[Video]

[timesbureaucrat]

[Narvin is suspicious and paranoid and generally thinks that people are out to get him even under the best of circumstances. So hearing from the news report that the person who set off the skeleton spawner is possibly an import--someone he knows--is stoking the paranoia, and building fears that the native population might turn ugly against them all.]

How lovely learning that one of us may be responsible for attempting to slaughter everyone. I'm sure that endears us to the natives.

[Narvin leans forward, steeples his fingers.]

Of course, a psychic scan could quickly clear all this up. Targeted for only relevant information, of course. If you're innocent, you'd have nothing to worry about.

Comments

[domesheriff]

[Linda's tone is sour] I don't think this place wants to endear us to the natives.

What do you mean by a "psychic scan," anyway?

[she's not sure she really wants the answer to this question, but if he's seriously proposing it, she has a feeling she should try to find out]

[timesbureaucrat]

I mean precisely what it sounds like.

Someone--me, presumably--telepathically scanning individuals to see if they are guilty of the crime.

On Gallifrey we had a special device for just such a purpose. [That Romana outlawed.] But needs must. This, more direct method would likely be better received by others here in any case, and is more appropriate for a general sweep. [As touch telepathy doesn't involve pain and risk of brain damage like the mind probe does.]

[domesheriff]

[she stares at him, working her mouth a bit before she can find any words to react to that]

And that's not illegal here!?

[belatedly, she regrets blurting that out, but it really was her kneejerk reaction]

[timesbureaucrat]

Why would it be? If it were consensual and for the purpose of finding a security threat?

[Narvin genuinely doesn't see the problem.]

[domesheriff]

It's invasive! Don't people have privacy rights here? Especially over--over their own heads?

[the entire concept of psychic ability--at least in a real, literal sense--is new to her, and she finds the thought of it rather terrifying]

[timesbureaucrat]

Security can, under certain circumstances, search people's clothes or quarters can they not? This is not so much different from that.

[Narvin thinks so at any rate. Then again, Narvin would see nothing wrong with bugging every room in the resort, either. Other people's privacy isn't a strong concern of his.]

[domesheriff]

Uh-huh, sure. [her skepticism could hardly be more obvious. and, wanting to shut this idea down if she can, she adds:] If you're going to compare it to that, then you'd better not be doing it without some sort of authority behind it.

[timesbureaucrat]

I was rather thinking that security might accept the offer of assistance and the authority would be yours and your colleagues. Something along the lines of an expert witness with the field of expertise being telepathy.

But it seems I was mistaken.

[domesheriff]

[Narvin's reasonable tone helps Linda to relax a little. her own tone is a bit less confrontational when she says:] You can take it up with Agent K if you want. [still, there's no fondness in it for the idea. if Kay did agree with Narvin, she'd end up having a conversation with him about it]

[and, hoping she can discourage Narvin from other questionable ideas, she adds:] But we are working on this already, whatever you might think.