NEOPRETORIAN BRANCH OF CONTAINMENT,

INTERNAL AFFAIRS COMMISSION

CASE FILE #89BWP97, “PARTRIDGE, T.”

WRITTEN LOG OF EXHIBIT C: EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT #9791 

DATE & LOCATION DISCLOSED IN ANNEXED FILE

SANCTIONED BY SPECIAL AGENT H., K.,

APPOINTED DEPUTY INSPECTOR, INTERNAL AFFAIRS

[START OF RECORDING]

INTERVIEWER: “Please state your name to the camera.”

WITNESS #9791: “Ivan Arkady Bosconovitch, former sergeant in the Republican Army of New Pretoria, 19th Special Recon Battalion. Honorably discharged.”

INTERVIEWER: “Tell us where you’re from.”

WITNESS #9791: “I was born in 650 in the outskirts of an eastern settlement called Vinnytsia Rapids, which I’m pretty sure doesn’t exist anymore. At least not by that name.”

INTERVIEWER: “Your family?”

WITNESS #9791: “My great-grandparents came from the steppes at some point, and my family lived as ranch hands and dairy maids for one of the local livestock businesses. We all lived in this old farmhouse, but had to flee after the Old Army came for the land. At least that’s what my brother told me, I have no recollection of any of this. I must’ve been maybe two or three at the time, maybe less.”

INTERVIEWER: “Your closest of kin. What can you tell us about them?”

WITNESS #9791: “I don’t know much about their lives before we moved out of that place. Those were hard times, especially after my grandparents died from the Gray Fever, and most of my uncles and cousins had either been killed or arrested by the secret police. A few of them were on the run. The rest wanted to stay and fight, but my father and some of his older siblings didn’t have much faith in the future of the old country. They weren’t exactly thrilled to hang around and make sure things were either gonna improve or not.”

INTERVIEWER: “So that’s when you moved West, I’d imagine.”

WITNESS #9791: “It was this insane scramble when we fled the farmhouse. Not sure what happened, but at one point we split from the rest and made a run for the railroad. Everything after that is a blur.”

INTERVIEWER: “Why Weaver Parish, though?”

WITNESS #9791: “Plots of land were dirt cheap in places with a high rate of occurrences, back then. That and my father got tired of looking over his shoulder for spooks and army grunts, he just wanted a shot at making an honest living. Political turmoil seemed distant, this far out West. We had no idea at the time.”

INTERVIEWER: “So how many of you were there?”

WITNESS #9791: “When we fled? Maybe two dozens, give or take. I’m guessing. After that it was just me, my older brother, my two sisters and our parents.”

INTERVIEWER: “What happened after that?”

WITNESS #9791: “I guess we just settled down. We found this nice place by the creek. My father got a job in house building. Him and some union buddies raised our family home by the end of the first summer. It was a different time. Life was hard, but simpler.”

INTERVIEWER: “Where’s your family, today?”

WITNESS #9791: “All gone. My mother died of tuberculosis when I was very young, I don’t remember her that well. Lived in our new home for maybe a year or two before the winter she gave in. My father died much later. Liver complications. We hadn’t spoken to each other ever since I left for the army.”

INTERVIEWER: “What about your siblings?”

WITNESS #9791: “Gone too. Me and my brother stopped talking after I came back from the war. My two sisters, well, [pause] it was a bit more complicated than that. I didn’t know them for many years, either. But I’ll never forget the toll it took on my father. Things changed a lot between us after that.”

INTERVIEWER: “I’ve read the case files.”

WITNESS #9791: “I’m sure you did.”

INTERVIEWER: “Don’t worry, I’m not here to discuss it. There are more pressing matters at the moment.”

WITNESS #9791: “Which you don’t think are related in the slightest, I’m willing to guess.”

INTERVIEWER: “What I think has little bearing on this investigation, sergeant. I’m here to collect data so it can be analyzed by people much better qualified than me to do this sort of thinking.”

WITNESS #9791: “And apparently this data resides in cold cases and classified information with absolutely no relation to each other.”

INTERVIEWER: “Among other places, yes.”

WITNESS #9791: “I’m sure this is gonna come across as a shock to you, but I don’t really agree with how you people run this racket.”

INTERVIEWER: “I suppose that’s fair. You’ve been around ever since the early days of the republic. I’m sure you’re used to it by now.”

WITNESS #9791: “I was around way before those early days, mister. Things were different back then, but one thing that never changed in people’s minds is that coercing civilians for what you refer to as ‘data’ wasn’t the way public security should be handled.”

INTERVIEWER: “Are you feeling coerced right now, is that what you’re saying?”

