Episode 420: GULag, Part Four

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Sunday, 26 Oct 2521
Seriy Ogohn GULag
Morning

Nika is woken up by Posen. She sits up and he gets right to it.

Posen: I don’t know how long I can talk to you. Literally. Roskov is not letting anyone near the transmitter. I believe any damage to it is probably easily repaired. If we can get a message out, we might be able to get someone out to fix the … situation. I have—my men have secreted weapons. Roskov thinks he has them all but he does not.
Nika: So how many men do you have?
Posen: I’m not 100% sure. I have maybe a half dozen I can trust. Maybe another half dozen that if we’re winning will come with us.
Nika: How did Foreman get stabbed?
Posen: Foreman got stabbed—there is, ah, I don’t know how much you know about the politics here but there are gangs. They believe Foreman has information that could … be… um … a danger. Some of these people are weapons traders. Foreman was facilitating their actions with the Alliance. He knows who the primary contact is. I don’t know who that is.
Nika: In the Alliance? Or here?
Posen: Here. While he lives, there’s a chance that somebody might be—that that information might get to the authorities or to … well, I guess the authorities is the key, eventually.
Nika: So why would …?
Posen: Roskov want him alive?
Nika: Yeah.
Posen: Well, I think that Roskov wants bargaining power against the Brotherhood. If we were to get out, he would just be assassinated wherever he goes. But if he had this information, he could escape that.
Nika: Fair enough. So was he a prisoner here before?
Posen: Roskov?
Nika: Um-hm.
Posen: Yeah. He was surrendered by his own people.

In her own bunk nearby, Rina grins a little satisfied grin into her pillow. Yes! She knew the Brotherhood had a part to play in all this. She lies still and listens.

Nika: All right.
Posen: I can’t be seen here for long. He tolerates me for a while—
Nika: Did he sabotage the generator or did you?
Posen: Now why would I sabotage the generator?
Nika: It’s just a question.
Posen: The generator broke on its own. He’s prevented anyone from working on it. He sabotaged—well I don’t know if he did it or if he—
Nika: Does he know you’ve asked my engineer to do this?
Posen: He was there. I think he—
Nika: But he’s sidetracked by my steward.
Posen: And I think that’s something else that’s going on. Perhaps at this stage now that Foreman is on the mend, there’s the chance that he thinks he can move forward with whatever he’s been planning. If he’s been planning anything.
Nika: Take my engineer. Go and take her out to the generator. Or have someone take her out to the generator.
Posen: I can’t. He’ll know that something’s afoot. If you can get there on your own …
Nika: So you asked her to repair the generator in front of him and she’s going to have to go do it on her own without any …?
Posen: Oh, well, somebody can help her I’m sure.
Nika: That’s all I was asking. Get her on the job you asked her to do.
Posen: Once the generator’s up and running, things may move fast. I don’t know what he has planned.
Nika: Where’s the transmitter?
Posen: The transmitter itself is at the peak of the dome. The control center as far as I know is functional, but someone might have climbed up there and played with the antenna, disconnected it or something.
Nika:So you have monkey men working for you, too.
Posen: Well you can walk on top of the dome. I wouldn’t recommend it. It’s slippery and it’s—
Nika:Yeah, it doesn’t look like my idea of a good time.
Posen: I’ve forgotten what a good time is, if you’ll pardon me, Captain. It’s been a long time. I’ve been as much a prisoner as these men.
Nika: What sparked the first riot that wound up with you and your men out of control?
Posen: There wasn’t a riot. There was just a … intimidation. They were just able to…
Nika: You mean Mr. Charisma, there?
Posen: He does have charisma and he was able to convince…I mean, guards are always taken bribes. People don’t come to this job because it’s high or they’re incredibly loyal or …
Nika: Yeah. It’s not terribly high-paying.
Posen: Half the guards are probably already corrupted and ready to go with them. We’ve always tacitly allowed that. It keeps the economy going in prison, it keeps the prisoners occupied.
Nika: Yeah.
Posen: When he moved in, we didn’t know what would happen. We imagined he would be brought down by somebody, from one of the gangs. And many times they attempted it and he always seemed to survive. They called him the New Rasputin, from his apparent invulnerability. And sometimes he could seem to stare down people and they would just give in to him.
Nika: Mm-hm.
Posen: He’s gotten some bit of a reputation for being some sort of mystic and he does everything he can to promote that foolishness of course.
Nika: You say his own people surrendered him.
Posen: The gangs. One of the old Brotherhoods. The Brotherhood of the Ark.
Nika: Here is my question to you. Do you think he was put in here as a plant to find out the gun runners’ primary contact?
Posen: I don’t think so.
Nika: Why?
Posen: Ahh … I don’t think that was why he was sent here. He doesn’t seem, well, he definitely controls what he says but I don’t believe he is …
Nika: So you now you think he’s basically taken the situation he’s found himself in and turned it around to his advantage.
Posen: Yes.
Nika: All right. Let me see what we can cobble together.
Posen: I know it doesn’t look like we have much and I’m sure that the authorities will settle things but they probably think we’re all dead. It’s been months since we’ve had contact.

