TSW: Reagan's Introduction

[16:04]	IcePickLobotomy	Date: April17th, 1988.
[16:07]	IcePickLobotomy	It's a warm spring evening in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The mansion is old, predating the civil war by 8 years. Weathered white paint shaded by the trees in the afternoon sun. The air is warm, perhaps just a touch still, but not overly much, and the warm earthy scent of spring ghosts through the house, mixing with the dinner cooking in the kitchen below. Your Uncle and Aunt are outside on the...
[16:07]	IcePickLobotomy	...porch, enjoying sweet-tea, the soft conversation passing by in long dragging words that have lost all meaning to you at this point.
[16:11]	Reagan	Reading upstairs at her desk, fanning herself with a bit of paper. Bored out of her mind.
[16:12]	IcePickLobotomy	You hear a car pull up to the drive way, and you Aunt and Uncle stop their talk.
[16:14]	Reagan	"Oh thank god," she mutters, closing the book without marking her spot. But she goes downstairs at a relaxed pace.
[16:19]	IcePickLobotomy	Out on the porch is your Uncle, your Aunt seems to have retreated to the kitchen. He's conversing with a young woman in a midnight blue dress uniform, it looks military, but not any branch that you know of (And you know all of them by this point.), nor can you reckonize the medals or unit patch. She's pretty, shortly cut black hair framed with glasses.
[16:20]	Reagan	"Oh pardon me, Uncle . . . " Reagan says announcing her presence, hovering unsurly in the doorway.
[16:22]	IcePickLobotomy	He waves you forward. "Reagan just who were talking about. This is Captain Walker with the Multinational Experimental Technology Institute. Captain Walker, this is my niece Regan."
[16:22]	IcePickLobotomy	She holds out her hand "Hello Miss Sinclair. And please, call it METI Mr. Senator, it's a mouthful."
[16:26]	Reagan	Reagan steps forward and takes Walker's hand. "Pleasure to meet you, Captain. METI is indeed much easier on the tongue." She smiles.
[16:28]	IcePickLobotomy	"PLeased to meet you as well." She glances to your Uncle We should have the rest of this discussion inside I think."
[16:29]	IcePickLobotomy	"I agree." He steps holds open the door and motions for both of you to take a seat in the sitting room.
[16:31]	Reagan	Reagan leads the way to the sitting room, offering the Captain a seat next to her on the couch. "How was your drive out here?"
[16:31]	IcePickLobotomy	"Uneventful. Certainly better than Moscow."
[16:35]	Reagan	"I find uneventful is a blessing in disguise."
[16:38]	IcePickLobotomy	"Wise beyond your age it seems." You uncle makes a impatient noise in the back of his throat. "
[16:39]	Reagan	She laughs. "Oh you're too kind, Captain."
[16:39]	IcePickLobotomy	"But onto business I suppose." She takes a breath "So the summary of this is thus: We need you to pilot experimental equipment. You've been selected as one of the very, very, few people who can do this, and this work is of the utmost importance." She hands you a contract, already signed by your Uncle "I can't say much more unless you join on."
[16:40]	Reagan	Reagan glances pointedly at her uncle. "Oh my, you must excuse me--this is the first I've ever heard of such a thing..."
[16:41]	Reagan	"And I must confess I've never 'piloted' a thing in my life. I'm not yet even allowed to drive the car, you see." She says laughing a little.
[16:41]	IcePickLobotomy	He nods to you. "Reagan, I'm rather involved in this business, and I know as well as anyone." You swear Walker rolls her eyes at this "How high the stakes are, how important this is."
[16:43]	Reagan	"That's all well and good, Reed," she says turning to her uncle, "but I'm sure this is all simply over the head of one as young as myself."
[16:44]	IcePickLobotomy	"You'll be trained and given the best expertise in the world to facilitate your role with METI Miss Sinclair."
[16:44]	Reagan	She smiles tiredly."Maybe if you know as well as anyone, you'd be a better candidate than even I."
[16:45]	IcePickLobotomy	Walker coughs into her fist.
[16:45]	Reagan	"I'm so sorry Captain Walker, but you'll excuse me if I say that this is simply unheard of."
[16:46]	IcePickLobotomy	"I understand your skepticism, it's entirely warranted, but suffice to say your Uncle is hardly exagerating on how important this is, nor am I on the fact that you are of a handful of individuals in the entire world he can do this."
