Lying Liar

[archeologue]

[Belloq remains in the clothes he was wearing during the expedition of earlier, the pith helmet off his head, but the safari suit dirty and stained from a day crawling about the jungle. His head is bowed in remorse.]

I am sorry to report that Niko Bellic, wilderness guide, fell today in the course of his duty.

I will not distress with details, but only say that we were taken by surprise by a swarm of skeleton archers while exploring a temple. Niko fought bravely, and I owe my life to him. He is a credit to all who risk their lives leading us through the dangerous wilds. May the psychopomp guide him to peace.

I will be at Pugsy's tonight, raising a glass in remembrance, if any would like to join me there.

[And the lie is done. Even Belloq doesn't exactly know where that temple was. Niko, as guide, had that knowledge. There is little chance that someone will find Niko before he really is dead. And Belloq's done his duty to the Orion Syndicate, for which he'll be paid well.]


((OOC: Feel free to network reply or action spam at Pugsy's))

Comments

for Kay

[thumbsdown]

[When Boone first hears Belloq's words, he believes them. For maybe a few moments, he's convinced that Niko is dead. He doesn't do anything more than stare at his communicator for that time, thinking back to all the times Niko told him he wasn't easy to kill. Then he remembers something else Niko told him. And suddenly, he's not so sure Niko is dead.

Maybe he's just clinging to that thought because he doesn't want to believe that Niko could be gone. Maybe he would've insisted on checking just to make sure even if Niko hadn't warned him. It doesn't matter. He promised him. Even if he does find him dead, at least he'll know. And Niko deserves more than to rot in some temple.

The problem is, he doesn't know where the temple is. And he's not about to ask Belloq, because he doesn't want Belloq to know that he's going to go back for him. So he heads straight for the security station, and to Kay's office.]

Need to know where Niko was last.

[most_feared]

[Kay isn't as affected by the news as Boone, sadly. It's just how things go. People die, and people grieve, but Niko hasn't been someone he knows so he's being treated like any other guide. That is until Boone comes in.] Suspicious of somethin'? [Not that he doubts it, he stands up to go into motion before Boone's even answered, but he needs to check.]

[thumbsdown]

Don't think he's dead.

[Kay is Boone's boss, he's not going to lie to him. He doesn't have to tell him what Niko told him, but he'll at least admit that he doesn't believe Belloq.]

[domesheriff]

[when she activates the communicator, Linda is in her security patrol uniform, but this is clearly not official business--not from the distraught expression on her face]

Niko's...dead?

[it's all she can manage to say, and from her dismayed tone, she's hoping somehow that Belloq will contradict her]

[archeologue]

I'm afraid so.

There was nothing I could do. Not even retrieve his body.

We will miss him.

[una_persson]

[Una didn't know Niko as well as she might have liked—though she knew they'd talked when she was there before—but she liked him, and after seeing Belloq's announcement, she just sort of sat and stared into space for a while. Later that night she shows up at Pugsy's, soberly dressed, and seeks Belloq out.]

Rene, I'm so sorry about Niko.

[archeologue]

Thank you.

He was a good friend, Una.

[And the devil of it is, that isn't actually a lie.

He waves the bartender over.]

Let me buy you a drink.

[voice]

[thumbsdown]

Need to know where that temple is. Gotta go get the body.

[If Belloq is lying, he expects him to give him reasons not to go back, or for him say he's forgotten where the temple is. In fact, Boone is hoping for excuses and lies. For all he knows, Niko really did die back there. He wants to believe he didn't, though. He'll hold onto hope until he sees the body himself. He's not sure what he'll do if there is a body, but... he'll think about that if he needs to.]

[voice]

[archeologue]

I don't know the precise coordinates. Niko had that information and it was left with him. All I can say is that it was somewhere in the jungle. We teleported in and from there we hiked about five hours, so probably 10 to 15 miles or so. I couldn't say which direction; the canopy was too thick to see the sun.

[It's bits of truth mixed in with misdirection. He doesn't know how the teleports work, if they can record where you go like a train ticket recipe. But if they do, he can't let himself be caught lying and claim they were in a desert or a tundra. But they'd hiked for seven hours, not five. If they stick to the smaller radius, covering all that ground first in all directions, that might buy him enough time for Niko to actually die.

