A face appears in your doorway, whoever's on 'guard' duty, for just a moment, before you hear the latches on your door lock click open. It's the 5th day of your confinment, boring as it has been, not quite dinner time yet, so this is unusual. The door swings outward, and in steps Sgt. Ransom...folding his hands behind his back and standing silently as the door is swung shut behind him.
Iggy sits crosslegged on the brig floor, staring down at her feet. As she hears someone walk into the cell, she lifts her head slowly to find Ransom standing there. She stares at him blankly and silently except for quiet steady breathing.
Ransom looks at you for a long moment, before gesturing to the bed. "Why don't you have a seat there...the floor can't be that comfortable." His voice is, for once, level, almost conversational.
Iggy nods with her face still expressionless and stands up from the floor and backs up to the cell bed. She sits down slowly, her eyes not leaving the staffer. .o0(Why is he here...Hasn't he punished me enough yet?) She bites her lip and waits.
Ransom cockes an eyebrow at you, waiting to see if you have anything to say. No? Well then. "Miss Perculiz...how has your stay been the last few days?"
"Perfectly awful, Sir." Iggy replies in a monotone voice. The staffers have left her locked up with only her memories. It has given her much grief an nightmares. She has been so lonely and hasn't seen anyone except for a short visit with Claud.
Ransom nods. "Good...I would hope you hadn't enjoyed it...it wasn't meant to be a vacation." He gazes at you a moment, as if sizing you up. "Why do you think you were put in custody?"
"I stole things I shouldn't have and disrespected the Staff, Sir." Iggy replies, still not moving her gaze. .o0(I hope someone got the uniform...) She licks her chap lips and swallows nervously.
Ransom nods slowly, bringing up his datapad to tap at it a moment. "Let's not forget lying to a superior officer...the Colonel even...and your general poor attitude before the most recent event..."
Iggy nods and feels tears coming. She shuts her eyes tight and fights the tears away. "I was very bad, Sir. I am aware of my actions and I'm sorry..." .o0(Plumber...please dont fail...)
Ransom nods again, tapping at his desk again, then turning it so you can see, sort of. It's probably too tiny, but it displays a summary of your school record. "I would agree...and the strangest part is that until recently your record shows very little misconduct...with one exception. Why did this happen? What's changed...or have you always been this way and no one noticed?"
Iggy drops her head sadly, "I...I dont know...I guess I maybe was like this...I stole the things for a reason...I didn't just steal to get in trouble...I'm not a bad person, Sir."
Ransom lowers his hands to his sides, studying you for another moment. "Do you know what integrity means trainee?"
Iggy nods, "Yes, Sir."
Ransom says, "Explain it to me."
Iggy stares at Ransom again, with the same blank expression as before. "Integrity is the state of being sound or undamaged, Sir."
Ransom smiles slightly, just a touch, the first hint of any sort of amusment you've ever seen from him, and it's gone in a flash. "I mean how does it relate to an individual..."
Iggy sighs. She knows what the staffer is getting to. There is no point in arguing and making things worse though. "A person of high integrity is honost and loyal and does what they are told, Sir."
Ransom nods. "A good definition....let me tell you how I was taught to think of it. Integrity is doing what is right, even when no one's looking. It means you know what's right...and you do it no matter what you think might be more fun, or interesting...it means helping your friends when they falter, even if it means they get in some trouble..." he takes a breath. "I'm not going to ask you what you were planning on doing with those gloves...I somehow doubt I got the full story. I'm not going to ask you why you chose disrespect over doing what your supposed to. And I'm not going to ask if there's things you're still hiding. What I'm going to ask you, ma'am, is do you have integrity?"
Guilt rushes into Iggy, and she feels a tear roll down her cheek. "No...No Sir...I do not..." Iggy wishes she never stole the gloves or the uniform. She wishes she respected the staffers and the other soldiers. She couldn't fix the past, but maybe...maybe she could change her future. "I...I think I could though, Sir. If I had another chance..."
Ransom listens to you in silence, studying you still. He nods slowly as you finish. "Everyone always wishes for a second chance when they make a mistake. But we're in a profession where mistakes cost lives...the lives of your friends and commrads...of millions of innocents on earth. You've been given a chance very few people ever truly get in their lives. The chance to make a difference. Your a part of the greatest military force in history...with the most advanced battle ships the world has ever known...and, someday, we want you to command one of them, to make that difference, to protect us and our families. When the buggers come again, there won't be a second chance..." He pauses, studying your eyes. "So we have to get things right the first time...do you understand me Miss Perculiz?"
Iggy nods. She really does understand and feels very bad. This would change though. She wants to be the best soldier she can be.
Ransom nods at you, "Good...you have lot of potential...something I don't want to see waisted. Do your best and you'll be fine...I don't want to see your name comming up on any more disciplinary lists...understood?"
Iggy nods, "Yes, Sir." She then smiles, "I wasn't planning on it anyway...that goop isn't very...tasteful."
Ransom doesn't smile back, face just as stern. "I'm sure it's better than anything I would plan for you...and be asured...the piglist will soon be a place you don't want to be."
Iggy salutes, "Yes, Sir." She sighs. .o0(First soldier on his bad side...I dont wanna know what is going to happen to me...)
Ransom eyes that salute, and for a moment it looks like he's going to bark at you...but he doesn't, instead his voice is just as level as it was. "You don't salute me trainee...you salute officers...I'll make sure your in my first class so you can find out why. You have a few more days in here...I'm sure you can use them to think about what you want to change when your out again. It's not easy...but I know you can do it. I've seen people far worse off succeed." He starts to turn to go, knocking on the door.
Iggy sits back onto the floor crosslegged. She watches Ransom turn to leave and calls to him, "Thank you, Sir."
Ransom looks back at you as you hear the latches open again, head tilting just slightly, "Show me you have intergity Miss Perculiz." And he'll know you mean that... The door opens, and without another word he steps through, closing behind him and relatching.