Is he insane like the Joker?

[ Because if they were getting another whack job clown, Eliot wanted to be prepared. ]

He values his life much more.

But he'd go to the same lengths and refuse to be talked out of it, yes. Probably.

Valuing his life is good. Means he'll be predictable at least.

Acquaintance of yours, I take it?

He had been working on that. [with a hum, though he wasn't unconcerned at all--]

[and, short, sharp laugh escaping before he manages to pull it back,]

Ah - yes. Something like that. He's always been in my shadow, you could say.

Sometimes those can be the worse.

Was he a friend? [ If there was emotional fallout involved, he wanted to be warned of that too. ]

It means he learns. Relatively. [and that he's going more insane -- but that wasn't something too-]

[a full-on stop.]

[...]

Was. I've had a long time to work on that, too.

Trapping him wouldn't do any good, especially before he's done anything-- he may be mad enough about being trapped here to help rather than hurt, [well,] up until COMPASS makes an offer that he thinks he could turn around on them at the end. Without a Project Head around, we may have time before that.

Alright. [ He will take your word at face value and believe that you are alright with it. He won't be happy when you get a crisis breakdown afterwards. ]

You know this guy, so how do we deal with him? W can't justify doin' anything right now either way.

Catching his scheme before it begins is the best option, obviously.

He has an awful ego; he definitely doesn't make friends; anyone he acts friendly toward- truly friendly-- he's probably plotting something regarding them. As for prevention... [...] ... Whatever I do, imagine what would ruin it, and that's probably what he's thinking of doing.

Unfortunately, as I just want to get us out of here, this could go sour very quickly. Or, well. Will go sour.

Didn't know you've found a way to get us outta here, Doc.

[ Perhaps the wry sarcasm was ill timed, but Eliot proved his point that it also didn't help in catching this Master guy's scheme if they had only this much information to go on. ]

So he makes it his life's dedication to ruin you? Man, I hate the type. [ Sterling. ]

Call it a work in progress. [grumbling, but yeah, yeah, Eliot had his point. there was an agreeing noise - they were obnoxious - and then contemplative silence. to be broken with,]

He won't do anything if he thinks it would put himself in an inferior position compared to others. That's a little more of something.

But ... really not much. [damn it.]

[ Eliot grunted over the communicator and sighed. ]

I'll keep an eye out for the guy. Dunno his face or voice, so I can't ID him unless he goes to call himself the Master. [ Seriously? Seriously? Hope you carry a picture, Doc. ]

He will. His ID shows up as such, and he's not exactly shy.

Otherwise-- he's a short brown-haired British man with a prominent willow's peak. Prone to laughter and generous amounts of smiling. Hope that helps.

[ It doesn't, but Eliot made a noise of acknowledgement anyway. ]

British accent? [ Because how else was he supposed to tell he was British, by tea consumption? ]

Impressively. [which is a yes, and do ignore the rest of what he ramblingly implies, Eliot. you should be good at that by now.] I'd love a look at COMPASS's technology.

Not sure you should be admirin' them.

Alright. Thanks for the heads up. [ This means Eliot was cutting out before that rambling got worse. ]