Game Plan

Log Title: Game Plan

Characters: Gabriel Bassett (emitted by Bludd), Interrogator, Zarana

Date: 26 December 2022

Summary: One of the only soldiers on Grenoble Base who's not infected with the Dark Jem virus meets with Zarana and Interrogator to discuss ways to cure the infected.

As logged by Major Bludd

Paris

If greatness of a city were to be measured solely by its number of inhabitants, Paris (9.5 million) would not even rank in the world's top twenty. But if greatness is measured by a city's historic heritage, cultural content, and international influence, Paris has no peer. Old Paris, near the Île de la Cité that housed the original village and carries the eighth-century-old Notre Dame Cathedral, contains an unparalleled assemblage of architectural and artistic landmarks, old and new. Old Paris is ringed by a new and very different Paris. Stand on top of the Arc de Triomphe and look in the other direction from the Champs Élyseés, and the tree-lined avenue gives way to La Défense, an ultramodern high-rise complex that is one of Europe's leading business districts. But from atop the Eiffel Tower you can see as far as 80 km, and discern a Paris visitors rarely experience: grimy, aging industrial quarters, and poor, crowded neighbourhoods where discontent and unemployment fester -- and where Muslim immigrants cluster in a world apart from the splendor of the old city.

In a dank alleyway behind a noisy club in a grimier corner of Paris, a young man in a black hoodie emblazoned with 'JEM' leans against a stone wall, smoking a cigarette. With his hood up it's difficult to see his expression, but his posture is slouchy and he seems indifferent to his surroundings.

It's taken a bit of time to setup a meeting. And making sure there's the -potential- for a cure. Interrogator thinks he has one. They have a method of broadcasting it. They have members of the Holograms that have been deprogrammed. So Zarana's going to meet Bludd's adjunct, wearing a dark outfit and a French beret.

The man in the hoodie picks up his head as Zarana steps into the alley. Blowing a plume of smoke out his nostrils, he tugs the hood back slightly to get a better look at her, then pushes himself off the wall and stands up straight, nodding tightly and motioning her toward him with the cigarette in his hand.

It takes her a moment to confirm the signal, then she gives the counter-signal, glancing around and quickly scanning the area for any tails, observation posts, security cameras.. Or really anything that gives an idea that the two have been noticed. She walks forwards casually.

The young man hastens toward her, obviously not as knowledgeable about staying discreet as she is. As soon as he's near enough, he speaks. "Madame, thank you so much for coming. I am afraid for my comrades and I hope you can help me!" His words come out in a whispered rush, as if anxious to get out of each other's way and laden with a heavy French accent. Zarana recognises the voice immediately as that of Gabriel Bassett, the man who left a voicemail on her mobile phone a few months ago.

Zarana would glance over her shoulder a few more times, "No problem luv. Bum a light?" She would hold up a cigarette and use him offering the light as a cover to do another, final, and paranoid glance about the area. Mouthing 'no electronics'.

Bassett starts, staring at his cigarette for a moment, then at Zarana. Understanding washes over his shadowed face and he nods, holding out the lit cigarette for her. As he does, he pulls his hood down and slips a pair of earbuds out of his ears. With his gaze still on Zarana's face, he reaches blindly into his hoodie pocket and turns off the phone that's tucked away there.

Zarana would nod over at Bassett, and then go to quickly reply in sign language. 'Tracks and listens'. No doubt in reference to Silica. And any electronics or anything close to the cloud. She goes to speak, "We think we have a way of juicing them out." Curing them.

Bassett nods. "It is not connected to internets. I listen to quiet peaceful sounds, Madame, saved to phone memory." He stuffs the earbuds and their cord into the pocket where the phone is hiding. "The Liquid Mind is my favourite. Cool and calming. Back at base, I had to let them put the music on me." He shakes his head briefly. "Like the Commandant says, sometimes easiest way to escape your enemies' notice is to look like something they think is not a threat. So I let them put the music on me." He shudders at the memory. "It was terrible. The music is so angry, and it makes me want to be angry too! But the others, they leave me alone after they put the music on me, and I try a..." He pauses a moment, casting his gaze skyward. "...comment dit-on... a meditate? For clearing the mind, maybe. It works but it is very difficult. How can we help the others who are not trying to resist the music?"

