Mike Weston (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
oneofthegoodguys) wrote2014-02-16 02:31 am
oneofthegoodguys) wrote2014-02-16 02:31 am
Entry tags:
01 application
Player Information:
Name: Kate
Age: XXVI
Contact: thedarkfields [aim/plurk]
Game Cast: Billy Costigan, Hayley Stark (recent a/c)
Character Information:
Name: Mike Weston
Canon: The Following
Canon Point: From near the end of season one (1.15, "The Final Chapter"), after Ryan drives off, leaving Mike to deal with the dead bodies
Age: presumably late 20s (4yr degree, 6mo FBI academy, 3+yrs w/ FBI, stated to be 2nd youngest in BAU)
Reference: Wikia, Wiki
Setting:
The Following is based largely on modern America, 2012, including technology, government agencies, laws, etc.
The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) is shown to have specific individuals in high positions of authority, including Debora Parker (Mike's boss), Nick Donovan (Parker's boss), and others. Otherwise, it remains roughly the same entity as it is in the real world. The greatest deviation between the show and the real world is Joe Carroll and his cult of followers, which is the investigation that the canon focuses on.
To explain the cult, I need to explain some things chronologically:
Carroll wrote and published a book called The Gothic Sea in 2003. When it was berated and declared a flop, his obsession with gothic romanticism elevated to serial homicide, using Edgar Allen Poe as a theme – "Poe believed that art was beauty and that nothing is more beautiful than the death of a beautiful woman. … and to bereave beauty is to elevate one's soul."
He leveraged his position as a professor at Winslow University to kill 14 college girls before being caught and arrested by agent Ryan Hardy. In 2004, Carroll was sentenced to the death penalty for his crimes. Obviously this was a national and highly publicized situation.
Ryan Hardy, a then-FBI agent, was stabbed in his arrest of Carroll and was thus let go on "disability." He published a well-known book around the time of his dismissal, Poetry of a Killer, about Joe Carroll.
While in prison, Carroll, using his book and other connections, began forming a cult-like following which continued to escalate over time. The members of his cult are devoted followers and none are forced into participation through anything other than psychological manipulation (as present in all cults). This cult committed dozens of murders in Joe Carroll's name ("The only way to truly live is to kill."); they also helped him to escape numerous times and helped him to kidnap both his love/ex-wife and son. Many dedicated years of their lives to him. In the later season, they continue his crimes even without Carroll's leadership, suggesting that the idea behind the cult is more powerful than the man.
Carroll escaped prison in the pilot episode of the show, in 2012, shortly before his third appeal was scheduled. Ryan Hardy, considered the expert on Carroll, was brought in as a consultant in the case. His return to the Bureau was tumultuous but necessary, as Carroll's obsession was now on Ryan.
Carroll said he was writing a new book, where each of his followers were "writing their own chapter" and Ryan Hardy was the hero meant to save his love interest – Carroll's ex-wife, Claire Matthews. All of his plans centered on and around Ryan, another highly publicized fact.
Mike was brought in as another agent on this case, having done his thesis on Carroll, being part of the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU), and specializing in securities.
Personality:
Agent Michael Emerson Weston is a good guy. He's personable and likes forming attachments with others ("My name is Mike, sir; you keep calling me Weston"), getting to know them, and generally making friends. He holds strong loyalty both to his agency and to those he considers friends, using his own sense of morality to determine which loyalty need be placed above the other in that moment (as when he hacks Donovan's email for Ryan, versus when he reports Ryan to Parker). He won't be abused or pushed around though, as when he tells Parker he won't play snitch a second time (or when, later, he dismisses Ryan's pity info, saying "I'm done with you").
Although his own morality is sometimes used as a point of measure, Mike in no way believes himself to be above the law. After Carroll almost kills him and he goes a little revenge crazy, he tells Ryan, "I went too far; I know. Not used to almost dying. Makes it harder to do the right thing. Isn't always black and white." The important part is that when he hacks Donovan's email or goes with Ryan without telling Parker or the like, he always expects to face the consequences of his actions (and often actually does).
