PHD #466: Bannik on the Record
Bannik on the Record
Summary: Bannik sits down for an interview with Sawyer.
Date: 7 June 2042 AE
Related Logs: None.
Players:
Bannik Sawyer 
Living Quarters — MV Elpis
The freighter has living quarters sufficient to accommodate around 800-1000 people, divided up into rooms of varying sizes. Each room holds multiple sets of bunkbeds, most commonly housing between 10 and 20 people, none housing fewer than four and some as many as 60. For each bed, there is a locker of some sort. These rooms take up several floors, and are arranged around a central 'courtyard'. Each floor has at least one common room, outfitted with scavenged couches and televisions, separate heads for men and women, and laundry facilities. The rooms are pretty barren — plain military-issue bedding on the bunks, and nothing currently adorning metal walls or floors. The lighting is unforgivingly fluorescent, and there is a constant soft hum of generators and ventilation systems in addition to the other noises common to areas housing hundreds of people in relatively close quarters.

There is also a galley in a room off the living quarters, with a kitchen of its own, churning out food served in a buffet line much like on Cerberus. There are a few long tables that match and then a smattering of others of all shapes and sizes, the chairs equally mismatched as they are arrayed around them.

Condition Level: 3 - All Clear
Post-Holocaust Day: #466

Sawyer is crafty enough to do research as to when Tyr Bannik is on duty, so when the date and time are requested, she's limited his reasons to say no. The request, of course, was made to do a proper interview with the man and for reasons unknown she's set it up to occur in one of the common areas of the Elpis. She's seated there now, having appropriated a table to set up the various tools of the trade including an audio recorder and her steno pad and pen. Looming in the background is her MP guard that she's misappropriated from the hatch of the News Room to quietly escort her here.

She really need not have gone to the trouble. Tyr Bannik is a hound for media attention — after all, having the Editor-in-Chief of the Fleet interview him is better press than his own writings typed on the back of once-used reports. So he accepted her invitation enthusiastically, not even asking why it's being done here rather than the News Room on Cerberus. His own guard tags along behind, joining up with Sawyer's; they have a matched set now. "Hi, Sawyer," he says cheerily. "Good to see you again."

"Tyr." Sawyer says warmly, getting to her feet to extend her hand over the table, "Good to see you too. Thanks for joining me. I hope you don't mind if we record this? My memory, nor my shorthand, is what it used to be." She makes polite excuses for the recorder that she now snicks on with the daunting red stationary light. "It just ensures accuracy later when I'm writing up the formal article. So! How have you been?"

Bannik shakes his head. "No. No. It's fine. I understand. That's how reporting works, right?" Tyr settles down on the seat across from Sawyer, folding his hands in front of him. "I've been well. How about you?"

"I'm better now." Though on that the Journalist doesn't elucidate, she ust flips open her pad and positions her pen at the ready. "So it hasn't been quite yet a month since our trip to Gemenon. How do you find yourself changed?" It might be a mild question, but that's how these things tend to start off.

Bannik is, to his credit, somewhat quiet. He's actually thinking this over. "I keep discovering changes in myself. I can't say I've completely figured it out yet." A pause again. "But primarily? I've been given a renewed sense of purpose. I have a cause now. It's something bigger than myself. I've given myself over to the gods and allowed myself to be a messenger for their will. It's liberating."

Sawyer pulls out a pack of cigarettes while Bannik is talking, but waits until he's through before she asks, "Do you mind?" That she smokes, that is. The blonde seems to phrase the question rhetorically, as she's already tapping one out. They're left in a neutral position on the table, should Bannik himself seem so inclined. "Were you a religious man prior to your visit to the Falls?"

Bannik shakes his head. "Not at all. Plenty of people smoke on the Deck." But he, apparently, isn't one of them. But then he answers the question: "I was. I held some religious services as a lay person. You were at my ceremony on Leonis, right? And then I did the memorial service when we got back. I led a prayer group. I guess I'm more religious than I was then and I was more religious then than I was before the bombs fell."

"Sure." Sawyer was there, sure. No mention to the fact that she ducted out early after showing her support for the ceremony. "You've managed to publish two - what are being deemed - 'manifestos'. How do you feel they are being received?" She uses the time that she's talking to quickly light her cigarette with a poor, abused plastic lighter so her hands are free for the time when he answers the questions.

Bannik tilts his head, mulling that over. "I don't truly know. There are lots of people in the Fleet; I've only talked to some of them about my writings. I've gotten extremely negative reactions, of course. Some people will never be able to overcome their fear and hate. But mostly, I hope my writings are getting people my side of the story and making them reconsider their preconceived notions about things."

"With the rising issue of 'anti-Cylon-sympahtizer' movement, have you given consideration to you - or your supporters' - safety concerns?" Beyond, presumeably the single MP guard they've each been assigned. Sawyer's brown eyes tick up to Tyr's face before she looks back down to her pad of paper.

