You head towards the Security Central.
Security Central
Unlike most of the rest of the complex, the security offices are designed for ease of use rather than aesthetics. Wood paneled walls and marble floors are not to be found here. Brushed steel and plate flooring take their place. The acoustics in this room are designed to muffle sound, so despite the metal flooring and the constant coming and going of security personnel, the area does not quite achieve a cacophonous state. A large bank of monitors takes up the bulk of the east wall. On each is displayed video from various security cameras as well as information garnered from customs and immigration. It is from here that security can keep an eye on most everything that happens in the Complex. There are always at least two uniformed guards on duty with nothing to do except watch the monitors. A broad desk is located near the entrance, with an officer present to handle queries.
Three arched doors lead from this area. One to the brig, one to private offices, and the third to the elevator lobby.
Contents:
Niko
Tally Board
Obvious exits:
Chief's Office Brig Elevator Lounge
Niko dances a cancan atop the dispatcher's desk? Nah. He works. Paperwork, that sort of thing, soda on the desk along with half a sandwich. "Morning," he calls absently.
Kyara waves, cheerfully enough despite just a tad less bounciness to her step than usual as he moves toward her desk. "Morning, Nick. Hey, I hate to ask, but would that physics help offer still be open, by any chance? I know you're awfully busy these days and all, and when you're not working you're trying to spend time with Ela, but..."
Niko considers that for a moment. "Uh... yeah, I guess. Though the wedding's going to be soon, and then I'm going to disappear for a while. Til then, though, sure."
Kyara looks over at you for a moment before starting to shuffle paperwork, a faintly guilty look flashing across her expression. "Oh, I hadn't thought of that. I'm sorry. Maybe I can plead with one of the local teachers for some assistance."
Niko shakes his head, looking up with a grin. "No, it's fine, I'm just thinking that it's not going to be all that consistent if I off and disappear for two weeks." He casts a glance towards Riley's office, then shakes his head, mumbling something more for two weeks.
Kyara smiles a little, gratefully. "Thank you. I do appreciate it, a lot. It's like... I'm reading the texts, and you know that feeling you get when you're trying to remember a name, and it's just on the tip of your tongue? It's sort of like that, the understanding." Her gaze follows yours, and she looks back to you curiously. "Is he overworking again?"
Niko nods his understanding to the first statement, then, after a brief pause, nods once more. "Of course he is. But, uh, he and I are going to work on some sort of scheduling thing when I get back." And yet, Niko looks a little sheepish at that.
Kyara's curiosity grows, and it shows. "That sounds like a good idea. You disagree?"
Niko shakes his head firmly at that. "Oh, no, I agree, definitely, very good idea. Just have to see if Clara agrees to his terms." And at that, his dark eyes hold a hint of amusement.
Kyara's eyes narrow slightly. "What are his terms?"
Niko grins at that. "Oh, it's not that big a deal. He just wants her to work a sane schedule, too. What with the new doctor, I think that should be okay. Y'know, all for one, one for all." Funny, there were three Muskateers.
Kyara chuckles, starting to type. "You're right, it's not that big a deal. And she, at least, should have an easier time easing off. She doesn't seem to overwork /quite/ as much as y'all do."
Niko lifts his shoulders in a brief shrug. "Yeah, but Clara works when she's supposed to be on med-leave.
Kyara's eyes widen at that. "You've got to be kidding. I mean, she'd be the last person I'd suspect of bucking that. Bad example and all..."
Niko shakes his head slowly back and forth. "Not even remotely kidding. Riley told me about it. And it -is- a bad example. Wish I'd known that earlier, though."
Kyara cocks her head. "Why?"
Niko grins crookedly. "Ammunition. Hey, if she's not playing by the rules, after all..."
Kyara snickers, shaking her head. "You're too nice to use it though. And it wouldn't stop her from sticking /you/ on medleave if you needed it, and getting loud if you worked anyhow."
Niko hmphs softly at the 'too nice' assessment, looking amused. "Hey, maybe I would. She was guilting me about Ela, after all."
Kyara's mouth quirks. "You've got a tangler. She's got guilt trips. It's fair, all the way around."
Niko lifts his head to stare at you. "Are you kidding? I wouldn't tangle -Clara-. Not intentionally, at least. I'm not even remotely that stupid."
Riley arrives from the Second Floor Elevator Lounge.
Riley has arrived.
Kyara gestures slightly. "I wasn't suggesting you would. I'm just saying everybody's got their own weapons. It was an analogy. Morning, Chief. Er, afternoon."
