Video

[bindsthedead]

[Sabriel's standing in front of her desk at RISE headquarters, wearing her hauberk and surcoat. Her tone is clear and confident, and she holds herself still as she speaks.]

For those of you who may be new- greetings! my name is Sabriel, and I'm a member of RISE. We're a group of imPorts sanctioned by the government to both apprehend imPorts who choose to threaten the natives of this world or their fellow imPorts, and bring them to trial, under the leadership of Major General Armstrong. Some of our other duties involve acting as security at swear-ins, and acting to protect both imPorts and natives from other threats the police can't deal with- groups like the Cain Cabal for example.

We're seeking new members- both those skilled in combat to act as field agents, and those whose skills are less martially inclined- investigators and lawyers to both gather evidence and prosecute cases- any imPorts captured by RISE will be judged by a tribunal of their fellow imPorts, although we cannot pass down any sentence harsher than what the government allows. [Frustration slips over Sabriel's face as she says this.]

Unfortunately, due to certain... restrictions imposed by our hosts, field agents must be registered, and applicants are required to pass both a physical and psychological evaluation.

Let me stress- if you want to help protect people, and you're willing to work as part of a team, RISE can provide you with the resources to do so. And even if your skills do not incline towards the physical, there's still a need for them. Bringing imPort criminals to justice takes more than just arresting them.

If you have any further questions, don't be afraid to ask. Or you can contact Major General Armstrong, if you'd prefer.

Later, on the Mirrornet

[Sabriel's no longer at RISE HQ- instead, she's sitting on a chair in her home in Nonah. She's quieter than she was in her earlier post, and her expression is thoughtful.]

I understand why people chose to protest at the ceremony- imPorts should let the government know how we feel about their policies. But I wanted to know how government officials felt, and I had hoped to gain information about what happened to former Secretary Chases, and find officials who might lend a sympathetic ear to imPorts. [Sabriel sighs.]

Instead I learned something else. I received several contradicting answers regarding Chases whereabouts- various officials claimed she was sent to Belize, to the 'Federal Correctional Institute', or possibly the Cayman Islands- that particular official also claimed that the Soviets were engaged in money laundering, or possibly unethical experimentation, in the vicinity. I'm not sure if any of the information is valid, and it's... disturbing that a government official could just vanish.

My attempts at finding sympathetic officials who could help imPorts also failed. People were angry and frightened by the Soviet invasion, and they don't want to be accused of spying. Some of them have said that they feel like they can't trust anyone. [Sabriel frowns, and drums her fingers against the chair.]

We have a problem that's messier than America destroying one city in retaliation for the invasion. This fear, this paranoia about spies and being accused of spying, people vanishing... I'm not an expert in this world's history, but it seems disturbingly similar to the situation in 1984, right before the first imPorts arrived.

I'm not sure what we should do, but I suspect it'll be more complicated than simply protesting a bombing done in our name.

Comments

mirrornet; video

[mousquetaire]

[ This is troubling, to say the least. D'Artagnan knows everyone has been focused on the bombing. It's worried him, principally because he knows the war is not over; that it's paused, and that worse atrocities will come before it's over. That's only logical to him.

It still grates on him that they are not, right now, engaging the Russians in combat. That's how he thinks this should be resolved.

But for that, imports cannot act alone. ]

If the Americans turn on each other, they'll lose this war without the Soviets lifting another finger. I loathe what was done in Debrecen, but the fact remains that there is more at stake than one city.

Sabriel, do you have any sense of their appetite for action? They need to remember who their enemies are, or they'll see a brainwashed spy in everyone.

mirrornet; video

[bindsthedead]

I think it's there- but while they've gone far past the point of being rational about it, their fear of spies isn't completely unfounded- spying and infiltration is the main reason the Soviet invasion was a successful as it was.

Although I'm not entirely convinces Sublime is actually a spy.

mirrornet; video

[mousquetaire]

And the actions of certain imports, whether genuine or not, will not have improved their capacity to trust us. I know.

[ He’s of the opinion that what Kitty, Gregor and Nicolas did was very brave, but it’s not the form of warfare d’Artagnan favors. Turncoats and double agents, spies and double meanings. To him it’s dishonest, and dishonourable to boot. He doesn’t like it. ]

What do you mean, about Sublime? If you suspect a different play, I would hear it.

mirrornet; audio

[rassera]

What happened in 1984.

[Kaneda's voice is solemn, like he's lost any and all of his playful little sing-song tone. Because after hearing all of this...and knowing that this puts all the imPorts--especially ones he cares about--at risk.

Hell..EVERYONE at risk...

He has to know.]


I'm from another world's Earth, and America did some shit around that same time. History repeating itself? More like history is constant through universes with this country.

mirrornet; audio

[bindsthedead]

America was a police state, or something close to it. Curfews, repression, brainwashing their own citizens- using methods similar to what the Russians tried on us.

