A Question of Trust

By Dora Furlong based on Role-Play between Armand Banooni and Patrick Furlong


Date: Friday, January 18, 2002 12:31 AM


Life is interesting in the household. Possibly even confusing to those who
live there. Most don't try to understand Darana...Darana just is. Trying
to understand her simply makes ones head hurt. Or so the sentiment was 
expressed by various members of the house; present and past alike.       

The same could be said of the members themselves...Do not try to
understand them, they simply are. The members form a gestalt
that becomes an entity known to the Galaxy as the household. And that
entity, also, simply is. 

 It was late in the day and Eric noticed the light on in Rook's office, 
  "Rook..." He looked up, surprised. "I've been meaning to ask you about 
   Sidra." 

 Rook waved Eric in to his office and motioned for him to continue.

 "When we were training together you wanted to turn off the behavior 
  inhibitions. Why is that?" Eric paused remembering, " The more I 
  think about it, the more I wonder..." 

 Rook looked at Eric for a moment then smiled.

 Eric continued with his thought, "I didn't really see, at the time, how it 
 would have helped her training, and the potential for me to get hurt went 
 up quite a bit." 

 "How effective is a sparring session when one person keeps crumbling to the 
  ground?" Rook Queried. 

 "Not very."

 "I estimate you to be a better fighter, despite any enhancement she may 
have." 

 Eric smiled. 

 Rook disregarded the smile, "Additionally, if her chip had been turned off, 
I  would have stood watching" 

 "I'm flattered" 

 "If she made any move to kill you I would incapacitate her and punish 
her later."

 "And hope you were faster than she."  Eric interjected. 

 "If you had beaten her soundly we could show her that the chip isn't all
  that is keeping her there... 
 maybe break her fighting spirit a bit with a blaster at the ready ... I 
  would hope I am faster...otherwise I have no business being here." Rook
 finished, acknowledging Eric's' concern. 

 Eric smiled again, "That makes sense. She certainly could use some
 reduction in...spirit." 

 "I really do not have anything against you." Rook assured him. 

 "That is reassuring." Eric admitted, with a crooked smile.

 "To be honest, I had reservations when you first became a member of the
 household, but you have shown your loyalty." Rook said.

 Eric smiled, "I also have a request to make of you. I will be leaving with 
 Shade to take care of some things off world."
 
 Rook nodded, "I had heard about that." 

 "I will need someone to take care of my duties in regard to household 
security while I'm gone.  You are the only one I would trust to do so." 

 Rooks surprise showed though, "It is my turn to be flattered." 
 
 "Very few others in the house are trustworthy enough to take such 
  responsibility" 

 This peaked Rooks curiosity, "why do you say that?" 

 "In fact, with the exception of Lillith, who shade has asked to 
  take care of his part, I believe you are the only one I could see trusting. 
  Kylie is a Jedi. Corwin, Tina, are both too young and inexperienced, added 
to which Tina does not want to be here. Rachel has proven her self to be 
  completely untrustworthy in my opinion. I feel that she will be a problem 
in the future. Sidra?  Well, that speaks for it self.
 Avon?  I could never bring myself to trust her, she is ... well, 
  she is after all Avon, notorious around the galaxy.  

 "Why do you not trust Rachel?" Rook had his own thoughts on the matter
 but, wanted to hear Eric's. 

  "Rachel?" Eric questioned. "Well, it is my impression from the happenings 
  at port Lansing that Rachel is not totally...herself. her behavior while 
  carrying the...spirit? of Darana was very odd I have little knowledge of 
  the over all picture, these are just my impressions, my gut instinct if 
  you like."
 
 Rook nodded, "I get that impression too. Though I was not present while she 
  'carried' Darana." 
 
 "I only saw her on one occasion before they were separated, however from 
  what I have heard of her interaction with Shade, there is great doubt as 
  to where her true loyalties lie." Eric concluded.

 "Tell me something..." Rook said, lost in thought, "Why is it that Rachel,
  Regina, was not herself, but I was able to retain my sense of self and 
  did not change from the encounter with you." 

 Eric thought about that for a minute with Rook watching  him intently. 
 "I can't really say.  I suppose that had I been on the outside, 
  instead of the inside when I was with you I might feel differently about 
it, but as it stands right now I have seen no changes in you from then until 
now. Perhaps there are other things at work on Rachel than those that we know 
  about?  As I said, I was not involved with her much." 
 
 Rook nodded, "Understood." 

 "Perhaps had I been more myself when I was with you I might have 
  taken advantage of the situation.  But being that I was not having my
best day... " Eric smiled.  

 "How...comforting." Rook retorted, "Do you still feel this way?" 

 "Do I still feel what way? That I should have taken advantage of you?"

 "Maybe not should, but would...  "Rook pauses, "Would you do it now?" 

 Eric leaned back and thought about it. Rook, his fingers steepled, again, 
 watched Eric intently.
 
 "That is a dangerous question to answer, Rook.  If I say yes, you 
  will not be able to trust me as much as before.  If I say no, then I am 
  obviously passing up an opportunity to gain advantage for myself, something 
  that I am not known for, and thus my answer is suspect.  Let us say that I 
  respect you and your abilities, and that I would not do anything to impede 
  your service to the household and Darana." 

 Rook smiled, "Good sidestep."  

Eric chuckled softly and nodded.

Rook continued, "But what you might view as impeding 
 might differ from mine.  Perhaps you might see my service to Darana and the 
 household being improved by your own hand at the reigns.  You say you trust 
 me.  I trust you for the answer you give.  I trusted you to an extent when I 
 knew you were in trouble and had the potential of assuming control when I 
 'carried' you.  I want to hear your answer, and I do not care what your 
 reputation is.  I form my own opinions based on the facts available to 
me...not on hearsay." 
 
Eric smiled, "Then my answer is that it depends greatly 
 on the situation at the time.  Should I be presented with the opportunity 
 today to take advantage of you by planting some command in your brain or the 
 like, I would not.  However that is based on my current standing with in the 
 house, and my relative safety from those that would harm me. Should any of 
 that change in the future I cannot say my answer would be the same." 

 "That is good to know."  

 "I feel that anything I did to you would effect you as the individual you 
are, and any time you mess with the insides of someone else's mind you change 
them. That is usually not a good thing, especially for someone as talented as you 
  are."

 "Again you flatter me.  It is nice to know that ones skills are recognized 
  from time to time."  Rook said.
 
 Eric smiled confidently, "I like to think that I am able to recognize 
 such things when I see them." 

 "So about the rest of the members?" 

 "Where was I?" Eric paused, trying to remember all of the members, "Avon, 
well Avon's Avon. Takara, I would trust her, she has shown loyal service to the 
  house, but considering her recent transgressions...well she is not a good 
  choice, and I would still take you over her, mostly on gut feeling. 
  Katrina...well, let's just say I question her motives for being 
  with the house. Michael... I don't know well enough to make that judgment 
  Ralf...well, Ralf is a complete waste of living matter. 
  Klaw...is too young in my opinion for such responsibility, he 
  is still learning about this world we live in, and he has some way to go 
  And lastly Arcturus...he is definitely doing the household more 
  good where he is now." 
 
 "It's good to see your perspective on these people." Rook replied. "I will 
  accept your responsibilities while you are gone.  It shouldn't be very 
  difficult." 

 "Let us hope that is the case." 
 
 "Is there anything else that I can do for you?" Rook asked. 

 "I don't think there is anything else right now." 

 "Very well.  Let me know when you plan to leave on the mission and we will 
  switch over codes." 

 "I will do that." Eric Rose to leave, "Thank you."
 
 "Certainly."  



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