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Joe Kundlak
Slovakia
Bratislava
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Sinking Shadows
Pilot Episode
Scene 1
Character: Trox Ramirez
Focus: Plot
Agenda: Police investigates a suicide near the freighter Kamaria.
Location: Unity City dock number 7
Producer Budget: 19
Fan Mail pool: 5
The camera pans during a view on a city at dawn, slowly descending on the coastline and the huge dock area carved into the landscape. Lights flicker here and there, dimly illuminating the scenery of parked ships, boats, more weirder vehicles and free places among them. The docks are not full right now, after all, what would you expect from a dry and hot February night? Every sane person went either to the south or to the north to get some more rain and only the workers remain to their duty.
Dock number 7 is not particularly interesting, the same as the floating ships occupying its piers. Ranging from smaller boats near the beach to the bulkier transports and commercial vessels farther out, the variety is mind-boggling. Imagine a large street market in central Hong-Kong at night and you can perhaps find a parallel.
The monotone and slow hiss of waves reaching the shore is suddenly interrupted by a twin pair of heavy boots banging in unison on the wooden planks.
"Ah, Blue Helmits, welkome! I aweited you alredy. We hav a situation heer. Look, this man. He iz ded. We found a kneiif, heer in hiz hand. Nothing more, just kneiif. It iz your land, Blue Helmits. We hav no othority heer. You must invistigate. Come..." a dark-skinned policeman stands up from a half-sitting, half-lying body with nondescript clothes and a hand clenching a knife. He walks to the two UN policemen and gestures them closer to the body. One of the policemen kneels down looks at the dead man more closely. Then he looks up and examines the surroundings.
"Officer, get me the names of all the ships in this dock... now!" he urges the inlander. The local policeman hurries off in the direction of the office building...
*cut*
Trox wanted to finish the work long since, but he always found new inconsistencies in the engine setup, which he, groaning, went to adjust. Three hours have already passed since the end of his shift, but as Kamaria will sail in two days, her captain expects everyone to perform beyond their duties. And Trox, as the head of the mechanics, has to lead the way. Again.
Close to dawn he finally managed to tighten the last screw and poured a little lubricant onto the crankshaft, just to be on the safe side. He climbed down the ladder from the left engine and began to clear away his tools. Finally he went out of the engine room and turned off the lights behind him.
When he exited the hatch on the port side of Kamaria and began to walk down the pier, his way was cut off by two men in blue uniforms.
"Sir, could you please come with us?"
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Flying Arrow
United States
Pennsylvania
-
Trox and the two UCPD officers walked down the pier where Trox was led to a waiting detective. The two sat on a bench and the detective started asking questions.
"Do you know Nedaviah Ulrik?" asked the detective.
Trox replied, "Yes, he works for me. He didn't come into work today, though. Fourth time this month. I had to work extra to cover for him. I didn't sleep last night, so I'd appreciate if we could wrap this up quickly."
"Well he won't be coming into work at all anymore. Some security guards for another shipping company found his body on the docks."
"What happened?"
"We'll get to that. How long have you been on the boat?"
Trox counted on his fingers, "Three days."
"Three days!? Doesn't this boat dock here every night?"
"Most nights. Sometimes out at Endit. But I just stay in my bunk on the ship most nights. I'm headed home now to sleep. The guys would keep me up another whole shift if I tried to sleep on the ship at this hour."
"What time was Nedaviah supposed to be at work?"
"The days are starting to run together. Ned had a half-shift of overtime scheduled for last night. He was supposed to come in at 3am. I was already working a double, was still up, and just kept going when he didn't show up."
"Can you think of anyone who would want to hurt Nedaviah?"
"No. Was there foul play?"
"It looks like a suicide, but we want to check things out. Did he appear stable?"
Trox answered, "He was one of my best men. Just this month his attendance became erratic, though."
"Can you give us information about his family?"
