The Inside Job

Aeryn Pip

And with a magical disguise he’d just thrown on, ol’ Elrondir is our man (or elf) for the job! Just like my sister and me were the ones to help set things up with rolling Decker here, opening up the way.

My sister IS a mirror image of me . . . in a way . . .

Chiana

Heh! It's almost like old times in a way...

Hm, wonder if my sister is thinking the same thing....

After all, except for some differences in her life, she's just like me! I mean, I at least understand this parallel reality business that well, you know! But those differences make things . . . interesting . . .

Then again, speaking about differences and that kind of dren . . .I'm rather surprised that. . .

Aeryn Pip

Then again . . . she's different. That's okay with me, but then again it's kinda . . . disorienting. Some things just . . . Well, take my and her sex drive! Her's is as strong as ever, strong as mine. However, unlike mine (which isn't) it's now totally oriented towards ONE person now....

....

You'd think that poor ol' Sigin would get worn through and through trying to satisfy, but way my sister tells it he's more than up for the. . . .

Left me REALLY startled the way she described his...

...

Uh, nevermind.

That and other things like religion. Me? Heh. Seen it used and abused for mortal ends more times than I care to recall! Don't get me started on how Nebari religions (before it got outlawed for a more "rational" system, the Establishment way) came fashionable). But wi- with her? She . . . actually believes in that religion her husband believes in... Then again, like that one old woman, "Wrinkles" said, it right. Won't quote her directly, let's just say that she said that the "ideals" set down in religion and "gods" (if there were such things, despite certain Entities that took me aback a bit ago back in the Dark Tower) are okay, it takes the believers to mess things up. . . . drag it down. Let my sister believe what she chose to believe and I'll believe (or not). Time will tell who's right here (we ARE all immortal, us Champions).

Just glad to see that her frellin' religious beliefs didn't stop her from helping me roll Decker here!

But I AM surprised that Betty. . .

Chiana

. . . was surprised that I and my sister actually rolled Decker! Then again, it's not like I and my sister WANT to be totally predictable! Not like I and my sister want to be totally "pinned down" and predictable from what Betty and Ragan saw from Farscape. Hear that the Doctor had said such stuff in passing, more than one time himself. Betcha that's how . . .

Hm, maybe that's one of the bugs that Crichton had up his eema that made him act like a dranit now and again.

Frell it! I want to see those DVDs that reflect how life could have been if I’d not met the Doctor and his friends, if only to at least UNDERSTAND how the Crichton now (at LAST) is stuck away in a freeze tube could have become such a bastard!

How . . just HOW could someone so like the John I’d known done what he’d done to my sister! Even THINK about doing what ultimately Scorpy had done to her!? See, I don’t accept the dren excuse that he’d been under some kind of alien influence. Oh, it might have kept him to the course, but I figure that he’d started down that path without any prompting from bloody be damned Flagg, damnit!

My Crichton would never had done that. Would have found a different (better) way than that sorry assed mirror version of him. . .

Frell, I already have thought of a least half a dozen BETTER ways than....

....

Let’s drop it, okay? If I keep on this track I might find myself besides myself. Shifting back to full dragon form, smoke coming out of my nose, mouth (and maybe ears if such things were possible) from the anger boiling up in me right now over those memories!

Anyway, Elrondir has put on his magical “Decker” seeming and is rifling through the real Decker’s pockets, picking up stuff that’ll be needed for this upcoming “insertion” mission.

Elrondir

Having already picked up Decker’s wallet (which will be returned to him after this is over) I pause as I draw forth his weapon. Sleek and deadly it is and has a certain . . . charm to it.

Know something, I’d always wanted a gun like this ever since I’d watched this movie (“voice over” version vice that fascist “Director’s Cut” Black Market types salvage and sell from either archeological digs or deep space TV signal intercepts. . . if not just copies of copies of the show). It blended perfectly (with that the tired, bored voice over given by Harrison Ford) to create the sci fic/film noire feel to Bladerunner.

Believe that I just MAY have trouble returning this to Decker when this is all over...

“Okay, plan goes as stated,” I say as I holster the Bladerunner gun (in a holdout holster vice the one for the “phasor” that’ll see use this job). “Freeze him until we’re done. Maybe see if Decker here IS actually a replicant as rumor has it. . . . but get him outta sight! Police presence is already in the area and I’m late as it is!!”

Had seen flashes of one of those hovercraft police cars way back the way Decker had came, meaning that his old boss was looking for him. Wait too much longer and some plainclothes policemen might come down here after him, looking to pick Decker up. Can’t have that, now can we?

