DI Patricia Menzies (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
grip_on_reality) wrote2014-07-29 11:00 am
grip_on_reality) wrote2014-07-29 11:00 am
Introduction to DC Pierce
"Constable. You're him, then?" With a scrutinizing gaze, Menzies looked up and down the six feet of the younger man before her--the man who'd just been assigned as her new partner. He stood rigidly, his expression closed enough to hide the nerves that she could only assume he was feeling. With his bald head and muscular physique, she couldn't help but think that she knew why UNIT had chosen him out of everyone. He reminded her more of a soldier than an officer.
He nodded curtly at her question. "DC Scott Pierce, marm." But he didn't say any more than that, looking to her expectantly.
She sighed inwardly. Not the talkative type, then. Well, maybe that was for the best if she was going to be spending a lot of time with him. Even if she didn't appreciate it at the moment, she had a feeling that she would later. But for now, she took it as an opportunity to get immediately down to business. "Right. Let me show you around, and then we can 'ead into one of the interview rooms and talk about 'ow things are gonna work."
It felt odd to say something like that in public. Not that she didn't sometimes duck straight into the interview rooms with aliens, but the fact that she was doing this with a co-worker was new--not to mention she could announce it publicly and none of the others could say a thing about it. She'd never expected to publicly have a "secret" job agenda, and she wasn't yet sure how she felt about that change. She also wasn't sure how her co-workers were going to react to it, but that was neither here nor there at the moment.
The first thing was to learn more about Pierce and what he could handle. So she brought him on the usual tour of the office--showing him who's who, where to get coffee, and where the pertinent forms could be acquired when they needed to be filled out. He nodded a lot and shook hands as they went, but as far as she could tell, he never said more than three words at a time. Either that or silence was his way of handling a new situation; she didn't have enough of a read on him to tell yet.
When the tour was over, she went to get coffee for them both and then ushered him into the aforementioned interview room. Once the door was closed and she was certain they were alone, she went right on to business. "Okay, I take it UNIT already gave you the basic rundown--Official Secrets Act, alien assignments and the like."
In reaction to that statement, he showed the first genuine expression of emotion that she'd seen from him yet--he looked truly startled.
Her lip twitched, and she ventured: "I'm your contact. You're not gonna get prosecuted for sharing with me." She doubted that was actually what was worrying him, but it seemed kind to give him an out before he had some sort of meltdown about the existence of aliens. Though she also hoped that wasn't the reason for his expression because it would make her job considerably harder if it were.
After an awkward pause in which he just looked at her with his head tilted uncertainly, he asked, "You've...met a lot of aliens, marm?"
She raised an eyebrow at him, wondering if that was skepticism. This wasn't going at all well. Then again, she reminded herself, she'd had the existence of aliens thrown in her face rather more dramatically than he had. With that logic in mind, she reasoned it was probably best to take this with a grain of salt before she started doubting the whole process. The key was to see how he handled actual aliens in the flesh. After all, he was a detective like she was--or at least, he had just become one. So maybe a little evidence would provoke a better reaction.
And with that thought, she decided what to do next. "Tell you what, Constable," she said, after pausing to sip her coffee. "In about an hour and an 'alf, I've got a meeting set up with a man who goes by Joe, and you're coming with me. But until then, let's get you started on one of our standard cases."
He gave her a curious look but nodded his agreement at the plan. She figured that would have to do for now.
***
An hour and a half later, Menzies and the still-inscrutable DC Pierce set off to see "Joe." Since Pierce seemed completely uninclined to give her any read on his thoughts, she was trying to pick up on body language. And she noticed how stiffly he was sitting in the car, which she assumed was a sign of nerves, but otherwise it was hard to judge much about how he was taking the job so far. She was glad to see how aptly he had taken to the other case she'd showed him--and not just his paperwork abilities, although that was certainly a relief as well. But his insights into the situation had been promising. Now she just needed to see if he could handle an alien with the same level head.
And they were nearly at their destination to test just that. Not wanting to set him up for failure, however, once she parked the car, she turned to him, hoping that a warning would prove helpful. "Look, Constable. Before we go in there, you should know. Joe's appearance is gonna be a bit...surprising. So be ready for that, all right?"