Niko still looks just a bit startled as he lifts a hand to Riley. "Hiya, boss. And there's a difference between having 'em and using 'em, Kya. I'd... well, I can't think of a situation where I'd do that."
"Afternoon," Riley ambles in, going to rummage in the pile of messages. "Weapons? Do what?" Yeah, so he's nosy.
Kyara answers Riley blithely, "Tangle Clara. Okay, maybe true, Nick... Okay, I can't think of a better analogy. Guess you're right." She grins. "Clara's got ya outgunned."
Niko mumbles something about not wanting to be turned into a pretzel, adding, "What she said, Riley."
Riley stifles a quiet laugh, settling onto the edge of Anya's desk. Anya's not there, he can get away with it. "I'd probably take exception if you did. But then, it didn't do -me- any real harm in the long run. Maybe you should shoot everybody Nick, kind of an experience not to be missed." He pauses a beat, "I uh, discussed the agreement with her last night."
Niko shakes his head firmly at the suggestion that he shoot everybody. "Think I'll pass on that--oh, yeah? What'd she say, will she do it? She doesn't really have an excuse any more, what with that new doctor and all. Whatsername, Foster?"
Riley kicks his feet lightly, nodding although he looks perhaps a bit chagrined. "She said she'd do it, although she was really unthrilled about the idea."
Kyara glances toward Riley with a quiet laugh. "She could hardly object, considering how much she nags y'all to work less."
Niko gestures at Kyara, apparently to call attention to her words. "Exactly. If she's going to make us stick to a sane schedule, she should do the same. It's only fair." He pauses a beat. "Of course, now we have to -do- it..."
"Object she did however," Riley replies with a hint of exasperation. "You'd think I'd've said something terribly cruel from the way she reacted. Still, as long as she does it." He hmphs at Niko in wry amusement, "Twenty years of habit I have to break now, but if it means y'all'll behave..."
Kyara shakes her head, murmuring, "One week. One week and things'll be back to normal."
Niko shakes his head to Riley. "Hey, as long as you do it, too." He pauses to take a sip from his blue can, then inquires, "We've still got those two weeks after I get back, though, right?" He eyes Kyara, then chuckles. "Uh, maybe longer than that. I don't know what the General would do, but I'm really not itching to find out."
"That's the deadline, still, yeah. Although goodness knows we probably ought to start at least working towards that goal ahead of time. Dropping cold turkey...would be...." Riley shrugs, leafing through the messages. "Oh, and emergencies, -real- ones, don't get held against us."
Kyara grins over at Niko. "One week. Consider it a challenge." Now, considering what she thinks of Riley's 'crises', she's not even about to start on real emergencies, instead asking curiously, "Got that closet of paperwork cleaned out then, Chief?"
Niko nods to that. "That's good, very good. 'cause it's not like we'd stop in the middle of something like that because it was quitting time." He rolls his eyes at Kyara, but nods in response to her challenge.
"Um, no," Riley looks rather sheepish, "I haven't. And at this rate I never will. Ah well, there was hope for a while."
Kyara offers sympathetically, trying to sound cheerful, "Well, lock the closet door and maybe the papers'll go cannibalistic."
Niko says thoughtfully, "A bonfire would be nice, very therapeutic." But then he grins, with a slight shake of his head.
Riley laughs in decided amusement at Kyara's suggestion, "Now that would be nice. And then in review I could honestly say I hadn't done a thing to the poor papers." He grins at Niko, "As much as I'd love to, I'm far too attached to the nice bit in my review this year about being muchly improved as to paperwork timeliness."
Kyara snickers at Niko, looking rather pleased about the review bit. "See what having an XO will get you?"
Niko grins at the review bit as well, then shakes his head. "That's not my fault," he says, with a chuckle. "He's the one that did it." Getting to his feet, he adds, "Back in a bit, I'm going to go deal with those YG-47s, down in Customs."
"Of course it was much improved, but still an abysmal rating. Ah well, that's the trouble with working two jobs." Riley nods to Niko, waving lightly, "Have fun?"
Kyara gives Niko an amiable nod, gesturing toward Riley. "What he said."
Niko heads for the door, calling, "With YG-47s? Who -couldn't- have fun with those? It's a dream come -true-!" With a muffled snicker, he heads out the exit.
Niko heads towards the Second Floor Elevator Lounge.
Niko has left.
Riley stifles a quiet laugh, shaking his head. "Lunatic."
