Conversation · Bird's Nest Roy

"A genuine Kristallsprach. This is a connoisseur's model. Good for picking up foreign milieus."

"The Model 9 also comes equipped with a signal purifier to suppress crosstalk, especially good around here with our funky reception."

In other words, it'll put even the lieutenant's beloved DynaWave to shame.

"Sounds a bit like overkill."

"Could be, if you're not concerned about quality of signal. But real audiophiles will pay good money for this. That's why we can't let it go for less than 120 reál."

"I'm gonna shop around a bit. I might be back later."

"Suit yourself. Can't promise this beauty'll be here when you come back, though." He gently returns the transceiver to its shelf behind the counter.

Buy the highly expensive transceiver.

"You won't regret it, officer. Whatever you need, the Model 9 can handle."

The lieutenant watches you take the transceiver with barely disguised envy.

"Thanks, Roy, this is just what I needed." (Conclude.)

"We're glad to hear it." He smiles as the reflected light dances across his lenses.

"Do you think we'll actually be able to reach the Coalition with this?"

"You've surprised me more than once during the course of our investigation, but I have to say it still seems like a remote scenario." He shrugs.

The pawnbroker turns from you to the lieutenant and back again, a distant look on his face.

"To be perfectly frank, I have my reservations about this whole antenna scheme. But who knows? We may yet be surprised."

"I wouldn't like to guess. Your performance so far doesn't exactly inspire confidence, but all sorts of things are possible..."

"You could reach the Coalition and have your talk about la responsabilité... I could grow 10 centimetres and become a flanker for the Stormers."

"Can't wait to take this baby for a spin."

"Of course, you need a certain level of discernment to really appreciate the difference in quality."

He's reaching for naked snobbery because he knows you've got him beat from a technical angle.

"You jealous, Kim?"

"Not at all, detective. A Kristallsprach is a fine piece of equipment, but I'm quite satisfied with my DynaWave."

Oh, he's totally jealous. He can barely hold it in!

"Sounds perfect!"

"It's about as close to perfection as a transceiver gets. And we're only asking 120 reál for it."

"Sounds expensive."

"Well it's not that Iilmaraan surplus junk, that's for sure. We think 120 reál is more than reasonable."

"A Kristallsprach Model 9. Gottwaldian engineering at its finest. This is a specialist's model, ideal for picking up foreign signals..."

"Hey, do you know how to fix this?" (Show him the bundle of magnetic tape.)

He looks at the bronze-coloured bundle in your hand. "You mean re-spool it? Yeah, I do, but..."

"Great! Could you do it, please? This is important, I need to be able to play this tape for someone."

He slowly finishes his thought: "...but I'm not some Mr. Fixit, I'm a pawnbroker. If you want to pawn the tape, sure. Although it looks pretty... worthless."

Just explain why you need this so much. He's bound to understand.

"Worthless? It's not worthless, Roy. This could be the next big thing for the local dance music scene."

"Huh?" He slowly taps his fingers on the counter. "What do you mean?"

"Do you know that old church down the coast?"

"Yes. What about it?"

"I helped some young ravers turn this place into a nightclub. And they play these weird neo-disco beats there..."

"Is it any good? The music, I mean."

"I helped them up the bass beat. It's getting pretty hard core, but there's something missing. A melody line to complement the beat. I'm feeling this tape might be it."

"Man, you're really invested in this." He looks at the bundle of tape in front of him. It shimmers under the shop's dazzling light show.

"Okay, I'll help you out. It's going to take a moment though, so just sit back and relax..."

You take some time to look around the store... The play of visuals all around the pawnshop is mesmerizing. Suddenly, Roy turns back to you with a reel of tape in his hand and coughs.

You know, these visuals would look super cool in the church.

"Hey, those visuals you've got here would look great in the church." (Point at the lights in the pawnshop.)

"Yeah, I bet they would... all those lights in a massive church hall..." He stares at the intricate interplay of light and shadow all around him, suddenly moved by the idea.

"A sanctuary filled with hand-picked positive photons... There would be no room for sadness in such a place. It's a brilliant vision..."

There's a 'but', isn't there? There's always a 'but'.

"You and me, we could make this all become true. Mankind needs this."

"Yeah, man, no." He shakes his head. "I rather like this place happy too. You know -- where I work. This tape is all I can do for you and your friends' nightclub project." He nods at the fixed tape on the counter top.

Looks like he really means it.

There's no way to turn this around, I'm afraid.

Poor apes on a stupid ball, with never enough money to do anything remarkable.

"But?"

"I rather like it here too, so yeah -- I'm not giving you my projector. This tape is all I can do for you and your friends' nightclub project." He nods at the fixed tape on the counter top.

"Well, thanks for the help." (Proceed; take the repaired tape.)

"Yeah. My pleasure. I do what I can for true passion projects... Just try not to use this tape for negative photon emissions. Take responsibility, okay."

(Look at the clock.) "Wait, this took more than just 'a few moments'. That was at least fifteen minutes!"

"Yeah." He nods. "It was. Re-spooling isn't that difficult, although I had to mend the tape in a few places."