Work Text:
[AUDIO FILE: Available in the HEAD archives, dated 7th APR, 19XX]
[IN CONVERSATION: Forsythe. H (Second Head of the Psychonauts), Conagher. D (Potential Senior Engineer of the Motherlobe). OTHER SIGNIFICANT MENTIONS: Pauling, F. (Potential Second Head Assistant).
TOPIC: Re: clarification on unspecified statistics within personal files.
CLEARANCE LEVEL: Only Truman, Hollis & Dell are allowed to read or listen to this entry. If anyone else is found with this file, the consequences will be severe, including but not limited to: memory erasure, termination of employment.
04/07/19XX, 09:35AM, HOURS:MINUTES:SECONDS.]
[TRANSCRIPT BEGINS
HOLLIS FORSYTHE: So. [0:3] What are your kill counts? Both you and Flo’s, I mean.
DELL CONAGHER: [CONAGHER laughs for 0:5.] You got clearance to ask that?
HOLLIS FORSYTHE: [0:2] I do actually. [FORSYTHE sighs for 0:3. 0:5] And I know where you worked before, as well as the roles in said industry that you took.
DELL CONAGHER: Hm. [CONAGHER shrugs for 0:4.] No disrespect, ma’am, but how do I know yer tellin’ the truth?
HOLLIS FORSYTHE: [0:5] You’re right, it’s understandable that you’re suspicious. So- [FORSYTHE places two thick paper manilla files on the table for 0:6] Do these answer your question?
DELL CONAGHER: [0:9] ’suppose they do. [CONAGHER reaches out to them for 0:3, before pausing for 0:5.] Ya mind if I take a look?
HOLLIS FORSYTHE: [0:2] Go ahead, they’re your files after all.
DELL CONAGHER: [CONAGHER looks through the files for 2:45. He whistles for 0:3.] Pretty damn detailed files.
HOLLIS FORSYTHE: [0:2] I bring us back to my initial question. [FORSYTHE stares at him for 0:8.] What are your kill counts?
DELL CONAGHER: [0:3] S’like askin’ a man how many steaks he’s had in a life [0:5] your average fella wouldn’t be able to say an exact number.
HOLLIS FORSYTHE: But killing people isn’t an average activity.
DELL CONAGHER: Depends on who yer askin’ [0:17] but I can give you an answer. Might be vague, an’ it might not make a lick o’ sense to you. But it’s an answer.
HOLLIS FORSYTHE: [0:14] The floor is yours.
DELL CONAGHER: [CONAGHER sighs for 0:5] I’m like an old cat. Born indoors, raised indoors with some outside adventures where I got a couple mice, but, well [0:2] I stayed mostly inside. [0:1] Then, at some point, I was let out to free-roam and I killed a lotta animals [0:6] Not sure how many, but it sure in Sam Hill was a lot. [0:2] But I calmed down after a time, y’know? And I settled into a routine of killin’ these animals for a few years, but I had food at home so it wasn’t somethin’ I had to do. I only killed ‘em if I had to.
HOLLIS FORSYTHE: [0:1] Mr Conagher, I’m not sure I’m following.
DELL CONAGHER: [0:2] It’s a metaphor, ma’am. Just let me finish, and I’ll answer any questions ya have afterwards, a’right?
HOLLIS FORSYTHE: [0:6] Continue, then.
DELL CONAGHER: [0:4] So, I killed, sure, but it wasn’t often. Maybe a handful a year, sometimes a handful a month if it got real bad, but usually I could get by with just my words. Apart from where I was on the battlefield, then maybe it averaged on around twenty a day but those people came back from the dead, and I’m going to take a shot in the dark an’ assume you mean permanent deaths.
HOLLIS FORSYTHE: [0:3] In this case, I do.
DELL CONAGHER: [CONAGHER nods for 0:4] Good, just makin’ sure. [0:7] Anywho, that’s my kill count. Ain’t too high for folks from my kind’sa background, but sure in Sam Hill ain’t low enough for a ticket to the pearly gates. [CONAGHER laughs and wheezes for 0:16. FORSYTHE remains silent.]
HOLLIS FORSYTHE: [0:7 after CONAGHER’s laughter stops] What about Miss Pauling’s?
DELL CONAGHER: [0:34] Now, I want to make somethin’ clear with you, y’hear?
