[Locked to Luceti Residents]

[malnosso]

[The message is voiced, and then delivered minutes later in typed format courtesy of his secretary. Ain't she a peach?]

You blew it up, you maniacs! Ha. Sounded as good as I thought it would.

Yesterday, there was a big goddamn explosion in Region Nine. Seems the Iron Eye built quite the weapon. Enough that an entire city of cultists was wiped out of existence. Personally, I'm not shedding any tears over their loss. But the fact is, people are talking. Talking about who was involved. About the fact that a certain group of volunteers from a certain highly regarded enclosure managed to completely miss this during their investigation. Now, me, I don't like to lay blame at people. Maybe you people really are that incompetent. Hell, wouldn't be the first time you lot managed to bungle things.

Or maybe you helped blow those bastards out of existence. In which case? Have a drink on me. Seriously. I just approved two dozen kegs of high quality beer to arrive in your local pub. You're all going to need it, given how awful you must feel about yourselves. Congratulatory drink? Ha! Don't bet your life on it. Matter of fact, I'm making other arrangements. Psychotherapy for all of you. We'll put the best of the best to figure out what the hell is wrong with you people and get you back on the straight and narrow. Clearly all of you are unbalanced, going around turning into kids, blowing things up, and dealing with invasions.

Speaking of invasions - our bad. Turns out, our security wasn't as well secured as we liked. One of our own used his access codes to get in there. Count Zompano, as a matter of fact. Another thing that was bungled up. Well, we fixed it. Made the barriers harder to break than ever. If you don't believe me, go up to it and punch it as hard as you like. I'll bet you a hundred credits that if you do, your fist will bounce back into your face and break your nose. Which would be hilarious, but I don't recommend it. But if you do, bring a camera. Matter of fact, I'll give twenty mission points to the first person who gets me a picture of it. Honest to science I will.

Bad news, though. Extra security means that the defense system against natural Shifts isn't what it used to be. Fact is, it's operating at 99%. So if you happen to turn blue or freeze in place for a week, don't panic! It's perfectly normal and it will wear off. Probably. So please don't send us messages complaining to us about it. Fact is: we don't care. It just makes more work for my secretary to have to go through and delete them all. The poor woman is overworked enough.

Last order of business. Bilirubin, known to you as Sir Catherine, is a traitor to the organization and considered extremely dangerous. If any of you spot him, you give us a holler right away. We'll see to it you're properly awarded for doing so.

Comments

voice:

[shenevermisses]

If we see him, how should we contact you?

[She's said it before, she'll say it again. Not risking her life for that guy. She wanted to hand him over before, and now? She's just as happy to do it.]

voice:

[malnosso]

Drop me a line. Anywhere. Filter it to me. My secretary will be sure I see it.

[hero_of_smiles]

[Only hours after coming back from his mission and this new thing is open to everyone. Oh joy. Just hearing the confirmation of all those people (even if they were cultists) were all dead and blown to bits makes his stomach turn. Even if it was necessary, he'd never agree to something like that.

But, to hear this man, whoever he was, relay the message like that and then some? It enrages him. Sure, at the time Cross had lost it at all the people on the mission too. Hell, he's still angry, but now more towards the decision. He had let his emotions process and remembered the volunteers words; now having listened to the messages over and over again. They all did express guilt at the decision. Cross will never agree what they did was right, but, he had to give some leeway...at least most of them felt bad for the choice. They never wanted to make that choice.

And now this man was just sounding like he was rubbing salt in the wounds. Even going as far as making the Malnosso sound more incompetent than he could ever imagine. The impression he was getting was that they didn't care in the end. And he just about loses it. Hero facing be damned, he'll let his emotions ride this one out.]

The hell is wrong with you people!? You say we're incompetent but can't even keep the cultists out of here!? We're the ones solving half your damn problems! And now you honestly don't care about the places you've set up and what our thoughts are!? SCREW YOU!

[shenevermisses]

You don't even listen, do you? "One of our own," moron. Someone in their organization turned on them and came after us.

[malnosso]

[Distant, background snippet:] See, Linda? This is the kind of thing I have to deal with.

First off, let me set you straight on a few things. You solve about one percent of our problems. That's being generous. Probably a lot smaller. Hell, I could find a scientist and he'd come up with a decimal number for you. But I don't have time, so I won't.

Some people care. We have a whole department for people who are all about caring. Matter of fact, the one running it in your enclosure is named Carol. Almost ironic, if you think about it. Not intentional, though.

Now that you're done being angry, feel free to move along. Go have a beer. Or a sub sandwich. With extra radishes. Hold the mayo.

[selphie_t]

[Selphie's just tired of hearing about that blasted bomb and regrets even volunteering to go on that mission. She can understand why Cross is angry but the guilt she's feeling from that mission even well after the fact has left her emotionally drained.

She sighs before responding quietly.]

Cross...

Please. That's enough.

[voice]

[chikaidestroyer]

...From CEO to an outright traitor to the Organization. Sir Catherine is certainly going places.

