You know as well as anyone official power isn't everything. I could take out my communicator to ask the Admiral to turn you into a duck and you could snatch the communicator out of my hand before I could make the request, knock me unconscious, and lock me in a cage and brainwash me.
[His knuckles are turning white as he clings to the rail.]
[He considers it seriously, and maybe he would have kept it to himself, but Pyotr had been such a dick about it when Jacob had done all the work. Vincent had been right.]
That little shit commie, Pyotr. I was telling him how to actually control people, but he sucks at it. I told him to pick a target. He chose Hilbert.
[Norton shoots him a vicious glare at the laughter.] That's none of your business, is it? Maybe I just have strong moral objections on ethical grounds.
No. Zero's no punishment, especially not for you. You know real gaol, seven days in Zero is like a peaceful monastic retreat in comparison.
[He takes a breath.]
Here's what we're going to do: First, I'm going to search you and your cabin. I'm sure you've already stashed away any contraband you really want to keep with other people, but I won't have people say I'm not doing my due diligence. That's not punishment either, that's just common sense. I'm even inclined to let you keep a weapon for self defense, in case any of Abel's or Hilbert's friends come after you, but I'm still pondering that.
For punishment, for the next week, five mile run every day. Must be done on deck. Must be completed between 2pm and 4pm. You can take breaks, drink water, have some flexibility when you do it, so long as you complete the miles within those two hours. If, on any given day, you don't complete the task within the timeframe, there will be a trigger set up with the Admiral so that for the rest of that day you'll feel compelled to talk about your feelings. If you want to avoid feelings, got to run the miles. If on any day you can't complete your run, if you're sick or injured or anything like that, tell me and I'll modify the terms for that day and you'll make it up another day. It's supposed to be hard work, not torture.
Oh, and I'm going to arrange some sort of alert so people will know if you're keen on hurting them.
Sound fair to you?
[And he'll think about telling Jacob more about himself, but that's harder, especially right now when he's already feeling agitated by everything that's happened.]
[He leads him down to his cabin, which is mostly untouched. Much like the checks in prison, he stays right outside the door at attention, his arms at his sides.
Needles and vials of unmarked drugs are found behind his dresser, but no other weapons.
There is a bottle of ibuprofen on the bedside table. There are harder pills inside, buried at the bottom. Norton would need to pour the bottle out or confiscate it to find them. Jacob fully expects him to.]
[Norton takes the needles and vials. He pours out the bottle of pills and doesn't recognize any of them (ibuprofen not being invented until the 1960s), so he puts all the pills back in the bottle and takes that, too. He'll ask the infirmary what they are. The search doesn't take long.]
Now your turn. Let's do this inside where there's some privacy.
[He walks inside and takes out his gun, setting it on the nightstand.]
Let me give that back to Trevor in person. You can verify with him in an hour if you want.
[He takes off his jacket, handing it to him to inspect, and slips off his shoes. He stands in the middle of his room, arms out. There's nothing on him, save the dog treats in his pockets, the whistle and dog tags around his neck, his phone from home, and his communicator.]
[Norton searches the pockets of the jacket and pats the whole thing down to make sure there's nothing hidden in the lining. Then inspects the shoes with equal care. He starts to pat down Jacob, but while he's crouched down and halfway up Jacob's thighs he freezes abruptly for a few seconds, then sits back on his heels, hands pulled up to his chest mouse-like.]
I have been mind controlled before, and it was a bloody nightmare.
He was named Adam and he had the ability to alter memories and did so repeatedly. So I don't know everything that happened. But I had no control over anything, even my own thoughts and feelings. I didn't have the power to so much as acknowledge reality properly.
[Norton resumes the pat down as the song plays from the phone on the floor. Right now he only has Jacob's word that's the trigger. But he has to keep moving forward at least for now. Plenty of time to spiral later.]
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2024-07-06 08:37 pm (UTC)You got nothing to be afraid of from me.
[He leans on the railing.]
I did it for somebody else, and he shit all over it. Wasn't worth it to keep him, so I used him for Abel knowing I'd get caught.
no subject
Date: 2024-07-06 09:11 pm (UTC)[His knuckles are turning white as he clings to the rail.]
Who did you originally do it for?
no subject
Date: 2024-07-06 09:40 pm (UTC)Not today, Norton.
