RolePlay onLine RPoL Logo

, welcome to Grey Cell

10:27, 29th March 2024 (GMT+0)

[IC] Prelude - James Choi.

Posted by TegyriusFor group 0
Tegyrius
GM, 21 posts
Tue 4 Nov 2014
at 23:17
  • msg #1

[IC] Prelude - James Choi

In-character prelude for Raellus.  All other players, reading is encouraged but please don't post in this thread.

-

FBI Academy, Quantico Marine Corps Base, Virginia
02 December 2014
0932 hrs local (1432 hrs Zulu)


"Choi."  Supervisory Special Agent Anna McGuire leans out of her office and summons you with a finger-crook and a head-tilt.  Most of your co-workers studiously avoid looking around but you're nonetheless the immediate focus of attention.

"Door," McGuire instructs laconically, returning to her adjustable desk.  It's set for a seated position, which means this isn't likely to be an adversarial conversation.  She drops into her chair and cups her hands around a mug of tea.  "I just got a call from Suck Central," she begins, applying her usual term of art for the FBI headquarters building.  "I'm to 'make you available,'" her fingers disengage from the mug and arch in airquotes, "to a couple of PowerPoint rangers who're coming out from the Pentagon to talk to you.  It sounds like a recruiting thing."  She cocks her head and squints at you quizzically.  "Is there something you want to tell me about?"
James Choi
player, 4 posts
Special Agt, FBI HRT
Raellus
Wed 5 Nov 2014
at 00:30
  • msg #2

Re: [IC] Prelude - James Choi


Jimmy Choi takes more time than is necessary to shut the door and seat himself, using the brief, manufactured interlude as an opportunity to gather his thoughts. Years of conducting field interrogations- "interviews" in Bureau parlance- has taught him that, under questioning, one should volunteer as little information as possible- 'anything you say can and will be used against you...' and all that. Simple, direct, and to-the-point, or vague and oblique were the two routes open when one found him or herself fixed in the hot white glare of the spotlight. Jimmy decides to be noncommittal. Supervisor McGuire should know better but Jimmy hopes that the maneuver will prompt her to elaborate on her original question in order to elicit a more satisfactory response.

"It's all in the CID report, boss."

Let the games begin.

-
This message was last edited by the player at 00:58, Wed 05 Nov 2014.
Tegyrius
GM, 24 posts
Wed 5 Nov 2014
at 01:08
  • msg #3

Re: [IC] Prelude - James Choi

SSA McGuire takes a sip of tea.  It's one of her delaying tactics, giving a suspect - or a wayward agent - time to shift under uncomfortable silence and volunteer a self-incriminating detail.  When she lowers the mug, her millimetric smile says she knows that you know, and all the rest of the sequence.

"Just wanted to be sure I hadn't missed a courtesy copy of an application.  I'd hate to lose you to the spooks, Jimmy."  She peels a Post-It off her monitor and slides it across the desk.  "I reserved you a conference room.  They're supposed to be here at eleven, so you have time to freshen up." Or to do a little research hangs unspoken in the air.

You glance at the lavender square of paper.  It bears a room number on the next floor down, along with two names and an acronym:

quote:
Commander Vest
Chief Warrant Bannon
ONI

This message was last edited by the GM at 01:09, Wed 05 Nov 2014.
James Choi
player, 6 posts
Special Agt, FBI HRT
Raellus
Wed 5 Nov 2014
at 01:42
  • msg #4

Re: [IC] Prelude - James Choi


Did McGuire have hurt feelings? Jimmy decides to flatter himself by concluding the affirmative. Still, the subtle reproach stings a little. Jimmy prides himself on his loyalty- when it's deserved, at least. He's worked under martinets and buffoons during his Bureau career but McGuire is neither. SSA McGuire has a deserved reputation as a bit of an ice queen but, on merit, she is one of the best agents he's ever worked for. He folds the slip once and slides it into in his breast pocket but remains seated.

"I didn't put in any paperwork. I don't know who these people are or what this is about. CID ruled the shooting justified. Twice. The perp has no next of kin around to file a wrongful death [civil] suit, so I really have no idea."

The ONI acronym seems like it should be familiar, but Jimmy can't quite place it. He needs to shower off the sweat of the morning's tactical "fun-house" shoot but he wants to run the names on the slip by some admin friends first, maybe check the Bureau's secure database or take its new discrete "ghost-Google" search engine for a little spin.