Zarana would go to give a nod over at him and listen over to tap at her head and sigh, looking over her shoulder a few times, "Good." She goes to figure out how to put this. "Counter signal. Sorta like jamming. Put something out, disrupts the control, and then we just broadcast it wide spectrum soon as we have it. Something that they can't block or control. We just blast it out, that handles almost everything. Then take the chick offline." Silica.

Bassett listens intently as Zarana explains the methods of disrupting Silica's control, his eyes slowly widening and a smile beginning to dawn on his clean-shaven face. "This is wonderful!" he exclaims in a loud whisper that momentarily becomes a squeak. He claps his hand over his mouth and hunches down, his cheeks pinkening. "Pardon, Madame," he whispers, barely audible. "It is exciting, to think that this could all be finished, that everyone can be free again." He frowns at the cigarette in his hand, tossing it to the ground and stepping on it. "I do not even like the smoking. I do it because I blend in better with ... with them." He pauses to rub at his face with the back of his hand and his sleeve. "I wish to help in this effort, Madame. I am no expert of electronics though. What can I do?"

Zarana would nod over at the man, "Yeah." She would close her eyes, "What we have to worry about is the gal getting an idea of what we're up to. Pretty sure she'll know we're on the move and have some things. That means that she's going to get aggressive or be after us." If not both. "We're going to need an idea of what she's going to be up to. If your.. Friend goes along with her and goes after us.."

Zarana and a young man in a black JEM hoodie are meeting, discreetly, they hope, in a back alley in a grungier part of Paris.

Bassett nods along as Zarana explains the need to keep their plans from Silica. He blanches slightly at the mention that the AI could come after them, but frowns in confusion as she mentions... "My... 'friend'? Who is this?" Whatever Bassett's military specialty is, it's not espionage.

Zarana would just break out in a grin, "I mean yer boss." She would quip. "Don't worry, we'll help him get out of there. But.. We're going to have to know what she's done to him and how loyal he is to her. What if anything he's gonna do if she calls on him."

The young man's eyebrows quirk up in acknowledgement. "Yes of course," he replies, then frowns sadly. "I am worried about the Commandant. I have never seen him so ... distant. And angry. He seems just... all over angry, like not angry at only one thing. It is like the whole world makes him angry and he wants to punish all of it. But you are right. He may want to help the Silica AI." His face pales again. "I do not want the Commandant to direct his anger at me. He is very skilled fighter. You will want for me to find out these things about him?"

Interrogator is a few doorways down. He managed to follow Zarana and is just listening for now.

She's aware of Interrogator's presence, and is waiting for any sort of signal from him. She has nothing electronic on her due to her general paranoia over of what she's seen Silica do. "I'm not asking you to put your neck out. I'm asking for what information you can get without exposing yourself. Don't put yourself at risk. I also don't want to make your commander an enemy of ours either."

Interrogator asks quietly, Who is your Commandant?"

Bassett's head bobs. "But of course. The Commandant has not been on the base much these last months but one of the officers said he heard that he is coming back soon. I do not know for how long, but I will try to learn what I can." He rubs his chin briefly. "Perhaps I can find out something from Ça Plane --" He nearly jumps out of his skin at the sudden new voice. He recovers from his surprise quickly and narrows his eyes in the direction he thought he heard the voice. "Who is that?!" he demands. Perhaps he's not as meek as he seems.

Zarana would glance over at Interrogator and mutter, "You suck at this." She would gesture over at him to join them. Hopefully he's not wearing a huge mustache like the kind she's caught Zartan with when he'd taken a bit too much of the sauce. "That's good."

