Conversation · The Pigs

The woman stands, slumped. She looks catatonic under her mountain of RCM paraphernalia. Nothing more to do here.

The woman stands, slumped. She looks catatonic under her mountain of RCM paraphernalia.

Is one of those things a... police cap?

Pick up the RCM cap.

She doesn't even flinch as you reach out and disentangle the familiar-looking lieutenant's cap from her mountain of RCM paraphernalia.

"Oh. Is that yours?"

It's hard to say. It's been so long since you wore yours.

"Maybe. Probably. You know me."

"It's your hat." The lieutenant nods.

"Mine? No. It's ours, the RCM's."

"I think so."

The lieutenant nods.

Leave her be. [Leave.]

Confiscate the narcotics. (Wink!)

You take the phial of pyrholidon and the bottle of speed. As evidence, obviously.

She didn't consume them. She didn't look high. She 'confiscated' them, a little like you are doing now.

"You might not want to take those." The lieutenant states firmly. "You seem to have a slight... problem..."

Listen to him. For once.

Say nothing.

"I guess I got my answer." The lieutenant gives you his usual firm stare.

"I'm confiscating these. As evidence."

"Sure." The lieutenant gives you his usual firm stare. "I guess that's fine."

"Fine, you take them then."

"Thank you." He pockets the drugs. "I'm doing this to help you. We need to focus on the case."

He's grateful you did this.

"I need to do this case. I need everything I can get."

"Right." The lieutenant gives you his usual firm stare. Then sighs. "Okay."

The lieutenant coughs. "You're taking those, are you?"

Shake her shoulder.

The old woman doesn't react to your touch.

There were narcotics in there too. You're thinking of taking them? Do!

"Put your hands where I can see them," the ageing woman under a mountain of police paraphernalia mumbles to herself, then notices you and reaches for the megaphone...

"Show me your hands. This is the Pigs. Show me your hands RIGHT NOW," she screams in the megaphone. "SHOW ME YOUR HANDS RIGHT NOW!"

Scavenged battery-powered police lights protrude from her back. The flickering light-show reveals a gun in her shaking hand.

Her hand is trembling from some sort of neurodegenerative disease.

"Madam! Please drop the firearm immediately!"

You shouldn't be here. Something's very wrong with her. She's completely out of control.

"No! I need this ledger to take notes."

"Failure to comply. Suspect is displaying aggression! OFFICER UNDER DURESS! OFFICER UNDER DURESS!"

Her eyes bulge with terror. Veins protrude on her forehead.

"I am the police! Don't move! DON'T MOVE! Hands on your head! SUSPECT IS ARMED AND DANGEROUS!"

"I'm not moving."

"SUSPECT IS ON THE LOOSE! SUSPECT AT LARGE! Officer administers street justice at her own peril!"

"THAT ONE EXTRA LICK WITH A BATON OR EXTRA KNEE STRIKE ABOVE WHAT WAS ACTUALLY REQUIRED! SUSPECT IS UNDER CONTROL! SUSPECT IS UNDER CONTROL!"

In her mind you're under control now, the next moment you're not. It appears the things she says are very real to her, as long as she's saying them.

"Be careful, detective. Don't do anything that might set her off."

The situation looks bad. Calm yourself. Steady your breathing.

You'll have to go for the gun sooner or later... perhaps you can learn crucial facts before you do?

This is dangerous. You're 70% certain you always leave your gun loaded.

"Ma'am, I'm here to help. Tell me what's wrong."

The woman looks at you, but through you. Like you don't exist. Her eyes gleam feverishly and the rotating police-beacon lights reveal deep scratch marks on her cheeks.

Recent. Self-inflicted.

Sometimes when things get very bad it's good to remind yourself that you have a body. By scratching it.

"THIS IS THE POLICE!" She howls through her megaphone. "UNLAWFUL ENGAGEMENT. HANDS ON THE GROUND, SCUM-BAG!"

Hands on the...?

So that's how Cunoesse must have felt... right before you fired a shot at her.

"Kim?"

The lieutenant's eyes stay fixed on the woman and her gun -- he studies them closely, then mumbles: "Fascinating."

His shoulders relax and a look of realization appears in his eyes... Did he notice something?

"See?" He glances at you. "This is what happens, when we're not around."