Mike's not big on lying. He understands deception and that there's absolutely a time and a place for it; he's even pretty good at it, given his training (shown in his convincing the cult members he doesn't know where Claire is). He remains less than fond of the idea and prefers telling the truth when it doesn't pose an immediate threat to do so – even sometimes when it does, such as in his beating a suspect in front of Ryan and Parker. Generally, he prefers accepting the consequences to lying or covering his tracks. For some things, like helping Ryan hide his murder of a cult member, Mike places humanity and loyalty above the truth. It happens.
A team player with no qualms about stepping up to help someone out or delegating his own work, Mike places an emphasis on doing his own job and doing it well. The majority of the time, he follows the law and agency policies, criticizing Ryan for doing his own thing. After his severe beating, for a multitude of reasons covered in more depth below, he becomes more willing to step outside the box if he deems the need more important than the law. This is rare and, as mentioned, he gives very serious thought to the consequences and his willingness to accept them before making such a decision.
Mike's an emotional guy. He begins tearing up when Parker is talking to he and Ryan before her death and cries upon finding her. He's not above revenge. Immediately after his return from the hospital, for example, he illegally breaks into a suspect's house and beats the man until he's unconscious in front of Ryan and Parker (he believes making a secret of it would be worse). It's not overwhelming though; when he finds Roderick (Carroll's second-hand man), the man responsible for his beating, Mike tries to arrest rather than kill him.
While Mike has killed people without much remorse if he knows them to be murderous criminals, it's done either in self-defense or defense of another, which is what helps keep his conscience clear. He has no problems with a dead body, but, as he says, "you kill a dog, I go crazy." Mike struggles with coping after his near death (twice), and, although returning to work after Troy's death, dwells on it and becomes angry for some time.
Mike is said to be the 2nd youngest agent ever accepted into the BAU of the FBI. He is touted as one of the most educated, skilled, and sincerely talented agents in personal securities and general Bureau-related technological knowledge. This suggests that he's intelligent, more so in his specific field, and that he is both highly motivated and hardworking. While originally a bit more naïve, mainly due to his age, his time on Carroll's case has stripped that away. He remains an overall fairly pleasant optimist who can take a joke, but lacks any doe-eyed innocence that may have been present before.
He is stubborn and determined, the type to see things through to the end. Everything in balance though. He's more likely to get a good night's sleep and eat his lunch rather than forsake all personal health and care – he doesn't take his work home with him – yet doesn't bat an eye when asked to work obscene hours and, for example, hide in the trunk to accompany Ryan on a dangerous rendezvous.
Both as a result of his training and his genuine personal interest, Mike is observant, as when he immediately notices the cult members in the parking lot of the hotel. He can be extremely perceptive (for example, recognizing that Ryan's water bottle has vodka in it after simply knowing Ryan for a day), but often fails to understand the psychology behind it, like when he misreads Joe's motivations for killing or asks Parker why she was talking about a cult member's art and mother in negotiations.
A bit rough and tumble, Mike is absolutely the "knock me down, I get back up" guy he claims to be. This is seen in his quick return after being severely beaten and nearly murdered (with butterfly bandages still on his head wound and bruises still healing), in his again immediate return after Carroll almost kills him, in his insisting Ryan continue chasing the perpetrator after he's shot pointblank (with a bulletproof vest on), and even in his returning to work the day after having to watch one of his closer fellow agents bleed out and die under his watch. He always comes back. (This is true of his friendships as well.)
He tries to be careful as a result of his training as well as a genuine interest in staying alive and unharmed where possible. Mike almost strikes that beautiful balance between a willingness to put himself in harm's way when the situation calls for it and being practical and careful overall. His dedication to the cause slants him in favor of finding dangerous situations, but there's no psychological need for that rush or risk.
