update from sparkleup

writing/post-self/qoheleth/Carter/007.md

@@ -16,11 +16,11 @@
 > *Ari Liebler*  
 > *Research Coordinator*
 
-Carter slid her chair slowly back from her rig and walked numbly to the coffee station. She wasn't tired. She *wasn't* tired. She was a bit too awake, if anything. She just needed something to do while mulling over the email from admin. The politely-worded request to change the course of her project and remove one of her team.
+Carter slid her chair slowly back from her rig and walked numbly to the coffee station. She wasn't tired. She *wasn't* tired. She was a bit too awake, if anything. She just needed something to do while mulling over the email from admin. Such a politely-worded request to change the course of her project and fire one of her team.
 
 Pouring herself a half cup of chicory coffee, she looked out over the room, at the heads bowed over tablets or nestled into the headrests of rigs. How could she possibly be expected to choose who would get the axe?
 
-Carter slipped back to her desk and delved in, stepping out of the workspace and into a side room, one of the small area off to the side of the main space where virtual meetings could be held where others' avs would show up in full focus rather than just shadowy shapes.
+Carter slipped back to her desk and delved in, stepping out of the workspace and into a side room, one of the small areas off to the side of the main space where virtual meetings could be held, where others' avs would show up in full focus rather than just shadowy shapes.
 
 Shadowy shapes. The dream still dogged her.
 
@@ -30,15 +30,13 @@ She received a ping of acknowledgement and settled back to wait.
 
 It was only a few minutes --- hardly enough time for her to organize her thoughts --- before the head of neurochem stepped into the room and settled into the chair across from her. "What's up, Ramirez?"
 
-"Here," Carter said, swiping up a terminal to forward the email she had received over to Sanders. "Give that a read."
-
-She watched as his eyes scanned over something she couldn't see. In public spaces, it was usually kind to pull up a tablet so that others had a visual indication that one was occupied, but Sanders had never been one for such formalities. Sims were only ever a tool for him, nothing more.
+"Here," Carter said, swiping the email she had received onto a vcard and handed it over to Sanders. "Give that a read."
 
 "Rough stuff," he said. "Who do you think will be the unlucky one?"
 
 Carter sighed. "I'm not sure. I can't think of anyone I would want to lose. Anyone we could afford to lose, even."
 
-Sanders nodded.
+Sanders nodded and tossed the card back to Carter, who recycled it.
 
 "Look," Carter continued after an awkward pause. "I know you weren't a fan of the social link I mentioned before..."
 
@@ -56,7 +54,7 @@ Carter watched as he turned from a solid avatar back into a shadow, thinking. If
 
 Something, she realized, she was already prepared to do.
 
-The team was clearly unhappy the news. They had been working together over the months that they had on the project and by now felt themselves a well-oiled machine. Rightfully so.
+The team was visibly unhappy the news. They had been working together over the months that they had on the project and by now felt themselves a well-oiled machine. Rightfully so.
 
 "This is going to throw a huge fucking wrench into things," Avery grumbled. "We lose one of our own, then have to get someone new up to speed. It's going to take ages."
 
@@ -68,9 +66,9 @@ An tense silence greeted her. No one was looking at each other, just staring at
 
 Another sullen silence. Carter shrugged helplessly, and with an apologetic look, walked back to her rig. She had little more consolation to offer.
 
-Once delved in, Carter frowned. A small, pulsing envelope icon in her peripheral vision let her know she had another email. *If it's more bad news, I'm going to lose it.*
+Once delved in, Carter frowned. A small, pulsing envelope icon in her peripheral vision let her know she had another email. *If it's more bad news, I'm going to scream.*
 
-The address wasn't from someone at UCL, or the UMC, for that matter. It was a free address, something personal rather than professional. It had made it past the filters, though, so perhaps it was legit, despite its shady provenance. Perhaps not bad news, but Carter remained wary.
+The address wasn't from someone at UCL. Or the UMC, for that matter. It was a free address, something personal rather than professional. It had made it past the filters, though, so perhaps it was legit, despite its shady provenance. Perhaps not bad news, but Carter remained wary.
 
 > Dr. Ramirez,
 >
@@ -86,17 +84,17 @@ The address wasn't from someone at UCL, or the UMC, for that matter. It was a fr
 
 Carter frowned harder. Not bad news, then, but neither was it good.
 
-This Sasha was right. She technically wasn't supposed to respond, at least not with anything more than a form letter stating such. Carter wasn't even supposed to know that RJ existed, who ey was.
+This Sasha, RJ's friend, was right. She technically wasn't supposed to respond, at least not with anything more than a form letter stating such. Carter wasn't even supposed to know that RJ existed, who ey was.
 
 She began digging through administrivia to look through the form letter. At the same time, a part of her sequestered itself and began to plan.
 
-She would have to do most of the work on this herself. Perhaps all of it. But maybe she could do a little more outside research. She had done with Johansson, why not with Sasha? She wouldn't be able to rely on it, couldn't publish it, but there was no harm in more information, was there? Even if she had to strike out on her own?
+She would have to do most of the work on this herself, yes --- perhaps all of it --- but maybe she could do a little more outside research. She had done with Johansson, why not with Sasha? She wouldn't be able to rely on it, couldn't publish it, but there was no harm in more information, was there? Even if she had to strike out on her own?
 
-Before she lost her resolve, she filled out the form letter and scheduled it to reply at five, near the end of her day. Then she paced around the workspace, organizing and cleaning decks as she sorted through the plan in her mind.
+Before she lost her resolve, she filled out the form letter and scheduled it to reply at five, near the end of her day. Then she paced around the workspace, organizing and cleaning decks, too distracted to dig into numbers as she sorted through the plan in her mind.
 
 She left that evening at five after five, far earlier than usual. She had been prepared to beg off with feeling ill, but found she didn't need to: most of the team were also packing up and leaving. No one looked happy. One of their jobs was on the line, of course they would be unhappy. Everyone avoided eye contact on the way out.
 
-Determined now, Carter left quickly and, standing in the station for her train, fumbled out her phone and started typing away on it.
+Determined now, Carter left quickly and, standing in the station for her train, fumbled out her phone and started typing.
 
 > Sasha,
 >

writing/post-self/qoheleth/index.md

@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ Check when edited
     * [X] Chapter: [Sasha 001](Sasha/001) --- Sasha meets with Caitlin
     * [X] Chapter: [Ioan 005](Ioan/005) --- Talking with Dear, learning of Qoheleth being an Odist
     * [X] Chapter: [RJ 011](RJ/011) --- RJ visits implant clinic, travel skips
-    * [O] Chapter: [Carter 007](Carter/007) --- Carter gets smacked down, has to let folks go, contacts Sasha
+    * [X] Chapter: [Carter 007](Carter/007) --- Carter gets smacked down, has to let folks go, contacts Sasha
     * [O] Chapter: [Qoheleth 002](Qoheleth/002) --- Qoheleth's signifier
     * [O] Chapter: [RJ 012](RJ/012) --- RJ at the clinic, discovering ey don't need ACLs in a lucid dream.
     * [O] Chapter: [Ioan 006](Ioan/006) --- Back at home with Dear, Qoheleth messages (split)