| Favors |
| Summary: | Vandenberg asks a few things of Sawyer. |
| Date: | 08 May 2042 AE |
| Related Logs: | Anything with Gemernawn. |
| Players: |
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| Library |
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| Romm fulla books. |
| Post-Holocaust Day: #436 |
Having been released from the Brig, Sawyer's actually kept her head down and her nose clean. With a guard posted outside the News Room, it's no wonder that Sawyer has chosen to do her reading in /here/ tonight, instead of underneath someone else's watchful eye. She's curled up in a chair, book propped open in her lap while she keeps little notes on a pad that's wedged down beside her.
Moving through the stacks silently stalks a Vandenberg. The lazily dressed Captain has a notepad in her hand and a pencil perched behind her ear. Her green duty blouse hangs open and she doesn't seem to care. Spotting Sawyer she heads in the reporter's direction and whispers to her. "Hey. Heard you got released. Congrats. Enjoying your reacquired freedoms?" Its conversational - friendly even.
Sawyer looks up from over the rim of her reading glasses. They are one of the luxuries she's been reacquainted with after her three week topsy turvy life. "And I hear you've been promoted. Congratulations are due all around." The book that she's reading is marked with a finger tucked between the pages. "Not here to pull me back into custody are you? More questioning?"
Natalie smirks, nodding. "Aye. Some crazed monkey thought I'd look better with heavier pins. I'm sure when the Marines discover the error they will let me know." She grins with the joke at her own expense. "And no," she starts once more shaking her head. "No more custody as far as I know. But yes, I had a few more questions for you if you don't mind? And possibly a favor to ask. That last'll depend on you, though. Uhm, d- do you mind if I sit with you?" she stutters, motioning for the chair behind her. "Don't wanna stand over you like some high'n mighty headmistress."
"I was more thinking a scary librarian threatening to toss me out for camping out in here," Sawyer makes a gesture to another chair, offering with just a simple, "Please." She waits for Natalie to get settled, before continuing. "I'm not sure if I have any more answers, but I can try. As to the favor, I guess we'll cross that bridge when we get to it."
Natalie chuckles. "Seriously. I just need the severe glasses and the ridiculously modest and boring skirt." She pulls over the indicated chair and settles in. "Well the questions I have are geared a little more towards the people there. You're good with normal people. The questions about military equipment?" She waves a dismissive hand away. "Don't worry about that. Like the favor. May not even be asked." A smile flickers quick as she opens her notepad. "Okay, first? You said the children were in school and people looked fairly well in spirits. Could you describe their physical conditions? I know you spent time on Leonis, Miss Averies.. any sign of radiation poisoning or sickness?"
Discretely, Sawyer pushes her glasses off her nose and tugs at the hem of her skirt. A little smirk twitches at the corner of her lips, but it doesn't quite come to a full blossom. "I'm good with the military people too. I just don't think like one." Her book is finally set aside fully, promising that her attention now lies completely with Natalie. "Everyone seemed well fed, bathed, rested and properly sheltered. They were being given some anti-rads, but nothing in comparison to the dosages we required down on Leonis. Other than a case of the sniffles here or there, everyone seemed overall healthy."
Natalie winks. "Oh, darlin. I wasn't makin fun of you. Don't mind sayin' I get jealous of you bein able to wear civvies around the ship all the time. Green and black got really old after my first week." She gins and turns back to look at her notebook and jots it down. "Eating, bathing.. anti-rads. Did you happen to see the food supply or notice what kind of food it was? I'm looking to find out if they are fishing, eating dry stores, or maybe they are growing their own."
"Fish was our major sustenance as a matter of fact, pulled right out of the river at the base of the falls. We also had fresh apples from a nearby wild orchard. Nothing as sophisticated as a proper farm, but I don't think they've been centered there for a full cycle of planting and harvesting season. Just little things that grew fast and were sustainable. Of course there were also things like canned foods that were scavenged along with the survivors." Sawyer answers the question easily, as it's one she's been asked before.
Natalie nods along, narrowed eyes watching Sawyer while the Marine listens. "You said you didn't think they had been there a full cycle. Any guess as to how long most of these people had been there? How long the humanoid Cylons had been there? Its okay if not. All of this is quite helpful. Also," she nearly pipes with the last word, lifting her pencil quickly. "Did you happen to see what kind of medical supplies were available? Stocks?"
