008 ↔ video & text; mutiny day 2, 1545hrs

[5055034455]

[Saul would've come to the network sooner, but his earpiece picked something up not long after the network came back online.

So, he waited.

And waited.

And now, he thinks, is as good a time as any for this broadcast.

He's seated in DITR's office; the interior looks much the same as any other bedroom on the base, but in lieu of the beds, there's a medium-sized desk. This is where he's perched in his usual pose with elbows on his knees, hands folded, leaning forward just slightly and addressing the camera — which someone else is holding — with an expression so grim it somehow almost seems amused.]

This is not how you get what you want.

[A pause. He appears thoughtful for a moment, then waves a dismissive hand at nothing and smooths down his tie.]

I mean, sure, it must've sounded great in theory. And I'd bet any amount of money that you all thought you had your bases nice and covered, buuut —

[Tch.]

Looks like maybe not, if the network being back online is any indication. Hi, by the way. Are you having fun yet? Because that whole lack of gravity thing — man, that was a blast. I'm just wondering, you know, if this is gonna work in your favor the way you'd all hoped. Messing with the systems is all well and good and yeah, okay, we get your point: you're mad as hell and not gonna take it anymore. Fine.

But I think — and this is just my lawyerly opinion — you're gonna have a hell of a time dealing with the fallout from this. And I promise you, Charlie, there will be fallout. Civilized fallout, of course, assuming no one gets hurt. I'll keep my promise if you keep yours.

[He grins, then winks.]

Anyway, I dunno about everyone else, but I'm waiting with bated breath for your next move. And if you need anything from us —

[A quick sweep of his arm to indicate the entirety of the room and, with it, the entirety of DITR's staff. Whatever anger he's been keeping at bay finally seeps through, Saul's eyes narrowing for the split second it takes him to say:]

Good fucking luck.

[And off goes the video feed.]

*

[PRIVATE to all members of the Department EXCEPT Jesse, Mike, and Stephanie:]

If you haven't come to the office in room 206 yet, please report to Roslyn Small or another member of the police force for further instructions. They're set up in the cafeteria.

Comments

voice, so very un-anon;

[alittlesweptup]

[Charlie's never had delusions about getting out of this with a clean nose, but being called out by name still sends a chill through him. Responding is so counter-intuitive to every instinct he has, but it's necessary. Still, Charlie waits until after the second PA transmission before speaking - publicly, not even remotely anonymously.

Because if Saul Goodman's giving him a platform to talk? He'll bloody well take it.]

If peaceful protest isn't the way to do it, then by all means: what is? Because we've been here for a month and a half, in a vulnerable position for longer, and we're not any closer to fixing that than we were the day we arrived. Locking down the base is not our leverage, it's our damned security to make sure that the people the Initiative's got in their pocket don't haul us out by the ear before we can make progress.

[There's no hiding the cutting, derisive implication there.]

You've been removed from the situation as insurance.

[5055034455]

[Ah, Charlie. Saul sounds so pleased to hear from you.]

"Peaceful protest." You keep using those words —

[You bet someone sounds like Inigo Montoya right now.]

I do not think they mean what you think they mean. Especially not when you start screwing around with the base's power — what if you'd accidentally shut off the life support system, huh?

[alittlesweptup]

We didn't. [That's firm, sharp like a knife.] Stop assuming you're the smartest person in the room and you'll get farther.

What would you rather we have done? Sit in a circle and talk about it? I've been to those meetings both on the island and the ones here. No one has a plan, no one agrees on anything, and your precious DITR sure as hell isn't using the leverage it's already got to make it happen.

[5055034455]

[Saul's response is just as immediate and no less angry:] But you could have. Anyway, you know what? Yeah. That would've been lovely, especially now that the scales are tilted in our favor — so this? Taking advantage of a group of people the way you are? That's pretty low, man.

[alittlesweptup]

[Two grown ass men shouting at one another. ~*~Diplomacy~*~]

The UE is coming Goodman, and they're not going to wait while everyone votes to get their collective shit together. We either get off this rock or we die. And if we somehow miraculously manage the former without brokering a deal with the Initiative for a power share - a say in how our bodies are used for this war? We're going to end right back here in another year.

You of all people should know that.

so fucking encrypted voice

[motherofnemesis]

They just want to give you a rope to hang yourself with. Don't take it.

piggybacking that encryption because lbr Charlie is no hacker

[alittlesweptup]

If they turn everyone against us, we're hanged anyway. Keep your head down.

it's cool she'll keep it safe

[motherofnemesis]

Look, just. [ God. ] Have you ever been in prison?

wow okay way to make me actually straighten out my headcanon betsy god hdu

[alittlesweptup]

No. [But he moves on quickly from that point:] But what are they going to do, space us? They try it and they're worse than the rest of us.

voice;

[outshine]

If this is peaceful, I don't know if I want to see you get rowdy. There'd probably be none of you left. [ A brief pause. ] Guess that'd solve your problem then, wouldn't it?

[alittlesweptup]

We've done nothing to you or anyone else who hasn't come at us first. We are occupying a room, not escalating violence. Tell your people and the transports backing them to holster their weapons and there won't be any problem.

[outshine]

So what would you call fucking with the systems then? And you want to tell me why I can't get in touch with my coworkers?

