Interception

[standalonehuman]

Hitori Togusa 4/2 near Recolle Police Department

If you haven't met me before, this is Officer Hitori Togusa with the RPD. I have a request, for anyone comfortable sharing them. The photos that you're being sent? Could you keep an eye out for any kind of mirror or reflective surface anywhere in the shot? If you find them, could you send them along to me? We have software the might be able to find more in the shots than you'd be able to. In addition, anyone who would like to make privacy complaints, I can only beg you to do so. We do not have a formal investigation into Retrospec at this time, but that may change if enough citizens come forwards with complaints. If you can, I'd even ask you to try to file them with people NOT on the application. I want to see if they'll notice anything wrong at that point. Speaking of, there are a number of detectives, officers, and support personnel currently on the application, but rather than naming them outright, I'll leave it up to them to offer their services to the people of Recolle. I'm not sure who has a full case load right now and who doesn't. Thank you.

Comments

[standalonehuman]

[Look, there are a lot of reasons Togusa hasn't made Detective yet. The man still suddenly proves that he's a rookie from time to time.]

Hitori Togusa I do appreciate it. I mean, it's bad enough Retrospec is doing this without permission, I dont want to add to the problem. Eventually, though, these might be handed off to other people, if I have my say. I dont intend to keep taking this on by myself.
Hitori Togusa Is there any other way I can help? Did you want to file a full report, as well?

[matchbreaker]

Elda Marker Oh please don't think I'm a spring chicken. I know I look good and all, but I *am* forty!
Elda Marker So I know that. Honestly a full report sounds like a hassle!
Elda Marker But if it'll help your case I'll do that too.

[standalonehuman]

Hitori Togusa I can try to keep it from being a hassle. I understand if it's too much.
Hitori Togusa But the more people we have, the better. There are plenty of officers you'd be able to file with.
Hitori Togusa The hassle might be if you tried what I suggested, filing with someone who isn't on the application. People who aren't already in the know have a tendency to just ignore things that are right in front of their face.

[matchbreaker]

Elda Marker Can't I file with you, officer? OR do you want me to go to one of the ignorant?

[standalonehuman]

Hitori Togusa You can file with me, and, actually, frankly, I need someone over 18 who is okay with putting their name on this.
Hitori Togusa But you can feel free to file with any officer. The others on the application are Detectives Gabranth, Wolf, and Matsuoka, Officers Izunia (ah, that's Fynn Izunia, not his brother please), Sakakura, Lou, Yata, and Kadam, as well as Desk Sergeant Furugawa.

[matchbreaker]

Elda Marker Gosh, that's far more of you than I expected! But none of your Lts and such, huh? At least there's a few detectives.
Elda Marker I'd be proud to be your filing patsy and I'll look into the others. Don't want to overwhelm the system.

[standalonehuman]

Hitori Togusa That's half the problem. The people with the authority to really open up an official investigation? Aren't on here. So we need this, to be able to take to our superiors.
Hitori Togusa I would greatly appreciate it, and please let me know how anything goes.

[matchbreaker]

[ Huh. ]

Elda Marker Well then, you email me that release paperwork for the photos and I'll be by the station for you tomorrow? Will you be on shift all day?

[standalonehuman]

[Togusa replies to her email with the proper forms. He does still feel a little dumb as he does so.]

Hitori Togusa I will be, feel free to come by at any time.

[matchbreaker]

Elda Marker Well then, tomorrow around one. I'll be there promptly.

[ And either way, she'll fill out the digital form and send it back. But she'll bring the physical one then where it's signed and such in person too. ]

[standalonehuman]

The next day, Togusa is waiting out by the front desk when Elda arrives. People usually need someone to accompany them back into the maze of desks that the officers inhabit. At least Togusa has a good clue of what Elda looks like, so he knows who he is waiting for. He holds up a hand in a wave when she shows up, and says something quickly to the desk sergeant.

"Miss Marker?" Assuming, since he didn't do any kind of background check on her. "Officer Hitori Togusa, nice to meet you in person."

[matchbreaker]

She would consider that default photo that the network provided a poor photo, but yes, he would certainly if she examined the ones that she emailed him. That said, it would not have shown her face as much or necessarily prepared him for proportions. Elda was an incredibly petite woman, only around five feet tall and generously 115 lbs, though she was clearly in decent shape. She today wore her shoulder length brown hair up a little.

And she was dressed smartly - not so much to show off to Togusa as much as the fact she always was. Clearly, some wealth backed her.

"That's correct, and it's a pleasure to meet you properly as well."

... Dos one shake hands with an officer when you set off a meeting like this? Either way, she'll try.

[standalonehuman]

Togusa gladly shakes her hand, and then opens the door, gesturing for her to follow. "We have rooms back this way where we won't be interrupted."

The mood inside the Department is somewhat subdued, with most of the officers at their desks. There hasn't been much trouble in the city as of late, not since that blackout some number of weeks ago. Everyone burnt off their nervous energy last month in a prank war within the Department. And there aren't any more public events that they are helping run security for. It's almost a welcome break.

Togusa leads Elda back to an unoccupied room, clearly not an interrogation room, but just unused for the moment. "Can I get you anything? Water, coffee?"

