Eleventh PSI

[a_gentle_boy]

[This was the the task entrusted to him.  And come hell or high water, he would do it.  The man hadn't specified what exactly 'something' was, but Lucas figured that being roasted to a crisp qualified.  It wasn't too hard to guess what had happened.  The Netherlands and America had invited Jane Smith into the pharmacy on some pretense.  They'd

Comments

[eminent_lady]

So that's what went down.

[a_gentle_boy]

He . . . He didn't say anything about telling people about his plans, but I thought everyone should know . . .

[It isn't too hard to tell that Lucas has just finished crying.]

[eminent_lady]

So Jane Smith is a leftover from Westport and Lucy Smith is some monster. They probably got some hotblooded idea to try to 'get through to her', did they?

It's no surprise the town had measures against that.

[a_gentle_boy]

Y-Yeah. It was probably something like that. It would be the sort of thing they'd do . . .

[And despite everything, Lucas can't help a small laugh at the word 'measures'. He is now imagining Jane Smith bursting into flame whenever the name 'Samantha Achewood' is spoken to her.]

But what do you mean about Lucy?

[eminent_lady]

Oh. She's able to command Grady and was able to drone him. That entire house seems to be filled with monsters.

Maybe if they had shared the information rather than trying to come up with a plan between themselves, this wouldn't have happened.

[a_gentle_boy]

Or maybe they just didn't want anyone else to get hurt doing something even more stupid.

[His tone is sharp. The information about Lucy he would begin to register later.]

[eminent_lady]

Perhaps.

However, making the decision to withhold information valuable to every person here is quite selfish.

[a_gentle_boy]

Trying to keep the rest of us safe is called being 'selfless'. What difference does knowing now rather than last week make? Aside from the benefit of knowing not to talk to Jane now.

[eminent_lady]

The difference is two. Two dead people.

[a_gentle_boy]

. . . You mean you'd have persuaded them not to do it? I think they'd have done it it anyway.

[eminent_lady]

A group of ten, twenty, even only five people can produce a plan better than only two could. If they had shared the information, a plan that would have produced the same benefit would have been made without the side effect of people sacrificing themselves.

Trying to be a hero will only harm those you want to protect.

[a_gentle_boy]

. . . . . No. Sometimes, you don't have a choice about being a hero. Nobody else can do it.

But this time . . . I guess you're right. But there's no point now in saying what could have been done or what ought to have been done, is there?

[eminent_lady]

In the future, please make sure you and the others share this sort of information with others, otherwise there will be poor actions like this done over and over.

And the more accidents that happen, the stronger the enemies' defenses will be. If the town feels to punish us for finding the truth or targeting Jane Smith, then the suffering will be on their shoulders.

[a_gentle_boy]

. . . Do you really think you're being helpful right now? Please ask yourself if lecturing someone who had nothing to do with the plan in the first place and whose closest friend just got burned to death is really the best thing to do.

[eminent_lady]

Perhaps you will be able to inject some sense into your friend once he returns, rather than staying silent.

[a_gentle_boy]

. . . You seem pretty well-practiced. You'd do it better. Try to wait until they've recovered from the trauma of burning alive.

[Is this the first time Lucas has ever been sarcastic in his life? Possibly.]