WITNESS #9791: “It’s not me I’m talking about.”

INTERVIEWER: “Whoever it is, sir, they’re not in this room right now. It’s your account of the facts that interests me.”

WITNESS #9791: “Then you can start by writing down that what you and your people are peddling these folks as a solution to their problem is complete horseshit, and it’s not because I agree with it that I’m here.”

INTERVIEWER: “[Scribbling noises] done. Not surprising, I’d imagine people had their own way of dealing with the same issues, back East.”

WITNESS #9791: “We did, and the best part about it was not needing government agencies snooping around while pretending to do that for us.”

INTERVIEWER: “I’m sure your friends in the Old Army felt differently about this.”

WITNESS #9791: “They felt differently from us in just about every aspect you could think of. They weren’t like us, they were city dwellers, career officers. People trying to get rich through bullying and persecution.”

INTERVIEWER: “Which is not how you saw yourself when you were hired for the same job, years later.”

WITNESS #9791: “Of course not. I picked up guns and books because I didn’t want my country going through the same bullshit as the old one. The other boys felt the same, even though most of them came from the West like you and the people you report to.”

INTERVIEWER: “Which is an interesting segue to what we came here to discuss today, isn’t it?”

WITNESS #9791: “If you say so. I’m still not sure what that is.”

INTERVIEWER: “Just me asking questions and you picking which ones to answer, for now.”

WITNESS #9791: “Is there a reason why you need all this info? Or did you bring me all the way here just so we could shoot up the breeze during your office hours?”

INTERVIEWER: “Cross-referencing. In case we need to show any proof you are who you say you are.”

WITNESS #9791: “Is this even admissible in court?”

INTERVIEWER: “You let our legal team worry about that, sergeant.”

WITNESS #9791: “It’s not your prosecution rehearsal I’m worried about, son.”

INTERVIEWER: “What is it, then?”

WITNESS #9791: “You mentioned this recording is gonna be used as proof. I need you to tell me who’s gonna watch this.”

INTERVIEWER: “I’m afraid that’s classified.”

WITNESS #9791: “I know it is, I’m not asking for names and addresses. Just give me the corporate answer.”

INTERVIEWER: “I just did.”

WITNESS #9791: “You want me to tell you the stuff I couldn’t say in court or not?”

INTERVIEWER: “What makes you think I do?”

WITNESS #9791: “Drop the act. This isn’t an arrest, I could just stand up and leave if I feel like you’re wasting my time. Give me something or I walk.”

INTERVIEWER: “I’m not sure what you expect me to say. Who has clearance to watch this? Members of the appointed internal affairs commission, mostly? Our legal team, if we choose to prosecute? The supreme court? Were you expecting someone in particular?”

WITNESS #9791: “Besides the folks with a higher pay grade than yours, you mean?”

INTERVIEWER: “For example.”

WITNESS #9791: “Let’s make something clear: whatever career stunt you’re looking to pull with my help, it’s your business, not mine. You want the goods, you got them. It’s as simple as that.”

INTERVIEWER: “But…?”

WITNESS #9791: “But I need to know if there’s any risk of this falling into the wrong hands.”

INTERVIEWER: “The answer to that question is, don’t worry about it. We take this very seriously. Now, I have a question of my own as well.”

WITNESS #9791: “Let’s hear it, then.”

INTERVIEWER: “Whose hands would that be? The wrong ones, I mean.”

WITNESS #9791: “You know. The people looking to screw me over. The Committee, some people at the top brass. Former allies. Maybe an old friend or two.”

INTERVIEWER: “And you’re worried we’re in league with these people.”

WITNESS #9791: “Oh no, I’m not worried, I know for a fact that you are. I worked at the shop, son, I know how this goes.”

INTERVIEWER: “So why are you here, if this isn’t an arrest?”

WITNESS #9791: “You know why. You want me to go on record?”

INTERVIEWER: “If you wish to.”

WITNESS #9791: “I’ll oblige. I’m here for personal reasons.”

INTERVIEWER: “Sounds fair. Before we move on—”

WITNESS #9791 “Is saying this even gonna help me, anyhow? When they decide to make me regret ever helping you, that is.”

INTERVIEWER: “That depends. It may help you sleep at night, knowing that whatever you did for us, you did out of your own volition.”

WITNESS #9791 “Very funny. I meant legally.”

INTERVIEWER: “Yeah, in that case, not even one bit. Word of this gets out, you’re on your own.”

WITNESS #9791 “Even though we’re discussing this in front of a camera.”

INTERVIEWER: “What camera?”