Cold as ice...

Later....

Ragan

"I'm still not sure those Replicants deserve our help," Inquirer sighs as she finishes up checking over the control unit attached to the freeze tube. "After all, in the movie they had killed a LOT of people to get away to Earth. But . . . we haven't gone this far in this Quest to compromise on minimizing the loss of life, even with those bastards."

Oh yes, Inquirer was rather . . . down on Roy and his gang for their means to their ends....

You know, I always did find it strange sometimes how conversations like this go with Inquirer. Then again, even after over a decade of associating with her I find that she still is full of surprises!

Case in point, back when we'd gone and managed to capture Scorpius again (re: 34102) we had to decide what to do with his sorry ass. Killing him was out of the question. I don't do things like that. The Doctor doesn't do things like that and his Companions do not do things like that, for whatever various reasons (if they can help it). So it was agreeable by far when we'd turned over canned Scorpy (Scorpius in a freeze tube) over to Miliary representatives back on Babylon 5 that they'd add him to their list of Peace Keepers to be "repatriated" with their kind back in the Farscape universe (i.e. dumped unconscious into life pods drifting along in a place to be picked up by PK ships soon enough). Had the weirdest sense of shock when Inquirer had, after she'd recovered, insisted on leaving a little message in Scorpius' lifepod to give him a "leg up" in the "inevitable" Scarren/Peace Keeper conflict. At first I had thought that she'd lost her mind! Scorpius wanted to drive the Scarrens to extinction, preferably with wormhole weapons. Why help someone with an agenda like that do that?! Well, she said she wanted to help Scorpius . . . but not in THAT manner. She pretty much stated that trying to prevent this upcoming conflict between those two empires (her terms for them) was pretty much a doomed effort. Instead, she was saying that the time and resources being spent on Scorpius' wormhole weapons research was a doomed effort. Yes, wormhole weaponry was possible, but only the gross overkill (and grossly capital intensive) kind that the Military finally found itself forced into taking with the Enemy of theirs....

The "Slammer Ships".... Shit, now there is a joke and a half (a sick one). Kamikaze drone ships by the hundreds, thousands that go out to overwhelm all known Enemy planetary installations . . . etc, etc, et frellin' etc! The joke on Scorpius was that to build that kind of massive fleet (one capable of wormhole travel) would take too long to build. Would scare the Scarrens into attacking early, if only to defend itself.

With the Enemy it had been different. After all, we'd now just finally discovered that the Enemy was from a reality that mirrored a BAD 1950's scifi paranoia flick from Crichton's home reality and....

.....

Well, let's leave that for another time, eh?

Inquirer's point had been that the wormhole research (if trying for something more elegant) was doomed. A dry hole sucking up assets better used in building up weaponry and training soldiers. Oh, she knew that it was going to be a bloody affair no matter what (which would, by her calculations, soon draw in the Nebari who'd put an END to it . . . resulting in a gray future (Nebari as the new superpower of that section of space) and very diminished PK and Scarran empires . . . never to be again what they had been). Not saying that she was happy about those predictions, and the deaths she and her friends back in the Military predicted would....happen. No, not that. Just saying that the diverted resources would help lessen the bloodbath, you follow?

Hey, talking about irony as a case in point. She even said that if Scorpius had really been on the ball (and perhaps not suffering from "tunnel vision") then that cloaking technology from that Prowler she'd "inherited" would have been useful if it had been exploited earlier. . . might have been able to even tilt things in favor for the PK if it had been exploited earlier (and shared earlier) than now (if ever) by Scorpius...

....

Again, never mind. Not something we can do anything about. Her point was that she was just suggesting that Scorpius should look to other avenues than wormhole weapons. It was a dead and we knew it, but I really don't believe that Scorpius will believe that (or listen to Inquirer) until it's too late. If only for that reason I'd have disagreed about Scorpius suffering from "tunnel vision". Scorpy's just too . . .intelligent by far otherwise. Scary, even, that man! But talk is cheap and I fear as I'd said it would be a waste of breath.

....

Anyway, that's that and the oringal point here is that people will continue to surprise you!

"So . . . is he a Replicant or not?" I smile, not really expecting him to . . .

"Oh, he is . . .and not just any Replicant," Inquirer says softly, closing her tricorder.

Huh? God, is there ANY Quest we're going to go on without two million plot twists to it?! I kind of hoped that at least this would have been relatively straight forward...

