Paranoia: IC

[The Archivist]

Yakai looked at the guard.
"How long does it take to have effect?"
He turned to D.
"D, you're loyalty officer. You might want to cross examine him, his attitude has been pretty grating..."

 

[Mello]

D sheathed his sword violently.

"With pleasure"

He paced around and closed his eyes, frowning for a moment, then when he opened them, they seemed crueler. More intelligent, just somehow more sadistic. When he spoke, he spoke with a quiet air that felt like the calm before the storm.

"Let me be frank with you, Jack. You haven't been the best today. You've already got yourself killed, insulted a GREEN RANKING OFFICER" he suddenly shouted, his voice echoing sharply. D paced around a bit, before returning, he leant close to Jack, who he could see was beginning to suffer from the drug now, and whispered.

"Then I saw that stupid Smile on your face. I may be the first clone, but I've been alive for plenty long enough and seen enough to know when a man is lying, that smile just betrays what your true intentions were, and those intentions are certainly treasonous."

He paused, his eyes flicking in random directions, obviously in thought. Slowly a malicious smile covered his face, but when he lent out it was his usual stony nature.

"Tell me, how many credits do you have, Jack?"

 

[Johnny-Crass]

Jack turned lazily towards D "Due to my two previous fines my account is at 55 Credits at this time man...."

 

[Mello]

"Well if you tell us where the card is now. I'll consider a 25 credit fine. Otherwise 55."

 

[Johnny-Crass]

Jack passed a card to D, clearly printed on it was the name 'Jack-Har'. "there's the card man...."

 

[Mello]

D took a long, hard stare at the card. Didn't look fake.

Turning to the guard who had lost his card, he handed it to him.

"Go and get yourself another card with it, I'll stand as witness if they ask for one. Now can we please get on with what we're here for?" he said, unusually colourfully.

 

[spineyrequiem]

The guard looked at the card. 'You need some medication, vat-brain? This is HIS card!' He thrust the card back to Jack. 'This questioning ain't gonna work.' He turned to the nearest CCTV camera and put on his best grin. 'COMPUTER! Where's the nearest confession booth?'

From a speaker on the wall, after a selection of pops and crackles, came a pleasant female voice, a soft Irish burr almost masking the disjointed speech. 'Citizen Greg-G-PTU, the nearest confession booth is just along the corridor, take the first left then straight on. You'll soon see it. Have a nice day!'

'Thanks!' The guard's bright smile vanished as he looked away from the camera. 'Get his arms boys, we'll drag him there.'

Two of the other guards grabbed Jack's arms and, after gifting Jack with a swift kick to the nether regions, the group set off at a brisk pace, following the directions the computer gave. Greg-G-PTU and the other non-dragging guard covered them with their radiation shields.

The confession booth is about the size of a phone booth, painted black with the symbol for IntSec sprayed on the door. Two of the guards shove Jack-R into it and the door slams closed.

 

[Johnny-Crass]

Jack felt the swift kick between his legs crack the guards card in half and began laughing uproarusly as they dragged him down the hall.

 

[spineyrequiem]

The door reopens and Jack-R is shoved out unceremoniously. From a nearby speaker comes the Computer's voice.

'Remember to give that back now, citizen!'

 

[Johnny-Crass]

Jack walked up to the guard and stuck his hand down his pants. Giving a cheeky grin Jack pulled out the shatterd card and dropped it infront of The guard "I found your card.... Dick"

 

[spineyrequiem]

'My name is Greg...' The guard mumbled as he looked at the shattered remnants of his card. 'But... YOU DID THIS!'

'Oh DEAR citizen Jack-R!' The voice of the Computer carries down from the speaker. 'Unauthorised destruction of GREEN-clearance property carries a 150cr fine. In fact...'

Hatches open in the ceiling and brightly-coloured balloons and a shower of confetti fall, accompanied by celebratory music. Printed on the balloons in large, friendly letters, are the words 'CONGRATULATIONS! CITIZEN JACK-R HAS BEEN REVEALED AS A TRAITOR! PLEASE REPORT FOR IMMEDIATE TERMINATION!'

 

[Johnny-Crass]

Jack smiles and turns to the guard who kicked him in the crotch. "No I am afraid the card was hidden in my pants so the man who destroyed the card was this man who so kindly booted my crotch!"

 

[spineyrequiem]

'Don't listen to him! Everyone knows all traitors are liars!' The guards seem happy to believe him as they draw their slugthrowers.

 

[Johnny-Crass]

Thinking fast Jack smiled "Exactly they are! That is why your mate if lying about breaking your card!"