Kyara glances after Niko in fond amusement. "It's required, I'm told. We're all lunatics."
Riley nods to that, tugging his feet up to perch cross-legged on the edge of Anya's desk. He is so dead. "So how's life, Kya?"
Kyara reaches into a desk drawer, pulling out a camera. *click* Did Riley dodge that one fast enough? "Hectic. This stuff," she gestures to the paperwork, "Is easy going now. Most of my off hours I spend studying, like you said. But I'm sleeping. Really."
Riley didn't even bother to try, he's tired, he wants to sit here. He'll just take his beating later. "I think we may have to bring you into this twelve hour game to boot. Mix yours work and studying though."
Kyara tucks the camera away- that one's for her personal collection. "Hmmm? Twelve hour game? Sounds scary. Do tell." Funny, she looks more amused than 'scared'.
"No working over twelve hours a day, only six days a week. Yeah, in fact I think'd be quite theraputic to make you suffer along with the rest of us." See, taking pictures of Riley is dangerous.
Kyara's nose wrinkles. "Sixteen," she counters.
"Twelve," Riley states, grinning but not about to give in. "This way you can't laugh at the rest of us suffering. If the -rest- of us can do it, you can too."
Kyara sighs lightly, not looking particularly upset. "You won't be suffering. It'll be good for you. And I need the extra hours to study. Deadline and all."
"Then work less," Riley counters, elbows on knees. "I can cut it out altogether if need be. Sorry Kya, that excuse won't hold water."
Kyara frowns slightly, finally shaking her head. "Wouldn't be right. I'll study less. Just faster."
Riley rolls his eyes at that, "Kyara, c'mon, don't be a giblet. I mean honestly, if Nick and I are cut to twelve hours there's no hope we'll ever catch up on paperwork in my lifetime, so what's being lost out on by you working fewer hours?"
"My self-respect," Kya answers steadily. "I didn't join up just to take the first excuse that came along to decrease my workload, you know. What's a giblet?""
"Part of the mystery surprise package that comes in a turkey or a chicken," Riley answers almost offhandedly, "Your pride you mean, what you're really saying is you don't want to eb brought down to the level the rest of us are being dragged down to. I've had this job seven years, and I like to think I'd be at least somewhat tricky to replace, but they're making me lower -my- workload. What makes you any better than me, that your pride is incapable of withstanding such a blow?"
Kyara snorts, no longer amused. "I don't, and it's not pride. Believe me, I'd happily give up all this," Again she gestures toward the paperwork, "To spend more time studying. Paperwork is boring. Studying is a challenge. I'll tell you what though- most days I get the sheaf done before my eight hours is up, but I stick around anyhow. I can, however, cut out then instead." She pauses before noting, "A note from the boss, so to speak, is no excuse to go back on a promise."
"A promise?" Riley's tone is still affable.
Kyara gestures slightly. "In essence, I made a promise to you to do my fair share around here when I took on this job." She nods toward the paperwork.
"But you also swore oaths to the AF, hmmm? And hence to do what's best for it, rather than yourself?" Riley crosses his arms, resting his weight on his knees.
Kyara pauses, her expression turning somewhat intrigued. And if she didn't love debate, she would never have become a diplomat. "Indeed. And how, pray tell, would getting less paperwork done in order to pursue a personal goal be the best thing for the AF?"
"Well, for one thing, it'd be following the command of your commanding officer," Riley says with a decided grin. "With that we get into the whole chain of command, discipline, importance thereof. I think it becomes an issue of you overworking, hence getting less paperwork done, hence not getting into school, and a double loss on the grand scheme of things. You're not going to get into the Academy studying upper level maths and working normal hours. Trust me on this one. People who're born seeming to know this stuff can't even do it properly after having burned off energy elsewhere. Ask anybody with a sciences degree. This way we take one of the already existant losses, and turn the other one into a positive. Hence good for the AF." There's a pause and he adds, "Besides, paperwork's a drop in the bucket around here. I mean I nearly exhumed the closet of doom this year in that big fit of it, and I still got only a two out of five on the rating. Up from a 0 mind, but still."
Kyara is silent for a moment, amused exasperation blooming in her eyes. "Point and match," she concedes, inclining her head, and taps the paperwork. "Just as well, I suppose, considering all this minor stuff is going to get foisted on y'all after I'm gone. Might as well start easing into it."
"I can throw it in the closet with the rest," Riley replies, looking rather amused. "Maybe it'll go cannibal too. Or we'll get Paperwork Mites or something."
