Re: Journal of Sociology [S!6] - [Round One: The Pacific Spire]
09-02-2012, 08:50 PM
Originally posted on MSPA by Snowyowl.
The Head of Security for floors 271 to 285 pinched the bridge of his nose. The two guards in his office shuffled nervously, and simultaneously realised they were not earning many brownie points for this.
"So tell me about this spy of yours. I mean, since you're clearly both counterespionage specialists all of a sudden, you could tell me exactly what he did that blew his carefully constructed cover."
The tall guard looked at his feet and mumbled something that ended in "...ooked funny". The Head of Security, whose desk identified him as one Pike Josiah, made a show of putting one hand to his ear and leaning in. "Sorry, I think I'm going deaf in my old age. Would you care to repeat that?"
The guard coughed slightly. He was taller than average by just enough margin that he could convincingly loom over people, and had devised a way of wearing his uniform that made his shoulders look far more muscular than they really were. "He, uh, he was dressed funny. Sir. Shiny cape and huge white hat. And he tried to run when we asked him questions."
Pike looked at the other guard. This guy was a little older than his partner, and had a distinguished-looking face that put Pike in mind of a Greek philosopher. Bright lad, but with the subtlety and perceptiveness of a sledgehammer. "Is your partner right, Mister" he squinted "Shepstone? You brought this guy in because he was wearing a hat?"
"No sir, he had a bag too. Uh, I mean, that is. Sir."
"You decided, based on the fact that he was apparently doing everything possible to draw attention to himself, that he was actually a master of stealth and deception?"
No response.
"And despite there being two of you, you then left him alone and unguarded while you came barging in here all pleased to have something interesting to report? Not thinking to leave one of you behind, or to call me up to you? Not even considering that, in your imagined scenario where the floors under us are sending spies into our midst, having a brightly dressed bumbling idiot wandering around would be the perfect distraction for a real spy?"
No response. Pike let them mull over the last question, then brightly asked "So, what'd you do with him?"
Oli rattled the inside door of the supply cupboard. Still locked. He banged on it once or twice, to try and get the attention of someone who could let him out. Then he wondered who would be letting him out and whether he hadn't had enough of their attention for one day.
The "cupboard" was really more of a small office. There was enough room for him to kick down the door, and heavy boxes that could be used as battering rams in case the lock was much sturdier than it looked. But that left the problem of drawing unwanted attention, which had in fact been the only problem left to solve. So, in fact, he hadn't solved anything at all. He slumped down against the wall; this at least solved the problem of his legs getting sore from standing up all the time.
He was still on some level aware that he had recently been transported through time and space and possibly a couple of other things, but there didn't seem to be much he could do about it. It wasn't quite possible to lock those feelings away entirely, but he could ignore them well enough. Just put on a brave face, pretend he was playing the part of a slightly braver Oli, and tell the little Oli inside him that he could worry about those problems when the show was over.
The outer Oli's conviction was reinforced by the almost complete normality of this place. As far as the ultimate nature of reality went, he'd expected something rather more incomprehensible to the mortal mind, and rather less corporate. The inner Oli was aware this was a big part of the reason he was coping so well. The thought struck him that maybe this was some sort of comforting illusion that his subconscious had imagined to help him cope with experiences beyond his grasp, but Oli's subconscious was usually a lot more creative than this. Funnier, too.
Anyway, the guards would come back eventually, and he still hadn't figured out how to escape in a not attention-drawing manner. He approached the problem anew: What sort of people would pass through here unnoticed? Then he rephrased it as: What sort of person would pass through here without answering awkward questions or being followed?
The word "Status" passed through his mind.
" - are only the third and fourth biggest idiots I've had to deal with today. I'd fire you both but the paperwork's a nightmare. So you're getting a verbal reprimand for now, and you're going to apologise to the innocent member of the public who you locked in a fucking supply cupboard."
"Yessir", said Shepstone. "And then I'll go over the company policies and expand the section on detention of suspected intruders. Sir. To reflect what you just told us."
Pike's eyebrows raised imperceptibly. Bright lad indeed, he could go far. Unless he had the sense not to, of course. People with sense found a job that they could do with the bare minimum of effort, and then spent the rest of their effort on more useful things. People with no sense ended up running the company. Which was part of the reason why none of the decisions here ever made sense.
The decades spent at the Pacific Spire had endowed Pike with two important traits: weapons-grade cynicism, and the ability to look authoritative and knowledgeable when he was actually wrapped up in irrelevant thoughts. The rookies on either side of him were too nervous to talk, look around, or indeed do anything except walk in a straight line and total silence. It was only a slight ego-boost when a grumbling janitor saw the armed uniforms marching towards him, and pressed himself against the wall so they could pass without having to acknowledge him.
Status, in the comedian's lingo, is the key to interaction between two characters. It's not entirely the same thing as confidence, authority, and attitude, though these certainly play a part. Simply put: in any scene, the high-status character is the dominant one, and the low-status character the submissive one. Obviously, this is not a perfectly clear-cut distinction, and many of the most interesting improvised scenes are created by playing in the grey areas of status. For example, a butler who is calm, professional, and knowledgeable will be higher status than his frazzled, nervous employer despite the latter's supposed authority.
Many interactions between people can be examined in terms of status. An eminent biologist playing low-status to a high-status gypsy who claims his science doesn't explain everything. Two otherwise identical people meeting, and immediately determining which one will be the high-status hunter and which the low-status target. A high-status convict rebelling against the low-status role that a powerful authority has imposed on him. Or even a high-status manager talking to two low-status guards who have just realised that there are people even lower than them. That pathetic-looking janitor, for example, whining about doors getting stuck, and carrying a bag of supplies.
