Wilt

## Meta

**Timing:** probably 13 Oct 2023

**Setting:** random office, Sydney Shatterdome

## Text

Four Uniforms—must be a special occasion—nab you on the way to your weekly psych eval, march you to an office and sit you down in one of its three visitor's chairs.

You make yourself comfy.

The Suit's making a point of ignoring you.

Ignore them right back.

Four more Uniforms escort Bubbles in—

She's wary, then sees you and her eyes go wide.

—park her in the other end chair.

The Uniforms salute, turn on their heels, step smartly out.

Four /**more** Uniforms drag in Blossom—two black eyes, hair askew, nose broken—and zip-tie her to the chair between you.

Two on five, if you count the Suit: Not bad odds—

Blossom sways a bit, blinks.

—if you never have to leave this room.

The Suit keeps with the paperwork.

You sprawl in your chair.

Three minutes go by.

You sigh heavily. "Are we gonna be here much longer—"

A Uniform takes a fistful of Blossom's hair—

"—'cause I have a psych eval--"

—and whacks her head back—

Bubbles jumps.

—against the chair.

Blossom makes an awful sound like a dying squeaky toy.

"You'll be here for as long as it takes to deal with your rat," says the Suit, looking up from their papers.

Bubbles raises her chin.

Blossom shrugs, tries to smiles around a fat lip.

"She gave me an untagged backpack, that's it," insists Bubbles, perching. "She was only working here to hide."

You add, "Yea, she's smarter than both of us."

"'s true," Blossom agrees.

The Uniform—

"/**Don't!**" yells Bubbles.

—whacks her head back again.

Bubbles cringes.

"We know," drawls the Suit, "but she didn't seem to realize actions have consequences."

Ah. That's their game.

The Uniform forces Blossom's head forward at an awkward angle.

Fine.

"We need her spine attached," warns the Suit.

You can play it, too.

The Uniform sits Blossom up straight by her hair.

"Is that supposed to be a threat? Beating on her?"

"Yes, Ranger Jones, that's meant to be a threat."

"I mean, logically, I'm know I'm supposed to feel bad, but I don't really do the whole 'empathy' thing."

You've got all the eyes in the room.

Perfect.

"So, yea, I'll need cue cards if you plan on keeping that up."

The Suit's definitely questioning their career choice.

Awe/**some**.

And then Bubbles fucks it up.

She rounds on you, eyes blazing. "This is not the time to be a callous asshole!"

"I'm not," you snap. Tell the Suit, "You have my file; you know I'm a sociopath."

Bubbles isn't done. "How can you let them—"

"/**Easy.** I. Don't. Care."

C'mon, Bubbles, catch on. Start playing.

"Well, /**I** do," she declares.

You'd swear the Suit starts glowing.

/**Fuck.**

Thinkthinkthinkthinkthink ... gotta be /**something** ....

Blossom croaks, "So, what happens to me now?"

The Suit glows brighter. "You may either enlist as a Cadet or put yourself forward as a candidate for Compatibility breeding." Shuffles some papers. "Although, the Solo Pilot project is always in need of brains."

"I'll contribute," Bubbles offers instantly. "If you want a kid, I'll—we'll make you a kid. That's possible, yea? With bone marrow or something?"

"That's a most kind offer, Ranger Macrossan—" Opens a folder. "—but yours and Miss Collocott's genetic profiles are not likely to produce a useful offspring."

Snort.

Bubbles flails.

"However, pairing Miss Collocott's with Ranger Jones may produce interesting results."

Oh, hell no. No way in—

"He'll do it," Bubbles declares.

Cross your arms. "Who said I'm volunteering for this?"

"You already have," says the Suit mildly. "Unrestricted access to one's genetic makeup has been a standard part of Ranger contracts since twenty-twenty."

"Must've missed that in the fine print."

"How can you—"

"Don't. Care. About. Her."

Blossom shrinks.

Fine. Whatever.

Doesn't matter what she thinks of you, but, goddammit, Bubbles, stop giving them leverage.

"You're a fucking /**monster**," hisses Bubbles.

Amend, "Sociopath."

"Close enough," she spits.

"Miss Collocott," interrupts the Suit, checking their watch, "I believe it's time for this meeting to end. These Officers will escort you to your next posting."

"Please don't—I don't want to die."

"You should have considered that before playing double agent." The Suit nods to the Uniforms.

Two cut the zip ties, two grab Blossom's shoulders.

All four yank her to her feet and haul her, whimpering, out the door.

Eyes on the ceiling, watch Bubbles with your peripheral.

Her lip trembles, eyes are shiny.

Great.

She's going to try and bash you the minute the Suit's done.