"Seems here that I detected signs of faint scaring here and there on Decker's body similar to what you'd find in 'body sculpting'," she continues, shaking her head slightly. "At a guess, it would appear that . . ."

She explains her theory and I find I have a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach. Oh, it fits perfectly with some of the more wild theories thrown around about some of the questions left open about Bladerunner. IN this case in this reality, the idea that Decker was actually some kind of Replicant himself (really ironic, considering his profession) held true. But not only was that a fact, it appears that our man Decker here had looked like someone else (and recently at that)! By estimations on how long ago the "body sculpting" had taken place, it would coincide with dates and times of Roy Batty's groups failed attempt to break into the Tyrell corporation HQ building. One Replicant comrade of their got friend by the security system, but intriguing slips by Bryant during his briefing of Decker in the movie (same one that I'll bet somehow Elrondir is getting right now) hinted that one of Batty's gang got captured in that failed break in!

Roy and his friends probably think the captured man is dead. Probably in their odd, undeveloped fashion, mourn his death. How ironic, then, is it that their lost man happens to be Decker here! Probably in "typical" cyberpunkish manner, the suits at Tyrell corporation decided to turn this "liablity" into an asset. Turn a former enemy into an ally (of sorts). Brainwash (and transform) the captured Replicant into Decker here, to help the police (who appear to be under their thumb) to track down the remaining Replicants.

"So . . . what do we do with Decker?" I ask Inquirer. "I mean if we do succeed in getting Roy and his friends to safety, let alone cure their rather . . . short lifespan, HIS days are kind of numbered!"

"We take him along with us instead of dumping him back at his apartment," Inquirer shrugs. "Drop him off somewhere with a facility that can unbrainwash him and put his head back to right. That and fix his accelerated decrepitude problems, IF it can be done. That's the only moral thing we can do."

Oh right, we Champions do so very hard to try to do the right thing.

Wonder if the right thing CAN be done in this rather frelled up burnout of a world, though....

Meanwhile...

Elrondir

Got through the "interview" with Bryant without giving into temptation and strangling either him or Gaff (those origami folding taunts had been . . . rather trying), though both could use it! That was okay. Had been surprised to see Holden there, walking about instead of at a hospital (hooked up to a respirator like what he'd needed after the movie version of Leon had done to him). The briefing he'd given had revealed pretty much the same info Decker would have gotten in the movie, otherwise. Except in addition to that one slipup about the number of people in Roy's gang, there seemed to be yet ANOTHER Replicant running around, probably with Leon. A new Replicant named Phylicia had gone AWOL just about the same time they'd lost track of Leon and had been added to the list of those I was supposed to hunt. Only thing is . . . Bryant had stipulated that I was to capture (not kill) her. Something special had been done with her and the Tyrells wanted her back, unharmed if possible. If not, then I had permission to "retire" her.

That had been strange and vague, and might even be telling . . . but too early yet to say that perhaps this was one of our targets. Sometime here real soon we'd need to take a new wand bearing on our targets (there were more than one we'd determined by multiple bearing readings) because ONE of our targets at least lay somewhere around here, in this building (the Tyrell Corporation) I'm in now. Just a matter of getting enough time to track the target (or targets) down. Not right now, though.

Have to "put the machine" on Rachael. Then, after I'm back in the elevator I'll see if she is one of the targets. However I'm beginning to think that our targets aren't the Replicants we'd seen in the movies! Meaning I don't think she's our target like I'd figured when we'd started out here. Would have bet good money at the beginning but things are too . . . out of joint and such for me to be so sure now. I KNOW that things are screwy. Holden still being around, walking and breathing on his own had been proof enough for that (have Phylicia to thank for that, have a hunch). But with that White Zombie song I'd heard in the elevator? That song from their "Astro Creep" album which had been inspired by the Replicants of Bladerunner? The one that the suits here were complaining about, saying it was a protest song? That had cut it! Yeah, strange things happen around Doors back to the Dark Tower (that's where we're dropping off the cubes for the Rules and Agents) and since the Door we needed to use was somewhere in THIS building (that otherworldly song otherwise wouldn't be floating around here) strange things are afoot.

Just glad that when I step into the room in the Tyrell building where I'm to meet Rachael Harry Potter doesn't show up to claim that white owl for his familiar! Don't need yet another crossover, thanks!

