[October 14, 2020. Time: 11:35 AM. Tim tracks down Maggie, she's probably in the weight room. Sorry for the retro time Cham.] (weight/training room.) [Start] (I don't think Cham's here) * Tim walks into the weight room and waves at Maggy. "Hey, got some time? I need to talk to ya." * Marguerite is, in fact, in the weight room, doing butterfly pulls. She shoots Tim a glance, but nods. "Let me... nnngh ... finish this set." Sure. How many you got left? * Tim sits down on some other piece of scientificly designed multi-thousand pound equipment. * Marguerite doesn't answer, but she only pushes out two more reps, then lets the weights clank back into rest position. She grabs a nearby towel and wipes her face off with it, looks longingly towards a pack of cigarettes sitting on top of her nearby jumpsuit, but refrains. "Yeah?" I had something amusing come up that for once has nothing to do with Yvonne, I was wondering if I could get you in on the joke. * Marguerite looks wary for a second, but it passes. "Depends on how funny it is." (There anybody else in here?) (Nope) * Tim grins. "Funny as in Vanguard trying to screw you over." * Marguerite narrows her eyes. "The joke's not off to a very good fucking start." Nope, but the punchline I'm trying for packs a whallop, for them anyway, but I'm not sure this is the place to tell you what it is. * Marguerite looks around, and espies an empty sauna. "C'mon." She gets up and heads towards it. * Tim follows. * Marguerite enters and waits for Tim to get inside. * Tim goes in and sets the temperature and humidity to something that won't broil him in his clothes. Okay... It's like this. They went through not enough trouble to make up a group called the Association of Victems of The Special Affairs Branch in an effort to con poor little bleading hearts like myself into doing their spy and esionage work for them. I had Ari check them out, and, if she's got half the sense my mother doesn't, she's told everybody that needs to know. With me so far? I follow. Good, they got somebody to say that she's the widow of an EU soldier that you killed and that she wants your gun for revenge. Which would be realy touching and tragic story if that actualy was her, but it's not. * Marguerite nods. Her right hand twitches slightly. "Not that uncommon, except for the part where the bitch wants my gun." * Tim nods back. "Now, I was thinking, well, if I'm as stupid as they think I am, it'd just be tragic if somebody else, such as yourself, took advantage of that and saw to it that what I handed over... wasn't exactly your gun." * Marguerite snorts. "You got some balls. You sure this ain't legit, and you won't be dropping a parcel of C4 in grandma's lap?" Well, the people I'm handing it over to are part time actors, but to set the thing off they're going to have to try and fire the thing, and I don't know how you feel about these things, but anybody trying to melt me with plasma throughly deserves what happens next. Shit, I could rig a half-stick of dynamite in a false shell easy. Won't kill 'em, but they'll be minus some hands. Problem's getting the false shell. * Tim shrugs. "I've got that taken care of, but if you want me to lower the yeild a bit before I hand it over sure." (comma after over) Unless you're fond of Eckerd on you like a bad case of the crabs, yeah. * Tim shrugs. "Okay concider it done. Now... I want to show it to you for two reasons. First so you'll know which one's which should they get smart, and second that it'll be a lot more beliveable with at least a few of your own fingerprints on it. You know?" Nuh-uh. Bubba's grips ain't metal and I keep the rest of it wiped. Habit. Perfect. In that case I just need you angry with me for a couple of days aaand, not pulling out... Bubba? unless you have to. Probably won't be around the next couple of days. Solves both problems. * Tim nods. "Cool, and be careful if Bubby is suddenly unbalanced, and thanks for not killing Yvonne, and I think that about covers everything." Wait, what? What the shit is this about unbalanced? Well, the fake's a lot heavier at one end than the other. So why is that gonna affect MY gun? Because if they're smart enough to figure out what they've got before somebody removes his or her own hands on it, they might try to give it back to you. I'm not stupid enough to try and make the switch but I'm sure there's somebody. ... right. Thanks. * Tim grins. "You're welcome." We done? I've got some laterals to do. * Tim nods. "That's it, and good luck with whatever for the next couple of days." * Tim walks back to the door and unlocks it. Right. Seeya. Bye. * Tim waves and goes. * Marguerite heads out, after Tim, and goes back to iron pumping! [And end!]