03 ▒ EVENT: STRELA OUTPOST ▒ ASSIMILATION

[ataraxites]

CHARACTERS: Ensemble production!
LOCATION: Strela Outpost.
WARNINGS: Mind horror, hivemindery, etc.
SUMMARY: Communal brainwashing.
NOTES: Divided by locations; players are free to indicate which day/stage, and to begin new subthreads wherever they'd like!

Looks like the authorities have apprehended you and have brought you in for processing. After being forced to wait in the waiting room, you're brought to the assimilation room - a terrible white cell, where you're trapped for hours, sentenced to be slowly stripped of your individuality.

Comments

[theredchampion]

[ ... This guy again.

Fantastic.

Of all the people to be stuck with it has to be Mr Law And Order. Niall rolls his eyes visibly, sat on the floor in what could be taken as silent resignation. ]

You are on their planet, they have every right to enforce their own rules. Do stop pacing, not only are you wasting energy but you are projecting your agitation.

Oh hello dear :>

[jurisimpudent]

[Edgeworth looks over, taken somewhat aback by this interruption. He certainly hadn't thought that he couldn't be overheard - he was speaking loudly enough that they could probably hear him on the other side of the wall - but he hadn't expected anyone to question him. Let alone to question his assertion that this detention was unlawful.

He doesn't recognize this individual. That doesn't necessarily mean he's not from the Tranquility; Edgeworth meets with the other passengers in person relatively rarely. Still - if he's one of the people from the ship, he's one of the ones who doesn't use video - and Edgeworth doesn't tend to trust that particular group.]

And what of it? Shall I keep my distress private? Pretend as though this were not an outrage?

Hello C:

[theredchampion]

That would be an improvement, aye.

[ His tone is dry, idle as he rests his arms across his knees and fixes Edgeworth with a flat stare. ]

There are other people here, if you don't mind. Your distress is little comfort to them, and our detainer is little interested in your outrage. Perhaps if you are to be so active you might put it to better use.

[jurisimpudent]

[His eyes narrow, because this boy is, to be quite frank, correct. But Edgeworth doesn't particularly want correctness in this moment, nor logic; he wants something or someone to be angry at, something or someone who would react more than the blank-eyed guards.]

Suggestions?

[theredchampion]

[ For a moment Niall is faintly surprised Edgeworth actually backed down. Perhaps, if he's honest, mildly disappointed. His little fits are vaguely entertaining, despite the headache they're causing.

Still, he shrugs a little. ]

Depends. Do you want a fanciful, heroic suggestion or a legitimate one?

[ He lets his accent drag with irritable, condescending sarcasm -- tilts his head and narrows his eyes a little. ]

Usually the first course of action would be to asses one's situation, at least where I'm from. D'you not think it might be wise to take a moment to entertain why we've all been grouped here together, what these people might intend of us and how we might go about avoiding it? Myself, I've this sinking feeling we've a touch too much personality for them.

[jurisimpudent]

[Edgeworth doesn't particularly want to consider that possibility - that the people here, in their conformity, actually might act against those who don't conform. That it might even be against their laws, like this is some absurd dystopia from a science-fiction novel. No: it's a horrific thought, and so he turns to one a bit more palatable - a bit more manageable.]

Or they woke up one morning to find half of their possessions had been stolen, and their conclusions were quite logical.

[theredchampion]

Aye, perhaps. Although a moment ago you were quite against this detainment. If their conclusions were so logical then what have you against it? Have you been helping yourself to the local equipment and produce, Mr Prosecutor?

[ He flickers a humourless smile, studying Edgeworth calmly and apparently unconcerned himself. ]

[jurisimpudent]

No.

[Edgeworth frowns; he doesn't much care in this situation for being recognized while having precisely no idea who the other person is. Normally it does not bother him so much, but he's on shaky enough ground here as it is...]

But the culprits were clearly among our number. But this - being detained in such a fashion, after being subjected to violence, without access to counsel - is unconscionable.

[theredchampion]

Mayhap you'll get your counsel later. Mayhap they've taken you as our counsel. Mayhap they have no such laws at all in this place. Mayhap we do not even have the right to counsel, having unwittingly all broken some law of theirs.