Squaring my shoulder’s I march off back down the way Decker (the “real” Decker) had chased Aeryn Pip.

The police spot me as I’m almost over to the sidewalk sushi diner (as seen in the movie) where Decker had/would have ordered a meal. With the TARDIS’ almost magical translation ability in play, this next part should be interesting! Almost have to wonder how quickly (or not) this city will notice that everything they say can’t be hidden behind different languages....

"Now you can sit here.” the elderly cook which has been called the Sushi Master says, waving me over to an open spot. “Come on. Well, what would you like to have?"

He then pauses, blinking, as if noticing something about what he had just said. Like what he’d meant to say (in Japanese) hadn’t been exactly what had left his lips. Seems that unlike back in the Doctor’s home reality, people about seem to be more observant, somehow. Betty had made a joke about it being a Torg “World Law”, that. The Doctor had coughed and had said he’d . . . explain later about that. He seemed embarassed. Have to wonder just what the truth of the matter was that he (as of yet) has yet to explain...

Then again, it’s not going to be INSTANTLY obvious to the Sushi Master or anyone else right out the box. See, to long time fluent (or even not so fluent) speakers of foreign languages it soon becomes a matter of thinking in that language. A newbie to that language would have notice right off something was off, but not (yet) would long time speakers... That and perhaps the prevalent mentality of selfishness, caring only for one’s own priorities and business . . . and not stepping up to help your fellow man in this world. This poor, burnt out shell of a world....

Kinda like Home (not Terra Prime, but Home). Not exactly, really, but still we’ve got a LONG way to go undoing the damage done to society by the Damned Company....

...

Oh well, time to get into it and play out my part . . . as much as it suits me.

Besides, I could use a bite to eat...

“Give me two,” I order, pointing at the menu. “With noodles.”

Decker had ordered four in the movie, but not only is he human sized (if perhaps not ‘human’ but some kind of replicant as Bladerunner mythology hints at) he’d has a bigger stomach than me! I might appear human sized, but I’m still (underneath) an elf. We elves don’t need as much as you humans, let me remind you.

"Two must be enough for you . . . uh . . .," the Sushi Master begins, pausing when what I’d ordered is exactly the limit he’d just stipulated. Responding to my rather fishy stare, he bows slightly, embarrassed. “Yes, two you ask and two you get. Yes. Sorry.”

He then pauses, turning back to me after shouting the order to the food preparer down the way a bit behind the counter.

“You speak good Japanese,” he says in an admiring voice. “That’s very . . . polite of you. Thanks.”

I guess. Seems that he appreciates having a customer he isn’t forced to try to understand in a tongue he’s not exactly proficient in. Guess that the language anomaly the TARDIS is generating is a bit harder to catch than what I’d believed. Oh well, not my problem. I give a slightly indulgent nod and smile, as if to say “no problem for an old friend”. Whatever....

But . . .

Odd. One would almost think he’d been forced to follow some invisible Bladerunner movie script in the sky, but I’ll put that down as him being familiar with Decker’s eating habits. Must have done business with the bladerunner in the past, I gather.

But speaking of departures from the script here comes some more.

At least in the movie they’d have the decency to let Decker get his food before interrupting! Guess they’re in a hurry!

"Come here." the uniformed policeman (Korean from appearances, at a guess) on my left orders. I ignore him as Decker would have. Think that the cold shoulder I have given him angers the man a bit, so he hasn’t noticed he’d not spoken in Korean (as his movie counterpart had in the movie when ordering Decker about).

Guy on my right, an dandily dressed man who looks just like Gaff from the movie, then speaks, seeing I’m not responding. He might not BE called Gaff since nothing says that EVERYTHING in this reality must follow Hollywood, but then again...

"You will be required to accompany me, sir." Gaff (?) orders. He then blinks, noticing something about what he’d said didn’t match up with what something his ears tell him.

Things pretty much, language anomaly or not, goes pretty much their petty way as it had in the movie. Don’t feel like making it any easier for Gaff (or whoever) because that would be out of character. Fear that the real Decker and this guy had as a cold of relationship as their movie counterparts, so might as well go with it.

Gets me inside to places and information I need. Yeah, our target might not be a replicant at all, but having the databases and other assets a police station might have will perhaps make tracking down our target (or targets) easier. I hope, anyway.

Yeah, could just try my old hand at some old fashioned hacking, but . . .

1. This is more fun!

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