prpl_assistant | Memo 004: Thank Yous and Loose Ends (Backtrack to day after zombie outbreak ends)

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Memo 004: Thank Yous and Loose Ends (Backtrack to day after zombie outbreak ends)

A. Phone (Filtered away from The Doctor, The Major and Schrodinger)

Thank you to everyone who came by the hospital and defended it. It wasn't easy, but we did it, and I'm really grateful for everyone's cooperation.

B. Phone (filtered to both the RED Spy and the BLU Spy)

Would it be possible for me to see the two of you today? Sometime before lunch?

C. Phone (filtered to the BLU Sniper, hackable)

Mr Mundy, I was wondering whether you'd like me to take you around town today? If it's not too much trouble, I can meet up with you after lunch.

D. Action (around 1337 Benny Road)

(Miss Pauling seems to be busy with something, being up early in the morning. It looks like she's baking...something. However, based on the annoyed look on her face, it doesn't seem to be working...there's a strong smell of cookies in the kitchen, with just a tinge of a burning smell. Anyone who happens to be awake at 8am in the morning and around 1337 Benny Road may just get a free sample cookie with some crumbly black bits.)

E. Action
(If anyone's around the neighborhoods, they'll see Miss Pauling holding a slip of paper as she navigates through all the houses in the hope of finding one. She's got a bag of something that's emitting a nice smell, if a bit burnt. Approach her?)

F. Action (726 Anderson Lane)

(With some help from the Spies, she found out where Miss Susan stays at. With a bag of cookies (only slightly burnt on the edges) she finds herself at the doorstep. She looks a bit anxious, but eventually she gets enough courage to knock on the door.)

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It's perfectly acceptable. But for future reference, you don't need to thank me at all. If I didn't want to assist, I wouldn't have, simple as that.

(She smiles back at that. She recalled another woman she knew who was just like that; she never accepted any of her thanks either.)

Yes Miss Susan. I'll remember to keep that in mind.

I won't keep you from your work any longer though. Good bye and have a pleasant day. If you're ever around 1337 Benny Road, feel free to come in. I'd love to have you around.

[Susan sets the cookies down and makes a hand gesture that is difficult to distinguish between a wave away or a dismissal of Miss Pauling's politeness.]

Stay if you'd like. You know where I live now, apparently, and you're welcome to come by if you'd like to discuss something. Provided it's more interesting than the weather.

(She considers Miss Susan's offer carefully, before she takes a seat.)

Actually, I'd like to ask you about some things in this town, if it's not too much of a bother. You seem to know your way very well around here, Miss Susan, and I'd like for some advice.

Certainly.

[Susan is frightfully efficient. The papers scattered over the table seem to collect themselves into a pile of their own accord within the space of a second or two.]

...I assume you're relatively new here? My interaction with your teams has been limited to knowing they exist, but I don't recall seeing you before.

Yes, I am. I just arrived here a week before the zombie outbreak. Have you spoken much to the RED or BLU team?

Oh.

I see.

Welcome to Mayfield. This is a fairly accurate impression of the way things tend to go around here. ...And as I said, no, I'm afraid not.

I was already told by the RED Sniper that Mayfield is a dangerous prison.

(In a way, she's glad that RED and BLU have remained so low key. It meant that for a long time, they escaped the scrutiny of others.)

Miss Susan, I'd like to ask on the best way to survive this place.

[Susan considers saying, 'run the other direction from my grandfather', but this is neither helpful nor funny to someone who doesn't know the joke.]

Are you very concerned about that? You understand death is impermanent here?

I'm not worried about death here. But I'm more worried about the games that are being played by some of those here who see the rest as nothing more than dolls to be toyed with.

I suspect you're thinking of the Doctor and those like him when you say that. Allow me to disabuse you of that notion - They're nothing compared the ones who truly toy with us.

If they're nothing compared to them, then that gives me even more reason to prepare myself.

We were truly lucky that you came, Miss Susan. We wouldn't have lasted otherwise. But that was only with one man, and as you said, there are worse things out there than him.

I haven't met any of the authority figures in Mayfield yet, and I don't intend to. But I've heard enough to know that eventually, something is going to happen in Mayfield. And I want to be ready for it.

[Susan considers this thoughtfully for a moment or two before nodding.]

You can't.

A difficult thing to accept, isn't it? Nobody likes to feel powerless. Oh, certainly, you can stock up on food, weapons, make friends with all the most powerful people in town, have a list of past incidents and how they were resolved for cross-reference...

But you can't. If they want to kill you, you'll die. If they want to drone you, you'll be brainwashed. Practically speaking, there's absolutely nothing you can do to prepare yourself against the things the town throws at us. ...Practically speaking.

You say you want to save yourself from being killed, but that isn't the real danger at all. What you need to save yourself from is being... how to put this... broken? Exhausted. Too... weary to do anything more than survive. The town doesn't win by killing us, or by torturing us, or even by droning us. The town wins when we give up. The only thing you can properly prepare against Mayfield is your mind, your attitude. Lucky it's the most important thing of all.

(Miss Pauling just nodded her head, resigned. Her eyes glance downwards as she absorbed the bitter words. She looks less like the controlled professional that she shows herself to be, and more like the young woman inside who's frustrated with her inability to do anything. It's a crack in her mask of professionalism.)

I understand.

It IS difficult for me to accept all of this. I've never been in such a position where there's nothing that I couldn't do to prevent bad things from happening.

I...I used to think that as long as I worked hard and stayed alert, I'd be able to stay on top of anything. That there was nothing that I couldn't be prepared for. I guess that's not how it's going to work here, is it?

But I know that you're also right about not giving up. Someone once told me that the real battle isn't fought with the guns or the rockets; it's fought with your mind and your will.

(She falls silent for a bit, deep in thought, before she looks back up to Miss Susan.)

Thank you for your advice Miss Susan. It's helped me to straighten out my priorities a lot.

To be fair, this is a highly unusual place. You came to me for answers - Clever enough; I had all the answers. I'm rather lucky now if I can manage hypotheses that aren't utterly inane.

You're capable enough to manage. You'll have to be.

I don't feel capable enough, but it's as you said; it isn't an option here.

Thanks for answering my question Miss Susan. I guess that's all I really wanted to know at the moment. I won't keep you any longer.

(She stands up to leave.)

Goodbye, then. Call again if you care to.

Oh, that's right - Did you have a given name?

(She hesitates a bit. Her family name back home would've landed her in loads of trouble, given the nature of her father's business; hence why she picked her mother's name over it when she's away from San Francisco. No need to attract unnecessary attention and all of that.

But then again, she wasn't in her home anymore. It surely didn't seem like an unreasonable request. At the very least, she could drop her English name.)

I do have one, but I haven't used it in awhile. It's Karen. Karen Pauling. Though I'd appreciate it if you kept it a secret, Miss Susan, especially from the men who are also from my world.

As you like it. Miss Pauling, then. Enjoy your day.

The same to you too.

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Memo 004: Thank Yous and Loose Ends (Backtrack to day after zombie outbreak ends)

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