I heard through a transparent field contact, _____ , that the Hare’s head had been secured and powered-up by the bunnies at the Power Station. All who would dare to face the creature made their way to the facility to learn what we could from the remains of the pyromaniac thug.
Following is Report 6c of NB Urchin Project, “Steam Hare Interrogation” dated 23rd of August 188X., Pt1
Location: Special Facility at the Power Station, Clockhaven
Authority: None official—myself working independently; representatives of the urchin community. *Note: No Militia personnel present.
Witnesses: Several—urchins allied as parallel agency (no names recorded per Level One transparency).
Subject: The Steam Hare (Known useful affiliations: The ‘Man in Blue’s Gang’* designation updated; see below).
Approaching the subject, I established that speech was enabled, and that we might proceed. Further Notated by speaker: (recording begins)
Steam Hare: What should we have to speak about?
Eloise Winchester: For instance: What are you?
SH: What kind of question is that? What are you to ask that kind of thing?
EW: I am an investigator who would like to understand who (or what) I am addressing.
SH: I am called the Steam Hare, though right now I’m more of a battery hare.
EW: And what is your purpose?
SH: My purpose?
EW: There was a substantial expenditure of resources to construct you. To what aim was this accomplished?
SH: Ahh, my brilliant creator originally created me for thought provoking conversation. It was his original intent to leave those communicating with me enraged.
EW: Your creator does appear to have been talented in this regard.
SH: Regretfully, I was repurposed. I have since been returned to my previous and intended function.
EW: Does this mean you now have benign intentions? As before your ‘readjustment’ they were anything but.
Urchin 1: so what is yer original and thingy whatsit?
U2: So who was yer creator, then?
SH: Regretfully, the expert that was hired and who subsequently altered our scientific purpose insisted that I be rebuilt to become a building and personnel removal unit with limited intellectual capacity; my actual self overridden by a lesser secondary clockwork mind which was thankfully disposed of in my reconstruction.
EW: That is good news.
U1: is the expert the bloke in the blue suit?
SH: Yes, the expert did wear a blue suit at times.
EW: Who did this expert work for?
SH: Does he work for anyone?
EW: Fair enough. Do you know who ‘PJ’ is?
SH: Ahh yes, the man who commissions my brilliant creator. Philip Johnson.
EW: Very good
SH: No idea who he is.
U1: never heard of him, he not from around here?
EW: Do you know why you were re-purposed?
SH: The expert didn’t like my function, and forced my brilliant creator to do so.
EW: What was the purpose in destroying the Warrens?
SH: The expert did not explain
EW: I see. Do you then know why _____ was targeted?
U1: ear! yep, why is he after me?
SH: _____ was targeted as a threat to the plan.
U1: errrr……. what plan?
SH: The plan that leaves the urchins cold and hungry, and desperate.
U3: EH! we’re hungry enough as it is
U4: Why is thet desirable, head?
EW: I can explain that, _____: The desperate will readily consent to slavery. Whoever initiated this juggernaut intends to enslave the city’s urchin population.
SH: That is not the plan.
U3: no?
EW: Then enlighten us, Hare. What was the plan?
U2: What is then, mister head?
U1: he don’t know, he’s just showin off…….
SH: The plan doesn’t involve slavery, but freedom. Or as the expert said, “Their freedom is what we want.”
U3: yeah involves taking our freedom—so that really is slavery…
U2: Pish…what’s urchins bein ‘ungry and desperate gotta do wit freedom?
EW: The Hare was not privy to all we had hoped, and has after all few answers for us; only more questions.
U1: as i said, he don’t know nuffin, he’s just showin foo ter try an make us think he’s smart….
EW: I honestly doubt this machine has an interest in our opinion of its intellect.
U2: Not so smart, sittin’ up on a shelf after all, are we?
U3: Did he say who his creator was?
EW: Phillip Johnson commissioned you, but from whom?
SH: Reggie Haymond was my brilliant creator.
EW: Excellent. Some use in you after all.
U1: errrr……. was?
U4: Reggie? Never trust no one named Reggie.
SH: Reggie had many opinions on the expert that I could share.
U3: Do share!
SH: Reggie believed that he survives on keeping information to himself.
U1: hehhe that makes sense!
EW: And what is the expert’s name?
SH: Unknown. He only has us call him the expert. None on the ship could tell you his name.
EW: Why were you alone on the ship, when it exploded?
SH: The expert was recalled by Philip Johnson. He was upset by the posters of destroyed pubs.
U1: bet he’s gettin told off!
U3: ooooh so it was useful after all.
U2: Aye, _____’s posters worked!
SH: Philip Johnson had made a promise to the Emperor that he would destroy no pubs.
*Note: at this point in the interview, all present gasped audibly. Continued in Pt 2 of this report.
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