The Script

[Marcus DuBois]

Office of the Consul on Public Engagement, Propaganda, and Interdominance Relations

Alexandrova messaged her secretary to admit Ms. Alokhin. She watched as the girl came in and sat down. She must have felt nervous to be here at the Consulate in the heart of the CCD, but she had an air of professionalism about her, a cool detached demeanor.

Immediately she mirrored what she saw. She stood and reached out her hand, mouth a polite smile, her blue eyes plainly cool and analytic. "Ms. Alokhin, thank you for meeting with me. Please sit down,"
gesturing to a chair.

She dispensed with any pleasantries or fawning and got down to business, knowing this was what would matter to her. She lifted a bundle of printed paper on her desk- archaic, she knew, but she preferred the tactile feeling of something to hold, something to physically write on. The fact it could be done meant it was something she could study, could dissect, could improve upon. "I had the opportunity to read your articles. The work is impressive."
Her eyes took in the girl, studying. "I must say that I was surprised at your in depth analysis given that The Ascendancy's announcement and demonstration are only a few days old."
She paused, looking at the papers as if searching for something specific, a calculated hesitation.

"Almost as if you had this in abeyance."
She raised her eyes and met the girl's, the smile gone. "Did you suspect The Ascendancy to be....special? What made you connect his power and mythology?"


Her eyes remained, probing. She wanted to know how this girl thought on her feet.