Security Clearance?
Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2005 4:09 pm
Something to consider for Our Hero...
****
"A Hypothetical Meeting..."
The guardsman sighed. "Questor, the Council feels that letting this sort of information out to the public at this time would be a bad idea. We don't have enough information about exactly what was down there and what it all means. You yourself made the connection that it was *not* one of Rosad's labs..."
Quentyn snorts. "So. You still want me to lie?"
The guardsman shakes his head. "No. We don't want you to say anything at all for now. Please hear me out..."
"No way! It's not right, the public deserves to know!" cries Emmet.
The guardsman waves his hands, shushing him. "Please, please! Just hear me out?"
Both Emmet and Quentyn folds their arms and wait, gloweringly. "Go on."
The guardsman sighs. "Okay. We think we know a lot about what went on down there, but there's still a lot we *don't* know. Like just *who* built that lab and whether they're still around. There's still too many unanswered questions, and as *you* know all too well," he says quietly looking at Emmet, "telling people only half the details, or worse, *incorrect* details, can be more dangerous than telling them nothing at all."
The young reporter figeted slightly. "Hey, I just went with what I heard from everyone else,"
The guard nodded. "Precisely. And we all thought the Questor here was...how's it go? 'Eight feet tall and farting thunderbolts'? And I liked his original picture, too."
Both Quentyn and Emmet blush.
"But I have to say, I like this version better," he soothes. "This Questor is someone I can relate to. Good folk, doing a tough job that nobody else wants to do."
Quentyn coughs softly. "Ah, thanks...but get to the point?"
"Right. My point is, going off with only half the info is a dangerous thing. It would mean the rumor mill would take off faster than the 'Fact and Opinion', or *any* newscrip could keep up with it to keep people calm and informed. So, here's what the Council is proposing."
Both Quentyn and Emmet lean forward in expectation.
"We take you into our confidence." The guardsman says rather proudly, as if offering a very generous gift.
Quentyn looks dubious. "And that gets us...what, exactly?"
"You give your word that you won't say anything about this event until we give you the all-clear. In return for our trusting you, we hire you as a Questor to help us turn up more information about this lab and who's responsible for it's creation. Moreover, there are people who would want to hire you for honest quests that require a certain level of discretion, and the Council could provide those people with reccomendations as to who they should hire."
"Also, the more the Council can trust you, the more jobs they can hire you for."
Emmet cleared his throat. "Uh...so what about the 'Fact and Opinion'? What about my story?"
The guardsman nodded. "You would get the exclusive rights to the whole, complete story once we know what's really going on. Also, we would hire you as an independent researcher to help us get to the bottom of this whole mess. Someone without a political 'agenda', and not likely to sugar-coat the facts. Someone the Council can trust to tell them what they need to know and hear, not just what's popular."
Both Emmet and Quentyn snorted. "Sounds like you want us under your thumb to me," Quentyn growled, and Emmet nodded in agreement.
The guardsman shrugged. "Basically. Think of it as a 'carrot and stick' approach. The carrot is both of you gain the trust of the Council and the Guardsmen's Guild, and that gets you *both* very powerful connections. And if you keep your reputations for being painfully honest-which shouldn't be a problem for either of you-nobody on the Council will try to bullyrag you. They won't dare. And there would be a lot of open doors for the both of you."
Both Emmet and Quentyn's eyes widen. "Okay, so what's the stick?"
The guardsman shrugged. "Break the Council's trust, and you make some very powerful, very important, very wealthy people *very* angry at you. A lot of very big doors would slam in your face as well." He didn't say more, but then he didn't have to.
Quentyn and Emmet look at each other, then at the Guardsman. "Uh...can we get back to you on this?"
The Guardsman nodded. "Aye. But don't wait too long, please?" Both Emmet and Quentyn nod, and the Guardsman walked out.
In the military, we called this sort of thing "having a security clearance". It got you many things, but also heaped you with many responsibilities.
