[Warrant Officer Thompson enters the room. The prisoner is restrained as usual, but gives little hint of any attention to him.]
WO Thompson: Okay, let's start this again. We've been questioning you for three days, and all you've given us is...
Inmate W'tin: Inyme W'tin. Lance sub-commander, 24th reconnaissance platoon. 20395032093. Assigned to long term solo infiltration with intent to discern further details which may have been concealed by Hro'dtohz from the greater Rikti military.
WO Thompson: ...that. What you haven't told us is how you're able to pass as completely human, even to the Rikti we've brought in to examine you. If not for your story holding up and the fact you know things no one with your clearance level should, I'd almost think you were making this up.
Inmate W'tin: ....
WO Thompson: Uh huh...stony silence again.
[WO Thompson walks around the table to lean over to look at her.]
WO Thompson: Howabout you tell me why you turned yourself in when no one suspected you at all and your goal wasn't accomplished yet?
Inmate W'tin: ....
WO Thompson: Of course, if you don't, then holes start showing in your story. You're a solo infiltrator, the only one on your team, and yet you turn yourself in and give us the name, rank, and serial number routine to protect....what? If they definitively find evidence of you sabotaging Vanguard operations, Gaussian's pissed off enough about this security breach to try for a firing squad. So who're you protecting by taking that kind of thing? Unless you plan to tell me this is some kind of war guilt thing...
Inmate W'tin: ....
[WO Thompson steps back around the table, before picking up a file and opening it. Visible split second reaction from Inmate W'tin]
WO Thompson: Personally, the guys in intelligence think there's another infiltrator, possibly altered like you, that hasn't been caught. Me, I got another theory. You've been involved with this girl for months now. Very sweet. Everyone's happy. I bet there's a betting pool for when one of you'd actually pop the question, despite the fact you're both old enough to legally be just out of high school. But then, I know how that can be. I was seventeen when they started asking me about that kinda thing.
Inmate W'tin: ....
WO Thompson: Personally, I think you're trying not to drag her down with you, but I don't know that for sure, and I imagine the intelligence weenies will twig to it eventually. So I need you to work with me, and maybe we can keep her out of this together....
[WARNING: Psionic Activity Detected. Buffers Insufficient. Recording.]
Inmate W'tin: Don't. You. Dare.
WO Thompson: What the?
Inmate W'tin: Don't bring her into this.
WO Thompson: And why would I do that?
Inmate W'tin: Because I'm just waiting here to die. After all I've been through, it'd be a relief. However, there's one last thing that'd make me willing to put off wonderful oblivion, and that's the thought that someone like you would use Alice for leverage to get me to talk. Leave her out of this, or I'll do what I have to do. Psi buffers or not, I will reach into your head and switch it off. They'll find you a drooling vegetable. Probably put you on life support. But they won't be able to tell that I didn't trash your cognitive centers. You'll be just aware enough to see the sad faces when they finally pull the plug and you die of asphyxiation, starvation, or whatever comes first.
WO Thompson: You'd...
Inmate W'tin: To keep her safe from this? I'd do anything. You want to doubt me? Feel free. But don't think for a minute that I won't carry through on that.
[Warrant Officer Thompson stands up, visibly paler as Inmate W'tin looks directly at him. He closes the file and exits the room.]
[Recording ends]
---
"Oh, silver blade, forged in the depths of the beyond. Heed my summons and purge those who stand in my way. Lay
waste."
WO Thompson: Okay, let's start this again. We've been questioning you for three days, and all you've given us is...
Inmate W'tin: Inyme W'tin. Lance sub-commander, 24th reconnaissance platoon. 20395032093. Assigned to long term solo infiltration with intent to discern further details which may have been concealed by Hro'dtohz from the greater Rikti military.
WO Thompson: ...that. What you haven't told us is how you're able to pass as completely human, even to the Rikti we've brought in to examine you. If not for your story holding up and the fact you know things no one with your clearance level should, I'd almost think you were making this up.
Inmate W'tin: ....
WO Thompson: Uh huh...stony silence again.
[WO Thompson walks around the table to lean over to look at her.]
WO Thompson: Howabout you tell me why you turned yourself in when no one suspected you at all and your goal wasn't accomplished yet?
Inmate W'tin: ....
WO Thompson: Of course, if you don't, then holes start showing in your story. You're a solo infiltrator, the only one on your team, and yet you turn yourself in and give us the name, rank, and serial number routine to protect....what? If they definitively find evidence of you sabotaging Vanguard operations, Gaussian's pissed off enough about this security breach to try for a firing squad. So who're you protecting by taking that kind of thing? Unless you plan to tell me this is some kind of war guilt thing...
Inmate W'tin: ....
[WO Thompson steps back around the table, before picking up a file and opening it. Visible split second reaction from Inmate W'tin]
WO Thompson: Personally, the guys in intelligence think there's another infiltrator, possibly altered like you, that hasn't been caught. Me, I got another theory. You've been involved with this girl for months now. Very sweet. Everyone's happy. I bet there's a betting pool for when one of you'd actually pop the question, despite the fact you're both old enough to legally be just out of high school. But then, I know how that can be. I was seventeen when they started asking me about that kinda thing.
Inmate W'tin: ....
WO Thompson: Personally, I think you're trying not to drag her down with you, but I don't know that for sure, and I imagine the intelligence weenies will twig to it eventually. So I need you to work with me, and maybe we can keep her out of this together....
[WARNING: Psionic Activity Detected. Buffers Insufficient. Recording.]
Inmate W'tin: Don't. You. Dare.
WO Thompson: What the?
Inmate W'tin: Don't bring her into this.
WO Thompson: And why would I do that?
Inmate W'tin: Because I'm just waiting here to die. After all I've been through, it'd be a relief. However, there's one last thing that'd make me willing to put off wonderful oblivion, and that's the thought that someone like you would use Alice for leverage to get me to talk. Leave her out of this, or I'll do what I have to do. Psi buffers or not, I will reach into your head and switch it off. They'll find you a drooling vegetable. Probably put you on life support. But they won't be able to tell that I didn't trash your cognitive centers. You'll be just aware enough to see the sad faces when they finally pull the plug and you die of asphyxiation, starvation, or whatever comes first.
WO Thompson: You'd...
Inmate W'tin: To keep her safe from this? I'd do anything. You want to doubt me? Feel free. But don't think for a minute that I won't carry through on that.
[Warrant Officer Thompson stands up, visibly paler as Inmate W'tin looks directly at him. He closes the file and exits the room.]
[Recording ends]
---
"Oh, silver blade, forged in the depths of the beyond. Heed my summons and purge those who stand in my way. Lay
waste."