This Vacation Interruption Brought to You by Section 31

[trpmods]

The time of your meeting has come...

The coordinates that you were given lead you to a restaurant near the beach. It's closed for the day but the tables are still out. Small tables with just enough room for two. And that is where you will find '31'. 

You see her sitting alone, nursing a drink in a mug. There is one waiting for you, as well. She doesn't smile as you take your seat, just lifts one slanted eyebrow. 

"Greetings. I am gratified that you accepted my invitation. My name is Agent T'Pring." The chances of that being true seem unlikely. "I work for a department within the Federation that concerns itself with any and all security concerns the United Federation of Planets may face. As you are not of this universe, I do not expect you to understand this. However, I still believe we may be of use to one another."

She leans forward, hair falling in front of her pointed, elfin ears. Maybe you have done some research and recognize her race for what it is: Vulcan. Maybe not. She lowers her voice and continues: 

"I have questions regarding your abduction and the story behind your imprisonment. I do not believe I am able to assist in freeing you, however I may have insight if there are questions you wish to ask." 

She moves your mug closer to you. It's a fragrant tea, still warm. 

"In the interest of diplomacy and to encourage this exchange of knowledge, I will allow you to begin this interview. 

"You may ask me whatever you wish." 

OOC NOTES:

• This meeting is optional. You can have your character meet Agent T'Pring or not.
• If your character is speaking with T'Pring, you can ask her anything. She may not have the answer, but you can ask. 
• This meeting is one day only IN GAME. In real life, the threads will continue to the end of the event. 
• If you have any questions, please use the Question Comment below. 

Comments

[beholding_archivist]

Jon has been looking forward to this appointment just as much as he has been dreading it. Dreading, because he isn't sure what to expect. Looking forward, because he might know more afterwards and his own curiosity and the resulting anxiety hasn't done much for his already abysmal sleep habit.

Which at least has left him with more time to worm his way through the database.

So he does recognize her as Vulcan, indeed, nodding briefly as he takes his seat and without explanation sets in already running tape recorder on the table next to the mug. Though his eyes remain on her as she introduces herself and explains her reason for setting up this meeting. He quietly measures her and her words against what he has been able to find in the database. So far nothing appears to be out of place. And yet he isn't exactly willing to take any risks. Not when there may be answers for once.

"I'm Jonathan Sims. The Archivist." He begins by introducing himself. That's the polite thing to do, after all "And I assume these security concerns you speak of refers to our involuntary presence on this planet." That much is easy to put together, really.

It is then that he narrows his eyes, focusing an unblinking stare on her. He can practically hear the soft crackle in the air and feel the added weight on every word as he wraps his question in a demand meant to draw out nothing but the raw truth "Tell me. Do you plan to kill us?"

[trpmods]

T'Pring's expression is cool as she hears the demand and quirks an eyebrow. It is the closest thing to a smile or a laugh that anyone would possibly get from her.

"Mister Sims, you may be unaware, but a quality of my people is touch telepathy. To mitigate any intrusion this trait may have on others, Vulcan children begin mental and telepathic shielding exercises quite young. Your attempts at influencing me may be successful with sufficient time a d concentration, but they are entirely unnecessary; another quality of my people is the fact that we do not lie."

She leans back in her chair, posture still straight but attempting to convey some level of relaxation.

"So when I inform you that, no, we have no interest in harming any of you, be secure that this is the truth. We merely desire information. A way to prevent others from being taken."

[beholding_archivist]

It's never pleasant when his conscious attempts at compelling someone are met with resistance. Being denied knowledge is about as painful as destroying it. And this case is no different. He feels the first pang of pain the moment T'Pring pulls up her brow. The rest feels like an arrow fired straight through his eyes and left ricocheting through his skull several times before shooting down his spine and bursting into shrapnel somewhere near his core. Jon briefly chokes on the sensation then has to blink several time against the pain while the Vulcan explains her case and he is ultimately left with his gaze fixed on the table and a grimace on his face.

No. That wasn't exactly what he had hoped to achieve.

He exhales once before raising his head again, straightening his back ever so slightly but not even making an attempt to appear apologetic "But can you blame me for trying?" He asks. A normal question. And he continues by raising his scarred hand to his throat, vaguely indicating the scar up there "Or for assuming the worst? Somehow you have known we were here before we had any idea what is going on. I call that suspicious."