[ Niall laces his fingers together, humourless smile still in places as he debates the problem with himself. ]

A lesson to us all, I suppose. Even if we might be pleased to leave the ship 'tis better to learn a little more about the place we head to instead, lest we trip ourselves.

[jurisimpudent]

[He gets a flat glance.]

If I were your counsel, I rather doubt they would have been quite so enthusiastic and liberal in their use of their stun guns.

[He starts pacing again, having forgotten Niall's request that he stop.]

And a marvelous bit of hindsight. Nevertheless, they are apparently under the same system of government as the Tranquility is, so I find it difficult to believe that their laws would be so altogether different than what we see aboard that ship. Not, of course, that Ward and Resnik are particularly transparent, but we would know if it were a crime to, say, sneeze or whatever it is to which these people have objected.

[theredchampion]

Objection, your honour. Hearsay.

[ Niall gives a cynical tilt of his head. ]

I have not seen a single Alliance logo in this place. If your source of information is Ward and Resnik themselves they cannot be trusted, not purely due to their nature but also due to the fact that there are significant flaws in their memory. Their statements cannot be taken as fact, and they have been shown to be wrong before. Move to withdraw.

[jurisimpudent]

[He stops pacing to scowl at the boy.]

Is this funny to you?

[theredchampion]

[ He jerks an eyebrow at that, begins to slowly push himself to his feet and brush himself down. ]

Did it seem funny? I was merely countering your claim. Is that not how these things work? Is anything I said incorrect? Please do feel free to bring it up. I had thought we were trying to pin down what exactly is going on here, but if you do not wish to partake or have already concluded of your own accord do go back to pacing.

[jurisimpudent]

I merely found your foolish parody of courtroom procedure facile and idiotic.

[He frowns.]

You seem amply amused by it, however.

[theredchampion]

You seem amply irritated by it.

[ He runs a hand through his hair, gives a slight shrug and turns his palms upwards. ]

I merely moved to make my interjection in a way you would understand. Would you prefer to argue about the accuracy of my legal language with regard to your own customs, or to attempt to focus on the problem at hand?

[jurisimpudent]

We're not arguing about your accuracy. We're arguing about your levity.

[He starts pacing again.]

[theredchampion]

So I was quite accurate that?

[ He flicks another humourless smile, lets his hands drop to his side and frowns slightly. ]

Tell me, are you deliberately redirecting to avoid my statement or does the tone of it legitimately bother you so greatly you find it impossible to address?

[jurisimpudent]

What do you wish me to say regarding the statement?

[He scowls over at him.]

Shall I counter your speculation with my own, perhaps? If I could get out of here, I could speak in a more substantive fashion. I could perhaps interview the two of them again or search for some evidence you missed. But as it stands there's nothing we can do but sit here and disagree with no way to resolve the disagreement.

[theredchampion]

So you agree there is no evidence to support it, then?

[ Niall lofts an eyebrow, shrugs slightly and turns to run fingers over the waiting room wall. ]

I merely wished to establish the facts, the things we know to be true rather than mixing that which we have been told.

[jurisimpudent]

...Very well. So tell me: what did you witness in this place?

[theredchampion]

A lack of Alliance logos, as I earlier stated. A lack of communication, too, among what you might term 'the locals'. An incredibly large docking bay that was incredibly quiet for an outpost that you'd think might be more busy, although I'll not enter into speculation about why. A lack of willingness to respond at all to us outsiders, despite our attempts to trade with them.

Things are certainly not as anticipated, for myself at least.

[jurisimpudent]

Did you attempt to communicate with "the locals"?

[His voice sounds less curious and more interrogative.]

[theredchampion]

Aye, I certainly gave it a shot. Was rather hoping one of them might point me in the direction of some-place I could find tobacco or its like. While they most certainly appeared to hear me they rather lacked in answers, gave me something of a strange look and carried on.

[jurisimpudent]

What were you doing at the time of your apprehension?

[theredchampion]

Specifically at that time? Why, I think I was studying some of the other ships out in the dock. Been there a while if the weather-wear is anything to go by.