He just looked back at her. For a second, she thought he was going to ask a question, but then he nodded instead. So, figuring she'd done what she could, she got out of the vehicle and led the way to the door.
When she knocked, a male voice called from inside, "It's open!" Pierce glanced at her curiously, but she'd been expecting this response, so she just reached up and opened the door without comment. He followed as she walked through the entryway and into a lounge, but she heard him stop short when they got there. She'd been expecting a reaction like that, though, seeing as they'd just come upon the house's resident--a short, squat man who had no visible nose, blue-tinted skin, and fire-red hair.
"Hullo Joe," she said conversationally. "This is DC Pierce." She pointed a finger behind her, though she resisted the urge to turn to see his expression. She just hoped his current silence was still his stony demeanor and not a sign of panic.
And after a brief pause, Pierce did pipe up with a gruff, "Hello."
Joe inclined his head, his thin red eyebrows combining briefly in some sort of facial gesture.
"So you said you've got some news for me?" Menzies pressed, all-business as usual. Regardless of how Pierce handled this, she at least meant to treat it like a normal case.
"Yes." Joe tilted his head, as though considering his response. "A ship arrived yesterday with a new group of Shinx. They've already gotten in contact with UNIT, so they'll be going through their naturalization process, but I...had heard about the experiences you've had with Shinx here in the past, so I thought I would report it." He paused for a beat before adding, "Also, particularly since they are Shinx, you might hear from them."
She made a face at that news. "Shinx, huh?" It'd been pointed out to her that most Shinx were meek, economic traders, but as Joe apparently knew, her personal experiences with them so far had been of a very different nature, and she tended to put more trust in that than in the word on the street. "You could be right--they'll probably be wanting to start some sort of business. Maybe I should pay 'em a visit, make sure they know what they're getting into." She sighed. New arrivals were typically exhausting to work with, and knowing they were Shinx specifically just made it worse. But it was at least a relief that Joe's news was in no way dire.
However, Joe was wiggling in a way that she'd come to recognize as uncertainty. "If you think it best, Detective Inspector."
She frowned, her lip twitching slightly. Moments like this made her wonder if the Shinx had a more infamous record somewhere out there than she was aware of. "I know my business, Joe. I'm not going in alone." She paused for a beat, glancing at Pierce, and corrected herself. "We're not going in alone. I'll call somebody up."
"Good, good. And...you won't mention me?"
He was still wiggling. Menzies was about to speak up about it when Pierce beat her to the punch. "Is there something else you're concerned about, sir?"
She glanced in his direction, glad both that he had noticed Joe's odd behavior and had the wherewithal to bring it up himself rather than relying on her.
For his part, Joe actually looked rather startled that Pierce had spoken. He turned slowly, still wiggling like some sort of blue dessert. And his hands had turned a deeper blue than the rest of his body--not a response she'd seen before, but one that she could speculate at the meaning for with probable accuracy. "Erm. Well." He glanced back at Menzies. "One of them is the brother of a Shinx who was here before. He went by the name of Frank, I believe."
"Ahh," Menzies' eyes narrowed. Despite Joe's statement of seeming uncertainty, she could tell that he knew who exactly who Frank was--and what he had done to her. Not to mention what he'd meant to do to the Earth before she'd gotten him stopped. Now every ounce of Joe's concern and hesitancy made perfect sense. "And 'ave there been any rumors about what he might want with this planet?" She eyed the blue alien intently.
Joe looked reluctant. After a pause, he said carefully, "Only...speculation."
She nodded, unsurprised. She could easily imagine exactly what that speculation entailed. Because as far as she knew, UNIT still had Frank locked up somewhere. A brother could have come just to start a new life here, but he just as easily could have come to free his brother--or to take revenge for his capture. And she wasn't taking bets on which motive was the most likely. Curtly, she said, "All right, thanks for the tip off. We'll keep your involvement as quiet as we can do."
"Will you?" The color of Joe's hands was returning to normal. "Thank you, detectives! But...be careful."
Menzies chuckled wryly at that. "Don't worry, Joe. I've 'ad years of training in 'ow to do my job! Come on, Constable." And she motioned for Pierce to follow her out.
"Thank you, sir." Pierce nodded again to Joe as he exited.
