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[vaccination]

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voice, sometime in the middle of kristin's first zero shift.

[bcpd]

[ They did introductions around twenty minutes ago - Ellie Williams, Kristin Ortega - and Kristin assured the girl she was more than capable of handling things with minimal training. But that was before she got a good look at Zero.

Which is why Kristin sends a snapshot of a cell door with a padlock on it, a view of the interior blocked from the inside. ]

Hey - what's this?

[ Sorry to bother you while you're off work, Ellie. You're married to the job, right? ]

[vaccination]

Whatever you do, don't go inside. Don't know who the fuck is supposed to be cleaning in there...

[Does that tell you anything, Kristin?]

[bcpd]

Where's the key?

[ It tells her she needs to go inside, Ellie. ]

[vaccination]

I have it.

I guess that shit started out as some place people who have weird abilities can chill and be "normal" or whatever. Then it got nasty.

Not my idea to let people fuck or whatever, by the way.

[bcpd]

[ Which is where the other shoe drops, and Kristin loses that cheerful, not-frustrated sound to her voice. ]

Puta madre - people are fucking in here!?

[vaccination]

If you didn't already think Zero was a joke...

[bcpd]

It shouldn't be - it's a fucking holding cell!

[vaccination]

Right? Wait until people start giving you attitude for daring to believe that.

[bcpd]

I'm already getting attitude - if they don't like it, they can fist themselves.

[ The classic Ortega response, right there. And, with a sigh: ]

What else do I need to know about?

[vaccination]

Some of them might be into that.

[But Ellie can't help sounding amused.]

A lot of the inmates automatically assume you're some power hungry asshole for manning Zero. There's not much changing their minds when you're just doing your job.

[bcpd]

What the fuck do they care? They aren't in here unless they've done something wrong.

[vaccination]

I think we're going to get along just fine as coworkers.

[bcpd]

Good. Because if we're going to get rid of this fucking cell [ is that a descriptive or intensifying fuck? yes. ], we're going to have to back each other up.

[ A pause, and then, with the air of making a list: ]

So. No fucking in Zero. No inmates in Zero unless they're in a cell. And not to fuck. Anything else that needs to change?

[vaccination]

No favors. Same treatment for everyone, and that means... no contact unless it's a warden coming to let their ass out.

[bcpd]

Good.

[ Unconsciously, she's already treating it like a partnership, albeit one where Ellie's a rookie still feeling out her options. ]

Do they get their devices down here?

[vaccination]

They can. I've been playing it case by case, but I don't mind saying no altogether.

That said, guess I should be upfront. I find the warden-inmate thing to be pretty bullshit. People are people, some are shitty and some are less shitty. I don't treat inmates different from wardens. If you're being a dumbass in this place, you belong in Zero.