HOLLIS FORSYTHE: [0:3] Yes? [0:2] That would be?
DELL CONAGHER: [0:7] Ya can’t think any less of her for this. Think what you want of me, I couldn’t give a god-given fuck what you think of me, but Flo needs this work. [0:3] There’s nothin’ for her out there because of her old boss’ wrinkly claws writing off every possible escape for her. [0:9] Nothin’ out there ‘cept for me an’ the other mercs. [0:5] And this chance at another job, a- a redemption, whatever you call it, just something for her. It’s a light in the darkness for her.
HOLLIS FORSYTHE: [0:1] Mr [Crosstalk START] Conagher-
DELL CONAGHER: [Crosstalk START] No, no, I [Crosstalk END] ain’t done. [0:25] She’s worked herself to the bone for someone who took everything from her, she’s killed people but she’s a victim too.
HOLLIS FORSYTHE: [0:7] I understand this. [0:6] I can’t promise my thoughts of her won’t go unaffected but- [CONAGHER goes to interrupt, FORSYTHE gestures for him to stop, for 0:6] But, Mr Conagher, I can say that the way I treat her won’t be any different from how I have already been treating her. And I understand she will be able to change, that’s what the Psychonauts promise.
DELL CONAGHER: [CONAGHER and FORSYTHE stare each other down for 1:35.] Good. Alright. [0:4] Before I tell you about her kill count, I do have a question, ma’am.
HOLLIS FORSYTHE: [0:3] Go on.
DELL CONAGHER: [0:2] Why- [0:4] Why ask me and not her?
HOLLIS FORSYTHE: [0:7] I hate to say this but I fear her reaction to my sudden interrogation would be to [0:5] either lie or shut down or [0:6] something along those lines. [0:3] I don’t want to stress her out or scare her off.
DELL CONAGHER: [0:3] I get that. But she’s stronger than you think, ma’am.
HOLLIS FORSYTHE: [0:6] I see. [0:11] Will you still answer?
DELL CONAGHER: [CONAGHER chuckles for 0:5] Sure, I’ve kept ya waiting long enough. [0:3] Pauling is a lot more like a dog-
HOLLIS FORSYTHE: [Cutting CONAGHER off] This metaphor again?
DELL CONAGHER: [0:3] Humour me.
HOLLIS FORSYTHE: [0:5] Go on.
DELL CONAGHER: [0:3] Pauling is a lot more like a dog than I am. She’s loyal, bright an’ would do anything for her owner. [0:7] Anything. [0:3] See, unlike me, she got got at a younger age, just reachin’ her adult years, or maybe lower, and when that old hag had her claws in her, she didn’t let go. [0:3] ‘Suppose you could say the same for me, what with being born into the life, but I was more on the technical side o’ things. Pauling… [CONAGHER sighs for 0:3, stares into the distance for 0:17] She was given the dirty work. [0:3] Averaged on five kills a day, and not temporary ones. Worked for around seven, maybe eight, years for her. So do the math yourself.
HOLLIS FORSYTHE: [0:1] Jesus.
DELL CONAGHER: [0:4] Ain’t pretty work. But she was a loyal dog and she won’t go against her commands. Else they put her or the people she loved down. [0:3] It meant her life was being risked more often and now she knows her way around disposing bodies like a chef knows their way around a kitchen. And she’s good at it, she was damn good at her job, best I’ve ever seen. [0:7] All for a woman who didn’t give a rat’s ass whether she lived or died.
HOLLIS FORSYTHE: [0:12] I see. I- [0:3] I mean, I was wondering what she meant when she talked about chemicals corroding biological matter but I never- [0:4] I didn’t think she…
DELL CONAGHER: [0:5] Any good merc worth their weapons could tell ya that.
HOLLIS FORSYTHE: [0:4] I suppose you aren’t wrong. [0:4] Well, that concludes that.
DELL CONAGHER: [0:6] Sure does. [0:3] Say, do ya know what the cafeteria’s doin’ today? I’m cravin’ some steak. Or maybe tuna.
HOLLIS FORSYTHE: [0:2] I’ll check for you, let me just-
END OF TRANSCRIPT]
[DO NOT CIRCULATE OUTSIDE OF THE PSYCHONAUTS. IF FOUND, RETURN TO ZANOTTO T. OR FORSYTHE H.]