Nobody paid him much attention.
The Head of Security for floors 271 to 285 pinched the bridge of his nose. The two guards in his office shuffled nervously, and simultaneously realised they were not earning many brownie points for this.
"So tell me about this spy of yours. I mean, since you're clearly both counterespionage specialists all of a sudden, you could tell me exactly what he did that blew his carefully constructed cover."
The tall guard looked at his feet and mumbled something that ended in "...ooked funny". The Head of Security, whose desk identified him as one Pike Josiah, made a show of putting one hand to his ear and leaning in. "Sorry, I think I'm going deaf in my old age. Would you care to repeat that?"
The guard coughed slightly. He was taller than average by just enough margin that he could convincingly loom over people, and had devised a way of wearing his uniform that made his shoulders look far more muscular than they really were. "He, uh, he was dressed funny. Sir. Shiny cape and huge white hat. And he tried to run when we asked him questions."
Pike looked at the other guard. This guy was a little older than his partner, and had a distinguished-looking face that put Pike in mind of a Greek philosopher. Bright lad, but with the subtlety and perceptiveness of a sledgehammer. "Is your partner right, Mister" he squinted "Shepstone? You brought this guy in because he was wearing a hat?"
"No sir, he had a bag too. Uh, I mean, that is. Sir."
"You decided, based on the fact that he was apparently doing everything possible to draw attention to himself, that he was actually a master of stealth and deception?"
No response.
"And despite there being two of you, you then left him alone and unguarded while you came barging in here all pleased to have something interesting to report? Not thinking to leave one of you behind, or to call me up to you? Not even considering that, in your imagined scenario where the floors under us are sending spies into our midst, having a brightly dressed bumbling idiot wandering around would be the perfect distraction for a real spy?"
No response. Pike let them mull over the last question, then brightly asked "So, what'd you do with him?"
Oli rattled the inside door of the supply cupboard. Still locked. He banged on it once or twice, to try and get the attention of someone who could let him out. Then he wondered who would be letting him out and whether he hadn't had enough of their attention for one day.
The "cupboard" was really more of a small office. There was enough room for him to kick down the door, and heavy boxes that could be used as battering rams in case the lock was much sturdier than it looked. But that left the problem of drawing unwanted attention, which had in fact been the only problem left to solve. So, in fact, he hadn't solved anything at all. He slumped down against the wall; this at least solved the problem of his legs getting sore from standing up all the time.
He was still on some level aware that he had recently been transported through time and space and possibly a couple of other things, but there didn't seem to be much he could do about it. It wasn't quite possible to lock those feelings away entirely, but he could ignore them well enough. Just put on a brave face, pretend he was playing the part of a slightly braver Oli, and tell the little Oli inside him that he could worry about those problems when the show was over.
The outer Oli's conviction was reinforced by the almost complete normality of this place. As far as the ultimate nature of reality went, he'd expected something rather more incomprehensible to the mortal mind, and rather less corporate. The inner Oli was aware this was a big part of the reason he was coping so well. The thought struck him that maybe this was some sort of comforting illusion that his subconscious had imagined to help him cope with experiences beyond his grasp, but Oli's subconscious was usually a lot more creative than this. Funnier, too.
Anyway, the guards would come back eventually, and he still hadn't figured out how to escape in a not attention-drawing manner. He approached the problem anew: What sort of people would pass through here unnoticed? Then he rephrased it as: What sort of person would pass through here without answering awkward questions or being followed?
The word "Status" passed through his mind.
" - are only the third and fourth biggest idiots I've had to deal with today. I'd fire you both but the paperwork's a nightmare. So you're getting a verbal reprimand for now, and you're going to apologise to the innocent member of the public who you locked in a fucking supply cupboard."
"Yessir", said Shepstone. "And then I'll go over the company policies and expand the section on detention of suspected intruders. Sir. To reflect what you just told us."
Pike's eyebrows raised imperceptibly. Bright lad indeed, he could go far. Unless he had the sense not to, of course. People with sense found a job that they could do with the bare minimum of effort, and then spent the rest of their effort on more useful things. People with no sense ended up running the company. Which was part of the reason why none of the decisions here ever made sense.
The decades spent at the Pacific Spire had endowed Pike with two important traits: weapons-grade cynicism, and the ability to look authoritative and knowledgeable when he was actually wrapped up in irrelevant thoughts. The rookies on either side of him were too nervous to talk, look around, or indeed do anything except walk in a straight line and total silence. It was only a slight ego-boost when a grumbling janitor saw the armed uniforms marching towards him, and pressed himself against the wall so they could pass without having to acknowledge him.
Status, in the comedian's lingo, is the key to interaction between two characters. It's not entirely the same thing as confidence, authority, and attitude, though these certainly play a part. Simply put: in any scene, the high-status character is the dominant one, and the low-status character the submissive one. Obviously, this is not a perfectly clear-cut distinction, and many of the most interesting improvised scenes are created by playing in the grey areas of status. For example, a butler who is calm, professional, and knowledgeable will be higher status than his frazzled, nervous employer despite the latter's supposed authority.
Many interactions between people can be examined in terms of status. An eminent biologist playing low-status to a high-status gypsy who claims his science doesn't explain everything. Two otherwise identical people meeting, and immediately determining which one will be the high-status hunter and which the low-status target. A high-status convict rebelling against the low-status role that a powerful authority has imposed on him. Or even a high-status manager talking to two low-status guards who have just realised that there are people even lower than them. That pathetic-looking janitor, for example, whining about doors getting stuck, and carrying a bag of supplies.
Nobody paid him much attention.