New Orders
((Also available in Niss-o-vision.))
Telrim sat back in her chair and wondered how this had happened. It was two hours since the briefing with her superior and still she felt dazed. But then, she hadn’t expected to have her slow, gradual mission completely re-planned. Or to find herself reporting to the comms officer responsible for her student’s death.
Convenient, Niss was calling it. Telrim just found it… hard to process. Although, she remembered, confusion was what she’d felt most of that time after the comms officer had come out of the blue, asking for her help.
Help to find the friend she’d already lost.
“I could understand if you hold a grudge against me.”
She blinked. Niss was staring at her with an uncannily attentive gaze. She fumbled for a response, said, “I don’t-“
Niss was well ahead of her. “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! I don’t have a grudge!”
“Oh. Really? You just seem very unhappy. I mean, considering you’re getting proper reinforcement at last. 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?” She was totally earnest, irresistibly enthusiastic.
“I am! I mean- of course that’s excellent news. And I’m thankful.” Of course she was. But there was good for the Empire and g- pleasant for its soldiers. “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 half-sang it blithely, flipping over pages.
Telrim pressed on while she had a chance to interrupt. “And why you?”
Niss looked up at that, pulling a face. “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?” She hesitated. The communications officer still outranked her. She reined herself in. “Pardon my ingratitude. But you’re hardly the full force of the Empire, Niss.”
“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.”
Telrim ignored the detail drop. Of course Niss knew about her - she was a specialist officer: anything Telrim hadn’t actually told her the last time they met, she could easily access in the records.
“Strategic information?” she asked, trying not to sound too incredulous. It was just hard to imagine Niss focusing on anything but making up lies about a place. “You?”
The propagandist rolled her eyes exaggeratedly. “Yes. 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 didn’t know why that startled her. They were made, per regulations: therefore you could assume someone would see them. But when that someone was standing in front of you, it was suddenly... discomforting.
“Every detail!” Niss chirped. Chalk one up for suspicions of sadism.
“How long has this been going on?” She hadn’t done anything wrong, she was sure. Misguided or foolish, maybe. Shameful enough things in there. Uncomfortable enough to know someone had been scrutinising everything you did for the last year or more. Every little thing unconscious or impulsive or long-forgotten…
Niss didn’t appear to be enjoying it. Or, indeed, to notice. Telrim struggled to decide if this was better or worse. “Oh, weeks and weeks and some again,” she was saying. “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 seemed to be talking to herself again. Or an imaginary response from Telrim. Niss pulled out a slim paper report and slapped it down in front of her. “So I talked to the visser, and here are your new orders, just to start with.”
They’d told her she’d get new orders. Telrim skimmed the main points, went through the other pages, and back to the start. Simple enough, under the details. Maybe too simplistic. But that wasn’t her place to decide. She had to follow them first.
“Less contacts, more hardware.” She looked up, smiled thinly. “Should I introduce myself as a mercenary now?”
“If it’s up to me, you can use any cover story you like.” Niss flashed her a smile. The next moment she was a mask of calm indifference. “We both know what we’re good at, Telrim. You stick to the technology. I’ll take care of the people.”
Telrim gave an acknowledging nod and dropped her attention to her orders. Know them to the letter. “Honestly, Niss… better you than me.”
Telrim sat back in her chair and wondered how this had happened. It was two hours since the briefing with her superior and still she felt dazed. But then, she hadn’t expected to have her slow, gradual mission completely re-planned. Or to find herself reporting to the comms officer responsible for her student’s death.
Convenient, Niss was calling it. Telrim just found it… hard to process. Although, she remembered, confusion was what she’d felt most of that time after the comms officer had come out of the blue, asking for her help.
Help to find the friend she’d already lost.
“I could understand if you hold a grudge against me.”
She blinked. Niss was staring at her with an uncannily attentive gaze. She fumbled for a response, said, “I don’t-“
Niss was well ahead of her. “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! I don’t have a grudge!”
“Oh. Really? You just seem very unhappy. I mean, considering you’re getting proper reinforcement at last. 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?” She was totally earnest, irresistibly enthusiastic.
“I am! I mean- of course that’s excellent news. And I’m thankful.” Of course she was. But there was good for the Empire and g- pleasant for its soldiers. “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 half-sang it blithely, flipping over pages.
Telrim pressed on while she had a chance to interrupt. “And why you?”
Niss looked up at that, pulling a face. “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?” She hesitated. The communications officer still outranked her. She reined herself in. “Pardon my ingratitude. But you’re hardly the full force of the Empire, Niss.”
“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.”
Telrim ignored the detail drop. Of course Niss knew about her - she was a specialist officer: anything Telrim hadn’t actually told her the last time they met, she could easily access in the records.
“Strategic information?” she asked, trying not to sound too incredulous. It was just hard to imagine Niss focusing on anything but making up lies about a place. “You?”
The propagandist rolled her eyes exaggeratedly. “Yes. 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 didn’t know why that startled her. They were made, per regulations: therefore you could assume someone would see them. But when that someone was standing in front of you, it was suddenly... discomforting.
“Every detail!” Niss chirped. Chalk one up for suspicions of sadism.
“How long has this been going on?” She hadn’t done anything wrong, she was sure. Misguided or foolish, maybe. Shameful enough things in there. Uncomfortable enough to know someone had been scrutinising everything you did for the last year or more. Every little thing unconscious or impulsive or long-forgotten…
Niss didn’t appear to be enjoying it. Or, indeed, to notice. Telrim struggled to decide if this was better or worse. “Oh, weeks and weeks and some again,” she was saying. “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 seemed to be talking to herself again. Or an imaginary response from Telrim. Niss pulled out a slim paper report and slapped it down in front of her. “So I talked to the visser, and here are your new orders, just to start with.”
They’d told her she’d get new orders. Telrim skimmed the main points, went through the other pages, and back to the start. Simple enough, under the details. Maybe too simplistic. But that wasn’t her place to decide. She had to follow them first.
“Less contacts, more hardware.” She looked up, smiled thinly. “Should I introduce myself as a mercenary now?”
“If it’s up to me, you can use any cover story you like.” Niss flashed her a smile. The next moment she was a mask of calm indifference. “We both know what we’re good at, Telrim. You stick to the technology. I’ll take care of the people.”
Telrim gave an acknowledging nod and dropped her attention to her orders. Know them to the letter. “Honestly, Niss… better you than me.”