Conversation · Gary, the Cryptofascist

"By letting the free market dictate the course of technological progress?"

"Could be, could easily be." He nods enthusiastically, shooting a quick glance at the lieutenant. "I mean it definitely helps, but the market alone? I don't buy it..."

"Officer," he says with confidence, "the average consumer is a moron. Leave it to them and we'd all be living in fake-bamboo huts, burning carcinogenic incense and playing the bongos. No way that's the reason!"

"Isolation obviously, keeping Seol for Seolites. Very motivating."

"I don't know... Sounds a bit incestuous to me, but sure -- none of my business, I'm not a Seolite." He quickly glances at the lieutenant. "But no way that's the reason they're winning the race..."

Oh, trying to keep only one type of people around you is suddenly 'incestuous', Gary?

"Sure, they got the place locked down tighter than a Himean asshole, but that alone?" He's shaking his head. "No way, I don't buy it..."

"Strange, I don't have a clue."

"I can tell you it isn't something easy and immediately obvious, that's for sure. No way, that would be too easy..."

"Yeah, how did you guys get so far ahead?" (Turn to the lieutenant.)

"No part of me is part of this conversation. Oh, no." The lieutenant keeps his eyes fixed on his notebook. "That's a special thing you two are enjoying. With each other."

"Everything's cool. Nothing wrong with a little speculative inquiry." The man shrugs awkwardly. "But really, officer, how do you explain how the Seolites developed such a lead over the rest of us?"

He's really trying to convey how cool and natural this all is for him.

"By working longer and harder than everyone else?"

"Sure, the Seolites are hard workers, everyone knows that..." He quickly glances at the lieutenant again. "But hard work alone? I don't buy it..."

"Permission to laugh, officer?" He rolls his eyes. "No way, I don't buy it..."

"Oh, definitely!" He nod and repeats. "Definitely. How else did they get so far ahead of everyone in the tech-race?"

"But then, there are rumours going around that the Seolites have developed a technology that allows them to move through time like it's a corridor. Back and forth, you see."

No. They haven't.

"Yes, Gary. A trick. Now humour me."

"I'm all out of tricks, Gary. Tell me what you know."

"Yes. This is important."

"More important than our murder investigation?"

"Potentially more important than anything ever before."

"No," the lieutenant replies with a sigh and opens his notebook. "It really isn't. Just please make it quick, so we can get back to our low-priority murder case."

"Now that's a trick question, right Gary?" (Wink at him.)

"Ugh... yeah, yeah. I guess." He shrugs, looking confused.

"Make it quick," remarks the lieutenant dryly and opens his notebook. "And the question was rhetorical, not a trick."

"I guess not."

"In that case please make it extra quick, so we can get back to it," says the lieutenant and opens his notebook. "I mean it."

"No...?"

"No?" he asks, surprised. "Because I could've sworn that's what you're doing right now."

"Just... please, Kim, trust me on this."

"Fine." He opens his notebook and starts leafing through the pages. "Just make it quick. We need to get back to our case."

"It will make sense, I promise."

A question for an answer, huh? The answer must be really obvious.

The lieutenant crosses his arms and turns to look at you.

You'd better be going somewhere case-related with this.

He gave you a question for an answer. Must mean the answer's obvious.

A frustrated sigh. "I've been through this with you. I am not..." He changes his mind. "Just please make it quick, we're in the middle of a murder investigation, remember?"