Reading: "Arktalus" from EVENFALL OF THE HELICAL (A.Glass 2022)

“This review is in regards to an incident that took place on the 28^th of June when senior EMR officer Hannah Tadri and EMR officer Derrick Bayrol were, according to officer Tadri’s report, were both called out to attend an emergency in Sector Eight, Sub-Level Twenty Three,” Compliance supervisor Jane Casey says, as she looks at Tadri.

“That is correct,” Tadri replies, whilst studying the officious looking woman in front of her, noting the frumpy disposition of the Central System supervisor, who in her demeanor, represents the bureaucracy of Arktalus.

“In your report, you and EMR officer Derrick Bayrol received an apparent Response Call whilst on duty, when the city was locked down as a C-Storm was active. Of course as you are aware, the reason for this review is that the Central Systems EMR mainframe has no record of the Response Call. You claim in your report after the event...” The compliance official looks at a monitor screen to her left. “...That both you and Officer Bayrol's data-sync's went down once you reached Sector Eight, Sub-Level Twenty Three, which is of an abandoned sub-level and structure...

“No shit...” Tadri says quietly under her breath. “...That is correct and we called in once we both reached the apartment block level. And at that time, as I noted in my report, our data-syncs went down as soon as we entered the emergency level lift for that sub-level.”

“But, in your report to EMR Command you state and I quote, “The commutation syncs with the EMR base kept dropping on and off, we also lost track of the sub-level node tracking systems. It appeared to be some sort of interference occurring or at least a possibility the C-Storm was affecting communication in that particular Sector.”

“Yes, that’s what I wrote in that report,” Tadri replies, feeling her heart rate increase as she begins to sense her own frustration at his hearing, more so the woman in front of her.

The Central System Compliance supervisor leans back in her chair. “Did the data-syncs either go down for both you and Bayrol completely or intermittently?”

Tadri, turns to her right and looks at Doctor Phillips, who is also her counsel for the hearing. Shaking her head, Tadri leans forward in an intent way looking at the Compliance supervisor.

“What's the point of that question?...” With both of her palms open face up, whilst shrugging her shoulders. “...They were down, inoperative, nothing worked, as a senior EMR officer we are taught that even if communication lines are...” Tadri tries to calm herself. “...fragmented, they are still considered down. It doesn't matter if they fall in and out, you're getting into semantics here. We couldn't contact EMR Central, nor the person who was having the cardiac arrest, and I have to remind you that, did not exist.”

“Yet Officer Tadri, you failed to issue a beacon signal to Central Command in relation to, what you believe, were inoperative data-syncs, which is standard EMR procedures,” Ex officio of EMR operations, Konrad Vatas says, officially dressed in a high ranked uniform.

Tadri sits back into her chair and exhales, whilst looking up at the Vatas. “I forgot,” she replies, looking directly at one of the Central Command board members.

“May I interject...” Doctor Lykle Phillips says, sitting next to Tadri

Vatas nods, allowing Tadri's chosen council to speak.

“...Thank you. EMR officer Tadri has been seeing me for the last six months, as part of a post-trauma required sessions due to an incident that occurred to her at the start of this year, whilst on duty. She has since, under my duty of care, shown vast improvement and proven, under Central Command instruction, the ability to retain her license as a senior EMR officer. She has an exemplary record not only as a paramedic, but also shown to be a competent and qualified air ambulance pilot. As officer Tadri's counsel and neuropsychologist, these events that occurred whilst she was on duty that day do not indicate or retract from any ability to perform her duties.”

___

Reading: "Arktalus" from EVENFALL OF THE HELICAL (A.Glass 2022)