Interrogator says to Zarana, "No, I don't suck at this." To Bassett he says, "I was following her to see where she was going in such a hurry, but I am afraid I know who the Commandant is, and that will...poor bastard."

Bassett's gaze stays riveted on Interrogator. "You know this man, Madame?" To Interrogator, he says, "How dare you speak of the Commandant in such a fashion? If you know who he is you know he is worthy of respect."

Zarana would shrug, "Not the time boys." She would hold her hands up, "We're all on the same side here. And this is the guy that's working on a way to cure your boss."

Interrogator leans against a wall and says, "We know each other well enough to call each other 'poor bastard' respectfully, if he's who I think he is. I have a friend who stopped contacting me after the concert in the Spring, and if Silica has him, no army is getting in."

"Hnnn." Bassett casts an implacable gaze on Zarana as she explains Interrogator's presence, then relaxes somewhat. "If you can help free Commandant Bludd from the Silica AI, I am pleased to work with you," he tells Interrogator in his heavy French accent. "Nothing is right any more since this music comes along. I wish to see my friends and comrades freed from it."

Zarana would nod and glance about, "So, give him the real quick version." The 'real quick' just in case their agent is captured and turned or interrogated. She's having to play this the paranoid way. They want him reassured enough to get them info on Bludd.. But not give him enough in case it goes wrong to mess up thier own plan

Interrogator says, "The real quick is we are capable of curing it in an individual or small area, but then we have to watch for re-exposure to the music. It takes 24 to 48 hours to render a victim immune to re-infection, and that's around the clock with my best."

"So if a person is cured but then they hear again the music, they are infected again." Bassett frowns. "That makes the task very difficult, unless you control all what they can hear." He tilts his head to the side as another thought occurs to him. "You are sending them a signal to cancel the virus signal, n'est-ce pas? Does this signal have its own sound? Can it be played with the music, or does this disrupt the music itself? I am thinking if it is possible to send the cancelling signal over the PA at Grenoble base, everyone there will be affected."

Zarana would glance over at Interrogator, "Well, I'm thinking of just going the old fashioned route and using wide range tv signal. Those're pretty easy to broadcast. It gives short term widespread neutralization and hopefully you can override any other noise."

Interrogator says to Bassett, "The problem is, when Silica finds out what I can do, how does she respond? I started in the Crown City Palace and moved out from there, keeping it secret. I was relieved when some Crimson Guard showed up to help. But Grenoble? I can try. People won't be able to leave or enter the base and everything coming in or going out will need to be gone through. We're talking media signals, everything."

Bassett frowns again. "That kind of security would have to go through the Commandant, or if he is absent from base, Ça Plane. Er, Lieutenant Pavard. Pavard is Bludd's second at Grenoble. Unfortunately he is also infected by the music." His shoulders slump.

Zarana would glance at Interrogator, "One thing at a time. We make sure the thing works, then we figure out how to send it. We can always just sneak someone into the base and have 'em play it over the loudspeakers or the PA."

Interrogator says, "Sure, sneak in, play it over the PA. But what happens when that one person records it and runs to Silica? There's always at least one person. Then she feels threatened and things escalate."

"Non, non," Bassett shakes his head rapidly. "We do not want an escalate from Silica. It is required to act quietly without others knowing what is being done. All the soldiers at Grenoble are infected." He looks back to Interrogator. "In order to move about I had to allow the others to expose me to the music. I have not listened to it again, except sometimes at base because it plays over the PA all the time. I have used meditate... meditation to help me control the anger the music creates. It is difficult to fight against. But as long as I act like I am under the music, they do not bother me." He gestures to the black JEM hoodie he's wearing.

Zarana would shrug, "I'll defer to you on that one." She would glance over at Bassett, "That's kinda cool actually. I'm gonna have to get one." Later Zarana, later. "So what's your game plan then?" That's over to Interrogator. Counter-intelligence is what he's going to be doing. I mean, wiping the evil music.

