[Event] Population Control: First target
1490 Kramden, Friday, midmorning:
[ Ilsa's gotten a letter from the Census Bureau. After an hour or so of listening to the phone, she is still not quite sure of her next step ( Read more... )
[ Ilsa's gotten a letter from the Census Bureau. After an hour or so of listening to the phone, she is still not quite sure of her next step ( Read more... )
Excuse me, are you Ema Skye?
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The picture of Lana alarms her more than it should. After the Christmas event she has good reason to doubt its credibility, but the possibility that they have Lana remains. Could they be serious about this threat? Should she...?
No. Even if they have Lana, even if she's in danger, Ema can't do this. Lana would never forgive her if she did. Into the garbage the letter goes.
Ema continues her day as usual, going about her nursing business in the hospital. The sudden interruption of her routine by a woman she doesn't recognize throws her, but only slightly.]
I am...
Can I help you?
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[ The shock is enough that she doesn't think before she speaks ]
They're threatening my sister.
[ The hands gripping her purse have white knuckles. ]
My little sister.
[ Her face is rigid, and ashen. ]
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[Oh.
Really, this is just the icing on the cake of an unpleasant morning. She hates this town.]
I... I don't know how long you've been here, but you do know that they lie, right? They're threatening my sister, too, but I don't think she's actually here. They've lied to us about other things, why not this, too?
[Something deep inside Ema lurches at the reminder of Lana. Little sister? Memories of everything she sacrificed for Ema's sake, everything she risked just to keep Ema's innocence intact for a little while longer come flooding through her mind. Even if Lana didn't technically kill for Ema's well-being, she did come awfully close.
And that nearly tore the two of them apart.
She doesn't want to die. And she can tell that this woman doesn't really want to kill her. She needs to talk her down.]Speaking as a little sister to a woman who'd give up everything, please reconsider this. I-I know it sounds contrived, but my sister nearly did this same thing--helped a man kill someone just because she thought I was in ( ... )
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It's just that...
[ One of her hands shifts, as if gripping something. ]
Nadine is my responsibility.
I can't go against my oaths, but when they're in conflict... I have to do something.
[ She whispers, ] I just don't know what I can do for her.
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I get that. R-really, I do. But would she want you to kill in cold blood like this?
I-I have friends. Maybe you do, too. If they're not lying... we can take them on. We can help Nadine. And Lana. And whoever else they're dragging into this needlessly. But please, don't do this.
['I don't want to die!']
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[ She begins to curl in on herself, without the tension leaving her face. ]
There's too much wrong here. I don't kill without reason. I can't do this.
[ Turning away from Ema, she drops the knife back in her purse, and shuts it. ]
You haven't acted against me, or an innocent. If I did what they want, it would rebound against me threefold.
[ Ilsa sighs, and leans against the wall. ]
I just have to trust that everyone who's been here longer knows the path.
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Hopefully, Ema's right and this is all a bluff. She'll feel downright terrible if, for once, it's not.
Tentatively, Ema approaches the woman from behind.] If it's any consolation, I've been here over a year. They've never actually brought someone here unless they intended that person to stay.
[A pause.]
Do... do you want to get coffee or cocoa or something? You look like you could use something to help you relax. And an ear.
[Yeah, Ema's pretty much treating this woman like she would Lana.]
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[ She sniffles a little bit. ]
Even bad coffee would be good right now.
[ Ilsa nods towards the central axis of the hospital, ] Cafeteria, since you're still on duty, then?
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Follow me.
[Ema gives the woman what she hopes is a reassuring smile, then starts walking toward the cafeteria. She doesn't go too quickly, however, staying more by Ilsa's side than ahead of her.]
I didn't catch your name before.
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[ She gives a half shrug, a faded spark of anger helping her come out of her fugue a little. ]
It's before Title IX, I know, but there were women practicing medicine at the time, even a few that held the position of chief of staff in some hospitals.
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[Ema sighs heavily, obviously disdainful. She and Ilsa seem to see eye-to-eye on this point.]
This town isn't all that good with feminism. Or history.
[They arrive in the cafeteria and Ema beelines to the coffee pot, leaving her back open.]
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He needs one more thing though and that is...
... coffee.
Unfortunately there is a woman in the way, but that gives him another idea.
Ema get's a knife in the lower back from the pale gentleman behind her.
His other knife is swung to go into the side of her neck to cut off a scream if he can..]
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A brief glance at Ilsa confirms that her attacker, whoever it is, isn't her. Before she can actually do or say anything, a second knife gets her in the side of the neck.
Unable to deal with the pain (and the copious amounts of blood spewing forth), Ema crumbles to the floor. At this rate, she's unable to breathe without choking on her own blood and is likely to bleed out in fairly short order.
She'll have to take a rain check on that coffee date.]
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NO!
[ She advanced on the killer, reaching into her purse for her knife ]
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When he sees the other approaching, he pulls another knife out and waves it at her with his off hand.]
Hey, you, back up and stay out of my personal space. I'm next in line for coffee, wait your turn.
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