(text, un: dante)

[durante]

Good afternoon, Ximilia Station.

By now I've had some time to get accustomed to the situation here and what we're expected to be doing, but there's still a lot left unanswered. However, I don't want to wear someone out with too many questions, so I've decided to try something different. Anyone who responds to this post, I'll ask one question I have about life here, our missions, or our purpose.

Thank you in advance for helping out.

Comments

[durante]

A number of them, actually.

Does anyone manage the various aspects of a retrieval team, or are we left to self determine? I can see from past dossiers how it's been done, I'm merely wondering if some people are calling tactics.

[deaddrop]

I'd say that depends on the mission, but for the most part... no, no one's really calling the tactics.

We tend to either work democratically, or on our own.

I think a lot of us buck the idea of anyone in a leadership position.

[durante]

[cool, cool, cool, since they're in their room no one can hear the solid click of dismay that they just let out. it's not entirely a relief, when they've been hoping there's something similar to what they used to do that they could get a hold of.

at least text doesn't showcase the anxiety they feel about potentially being completely out of options.]

That's actually the opposite of what I expected, in an operation this big. You guys must be a well oiled group to pull that off.

[deaddrop]

Not quite the term I'd use, but we tend to be adaptable.

We do okay—haven't failed a mission yet.

[durante]

That's better than okay, in my books. A perfect record's something to be proud of.

[listen, they utterly beefed their first retrieval mission, which they don't like to admit. if this place has a higher success rate, they're all for it.]

[deaddrop]

Believe me, I am. I don't think there are any of them that couldn't have gone much worse.

But I'd be remiss if I didn't own that some of them were pretty messy even if they came out all right in the end.

[durante]

Based on the details in these dossiers, I'm not surprised. Some of these missions sound like a headache and a half to get through.

Has Viveca or Degar said anything on the number of orbs left to go? Not that I'm impatient to be done, just curious.

[deaddrop]

That's about right.

And no, not as far as I know. I assume they'd tell us if we were getting close, but... honestly I'm not sure if they know.

[durante]

If I didn't already know that time was stopped back where we came from, that would be far more worrying than it is.

But there's the catch I've been wondering after.

[deaddrop]

Yeah? And what catch is that?

[Natasha has wondered about a number of them.]

[durante]

There's no time limit on this. It'll take however long it takes. If we want the reward, we're signed on indefinitely.

[deaddrop]

Potentially. We can leave whenever we want, but if you're determined to see things through, it could be a long time.

[durante]

We can leave, yes, but you aren't getting your regret changed if you leave before it's over. It is what it is.

Of course, I'm kind of surprised we can just leave if we want.

[deaddrop]

It is what it is—no half credit.

Almost makes you wonder if they're seeing how much work they can get out of us without having to come through in the end.

If one of us leaves, there's always someone else with a regret to come in and replace us.

[durante]

Or a test of our commitment. Is it worth all the unknowns to change things?

[deaddrop]

It could be. They orbs haven't demonstrated themselves to be acting in good faith.

Hard to say what that might mean in the long run for us, though.

[durante]

Have they yet seemed like they were going to not hold up a deal?

[deaddrop]

That is a complicated question to answer.

[durante]

Sorry. You don't have to answer it.

[deaddrop]

There's plenty of evidence they have that kind of power, if that helps.