"I don't have any contact info on me. I met his sister once a few months ago, and I know he has an ex-wife in the city somewhere. They don't see each other anymore. No kids. There's next of kin info on the boat in my office. I'll get it for you. I don't know what else I can tell you, though."
Trox walks back down the pier. In his office, he grabs the information and starts to leave. "Oh!" As an afterthought, just before leaving the office, he heads back to his bunk behind the office, reaches into a closet and pulls out a sizable wad of paper money. He peels off a handful of bills.
He hands the contact info to the detective as he reaches the end of the pier.
"You've been as helpful as could be expected, Mr. Ramirez. We'll be in touch if we need anything else."
"Oh - I just thought of one other thing. Ned was in a screaming match with someone a couple months ago. I don't know what it was all about, but it almost came to blows above deck on the ship. Katyusha Timonov, our holdmaster. I didn't think anything of it. There's a fight on the boat about once a week in those tight quarters, but people get over it pretty quick as long as nobody misses work for injuries or has permanent disfigurement. That's the first time Ned got into with anyone though. Just thought I'd mention it."
*cut scene*
Trox picks up some carry-out breakfast from a very expensive-looking restaurant. He eats it inside his small Unity City apartment. It's small, but it looks up-scale. It's sparsely but richly decorated. He collapses into his bed asleep. The clock reads 10:00am.
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Joe Kundlak
Slovakia
Bratislava
-
Pilot Episode
Scene 2
Characters: Trenton McLees, Trox Ramirez
Focus: Character
Agenda: Trox and Trent should have their regular lunch together, but Trox, having just fallen asleep, most likely goes nowhere. But Trent does not know, so he calls to check...
Producer Budget: 19
Fan Mail pool: 5
The face... It's always the face... And it eludes him. Even now, when he should have seen it in full light, he just glimpes something and then it shifts again into a whirl and spins around him. It's dizzying and quite nauseating, but that feeling settles down quickly. If he only could resist the temptation to turn and check on that face again... But he cannot, oh how much he wants to see it finally...!
Then a weird sound started to niggle on him, something... out of place. He spun his head, but it was directionless. And growing. And GROWING. AND GROWIINNNGGG!!!
*rrrrngggggg*
*rrrrrrnggggggg*
*rrrrrrngggg*
Trox's lean hand tried to aim, but failed and shot down a picture from the small table near the bed. The second attempt was more successful with a small phone landing in his hand. He tried to squint at the caller's ID, but gave up very quickly due to the increasing pain in his forehead. Thus he drew his hand closer to his left ear and...
"Hmmmpfwha...?"
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James Fung
United States
Berkeley
California
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[After the scene of Troy collapsing in bed]
Establishing shot: a speeded up shot of Union City from the port as it moves from dawn to late morning. It's a big city with many new shiny steel and glass skyscrapers, though more run down buildings can also be seen. The camera descends down, soon sinking underwater. A muffled mechanical noise can be heard as a dark shape comes at the camera. It is a submarine, eventually filling the whole lens with darkness.
*fade to*
An aging man with deep lines in his face is napping in the sun. As the camera zooms out, it takes in the panoramic view from the lookout point that sticks out of the mountain side, overlooking a lush valley below. Rather than enjoying the view, the man lays with his eyes shut as he lounges in an office chair that seems out of place. For that matter, he's oddly dressed for sitting on a mountain ledge.
In the middle of the sky, a door appears and a man steps through. "Holly, kill program," commands the man in the chair. The scenery vanishes and we see a small office, not much wider the desk. It's kinda dingy and could be better lit. The man in the chair takes the datastick / USB-stick-analogue from the new arrival, plugs it into his computer, and starts processing the future equivalent of paperwork. A large diagram of Unity City port can be clearly seen on one wall. Someone with a pause button can see that Trent's screen occasionally shows a map of all vessels between Unity City and Endit.
