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“You've hurt my operation here,” you begin. You keep the Borcan tongue to avoid the Voss understanding too much. “You killed one of my savages and wounded another. The way I see it, you owe me for the damage you've caused. So, you're going to work for me until that debt has been paid off. As long as you swear that you'll do your part and keep your hands to yourselves, I don't see any reason why we can't be civil with each other.”
“I'm sure you'd like that.” Herrmann stares up at you, his gaze hardening. “Two new slaves for you to boss around. No deal.” Of course he's going to be defiant. You have no choice but to deploy the memes once more, even though you're still recovering from the last protocol. Once you have reconfigured your vocal cords, the brute has no chance of resisting you.
<span class="mu-s"><span class="mu-i">“It might take days. It might take years. That is for me to decide. You will do as I command and until this debt is repaid, you will not harm the Voss. Am I understood?”</span></span> Herrmann nods dumbly while Karlee looks on in terror.
Each time you use a protocol, your larynx is subtly altered to produce sounds designed to influence one particular target and that target alone. To dominate Karlee as well, you need to unleash yet another memetic barrage.
<span class="mu-s"><span class="mu-i">“That applies to you as well. You will repay the debt. You will harm no Voss.”</span></span> Suddenly, her fear is replaced with sullen defiance as her will is overwritten by your voice. Yet you have suffered for your actions – your brain shrieks in protest, your breath is laboured, your vision is spotty and you can taste blood bubbling up from your throat. The memes are tearing you apart from the inside out.
As quickly as you can, you question them about their skills. If you're going to put them to work, you better know what they're good at.
Karlee's head contains more than just folklore and geopolitical knowledge. The wires and devices that dangle from her belt aren't just for show – she has a reasonable understanding of Bygone technology and how it functions. That's certainly a talent that none of the Voss have.
As for Herrmann, he's nowhere near as clever as his companion. He makes up for that with his obscene strength, which he attributes to 'a lot of food and a lot of anabolics.' The tribesmen should be able to make use of his brawn.
First, what task will you assign Herrmann?
>Pack mule. He will do all of the heavy lifting for Voss huntsmen so they don't have to.
>Logger. He'll be able to collect a revolutionary amount of lumber, compared to the Voss.
>Guard. If the slaves of the Pheromancers show up again, you want him to deal with them.
Second, what task will you assign Karlee?
>Technician. See if you can put her to work dealing with the error that plagues the bunker.
>Tutor. You want her to tell you everything she knows, but you won't have time for any other pursuits.
>Teacher. Have her educate the Voss about the basics of technology, to make them a little less useless.