"With the rising issue of the 'anti-Cylon-sympathizer' movement, have you given consideration to your - or your supporters' - safety?" Beyond, presumeably the single MP guard they've each been assigned. Sawyer's brown eyes tick up to Tyr's face before she looks back down to her pad of paper.

Bannik shakes his head. "I try not to be stupid, of course. But I can't hide. I can't stop offering my message just because of how others might react to it. If I let myself give into the thugs, then it just encourages more thuggery." He shrugs. "I can't do that."

"And do you feel all of your supporters are well informed enough to be making the same decision?" The question is phrased casually, but it's clear that Sawyer is playing the bad guy's advocate here. But then again, that also falls within the purview of her job description. "Do they know of the fire set in Sofia Wolfe's locker? The brutalization of Magnus Dekker? The assualt of Gunnery Sergeant Constin or the threats levied against even me?"

"What would you suggest, Sawyer?" Bannik turns the question around on her. "If people are going to attack my followers for their beliefs — and it's not like me and my followers have meetings, so I'm not sure I have any control over them — then they need to be taken care of. If we give into fear, if we let those who are the most willing to hurt people to decide what's said or done, then we've really lost some of what remains of our civilization."

Sawyer waggles her pen at him. "Aha, see, you're supposed to say that your followers should read the newsletter more often." Though to be fair, some of that never saw the light of day in print. She pauses from her playful chiding, ticking her head slightly askew. "Have you considered meetings?"

"I don't exactly have a mailing list, Sawyer. I'm not sure how I'd even be able to get people together for a meeting. But if people want to hear me speak face-to-face about my beliefs, I'm happy to do that. I've led a prayer group here on Elpis for some time now. Anyone is welcome." Bannik flashes a smile. "Does that answer the question?"

"Do you think your cause would be benefited by such a gathering?" If he didn't answer it sufficiently, instead of Sawyer saying so, she'll just find a different way to ask it.

"My cause would be benefited when I get a meeting with Commander Pewter, when the Fleet stops running scared and when we start taking the hint that the gods have been dropping for months. The future of humanity is at the Falls. We need to face that." It doesn't exactly answer the question, but it's on-message.

"Is that how you feel Command is treating Gemenon?" Sawyer touches the filter of her cigarette to her lips, taking a shallow draw off of it.

"I think that Command needs to take the deal that the Twos and the Elvens offered." Bannik offers a faint, faint smile. "We need to trust in the gods and the plan that they have for us."

"And how long has your request for an audience with Pewter been filed?" She's quick with the next question, though Sawyer is careful to try and let this flow as a normal conversation would.

"Uh. Well. I haven't filed anything." Bannik has to admit that much. He is, after all, about as politically savvy as a nineteen-year-old Arelonian. "But it's not like the Tactical department is doing a whole lot to let me get to speak to him. From the day we came back, we were tossed in the brig and treated like criminals. You know that, Sawyer." He tries to rally.

Sawyer's smile is polite, possibly a bit motherly, but the expression is far from chiding. She reaches out to snick off the recorder. "Let's go off the record for a moment." Her thumb flicks, and the red light goes off. "If you want Command to take you seriously, don't expect them to chase you. You need to walk right up to their door, unflinching, and state your case. Don't try to backdoor your way into anything. But that's just my personal opinion."

Bannik sighs softly and nods. "I guess so. I guess — I thought it would all go down differently. I got meetings with the TACCO" The Tactical officer — Cora Nikephoros — "But not the big boss yet. So maybe I need to get that."

Sawyer clicks the recorder back on just as fast. "Back on the record with Tyr Bannik. You were saying you had a meeting with Major Nikephoros. What was discussed?"

"She wouldn't discuss my writings. We talked about other issues instead. I think those are classified, though." Bannik gives an apologetic smile.

"Of course, of course." Sawyer waves a hand dismissively. "I have at least one more question, if you'll permit me. There was a recent attack on a civilian doctor named Cameron Adair who is reported to have been working in the labs regarding Cylon research. Were you, or any that you are aware that support your cause, involved?"

Bannik is knocked back by the question. But he simply has one response: "No."

Sawyer undoubtedly notices his reaction. "I'm just merely trying to see if there is a pro-Cylon movement that is as violent as the anti-sympathizer one, you understand. Well, one that isn't perpetuated by the humanoid models themselves, of course." Behind her, the marine clears his throat to garner Sawyer's attention, then wordlessly glances up at the chronometer. "Sorry, Tyr. That seems to be our time for tonight. I have a shuttle back to the Cerberus to catch so this nice gentleman can get off his shift. Are you amenable to a second interview?" Sawyer asks, flipping off the recorder. "After all, I did promise to help publish your story." Even if it isn't quite in the same format as he's doing on his lonesome.

Bannik recovers, finally. "Sure, Sawyer. Whatever you need to make the story work." He gets to his feet. "I'll see you soon, okay?" Tyr Bannik, clearly, was not quite ready for his first round of Meet the Press. Maybe he'll do better on his second; he can only hope.

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