Trent glances as his clock. It's 10-something. He's now typing but sneaks a peek at the clock. Now it's 11:03. Work, clock, 11:20. He looks at his door, work. On his computer screen appears to be footage from a security camera, with police moving around a ship and the nearby pier. Clock, 11:34, hip flask on the desk, work, clock. (Actor intimates that he's increasingly impatient or worried.) Finally, he throws his pen down, reaches for the telephone, and dials a number.
*cut to Trox in bed*
[insert Joe's scene here]
"Trox. It's Trent." This is acknowledged by a groan. "Where are you?"
"... Bed."
"So I guess lunch is off." Hint of sarcasm.
"Yeah, sorry. I've been up for 24 hours..."
"Thanks for calling me."
"Look, Trent, I've had a really long day... night. I already apologized. Don't try to guilt me."
"I got kicked out bed at dawn because the police wanted everything we had on Nedaviah. They're still swarming around the Kamaria." In retrospect, he adds, "Sorry to hear about your man. Anyway, then you go silent."
"You're worried. I'm touched."
"Shut up. Katyusha's behind it, isn't she?"
*sigh* "This again? I tell you, you're being paranoid."
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Flying Arrow
United States
Pennsylvania
-
"Whatever. Look, it's lunchtime and since you're awake anyway, I'll be in front of your building in 10 minutes," Trent said.
Trox groans. "You're a real jerk sometime, Trent."
"Thanks."
*Cut to a restaurant during a busy lunch rush*
Trox looks incredibly bleary-eyed as the two sit down with their food.
Trent prods Trox, "Wake up, lazy bones. So what do you know about Nedaviah? Did you hear who they took into custody this morning?"
"No - who?" Trox looks slightly more alert at the news of an arrest.
"It wasn't Katyusha. But it should have been her, right?"
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Joe Kundlak
Slovakia
Bratislava
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This is a good stop for a conflict...
A two-way conflict as there are two Protagonists, so I need both fusag and FlyingArrow to state the stakes of the conflict for their character - what they are trying to get out from the conflict and what happens when they win it and what happens if they lose...
Trent's Stakes: Can Trent get Trox to slip something about Katyusha that would get her in (more) trouble with the police or allow him to inspect the ship?
If Trent succeeds, Trox slips more information on Katyusha to him (endangering himself).
If Trent fails, Trox just mentions some info snippets and nothing substantial - remains more or less safe for now.
Trox's Stakes: Can Trox get the info about the arrest from Trent?
If Trox succeeds, he gets more info from Trent about the arrest.
If Trox fails, Trent does not reveal why the arrest happened.
No traits used, no Fan Mail.
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James Fung
United States
Berkeley
California
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OOC: I don't think I have anything that could be used to leverage Trox, so I'll just take my two cards.
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Joe Kundlak
Slovakia
Bratislava
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Producer:
1 card + 2 cards from Budget
  
Trent:
2 cards
 
Trox:
2 cards
 
Result:
Both Trent and Trox succeed and I as Producer narrate (highest single card).
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Joe Kundlak
Slovakia
Bratislava
-
"Your obsession with that woman drives me crazy, man..." Trox rolled his eyes and sipped some more coffee.
Trent stared back intently. "The only thing preventing me from calling a blue helmet sweep on her is the fact that no one ever saw her doing anything stupid! If I just had something... Oh, and by the way, the guy they arrested was some new hand, an assistant engineer or what. You should know him I guess. Someone else from the ship framed him, or at least that is what I overheard them helmets saying."
Trox's mood sunk even lower. He remembered signing papers for that new guy two weeks ago and then never meeting him much in person since. But as his superior he now had dirty hands anyway. There would be questions upon questions...
"I don't like the helmets either. They do all nice and fluffy to you, but just one look into their eyes gives away their mistrust in every word you say." muttered Trox into his cup. "If you help me, I can probably help you."
"I am listening..." Trent drew closer.
Trox put his cup down on the table and cut a chunk of his steak. While chewing he replied: "I saw that woman of yours once, could be a month or so, stashing something away in our cargo hold. It was a greenish box the size of a suitcase and she hid it in another larger shipment. Some dangerous gas canisters we transported to Endit back then. You can surely find the docs to it, was pretty unique amongst the regular stuff we do."