For all the dramaz in his life, Mike manages to maintain a pretty good sense of humor. Though he makes less jokes than when he was first pulled onto the case, he still throws out some references and humor here and there. When Parker makes a Fight Club joke upon his return – something considerably insensitive, all things considered –, he dismisses it in an unperturbed fashion. When initially kidnapped (before the torture begins), he laughs about how they picked the wrong guy for what they want to know. In the same vein, as lawful as he is, there's an almost impish mischief about him, like he's in on some great secret. This is seen with both his laughing with the cult members and in interactions such as asking Ryan if there's water in his water bottle and, instead of calling Ryan out on the lie of it being vodka, offering him a mint instead.
Appearance: Shawn Ashmore (another).
Mike is roughly 5'11" and extremely physically fit. He tends towards bland colors in his clothing choices, especially shades of blue, brown, and gray. His blond hair is always cut short and his bright blue eyes shift from joyful to cold and piercing depending on his mood.
Abilities:
A Political Science major, Mike excelled at the FBI Academy in Quantico. He spent over three years studying personal securities, focusing particularly on technology. He's a master of encryptions, getting people off the grid (having spent two of those years with witness protection), and tracing. He also has strong skills in decryption, surveillance, etc.
He is a trained FBI Agent and thus has all the relevant skills there, including firearms, operational skills, physical training and combat, leadership, tactical and emergency vehicle operations, survival skills, mental expertise (including resistance to torture), and more.
In terms of combat, Mike's about average. He's a good shot,but not great [eta: when asked if he's a good shot, Mike says he's "an overachiever"]; he can put up a good fight but will be beaten by someone stronger or more skilled (as with Charlie in canon). His focus is definitely on tech.
Within the game, he will likely pick up new technology very quickly, but will take a while to excel at it. He doesn't build more than basic hardware; he's no Tony Stark. He will do his best to hack others' surveillance systems and trace signals if needed, but will otherwise stick to encrypting his own things.
As a note, The Following is quite realistic in its portrayal of the limits of technology (i.e. can't trace IPs out of North Korea) and how long it takes to achieve things (i.e. locating the source of an IP address when its attached virus constantly mutates the address takes a couple hours, not minutes).
Suitability:
(I know it's not required yet, but no reason not to do it.)
Mike is practically the epitome of suitability. His history with the BAU and FBI and his tech knowledge will have very practical applications in the war against Malicant. Perhaps more appropriately, his recent casework with the FBI on the case of Joe Carroll et al. shows that he is completely willing and able to step up and help in dealing with very dark, violent, and calculated situations. While not exactly military, he's used to the hierarchy, working within the law (and rarely outside of it, if needed), and has strict training. He has a sharp and focused mind and isn't afraid of dangerous scenarios.
From an ooc perspective, The Following itself obviously has quite dark themes and shows Mike to be putting himself in danger on a regular basis. For example, one episode (1.08, "Welcome Home") shows him being pitted against an elite military guy, getting his ass kicked, continuing to fight, and still not revealing the information the cult members are looking for. I believe he'll fit extremely well.
Inventory:
Clothes – including a jacket with FBI tags
- FBI badge on chain to wear around neck
- Laminated FBI identification card clipped to belt
- Cell phone
- Glock 17, with mostly full magazine and appropriate holster (for belt attachment)
- Fold out hunting knife
- Mints, a pen, and other such miscellaneous pocket things
Suite: Mike would fit well in the Earth Sector, given his stubborn and mostly level nature. Although extremely devoted to the job, Mike doesn't live and breathe his work at an obsessive level; a 2 level suite would suit his needs of having both a place to live and a place to work, keeping the two separate.
In-Character Samples:
Third Person:
Mike knew he was upset about Agent Parker's death, but he didn't remember losing consciousness and didn't understand why he was now regaining it. He sucked in a deep breath out of instinct, some part of his mind warning him that maybe he, too, had been buried alive. Instead of dirt, his lungs found water and his mind adapted quickly to force his body into action, propelling him the direction he hoped would be the surface. When he broke, he immediately set to coughing up the water he inhaled and sucking in the oxygen his body had been striving for in the first place.
