Participants:
| Scene Title | Black and White |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | After Christian leaves a message for Phoenix, someone unexpected gets in touch. |
| Date | November 8, 2008 |
On the Airwaves
Earlier in the day…
Down at the southern end of central park, someone has put words over top the most recent PHOENIX graffiti.
"Be the change you want to see"
—talk to me.
Did he read, christ he didnt know why it'd really bothered him so much after he left. It wasnt the first time he'd ever felt as though he lacked culture, but it was certainly the most recent. So after doing all the spooky things spooks do, he'd made some time to hit up a local bookstore. Frankly he didnt really know what to buy, he wasnt sure what was really proper to start with so he'd just hung with history. It was the first time since basic training that he'd ever gone anywhere, sat down and just read. This time it was on the Balkans, but already he was starting to grow far more confused about that particular region than he had ever been before.
Still Chris was on the job, so he had his tough book parked under a cell tower to make triangulation impossible and both radios tuned in. He had the big Thales in one ear, scanning softly a preset range of restricted frequencies whilst the other was tuned in on dead air. He'd been chatting up some dude in the UK off a repeater earlier, but the signal had gone silent and he was quietly listening if his new friend would return.
Chris's quiet evening reading is disrupted by a soft crackle from one radio, the sound just preceding a transmission. The voice is recognizably a woman's, although it wouldn't match Hana's real voice on any method of comparison. Not for this communication. "Variable? Median to Variable, please respond." Definitely not the UK friend.
It takes a moment to sink in, jesus christ he hasnt used that since before he went Ranger. He tunes his big Thales up, but uses the smaller less powerful Yaesu to actually broadcast. It'd hide just what sort've shit he had access to, as the little VX-3 was hardly anything expensive or uncommon. "Variable, Median I read at frequency one one six nine four seven, point, three six two. Please advise further instructions". His tone was immediately flat and measured, and even his response to Median was in line with the same response he would have given when he still used that callsign.
Somewhere not very close to here, Hana smiles thinly at Christian's choice of response. And takes a brief moment to consider her own. She could say anything she wanted in safety, but that isn't something Wireless wants to give away just yet. "Apologies for the late contact, Variable, but it seemed like a little… talk… was overdue. A lot's changed since the old days." A pause. "I'm afraid Scorpio couldn't join in tonight. He had other business to address."
"I hear you Median, However concern over your security is lingering. Please discuss alternate means of contact if you are not absolutely sure that your transmissions cannot be located by third party sources. From old raven to another, there is no reason we cannot conduct ourselves as we should."
Of all things to respond to Median's (very valid) concerns with, a quiet burble of laughter probably isn't the one he expects. "See to yourself, Median. The crow appreciates the consideration — but the only one who can listen on this end is me."
Christian takes it for being cocky, but hell its her call not his. "The thin blue line still exists, one asterisk still exists. Your friends on this end will need some assistance to restore balance. We are in danger of starting a very dangerous cycle. Our aims are not mutually exclusive." well there, he said it without really saying it.
"My friends aren't looking for danger. They'll hold their own if they have to, of course. Everyone does." The woman's voice falls quiet for a few moments. "What sort of assistance would be wanted?" She really does believe in her security.
Christian takes a moment for that one. "Not those friends"he corrects simply "I want to stop them, I want to arrest them and halt remove their ability to hurt the movement. I need electronic information, I'm a Raven I dont need much. 4-5 phone numbers, or one number and enough for an actionable warrant. I am open to discussing granting you assistance, but am not willing to discuss that information over wireless. If what you believe they are doing is wrong, then help me stop them. If your not willing to help me to stop them, then you condone their actions and this conversation is over."
Christian's ultimatum rings out over the airwaves and is met with a silence that feels pensive, despite the lack of actual personal interaction in this conversation. After a long few moments — perhaps long enough for Christian to assume she's conferring with someone else, or fallen off altogether — Wireless does reply. "Not one for 'good faith', are you, Variable?" the woman asks. It's quite a rhetorical question. "Ravens and crows alike fall into the trap of black and white, but I'm often reminded that the world exists in shades of gray. When you're ready to actually talk, give me a ring. Until then… Median out."
And there is nothing left on the channel but silence.
Afterwards, in a text conversation with Teo:
Wireless: I spoke with your FCC friend. Little progress except to open the door. If he should get in touch with you and refer to 'Scorpio', that means you. 'Median' would be me.
There's a pause before he answers. Not a long one; just long enough to answer the text that had arrived in his phone seconds after hers had. 'You mentioned me?' Limited to alphanumerical characters of text, the question is devoid of sentiment, surprise or otherwise.
Wireless: Not directly. The exact words were "I'm afraid Scorpio couldn't join in tonight. He had other business to address." I'm telling you so you can choose to recognize it or not, if he mentions the name at any point.
(A momentary pause.)
Wireless: You can pretend it's someone else. Like Bennet.
Got it.
The message probably ended there, originally, but it takes ten minutes for him to answer her this time, so it's not hard to imagine the protracted moment spent wondering. Thinking hard, before he added: 'Did you open the door because you want us to walk through or just to look inside?'
Wireless: Right now, it's up to him. He offered an ultimatum — 'you're with us or you're with them,' in effect. I told him to learn how to compromise.
'More than fair. He's coming. I'll tell him he doesn't have to get me a birthday gift.' Either humorously cryptic or a gap in language fluency; no doubt, she hadn't known. The Ferrymen's personnel aren't normally wont to share Zodiac signs. 'Buona sera.'
 November 8th: Two Roads Diverged in a Yellow Wood |
 November 8th: The Murderer or the Madman |