Trent's skin was tingling. "Excellent! Will look into it... And what's in it for you my friend?"
Trox continued chewing and looked out of the window. "Lose a word for me, you know... at the helmets or whoever. Don't wanna too much trouble for that kid, if it was really him murdering Nedaviah. He was new so I could not really get to know him and his ways better... If he was suspicious or what... Will you?"
Trent patted Trox on the shoulder while standing up. "Sure my friend, will see what I can do for you. You can sleep easier than you did earlier today, I promise!". Trent began to leave but turned back. "Did she see you? Back then?"
Trox looked at him gloomily. "Kinda. Tried to hide it as a maintenance thing when she walked by, which it kinda was anyway, but she is smart..."
Trent tried an encouraging half-smile. "Then let us hope she is not THAT smart. Will call you tomorrow then." And with that, he left the diner.
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Joe Kundlak
Slovakia
Bratislava
-
Pilot Episode
Scene 3
Characters: Carson Lamont, Sato Miryam
Focus: Plot
Agenda: The investigation of Nedaviah's murder is delegated to Carson and he is supported by Miryam from forensics. They get down to Dock 7 to check out the situation...
Producer Budget: 17
Fan Mail
Pool: 6
FlyingArrow: 1
Camera focuses on various dock props, flying from one to another. Finally it settles down on a utility vehicle with blue stripes, approachind Dock 7. The vehicle comes slowly to a stop near Kamaria. The patroling officer is clearly relieved that the squad did arrive this quickly.
A middle-aged detective wearing a brown trench coat steps leaves the right front seat and behind him a broad sliding door swings open, revealing a rather small girlie figure wearing a long white-ish coat and holding a large suitcase. Both of them wave the driver off and head to the waiting officer. They exchange small greetings, the officer gestures behind him to the body and points the detective to the parking Kamaria.
The forensics lady walks down to the covered body, pulls off the blanket and starts to examine it while unpacking her gear.
The detective walks past briefly checking the body out and continues to Kamaria, where he enters through the hatch...
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"Why did you have to bring that ratty thing again?" Miryam teases Carson about his trench coat. "It looks like a reject from one of those ancient cop shows." She waves her computer over the scene and it emits a few flashes.
Carson sighs -- tired by the same old ribbing about a perfectly good coat, "Just you wait until it rains, and you're without a good coat -- I remember when you came in soaked like a drowned rat -- even if you don't"
The flashes from the computer change in brightness and color as they talk
She points to the wound with one hand as she adjusts the computer with her other. "What do you make of the entry wound?"
Carson takes a good look at the body. "Hard to tell -- it could be an inept attack, or a suicide from that angle."
The flashing stops. Miryam adda a little hose to her computer and begins to vaccume off the corpse.
Pan to the computer and it begins to make a map of the dead body with many little lines. "Ugh." she says with disgust in voiceover. "I hate it when there are a million pieces of potential DNA on one individual." The side of the hose spits out tiny plastic bags with information typed on the side.
"Just don't forget to powder the knife this time," He replies.
"Hey!" frustration enters her voice, "I just forgot the once and that was my first time AND it was months ago."
The body scan is complete and a picture of a hand-print opens in a side window as the knife scan begins. "I'll let you live that one down when you let me live my coat down."
"Fat chance!" The knife shows up with a bunch of green prints, but there are also some red prints. "We seem to have a second pair of prints."
-
Brian Cooksey
United States
Nashville
Tennessee
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vadia wrote:
"Fat chance!" The knife shows up with a bunch of green prints, but there are also some red prints. "We seem to have a second pair of prints."
Carson's smirk turns to a more serious expression when this is mentioned. His eyes narrow and he waves a crew member over.
"This guy have any enemies on board?" the detective asks. "Was he a gambler? Anything like that?"
