(no subject)

[timesbureaucrat]

On the top floors of this resort, in the conference rooms and penthouse suites, even now the politicians and diplomats are discussing whether or not they'd like to go gallivanting around our universes, and we aren't allowed even a cursory peep at what they're talking about, much less a formal seat at the table.

[Small grenade of political discontent lobbed, Narvin switches topic.]

Also, I want to make it known preemptively that yes, I am a technician and computer specialist, but no, I will not fix your personal computer, communicator, speeder, spawner, or whatever else you brought with you. I'm a researcher, not a common mechanic. [Actually, he might fix your computer, if he likes you. But Narvin doesn't like many people as a general rule. He also might offer to repair it if he thinks that you might have interesting files on your files that he might hack, but that's another matter.]

Comments

[usfuzzies]

Sounds like a thing worth doing. But I wouldn't carry that attitude about not fixing things out where there isn't a nice resort. At least I hope you can fix an aircar if it breaks down, even if you're not willing to do it on loan. [Ben can understand that; get bogged down doing favors and no work gets done. It's just the type of scientist who thinks he's too good to work at all that gets eaten on undersettled worlds.]

[timesbureaucrat]

I assure you, if trapped in the jungle with an exploration team, a broken aircar, and a horde of giant spiders closing in, my desire to leave as quickly as possible will outweigh my professional pride.

[usfuzzies]

Can you handle a rifle? [Sir, Ben's seriously doubting your ability to wilderness. What kind of researcher can't wilderness?]

[timesbureaucrat]

[The sort of researcher who prefers computer labs to fieldwork and cities over nature.]

A staser rifle, yes, if I must, although I prefer a pistol.

[usfuzzies]

You won't be going out in the field much, I take it.

[timesbureaucrat]

Not if I can help it, no. Have you seen the size of the spiders out there?

[Give him terrorists, fine. Assassins, he can manage. Explosions, he'll live. But spiders horrify him, even normal sized ones.]

[usfuzzies]

Amazing, isn't it! You don't often get arthropods that size. They've filled a niche in the ecosystem that usually goes to more developed predators. [Yes. He has.]

[timesbureaucrat]

[Rassilon's ghost, and now he's got Narvin thinking about the spiders even more, and thinking about them in the context of being predators. This is not what he wants in his head.]

I think I'd rather have venomous, saber toothed dire bears as the apex predator. [At least they wouldn't skitter in that horrible eight-legged way as they devoured you.]

Alas, it was not to be.