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

[chetanhaobijam]

Now, finally we get to see the other students and get to know each other. Can't wait for the next update.

[RainBeau]

I like the very sophisticated colour names you're using for the teams. I find it funny that you have (most likely unknowingly, as to my knowledge you are still not a Harry Potter fan) chosen two Harry Potter names: Rubeus and Albus. Of course, that may say more about J. K. Rowling than you, such as that she has a predilection for naming her characters after colours.

Wiry, I will admit I did not expect to like your character. I was pleasantly surprised. A fascinating concept and even likeable enough, not to mention only ambiguously menacing. I'm impressed! I like the others as well, I just had prejudice against Wiry's from the star so I'm surprised by his.

[Schipperke]

I like the very sophisticated colour names you're using for the teams. I find it funny that you have (most likely unknowingly, as to my knowledge you are still not a Harry Potter fan) chosen two Harry Potter names: Rubeus and Albus. Of course, that may say more about J. K. Rowling than you, such as that she has a predilection for naming her characters after colours.

Wiry, I will admit I did not expect to like your character. I was pleasantly surprised. A fascinating concept and even likeable enough, not to mention only ambiguously menacing. I'm impressed! I like the others as well, I just had prejudice against Wiry's from the star so I'm surprised by his.

Rosa, the team names actually say more about the team members, as they're the ones who chose the names.  I know it probably sounded as if Ben was naming them, and I apologize for being unintentionally misleading.  And yes, I am still as ignorant of Harry Potter and his doings as ever, so I didn't even realize the names had previously been used by J.K. Rowling.

Now that you've met the characters, you can see that they are all quite unique.  Each one has his/her own distinctive voice, as will become very apparent when they begin their assignments.  They're a fascinating group of Sims, aided by very talented handlers.  I think you are going to love seeing them in action!

[Swirl-Girl]

Yes, Team Albus wanted to be white team, but then they found that Albus means white so they chose that. Keeping with the spirit, red team chose Rubeus, and Team Saphire just fits.

[ladybug53]

Anxious to read what assignments each team will have . This should be a good one . 

[Wiry]

I like the very sophisticated colour names you're using for the teams. I find it funny that you have (most likely unknowingly, as to my knowledge you are still not a Harry Potter fan) chosen two Harry Potter names: Rubeus and Albus. Of course, that may say more about J. K. Rowling than you, such as that she has a predilection for naming her characters after colours.

Wiry, I will admit I did not expect to like your character. I was pleasantly surprised. A fascinating concept and even likeable enough, not to mention only ambiguously menacing. I'm impressed! I like the others as well, I just had prejudice against Wiry's from the star so I'm surprised by his.

Glad I can still deliver, Rosa! 

[Schipperke]

Dear Readers,

Now that you've met the students, you're ready to see them in action.  Just to recap, here's the list of students and their handlers*:

Team Albus:

• Ezagutza Obsedat, handled by Wiry
• Coline Gramarette, handled by Danielle Haydis

Team Rubeus:

• John Cassidy, handled by KillCupido
• Keira Jane, handled by Swirl-Girl

Team Sapphire:

• Jasper Dartwood, handled by RaiaDraconis
• Tomba Singh, handled by chetanhaobijam

You will see the students carrying out various assignments intended to teach them various aspects of spycraft.  Perhaps you're wondering where these spy assignments came from?  The truth is, Ben's assistant has long been devoted to spy and adventure stories of all sorts, from James Bond to The Saint to Get Smart.  The Schipperke noggin is crammed full of that stuff, which no doubt explains why I can never remember where I left my keys - there's no room left in there for storing new information.  And, when it comes to research, of course, the Public Library is my friend.  So naturally, my first step was to visit the library to see if there were any books that might be helpful.  You wouldn't believe the number of books there are about spies and spying!  Not just stories about fictional or real-life spies, but how-to manuals.  I borrowed as many of them as I could carry home, and they made for very interesting reading.  Some of them were very focused on weapons and other topics that are a bit hard to translate into Sims, but one little book was particularly useful.  The International Spy Museum's Handbook of Practical Spying inspired many of the student assignments.

The first chapter in the book, titled "Your new spy brain" lists the following Ten Rules for how to think like a spy:

• No matter where you are, act like you belong.
• Behave purposefully.  Especially if you have no purpose
• Blend in.  Become a "grey man" or woman.
• Develop assessment skills by practicing even in circumstances in which you are merely a bystander.
• Learn to trust your instincts to make decisions - right or wrong, you will get better at it.
• Never second-guess your decisions, but do analyze later.
• Be aware that you may be overlooking things in your surroundings, especially if they are familiar to you.
• Accept the fact that some level of deception is a necessary part of the job.
• Don't be embarrassed to be suspicious of other peoples' intentions.
• Upgrade your memory.

As mentioned, you will see the students carrying out various assignments.  Each student, with assistance from his/her handler, will complete the assignment and submit a written report along with pictures.  You will accompany them as they learn to think like spies and carry out spy activities.  Some of the assignments will be team projects and others won't.  Some of the assignments will be scored and others won't.  And, having had a chance to read a number of their assignments at this point, I am confident you will find their work very impressive!

Some of the assignments are laid out in such a way that any reader who wants to will be able to try the assignment for him- or herself, and I hope you will.  I think this is going to be fun!

The next post will show some of the students carrying out their first real spying assignment.

By the way, I think I need to say a few words about the name of the school.  "Oliver Spy School" is kind of an obvious name, right?  And so is "OSS" for short.  Really, it's hard to imagine the school having any other name.  Well, maybe "Ben's Spy School," but if you think about the abbreviation, you'll probably agree that wouldn't have been a great choice.  Are any students of history following this story?  If so, you've probably already noticed that "OSS" was in fact the name of the American intelligence agency during World War II.  In that case, the letters stood for "Office of Strategic Services."  After WWII, the OSS was dissolved and no longer exists as such.  Which is probably a good thing for Ben and his school, as we wouldn't want anybody thinking we were trying to steal their name or their spy secrets. 