[16:50]	Reagan	Reagan shakes her head and smiles. "I appreciate all you're saying, but I'm afraid you're simply overestimating the capabilities of one little girl."
[16:53]	IcePickLobotomy	Walker sighs. "I had hoped it wouldn't come to this." She removes some paperwork from her bag. "This, is a Presidential Order labeling you a US Strategic Asset. This next one is a US Supreme Court order placing under METI"s guardianship, with me as it's representative, indefinitely." She passes you the contract "Either way you are coming with me, one way involves a very cushy contrating job...
[16:53]	IcePickLobotomy	...with a great deal of benefits. The /other/ places you under UK Minimum wage and with significantly curtailed benefits and rights." She says all this matter of factly, without a hint of shame or malice. "I think that the choice is quite clear."
[17:04]	Reagan	Reagan frowns. She turns her back to her uncle and looks the Captain in the eye. "Where would I be living, would you say? Somewhere in Lousianna?"
[17:04]	IcePickLobotomy	"Gibralta."
[17:04]	IcePickLobotomy	*Gibraltar
[17:05]	Reagan	She smiles. "Well I'd say that's far enough from Lousianna, wouldn't you?"
[17:05]	IcePickLobotomy	The two adults nod.
[17:06]	IcePickLobotomy	"I can assue you, that you will have all the modern amenities one could expect at your disposal, alongside top education, medical care, and the like>"
[17:06]	Reagan	She reclines back into the sofa. "What's the time frame on this, Captain?"
[17:08]	IcePickLobotomy	"You will be leaving within the week. We intend to have you, and all the other canidates, in place by the 23rd."
[17:08]	Reagan	"Well, how about that pen, then."
[17:09]	IcePickLobotomy	Your Uncle passes you a pen, the fancy gold-gilded one he uses for important documentation.
[17:12]	Reagan	Reagan leans forward and signs the document on the coffee table with a flourish. "There."
[17:13]	IcePickLobotomy	"Good, now." She stands up "Come with me please, we have more to discuss privately Miss Sinclair." She heads outside to the sedan waiting in the driveway, giving you only a moment to follow.
[17:16]	Reagan	Reagan gets to her feet and follows Walker out the door without looking at her father. She catches up to Walker, saying, "Do you think I'll need a coat, Captain?"
[17:18]	IcePickLobotomy	"No." She opens the door and ushers you inside the Sedan before taking a seat next to you. "Just around town Artyom, have to brief the girl." The driver doesn't respond, but the car rolls forward. "To start with, you'll need to read this."
[17:18]	IcePickLobotomy	(https://docs.google.com/document/d/12_1wJDyA7TXd_Esus7ihWozPlpsP8MQUQ0ew0rxxIk8/edit?usp=sharing)
[17:18]	IcePickLobotomy	"I'll answer your questions when you finish."
[17:19]	Reagan	"What could Section 97E possibly be?"
[17:19]	IcePickLobotomy	"I will also add that you should not ask questions you don't /really/ want a answer to."
[17:20]	Reagan	"Understood, ma'am."
[17:24]	Reagan	"Well now." She returns the packet to the first page and hands it back to Walker. "That was quite a read."
[17:24]	Reagan	"I'm not to pilot an airplane or anything like that, then?"
[17:25]	IcePickLobotomy	"Yes, that's a common reaction." She shakes her head "No, nothing like that at all. . . It's. . . easier to explain if you've seen them."
[17:28]	Reagan	"I got that from all the scientific jargon written down in there."
[17:29]	Reagan	"Am I supposed to be apart of the military?"
[17:30]	IcePickLobotomy	"Sort of. METI is paramilitary, but overrides all US, UK, SEATO, and USSR Forces in the operational area during operations."
[17:30]	Reagan	"Oh my--like the U.N.?"
[17:31]	IcePickLobotomy	"So no, you're not a momber of the US Armed forces, but for you are withng a military chain of command." She snorts "And no, not at all, we /actually/ get things down."
[17:32]	Reagan	"Ha ha, oh well then you should've mentioned that earlier, I would've said yes in an instant."
[17:34]	IcePickLobotomy	"I'll keep that in mind for the future."
[17:35]	IcePickLobotomy	"So, how are you feeling about all of this?
[17:36]	Reagan	"Oh," she smiles "quite excited to tell you the truth. I always wanted my own place to live and all. I'm sure the proper accommodations will be made?"