As soon as the immediate threat to his life had passed, the agent looked around the room. His eyes caught only the back of the man leaving the room, the one who seemed to be the leader based on how the others responded to him.
"Hey!" He called out to the man before coughing again. Being ignored hardly deterred him. Mike began climbing out and attempted to chase after the man, but was quickly halted. It took him a moment to realize one of the attendants was propping him up and he had to make an effort to stand on his own, a dense weariness seeming to have overtaken him.
"What's going on here? What is this place?" He paused, giving the attendant a smile. "Are you one of Carroll's groupies? Is that what this is about?"
It didn't take long for him to realize that this place was nothing like he had ever experienced before. Every answer the attendants provided seemed to spur another set of questions. By the end of it, he was seated with his back against the wall and the kedan around him. They weren't exactly losing patience, but were obviously tired of explaining so many seemingly innocuous details of their culture to him.
Finally, one insisted it was time he needed to move on. With a little more strength, Mike followed their lead outside and halted only momentarily at the sight of an ambulance. Pausing at the back of the open doors, he frowned over at his new acquaintances. "Really? This is how it has to be, huh?"
With their nods, he climbed aboard and did well in hiding his discomfort. Silently, he hoped that this time was the simple transport they promised. His last two rides aboard ambulances had found him lying in the stretcher, both after his nearly dying. He had a feeling that this time would be different. It seemed that everything about this place would be.
Network:
[Mike clicks on the video. There's a large curved scab above his right eye, like a wound still in the process of healing. He wears a smile, looking quite comfortable with the console.]
My name's Mike Weston. I was an agent with the FBI before coming here, but I understand that doesn't mean much now. I was last in Havenport, Maryland, in the United States of America, in the year two-thousand and twelve.
I'd appreciate any more insights people might have on what's going on around here. The kedan answered a lot of my questions, but I can't ask about what I don't know.
[He gives another smile before reaching over to click on an encryption.]
[encrypted 70%]
If there's a network, there are people watching it. I'm new to town and want to learn how the system works and why the console I tried to open goo-ed all over me. Someone? Anyone?
[ooc: Anyone with the capability is welcome to hack the encrypted portion of the message.]
Name: Kate
Age: XXVI
Contact: thedarkfields [aim/plurk]
Game Cast: Billy Costigan, Hayley Stark (recent a/c)
Character Information:
Name: Mike Weston
Canon: The Following
Canon Point: From near the end of season one (1.15, "The Final Chapter"), after Ryan drives off, leaving Mike to deal with the dead bodies
Age: presumably late 20s (4yr degree, 6mo FBI academy, 3+yrs w/ FBI, stated to be 2nd youngest in BAU)
Reference: Wikia, Wiki
Setting:
The Following is based largely on modern America, 2012, including technology, government agencies, laws, etc.
The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) is shown to have specific individuals in high positions of authority, including Debora Parker (Mike's boss), Nick Donovan (Parker's boss), and others. Otherwise, it remains roughly the same entity as it is in the real world. The greatest deviation between the show and the real world is Joe Carroll and his cult of followers, which is the investigation that the canon focuses on.
To explain the cult, I need to explain some things chronologically:
Carroll wrote and published a book called The Gothic Sea in 2003. When it was berated and declared a flop, his obsession with gothic romanticism elevated to serial homicide, using Edgar Allen Poe as a theme – "Poe believed that art was beauty and that nothing is more beautiful than the death of a beautiful woman. … and to bereave beauty is to elevate one's soul."
He leveraged his position as a professor at Winslow University to kill 14 college girls before being caught and arrested by agent Ryan Hardy. In 2004, Carroll was sentenced to the death penalty for his crimes. Obviously this was a national and highly publicized situation.
Ryan Hardy, a then-FBI agent, was stabbed in his arrest of Carroll and was thus let go on "disability." He published a well-known book around the time of his dismissal, Poetry of a Killer, about Joe Carroll.
