The Delicate Art of Treason
XCOM:_Gray_Dawn#Recaps
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Game #9 6/01/14
Day 11
A couple days pass without incident, allowing some members of the Elma Resistance to catch up on some work they have been meaning to get to. AJ takes care of some administrative details, and checks on some infrastructure projects. Marie begins research on the alien alloy research project. Fayth is finally able to do some medical research on some of the LD-positive captives (both alive and dead). Brock is able to find out that it is impossible to win a game of Yukon with the deck of cards Fayth gave him to while away his time in quarrantine (as it is missing the 3 of spades). Brock has been confined to the medical research center at the Development Park because he snagged the can of Plasti-Flesh from Fayth and used it on a bullet wound he'd received to his leg. Doug has been working on...well, no one is quite sure what he's been up to. Probably no good.
On the morning of day 11, the available members of the core group (AJ, Fayth and Marie) have their morning meeting to discuss any recent findings and make plans for the day. Shortly into the meeting, they are interrupted by Marie's mother (who it later turns out was lurking in the hall nearby, waiting for an opportune moment to intrude. And probably eavesdropping; she used to work for the CIA, after all). She butts in to broach the subject of the group's willingness to formally join Project Covenant. Marie is positively frosty as her mother's intrusion (and has proportionately venomous regard for any proposal she might offer). AJ wants to know more concrete details before he agrees to work with Mrs. Kjelstad in any capacity, which she is reluctant to give at this time. Fayth has her reservations, as well, and abstains from judgment. As Marie opts to walk off to get away from her mother, she calls out hauntingly to her daughter, "You'll have to stand and fight some day, dear. You won't be able to run away from them forever." The "them" she references is not made clear, but rather than have her daughter storm off, Lillian departs instead, and leaves the group to ponder their options.
AJ, Fayth and Marie don't feel comfortable making a membership decision and speaking for a large group of people on their own, so they decide to break off and meet with certain key individuals that they trust and that are primarily involved in the activities of the Resistance. AJ strikes out to meet with his wife, Naomi, and tells her about the situation. Naomi is wary because she trusts her husband's instincts, but at the same time, she sees potential advantages to having the resources of Project Covenant's medical facilities available for use. She seems positively disposed; at worst, she is on the fence about joining.
Meanwhile, Fayth is sent to speak to Lt. Spiers and Sgt. Carville, since she is sort of googly-eyed for the boys in uniform, and because Sgt. Carville seems to be (ahem) positively disposed toward her. She hunts around for the two, and is unable to find them. She talks to some of the Rangers on watch to find out where their CO or NCO cadre might be. They suggest she check out the command trailer. Fayth checks it out (again), getting no answer when she knocks on the door (again). This time, however, she presses her ear to the door to listen in, in case there is anyone inside trying to dodge her. She doesn't hear anybody, but she does hear some kind of a printer kick on and produce a document. She decides to peek in (since the door seems to be unlocked), and perform a little snooping.
No one, indeed, appears to be home. She makes a circuit of the small trailer and as she meanders by the secure comm with attached printer, her eyes happen to pass over the classified document that is sticking out of the feed tray. She sees that the message has been sent by a Major Landry to Lt. Spiers, and the body of the message is grim. By the order or Brigadier General Theodore Larson, Captain Alonzo Jerome Kamastafall is to be apprehended for treason, murder, assault, robbery, going AWOL, etc., painting AJ as a clear enemy of the State. It also orders Lt. Spiers to apprehend Kamastafall's "accomplices," and furthermore, details that if any of them resist capture, on-site execution of the targets is authorized. Fayth sees one piece of paper crumpled in the nearby wastebasket, an identical printout time-stamped one hour earlier. She takes the freshly-printed message, and sabotages the connection to the printer, hoping to buy some time for the group in case the people trying to spell the Resistance's doom try to send the Rangers any more messages.