The crew member replies in a language that is definitely not English. Carson sighs and points at the rank insignia on the crew member's collar as he speaks in heavily accented Portuguese. Subtitles appear that read, "Cut the crap. You don't make officer without knowing some English."
The sailor looks like he's going to argue for a moment then says, "He kept to himself."
Carson consults his notes. "You mean except for the fight he got into?"
Crew member shrugs, "That stuff happens." Then he sees something in Carson's eyes that indicates this answer isn't enough. "There was a new guy who was asking a lot of questions. He was around Ned a lot."
"This new guy got a name?" Carson asks.
"Dasai," the sailor says after a moment's thought. "Peter Dasai."
Carson looks to his partner but before he gets a chance to speak, she says, "What a coincidence. We just got a match for those prints."
Carson nods to the sailor. "Thanks. You've been a big help."
The sailor walks away looking a little sick.
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Joe Kundlak
Slovakia
Bratislava
-
As Carson begins to crouch down to his female coleague, he hears muffled stomping sounds from inside Kamaria and then a weak attempt of a scream, as if someone is choking. He immediately jumps up and runs to the entry hatch, only to reveal two men fighting inside, one of them being the more-or-less helpful sailor from a minute ago...
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Brian Cooksey
United States
Nashville
Tennessee
-
Carson rushes to the two fighters and grabs the crewman he wasn't talking to earlier.
"Fighting with cops on board?" he says incredulously. "You guys are real geniuses."
The detective earns himself an elbow to the ribs for his trouble but he manages to maintain his hold on the crewman. He cranes his neck to look at the name sewn into the man's coveralls. "Peter Dasai," he says while struggling to keep the man from hitting him anymore. "You're under arrest for the murder of Nedaviah Ulrik."
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Joe Kundlak
Slovakia
Bratislava
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Peter is slightly shocked, but in an instant he charges into Carson and knocking both him and the other crewman aside he rushes off into the open...
In the last instant before Peter leaves Kamaria Carson is able to see the back of his bare neck and glimpses a small black hawk symbol.
A flashing thought passes his mind: "The Corporation"...
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As the shots of carson played out a couple over the shoulder capture Miryam's face. The focus on her face is unmistakable, but that's not all. There are a lot of other emotions going through her face also -- a deep enough spring that the viewers wouldn't know exactly what she's thinking.
Peter dashes past her.
"Oh, no you don't." She says as she scales the gate to leap onto him. The suspect tumbles to the ground "Stop fighting," she hisses -- "If Tato Miyasagi means anything to you."
Immediatly he goes limp.
Miryam:"#@$%" Fade to commercial.
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Brian Cooksey
United States
Nashville
Tennessee
-
We return from commercial with Carson holding Dasai (who is already cuffed) by the upper arm. The cop recites Peter's rights while Miryam finishes her forensic work.
With a wordless glance at each other, the partners usher Dasai toward their car. On the way there, Carson says, "Bad guys running straight into our arms. I wish they could all be this easy."
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Miryam gives a distracted "me too." back to Carson as she stares out the window.
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Joe Kundlak
Slovakia
Bratislava
-
Pilot Episode
Scene 4
Characters: Sato Miryam
Focus: Character
Agenda: Interrogation of Dasai, where Miryam requested to be the interviewer of the suspect, due to personal reasons...
Producer Budget: 17
Fan Mail
Pool: 6
FlyingArrow: 1
The UN Police precinct in Unity City does not stand out in any way - it is just a regular building, squeezed between others in the center of the city. There is a more-or-less regular flow in and out of the front door, but don't expect criminals on every step. You will more likely stumble on peace-keepers, detectives, uniformed policemen and... people in expensive suits. Yes, UCL economy has reached every corner of the city...
Somewhere inside, in one of the interrogation rooms without windows or glasses, a lonely figure with handcuffs is sitting behind a metal table, staring at the opposite wall and occasionally shuffling his legs. Dassai is aware that this is serious and a crime like this does not go well with UN. In fact, it does not go well with the inhabitants of his ship - and this is what he fears even more. Vengeance is a powerful old lady with hammers instead of hands...
