Season 04 - Episode 18

‘dead she asks’

Syl is busier than ever.

In addition to her actual job, Syl is also undertaking her own work to undermine and bring down her employer. She often thinks of Ste, her old boss, reminding herself of the risks in what she is doing.

Poor old Ste had genuinely believed in GovCo. He'd thought it was a good system with flaws, that things could be fixed. He'd asked his questions innocently, thinking his superiors would be just as concerned as he was about the dwindling resources and shady practices.

What Syl knows now and what Ste sadly never realised, is that GovCo is actually functioning exactly as intended. Those terrible things he thought were flaws are actually the very heart of the system.

Just recently, she's been particularly excited to discover what she thinks might be evidence of a secret resistance movement. She actually made the discovery while doing her real job, specifically while reviewing the financial impact of various accidents and malfunctions.

It didn't surprise her that no-one else had spotted the pattern because no-one else was looking. The people working below her were too busy firefighting to co-ordinate or compare notes and it was beneath the dignity of anyone else at her level or higher to involve themselves in actual work.

The one thing she still can't figure out is how they're causing the collapses in such a quiet and localised way. She's just pondering this when yet another finance request arrives. This one catches her attention because it's for an execution.

“Wow! Who did you piss off?” she says. “They're going to put two months' wages in your chest.”

She reviews the paperwork quickly but then pauses and checks her records. This particular EnFo deserted, disappearing near the site of a recent, mysterious collapse. Then he turned up today and handed himself in. Syl pulls the EnFo's file and then accesses the live feed of him being read the charges against him.

“Huh,” she says to the figure on the screen. “You didn't just desert, you grew two inches while you were away.”

She thinks for a second then takes up the phone and calls down to the barracks. A weary sounding EnFo sergeant answers the phone and she instructs him to cancel the execution and bring the deserter to her office. The sergeant attempts to argue and though she hates it, Syl uses her best impression of an obnoxious, entitled executive to force the point.

She does more paperwork while she waits until two EnFo's deliver the imposter and then reluctantly leave when she insists they're not needed. The imposter is slender and young, suspicious eyes in a boyish face. They watch one another silently for a while, both stomachs knotting, four palms sweating. Finally, Syl decides to take the risk, to gamble with her life.

“I know who you are,” she says, instantly fearful that she's made a mistake.

The imposter says nothing but his eyes widen slightly.

“I'm a friend,” she says with her heart in her mouth. “I have a message for your group.”

The imposter remains silent but doesn't appear surprised.

“I've already completed the paperwork that says your body's been disposed of after interrogation,” she continues, the words tumbling out now. “You'll have to leave the armour, they always salvage that, so I'm afraid you'll have to wear some of my clothes to escape. I hope that won't threaten you masculinity or anything.”

The imposter smirks and begins to remove what remains of his armour. She passes him a spare set of her work clothes and then turns away as he changes. While she waits she submits the forged paperwork.

“How does it feel to be dead?” she asks, trying but failing to smile as she turns back.

“Fine,” the imposter shrugs, making for a surprisingly convincing woman in Syl's spare clothes. “It's not my first time.”

Syl waits but the imposter says no more so she takes a breath and then the plunge.

“Ok,” she says. “So, the message is this...”

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