Kyara smiles faintly in appreciation of the humor, though something sparks in her eyes. "Very well. Six hours here, six studying then."
"Works for me," Riley replies amiably, "See, misery loves company."
Kyara mhmmms. "Of course, when y'all break down and return to the natural scheme of things around here..."
Riley grins in decided amusement, "Then you get to break down as well. I wouldn't hold you to something I wouldn't do."
Kyara nods, smiling sweetly. "Or I might just go on doing the twelve hours, just to be able to say I could."
Riley grins ruefully, "You wouldn't catch me complaining if you did. Still, I don't intend to be the one breaking the game."
Kyara nods amiably, stating diplomatically. "I'm not sure who I'd bet on to be the first to fall." Certainly not Riley, oh no, never. "I suppose as long as the higher-ups are happy with the work that does get done, everybody benefits. Work quality might even improve."
Niko arrives from the Second Floor Elevator Lounge.
Niko has arrived.
Niko comes in with a box of paperwork, though he tucks it into the 'completed' area, life is good. Looking decidedly amused, he announces, "My life is now complete. Oh... and here, Riley." He offers a datacrystal. "Butch said she thought you'd like it. Some sort of joke."
Riley just grins at the diplomacy, "Oh, they won't be, they never are." He waves to Niko, grinning, "Kya has to suffer too now." He hmms, accepting the datacrystal in mild confusion. "Okay, why am I afraid."
Niko inquires, returning to his seat, "Because Butch is scary?" He mimes applause at Kya. "Good, misery loves company."
Kyara nods to that inevitability, mighty tempted to stick out her tongue at Riley. At least, she looks impish. "Because any joke made by a woman who calls herself Butch must by definition by scary?"
Riley just mutters something about fortune cookies, reaching back to snag a datareader off Anya's desk and fit the crystal into it.
Niko inquires of Kya, "Y'ever meet Butch? I swear, she's almost as tall as Riley, and bigger. Scary lady, but very nice."
Kyara shakes her head slightly. "Never had the pleasure. She sounds like somebody one could drink with." She cants her head sideways, stretching her neck to try and get a look at the datareader.
Riley makes various acking noises, snickering as he snags the datacrystal from the reader and pockets it. "She can break me in half, as she's kindly offered to demonstrate, yeah."
Niko mumbles, in Kyara's general direction, "She could drink us all under the table, so be careful if you try it." He grins towards Riley at the snickering, but doesn't inquire as to what the joke was.
Kyara's curiosity pops up at the acks, growing with each. "What'd she put on that 'crystal?" She glances toward Niko with a snicker. "I'd be doomed."
"Long story," Riley offers at the question, nodding. "Yeah, I'd be doomed as well, probably no tolerance any more as long as it's been."
Niko shakes his head. "Butch wouldn't tell me what it was, either, Kya," he says, looking amused. "Hey, she's an old-timer, too, I guess they're allowed to have their little secrets."
Kyara lifts her eyes heaven-ward, amused as well. "We need to start our own little secrets. Just to drive 'em nuts." Yes, she's kidding.
Riley grins absently, "It's a -really- long story." He shakes his head, "No need, we're nuts already."
Niko lifts a finger, giving Kyara a comically exaggerated look of surprise. "Shhh. Don't let on that we've already -got- secrets. And Clara's on our side, too, timewise. Heck, she got here after I did, after all." He grins at Riley. "Yeah, but everybody's nuts, here. It's in the regs."
Kyara snickers quietly, eyes twinkling with inspirations, and she nods in agreement with Niko. "Looked it up. Section 317, Subsection 9, Paragraph 14-C."
Riley grins ruefully, shaking his head. "Besides, we oldtimers don't really have secrets. We just preted so we look wise."
Niko ahas. "Aha!" See? "Now that we know your secret, though, we can tell everybody that you're not really as wise as you seem to be." He pauses a beat. "Of course, Butch'd turn me into a pretzel if I did that. She'd be nice about it, but she still would."
Kyara's snickers get louder. "Oh yes, I can just see her smiling apologetically as she gave Clara an excuse to use the regenerator on you again."
Riley stifles a quiet snicker, rummaging for one of Anya's pens to scrawl something on the back of one of the message slips. "Butch is not...subtle."
Niko nods his agreement to that. "Very not subtle, and a lot bigger than me. I want to keep her happy, yup." He makes a muffled acking sound at Kyara's words. "No, see, regenerators are bad. That nerve thing is bad enough, in that it -looks- like a regenerator. No way."