People who spoke out against it were accused of being Soviet spies, or brainwashed by them, or of being dangerous and insane criminals- does any of this sound familiar?

mirrornet; audio

[rassera]

[It's a good thing this is mirrornet, cause he couldn't want this more out of the government's ears than right now.]

I don't know a lot about America--just that ever since World War II, and World War III back home in 1988...it's pretty shit. America was LOOKING for a reason to bomb us again, to wipe Japan off the map after everything. When I say America looks for a reason for war when they're bored, it's cause I know.

They get antsy, and then wait for someone else to do something wrong.

And they celebrate it like it's a damn party. And if they did what you said back in 1984 HERE...

[There's a shrug, not that Sabriel can see it.]

What's that English saying....'leopards don't change spots.'

text

[akas]

What do you look in "investigators".

text

[bindsthedead]

People who can interview witnesses and suspects, gather evidence through other means, and present evidence to the tribunal.

text

[akas]

I have experience in that field. More on the later than the stuff with people.

Voice

[thegriffinofdeath]

Hmm.

Looking for volunteers? Anyone written off before they even show up?

[Anastasya is somewhere between amused and thoughtful.]

Voice

[bindsthedead]

Yes- and the only people we're excluding are the likes of Crane and Pan. People who've proven that all they want to do is hurt others.

Voice

[thegriffinofdeath]

So...I could sign up for the cause, then?

Mirrornet | Video

[excessivehubris]

[ Charles considered whether or not to respond to this but he remember Sabriel from the seminar and after a moment, he opened a channel. ]

Good evening, Ms. Sabriel

This is very concerning information you've brought up and unfortunately matches up to what I was able to pull from the minds of the Soviets, when I had the opportunity.

Mirrornet | Video

[bindsthedead]

What did you pull from the Soviets? It wouldn't surprise me if they knew something we didn't, but we also know they're not exactly honest with their own people.

Mirrornet | Video

[excessivehubris]

Unfortunately most of them were in the position of being 'need to know' and they didn't need to know.

But what I was able to sort out of the the minds I touched is along the lines of the following.

The Soviets were able to coordinate the attack because of a long history of Soviet spies within America's most important institutions. Unfortunately, I couldn't get any names, faces or even conformation that those spies were still in place, or even where they had been, which was ... vexing.

The other bit of pertinent, and disquieting, information is that the technology to reduce imPorts' powers, in varying degrees has been around for quite some time.

[ Here he paused briefly, before deciding that this last bit probably was no big surprise to anyone. ]

And that most likely, the Soviets simply lifted that technology from the American government.

But again, who or how, when or where there were no details. The Soviets we faced truly had very little foreknowledge or information about what they were doing here.

Mirror

[mightthinkthat]

Generally what one does when one is worried about spies in government is to expel Russians. Failing that, perhaps we should find some actual spies and hand them over. A success, even manufactured, in this area will do wonders.

I point out the 'manufactured' part, not out of a particular desire to make up spies, but because if we don't do this, someone in the government might very well think of it and pick on some poor sod as a scape goat.

Mirror

[bindsthedead]

It wouldn't surprise me if someone already has. I'm not convinced Sublime is innocent, but no one could show me much proof she was actually guilty.

[mightthinkthat]

I was thinking more like a half-dozen or so. The lack of proof to give you is easily explained by National Security concerns. I wouldn't show you either, I'm afraid.

[darwinatrix]

Good work.

I'm curious about who the officials concerned about spying are really afraid of.

[bindsthedead]

Secrets coming to light? I'd really like to speak with Sublime- and Chases- privately. If we can even find either of them.

How much do you know about this world's history- what things were like in 1984?

[darwinatrix]

Some. Mainly what they've written about it. Those texts... I don't trust them much. History's written by the winners, after all.

It's possible that Sublime and Chases may be dead.

private text;

[mathemagier]

What do the evaluations entail, as related to any requirements for recruitment?

private text;

[bindsthedead]

A psychological evaluation, and a physical one for field agents. We can't guarantee that we'll never face power nullifiers, so we want people who can handle themselves. Of course, for people who aren't working in the field, it's irrelevant.

[mathemagier]

Yes, well I am a physicist, so I don't expect to be on the forefront of defense. To that end, I can almost guarantee I would fail a physical evaluation.

What I could offer is more along the lines of remote support. This can relate to anything from transporting materials to tearing down an enemy's defenses. These things I can do from virtually any location so long as I have access to my equipment.

I am also a skilled programmer and excel in pattern recognition and algorithm decryption. Of course, I have an extensive background in physics and abstract mathematics should you find them of value.

video;

[psychofailed]

Are non-members allowed to observe these tribunals?

[He's read about them, a little, in his books, and heard some in Masaoka's stories, but he's never actually experienced such a thing for himself; they were a relic of the past, with the Sybil System in place, but that doesn't mean he isn't always hungry to learn more.]