The Name's Oliver - Ben Oliver. Ch. 159: Duty vs Ethics, Pt. II

[Tilia]

I'd love to help!

[Schipperke]

Wow - thank you all for the quick response!  I'm so glad to welcome you to the team.  I think this is going to be fun.  I'll be sending everyone a PM shortly to explain more about what I have in mind.

*Important Reminder:  In volunteering to be part of the top hush, button lip team, you are agreeing to strictest confidentiality.  Mr Payne would expect no less from you.*

[ladybug53]

Oh, can't wait to see what the next mission will be . All this top secret stuff is going to be very interesting . Looking forward to these future chapters . Starting to bite my nails .   

[RainBeau]

*salutes* Aye aye, cap'n! Reporting to Mr Payne, wow I never knew I would become so important!

[ladyaya]

Awwe - i'm way too late lol
If you do something like this again, I would love to take part in a Schip story somehow. 

[Schipperke]

Awwe - i'm way too late lol
If you do something like this again, I would love to take part in a Schip story somehow. 

Thank you, ladyaya!  I was surprised by how quickly the slots filled up.  Depending on how this goes, I do think we might consider having another similar event at some point, and I'd love to have you on the team. 

[Dextra2]

Thank you, ladyaya!  I was surprised by how quickly the slots filled up.  Depending on how this goes, I do think we might consider having another similar event at some point, and I'd love to have you on the team. 

Yay! I'd be happy if I could help!

[Magz from Oz]

I was surprised by how quickly the slots filled up.  Depending on how this goes, I do think we might consider having another similar event at some point, and I'd love to have you on the team. 

Oh me too.  The downside to living on the other side of the globe are endless

[cndneh]

*thanks to cndneh for sharing that picture with the forum!

I was so shocked when I saw my picture!   I've made it into a Schipperke story!  *does happy dance*

 

[Schipperke]

I was so shocked when I saw my picture!   I've made it into a Schipperke story!  *does happy dance*

 

You did much more than make it into the story - with that picture, you inspired a whole mission for Ben!  I hope you'll feel the mission does justice to your wonderful screenshot. 

[cndneh]

You did much more than make it into the story - with that picture, you inspired a whole mission for Ben!  I hope you'll feel the mission does justice to your wonderful screenshot.

A whole mission! YAY!   Would it help to say it was an Alien in that picture?  Also I wish I had known... I would have taken more pictures! 

[ladyaya]

Oh me too.  The downside to living on the other side of the globe are endless

I'm on the west coast of Canada, but I almost never get onto the computer and the forums until the afternoon at the very least so I might as well live a few timezones to the right, lol

[Louise56]

This will be a interesting mission for sure! I can wait to see what you and the secret team have in mind for Ben!

[Schipperke]

In Transit

Diary Entry

The flight to Lucky Palms was only half full.  Meaning I had a whole seat to myself.  And I knew that hot little number in the seat in front of me was interested.  Now all I had to do was to persuade her to ditch that guy in the goofy outfit and join me -



I pulled myself up short.  No time for girls, no matter how hot.  I was on a serious mission.  Duty calls, Oliver!  I sighed, pulled out the file, and began to read:

"The burning water situation was first documented by a free-lance photographer who posted the picture online in a popular forum.  Any threat to the water supply is, of course, taken very seriously.  The authorities immediately assembled a team of top scientists to investigate the problem.  Lucky Palms, being a desert town and highly dependent on the availability of safe water, offered to host the scientific team and put a well-equipped laboratory at their disposal. 



"After a promising beginning, the research progress inexplicably reached an impasse recently.  Scientists began accusing one another of tampering with formulae and falsifying research results.  Suspicion grew, and at this point none of the scientists are willing to share their findings with the others.  Team spirit is nonexistent.

"The inescapable conclusion is that one of the scientists is working to ensure the team's failure.  It is crucial that the saboteur be identified as soon as possible."

The file included photographs of the five scientists.

Kaila Swift, resident of Sunlit Tides.



Zebulon Plett.  Original address unknown, he had been included in the team because of his impressive credentials.



Conrad Anderson, resident of Starlight Shores.



Naomi Nita, resident of Lucky Palms.



Nadrena Avenel, resident of Riverview.



Five of them.  Which one was the saboteur?  How could I find out?  I was wishing I had brought Carl the Computer Genius along - he said he liked thorny problems, and this was shaping up to be one of the thorniest.  Background checks had turned up nothing suspicious on any of them.  I studied the photographs, trying to detect a shifty look or a duplicitous gaze, but could see no reason to suspect any one of the scientists in particular.  "Alas, there's no art to find the mind's construction in the face,*" I said sadly.

"What was that, sir?" a sweet voice asked.  I looked up to see the flight attendant approaching with the drinks cart.  That was more like it!  I hurriedly shoved the photos back into the file and gave the lovely lady a full dose of the old Oliver charm.



Her name was Zelda, she'd made this flight many times, and once she finished serving drinks, she didn't have much to do.  Zelda and I found a use for that extra seat, after all.

All too soon, she said regretfully, "I'm sorry, Ben, we'll be starting our approach to Lucky Palms soon.  I've got to get ready."  And she was gone.

I took a quick peek at the file again, at the note De Luca had scribbled at the bottom of the page:  "The only person on the team you should trust is the leader, who is the one who contacted us asking for help.  He will help you if he can."  I made a note of the leader's name and fastened my seatbelt as the sign came on.

Diary Entry Ends

*The quote, as no doubt many of you will know, is from Macbeth.  It seems our Ben has been studying Shakespeare in his free time.

[Audren]

CONRAD! It's Conrad! I can't wait to find out his role in this story. He's one of my favourite Sims!