There's a little more information on the Enforcer for you... but you're not really cleared for this kind of classified information, you know. Nor is Collins for that matter.
Essential “What’s an Enforcer?” Collins was startled by how light Adams was and also slightly startled to see that Ethel pulled her out of her near-fetal position quite casually. It did make it much easier to carry her, so he was relieved, all the more so as she didn’t seem to notice. “It’s like a taser,” said Ethel, looking behind him, and then starting towards the broken brickwork. “But there’s a bit of extra ritual magic in there as well, mostly bound into the body of the gu—” The Inspectral coughed loudly, drowning out Ethel’s words, which was slightly surprising for a ghost. “—oh yes,” said Ethel after the coughing stopped. “They’re military issue and not something that civilians are told about. You know, Harold, you should see a doctor. Ghosts aren’t supposed to cough. And we can’t have you getting sick since you’re essential to our policing.” They stepped through the brickwork into the darkness, and for a moment Collins felt a surge of panic. He couldn’t see anything, and he was stepping blindly with only Adams in his hands to reassure him that there was anything solid in the world. Then, slowly but blessedly, his night-vision started to return and he could see the modulation of darkness in the distance that meant the airfield tunnel must be that way. He focused on that and tried very hard to keep his breathing under control. “You’re glowing,” said Ethel as they step-shuffled through, neither of them lifting their feet too far off the ground when they couldn’t see where they were putting them next. “What?” “You’re glowing. It’s faint, but it’s there. How long were you in the room for when the Device was turned on?” The light at the end brightened enough for Collins to see Adams’s face now, but Ethel, facing him, was just a shadowy oval. “Until you arrived,” said Collins. He looked down, at his arms and chest, but he couldn’t see any glow. “You won’t notice it,” said Ethel. It’s only faint and, if I remember my biology lessons right your own eyes glow as well, so it kind of negates you seeing the light you give off.” “Is this bad for me?” Ethel shrugged, glancing behind him and leading the way down the short ramp that led up from the airfield tunnels. “It’s mild exposure to the Radiance,” he said. “Honestly, we mostly know about what happens when you get sustained exposure, or sudden intense exposure. Anyone with mild exposure probably got missed when we were trying to contain it. Set her down here, this room’s as safe as anywhere, I think.” “Will I get sick?” The Inspectral stepped past him, and a reassuring chill raised goosebumps on Collins’ skin. “The Radiance was claimed to boost health and improve thinking,” he said. “But that’s probably propaganda. You’re unlikely to get sick from it, since the propganda wouldn’t work otherwise. Or it would claim that the illness was somehow good for you.” His whispery voice, cold and icy, added a depth of sarcasm to his words. “Let me check the door, I would like to know how long we have before our culprits return.” “You’re still going to arrest them?” “If nothing else,” said the Inspectral, “they’ve contaminated the Crisis centre and that’s environmental pollution. But ideally we’ll get them for the attempted murder of myself and Collins.” He had reached the doors now, and he stepped partially through them. Then he emerged back into the room. “William is on the floor outside. It looks like he’s unconscious; from the large pool of blood he’s sitting in I’d say the blood loss has done it. It might be a trap… but I don’t want to risk him dying on us.” “And Tony?” “Can’t see him. So unless there’s a concealed corner, we should probably go and get William in here and bandage him up a bit.” “That’ll alert Tony, surely?” “That’s just a chance we’ll have to take.”
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There's a little more information on the Enforcer for you... but you're not really cleared for this kind of classified information, you know. Nor is Collins for that matter.
Essential
“What’s an Enforcer?” Collins was startled by how light Adams was and also slightly startled to see that Ethel pulled her out of her near-fetal position quite casually. It did make it much easier to carry her, so he was relieved, all the more so as she didn’t seem to notice.
“It’s like a taser,” said Ethel, looking behind him, and then starting towards the broken brickwork. “But there’s a bit of extra ritual magic in there as well, mostly bound into the body of the gu—”
The Inspectral coughed loudly, drowning out Ethel’s words, which was slightly surprising for a ghost.
“—oh yes,” said Ethel after the coughing stopped. “They’re military issue and not something that civilians are told about. You know, Harold, you should see a doctor. Ghosts aren’t supposed to cough. And we can’t have you getting sick since you’re essential to our policing.” They stepped through the brickwork into the darkness, and for a moment Collins felt a surge of panic. He couldn’t see anything, and he was stepping blindly with only Adams in his hands to reassure him that there was anything solid in the world. Then, slowly but blessedly, his night-vision started to return and he could see the modulation of darkness in the distance that meant the airfield tunnel must be that way. He focused on that and tried very hard to keep his breathing under control.
“You’re glowing,” said Ethel as they step-shuffled through, neither of them lifting their feet too far off the ground when they couldn’t see where they were putting them next.
“What?”
“You’re glowing. It’s faint, but it’s there. How long were you in the room for when the Device was turned on?”
The light at the end brightened enough for Collins to see Adams’s face now, but Ethel, facing him, was just a shadowy oval. “Until you arrived,” said Collins. He looked down, at his arms and chest, but he couldn’t see any glow.
“You won’t notice it,” said Ethel. It’s only faint and, if I remember my biology lessons right your own eyes glow as well, so it kind of negates you seeing the light you give off.”
“Is this bad for me?”
Ethel shrugged, glancing behind him and leading the way down the short ramp that led up from the airfield tunnels. “It’s mild exposure to the Radiance,” he said. “Honestly, we mostly know about what happens when you get sustained exposure, or sudden intense exposure. Anyone with mild exposure probably got missed when we were trying to contain it. Set her down here, this room’s as safe as anywhere, I think.”
“Will I get sick?”
The Inspectral stepped past him, and a reassuring chill raised goosebumps on Collins’ skin.
“The Radiance was claimed to boost health and improve thinking,” he said. “But that’s probably propaganda. You’re unlikely to get sick from it, since the propganda wouldn’t work otherwise. Or it would claim that the illness was somehow good for you.” His whispery voice, cold and icy, added a depth of sarcasm to his words. “Let me check the door, I would like to know how long we have before our culprits return.”
“You’re still going to arrest them?”
“If nothing else,” said the Inspectral, “they’ve contaminated the Crisis centre and that’s environmental pollution. But ideally we’ll get them for the attempted murder of myself and Collins.” He had reached the doors now, and he stepped partially through them. Then he emerged back into the room.
“William is on the floor outside. It looks like he’s unconscious; from the large pool of blood he’s sitting in I’d say the blood loss has done it. It might be a trap… but I don’t want to risk him dying on us.”
“And Tony?”
“Can’t see him. So unless there’s a concealed corner, we should probably go and get William in here and bandage him up a bit.”
“That’ll alert Tony, surely?”
“That’s just a chance we’ll have to take.”
Greg - hrmmph. Well, what little you did share was appreciated. I suppose.
Hmm, the glow is worrying, no matter how faint it might be. I'm curious to see if there are any side effects as a result of his exposure.
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