OPERANT

Into the breach now, operant. Steady hand.

"I don't know what you're on about, CASCADE, I just asked you to clean up. In fact, don't just clean -- be a vigilant operant and sweep."

"I suppose that's why you're the big-time operant..."

Tesoro Buendia. To the Operant Bureau he is the Hundred-Eyed Golem. To La Luz he is the Chief of the Weeping Eye.

"She's fooled you. That shows how impressive an operant she is -- or how atrophied you've let your brain go, Hershel. Either way, I find myself very concerned."

"Their operant skills were too powerful for me... I nearly died."

"You're a single operant, slowly re-sharpening your skills, and this is a high-level individual. I can't hold that against you."

"Hershel... this is very upsetting. You're even rustier than I thought. But don't worry -- an experienced lead like me is able to rescue a marooned operant like you."

Said operant then asserted she could 'set up a top-tier surveillance op while crawling through my own puke' and downed another schnapps.

Operant. You're compromising performance. Explain why.

Day 523, row unknown: sighting of a senior operant dusting the spines of cloth-bound logbooks. Hands: trembling, liver-spotted. You kept moving.

Was this what you had in mind, operant? You, at gun point, and your asset disclosing personal matters?

You know the steps, operant.

For the ritual to begin. Soon the Grand Lich and his entourage will make their secret pilgrimage to the War Criminals Shrine. And the Operant Bureau will rise to meet them.

Approximately 25 items are missing from the count of Operant CASCADE's possessions following her extradition from Portofiro in 91. Due to failure to keep up with requests for a formal inventory, the exact number of CASCADE's lost / forsaken belongings remains officially unknown.

"My apologies, I didn't expect that. Though I can't help but feel I did the Operant Bureau a favour..." A quick glance to the side. "He's really dead?"

Your assignment could do with a professional operant.

One postcard, no fax. The meeting place, your home turf. Before you is an operant gone way off script.

"No need to get cyncial, operant." He sighs and glances away.

"There are cheaper ways to read your fortune, operant."

I'm a professional operant.

"Operant." He nods as you rise to leave. "I'll await word."

"A high-level operant?"

Yes. Professional operant.

"Questionable coat for an operant."

Maybe they do... You wouldn't know. Operant CASCADE has yet to turn around a 'success'.

Opportunity here, operant. No need to trade information with KALEIDOSCOPE -- propose a clean swap, the prisoner for this lost girl.

"I played the professional operant and forgot the good thing ever existed."

"I suspected you were a Luzian asset, but I've now upgraded you to full-on operant."

Intriguing stagecraft, operant. Telling the possible techno-fascist asset about the secret plan to kill a member of her government.

A testament to the power of the Operant Bureau's conditioning, preserving the original memories at sub-dream level.

"Thanks for the support back there. Prime operant material."

"Not a gossip? Odd trait for an Operant."

A perfect operant.

Stop that right now, operant. Shut your mouth, stub out your cigarette, and zero out your target.

What is the plan here, operant?

"The first operant to undergo a highly experimental Luzian imprinting process? They'll be vivisected for months." He raises a glass to you.

Every operant for themselves. He knew the rules.

And the Operant Bureau forgets by design -- especially in the aftermath of 'catastrophic collapse', as the theatre report called your last outing.

"I don't know what you're on about, CASCADE, I just asked you to clean up. In fact, don't just clean -- be a vigilant operant and sweep."

And an operant should always be thorough when searching for clandestine spaces.

"From the Operant Bureau's grimoire?" He smirks. "'Advanced' is doing a lot of heavy lifting there, they should drop that, and maybe drop the 'cognitive' part too while they're at it. I mean, come on CASCADE, it's the Opera. But sure, do tell."

"Why have you accepted this almost certainly doom-sealed assignment from the Operant Bureau?"

"I believe the chapter you're talking about is deliberately and adequately redacted. And like any good academic-turned operant, I abide by the redactions."

"But you're an operant -- the Opera would've tried to get you out."

"Let's see... this is a directional explosive device from the Operant Bureau." He gazes at you warily. "Did they ask you to deliver this to me?"

"Take a little off because you're unfortunately aligned with the Operant Bureau. 60/40 against."

"'Opera Furiosa, colon, A Close Reading of the Operant Bureau and its Contradictions', or, 'Strewn in Constellation, colon, Second Thoughts on the Collective Frontier'."

"You joining M.I.H.O. and M.I.H.O. riding shadow shotgun with the Operant Bureau."

'TEMPORARY ASSET'? HE HAS LOST HIS MIND. THERE IS NOTHING 'TEMPORARY' ABOUT OPERANT CASCADE.