"The closest I got to a specific as to how long they had been there was 'awhile', so I had to make my own guess as to that. I know I'm not giving you the most reliable information, but I'm giving you the best of what I was able to ascertain. Keep in mind, they didn't want to show their entire hand to us as they don't know if we're even willing as a fleet to work together." Sawyer explains, all the while her foot is bobbing to some unheard rhythm. "As to medical supplies, some were from the Humanoid model's own stores, the others were scavenged like the survivors. Nothing more sophisticated than a well packed first aid kit."
"No problem. 'Awhile' works. That helps us establish potential time they've had to prepare the area before contact with us was initiated. So you think they're still picking people up and bringing them to Gemenon? Any survivors from Caprica or Libran?" She's trying to sound nonchalant about it but there's some weight to the last word. But the question might be interesting as those are the two places lightly hit and currently housing most of the Cylons - according to last intel reports. "Mmm. So the Cylons are augmenting that of the humans? Did you notice any Cylons who were sick? Did they request anything from us other than to just hear them out? Supplies? Rations? ..Munitions? I know they won't show us everything but like it or not, they are likely going to have to if we are to work with them."
Sawyer answers the rest of Vandenberg's questions to the best of her ability, leaving out nothing to the best of her knowledge. There's a lot of gesticulation from the reporter, becoming animated as she once again tries to impress her own feelings about the situation and the need for a face to face meeting, even if it's not the 11 and 2's terms. Finally the blonde settles back, looking all together exhausted for doing most of the talking which is something she's not entirely used to. "So. That brings us to this favor?"
Vandenberg takes as detailed notes as she can manage, clarifying where required - though that's not common. Sawyer is a pro. The Marine nods along and eventually folds the notebook closed. She takes a long breath and scoots the chair closer. "Look, Sawyer, I'm hesitant to share something with you because I don't know whether or not you can keep it to yourself. Its highly classified but it has to do with Mister Bannik's manifesto pamphlet that he has put out. Its got people talkin. Lots of people mutterin. Its dangerous, and not just for the both of you. For myself and several other people. I need him to quiet down and I don't think he will respond well to a request from me." Especially given their last meeting he was not happy.
And true to Sawyer being who she is, she doesn't just give a blanket agreement to Vandenberg. Instead, she merely asks, "Why would his manifesto put you or any others in danger beyond himself?"
Natalie meets the eyes of Sawyer easily. There's no anger, no malice. No veiled resentment or hidden agendas. For all intents and purposes, the Marine seems to be completely honest. "Because if he causes enough of a stir right now it could get everyone in this fleet killed if, hypothetically, Gemenon were ever traveled to by this battlegroup. Meaning that if military personnel get too riled and we are forced to go for whatever reason, be it attack or peace, we could be slaughtered if its done prematurely. Do you understand what I'm getting at, Miss Averies?"
"So when you said 'for yourself and several other people'…?" Sawyer doesn't read anything into the request as of yet, nor does she respond to Natalie's impassioned response.
Natalie holds the look, her face and voice calm and flat. "So when I said I'm hesitant to share anything with you because I can't be sure if you'll share it? Yeah, darlin you aren't helpin' your case by tryin' to get me to talk about more than hypotheticals without givin me some kind of assurance." The edges of her lips turn up ever so slightly. "Of course, as being informed of codeword information and transferring knowledge of it to unauthorized parties would constitute treason - which we all know the punishment for. Keep that in mind." The smile shows itself a little more.
Sawyer gives a thin smile and touches a few fingers to her forehead, it's the look of someone plagued with a budding headache. "I'm just confused is all. You said you asked me for a favor, I'm assuming that is to ask Tyr to cease his manifesto? Are you saying he needs to cease it because it's putting you and several others in danger, or what you have to tell me in support of asking him to cease it is what could put you in danger?"
"What I may or may not tell you is in support of why he needs to quiet down his little project and calm down. If you hear it, I will explain and you will probably understand very quickly how important it is." Natalie keeps it quick. "Whether or not I get in trouble for saying anything to you is a concern for myself and my desk." She waits patiently.
Sawyer's hand falls away from it's massage of her forehead, "While I may have taken liberties on what cards I've been dealt in the past, I never compromise a source."
