Primeval fic: "And everyone with their specialty"
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Working title: And everyone with their specialty.
Author: Keenir.
Summary: Lester needs Emily's help.
Characters: Jame Lester, Emily Merchant; brief inclusion of Mary and Jess; mentions of Connor, Stephen, Abby.
Gen.
Pairing: Not Applicable.
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: None.
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters.
Note: Either this takes place in an S5 that I haven't seen, or in an AU where (SPOILERS: Emily never went home.
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"Lady Emily, might I have a word?" Lester asked, interupting Jess' attempt to explain the latest reboot of the Pride and Prejudice novel. Emily excused herself and hurried to join Lester.
"Yes, Sir James?" Emily asked. Lester didn't need to ask her to walk with him - they already were.
"A request has recently crossed my desk," Lester said. "One which requires your unique set of talents. I thought to appraise you of the task before offering it to you."
"Thank you," Emily said. "But I would not describe my leadership skills as particularly apt."
"On the contrary, you led people through multiple times and places, and you did far better than others."
Emily was skeptical of that, but she let him continue.
Lester sensed her skepticism, and formulated his response accordingly: "Do you know why some people work at the ARC? Mr. Temple, for example."
"I do not," Emily said.
"When the Anomalies first opened in our time, Mr. Temple's primary qualification was that he had already created and maintained a database of extinct animals."
"I see. And myself? What is my qualification?"
"Where this current task sits, your primary qualification is the culture of your birth."
Emily wasn't sure whether to frown or raise an eyebrow in query.
"There is a man, a Mr. Shaun Foggett, who has recently been approved to raise and keep crocodilians in the United Kingdom. I would like you to convince him to lend his expertise to the ARC at all possible times. We have had a regrettable overabundance of crocodiles and their kin coming through anomalies in recent years."
"And you want me to do this because I am a Victorian, because we brought animals dead and alive back from all corners of the Empire to gawk at, is that an accurate summation?" Emily asked Lester.
Calmly, Lester said, "More because it is how your family made their money and achieved their status." The Tremaynes kept superb financial records, as did Her Majesty's Government. "Had I simply wanted the Victorian 'collect them all' mindset, I would have spoken to Miss Maitland - you have seen her reptile collection, I trust?"
Emily nodded. "So, if I understand you correctly, you wish me to have words with this Mr. Foggett, to the aim of having him come to work for the ARC?"
"A consultancy, at the very least."
"What inducements should I offer, or is that at my discretion?"
"Mr. Foggett's plans at the moment include the raising and eventual breeding of crocodiles, all of which are presently listed as either endangered or threatened, depending upon the species," Lester said. "Her Majesty's Government can offer full funding and improved housing for both his collection and his family. In addition, it would be much easier for him to open his collection to the public - presently only for clubs and school groups - with Philip and myself saying good things on his behalf. Beyond that, yes, your discretion, Lady Emily."
"Thank you, Sir James, for entrusting this mission to me," Emily said.
"That's not all I'm entrusting to your care," Lester said. "One further fact about our recruitment: Mr. Hart, whom you may encounter if the anomalies cooperate - and that is an Official Secret, young lady - had tracked a tiger for a week."
"And?" Emily asked.
"And he was a friend of Professor Cutter," Lester granted. "Though it was his tracking skills which led to his being kept on." Lester took a breath. "You will be accompanied to the Foggett home by Lt. Mary Tremayne."
"I used to know some Tremaynes," Emily said.
"I know," Mary said, standing behind her. "I'm their great-granddaughter. You're shorter than the family stories said."
"I could tell you stories," Emily replied easily. "Shall we go?"
"Lets," but looked to Lester, who nodded to them both.
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the end
.
.
Working title: And everyone with their specialty.
Author: Keenir.
Summary: Lester needs Emily's help.
Characters: Jame Lester, Emily Merchant; brief inclusion of Mary and Jess; mentions of Connor, Stephen, Abby.
Gen.
Pairing: Not Applicable.
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: None.
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters.
Note: Either this takes place in an S5 that I haven't seen, or in an AU where (SPOILERS: Emily never went home.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Lady Emily, might I have a word?" Lester asked, interupting Jess' attempt to explain the latest reboot of the Pride and Prejudice novel. Emily excused herself and hurried to join Lester.
"Yes, Sir James?" Emily asked. Lester didn't need to ask her to walk with him - they already were.
"A request has recently crossed my desk," Lester said. "One which requires your unique set of talents. I thought to appraise you of the task before offering it to you."
"Thank you," Emily said. "But I would not describe my leadership skills as particularly apt."
"On the contrary, you led people through multiple times and places, and you did far better than others."
Emily was skeptical of that, but she let him continue.
Lester sensed her skepticism, and formulated his response accordingly: "Do you know why some people work at the ARC? Mr. Temple, for example."
"I do not," Emily said.
"When the Anomalies first opened in our time, Mr. Temple's primary qualification was that he had already created and maintained a database of extinct animals."
"I see. And myself? What is my qualification?"
"Where this current task sits, your primary qualification is the culture of your birth."
Emily wasn't sure whether to frown or raise an eyebrow in query.
"There is a man, a Mr. Shaun Foggett, who has recently been approved to raise and keep crocodilians in the United Kingdom. I would like you to convince him to lend his expertise to the ARC at all possible times. We have had a regrettable overabundance of crocodiles and their kin coming through anomalies in recent years."
"And you want me to do this because I am a Victorian, because we brought animals dead and alive back from all corners of the Empire to gawk at, is that an accurate summation?" Emily asked Lester.
Calmly, Lester said, "More because it is how your family made their money and achieved their status." The Tremaynes kept superb financial records, as did Her Majesty's Government. "Had I simply wanted the Victorian 'collect them all' mindset, I would have spoken to Miss Maitland - you have seen her reptile collection, I trust?"
Emily nodded. "So, if I understand you correctly, you wish me to have words with this Mr. Foggett, to the aim of having him come to work for the ARC?"
"A consultancy, at the very least."
"What inducements should I offer, or is that at my discretion?"
"Mr. Foggett's plans at the moment include the raising and eventual breeding of crocodiles, all of which are presently listed as either endangered or threatened, depending upon the species," Lester said. "Her Majesty's Government can offer full funding and improved housing for both his collection and his family. In addition, it would be much easier for him to open his collection to the public - presently only for clubs and school groups - with Philip and myself saying good things on his behalf. Beyond that, yes, your discretion, Lady Emily."
"Thank you, Sir James, for entrusting this mission to me," Emily said.
"That's not all I'm entrusting to your care," Lester said. "One further fact about our recruitment: Mr. Hart, whom you may encounter if the anomalies cooperate - and that is an Official Secret, young lady - had tracked a tiger for a week."
"And?" Emily asked.
"And he was a friend of Professor Cutter," Lester granted. "Though it was his tracking skills which led to his being kept on." Lester took a breath. "You will be accompanied to the Foggett home by Lt. Mary Tremayne."
"I used to know some Tremaynes," Emily said.
"I know," Mary said, standing behind her. "I'm their great-granddaughter. You're shorter than the family stories said."
"I could tell you stories," Emily replied easily. "Shall we go?"
"Lets," but looked to Lester, who nodded to them both.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
the end