Curioser and curioser, that's Kya. "Who /is/ Butch, exactly?" Niko gets a sharp look. "Nerve thing?"
"Yeah, if we could keep Nick un-broken at least long enough to marry him off, I'd appreciate it," Riley grins up from his message writing.
Niko replies to Kya, "She runs things in Customs. Her name's really Benny or something like that, but everybody calls her Butch." At the latter question, he wiggles the fingers of his left hand. "Clara's fixing up some stuff I did a while back. No big deal." He flashes a grin to Riley. "Yeah, you and me and Ela."
Kyara's eyes narrow as she murmurs a soft, "Aha." At Riley's comment, she nods. "Unbroken is good. Unbroken for the wedding is better."
Niko nods firmly to that. "Yeah, y'know, I have to agree. I'd kind of like to be able to enjoy it, after all."
Riley slides down from Anya's desk, perhaps because it's getting close to the time for Anya to arrive. "Yeah, weddings are wonderful things, even if the require dressing up."
Kyara snaps her fingers. "Oh, that reminds me, Nick, Ela done anything about a dress yet?"
Niko says vaguely, "She's decided that spraypaint isn't going to cut it. She was looking at some pictures the other day."
Riley snags the messages, offering a wave and slipping officewards.
Kyara blinks, waving after Riley in afterthought. "Spraypaint? Not a Hellenic tradition, I hope."
Niko lifts a hand after Riley, then grins at Kya. "Nah. I just thought it'd look good. She said that the dresses I liked were that tight, see."
Riley walks towards the Chief Addison's Office.
Riley has left.
Kyara rolls her eyes with a snicker. "/Men/. One track minds, all of ya, I swear."
Niko grins at that. "Hey, but at least we're predictable."
Kyara nods after thinking about that for a moment. "Some more than others, however. And sometimes it takes the crystal ball a while to show a clear picture."
Niko nods agreeably enough to that. "Crystal clear. Yeah. Something like that, at least." Besides, it hasn't been six minutes.
Six minutes since... what? Should Kya fear? Oblivious, she turns back to get started on the paperwork again. "Well, it depends on the man. I'd never have pegged you to be the type to slobber over sexily-dressed women, for example. Or one woman, at least. It's just not... knightish."
Niko considers that for a moment. "I don't -slobber-, Kya. But I like how Ela looks. She's going to be gorgeous whatever she wears, but, well, spraypaint -does- have a certain appeal." He's a knight, he's not dead.
Kyara snickers, shaking her head. "Funny, the reverse doesn't apply. Spraypaint on men, I mean. Just isn't attractive. Well, maybe with polka dots..."
Niko grins at that. "I'm not going to get polka-dots spraypainted on me, sorry, Kya."
Kyara fakes a moue of disappointment. "But I so /need/ that picture for my collection, Nick."
Niko shakes his head, with a quiet snicker. "Sorry, not going to happen. I like my
dignity as it is, thanks."
Kyara pretends to sniffle. "You didn't even lose dignity while covered in pudding, from what I hear. I don't think you've any worries on that account."
Niko rolls his eyes at that. "I was more concerned about the broken leg than any injured dignity at that point." The comm attracts his attention at that point, though, saved by the bell.
Kyara hmphs cheerfully, opening her mouth to respond, only to give the comm an amusedly exasperated look and a mutter about timing.
The conversation is fairly short, but Niko gets to his feet when it's over. "Forgot something down in Customs, but Butch didn't read me the riot act, at least. I'll be back in a few, assuming she doesn't make pretzels."
Kyara's mouth quirks. She keeps her head well down over the paperwork as she notes innocently, "But pretzels are so /tasty/."
Niko shakes his head as he heads for the exit. "Not when they're made of SecOffs, they aren't. Have fun."
Niko heads towards the Second Floor Elevator Lounge.
Niko has left.
Kyara glances after him with a snicker. "Depends on the SecOff." Thank goodness it's not Kathlyn's shift.
***** Hours later... *****
Kyara glances idly toward the chrono on the wall, and yipes, hastily scrambling to get paperwork filed. "Ten and a half bloody hours... good grief." is her mutter as she heads out.
You head towards the Second Floor Elevator Lounge.
Q-HTML V2.1 (evaluation copy) by Craig Cockburn created this page on 17-Apr-1999 at 18:01:12
Your evaluation period expired on 31-Oct-1998
This expired version will only process 1000 lines
Please visit the Q-HTML homepage at http://www.scot.demon.co.uk/q-html.html for a more up to date copy.
