2023-01-14: The Major's reality, and hers
- Cutscene: The Major's reality, and hers
- Cast: Yuliana Kafim's superior, Major Pham Van Vinh
- Where: Colombo, Sri Lanka
- Date: 2023-01-14
- Summary: Major Pham finally learns why his Captain is missing... and what he's been missing, for the past month, too. His first move against Yuliana Kafim is to capture her newest assistant, the talented Newtype Alma Stirner. It will not be his last.
"Darling," a female voice on the end of the phone can be heard, "we'll be having roast chicken for dinner. Little Loan was quite insistent... I know you're trying to watch your weight, but don't worry, I'll make sure tomorrow isn't quite as heavy!" The Phams can go through that much chicken in one night; they're a big family.
And that's Pham Van Vinh's wife, on the phone. Pham Kim Chi wrangles the entire household on her own, given how busy her husband is with his work. She's a woman to be feared, but they love each other very much.
"You know I couldn't say no to that," Pham smiles -- actually smiles -- speaking into the phone. "I'm just pleased Loan is eating again... she must be getting over her illness. Did the doctors say anything, when you went in today?"
"Just to keep her on the antibiotics for another week," Chi responds, reassuringly. "They don't think she'll have any complications, but they want to be sure. She's been sleeping well, though. And it doesn't seem that Nguyet or Quyen have managed to catch it, so I think we'll really be okay!"
"Good," Pham affirms, nodding, though it's an audio call. "And that means Quyen's still going to his soccer match?"
"The doctor cleared him to go," Chi says. "Will you still be there, dear? He's really been looking forward to it."
"I've already finalised the paperwork to leave early that day. I know how proud he is of making the finals... I assure you, I wouldn't miss it." And strangely, Pham's assurances don't sound so sinister, speaking to her. But there's a knock at his door, and he looks up. "Ah -- that will be my officer," he excuses himself, to his wife. "Sorry, Chi, but I'll have to leave this here."
"Of course," Chi's smile is audible. "I know how important your work is. We love you!"
"And I love you," he responds, and shuts off the call. Putting the device away, he raises his voice, to say: "Enter."
"Sir," Parminder Chaudhri salutes, as he opens the shut door to Major Pham's office and slips inside. He tosses over a file; despite the clear waste of paper, Pham's always preferred hard copies. "The reports from JOSH-A, as requested."
"Very good," Major Pham says, as he takes the file. He allows for Parminder's careless delivery. "You're dismissed, Lieutenant." Or, rather, he doesn't much care for such a flippant officer ruining his good mood.
"Yes, sir," Parminder salutes, again, and leaves, because Pham doesn't have to tell him twice. His boss's boss is such a drag. All his issues are obvious, and it's both boring and a pain in Parminder's ass.
And so Pham is alone, as he thumbs through the file. He observes the images of the Twin Dragon, the emptiness they came from... G-Hound's Records. His darkened skin grows pale and wan, as his eyes linger on those imperfect captures of the broken reality around JOSH-A.
OST Reprise: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OBOaOLOzEw Sleigh Bells - End of the Line
'I suppose I have but one recourse. To throw myself on your sentiment. To show you... My heart.'
Two eyes -- four -- eight, open and staring, shaking, sundering. They force into his memory -- no, they were always IN his memory, painted over, pushed aside. Bile rushes to his throat. He swings his chair about; he retches. His breath comes too, too ragged, as his fingers dig too far into the fine wood of his desk.
The edges of his nails leave bloodstains, then, as he scrabbles for the file and tears through it again. "No... no..."
Command revoked their permission to travel, after JOSH-A, pursuant to questioning.
And here, he's finally got his answer why.
He still feels the programming within himself, the dying urge to take Yuliana Kafim under his protection -- to return her. "Dispersal," he hisses, hand tightening to a fist instead. Could she have done it? Could she have left him a puppet to betray his people? He remembers again the dossier he'd built, before he cheerfully destroyed it. The way she misleads. The way she dominates. Major Pham, wonders, for a moment, why he remembers the eyes now, seeing these sensor images.
And then he is too angry to wonder.
Pham Van Vinh is not a man easily moved to anger.
But Elisa was disappointed that she never got to threaten his family.
He takes a deep, shuddering breath, and another, and another. Forcefully, he calms his racing heart. Parasympathetic response. Standard knowledge for a handler. Rarely something he has to use on himself.
He presses a button on the internal phone, and picks up the receiver.
"Div," he says, and doesn't even address her as Dr. Devi, "we have to talk."
... it takes some time to convince her, but they're old friends, too.
And when he does, Alma Stirner's presence is requested next door, at the Institute for Continuing Study.
She does not return.