Though he hardly needs an answer to those questions. Instead, his hand drops back to the edge of the table, fingers curling slightly around it while he wraps out further suspicions "Are you at war with the Agrii? Was it your people that destroyed their planet, perhaps?"

[trpmods]

T'Pring seems unmoved both by the other's apparent pain and by his suspicion. She merely lifts her mug, primly takes a sip, and sets it back down. Her hands steeple in front of her as she considers a response.

"We were aware that there was a gap in time that has mirrored others we have noticed for many years. They have normally occurred around persons of importance when they were, we presume, taken and returned. This is the first time the energy signature and time fluctuation has given us people."

She takes out a tablet and begins tapping on it.

"You mention the 'Agrii'. I do not know a species by this name. Can you describe them?"

[beholding_archivist]

"They are short, covered in brown fur and have an appetite for cats." Jon replies flatly, just slightly irritated by his own inability to answer such a simple question before moving right on "No, I can't. They dropped us on a destroyed planet that hasn't seen any sentient life in decades."

Catching himself, Jon lets the irritation pass, then sighs.

"I'm sorry. It's... We- Or I at least haven't met them." Then he pauses, mentally picking through what little he does know.

"Three eyes. I believe they have three eyes. Thin and long legs. That's... That's the impression I got from what's left of their city. It's not a city designed for humans. Or... Beings that entirely share our physical attributes."

[trpmods]

The agent pauses and frowns. "You stated that the planet has not seen any sentient life in decades. Do you know precisely how much time has passed? Depending upon the climate of the planet, I would expect there to be very little left behind after both time and the elements have eroded structures."

She clears her frown and makes a gesture as though to show 'on the other hand'. "Without knowing more of the composition, however, this is merely conjecture."

[beholding_archivist]

"According to the information we were given, it's actually been centuries, but no precise amount of time was stated. It just... The city doesn't feel left to decay quite that long. Decades, yes. I have seen enough documentaries on Pripyat and its slow decay over the past three decades since its abandonment to make Temba feel... Oddly well preserved. So, no. I can't tell you any details. Or give precise numbers. Not after merely having two days there before being pushed here." Which he still isn't too pleased with, but... Still.

He lets out a brief sigh.

"They want to rebuild. And return to their planet. There's neither rhyme nor reason in the array of people they bring in for that task - Christ, I'm certainly no architect! But according to others that have been there longer... They don't mean us any harm. Much rather they simply don't seem to know what they need in order to acquire their goal. If you find out a way to get into actual contact with them, consider offering help to their cause." Just a suggestion.

[trpmods]

"If it does not violate the Prime Directive, we certainly will." T'Pring taps a bit more on her tablet and puts it down, suddenly very intrigued.

"You say that the place is 'oddly preserved'. We have also heard from others that these alien beings are... at best confused about their current state. Something they attribute to...distance, I believe?" She sips out of her tea and inclines her head.

"Is there anything to suggest that their remembrance of their history is incorrect? Or tampered with?"

[beholding_archivist]

Jon leans back as he listens to her words, brows pulling together in thought as he picks up his own mug at last without giving it much thought.

Distance. Distance to their planet? Or something left behind on it, perhaps? It's an idea he can in a way relate to. Or at least that's the explanation he has been giving himself for feeling his own connection to Beholding be a little... Off. Though the Entities are said to dwell in a realm outside of reality itself, so distance may not even be truly involved. But he's just giving himself a headache he has no need for over this again.

"Those storms may be part of the issue. When I arrived on Agra 10, one was there, and it lasted for days. I was foolish enough to get lost in it until it ended and have no usable data on it. My recorder didn't work properly in there and, yes. But others say they have data on them and they supposedly are deadly to the Agrii. Which means that aside from rebuilding, there is also the matter of dealing with those storms. Though I am not sure if we can find the necessary equipment to figure out where they come from or what precisely they are on the planet itself."

He takes a sip of the tea, nods in slight approval, but also glances over at the tablet she uses and raises a brow.

"Are you by chance familiar with ways of communication that don't rely on actual language? Spoken of written words? Are elaborate forms of telepathy common on non-human species?"