Nika chuckles over that one.

Nika: Hope springs eternal.
Posen: In any event, I ….
Nika: What are we gonna do? Die tryin’? I mean, you know … (wags her hand: so-so) … We could all hang out here and die, or we can die tryin’.

On that note, Posen cut out of there and when he’s out of earshot, Nika nudges Rina awake. Not that it was necessary.

Nika: So … while you’re out there working on the generator, I need you to scope out and see what you can find for travel avenues to the transmitter on top of the dome.
Rina: Natch. Okay.
Nika: I don’t know if it’s going to play out and get us killed or not, but what the hell.

From what we’ve seen on our way into the place, we could probably just walk right out and start scaling the dome. It’s geodesic and like a giant jungle gym. There are no stairs to the top, inside or out. Getting to the top would pretty much require us to climb the outside surface of it.

Rina: I could say I’m just enjoying the air up there and the view. I’ll think of something.
Nika: He thinks that it’s going to be simple to fix the transmitter. He thinks that Roskov there has disabled the transmitter.
Arden: (from his bunk) You’re going to have to fix the generator first, you know. If only because the transmitter runs off it.
Nika: You know what? Fix the generator and I’ll see if I can get up to the goddamned transmitter. I guess I’ll go hiking up the damned dome if nobody’s paying attention to what I’m doing.
Rina: Be careful.
Nika: Total thrillsville.

We all get up. Rina goes to fix the generator. Arden waits for patients to take up his offer of med care. No one takes him up on it. The prisoners don’t look like they’re in great shape but for some reason they are not flocking to the infirmary. Based on last night’s dinner and this morning’s breakfast, Arden reckons the coarse bread and stews are sufficient to stave off starvation and any of the more likely vitamin-deficiency diseases. With the lack of patients or anything else constructive to do, Arden turns his thoughts to Roskov. He’d noticed the vibrating quality of the man’s gaze and starts cataloguing all the different medical reasons for it. Based on his study of psychology, Arden thinks Roskov exhibits signs of megalomania.

No, really? Wow.

However, such tics as Arden’s noticed also come with schizophrenia and delusions of grandeur. If we were to plot against him, schizophrenics are the sort that may take somewhat absurd ideas seriously. We discuss it later when everyone returns for a midmorning break.

Rina: Huh. I’d’ve called him a sociopath.
Joshua: He’s not a sociopath.
Rina: So what would you call him, Joshua? If he’s not a sociopath.
Joshua: I don’t know what he is. He’s too complex to push into one word.
Rina: Hm. Well, that I agree.
Arden: Crazy nutzoid.
Rina: Well, back to the salt mines for me.

The generator calls. She rises and grabs her tools.

Arden: Rina. Do you need help? I do have mechanical engineering.
Rina: So does Joshua. Besides, he can watch me for ten minutes and then he knows everything I know. (turns to Joshua) What are you going to be doing?
Joshua: I don’t know.
Arden: He’s going to be fretting about not doing something. Or fretting he’s doing something that he’s not fretting about not doing.
Joshua: I think I’ve made a decision regarding that. I just have to figure out—
Arden: Are you sure? You’ve made a decision about making a decision?
Joshua: Yeah.
Arden: You’re sure.
Joshua: Yeah.
Arden: Okay.
Nika: Just tell him you’ll do what he wants.

We all stare. Come again?

Joshua: Did I actually just hear the captain say go ahead and do whatever he wants.
Nika: Ahhh, that is not exactly what the captain said, was it? What exactly did the captain say?
Arden: Go ahead and do what he wants.
Nika: No.

Beglan, who’s been strangely silent for a good portion of our stay here, finally speaks up.