His brooding mood is interrupted by an officer stepping in through the door and holding it open for that small girl-like forensics type, that knocked him down in the docks. The officer then puts a coffee down on the table for her and walks out again. She pulls her chair out, sits and draws closer to the table, taking the coffee in her right hand.
Then she stares at him for a few seconds with her deep asiam eyes...
Dassai smiles inwardly, this will be easy I guess.
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Miriam spreads a set of sheets in front of her with displays of the knife and displays of Dasai's hand=prints.
"The good news for you is that the likely-hood of the death penalty is low. But those pictures and running from the investigators? We have a pretty good case on you."
She lowers her voice so that the people in the next room with the mirror cannot hear, "I'll try to help you with what I can -- if you let me know what your troubles have to do with my grandpa."
"Just let me know why" she raises her voice while pointing her eyes towards the mirror behind her. "You decided to kill that young man."
Dasai looks confused about the switching back and forth.
Again her voice lowers, "Was it coersion of some type? I know that Oto-san (grandpa, the subtitles say) said that Dasai's son was in trouble, just before he died. Let me help you."
Again her eyes point to the mirror behind them.
And his eyes open with realization, "You don't want them to know about Miyasagi?" he hisses overly loudly.
She gives a barely perceptable nod, "Just tell me what I need to know." she states for her observers.
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Joe Kundlak
Slovakia
Bratislava
-
Dasai's smile now shows also on his lips.
"You are a resilient woman, aren't you?" he wipes his nose with his left hand. "My son is none of your business! I would rather like to know how you put my fingerprints on that knife you *^&#$^@!"
Dasai leans closer expectantly...
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Miryam thinks about the situation aloud; "Your son must have worked with my grandpa. He said something about your son being in trouble -- I thought that he was talking about you -- after all you share the same last name. What trouble is your son in -- perhaps I can do something about it."
She turns back to the papers at hand. "Look," she says aloud for everybody to hear, "Work with me and we'll work with you -- maybe it was self defense. Or you could come up with an alibi -- if you want to go that route. I also -- if you're going that route would like names of whomever you think might try to frame you."
"Think about it."
She stands and leaves him to stew until Carson has a shot to interrogate him. She passes him in the hall, "Give our boy a few minutes to stew before you really bad cop him." she grins.
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Brian Cooksey
United States
Nashville
Tennessee
-
Carson smirks at Miryam and says, "Got it."
He takes his time finishing his coffee before he enters the interrogation room. He sits across the table from Dasai and places a manila folder between them.
Carson says, "My bosses are breathing down my neck to get this thing solved and you're the only suspect we've got. I'll be honest with you. I don't care who did it. I just need this thing off my plate."
He opens the folder and pushes it towards Dasai so that they are the only two people who can see what's in it. Inside, is a single piece of paper with a small black hawk drawn on it.
Carson closes the folder and leans in closer. "My bosses aren't the only ones who want this solved. What do you know?"
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Joe Kundlak
Slovakia
Bratislava
-
Dasai slowly starts perspirating and he is visibly disturbed. However he tries to appear calm and boasts away: "What do I know? I know nothin'! You cops assaulted me and took me here and now you try to crucify me because of somethin' I did not do! That knife of yours.. I never saw it! Bring it here and look me in the eye while telling me it's mine!" he leans back and jitters nervously.
Then he leans back over the table and lowers his voice.
"What do I know? I know I am dead if I leave these walls. The Corporation... they... I don't like them! They are everywhere!" Dasai's voice suddenly appears panicky...
-
Brian Cooksey
United States
Nashville
Tennessee
-
Carson nods slowly and says, "You're right. They are everywhere. I might be able to help you out, here, but only if you can give us something useful."
He then speaks louder. "So think about that, Peter. We can wait a lot longer than you can." He pushes his chair away from the table and gathers the folder. "Whenever you're ready." The detective turns toward the door.
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