Because if there ever was an excuse for the use of excessive force ...
"So, we finally meet face to face. I'd say it's a pleasure ..."
"Except that you would be lying. I am well aware of the opinion you have of me, Mr.Kocinski."
"Big brother is watching you ... feh. You'll excuse me if I don't consider nigh omnipotent beings gambling with Realities and lives with any fondness whatsoever."
"I assure you, there are reasons ... and not, as you are about to accuse, trivial ones."
"You'd be amazed at what I'd consider trivial."
"Not everyone has your capacity for apathy, thankfully."
"Flattery will get you nowhere. Now, why the hell am I here and not in the middle of a Crossing?"
"You are correct, this is not, strictly speaking, a social call."
"Wow, I was starting to be afraid my personality may be in demand or something."
"Rest assured, that is very unlikely to happen. Of the two times your path has intersected our 'little game' as you are so fond of thinking of it, neither has had an outcome that was of particular ..."
"If you're expecting me to care ..."
"No, not hardly. We, however, do. Still, it was a mixture of peculiar circumstance and lack of full briefing from us ..."
"Make that lack of any briefing."
"You forget Ms.Fujino."
"Rrrrright. If you consider that a briefing, consider this a peace sign."
"Please, rude gestures are hardly warranted."
"I live to annoy. And I think I've just found out whom."
"Charming."
"Are we going to get to the point anytime soon?"
"As I was saying, your talents were ... perhaps not all that well suited to the situation at hand in either case. As it were, the earlier entanglement almost degenerated into chaos, the latter ... was not very much better, though perhaps on a somewhat smaller scale."
"And now you're going to offer me, what?"
"Offer?"
"Look, let's just cut it out. All of it. The stick's me wandering all over the place and never getting 'home'. Show me the carrot, and let's get this over with."
"Quite. You are correct, in this case. Though we would not move to leave your journey up to anything but chance in case of a negative answer. We find ourselves in a bit of a quandry, you see ... the particular 'job' we desire to hire your services for is one that would, without a doubt, quickly turn towards an excessively volatile path. And a very fragile one at that. The situation itself is very turbulent and quite easy to unbalance ... quite a bit easier, actually, than keeping it stable. I would even go as far as to say that keeping it stable would be counterproductive. Our usual approach would, perhaps, be inadvisable in this case."
"And you want me to march into the middle of whatever SNAFU is cooking there? Still not seeing a carrot."
"I have ... understated the gravity slightly, I think. The reality in question is something of a nexus point, and the potency of some of its elements ..."
"I get it. Potential beachhead, and, if it could be controlled, staging area for deployment of assets that wouldn't require your particular intervention to be sent into this 'game'. Still not seeing a reason why I should ..."
"One Crossing, Mr.Kocinski."
"Say again?"
"One Crossing, as you are so fond of calling those transitions between realities, immediately after this ... 'contract' ... will lead you back to the place you consider 'home'. And no, I do not jest. We are willing to bend our rules that far."
"Do I get a briefing this time? A full one?"
"Yes. Yes you do. The setting is one you will not be entirely unfamiliar with, and so is the, pardon the pun, space you will be operating in, though ..."
"Memory fades on some things, Sanders. You know that better than I do, I'd imagine."
"You recall the anime series, Infinite Ryvius?"
"... yes. Yes, I do believe I do."
---
Incarna: To Infinity and Beyond
---
... this place would be it.
-Griever
When tact is required, use brute force. When force is required, use greater force.
When the greatest force is required, use your head. Surprise is everything. - The Book of Cataclysm
"So, we finally meet face to face. I'd say it's a pleasure ..."
"Except that you would be lying. I am well aware of the opinion you have of me, Mr.Kocinski."
"Big brother is watching you ... feh. You'll excuse me if I don't consider nigh omnipotent beings gambling with Realities and lives with any fondness whatsoever."
"I assure you, there are reasons ... and not, as you are about to accuse, trivial ones."
"You'd be amazed at what I'd consider trivial."
"Not everyone has your capacity for apathy, thankfully."
"Flattery will get you nowhere. Now, why the hell am I here and not in the middle of a Crossing?"
"You are correct, this is not, strictly speaking, a social call."
"Wow, I was starting to be afraid my personality may be in demand or something."
"Rest assured, that is very unlikely to happen. Of the two times your path has intersected our 'little game' as you are so fond of thinking of it, neither has had an outcome that was of particular ..."
"If you're expecting me to care ..."
"No, not hardly. We, however, do. Still, it was a mixture of peculiar circumstance and lack of full briefing from us ..."
"Make that lack of any briefing."
"You forget Ms.Fujino."
"Rrrrright. If you consider that a briefing, consider this a peace sign."
"Please, rude gestures are hardly warranted."
"I live to annoy. And I think I've just found out whom."
"Charming."
"Are we going to get to the point anytime soon?"
"As I was saying, your talents were ... perhaps not all that well suited to the situation at hand in either case. As it were, the earlier entanglement almost degenerated into chaos, the latter ... was not very much better, though perhaps on a somewhat smaller scale."
"And now you're going to offer me, what?"
"Offer?"
"Look, let's just cut it out. All of it. The stick's me wandering all over the place and never getting 'home'. Show me the carrot, and let's get this over with."
"Quite. You are correct, in this case. Though we would not move to leave your journey up to anything but chance in case of a negative answer. We find ourselves in a bit of a quandry, you see ... the particular 'job' we desire to hire your services for is one that would, without a doubt, quickly turn towards an excessively volatile path. And a very fragile one at that. The situation itself is very turbulent and quite easy to unbalance ... quite a bit easier, actually, than keeping it stable. I would even go as far as to say that keeping it stable would be counterproductive. Our usual approach would, perhaps, be inadvisable in this case."
"And you want me to march into the middle of whatever SNAFU is cooking there? Still not seeing a carrot."
"I have ... understated the gravity slightly, I think. The reality in question is something of a nexus point, and the potency of some of its elements ..."
"I get it. Potential beachhead, and, if it could be controlled, staging area for deployment of assets that wouldn't require your particular intervention to be sent into this 'game'. Still not seeing a reason why I should ..."
"One Crossing, Mr.Kocinski."
"Say again?"
"One Crossing, as you are so fond of calling those transitions between realities, immediately after this ... 'contract' ... will lead you back to the place you consider 'home'. And no, I do not jest. We are willing to bend our rules that far."
"Do I get a briefing this time? A full one?"
"Yes. Yes you do. The setting is one you will not be entirely unfamiliar with, and so is the, pardon the pun, space you will be operating in, though ..."
"Memory fades on some things, Sanders. You know that better than I do, I'd imagine."
"You recall the anime series, Infinite Ryvius?"
"... yes. Yes, I do believe I do."
---
Incarna: To Infinity and Beyond
---
... this place would be it.
-Griever
When tact is required, use brute force. When force is required, use greater force.
When the greatest force is required, use your head. Surprise is everything. - The Book of Cataclysm