Interrogator says, 'First, we're going to neutralize the signal. Then countersignal while we vaccinate. Typhoid knows what I know but you're dealing with 3 people with 3 levels of adhearance to the scientific method and ethics. Mindbender's is einy, meenie, mieny, moe. Mine is based on 70 years personal experience with what you can cut and how hard you can push, but I don't like to do that with the population at large. Typhoid is traditional all the way. She's going to release it when we can hit the world with it and have the most people survive.

Bassett listens intently to Interrogator's plan. "Neutralise, countersignal, vaccinate," he mutters to himself. "What do you need for me to do?"

Zarana would shrug, "Well, what I'd recommend is you get back to base and see what you can dig up. What your boss is up to, what his boss is up to.. Get it back to us if you think you can. We need information at this point to get ready."

Interrogator says sadly, "All you can do is what you've been doing, which is a lot. I was going to just drop in to see Major Bludd and catch up. Can you imagine if I was captured? Zarana is right. Be careful though."

Bassett nods sharply, straightening up. "I will try to find out what I can," he promises. "If you are the man with the knowledge to make all this right again, it would be terrible for you to be captured," he tells Interrogator. "All I have been doing is trying to stay sane. Away from the music. But it is everywhere. I will be strong to help Le Commandant and the others. They do not know but they are depending on me." He allows himself a small smile.

Zarana would chuckle, "Yeah, I imagine that when this is all over they're going to be having to buy you beers for life and you'll never have to pick up a bar tab again. They're gonna owe you a lot." Focus on the good things!

Interrogator nods and says, "We're working on it, Bassett, as hard and fast as possible."

Bassett grins at Zarana's words. "I will be happy for all to be as it was before. How will I contact you to tell you what I find out? I should leave Madame Zarana voicemail, as before?"

Zarana would shrug, "Make it analogue. If you wanna go old school, we can setup a drop rock." She means a simple drop stash to send messages to.

Interrogator says, "Just keep me in the loop. I have to get to the Palace and get that shipment ready."

"A... drop... rock?" Bassett's forehead furrows in confusion. "Pardon, I do not know this phrase."

Zarana would sigh, "Sorry, old fashioned exchange. Figure out a place. Generally somewhere in public, out of the way. You leave messages back and forth in it. Say there's a park and the exchange point is under a specific step. You leave something there, you mark it by, say, putting two small rocks on the left side of the step. That's a signal for whomever is watching it to know when you've left something there. If I reply to it, I might do something like leave two rocks on the right side. It's in places you can get in and out quickly, won't stand out or be noticed, and are generally safe."

Interrogator mutters, "I better track down the rest of High Command and see how they're handling their affairs. And see what I can get out of the Crimson Guard. First though, Typhoid and Lazarus."

"Ah, yes! Analogue, as you say." The young man bobs his head excitedly. "I can leave messages in le Jardin de Ville in Grenoble. This is okay?"

Zarana would give a wave, "Works for me. We don't make anything electronic. Don't give me a thumb drive or whatever. You need something, hate to say it but gotta do it in writing or if a lot of stuff get a chip."

"I do not mind writing, Madame." Bassett grins. He glances to Interrogator. "If High Command are all infected, it would be very bad, especially as you are working with some of them on the cure, yes?"

Interrogator chuckles and says, "I trust Typhoid has things under control, and I haven't seen any High Command except Cobra Commander.

Zarana would shrug, "They got their own things." The Baroness is probably busy putting up new drapes in Castle Destro while Destro is selling guns to everyone like always

Interrogator lowers his head and says, "I leave them to Cobra Commander and the Crimson Guard. That mess is above my pay grade. Destro's son has the mantle now. I miss James. Baroness is probably having kittens over Ukraine."

Bassett chuckles. "It is better sometimes to not know, yes?" He pulls the hood back up over his head. "I will find out what I can and keep in touch with the... drop rock. I will try to give some information within the week, Madame Zarana."