Author's Notes: The War of Nerves has ended and a condition of the Peace by the Mysterons is Captain Black returning to active duty in SPECTRUM. As capable of as they are of mercy, they are equally capable of revenge. Companion Piece to Correspondence
Spectrum Archivist note: A currently on-going situation that Colonel White has asked me to document. As most of interactions on the Colonel's part have been verbal I can only present the missives he has received from the returned Captain Black. The matter has yet to be resolved.
Colonel White -
Have my reports been somehow lacking? Your inquiries lead me to believe I have been remiss in some details, yet having reviewed my previous reports I cannot find any details lacking.
- Captain Black
Colonel White -
Your concern over my refusal to take leave is unnecessary. As I told Doctor Fawn, there simply is no place on Earth that would welcome my presence, and I would prefer to continue to work rather then spend two weeks staring at the walls of my quarters.
- Captain Black
Colonel White -
Thank you again for the invitation to your Sunday Afternoon High Tea, however I am afraid I must again decline. I do not think your other guests would be comfortable with my attending.
- Captain Black
Colonel White -
Again, as you might remember, I am an atheist and do not celebrate the holidays. It only made sense that I take a double-shift so the Officers and Crew members who do celebrate could enjoy the Official Cloudbase Holiday Party in full.
- Captain Black
Colonel White -
No. The answer is No in unequivocal terms.
- Captain Black
Colonel White -
Unless my performance has been unsatisfactory, I request that you cease this unwarranted scrutiny. As outlined in Section fifteen, subsections ten and thirty-two of the Spectrum Code of Conduct this could construed as serial harassment.
- Captain Black
Colonel White -
I do not think my request that you cease using my given name is unreasonable. Any delusion you have of a close relationship prior to my capture and enslavement by the Mysterons was simply that, an unfortunate delusion on both our parts. I remind you again of Section fifteen, subsections ten and thirty-two of the Spectrum Code of Conduct.
- Captain Black
Colonel White -
If this continues, I will be filing a formal complaint. This situation is nearly untenable on both sides. I have accepted the consequences and repercussions of my actions and must live with them. I do not understand why you will not accept the consequences and repercussions of yours.
- Captain Black
Colonel White -
I fail to see what pleasure you are deriving from this continued cruelty and farce.
You say you wish to talk with me, when there is nothing to be said. You burned those bridges during the War of Nerves, and I agree it was necessary to burn them and do not find fault in you for doing so. What needed to be done, needed to be done. It is unfortunate for me that it left me with barely a place in this world, but there is no point in complaining – I've gotten what I deserved. I am among people who rightfully hate me.
Still, I find it unbearable that after years of acquaintance and many conversations on the subject that your first instinct and action was to brand me a "warmonger" and assumed I deliberately started a war.
You have left no bridges between us, only a dark and deep river that I no longer have the strength to even attempt to cross.
If you ever felt any true regard for me, Charles, then let me be.
- Captain Black
End Notes: Conrad is being somewhat pig-headed, but given his background and upbringing, he cannot conceive that Colonel White is genuinely trying to help him, nor that Charles is indeed still his friend. I don't know that there can ever a happy resolution to this.