***
They returned to the car in silence. As they started back to the station, she turned on the radio. Rather than starting the conversation herself, she was waiting to see what Pierce had to say, but she had no intention of doing so in an uncomfortable silence either.
And after a few moments, he finally did speak. "Are they always blue?"
At his choice of question, she snorted. It wasn't any of the options she'd been expecting. Still, it was better than what she'd heard from him before, and she figured there was no harm in answering. "Nah. And most of 'em tend to wear their 'uman guises around. Some just take more risks at 'ome, especially if their neighbors are mostly their lot."
He gave no reaction to that explanation--just sat with the same inscrutable expression for a moment. Then he piped up with, "What are the Shinx like? Dangerous?"
Her lip curled with the hint of a smile. Now they were getting somewhere. "Not by reputation, but we've 'ad a couple bad eggs 'ere in the past..." And she proceeded, as succinctly as possible, to describe to him both Slater's attempted beginnings of an invasion and Frank's crimes. She was surprised when he appeared to know about the incident with Frank already, however--or, at least, the public story that had gone out.
"When I 'eard who I'd be working with, I looked you up," he explained calmly. "But the news reports just said it was a terrorist."
She nodded. "We make sure the news reports say things like that."
"Makes sense." He nodded back as he spoke, his expression understanding. And after a beat, he added, "So 'ow do we set up a meeting with these new Shinx?"
She glanced at him, grinning now. "I thought you'd never ask." Because this was exactly what she'd been hoping for--no panic, no more inane questions about aliens. Just down to business. Her satisfaction at this turn of events was even audible in her answer. "Soon as we get back, we're gonna call a contact of mine. We'll get in touch through 'er, set up a meeting, and then we'll get a bodyguard--I've got a group of aliens willing to be extra muscle if I need it. After that, we talk to 'em, get a read on their intentions, and go from there."
"Sounds simple enough," he said. His expression was still bland, calm.
This was definitely promising. Feeling more confident, she suggested, "You should make the call to set up the meeting."
He gave her a curious look at that. "Me, marm?"
She chuckled at his expression but said, "I'll tell you what you need to know first. What do you say?"
This time, he didn't pause to consider. He just nodded. "Whatever you need."
She smirked. "Good. Gonna hold you to that, Constable."
"Figured you would." His tone was dry.
That elicited a snort from her. Perhaps there was a bit more to DC Scott Pierce than it had first seemed. "Right. Let's get to testing you, then!" And she pulled into the station, feeling almost eager now. Maybe this was going to work out after all.
He nodded curtly at her question. "DC Scott Pierce, marm." But he didn't say any more than that, looking to her expectantly.
She sighed inwardly. Not the talkative type, then. Well, maybe that was for the best if she was going to be spending a lot of time with him. Even if she didn't appreciate it at the moment, she had a feeling that she would later. But for now, she took it as an opportunity to get immediately down to business. "Right. Let me show you around, and then we can 'ead into one of the interview rooms and talk about 'ow things are gonna work."
It felt odd to say something like that in public. Not that she didn't sometimes duck straight into the interview rooms with aliens, but the fact that she was doing this with a co-worker was new--not to mention she could announce it publicly and none of the others could say a thing about it. She'd never expected to publicly have a "secret" job agenda, and she wasn't yet sure how she felt about that change. She also wasn't sure how her co-workers were going to react to it, but that was neither here nor there at the moment.
The first thing was to learn more about Pierce and what he could handle. So she brought him on the usual tour of the office--showing him who's who, where to get coffee, and where the pertinent forms could be acquired when they needed to be filled out. He nodded a lot and shook hands as they went, but as far as she could tell, he never said more than three words at a time. Either that or silence was his way of handling a new situation; she didn't have enough of a read on him to tell yet.
When the tour was over, she went to get coffee for them both and then ushered him into the aforementioned interview room. Once the door was closed and she was certain they were alone, she went right on to business. "Okay, I take it UNIT already gave you the basic rundown--Official Secrets Act, alien assignments and the like."
In reaction to that statement, he showed the first genuine expression of emotion that she'd seen from him yet--he looked truly startled.
Her lip twitched, and she ventured: "I'm your contact. You're not gonna get prosecuted for sharing with me." She doubted that was actually what was worrying him, but it seemed kind to give him an out before he had some sort of meltdown about the existence of aliens. Though she also hoped that wasn't the reason for his expression because it would make her job considerably harder if it were.