-
This message was last edited by the player at 02:20, Thu 06 Nov 2014.
Tegyrius
GM, 26 posts
Wed 5 Nov 2014
at 01:56
  • msg #5

Re: [IC] Prelude - James Choi

McGuire shakes her head sharply.  "I don't think this is about the shooting.  Not directly, anyway.  As far as this office is concerned, you're clear on that.  No one who's seen the video and has two synapses to rub together has any doubts."  She lets her chair swing sideways a few degrees, makes an abortive motion for her reading glasses, and frowns at herself when she realizes what she's doing.

"Whatever's going on has been cleared with the head office.  But it's weird.  I called HR Branch to verify and they couldn't give me anything more than a confirmation.  I think someone's setting up something that needs a Bureau liaison for a veneer of legality.  Either that or the Navy has a case so bad they can't use their own guys for it.  Either way, don't feel like you have to jump on whatever they're offering to keep your career afloat.  That's not an issue with me."
James Choi
player, 7 posts
Special Agt, FBI HRT
Raellus
Thu 6 Nov 2014
at 02:30
  • msg #6

Re: [IC] Prelude - James Choi


"Appreciate that, boss." James says with a hint of a smile; he hopes he's not blushing. Almost as a rule, McGuire was light on the praise so anything that even hinted of approbation tended to feel like an official nomination for the Medal of Meritorious Achievement.

"I'll make sure I stop by after the meet-and-greet, give you a little debrief."

Jimmy's just getting up to leave, but he abruptly settles back into the seat.

"Do you think this has anything to do with Manilla?"

It was almost a forbidden place name around the office- too many bad memories, too much guilt and grief. Everyone who'd been involved had long ago burned through their extra leave time, gone on the requisite epic bender, and silently agreed never to talk about it again. And that was that. It hadn't been officially buried, but there was enough dust on it to make it feel like ancient history, or myth even. Jimmy regretted it almost as soon as he'd uttered the word.

-
This message was last edited by the player at 02:51, Fri 07 Nov 2014.
Tegyrius
GM, 34 posts
Fri 7 Nov 2014
at 01:33
  • msg #7

Re: [IC] Prelude - James Choi

McGuire pauses in mid-turn toward her keyboard.  "I don't think it's directly related," she says after a moment's thought.  "But it could be a similar case of DoD wanting a Bureau liaison for a veneer of legality.  Let me make some calls.  I'll text you if I turn up anything."




1055 hrs

As you tuck away your phone turn the corner toward the conference room, you find yourself on an intercept course with two men in khaki uniforms.  Your recent research fresh in your mind, you have no difficulty identifying the players despite your unfamiliarity with Navy uniforms.

Commander Stephen Vest would pass for a liberal arts professor out of uniform; you have to suppress a momentary flash of him in a tweed jacket with leather elbow patches.  You found a few of his unclassified papers online and there's very little overlap between your work and his apparent expertise in aerospace defense strategy.  He is, however, currently assigned to the Pentagon's delightfully ambiguous Global Logistics Liaison Office, a name which practically screams "bureaucratic obfuscation."

CWO Ted Bannon seems to be the main show, though he trails a deferential two steps behind Vest as the pair approaches.  "Shooter emeritus," Ciaran Lynch had informed you in a hurried phone call between shower and search engine.  "Started in sonar on subs but went to SEAL Team Three, then from there to DEVGRU.  I worked with him once in the Gulf, '04 or '05.  I think he's with JSOC now.  Definitely not the kind of guy you waste in a hole in the Pentagon basement."

Bannon sees your recognition and you can watch him decide not to react until Vest looks up three steps later.  "Special Agent Choi?  Ah, good.  Just the man we're here to see.  I'm Commander Steve Vest with the Office of Naval Intelligence.  This is Chief Warrant Officer Bannon."

The chief, in turn, lazily stretches out a strangler's hand to engulf yours.  "Pleased to meet you, Mister Choi."  He turns and opens the conference room door for you and his nominal superior.

Inside, Vest seats himself, clears his throat, and arranges a stack of manila folders on the table.  "Special Agent, we're here to ask for the Bureau's assistance.  The Pentagon is involved in a joint NATO intelligence effort to identify and interdict transfers of sensitive technology..."

You follow his preamble, waiting for Bannon to make the real pitch and thinking about the text McGuire sent you just before you walked around the corner: Confirm Manilla scenario.
James Choi
player, 8 posts
Special Agt, FBI HRT
Raellus
Fri 7 Nov 2014
at 03:12
  • msg #8

Re: [IC] Prelude - James Choi


The sinking feeling subsided. The mention of NATO threw Jim for a loop. The lingering emotional response to McGuire's text is quickly sublimated into confusion, replaced a second later by intellectual curiosity. He isn't sure what he expected from this meeting, but he's pretty sure that this isn't it.

