references.

[blameful]

tba

Comments

TRANSCRIPTS ( WASHED HANDS )

[blameful]

project freelancer audio log 03221a-g, 0907. psych evaluation of corporal david ████, prior to designation as agent washington.

COUNSELOR: ah, corporal ████. you are late. please have a seat.
████: sorry, sir.

(sounds of chair moving.)

████: i had a car thing. me and cars don't get along.
COUNSELOR: how unfortunate for you, david. may i call you david?
████: sure . . . sir. do i call you sir? all i know is your code name.
COUNSELOR: you may continue referring to me as counselor.
████: hmph. i'm not used to all these secrets.
COUNSELOR: do secrets make you uncomfortable, david?
████: i just prefer transparency. i like to know what i'm getting into.
COUNSELOR: well, if you are admitted into the project, then i am sure we will get to know one another very well.
████: aren't you the psych doctor? in that case, i hope we don't.

(nervous laughter.)

COUNSELOR: let's get started then, shall we?

(rustling papers.)

COUNSELOR: how are you, david?
████: is that a trick question?
COUNSELOR: there are no trick questions.

(pause.)

████: i'm super.

(writing.)

████: you're writing down an awful lot there.
COUNSELOR: just my observations. does this evaluation make you . . . anxious?
████: let's just say being psychoanalyzed doesn't top my list of hobbies.
COUNSELOR: why would you say that is?
████: i don't like people trying to look around inside my head.
COUNSELOR: what if a mission required it?
████: i said i don't like it, not that i won't do it.
COUNSELOR: that is good, david. why do you want to join the project?
████: i've seen the status reports from the war. the lists of casualties. i can read between the lines. we're losing, aren't we?
COUNSELOR: the unsc's official position —
████: i know the official position, counselor. is it true?
COUNSELOR: i would prefer not to comment on speculation.
████: i speculate that you just answered my question for me.
COUNSELOR: what if i told you there was a man, david? a man with an idea that might tip the balance of the great war back to humanity's side.
████: is that what this project freelancer thing is about? an idea?
COUNSELOR: ensuring the survival of mankind in a harsh and hostile galaxy. enabling our soldiers to go to greater lengths than we ever thought possible.
████: and what do my feelings have to do with being a better soldier?
COUNSELOR: let's just say a soldier's mind is of critical importance to project freelancer.

(a chair creaks.)

████: ok. i'm interested.
COUNSELOR: tell me about your service record, david.
████: nothing you don't already know from my file. basic training in the leonis minoris system before . . . well, you know what happened there. bounced around to different systems. patrol duties, stuff like that.

(pause. ████ hesitates.)

COUNSELOR: and then the alien attack at your last post?
████: yeah. that.
COUNSELOR: your file speaks of an incident. you had . . . a disagreement with the staff sergeant?
████: he wanted to send everyone to their deaths. i disagreed.
COUNSELOR: you disobeyed orders?
████: i saved a platoon.
COUNSELOR: you injured a commanding officer.
████: yeah, command thought that was the more important part of the story, too.
COUNSELOR: would you say you still harbor strong feelings of resentment about this incident?
████: ok, that's got to be a trick question. yes. of course i do.
COUNSELOR: thank you for your honesty, david. honesty is good. would you say you hold a grudge against this commanding officer?
████: grudge is one word for it. my mom used to tell her friends about the fights i had with my sisters. "that boy can hold a grudge better than any gossip i've ever known. he's got such a . . ." what did she call it? such a . . .

(snapping fingers.)

████: a long memory. look at that, you've got me talking about repressed memories now.
COUNSELOR: that's interesting. thank you for sharing.

(rustling papers.)