[matchbreaker]

Somewhere without being interrupted - if she was being more impish, she might tease the man, but as it is, she nods. Having already moved passed that initial shake... And once they're in here! She actually takes the seat immediately. Of course, he was saying it to be polite but she still ended up blinking at the offer. Somehow, she wasn't quite expecting that.

"Oh, this'll take long enough I'll need it...? Ah, water, then."

A nod.

[standalonehuman]

Even someone here to give a statement gets treated as a guest, it's only good manners. He grabs a bottle of water from the fridge for her. For his part, there is a travel mug of coffee never far from his fingertips.

"I'll admit that even filing this is going to be a bit of a test. I'm not sure who else in the Department will take this seriously, but we need to give this a try to see how far Retrospec's influence goes. If this does go further, and the Chief says that it warrants an investigation, that is going to free up a lot of our resources to, I hope, be able to do some good about this problem."

"I will warn you, though, that I am fully expecting any of us who try this to be targets of retribution by Retrospec. What form? I have no idea. But we've seen what they're capable of. They clearly have some measure of control over people getting what they believe to be memories, seeing visions. And they can monitor us in places that we thought to be secure."

Togusa looks at Elda very gravely. "So I'll ask you now for any questions that you have. If you are unsure about this for any reason? I'd recommend that you not file. Because Retrospec has already shown that they have very little regard for the boundary of law, and unlike in a normal situation? I can only promise you so much protection. Our ability to stop Retrospec from interfering with our lives is- limited right now." It's actually nonexistent, but Togusa won't say that out loud. But he feels the need to lay the situation out for Elda as bluntly as he can.

[matchbreaker]

She took the water bottle with a quiet thanks and then sits there to hear his introduction. She signed up (well, stepped forward - short of the release of the photos she's not exactly signed anything yet) for this, but somehow, when a police officer is explaining it to her in such a measure way it makes her hesitate a little more. If she was just herself then she'd have no hesitation, but she does have a son.

... That said, that son was in on this too. The both of them were subject to Retrospec's whims anyway.

"You have no idea what form that retribution would take whatsoever, officer? That's a merited warning, but it makes it sound so open-ended."

[standalonehuman]

"So far, Retrospec has proven able to maybe not directly manipulate our memories, but allow a trigger for our memories to be shaped. People associated with the application have reported strange items being sent to them. Or physical changes, the color of their eyes or hair changing, even injuries appearing that they never remember getting." Togusa leans back a little. "When I say I have no idea, I mean it. The limits of their ability to manipulate us have yet to be found."

It's terrifying for Togusa to have to admit that he doesn't know and he can't protect someone from the consequences. It's what the law is supposed to be able to do, outline consequences and protect people from them. But this is entirely new territory.

[matchbreaker]

"Have they been shown to take action against opposition? At best, Mr. Halloway's stalking comes off as childish. Dangerously invasive, but childish thus far."

It's not goons coming to crack heads or anything.

... Changes to the body, though.

[standalonehuman]

"Not yet, but we haven't taken an action against them as direct as this. Anyone who has wandered into, or even broken into their corporate headquarters, has walked right back out again with no problems. There was even apparently a hacking attempt made that suffered no direct retribution."

"But, as you said, this is their behavior thus far. I'm not going to say there's zero possibility that things will escalate due to this."

[matchbreaker]

Mmm.

"I see. Then my only hesitation is that I cannot endanger my son."

[standalonehuman]

Togusa actually nods in understanding. "I would never ask anyone to put their family in danger for a police investigation. It's different when it's more than just you. I know. I'm not one of the officers with family, but we all have a tendency to watch out for the families of those who do."

"I'm sure there are other people who are willing to come forwards. This doesn't just rest on your shoulders." Togusa starts to stand up, he is assuming that Elda has changed her mind about speaking. He's not upset or even disappointed, maybe relieved that she would remember and prioritize her son in all this.

[matchbreaker]

"I never said I was stopping."

She breathes out, sharply. She pauses in her response, exhaling hard. The woman reached to the water bottle, opening it and taking a long, long sip from it. When she sets it down-

"Because I also owe my boy to take action against Mr. Halloway's threats against him. This stalking is unacceptable."

[standalonehuman]

Togusa stops moving, and he has to look Elda over, reappraising the woman. No, she is serious about this. She has to decide whether the possible threat to her son is worth the threat that is already happening to him.

He loses some of his formal demeanor. "We are already stuck in this, aren't we? If we're worried about reprisal, there's nothing stopping them from already doing it, unless we start taking action on our end." He has been underselling the importance of this, to try not to make anyone feel guilty about not engaging. But, maybe it really is their best chance to start to strike back.

All right, he settles back in, then. "So. Where would you like to start?"

[matchbreaker]

"Tell me where's best to start. I've brushed by the medical world, but I've left the legal to your blue line and to the lawyers of the world."

Exhale.

Inhale.

"The idea here is that I'm issuing a formal complaint about the stalking to begin with, correct?"

[standalonehuman]

Interesting, but Togusa will have to pause on asking about her background. In response to her question, Togusa nods. "Right. So, what was the first thing that you noticed was wrong? We'll need to explain what Retrospec is, and how you are certain that a representative of their company is the one who is responsible for the stalking."