Beglan: “Tell him”
Arden: (getting it now) Ohhhh….
Nika: Thank you. Somebody was listening.
Joshua: I was listening.
Arden: I was too busy … um …
Rina: Being an ass?
Arden: Being a jerk.
Joshua: At least he’s honest about it.
Beglan: I don’t know. There’s something about him. I don’t think it’s a good idea to toy with words with him.
Joshua: Oh I completely agree with that. Right now …
Nika: Is waffling getting you anywhere?
Joshua: There are basically two choices. One, that I voluntarily do what he asks. Two, that I let him manipulate me into doing it. And he can do that. He’s done it to me.
Nika: I would prefer if those are the two options, that you do what he asks without the manipulation because—
Joshua: Waffling at least keeps me from having to make the choice.
Rina: Until he makes it for you.
Nika: (right!) Until he makes if for you. I would prefer that you go ahead and take control of the situation and should you be then given an assignment, you potentially still have your own brains about you, therefore we can thwart it.
Rina: Truly. Joshua, jump off the cliff. You still have until you hit bottom to figure a way out of it.

Joshua gapes at her. Come again?

Rina: It beats standing at the cliff pretending to follow it.
Nika: Ultimately I don’t want him to make the choice for you.
Joshua: I don’t … (trying, trying hard) … I don’t know how much he knows. He knows some. I don’t know how much he knows—listen.
Nika: I’m listening.

Arden moves to speak and Rina shushes him with a gesture.

Joshua: If I’m doing it voluntarily, I have to tell him. I have to weave the story to give him some idea of what I can do. If I don’t and he forces it out of me, there’s basically—
Nika: No you don’t. You play straight with him. You tell him that it might be in fact against your better judgment to do so but you would rather keep your own brains about you and you’ll do what he asks. Voluntarily. Because he already knows you have misgivings. It’s not like you’re gonna hide that, if he is a Reader.
Joshua: He’s not a—
Nika: Arden, why is your hand in the air?
Arden: I need to point out something and she told me to shut up.
Joshua: Yes, Arden?
Arden: If it would make a difference, we could ask what he knows and what the deal is.
Joshua: I …
Rina: That’s a good suggestion, actually.

Somebody write that down: Rina thinks an idea of Arden’s has merit.

Joshua: I may be wrong but I’m reasonably certain I know what he wants out of me. He said specifically that he’s not sure what he wants out of me. He senses—
Nika: He just wants you on the hook?
Joshua: Basically. He senses that I’m the right tool for the right situation.
Arden: Pliable.
Joshua: Not pliable, per se. Think about it this way—
Nika: Lemme ask—
Joshua: Just think about it this way and then you can tell me whatever you want, Captain, and I will do whatever. If you could order people—beyond just Captain’s orders—if you could order people to do what you wanted them to do, then the one thing you wouldn’t have that you could desperately need in that spot is knowing who’s working against you. Who do you need to find to order to do what you want? You need somebody who can find that sort of information out. And he just basically had it handed to him on a platter. I’m not saying I’m going to do it, I’m just … (sighs)
Nika: (God give me strength) My question to you is, what choice do you have? If your options are to at least manipulate the situation to your own advantage, or letting him essentially order or mind-wipe yourself into being gone—
Arden: You could do it voluntarily or involuntarily. And what she’s saying is if you do it voluntarily, at least you have a measure of control of the situation.
Nika: Not to mention the ability to stall.
Rina: Beglan?

The Irishman looks to have something he wants to say.

Beglan: I don’t want ta, you know, speak out of place or anything here…
Joshua: Speak away, please.
Beglan: It seems to me that you’re narrowin’ yer options quite a bit here. Y’can do whatever ya want, lad. Yer not trapped here. I mean we’re trapped here but we’re not trapped here.
Nika: Heck, we could just walk out the front door.
Beglan: (nodding) We could walk out the door. We could take him down in a fight. If he wants to use his influence to make you do it, he could but he’s not here right now. Yer not stuck. Don’t feel like ye have t’do what he says. You c’n do somethin’ right now to stop it. You c’n plug yer ears with cotton.
Nika: Yes, I’m not saying you do what he says, I’m saying you should play the situation out.
Beglan: Maybe not.
Nika: Or maybe not.
Beglan: If yer a drunkard, stay outa the bar.

Joshua starts to laugh. Cuz what’s the man gonna do? Cry about it?