The fact that the Rangers are being given orders to capture her and her companions is enough of a shock to Fayth. This shock goes into overdrive when she hears a noise outside through the cheap single-pane windows of the trailer. Peeking out, she sees the main leadership cadre of the Ranger platoon heading toward the trailer. A few moments ago she had been looking for them; now she wants to avoid them at all cost! If they are looking for her, she absolutely does not want to be found snooping around the lion's den, especially if they suspect she may have seen what she has seen. The only door out is the one she came in; she can't use that without being seen by the Rangers (and she has no illusions of being a match for one of them, let alone four). Frantically, she looks for a way to escape. She finds a working window on the side of the trailer and sneaks out, landing cat-like and unheard outside. She remains close for a moment, to see if she can overhear anything said inside. Spiers and Carville discuss their options, and Fayth hears Speirs order Carville to go find AJ so he can "talk to him," citing that Carville seems to have a good rapport with him. She hears the Lieutenant tell his First Sergeant, "maybe you can get him to listen to our side of the story." Fayth doesn't know what this means, exactly, but she does hear the door open and shut. Presumably, Carville is on the hunt.
From her hiding spot, Fayth can see across the parking lot where the command trailer is to the front door of the nearby medical center, where AJ went to talk to his wife. She sees AJ emerge, and Carville is bound to see him any second if she doesn't think fast. She gets on her comm to AJ and tells him not to ask any questions, just turn around and head back inside and hide. At Fayth's clear urgency, he chooses not to question her, and complies, ducking back inside. Fayth tries to sneak around the cars in the parking lot to put some distance between her and the command trailer (she doesn't want Carville to find her within snooping-range!), but Carville spots her slinking around. He calls her name, and Fayth responds at first almost as if he had harpooned her. Fearing the gig is up, all she can do is face capture gracefully, and prepares to brazen her way through what may come next.
Perhaps his feelings for Fayth blind his suspicions; he seems oblivious to her furtiveness. He does not try to apprehend her. Rather, he asks if she knows where AJ is. Carville says he needs to talk shop with the captain. Fayth plays the deception card, telling Carville that she doesn't know his current whereabouts. He thanks her anyway, commenting that maybe AJ's wife might know where he's at (which would take him to the medical center where AJ is currently hiding out). At this, Fayth tries to further mislead him, saying that she thought he might be heading to Doug's barn. Carville says he'll keep that in mind as he keeps moving for the med center. He turns back, seeming to muster up his courage, and asks Fayth if she has any dinner plans later. He claims to be able to do some amazing things with MRE cuisine, and would like to dine with her and talk. Fayth agrees, though it is uncertain whether her enthusiasm for the prospect is because she wants to have dinner with the affable Ranger or because her heart is a-flutter at the prospect of not immediately being taken prisoner. For all she knows, Carville will simply place her under arrest over a serving of Army-issued frank and beans. Carville heads off with a noticeable bounce in his step.
Fayth has no time to lose. She gives AJ a quick intel-dump, telling him to get the hell out of there and to make it sneaky. AJ is now aware that he has to dodge Carville and anyone else in uniform at all cost. He expertly ducks out of the medical center and steals a motorcycle to make his getaway. He goes to the Pershing's collection point at the Brigg's nursery to lay low and wait further information.
Fayth gets in contact with Marie, telling her to spring Brock from quarantine and to meet at Fayth's Volkswagen in the parking lot. Marie is able to check Brock out with a disturbing lack of opposition, luring him into compliance with a motorized wheelchair that she has souped up (boasting it has a top speed of 17 miles per hour). Brock gleefully accepts the honor of piloting the thing, and talks Marie into riding out with him. Dressed in nothing more than a hospital gown, Brock sails out with a beautiful, young lab geek on his lap. For the sake of her own sanity, Fayth chooses not to question how her directives led to this; they are here, and that is good enough. She corrals them into the Beetle, and rendezvous with AJ. They are unable to get a hold of Doug. (To be continued!)
