratitude. But you’re hardly the full force of the Empire, Niss.”
‘The full force of the Empire’. Now there was a flexible concept. “You think so…? I wonder. The voice of the Empire - its speech, its will, its thoughts - that’s something, isn’t it? Infiltration is one of our defining abilities, after all. Our very ability to extend our reach, our influence to places beyond comprehension, that’s almost a perfect expression of Yeerk power.
“There’ll be others, anyway. You’ll meet them eventually. I’m just to lay the groundwork - at least at first. Clear the way, make arrangements, supply strategic information- you know the kind of thing. You were a scout once.” She’d remembered things.
“Strategic information?” That was… a surprise to Telrim. A little disappointing - Niss thought she knew better by now - but kind of good, as well. “You?”
She rolled her eyes comically. Why did people think ‘silly’ was useless? She couldn’t remember. “Yes,” she said patiently. “Maybe not the way you understand it - not a way anyone else seems to understand it, around here - but I know something about strategy just the same. I’ve reviewed your memory dumps-”
“What? All of them?” Telrim sat up much straighter at that.
“Every detail,” she said easily. She was good at handling information.
“How long has this been going on?” She was studying Niss’s face the way people did when they were trying to work out your real reaction. Niss was used to that. People just weren’t usually so nervous about it. But Telrim didn’t seem to realise she was doing it - it wasn’t something she’d normally let herself do, somewhere formal like this. So Niss didn’t let her know what she’d thought.
Instead she said mildly, “Oh, weeks and weeks and some again. I kept losing track of time. You know what it’s like, when you’re neck-deep in other memories. You see though, you needn’t worry. We’re not rushing into this. And you really need someone along who’s good at handling information - and people. Yes, people. That’s what we need for a true foothold.”
She pulled out the orders she’d been given to pass on and laid them in front of Telrim. “So I talked to the visser, and here are your new orders, just to start with.”
Telrim picked the orders up; Niss watched her read them. Watched the little signs of discontent. The hard, sharp stare, the trace of alarm in her eyes…
“Less contacts, more hardware.” Telrim acted as if it was a joke, but there was incredulity in her voice and the twist of her mouth. Not amusement. “Should I introduce myself as a mercenary now?”
“If it’s up to me, you can use any cover story you like.” Niss smiled at her, rather hoping she would. It’d make the reports so much more interesting. Oh, but business, first. She set it out simply. “We both know what we’re good at, Telrim. You stick to the technology. I’ll take care of the people.”
Telrim nodded and went back to reading. “Honestly, Niss... better you than me.”
Niss chuckled softly over her papers, and silently agreed.