Sovereign

Entry 27: Interview with Landsteiner Jeffrey(2) - 03/11

Sanders: I sensed a bit of resentment when you talked about Crystal.

Jeffrey: Hey, I told you to stay out of my head.

Sanders: I’m not reading your mind. I can hear it in your tone.

Jeffrey: Oh. Yeah, I never really liked Crystal, even though everyone else seemed to.

Sanders: Really? Why?

Jeffrey: There was something about her that just rubbed me the wrong way. Then again, I never really got to know her. I was only here for a few weeks before she disappeared. But I could see she was some sort of favourite. Either that or everyone was really scared of her. She got to say whatever she wanted to anyone, got away with almost anything, never attended debriefings, and somehow everyone was fine with it.

Sanders: What about Henry?

Jeffrey: Henry was different. Usually just kept to himself, did his job and was missing for most of the time. Usually hanging out with Crystal, doing whatever they did when no one was looking.

Sanders: You think they were romantically involved?

Jeffrey: Eww, no. They were like brother and sister. No, more like Siamese twins. Even Siamese twins aren’t close enough to describe them. They were so close, they barely had to talk to each other. Just did things automatically, as if they always knew what the other person would be doing at any time.

Sanders: They were in synch.

Jeffrey: Yeah. More in-synch than telepathy can afford. I mean, even if I can read your mind, I can’t tell exactly what you’ll do with your thoughts. Theirs was like…that sort of deeply understanding, almost choreographed behaviour you’d expect from an old married couple. It was really weird, because when you look at them as individuals, they look nothing alike. They don’t even look like the sort of people who would be in the same social circles. You could make a documentary about those two and still not understand half the stuff they had going on.

Sanders: Wow. That was…unexpected. But also really insightful. From just the mission reports, I could tell there was definitely a strong link between Crystal and Henry, but I never imagined it was that profound. Then again, they’d been working together for about seven years. That could explain why they were so close.

Jeffrey: Yeah, I suppose. But he’s also known the others for that long. I mean, Magdalene was the one who connected to his mind for every mission, and they weren’t completing each other’s sentences.

Sanders: What about his relationship with Magdalene?

Jeffrey: That’s another weird one.

Sanders: Explain.

Jeffrey: I don’t know the details of their relationship, but there’s something about how they act around each other. Like siblings. Which is also really weird, because Magdalene is the most unattached person you could ever meet. But somehow, she and Henry are all “hi, hello, fancy a cuppa?”. And she’s old. Like, ancestor old, not grandma old. Nobody really gets her, but somehow Henry does.

Sanders: Henry definitely seems interesting.

Jeffrey: I guess. But enough about him. And Crystal. Let’s talk about something else.

Sanders: What do you have in mind?

Jeffrey: You’re the mind reader, you tell me.

Sanders: (sighs) Okay then, let’s talk about Emma.

Jeffrey: What about Emma?

Sanders: I was originally under the impression that both of you were uninvolved in the Pine Street incident, because the time you were transferred in from Les Evangelius was after the containment operation was supposed to have been done. But then you were recruited after the containment failure, and when the next mission happened, Emma still wasn’t involved. Why?

Jeffrey: I don’t know. Ask Raphael.

Sanders: I think you do.

Jeffrey: …

Sanders: Tell me the truth.

Jeffrey: Emma…well, she sort of lost control again.

Sanders: Sort of? How?

Jeffrey: She…kinda tried to eat the other guy that survived?

Sanders: You mean Fritz Plange.

Jeffrey: Yeah, him. We were just walking to Raphael’s office to get the details of the case and we went past the infirmary where Kojiro was taking care of him. Emma just sort of went apeshit and started going for the guy. It took me, Kojiro and a couple of other guys to hold her down, before Magreb showed up and did some spell to knock her out. Erin – that’s our deputy Chief of Operations, had her sealed in one of the rooms for a couple of hours and so Raphael had to send just me.

Sanders: Oh. This might be a strange question to ask, but I feel…since you and Emma have a better understanding of each other, do you know why, or did she ever tell you why she tried to consume Fritz?

Jeffrey: She said it was because he was supposed to be eaten.

Sanders: Did she say any more than that? Because I don’t understand.

Jeffrey: That’s all she said. I don’t get it either. I think it’s something to do with how he was originally consumed by the other Anglers, but I can’t be sure.

Sanders: Maybe she sensed their scent on him and her Angler instincts won over.

Jeffrey: I don’t know, maybe.

Sanders: Has she had any other…incidents since then?

Jeffrey: Nope. Just regular, normal Emma. She came along for the second try mission though…sorry, make that third.

Sanders: I'm aware. Still, I hardly think she’s normal. That catatonic staring thing she does is really…I’ve never been more creeped out in my life.

Jeffrey: Wait…hold up.

Sanders: What?

Jeffrey: You can see Emma?

Sanders: Yes. Why are you looking at me like that?

Jeffrey: That’s not...

Sanders: Not what?

Jeffrey: …

Sanders: Well?

Jeffrey: I think you should talk to Raphael.

Sanders: Why? What aren’t you telling me?

Jeffrey: If you want to know anything else, ask Raphael.

Sanders: Wait, are you…

Jeffrey: I’m done. Talk to Raphael. I’m done.

Stop time: 11:19AM.