He's starting to wish now that he'd turned off the darts and let the Orions go after him and make sure the job was finished. This was too precarious. It was simply that, if Niko dies from the elements, or starvation, or spiders in the dark, Belloq doesn't have to feel as culpable.]

[voice]

[corven]

[ a few minutes after talking to Belloq, a call is coming through.]

Are you Boone?

[private]

[quixotically]

Hey.

[...... awkward pause. Elle sniffs.]

Are you... ["okay?" That's a stupid question. She ends up settling on instead,] Do you want me to come over?

[ewestmarch]

Planet's dangerous.

[Emilia is reading a thick book, and doesn't look up from it to speak.]

Life's dangerous.

[archeologue]

It is indeed.

But that makes it no less tragic when life is cut short.

Pugsy

[folkscallmewander]

[Wander shows up at Pugsy's that evening, cradling his kitten as he walks up to the bar. He got her as a gift from Niko the last time they saw each other, but he never would have thought it would actually be the last time.

He sets the kitten on top of the stool before climbing up, then moves her onto the counter.]

I'm so sorry. [Niko was one of his best friends here. Sure, Wander considers most of the people he meets as friends, but Niko was one of the closest.] He was one of the nicest, bravest people I ever met in the galaxy.

Pugsy

[archeologue]

[Belloq has already drunk many a glass, but he raises a toast at Wander's words.]

Yes...that he was. A very brave man. And a very nice man, too nice for our line of work, sadly. Too honorable.

[video]

[athousandcurses]

Oh no... Niko...

[She didn't know him well or Belloq either, but Grainne looks upset and distraught over the news.]

Will there be a ceremony?

[video]

[archeologue]

I hope so, although we have no priest here. Perhaps a ship's captain would be willing to perform the rites.

Niko deserves a proper funeral, even if, to my shame, there is no body to bury.

Pugsy's

[theugly]

[There's a heavy clunk as Tuco's boot connects with the nearest stool leg.]

Hey, [he grunts, rounding in on Belloq like he's trying for something intimate. Space neatly invaded, he jerks his thumb behind his shoulder.] I just got back. Big bastard over there, he say to me, "Bellic's dead". He says maybe you know a thing or two about it. [And... with that he waits, leaving the implicit question hanging.]

Pugsy's

[archeologue]

[Close conversations in dodgy pubs is a familiar enough event for Belloq that he doesn't draw away.]

It's true. Both things that he said. Niko is dead and I saw it happen. It was an accident while we were exploring a temple.

Pugsy's

[givessweetness]

[Wynter is deeply uncertain. And it's all down to this incident. He's anxious about trusting his instincts, because they'd gotten him killed.

And, frankly, his reaction, his suspicion that Belloq was lying, didn't have a solid basis. He didn't know him or the victim. The only reason he had for the suspicion was a gut one. A gut that had been betrayed by people who were as smooth with their language as Belloq was. And relying on your own traumatic transference to condemn a man who was merely eloquent was something he couldn't conscience.

So he was there, caught in indecision, playing with his glass, occasionally picking it up when a toast was called out but otherwise, frowning about his paranoia and the memories his struggle was bringing up.]

Pugsy's

[archeologue]

[Belloq sits at the bar, a never-ending series of drinks in front of him. Fortunately, he's a man who can hold his alcohol, so he doesn't worry too much about blurting something unfortunate in a drunken stupor.

He slumps in a picture of sadness and remorse. He did like Niko, is genuinely regretful that business demanded his removal, so it's easy to play the part of the grieving friend. The emotion isn't a lie, just the circumstances.]

[corven]

[ That was troubling to say the least.]

Has his body been recovered?

[archeologue]

I was unable to. I believe Boone may make an attempt, although I cannot say whether he'll be successful or not.

[Belloq hopes not, or at least not until a few weeks have passed and the truth of things harder to determine.]

[video] before elle's message to boone

[quixotically]

[There's a false start to this message. The feed turns on, but Elle realizes she doesn't know what to say. She just stares for a moment, eyes shining with held-in tears.

She turns the feed off.

After a few minutes, she tries again. She inhales deeply through her nose.] I... [... nope, she can't even maintain eye contact through a screen.] I'm... I'm -- sorry. Niko... [... Boone. Oh, god, Boone. She... She's going to need to check on him. God...]

[video]

[archeologue]

[Belloq nods solemnly.]

We will all be very sad for some time, I think.