While in prison, Carroll, using his book and other connections, began forming a cult-like following which continued to escalate over time. The members of his cult are devoted followers and none are forced into participation through anything other than psychological manipulation (as present in all cults). This cult committed dozens of murders in Joe Carroll's name ("The only way to truly live is to kill."); they also helped him to escape numerous times and helped him to kidnap both his love/ex-wife and son. Many dedicated years of their lives to him. In the later season, they continue his crimes even without Carroll's leadership, suggesting that the idea behind the cult is more powerful than the man.
Carroll escaped prison in the pilot episode of the show, in 2012, shortly before his third appeal was scheduled. Ryan Hardy, considered the expert on Carroll, was brought in as a consultant in the case. His return to the Bureau was tumultuous but necessary, as Carroll's obsession was now on Ryan.
Carroll said he was writing a new book, where each of his followers were "writing their own chapter" and Ryan Hardy was the hero meant to save his love interest – Carroll's ex-wife, Claire Matthews. All of his plans centered on and around Ryan, another highly publicized fact.
Mike was brought in as another agent on this case, having done his thesis on Carroll, being part of the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU), and specializing in securities.
Personality:
Agent Michael Emerson Weston is a good guy. He's personable and likes forming attachments with others ("My name is Mike, sir; you keep calling me Weston"), getting to know them, and generally making friends. He holds strong loyalty both to his agency and to those he considers friends, using his own sense of morality to determine which loyalty need be placed above the other in that moment (as when he hacks Donovan's email for Ryan, versus when he reports Ryan to Parker). He won't be abused or pushed around though, as when he tells Parker he won't play snitch a second time (or when, later, he dismisses Ryan's pity info, saying "I'm done with you").
Although his own morality is sometimes used as a point of measure, Mike in no way believes himself to be above the law. After Carroll almost kills him and he goes a little revenge crazy, he tells Ryan, "I went too far; I know. Not used to almost dying. Makes it harder to do the right thing. Isn't always black and white." The important part is that when he hacks Donovan's email or goes with Ryan without telling Parker or the like, he always expects to face the consequences of his actions (and often actually does).
Mike's not big on lying. He understands deception and that there's absolutely a time and a place for it; he's even pretty good at it, given his training (shown in his convincing the cult members he doesn't know where Claire is). He remains less than fond of the idea and prefers telling the truth when it doesn't pose an immediate threat to do so – even sometimes when it does, such as in his beating a suspect in front of Ryan and Parker. Generally, he prefers accepting the consequences to lying or covering his tracks. For some things, like helping Ryan hide his murder of a cult member, Mike places humanity and loyalty above the truth. It happens.
A team player with no qualms about stepping up to help someone out or delegating his own work, Mike places an emphasis on doing his own job and doing it well. The majority of the time, he follows the law and agency policies, criticizing Ryan for doing his own thing. After his severe beating, for a multitude of reasons covered in more depth below, he becomes more willing to step outside the box if he deems the need more important than the law. This is rare and, as mentioned, he gives very serious thought to the consequences and his willingness to accept them before making such a decision.
Mike's an emotional guy. He begins tearing up when Parker is talking to he and Ryan before her death and cries upon finding her. He's not above revenge. Immediately after his return from the hospital, for example, he illegally breaks into a suspect's house and beats the man until he's unconscious in front of Ryan and Parker (he believes making a secret of it would be worse). It's not overwhelming though; when he finds Roderick (Carroll's second-hand man), the man responsible for his beating, Mike tries to arrest rather than kill him.
While Mike has killed people without much remorse if he knows them to be murderous criminals, it's done either in self-defense or defense of another, which is what helps keep his conscience clear. He has no problems with a dead body, but, as he says, "you kill a dog, I go crazy." Mike struggles with coping after his near death (twice), and, although returning to work after Troy's death, dwells on it and becomes angry for some time.