He's a piece of shit, not even worth getting in trouble.
no subject
Date: 2024-07-07 12:01 am (UTC)I want to understand why this all happened.
no subject
Date: 2024-07-07 12:03 am (UTC)That little shit commie, Pyotr. I was telling him how to actually control people, but he sucks at it. I told him to pick a target. He chose Hilbert.
no subject
Date: 2024-07-07 04:58 am (UTC)He stands in silence a little bit longer, then takes his hands from the railings to wrap his arms around himself.]
I don't like mind control.
no subject
Date: 2024-07-07 06:24 am (UTC)I can fucking see that.
Why? Someone fuck with you?
no subject
Date: 2024-07-07 05:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-07-07 05:07 pm (UTC)And that's the reason I won't give you shit. You have my whole goddamn file. You knew John. You have the fucking Book of Joseph, I'm sure.
I don't know shit about you.
So what's the punishment? Do I need to walk myself down to Zero?
no subject
Date: 2024-07-07 05:31 pm (UTC)[He takes a breath.]
Here's what we're going to do: First, I'm going to search you and your cabin. I'm sure you've already stashed away any contraband you really want to keep with other people, but I won't have people say I'm not doing my due diligence. That's not punishment either, that's just common sense. I'm even inclined to let you keep a weapon for self defense, in case any of Abel's or Hilbert's friends come after you, but I'm still pondering that.
For punishment, for the next week, five mile run every day. Must be done on deck. Must be completed between 2pm and 4pm. You can take breaks, drink water, have some flexibility when you do it, so long as you complete the miles within those two hours. If, on any given day, you don't complete the task within the timeframe, there will be a trigger set up with the Admiral so that for the rest of that day you'll feel compelled to talk about your feelings. If you want to avoid feelings, got to run the miles. If on any day you can't complete your run, if you're sick or injured or anything like that, tell me and I'll modify the terms for that day and you'll make it up another day. It's supposed to be hard work, not torture.
Oh, and I'm going to arrange some sort of alert so people will know if you're keen on hurting them.
Sound fair to you?
[And he'll think about telling Jacob more about himself, but that's harder, especially right now when he's already feeling agitated by everything that's happened.]
no subject
Date: 2024-07-07 05:41 pm (UTC)Yeah. Fine. Whatever.
[He looks behind him, to the door, annoyed and tense.]
Laura already got Mae, so you can search away.
I'll give Trevor's gun back to him.
no subject
Date: 2024-07-07 06:19 pm (UTC)[He shifts restlessly on his feet, unable to stay still.]
What do you want to know about me, anyway?
no subject
Date: 2024-07-07 06:25 pm (UTC)[But he's already been burned, so he steps back.]
Nothing. Are you searching now or later?
no subject
Date: 2024-07-07 06:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-07-07 06:35 pm (UTC)Needles and vials of unmarked drugs are found behind his dresser, but no other weapons.
There is a bottle of ibuprofen on the bedside table. There are harder pills inside, buried at the bottom. Norton would need to pour the bottle out or confiscate it to find them. Jacob fully expects him to.]
no subject
Date: 2024-07-07 06:45 pm (UTC)Now your turn. Let's do this inside where there's some privacy.
no subject
Date: 2024-07-07 06:55 pm (UTC)Let me give that back to Trevor in person. You can verify with him in an hour if you want.
[He takes off his jacket, handing it to him to inspect, and slips off his shoes. He stands in the middle of his room, arms out. There's nothing on him, save the dog treats in his pockets, the whistle and dog tags around his neck, his phone from home, and his communicator.]
no subject
Date: 2024-07-07 07:12 pm (UTC)I have been mind controlled before, and it was a bloody nightmare.
no subject
Date: 2024-07-07 07:26 pm (UTC)What happened?
no subject
Date: 2024-07-07 09:32 pm (UTC)That's why I don't like mind control.
no subject
Date: 2024-07-07 09:34 pm (UTC)I wouldn't do that shit to you.
no subject
Date: 2024-07-08 07:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-07-08 07:19 pm (UTC)This is the song I used. I know you would suspect Only You, so I changed it up.
[His shoulders sink and he drops the phone on the floor, keeping his arms out again.]
no subject
Date: 2024-07-09 03:48 am (UTC)How do you pick the songs?
no subject
Date: 2024-07-09 04:46 am (UTC)[He stares at his wall.]
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