Nika: Interesting analogy.
Arden: Interesting, coming from an Irishman.
Beglan: We’ve got a natural talent for such things.
Rina: We Russians understand that sort of thing, yes.
Beglan: I mean if yer vulnerable, then don’t expose yerself to it. Don’t go walkin’ into the lion’s den.
Rina: Oh, I don’t know. I’m getting pretty used to lions.
Arden: They are big kitty cats after all.
Beglan: I’m just offerin’ a third alternative.
Rina: No, it sounds good to me. I—we need more information.
Nika: How much can you take off the Director? Can you read him?
Joshua: The Director? Sure, I can— (huffs)
Nika: I’m getting the impression from you that Roskov is beyond your abilities.
Joshua: No, I don’t know that he’s beyond my abilities. I don’t know what his capabilities are. I don’t know how much he knows about me.
Nika: I don’t care how much he knows about you.
Joshua: Really?
Nika: What you have said to this point is that he is attempting to manipulate you into doing something for him. The Director has given us an option. He has potentially something that will work for us. I need Rina to fix the generator and we need to get the transmitter up and running and what I need is to know is if the Director is dealing straight with us.
Joshua: I can do it. The reason why I haven’t been at this point is I don’t know what he knows. And the more he knows, the easier it will be for him to just order me to do what he wants.
Nika: Who? The Director?
Joshua: No. Roskov.
Nika: I’m not sending you after Roskov.
Joshua: I know. I don’t know what his range is. I don’t know what my range is. (he gestures emphatically and lowers his voice) I can feel him fucking coming down the hallway.
Nika: So don’t be where you can feel him coming down the hallway.
Arden: Wrap tinfoil around your head.
Nika: I’m not going to play the what-if game with you, Joshua. Because that’s essentially what you’re doing right here. You’re saying, what if he senses that I’m doing this? Well you know what? If you want to play the what-if game like that, we’ll all just sit here until we die.
Joshua: Then fine. Thank you, Captain.
Arden: (to Nika) You have this thing with doing something or dying. It’s really disturbing me right now.
Nika: You know what? We landed on the friggin’ planet in the middle of winter and I’m distinctly unhappy. See if you can figure out if the Director is playing straight with us. That’s all I’m asking.
Arden: We can talk to the Director in the morning and then we can deal with Roskov in the afternoon.
Rina: It is the morning.
Arden: I know.

Nika tries very hard not to scream. Why has she been saddled with such a contrary crew?

Nika: I would prefer not to deal with Roskov in the afternoon. I would rather go ahead to attempt to fix the generator and get the transmitter online and get to the weapons cache that we could potentially get a hold of—
Arden: What weapons cache?
Nika: (to Arden, low) If you’d keep your gorram mouth shut long enough to learn what I know.
Rina: Well, honey, I’m off to work.

Rina goes right up to Joshua, gives him a big hearty kiss.

Rina: If I die before I see you again, I’m not leaving without kissing you first.
Joshua: Aye-aye. (salutes Nika) Aye-aye.
Nika: (steely) Just find out what I asked you to.
Joshua: Yes ma’am.
Rina: Thank you. Tactical use of the party psychic. Thank you. (blows a kiss to Nika) See, he’d never do it if I asked him.
Joshua: Actually, I would have.
Rina: Well, I’ve got my own reasons for not forcing you to do something. Don’t work too hard.

She leaves for the generator room. Joshua leaves to find the Director. Arden goes off to find Roskov, because he wants to talk to him. Roskov is with the Director and hey, there’s Joshua wondering if things could possibly get any worse. Not only does he have to Read the Director, he has to do it with Roskov in the room and Arden is there to possibly add his own inborn snafu-generator into the mix.

Damn.

Joshua plows through with Nika’s orders anyway. Before he can move, however …

Arden: So, Roskov, I have a question for you.
Roskov: Yes?
Arden: What is it that you want?
Roskov: What is it I want?
Arden: Mm-hm.
Roskov: In what sense do you mean?
Arden: Why are we here? Other than the fact that we crashed and you rescued us.

Wait. Arden might be what Joshua needs… as a distraction by drawing Roskov out. Posen stands to one side, just watching all of this.

Arden: Why hasn’t the generator been fixed?
Roskov: There was not time. The time is approaching, if you are interested. But these questions … what answers would make you happy?
Arden: The truthful ones.
Roskov: Are you sure?
Arden: Positive. They might not make me happy but at least I’ll know the answers. And why was Foreman attacked in such a way that he was really should have died but now you want him alive.
Roskov: I am a good servant of the Alliance and I wouldn’t wish anyone to—
Arden: Why are you a servant of the Alliance?
Roskov: Why?
Arden: Yeah.
Roskov: I have become disillusioned with the Independents of Novaya Rodina.
Arden: Okay. So take passage to the Core worlds. Say bye-bye.
Roskov: There you go. (amused) Sounds good. Is everyone happy now?
Arden: Everyone’s happy.
Roskov: Do you feel better?
Arden: Uh-huh.

And taking advantage of Arden’s grilling of Roskov, Joshua Reads Posen when the question of the generator comes up. And as he does …

Arden looks over at Joshua and sees Joshua go odd. He looks as if he’d just blissed out on something, the way a cat does with catnip.

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