[But was anyone surprised? Most likely not.]

Is there any word on what became of Zompano after the enclosure invasion?

[voice]

[malnosso]

Hardly a surprise, given how the old bastard became CEO in the first place. As for Zompano? Nobody's heard a peep from him. Personally, I'm hoping the bomb got 'em.

[voice]

[etherealblast]

[Fayt was almost tempted to respond with a sarcastic quip at the mention of psychotherapy, but he holds his tongue. What did they expect, with their complete lack of ethics in their experiments on living people? Not to mention sending people off to war? They only just thought of it?

But there were more important questions to ask.]

These natural shifts. They'll wear off.... probably?

[voice]

[malnosso]

[A groan.]

Usually. My people tell me there's a only a point zero zero zero zero zero one percent chance of it lasting longer than two weeks. But if it lasts longer than a month? Then you can tell us about it.

[Voice]

[endgames]

[So that's the barrier incompatibilities everyone on the outside was talking about then. Joy. It could be worse though, he supposes, which is why he doesn't ask for more now. Chances are someone else will ask anyways.

Speaking of Zompano, though.]

Not to change the subject [he isn't, really] I've asked a certain question of MSF and other members of the Organization only to get the same response. I bring up the Rogues, and none of 'em know what I'm talking about.

I'd have a hard time buying you don't know what I mean, though. [CJ was in on that mission to sabotage the droids, he's positive. Rem implied it was a mission off the books, but they still got 'paid' for it. So if he of all people is clueless, then this really is important to address now.] You've heard of them, haven't you?

[malnosso]

Sure I have. What do you take me for? But you're expecting a lot for the grunts to know about things like that. Hell, you shouldn't even know about it. It's a shadow organization, kiddo. With secret handshakes and all the other stuff that comes with it. They don't exactly go around wearing jackets identifying themselves as part of a counter-organization.

[voice]

[dangerouswind]

Well, aren't you just a ball of sunshine? [A snort.] If we need therapy, it's your fault.

[Yeah, most useful comment ever to this. She's unimpressed, really.]

[voice]

[malnosso]

Everyone could use a little therapy. Hell, even I get some. Once a week. I've got a guy, I pay him a ton of money so he can solve a crossword while I talk about my parents and last death. Waste of money.

You're all getting it for free.

[Voice]

[fierybluebird]

What happens if you kick it?

[Obviously a good idea.]

[Voice]

[malnosso]

Don't know. Let me know if you find out.

[Action]

[deathsdoctor]

Perhaps I should be photographing that for posterity.

Law.

[Oh no, this is not coming from the journal. This is coming written from a note appearing above your head and bouncing off.]

[Voice]

[selphie_t]

Be blue like the crackpot? Passing on that.

And does it have to be beer? Can't you send something else as well?

[Voice]

[malnosso]

What's wrong with beer? Everyone loves beer.

[ofwesternwinds]

You sound awfully sure it'll be secure this time.

[Yeah, he's not buying this. If all it took to breach the barrier was Zompano using his own access code, that really doesn't offer a whole lot a room for comfort.]

[malnosso]

You seem awfully observant. We ever have an opening for pointing out the obvious, we'll be sure to give you a call.

[weathervain]

[Important info, listening, listening, listening--]

What kind of reward?

[malnosso]

Things, mostly. A 'thank you' and 'atta girl' isn't going to get you much.

[Voice]

[goldenglasses]

[Vash has little to say about the explosion. He still was very unhappy with their choice in the matter, but what can he say?

Nothing. So he stays quiet. Except for one deadpan question.]

Honest to science, huh? I guess I should then wonder how much you care about science for that to be worth my wild.

[A broken nose some magic could fix up? For points that he's hoping to eventually spend to visit Noah, he'll be willing.]

[Voice]

[malnosso]

Depends on how much your while is worth. To me, it don't seem like much.

[misterbrief]

[The blue man. Well then.]

And what makes this Bilirubin so dangerous anyway? Going around the planet, mercilessly slaughtering your forces with his two fingers alone? [He didn't look dangerous to him.]

[malnosso]

Brains, buster. It's all about brains. The blue guy's got 'em in spades. All the brawn in the world don't mean a damn thing when it only takes a machine to bring you down. That's the power of science.

[generalflirt]

[ You know ... ]

Psychotherapy? Didn't you just say you approved?

[malnosso]

Yeah. So? I'm in therapy too.

[Voice]

[yourfononsarewhack]

[Jade listens carefully to the report. So the bomb had finally gone off, for better or worse. And, as he expected, there was no clear punishment being delivered to their enclosure.This gives him more confidence in his decision; it may truly have been helping the war effort after all.]

My, my. That's certainly a unique way of dealing with matters, given that we must be guilty of either incompetence or insubordination. Personally, I find that being given something as rudimentary as beer to be closer to a punishment than the psychotherapy. After all, I imagine that such therapists' attempts to make sense of our assorted lot will be nothing short of entertaining.

[Voice]

[malnosso]

You say that now, but you ever been in therapy?