Well, to business. Might as well (again) follow the script. . . or at least as much as I feel like it. Kind of in a mischievous mood, right now... At least I'd managed to speed read through the operator's manual and sample questions somewhere between Gaff going off in a huff to pick up another squad car to drive/fly me here and now, else I'd not risk it.... Feel confident enough to be . . . coy.

That and quick about this. Rather fancied Pris (who'd been the inspiration for the makers of Farscape for Chiana's TV counterpart) over Rachael, really. Do want to be there when the two meet. . .

Note: next part in part taken from movie transcripts found here: http://www. angelfire.com /scifi/Blade runnerstory /Bladerunnerstory2. html

Speaking of Racheal, she's just arrived with that white owl's flight across the room just now.

" Do you like our owl?" she asks.

"Probably with a side of coleslaw," I quip. "But it's artificial, right?"

"Of course it . . . is," she answers, pausing slightly when what I'd just said registered.

"Must be expensive," I continue. "Nice, but too bad about it not being real. Just wouldn't enjoy . . . the meal as much, now."

Smack my lips a little bit, as if regretting the missed gourmand opportunity, further souring Rachael's opinion about me.

By the way, if you are wondering why I'm being so unpleasant. Why I'm trying to put Rachael on edge is simple. That is what Bladerunners do to their test subjects when they put them "under the machine", to test if they're a Replicant or not. In fact, the same had been done in the P. K. Dick book Bladerunner was based upon, only the "bladerunner" there had made it a point to be rude and crude, subhuman even before the tests began, to warm up the test subject for the session!

Just getting her warmed up so this'll go faster. Besides, I do NOT want her to fall for me like her TV counterpart had eventually done with the TV Decker. Already have a love for my life and that one love is ALL I have room for in my life, lifemate wise, thanks!! So with that I shall make no appologies for my rudeness. It's not a path I want to go down with her, even accidentally! Would only lead to heartbreak for her in the long run if luck goes against me, so why court trouble. Best to be rude and repulsive now, than an accidental heartbreaker later. Do hope you understand because that's the way its going to be here. Sorry, but that's that.

So, no longer quiet as cool as collected as she had been at the start (by the slight flush of anger to her cheeks), Rachael continues by introducing herself. I, after a bored seeming pause, tell her I'm Deckard and ask (more like order) her to get the Replicant out here so I can Voigt- Kampff it.

Of course, if reality follows movie then she is the Replicant I'm to test...

"It seems you feel our work is not a benefit to the public!" she grinds out before she catches herself. Yep, I’m getting to her. Good.

"Really?" I quip, sneering. "Would Bladerunners exist if they’re always benefits?! Hey, the Replicants are like any other machine. They're either a benefit or a hazard. If they're a benefit, it's not my problem. What my problem here is that you are wasting my time . . .

"That is . . . unless you’re the Replicant I’m supposed to test . . . and perhaps retire?" I ask her coyly, putting on a predatory gleam in my eye.

She blinks, looking at me for a few seconds taken aback.

"Of course I’m not a Replicant!" she snaps, angry. A little too angry, really, somehow. Hm, perhaps like in the movie she really is one, but is only beginning to suspect? I seem to have struck too close to home for comfort (as I’d hoped), if that’s true.

....

Hey, remember why I said I’m out to be rude? Long term, best thing for both of us! Trust me, though, I’m enjoying this a lot LESS than I’d hoped. Being an asshole just . . . . Well, sometimes in roleplaying sessions (like Torg) I’d enjoyed playing an asshole character. I had fun. I’m finding . . . I’m not here. Had hoped it would have been, but . . . its not. Oh well, guess it says something about me.

. . .

"May . . may I ask you a personal question?" Rachael finally manages, trying to compose herself.

"No," I say, deadly quiet. "Sit there."

I’m making like I’m pulling out my machine to examine her, protests to her not being a Replicant to the contrary. Yeah, could have played it out more. Ham it up where if (like in the movie) she’d asked me if I’d retired a human being by mistake. Could have played it up by saying "not by accident" (implying that not only had I killed human beings . . . but enjoyed it, if only to REALLY put her on edge). But there is only so much of this shit I can take myself, thanks.

"Uh, is this rudeness really necessary?" a slightly bemused male voice says.

And out from the corner comes the man, the myth, the legend! The person who, back Home, who’s name has become an insulting term for Company men.

1. "Mr. Tyrell," I ask, but not. "So good of you to finally join us?"

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