Mike is said to be the 2nd youngest agent ever accepted into the BAU of the FBI. He is touted as one of the most educated, skilled, and sincerely talented agents in personal securities and general Bureau-related technological knowledge. This suggests that he's intelligent, more so in his specific field, and that he is both highly motivated and hardworking. While originally a bit more naïve, mainly due to his age, his time on Carroll's case has stripped that away. He remains an overall fairly pleasant optimist who can take a joke, but lacks any doe-eyed innocence that may have been present before.
He is stubborn and determined, the type to see things through to the end. Everything in balance though. He's more likely to get a good night's sleep and eat his lunch rather than forsake all personal health and care – he doesn't take his work home with him – yet doesn't bat an eye when asked to work obscene hours and, for example, hide in the trunk to accompany Ryan on a dangerous rendezvous.
Both as a result of his training and his genuine personal interest, Mike is observant, as when he immediately notices the cult members in the parking lot of the hotel. He can be extremely perceptive (for example, recognizing that Ryan's water bottle has vodka in it after simply knowing Ryan for a day), but often fails to understand the psychology behind it, like when he misreads Joe's motivations for killing or asks Parker why she was talking about a cult member's art and mother in negotiations.
A bit rough and tumble, Mike is absolutely the "knock me down, I get back up" guy he claims to be. This is seen in his quick return after being severely beaten and nearly murdered (with butterfly bandages still on his head wound and bruises still healing), in his again immediate return after Carroll almost kills him, in his insisting Ryan continue chasing the perpetrator after he's shot pointblank (with a bulletproof vest on), and even in his returning to work the day after having to watch one of his closer fellow agents bleed out and die under his watch. He always comes back. (This is true of his friendships as well.)
He tries to be careful as a result of his training as well as a genuine interest in staying alive and unharmed where possible. Mike almost strikes that beautiful balance between a willingness to put himself in harm's way when the situation calls for it and being practical and careful overall. His dedication to the cause slants him in favor of finding dangerous situations, but there's no psychological need for that rush or risk.
For all the dramaz in his life, Mike manages to maintain a pretty good sense of humor. Though he makes less jokes than when he was first pulled onto the case, he still throws out some references and humor here and there. When Parker makes a Fight Club joke upon his return – something considerably insensitive, all things considered –, he dismisses it in an unperturbed fashion. When initially kidnapped (before the torture begins), he laughs about how they picked the wrong guy for what they want to know. In the same vein, as lawful as he is, there's an almost impish mischief about him, like he's in on some great secret. This is seen with both his laughing with the cult members and in interactions such as asking Ryan if there's water in his water bottle and, instead of calling Ryan out on the lie of it being vodka, offering him a mint instead.
Appearance: Shawn Ashmore (another).
Mike is roughly 5'11" and extremely physically fit. He tends towards bland colors in his clothing choices, especially shades of blue, brown, and gray. His blond hair is always cut short and his bright blue eyes shift from joyful to cold and piercing depending on his mood.
Abilities:
A Political Science major, Mike excelled at the FBI Academy in Quantico. He spent over three years studying personal securities, focusing particularly on technology. He's a master of encryptions, getting people off the grid (having spent two of those years with witness protection), and tracing. He also has strong skills in decryption, surveillance, etc.
He is a trained FBI Agent and thus has all the relevant skills there, including firearms, operational skills, physical training and combat, leadership, tactical and emergency vehicle operations, survival skills, mental expertise (including resistance to torture), and more.
In terms of combat, Mike's about average. He's a good shot,
Within the game, he will likely pick up new technology very quickly, but will take a while to excel at it. He doesn't build more than basic hardware; he's no Tony Stark. He will do his best to hack others' surveillance systems and trace signals if needed, but will otherwise stick to encrypting his own things.
As a note, The Following is quite realistic in its portrayal of the limits of technology (i.e. can't trace IPs out of North Korea) and how long it takes to achieve things (i.e. locating the source of an IP address when its attached virus constantly mutates the address takes a couple hours, not minutes).
Suitability:
(I know it's not required yet, but no reason not to do it.)