 

[Mello]

There was a wet crunch as a katana emerged bloodily from Jack's chest. As jack sunk to his knees D's form was revealed holding the weapon. Jack burbled something, not being quite dead. D frowned and withdrew the katana, the troopers looked like they wanted some payback too. No sooner than he fell the floor, D was sheathing his sword, silently. He calmly took a notepad out of his cloak and scored something out violently.

 

[spineyrequiem]

Jack lies gasping on the floor, a sword stuck through him, yet somehow still alive. His hand weakly reaches for his holster.

 

[Mello]

This wouldn't stand. D used his years of training and in one fluid motion brought the katana out of its scabbard, cut vertically downwards slicing the wrist heading towards the revolver, and in a second pirouette stabbed downwards at Jack's neck. It looked like he had to finish the job himself.

 

[spineyrequiem]

D's beautiful, finely-worked sword rises, glittering in the blood-red light of RADIATION WARNING alerts. Jack looks at it wonderingly as it descends, descends towards his outstretched arm. He fumbles at his holster even as the sword slices down..

Into the ground, just next to his hand. The gorgeous multifaceted blade, created by a tireless week's work by a master sword smith and lovingly polished every day by D slams point-first into the ground and shatters into a half-dozen pieces. For a moment, everyone is still, mesmerised as fragments tinkle to the floor.

Then, almost without warning, Jack-R draws his laser and fire it at D. The red beam penetrates his cloak, but the reflec armour deflects it. Shocked into action, the guards open fire. Four bullets thump into Jack and he finally gives in to pain.

 

[Mello]

D stares at the sword hilt blankly. As if he doesn't know it he drops the hilt and stares into empty space. The others couldn't even guess what was going on in his head, but he drew his cloak around him and lowered his hat. He spoke in a voice so infused in rage, that he sounded calm, too calm though.

"Could someone... lend me a wea...pon?" D was trembling slightly.

 

[spineyrequiem]

The guards all look at each other slightly awkwardly. Finally one says 'No, but I've got some tape here.' He holds up a roll of black sticky tape hopefully.

The Computer's voice breaks the silence. 'Congratulations citizens! You will be commended for your fine work eliminating this foul traitor! His re-patterned clone will shortly be delivered to your destination, so best hurry!'

 

[The Archivist]

Yakai stood well back from the debacle.
"Don't worry D, I'm sure I could fix it if given the equipment and clearance. It'll save you the trouble of buying a new one. Gather up all the shards and we'll see what I can do later."
He nudges the dead body with his foot.
"I don't know how Jack gained Red clearance, I really don't..."

 

[Mello]

D sank down against the wall, absently picking cup a shard, marvelling at the beautiful swirls of the Damascus steel.

"No point.. Beyond repair now" he said to both the guards and Yakai. He had a good mind to call th guard a traitor.. He drew his combat knife, boring ordinary steel, but much larger than standard with a wicked hook ok it. He drew some kind of stone and began sharpening the knife with simmering rage. Sharp ringing noises reverberated around the room.

 

[The Archivist]

Yakai kicked the body once more before turning to the guards.
"Now that debacle has been sorted out, we need to get to the situation. Before the third Jack thinks of another way to be killed."
He moved towards the way they had been going beforehand.

 

[The Archivist]

Yakai stops after glancing back.
"On second thoughts, I might take those shards if you don't want them."
He picks up the pieces and puts them in his pockets.
"Ok, now we should go."

 

[spineyrequiem]

The guards sauntered off, one occasionally glancing at a screen on his wrist for directions. Suddenly, a door to the right burst open and a scientist in a YELLOW labcoat ran out, coughing and muttering to himself. 'Won't go back in there... can't make me... can't make me...' He was proved wrong as two of the guards grabbed his arms and frogmarched him back into the room. Just before the door closed, he could be heard saying 'But this smoke is wrong for my security clearance!'

Eventually, the group reach a door marked 'TESTING ROOM', in a heavily armoured but equally battered part of MEM sector. The guards order the Troubleshooters inside. After a few minutes, a small workbot with four crates appears, three large cubic crates and one long rectangular one. Two of the large crates are battered and dusty, obviously incredibly old, and with the words SPECIAL ARMOUR SUPPLEMENT stencilled onto them. The remaining large crate has HANDLE WITH CARE and an arrow demanding that it be transported THIS WAY UP, although the Troubleshooters have to turn their heads upside-down to read this. The large crates are all nailed shut, but fortunately the small crate, sealed with a pair of catches, appears to contain a CROWBAR - RED CLEARANCE judging by the legend on the side.

A printer on the side shoots out a collection of forms, which one of the guards picks up and thrusts at Yakai. 'Here, sign this.'