Better you than the Suit, you guess.

"You said she'd have a choice!"

Well, maybe she'll attack the Suit after all.

"She made hers when she decided to break our rules." Tucks all their papers in a folder. "Now, it's your turn."

Bubbles grinds her teeth.

Volunteer, calm as you please, "If it's alright, I'd like to get back to work. Jack and I are scheduled in the sim at fourteen-thirty."

Bubbles' jaw drops.

The Suit studies you.

You stay neutral.

"You're dismissed, Rangers," states the Suit.

Acknowledge, get to your feet, tilt your head 'after you', to Bubbles.

She throws herself to her feet, out the door.

Follow.

One corner later ....

"What /**is** /**wrong** with you?!"

Roll your eyes. "I'm not lying about the sociopath thing."

"Even sociopaths can show some loyalty!"

"Of course," you scoff. "But that's what they want, yea? Something I care about for leverage? I'm not giving 'em /**anything**."

"They're going to—"

Get in her face, hiss, "/**Listen** /**to** /**me!** Show you care when they hurt someone and they'll /**keep** /**hurting** people. Show you don't and they /**give** /**up**. That's how this—" Wave arms at the fucking 'Dome. "—works. 's how this /**always** works."

Bubbles glares, cocks her arm back—

Duck the punch, grab her wrist, twist it behind her back, slam her into the wall. "I know it's hard for you normals, but being a 'callous asshole's the only way to survive."

"I don't wanna survive if it gets my friends killed," she snarls.

Huff, give her a shake. "Quinn—" Another shake. "—I'm /**trying** to help you."

"I don't want /**your** help!"

Let her squirm for a five-count.

Say, "I'm gonna let you go on 'three'. Then you're going to walk back to your quarters and forget what happened in there, ay?"

Bubbles growls.

Sigh.

"One ... two ... three." Release your hold, hop back.

Bubbles straightens, stomps off.

Doesn't even look at you.

Good.

Saunter back to your quarters the shortest way you know.

Grab a book from the shelf, head straight for the washroom.

Jack doesn't even look up.

Good.

Shut the door, lock it, turn on the shower, the sink.

Fish out the burner, stab 'send'.

Walker answers on the third ring.

Getting sloppy.

"A friend's in deep shit. She's gonna 'vanish' if someone can't help her out. Anything you can do?"

Pull out the ID badge you snagged before they dragged her out.

"Better than nothing."

Squint at the tiny print because you forgot your fucking glasses.

"Lately she's been, uh, Marcie Carlisle. Used to be Blossom Collocott."

Drop the badge in the sink.

"No."

Disconnect, drop the mobile with the badge.

Scrub a hand down your face, check your reflection in the mirror.

Yup, you look like shit.

## Original Text

Four Uniforms march Logan to an office and sit him down in one of its three visitor's chairs.

Uniforms escort Bubbles in--

She's wary, then sees Logan and her eyes go wide.

--have her take one of the other chairs.

"We found your rat," says the Suit.

Uniforms drag in Blossom--two black eyes, hair askew, nose broken--and zip-tie her to the chair between them.

She smiles around a fat lip, croaks, "Tried to run."

A Uniform takes a fistful of her hair and whacks her head back into the chair.

"She gave me an untagged backpack, that's it," insists Bubbles. "She was only working here to hide."

Logan adds, "She's smarter than both of us."

[a transition]

 "Is at supposed to be a threat?"

"Yes, Ranger Jones, that's supposed to be a threat."

"I mean, logically, that sounds bad, but I couldn't tell without the whole 'dread' thing."

The Suit seems exasperated.

Logan rolls his eyes--

Bubbles rounds on him, eyes blazing. "This is not the time to be a callous asshole!"

"I'm not being a callous asshole," snaps Logan. Tells the Suit, "You have my file, you know I'm a sociopath."

[another bit]

"You may either enlist as a Cadet or put yourself forward as a candidate for Compatibility breeding." Shuffles some papers. "Although, solo piloting is always in need of brains."
"I'll contribute," Bubbles offers instantly. "If you want a kid, I'll—we'll make you a kid. That's possible, yea? With bone marrow or something?"

[yet another bit]

"Please--I don't want to die."

"Then you should have considered that before playing double agent."

[Blossom is dragged off, they're dismissed]

[Bubbles yells at Logan, he explains that they want to see them care so they can manipulate them (similar to what he told Jackson). Bubbles snaps back, storms off. In this ficlet or the next, Logan strolls to his quarters, locks himself in the bathroom, and calls Jamie, tells him about Blossom and asks if he knows anyone who can save her. Jamie says he'll do his best.]