ʟᴄᴅʀ Jane "ᴵ ˢʰᵒᵘˡᵈ ᵍᵒ" Shepard (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
squadgoals) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
thisavrou2016-05-07 12:15 am
squadgoals) wrote in thisavrou2016-05-07 12:15 am
Entry tags:
VIDEO
Hi all — Shepard here, just a quick couple of questions.
First, I know the mail system can be all over the place, so I wanted to reach out to everyone. Last month, I received this-- [And here, she holds up a hypospray with this label affixed to it. She rotates it slowly, showing off the entire label as she speaks.] --in my mailbox. Not sure what kind of medicine it is, but if you know, or know who it belongs to, please let me know as soon as possible.
Second, I wanted to ask about the Ingress. From what I've read and been told, it opens once every month, at the beginning of that month. Now, I've only been here a month — can anyone with more experience tell me if it's normal or not that it hasn't opened by now?
First, I know the mail system can be all over the place, so I wanted to reach out to everyone. Last month, I received this-- [And here, she holds up a hypospray with this label affixed to it. She rotates it slowly, showing off the entire label as she speaks.] --in my mailbox. Not sure what kind of medicine it is, but if you know, or know who it belongs to, please let me know as soon as possible.
Second, I wanted to ask about the Ingress. From what I've read and been told, it opens once every month, at the beginning of that month. Now, I've only been here a month — can anyone with more experience tell me if it's normal or not that it hasn't opened by now?
no subject
The individual also mentioned having accidentally used it on themselves. In a case like that, is there a way to neutralize the drug? A cancelling agent?
[After another moment of thought,]
Could someone with a strong power of will still fight the effects of the spray?
no subject
That's...an unfortunate accident, yes. Would you mind giving me the name of that individual?
[ he's happy to confirm if it's elizabeth shepard's talking about, but if it's someone else...well, this is sensitive as hell and he really needs to know. ]
There is an antagonist, yes. [ he hesitates just a moment, weighing the options in his mind, then blows out his breath. best be straight with her about it. ] Seventeen. There are seventeen of these hyposprays on the ship, and two of them contain the antagonist. [ he mutters under his breath. ] Really wish it was more than two.
[ he does smile faintly at that question, though there's a wry tilt to his mouth. ]
Ah -- no. Generally speaking, anyway. I've seen people put up resistance to it, but it rarely lasts more than a moment or two, and I don't think anyone's ever managed to keep themselves from talking. It's a very powerful drug -- it wouldn't be very effective if it weren't. I've found it's possible to derail an interrogation, although that, ah -- [ he clears his throat delicately ] may have been due to an, uh, abnormal reaction to the drug.
no subject
[She nods at the numbers.] Of the 15 main fast-pentas, how many have you located? Any of the antagonists?
[And there's no missing the tone, there.] Abnormal reaction? Was it the allergic reaction you mentioned, or another interfering factor?
no subject
Not that kind of allergy, no. That one's usually fatal. More along the lines of an idiosyncratic reaction. An outlier, if you will.
[ miles considers the problem of mutual exchange of unknowns at hand. he'd studied game theory as part of military strategy courses back at the academy, but he's spent enough time in the field before and after his military education to understand the pitfalls and nuances of making decisions when the outcome depends heavily on the unknown decisions of others. miles tents his fingers and taps them to his lips thoughtfully. ]
...You understand the situation is fraught, and a delicate one. Damage control is the aim here, and by corollary, careful security is paramount. If I am to share more sensitive details of this matter with you, Commander, I must know they will go no further than this room. May I have your word on that?
[ his eyes are quite serious. he's barrayaran, and barrayarans take the spoken word with even greater gravity than a written contract. ]
no subject
You have my word. Anything you say here will remain between us, and only us.
no subject
Thank you, Commander. [ he drums his fingers on his desk restlessly, but ultimately, he can't handle sitting still -- he gets off his chair so he can pace, rubbing his forehead. ]
I've located two hyposprays, besides yours. The one who dosed herself was my good friend Elizabeth DeWitt, as I'm sure you already know. [ his mouth twitches into a sardonic smile. ] I was there, thankfully. The other is in the possession of Luke Skywalker, though I highly doubt he knows what he's got his hands on. Obviously neither you nor Elizabeth have the antagonist, but Luke, I'm not sure.
no subject
What's the plan? As you said, you weren't too keen on asking everyone directly. But on the other hand, there's people who already know what the medicine is, truly. You could ask them for help recovering them.
Well, depending on what you planned to do with them when you did.
no subject
[ he frowns slightly. ]
If you're worried I intend to use it for my own purposes, then you'd be mistaken. What I want to do is lock that stuff up so no one can get into it for their own purposes. I'm not saying I can't envision a scenario in which it might come in handy, but mostly I just want to keep it out of the hands of the crew. [ miles taps a finger to his lips. ] Asking you and Elizabeth for help isn't the worst idea, either. I can trust both of you to maintain your discretion.
no subject
[Leaning one arm on the desk, she gestures with the other as she talks, still seated.]
You mentioned people getting worried — imagine how fellow crew members would feel, beyond just the threat of being made to reveal their secrets, if they found out someone they were supposed to trust was keeping a--a drug like that around, "just in case"?
I'll help you track them, and I've already made my promise not to say a word of this conversation outside this room, but if you have any concerns about it being abused by other crew members? You'll destroy them.
no subject
But we might need them sometime. Not to use on our own crew, for -- [ he exhales sharply. ] You haven't been on this ship quite as long as I have, Commander. Del Pascia was one thing, but that was a computer we were dealing with. Our usual troubles usually come in the form of things much more humanoid. God knows I could've used some fast-penta back on Emiri...
[ his voice descends into a contemplative mutter, and he rubs at his chin, looking troubled. he's trying to think twelve steps ahead, but he doesn't even know where they'll be two weeks from now. ]
Give me some time to think about it. I think we can agree, at least, that these hyposprays are far more dangerous in the hands of people who don't even know what it is, let alone scattered across the ship.
no subject
Understood. Let me know what you decide. I'll keep an ear to the ground for any more traces of the spray — at the very least, they should be collected.