"The department has personnel who've worked closely with NATO before. I'm sure you've at least skimmed through my file. A couple of quick business trips into Mexico, one tactical op in the Philippines- that's the extent of my international experience, gentlemen."

Jimmy's grown impatient with circumlocution. The wait and see approach doesn't seem to be going anywhere. It's time to change tacks, put these two mystery men on the defensive.

"But I'm sure you're aware of that. My supervisor's pretty well-informed and she couldn't tell me why you'd want to talk to me. I can't quite figure it out myself. No one here has heard of O-N-I. This isn't about Manila, not directly anyway. My skill set's not in any way exceptional, and the Bureau's got people with much more European experience."

This is it. Either James is going to cut through the bureaucratic cloak and dagger bullshit with the high powered laser of the inconvenient truth, or he's going to put a match to his career and watch it go down in flames.

"This has something to do with Los Alamos Lizard Man, doesn't it?"

-
This message was last edited by the player at 01:42, Wed 12 Nov 2014.
Tegyrius
GM, 39 posts
Fri 7 Nov 2014
at 22:54
  • msg #9

Re: [IC] Prelude - James Choi

Vest's face freezes over.  "Chief Bannon, the Special Agent has cracked open a compartment for which you're not cleared.  Please exit the room and ensure it remains secure."

A flicker of surprise - and possibly a bit of hurt that he's not cleared for something - rolls across Bannon's face, but he obeys without protest.

"Fuuuuuck," Vest breathes, pushing back from the table.  "You're fast, Mister Choi.  Do you mind 'Mister?'  I can keep using 'Special Agent' but it gets to be a mouthful."

He looks at you sidelong while his hands twitch in what you recognize as a reformed smoker's need for a stress-fix.  "This is the part where I'm supposed to neuralize you, isn't it?  Yeah, this is about the Los Alamos... Lizard Man."  He interlaces his fingers to still them.  "And several hundred other deniable and unsubstantiated reports that look like bullshit individually but look like a pattern together.

"This wasn't even the task force's job initially.  Their mission is legitimate, not a cover story for Project Blue Book, Round Two.  They're dealing with technology that moves faster than legislation, nonproliferation issues that the 50 USC 2900-sections don't begin to imagine.  But that mission has started uncovering some weirdness that looks like it might be," he shrugs uncomfortably, "Lizard Men.  Or it might be someone gaslighting us.  But the chain of command decided they needed to be open to the possibilities, so the recruiting filters are set for a particular sort of experience to go along with the skill sets.  Even while the primary mission drives on and most of the operators are not cleared for something that we don't even yet know is real.  They need to stay focused on the threats we know are out there and not get distracted looking for David Icke's terrorist reptiloids.

"And there's another piece of it too.  Some of the people the task force goes after are American citizens.  There's a real need for a federal agent to arrest them and preserve the chain of evidence in a way a military doorkicker can't or won't.  That's your legitimate mission if you decide you're on board.  But in the public eye, the Bureau also remains one of the most trusted agencies of the United States government.  So if those certain suspicions are ever borne out, and when that goes public, we're really going to need guys like you to substantiate it."
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:34, Sat 08 Nov 2014.
James Choi
player, 9 posts
Special Agt, FBI HRT
Raellus
Sat 8 Nov 2014
at 18:01
  • msg #10

Re: [IC] Prelude - James Choi


Almost every night Jimmy dreamt of the dead man that wasn't. He'd learned to handle those dreams- they didn't really bother him anymore. Afterwards, he awoke brimming with questions, not dread. Some nights, though, Jimmy's gun didn't work, or the bullet perfectly placed between the strangely reptilian eyes that usually put the alien man down for good didn't. Those were the nights he woke up shaking, a silent scream still frozen on his lips.

"OK. I'm in. Let me break it to my boss, though, alright?"

Vest smiles, closed-mouth, and nods, breaking eye contact and looking down to jot something on the half-size legal pad resting on his thigh.

"Has anyone else on this all-star team you're putting together had personal experience with this... kind of thing?"

-
This message was last edited by the player at 01:43, Wed 12 Nov 2014.
Tegyrius
GM, 42 posts
Sun 9 Nov 2014
at 18:15
  • msg #11

Re: [IC] Prelude - James Choi

The pen pauses, lifts.  "Yeah," Vest says after a moment's consideration.  "Like I said, we have recruiting filters in place.  That's not the only selection criterion but it is one.  However, you're the only one we've found who's come within shooting distance and also fits the rest of our recruiting profile."

He quirks his mouth.  "On the other hand, some personnel are deliberately selected as skeptics to keep the team from seeing what it wants to see.  We don't want a repeat of Project STARGATE, where most of the output was self-reinforcing wishful thinking."
Sign In