Why I now think Book was an ex-Operative

POSTED BY: asarian
UPDATED: Tuesday, December 28, 2010 04:23
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ASARIAN

Monday, December 31, 2007 2:34 PM

More and more peeps -- including my own self -- are backing away some from the idea that Book was high military, in favor of him having been a bad cop. I, for one, have always found that the more credible past to begin with. The man knows things. And I ain't just talking about his proficiency with fire-arms. For instance, Book knows Womack got his command stripes at the Silverhold colonies. And that this puts him about eight sectors away from his jurisdiction. Little people (to borrow a Bladerunner term) wouldn't know that; nor necessarily a high ranking military officer. But an ex-cop would. Or an Operative (you can't very well track peeps if you don't know the field).

I've always been happy with the cop thingy, until now. Because there are two statements that bother me.

EARLY: That ain't a Shepherd.

And,

BOOK: I don't give half a hump if you're innocent or not! So where does that put you?

Starting with the first, it got me thinking: was Book a bounty-hunter also? In other words, does Early know/recognize Book? I don't get the impression he actually knows him personally; but he does seem to be fair certain what line of work Book really was (had been) in. So, that leaves two options: either he knew Book had been a fellow bounty-hunter, or he knew Book from a field of employ rather adjacent to it: like an Operative.

So, let's examine the Book's OiS statement. Who would say a thing like that? It's a bit of a silly line for a high ranking purple-belly. And, for that matter, even for a cop. But it's a PERFECT line for a bounty-hunter! Because such a person would indeed not care, and also have cause to mention (!) that he don't care half a hump whether the 'package' he's to deliver is innocent or not. A perfect line for a bounty-hunter or... an Operative!

Still with me? In "Safe," Book gets the royal treatment. Would a bounty-hunter receive that? Not likely. But an (ex) Operative? Most like. And the longer I think about it, the more it makes sense. To summarize:

1): An Operative is someone Early might know (of); their fields of operation, after all, overlap in part (though bounty-hunter would probably deal more with the 'public' segment of the criminal population, I would say it's entirely plausible for Operative and a bounty-hunter to have crossed paths on a given job). Point just being, in terms of likelihood, Early would naturally recognize either a fellow bounty-hunter, or someone with a similar kinda job. But a high ranking military person would be out of his league.

2): It's as plausible they'd roll out the red carpet for an (ex) Operative, in "Safe," as it is ulikely they'd do the same for a bounty-hunter. Maybe they'd also do it for an (ex) cop, but...

3): Neither a cop, nor a high ranking purple-belly, would really have occassion to say they don't give half a hump if you're innocent or not! But a bounty-hunter would, as would an Operative. And since 2) goes against Book having been a bounty-hunter...

Also, the "I don't give half a hump if you're innocent or not" mentality apparently fits an Operative like a gloove:

MAL
Do you even know
why they sent you?

OPERATIVE
It's not my place to ask.

So, all-in-all, I now lean more towards Book having been an Operative. :)

--
"Mei-mei, everything I have is right here." -- Simon Tam

SCHOOLBOYSWINK

Sunday, January 6, 2008 3:46 AM

Certainly the "Book as ex-Operative" theory has some legs, and I think you've offered more concrete proof than anybody. I disagree on a few points, though, and in so doing have found some more concrete issues to add to my previous gut feeling that Book is NOT an ex-Operative. Here goes...

Jubal Early is a chump. Yes, he is tough, and somewhat clever (somewhat), and fast, and he has some very fine armor, but at the end of the day he is just a sadistic scumbag who uses a semi-legitimate profession as an excuse to satisfy his psychopathy. His dime-store philosophical musings remind me of Simon's characterization of Shan Yu: "Sadistic crap justified by florid prose." (Don't get me wrong, I love the character; he breaks the typical villian mold in every way.) My point? This guy is about as far from an Operative as Dog the Bounty Hunter is from Ender Wiggin. Or a moral version of James Bond, I guess, for anybody who doesn't get the Ender's Game reference. So, the notion that he might "cross paths" with an Operative is not too convincing to me. In fact, I'm not sure ANYBODY "crosses paths" with an Operative, for the reason that I don't think Operatives have paths so much as they have places where you thought they were a minute ago, but now can't seem to find. I don't think they have acquaintances so much as they have people they haven't been ordered to kill yet. Remember, the Operative didn't say he was "special forces" or "classified," he said he "didn't exist." So if you do meet one, you don't know he is one, and if you do know he is one, it is likely to be the last thing you ever do know. (Obviously people in Alliance circles would know some things, but even their info I think would be very "need to know." I've wondered if the feds under his command were told what he was, or just told by their actual superior officer that they had to follow his orders, period.)