After an awkward pause in which he just looked at her with his head tilted uncertainly, he asked, "You've...met a lot of aliens, marm?"
She raised an eyebrow at him, wondering if that was skepticism. This wasn't going at all well. Then again, she reminded herself, she'd had the existence of aliens thrown in her face rather more dramatically than he had. With that logic in mind, she reasoned it was probably best to take this with a grain of salt before she started doubting the whole process. The key was to see how he handled actual aliens in the flesh. After all, he was a detective like she was--or at least, he had just become one. So maybe a little evidence would provoke a better reaction.
And with that thought, she decided what to do next. "Tell you what, Constable," she said, after pausing to sip her coffee. "In about an hour and an 'alf, I've got a meeting set up with a man who goes by Joe, and you're coming with me. But until then, let's get you started on one of our standard cases."
He gave her a curious look but nodded his agreement at the plan. She figured that would have to do for now.
***
An hour and a half later, Menzies and the still-inscrutable DC Pierce set off to see "Joe." Since Pierce seemed completely uninclined to give her any read on his thoughts, she was trying to pick up on body language. And she noticed how stiffly he was sitting in the car, which she assumed was a sign of nerves, but otherwise it was hard to judge much about how he was taking the job so far. She was glad to see how aptly he had taken to the other case she'd showed him--and not just his paperwork abilities, although that was certainly a relief as well. But his insights into the situation had been promising. Now she just needed to see if he could handle an alien with the same level head.
And they were nearly at their destination to test just that. Not wanting to set him up for failure, however, once she parked the car, she turned to him, hoping that a warning would prove helpful. "Look, Constable. Before we go in there, you should know. Joe's appearance is gonna be a bit...surprising. So be ready for that, all right?"
He just looked back at her. For a second, she thought he was going to ask a question, but then he nodded instead. So, figuring she'd done what she could, she got out of the vehicle and led the way to the door.
When she knocked, a male voice called from inside, "It's open!" Pierce glanced at her curiously, but she'd been expecting this response, so she just reached up and opened the door without comment. He followed as she walked through the entryway and into a lounge, but she heard him stop short when they got there. She'd been expecting a reaction like that, though, seeing as they'd just come upon the house's resident--a short, squat man who had no visible nose, blue-tinted skin, and fire-red hair.
"Hullo Joe," she said conversationally. "This is DC Pierce." She pointed a finger behind her, though she resisted the urge to turn to see his expression. She just hoped his current silence was still his stony demeanor and not a sign of panic.
And after a brief pause, Pierce did pipe up with a gruff, "Hello."
Joe inclined his head, his thin red eyebrows combining briefly in some sort of facial gesture.
"So you said you've got some news for me?" Menzies pressed, all-business as usual. Regardless of how Pierce handled this, she at least meant to treat it like a normal case.
"Yes." Joe tilted his head, as though considering his response. "A ship arrived yesterday with a new group of Shinx. They've already gotten in contact with UNIT, so they'll be going through their naturalization process, but I...had heard about the experiences you've had with Shinx here in the past, so I thought I would report it." He paused for a beat before adding, "Also, particularly since they are Shinx, you might hear from them."
She made a face at that news. "Shinx, huh?" It'd been pointed out to her that most Shinx were meek, economic traders, but as Joe apparently knew, her personal experiences with them so far had been of a very different nature, and she tended to put more trust in that than in the word on the street. "You could be right--they'll probably be wanting to start some sort of business. Maybe I should pay 'em a visit, make sure they know what they're getting into." She sighed. New arrivals were typically exhausting to work with, and knowing they were Shinx specifically just made it worse. But it was at least a relief that Joe's news was in no way dire.
However, Joe was wiggling in a way that she'd come to recognize as uncertainty. "If you think it best, Detective Inspector."
She frowned, her lip twitching slightly. Moments like this made her wonder if the Shinx had a more infamous record somewhere out there than she was aware of. "I know my business, Joe. I'm not going in alone." She paused for a beat, glancing at Pierce, and corrected herself. "We're not going in alone. I'll call somebody up."
"Good, good. And...you won't mention me?"
He was still wiggling. Menzies was about to speak up about it when Pierce beat her to the punch. "Is there something else you're concerned about, sir?"
