[RPG] [WI][OT] Alanna's Ministry Misadventures

[Timothy Collett]

Having taken care of her recently-neglected housekeeping, Alanna sets  
out to find Sadi and give him the good news.  She walks about for a  
bit, asking people if they've seen a zombie, about yay high, like to  
eat peasant brains...and probably other bits...  No one seems to have  
seen him.

Irritated, Alanna makes her way to the administration buildings.  The  
street they are on seems utterly deserted.

"I guess not many people want to actually visit any of these  
Ministries...now, which one would have the information I need?"

She looks at the signs over the doors, passing various bizarre- 
sounding bureaucratic offices, until she sees the Ministry of  
Ministry Classification and Bureaucratic Administration (right next  
door to the Department of Redundancy Department).  "Ah, they should  
be able to tell me here which ministry will be able to tell me about  
Sadi..."

She ascends the stairs to the door, puts her hand on the handle,  
pauses a moment, and carefully opens the door while remaining behind  
it, lest anything dangerous issue forth.  When no rivers of flame or  
charging dragons come out of the door, she peers around it, and walks  
cautiously inside.  She is greeted by a frighteningly cheerful woman  
sitting at a desk, and cuts her off impatiently.  "I'm looking for  
information about the whereabouts of a Tilogean noble.  Which of the  
Ministries would be able to tell me that sort of thing?"

The woman assumes an extremely officious air, and informs her that  
she must fill out form DC54/X99, revision 13, Request for Ministry  
Identification by Vague Description of Function.  Alanna attempts to  
get her to just tell her which ministry it is, to no avail.  Finally,  
she gives in.  "All right, I'll fill out your stupid form!  Give it  
to me!"

"I'm sorry, ma'am," the secretary replies, "to get a copy of that  
form you'll have to fill out a copy of form A013/Z942, Request for a  
Ministry of Ministry Classification and Bureaucratic Administration  
Form."

Alanna grits her teeth.  "All right, then...give me that form."

"I'm sorry, ma'am," the secretary replies, "to get a copy of that  
form you'll have to fill out a copy of form QPX56/14, Request for a  
Form Request Form."

Alanna's eyes flash, and she reaches across the desk to grab the  
aggravating woman by her collar.  Through clenched teeth, she snarls,  
"Just--get--me--the--form!"

The secretary calmly presses a button on the underside of the desk,  
and an instant later, Alanna hears loud footfalls heading their way.   
Very loud footfalls.  Looking daggers at the woman, she lets go of  
her and backs out through the door.  Just before it closes, she sees  
what looks like two large trolls coming out of a corridor into the  
antechamber.

"Curse this place," she growls.

--

"The only thing you can't trade for your heart's desire is your heart."
  ~ Miles Naismith Vorkosigan

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://news.battlemaster.org/pipermail/rpg/attachments/20060804/36cfbbdc/attachment.htm