Mike is practically the epitome of suitability. His history with the BAU and FBI and his tech knowledge will have very practical applications in the war against Malicant. Perhaps more appropriately, his recent casework with the FBI on the case of Joe Carroll et al. shows that he is completely willing and able to step up and help in dealing with very dark, violent, and calculated situations. While not exactly military, he's used to the hierarchy, working within the law (and rarely outside of it, if needed), and has strict training. He has a sharp and focused mind and isn't afraid of dangerous scenarios.
From an ooc perspective, The Following itself obviously has quite dark themes and shows Mike to be putting himself in danger on a regular basis. For example, one episode (1.08, "Welcome Home") shows him being pitted against an elite military guy, getting his ass kicked, continuing to fight, and still not revealing the information the cult members are looking for. I believe he'll fit extremely well.
Inventory:
Clothes – including a jacket with FBI tags
- FBI badge on chain to wear around neck
- Laminated FBI identification card clipped to belt
- Cell phone
- Glock 17, with mostly full magazine and appropriate holster (for belt attachment)
- Fold out hunting knife
- Mints, a pen, and other such miscellaneous pocket things
Suite: Mike would fit well in the Earth Sector, given his stubborn and mostly level nature. Although extremely devoted to the job, Mike doesn't live and breathe his work at an obsessive level; a 2 level suite would suit his needs of having both a place to live and a place to work, keeping the two separate.
In-Character Samples:
Third Person:
Mike knew he was upset about Agent Parker's death, but he didn't remember losing consciousness and didn't understand why he was now regaining it. He sucked in a deep breath out of instinct, some part of his mind warning him that maybe he, too, had been buried alive. Instead of dirt, his lungs found water and his mind adapted quickly to force his body into action, propelling him the direction he hoped would be the surface. When he broke, he immediately set to coughing up the water he inhaled and sucking in the oxygen his body had been striving for in the first place.
As soon as the immediate threat to his life had passed, the agent looked around the room. His eyes caught only the back of the man leaving the room, the one who seemed to be the leader based on how the others responded to him.
"Hey!" He called out to the man before coughing again. Being ignored hardly deterred him. Mike began climbing out and attempted to chase after the man, but was quickly halted. It took him a moment to realize one of the attendants was propping him up and he had to make an effort to stand on his own, a dense weariness seeming to have overtaken him.
"What's going on here? What is this place?" He paused, giving the attendant a smile. "Are you one of Carroll's groupies? Is that what this is about?"
It didn't take long for him to realize that this place was nothing like he had ever experienced before. Every answer the attendants provided seemed to spur another set of questions. By the end of it, he was seated with his back against the wall and the kedan around him. They weren't exactly losing patience, but were obviously tired of explaining so many seemingly innocuous details of their culture to him.
Finally, one insisted it was time he needed to move on. With a little more strength, Mike followed their lead outside and halted only momentarily at the sight of an ambulance. Pausing at the back of the open doors, he frowned over at his new acquaintances. "Really? This is how it has to be, huh?"
With their nods, he climbed aboard and did well in hiding his discomfort. Silently, he hoped that this time was the simple transport they promised. His last two rides aboard ambulances had found him lying in the stretcher, both after his nearly dying. He had a feeling that this time would be different. It seemed that everything about this place would be.
Network:
[Mike clicks on the video. There's a large curved scab above his right eye, like a wound still in the process of healing. He wears a smile, looking quite comfortable with the console.]
My name's Mike Weston. I was an agent with the FBI before coming here, but I understand that doesn't mean much now. I was last in Havenport, Maryland, in the United States of America, in the year two-thousand and twelve.
I'd appreciate any more insights people might have on what's going on around here. The kedan answered a lot of my questions, but I can't ask about what I don't know.
[He gives another smile before reaching over to click on an encryption.]
[encrypted 70%]
If there's a network, there are people watching it. I'm new to town and want to learn how the system works and why the console I tried to open goo-ed all over me. Someone? Anyone?
[ooc: Anyone with the capability is welcome to hack the encrypted portion of the message.]