She glanced in his direction, glad both that he had noticed Joe's odd behavior and had the wherewithal to bring it up himself rather than relying on her.
For his part, Joe actually looked rather startled that Pierce had spoken. He turned slowly, still wiggling like some sort of blue dessert. And his hands had turned a deeper blue than the rest of his body--not a response she'd seen before, but one that she could speculate at the meaning for with probable accuracy. "Erm. Well." He glanced back at Menzies. "One of them is the brother of a Shinx who was here before. He went by the name of Frank, I believe."
"Ahh," Menzies' eyes narrowed. Despite Joe's statement of seeming uncertainty, she could tell that he knew who exactly who Frank was--and what he had done to her. Not to mention what he'd meant to do to the Earth before she'd gotten him stopped. Now every ounce of Joe's concern and hesitancy made perfect sense. "And 'ave there been any rumors about what he might want with this planet?" She eyed the blue alien intently.
Joe looked reluctant. After a pause, he said carefully, "Only...speculation."
She nodded, unsurprised. She could easily imagine exactly what that speculation entailed. Because as far as she knew, UNIT still had Frank locked up somewhere. A brother could have come just to start a new life here, but he just as easily could have come to free his brother--or to take revenge for his capture. And she wasn't taking bets on which motive was the most likely. Curtly, she said, "All right, thanks for the tip off. We'll keep your involvement as quiet as we can do."
"Will you?" The color of Joe's hands was returning to normal. "Thank you, detectives! But...be careful."
Menzies chuckled wryly at that. "Don't worry, Joe. I've 'ad years of training in 'ow to do my job! Come on, Constable." And she motioned for Pierce to follow her out.
"Thank you, sir." Pierce nodded again to Joe as he exited.
***
They returned to the car in silence. As they started back to the station, she turned on the radio. Rather than starting the conversation herself, she was waiting to see what Pierce had to say, but she had no intention of doing so in an uncomfortable silence either.
And after a few moments, he finally did speak. "Are they always blue?"
At his choice of question, she snorted. It wasn't any of the options she'd been expecting. Still, it was better than what she'd heard from him before, and she figured there was no harm in answering. "Nah. And most of 'em tend to wear their 'uman guises around. Some just take more risks at 'ome, especially if their neighbors are mostly their lot."
He gave no reaction to that explanation--just sat with the same inscrutable expression for a moment. Then he piped up with, "What are the Shinx like? Dangerous?"
Her lip curled with the hint of a smile. Now they were getting somewhere. "Not by reputation, but we've 'ad a couple bad eggs 'ere in the past..." And she proceeded, as succinctly as possible, to describe to him both Slater's attempted beginnings of an invasion and Frank's crimes. She was surprised when he appeared to know about the incident with Frank already, however--or, at least, the public story that had gone out.
"When I 'eard who I'd be working with, I looked you up," he explained calmly. "But the news reports just said it was a terrorist."
She nodded. "We make sure the news reports say things like that."
"Makes sense." He nodded back as he spoke, his expression understanding. And after a beat, he added, "So 'ow do we set up a meeting with these new Shinx?"
She glanced at him, grinning now. "I thought you'd never ask." Because this was exactly what she'd been hoping for--no panic, no more inane questions about aliens. Just down to business. Her satisfaction at this turn of events was even audible in her answer. "Soon as we get back, we're gonna call a contact of mine. We'll get in touch through 'er, set up a meeting, and then we'll get a bodyguard--I've got a group of aliens willing to be extra muscle if I need it. After that, we talk to 'em, get a read on their intentions, and go from there."
"Sounds simple enough," he said. His expression was still bland, calm.
This was definitely promising. Feeling more confident, she suggested, "You should make the call to set up the meeting."
He gave her a curious look at that. "Me, marm?"
She chuckled at his expression but said, "I'll tell you what you need to know first. What do you say?"
This time, he didn't pause to consider. He just nodded. "Whatever you need."
She smirked. "Good. Gonna hold you to that, Constable."
"Figured you would." His tone was dry.
That elicited a snort from her. Perhaps there was a bit more to DC Scott Pierce than it had first seemed. "Right. Let's get to testing you, then!" And she pulled into the station, feeling almost eager now. Maybe this was going to work out after all.