****
"A Hypothetical Meeting..."
The guardsman sighed. "Questor, the Council feels that letting this sort of information out to the public at this time would be a bad idea. We don't have enough information about exactly what was down there and what it all means. You yourself made the connection that it was *not* one of Rosad's labs..."
Quentyn snorts. "So. You still want me to lie?"
The guardsman shakes his head. "No. We don't want you to say anything at all for now. Please hear me out..."
"No way! It's not right, the public deserves to know!" cries Emmet.
The guardsman waves his hands, shushing him. "Please, please! Just hear me out?"
Both Emmet and Quentyn folds their arms and wait, gloweringly. "Go on."
The guardsman sighs. "Okay. We think we know a lot about what went on down there, but there's still a lot we *don't* know. Like just *who* built that lab and whether they're still around. There's still too many unanswered questions, and as *you* know all too well," he says quietly looking at Emmet, "telling people only half the details, or worse, *incorrect* details, can be more dangerous than telling them nothing at all."
The young reporter figeted slightly. "Hey, I just went with what I heard from everyone else,"
The guard nodded. "Precisely. And we all thought the Questor here was...how's it go? 'Eight feet tall and farting thunderbolts'? And I liked his original picture, too."
Both Quentyn and Emmet blush.
"But I have to say, I like this version better," he soothes. "This Questor is someone I can relate to. Good folk, doing a tough job that nobody else wants to do."
Quentyn coughs softly. "Ah, thanks...but get to the point?"
"Right. My point is, going off with only half the info is a dangerous thing. It would mean the rumor mill would take off faster than the 'Fact and Opinion', or *any* newscrip could keep up with it to keep people calm and informed. So, here's what the Council is proposing."
Both Quentyn and Emmet lean forward in expectation.
"We take you into our confidence." The guardsman says rather proudly, as if offering a very generous gift.
Quentyn looks dubious. "And that gets us...what, exactly?"
"You give your word that you won't say anything about this event until we give you the all-clear. In return for our trusting you, we hire you as a Questor to help us turn up more information about this lab and who's responsible for it's creation. Moreover, there are people who would want to hire you for honest quests that require a certain level of discretion, and the Council could provide those people with reccomendations as to who they should hire."
"Also, the more the Council can trust you, the more jobs they can hire you for."
Emmet cleared his throat. "Uh...so what about the 'Fact and Opinion'? What about my story?"
The guardsman nodded. "You would get the exclusive rights to the whole, complete story once we know what's really going on. Also, we would hire you as an independent researcher to help us get to the bottom of this whole mess. Someone without a political 'agenda', and not likely to sugar-coat the facts. Someone the Council can trust to tell them what they need to know and hear, not just what's popular."
Both Emmet and Quentyn snorted. "Sounds like you want us under your thumb to me," Quentyn growled, and Emmet nodded in agreement.
The guardsman shrugged. "Basically. Think of it as a 'carrot and stick' approach. The carrot is both of you gain the trust of the Council and the Guardsmen's Guild, and that gets you *both* very powerful connections. And if you keep your reputations for being painfully honest-which shouldn't be a problem for either of you-nobody on the Council will try to bullyrag you. They won't dare. And there would be a lot of open doors for the both of you."
Both Emmet and Quentyn's eyes widen. "Okay, so what's the stick?"
The guardsman shrugged. "Break the Council's trust, and you make some very powerful, very important, very wealthy people *very* angry at you. A lot of very big doors would slam in your face as well." He didn't say more, but then he didn't have to.
Quentyn and Emmet look at each other, then at the Guardsman. "Uh...can we get back to you on this?"
The Guardsman nodded. "Aye. But don't wait too long, please?" Both Emmet and Quentyn nod, and the Guardsman walked out.
In the military, we called this sort of thing "having a security clearance". It got you many things, but also heaped you with many responsibilities.