[17:38]	IcePickLobotomy	"Of course, we have 3 MicroPolieses that have finished construction. You'll be staying in Tower 3."
[17:43]	IcePickLobotomy	"You'll be staying with the other Pilots. They're all in your age group, so that should help I think.
[17:44]	Reagan	"Oh--you mean in the same apartment?"
[17:45]	IcePickLobotomy	"There's a communal living area attached to your individual bedrooms and bathrooms." She shrugs "It's a Soviet arrangement."
[17:47]	Reagan	"Oh, it's always like that with the communists now isn't it."
[17:48]	Reagan	"What's a girl supposed to do in Gibraltar for fun I wonder?"
[17:48]	IcePickLobotomy	"We had to push for individual bathrooms." You can't tell if she's joking or not.
[17:48]	IcePickLobotomy	"And plenty, the city has anything and everything you could expect, and you are in the Mediterranean, so some very nice white-sand beaches."
[17:50]	Reagan	"I should like to see that."
[17:54]	IcePickLobotomy	Walker answers the rest of your questions before dropping you back off. She doesn't stay, mentioning that she has her duties to attend to. Your Uncle is waiting for you inside the sitting room, a glass of tea in hand as he looks over some documents. "So, how did it go?" He asks without preamble.
[17:56]	Reagan	"As good as it could be expected to go."
[17:56]	Reagan	Reagan doesn't sit but stands in the doorway of the sitting room.
[17:56]	Reagan	"You might've given me the inclination of what you were doing before springing it on me like this."
[17:57]	IcePickLobotomy	"I see. And your thoughts on METI thus far, and their Outrider project? Sounded like a bunch of hogwash to me when I first heard it, and they've done little to change my mind."
[18:00]	Reagan	"That's not something I'm permitted to discuss with you, Reed." She crosses her arms. "And if it's so ridiculous, why exactly did you sign me up for it? "
[18:00]	IcePickLobotomy	"There's a hell of a lot money flowing out the good godly hands of us Americans and out to that damned rock. Something's going on, and I intend to be a part of it as best I can manage."
[18:02]	Reagan	"Were that the case I'd expect you to shove on out to dad gum Gibraltar yourself."
[18:04]	IcePickLobotomy	"You know what my plans here are." A certain oval office has been in your Uncle's eyes for as long as you can remember "And I've almost got the nomination, but I can't take off and leave, even if I thought that'd help me figure out what's going on out there."
[18:05]	Reagan	"Well of course. Rather, I'm surprised you expect me to play messenger to you."
[18:07]	IcePickLobotomy	"I don't, you signed that contract before my eyes, I know you ain't allowed to talk about it." He shrugs "Getting your name gets what I need anyways. One thing for me to go poking around things I got no business being in, but if I've got my niece there? Well now I'm just a concerned guardian."
[18:08]	Reagan	"So long as you don't expect me to stick my neck out for a decision /you/ made for me."
[18:09]	IcePickLobotomy	"You get to hang out in the Mediterranean for a year or two piloting scientific equipment. It's not gonna be that bad.
[18:10]	Reagan	"A year or too? Sir. That wasn't my impression of the situation but obviously you know quite a lot about this situation."
[18:11]	IcePickLobotomy	"Well, some of the reports mentioned neural plasticity of the pilots requiring them to be kids. So in a year or two you'll outgrow the program and come back home."
[18:12]	Reagan	"Oh sure, sure. In a body bag or otherwise.I hope you're putting that capital they're giving me aside for my own use."
[18:13]	IcePickLobotomy	"Yeah, it's being set aside in a trust fund for you." He frowns "It shouldn't be that dangerous. They wouldn't send kids to go do something like that."
[18:15]	Reagan	Reagan smiles nastily "Oh well since you already know so much about the program, I might have just asked all my questions to you rather than Captain Walker who's running this operation."
[18:17]	IcePickLobotomy	"Lots of details and minutia, but not a lot of the core questions. I know about the pilot requirements, but not what or why you're piloting. I know that all sorts of scientists and engineers are working on really big things out there, but not what or why."
[18:17]	IcePickLobotomy	"But I do know that this is important to a hell of a lot of people."
[18:18]	Reagan	"Well, I certainly aim to please."
[18:18]	Reagan	"May I be excused now?"
[18:18]	IcePickLobotomy	"Yes."
[18:19]	Reagan	Reagan returns to her room, taking the steps two at a time. She doesn't come out for the remainder of the evening