*In the realm of the spy, a handler is a case officer who is responsible for handling agents in operations.

[Swirl-Girl]

"Grey man" Quite literally, in my case! I hadn't even planned that, I was just messing around with muted color schemes at the time.

[Audren]

On a similar note, Ben really is an ideal spy according to that list. After all, Ben is the son of the Grey Man! 

[Wiry]

"Grey Man"... we may have a bit of a problem! 

[Schipperke]

On a similar note, Ben really is an ideal spy according to that list. After all, Ben is the son of the Grey Man! 

I never thought of that.  Very clever! 

[Caterina]

I am SO excited about all this spy stuff.  My son has a bunch of spy toys and gadgets.  Sometimes I make up missions to find things and give clues to the locations of places we are going and he has to try to guess before we get there.  We also went to the library and found lots of spy information and learned many spy tricks and techniques.  Did I mention I was excited?  Yay!  Yay!  Yay!

[Schipperke]

I am SO excited about all this spy stuff.  My son has a bunch of spy toys and gadgets.  Sometimes I make up missions to find things and give clues to the locations of places we are going and he has to try to guess before we get there.  We also went to the library and found lots of spy information and learned many spy tricks and techniques.  Did I mention I was excited?  Yay!  Yay!  Yay!

Caterina, I wish I had known of your interest and knowledge before!  I would definitely have wanted to recruit you to help with the planning.  Maybe another time. 

[Blayzen]

*clapping wildly*

All of the teams did an AMAZING job on their candidates & I'm excited to see where they go from here! Well done, Handlers, Well done!

[Schipperke]

Mr Payne's Referral

Diary Entry

Finally, after weeks in some sort of limbo, I arrived in Sunset Valley and hurried over to the school to make sure everything was ready for the students, who would be arriving soon.  I was walking up to the front door when my phone rang.



Call display showed my assistant's number.  Now what?  I was tempted to let the call go to voice mail, but was afraid there might be heck to pay if I didn't answer.  Reluctantly I answered.

“What is it?  I'm quite busy -”

She cut me off.  “I've just received a letter from your father.  You need to hear this.”

“You opened my mail?!  My personal mail from my father?  How could you!  You may be the Watcher and I'm just a lowly Sim, but are Sims not entitled to a bit of privacy?  That's an abuse of Watcher power!  I'm going to apply to get a new Watcher -”



“Ben.  Cool it!  The letter was sent to the school, marked urgent, and as your assistant it's my job to open the mail, remember?”



“Now, if you're finished with your little tantrum, can I please go on?”

*Silence*

“Fine, I'll take that as a 'yes.'  Now, your father has a special referral for the school.  He says, 'I know you already have your six candidates, but I would take it as a great personal favour if you would accept this student.'”



“But we have our teams assigned and everything!” *Sigh.*  “Oh, all right.  I guess.  Who is this late referral, and what makes him so special, anyway?”



“Well, first of all, it's not 'him' – it's 'her'.”

“Her?  Well, why didn't you say so! Of course we have to accept my father's referral!  I don't understand why you're making all this fuss about it.”



“Yeah, I kind of figured you might see it that way.  Hold on.  I'll send you a copy of her application.”

Hazel's Application

Dear Mr Oliver:

It is most likely that you already know about me from your father, Mr Payne. He recommended me for this project. Truthfully, I know little about it. Mr Payne can be very cryptic. All he said was that I would receive special training in order to fight on the side of Good, should it become necessary. He was waiting for me to age up, but said the need was too great and they need me now, so he aged me up himself using his TALLAMA.

That is not to say I have not been preparing. I thought what skills would be most useful, and I have been developing them.

I have both practical and theoretical experience in most of my skills.
Logic:



This practical experience led to some more practical experience for which I was not altogether prepared.



However, it may yet prove useful as I have established (albeit somewhat distrustful) contact with an alien race.
All the same, I kept to studying Logic by more passive means after that. (Yes, more Logic. I must admit I have a certain propensity for this skill. I certainly hope it is helpful.)

Feeling it might be of use, I studied Photography. I have practical experience in this area as well, although (whether ironically or appropriately) I have no photographs of it.

Charisma seemed like a most valuable skill, especially as I am somewhat well-known, so I may have to resort to asking nicely to get information.



Finally, although it is not my inclination, I did spend a little time developing Athletic skill. I hope I don't have to use it much as the thought of hurting anyone rather makes me ill.



Cover Story:

Mr Payne informed me that I would need both a cover and disguises. As I stated before, I am somewhat well-known as a member of the Callahan Dynasty. My cover is that I am here in Sunset Valley studying at Sacred Spleen Hospital as a resident, having completed a Medical degree. I have not actually completed a medical degree, but I have studied medicine extensively so I should be able to hold up to any questioning. The other part of my cover is that I am a wealthy philanthropist. This part, thankfully, is entirely true.



I suppose the long and short of it is--Hazel Callahan, reporting for duty!



Sincerely,

Hazel Callahan


Notes from Hazel's handler:

Hazels traits are Good, Genius, Brave, Ambitious, and Workaholic.
Hazel's skills currently stand thus, although she increases Logic at an alarming rate and they may change with a moment's notice: Logic- 3, Charisma- 4, Photography- 2, Athletic- 1
She has the Attractive and Observant LTRs in keeping with her potential as a honeypot.


*Note:  As I'm sure many of you know, Hazel is a member of The Callahan Life States Dynasty, and her recruitment by Mr Payne can be seen there, in Ombradellarosa's story.