"Fair enough. But if you at any time divulge any part of what I am about to tell you to anyone at all, you will be subject to the full arm and weight of the law. Trust me, the number of people that know about this? It would come right back to my doorstep. And it would kill any chance of what you and Bannik have been asking for - of that I can guarantee." Natalie seems quite serious about this. "In a few days time I will be leading a covert operation to insert onto Gemenon without alerting the Cylons. We're to conduct beachhead surveillance and recon operations in preparation for possible landing ops. which if done could be done in peace. If it comes out at any time that this mission will come off, we have to assume that the Cylons have been alerted to our intent and all recon will be a total waste. If its divulged after we leave, it could get my team and I killed. If you die or disappear in the next few days or attempt to make a long distance phonecall, the mission will scrub. It is so important to your aims that Bannik quiet down that I mean in very plain terms that it could jeopardize this recon and in turn, jeopardize the future of this fleet. Are we clear?" She seems like she might be ready for questions.. which she likely expects from a reporter.
Sawyer's forehead creases, eyebrows huddled low over her eyes and pinched together near the center. "First of all, how…" The reporter looks around the library, pitching her voice lower. "I understand doing the recon, making contingency plans, but what happens if the Cylons do pick up your presence? Wouldn't all pretense of this being a peaceful meeting be blown right out of the water? But that aside, why would my death or disappearance have anything to do with the recon? I'm not supposed to know about the recon anyways."
Vandenberg shakes her head. "I'm not concerned. If they do find us and we're discovered, covert surveillance is no longer feasible. We may as well just walk peacefully into town. We are going there armed of course. We'd be insane not to. But we won't be the first ones to open fire. To be completely honest, Sawyer? I have every hope that what you're telling us is legitimate. Every single little hope. But hope is not a plan or a defense. If we really wanted to wipe them out down there? Believe me. We could." To the last, Natalie chuckles. "Darlin, look at this from the perspective of the military police, yeah? You may or may not be the same person that left. You could be a Cylon. If you are, you'd have to alert your friends by killing yourself probably. At which point we know you're a Cylon and to not go to Gemenon. Easy peasy." She even smiles with it. "I'm just assuming you aren't because Lords, I can't assume everyone is a Cylon. I'd be two sandwiches shy of a picnic, yeah?" She'd go insane.
Sawyer actually gives a little guffaw of a laugh, "I had heard there were rumors that they somehow brainwashed me or switched me out with another of my 'model'. Those are at least more amusing than me merely being a sympathizer." She shakes her head, "Obviously you don't give that much weight, otherwise you wouldn't be telling me bubkiss. And you think Bannik's manifesto might incite all of this to happen…prematurely? So why not just tell him that all this is in the works, why tell me?"
Vandenberg smirks at the laugh. "Hon, I think callin someone a sympathizer is the far side of stupid at this point. You wanna point fingers at most of the Air Wing because they were friendly with Salt and McQueen? Or maybe Gunnery Sergeant Constin? Please. Like I said, I want this to work out. If my investigation into the dreams and the ark is leading to what I think, we all may have a real shot at helping them figure this out." Of anything the Marine could be, right now she is definitely not putting the reporter on. She sounds like she means every word of what she just said. "Bannik is a good guy. He's just pissed off at the Marines. I don't want any lingering resentment to cloud the issue. To be honest, after the manifesto? I'm not sure I trust him with this kind of classified information. You, darlin? You're rational. He will listen to you."
Sawyer seems to think on this a bit, not even chuckling when Natalie accuses her of being rational, "Where do you think the dreams and the ark are leading us?" More questions, more forehead rubbing.
Van's face holds that easy smile. "Someone or something is telling us to get our butts to Lampridis. Has been giving us keys along the way that might be useful when the time comes. At the end of this puzzle?" The Marine gives a short shrug. "Home? Salvation? Could be a lot of things. I think the answers are in the Scrolls, though." She's kept her voice near a whisper the whole time. It would probably be impossible for anyone outside them to overhear exactly what was said. "Anyhow, I'll let you be. If you can think of any advice to give me and my team in the next few days, find me. I'd appreciate it."
"The Cylon humanoid models seem to have the same inclination, that this could mean a home for us. A peaceful resolution. That's the message I was trying to bring home." There's a pause from Sawyer as she looks away, her eyes aimed at a distant bulkhead, though unfocused. "I'll speak with Tyr, but no promises." And with that, she lets Vandenberg part.