[totallytrustworthy]

We'd call it a carefully maintained barrier, love. Between you and us. We're not jettisoning anyone off into space, and we're certainly not trying to: we'd have done it by now if we did, yeah?

As for your mates, they're sitting in with us. Perfectly fine, no harm done.

[Video]

[highfrequency]

Let me ask you a question: What do you think you're doing here?

I mean..... What would you do if you actually got away with all this?

voice;

[alittlesweptup]

We're putting pressure on the Initiative to give Transports equal representation in the forward momentum of the war effort. [Can you tell he's spent a lot of time perfecting the answer to that question?] If we 'got away with it', we'd use that as a means of utilizing the skills of the people we've got here - psychics, super heroes, bloody war generals - to actually help direct the course of this resistance war they're trying and failing to fight by sending us all back into time every now and again to kick the occasional backwater simpleton into changing a vote or wiping out a few crops.

There's no reason we should be locked out of strategizing. Right now we're just canon fodder whose bums they sometimes pat to make us feel alright about it.

video;

[highfrequency]

Have you mentioned any of this to them? The Initiative, I mean.

I don't exactly agree with all their decisions either but a mutiny isn't going to help. Things like this? They just agitate people.

video

[anklets]

[Lenalee looks frazzled, not least of all to do with just how deep beneath the skin this all has worked: she can see some validity, here and there, in what these mutineers are pushing. Maybe she's destined to forever hate the organisations which "recruit" her.

Still,] "The Transports deserve a say in this", isn't that what your broadcast said? But you're only agreeing with those who agree with you. No one else had a say, and they won't have one later, either, if what you're doing holds water.

[There are angry voices all around her: she wonders if such a small group can hold out.]

voice;

[alittlesweptup]

This isn't our bid to run the bloody station. But if no one else is going to do something and work toward getting us off this rock in a way that's not just blindly fumbling in the dark and hoping for the best--, then we'll do what no one else wants to do.

[Whether that means getting his way and working with the Initiative or being strung up the yard arm as a means to galvanize the other Transports to give a shit, to realize this is serious, he doesn't really care.]

video

[anklets]

Isn't that what this is? [ just barely onscreen, her shoulders shrug ] Hoping for the best?

voice; with now the right timeline in mind!

[wilder]

[Here is a clinic worker, sounding crazy skeptical]

Peaceful and securely huh?

Then...could you answer why you keep messing with the clinic's systems too? Because we don't wanna take sides, but you do realize doing stuff like making us inaccessible or unusable could put a lot of transports in danger right?

And I don't even wanna talk about the damage messing with the gravity could've caused.

[alittlesweptup]

Don't cause trouble and there'll be no need to access the clinic. Everyone has first aid kits, you have access to the cafeteria and everything else you need.

Stop getting in our way and this won't last any longer than it has to. As it is, pitching a fit about how this wasn't done exactly how you'd prefer it is just dragging this out and putting more people in danger.

[wilder]

Yeah, everyone has first aid kits. But not everyone has training in how to use them. Nor are they meant to be replacements for a real doctor. And there's plenty of need for people to be able to access the clinic, even if violence doesn't break out. I could list them, but we'd be here all day.

I'm not pitching a fit or getting in anyone's way, you guys are the ones doing that! And telling someone concerned about the clinic to pretty much just sit down and shut up? Doesn't really show that you actually care about the well being of the Transports, like you keep claiming.

Permavid

[governorkang]

[Dryly at first:]

Yes, the time to stage a mutiny and divide us is when we're in what you already recognize as a vulnerable position. If we fight amongst ourselves, it makes the UE's job that much easier.

[He threads his Weapon into his words, on the chance that any part of Charlie (or anyone else that hears him) that wants to listen and stand down is in there. He doubts it, but it's worth a try.]

I've fought in a war before, on the losing side. We lost because we turned on each other instead of acting as one. Our progress, in the war, in getting back to a more defensible position planetside, and in making the Initiative treat us as equals, is slow, but it has been happening and all your actions are doing is impeding any further progress.

[And, he can't help a tiny bit of anger seeping into his expression here, though his tone stays the same.]

You say we're being used as cannonfodder by the Initiative. They have made more than a few bad decisions, I am more than willing to admit that, and things do need to change. I know from experience what being treated like cannonfodder is like, though, and this is not it.

permavoice;

[alittlesweptup]

[There's something about the start of what Kang says that's oddly appealing - something Charlie recognizes in his gut. Because there's some truth to that, that they're splintering something that would be stronger together--

But then Kang says the entirely wrong thing and that lulling sense of what came before is locked away. Charlie frowns (not that anyone can tell over the voice transmission) and scrubs the heel of his hand across his forehead. Christ. When he speaks, his tone is notable more mild than with anyone else.]

We're not the ones impeding progress. Talk to the people who've been using the transporter for day trips and their nonsense flights of fancy instead of working toward a goal that actually matters. This will unite Transports one way or another; I could prefer one, but I don't really give a damn how it happens.

Assume the Weapon is still active until otherwise noted :D

[governorkang]

Before this conversation, right now, did you even attempt to talk to the people using the transporter for such reasons? Or the members of the Initiative who have control of it?