That said, I don't think Early knew Book wasn't a Shepherd due to any prior encounter. He knew he wasn't a Shepherd for the same reason that he knew the name and habits of every other person on Serenity: Research. He clearly had done his homework before the job. Now, had Book been an ex-Operative, would Jubal Early have been able to dig that info out? I doubt it. I highly doubt it. Even if somebody disagrees with me as to Early's level of intelligence, I think we can agree that it would take someone with Mr. Universe-level skills to unbury information that was THAT classified. That makes me shy away from the ex-Operative theory.

Another thing that makes me wary of the ex-Operative theory is...well...the "ex" part. I just don't see a person being allowed to QUIT being an Operative and then get to sail the black like a normal person. I think the Alliance would keep tabs somehow, if they let an Operative quit at all. The Operative in the BDM implies that he's doubtful the Alliance will leave him alone. Maybe we would have gotten to see an example of that had the show gone on, but all we got is what we got. Plus, if that is what Book was, why not try to "activate" him, call him back to active service since he's already inserted into the situation, a perfect mole, rather than send somebody brand new to start from scratch?

In response to the above, I've even toyed with the idea that Book isn't "ex" at all, that he's actually some kind of deep cover Operative who is on some bigger mission. But it would have to be something HUGE for him to ignore River's fugitive status. Also, Book's faith, as well as his caring for the crew, have to be genuine; if they aren't then there is no reason for him to exist as a character at all, and his genuine faith and caring go against his image as a current sleeper Op. His leaving the ship and taking up residence on Haven goes against that further still.

I don't have a good theory of my own, so I guess I'm kind of a jerk to disagree with anybody who does. What I do have is a completely unfounded hypothesis, a notion, a question that, so far as I know, hasn't been asked, based on a line which, perh

CHRISTHECYNIC

Sunday, January 6, 2008 3:59 AM

I don't think Jubal had crossed paths with Book, I think Jubal was just that good at reading people.

[Added] I think it should probably be pointed out that just because he knew Book "ain't no shepherd" doesn't mean he knew what Book was.

ASARIAN

Sunday, January 6, 2008 4:22 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by SchoolboysWink:

Certainly the "Book as ex-Operative" theory has some legs, and I think you've offered more concrete proof than anybody. I disagree on a few points, though.

I love a good discussion. :)

Quote:

That said, I don't think Early knew Book wasn't a Shepherd due to any prior encounter. He knew he wasn't a Shepherd for the same reason that he knew the name and habits of every other person on Serenity: Research. He clearly had done his homework before the job. Now, had Book been an ex-Operative, would Jubal Early have been able to dig that info out? I doubt it. I highly doubt it. Even if somebody disagrees with me as to Early's level of intelligence, I think we can agree that it would take someone with Mr. Universe-level skills to unbury information that was THAT classified. That makes me shy away from the ex-Operative theory.

Ok, you make a solid point here. But please consider, that if Book's status as former Operative really requires a level of clearance and/or skill only Mr. Universe has access to, then why, by the same token, would Early find out anything about Book, BUT him being a Shepherd? So, whatever homework Early did -- which I'm sure was extensive: after all, he needs to know who he's up against -- he DID discover something about Book that made him say, with certainty, that he ain't a Shepherd.

I had actually considered what you say here -- sans the Mr. Universe part -- but concluded that the alternative, that Book was just a dirty ex-cop, simply could not construe with the royal carpet treatment he received in "Safe."

Quote:

Another thing that makes me wary of the ex-Operative theory is...well...the "ex" part. I just don't see a person being allowed to QUIT being an Operative and then get to sail the black like a normal person. I think the Alliance would keep tabs somehow, if they let an Operative quit at all. The Operative in the BDM implies that he's doubtful the Alliance will leave him alone.

Well, couldn't Book simply be a retired Operative? I reckon you have to be in pretty good physical condition to remain on the active Operative list, and not be a "grandpa" (though he never married). Under conditions of honorable retirement, I'm not so sure about tabs; surely the man has proven his loyalty to them, no? Years of faithful services and all. I mean, if he simply did retire. They would look a mite silly suddenly not trusting him. Though I'm sure Alliance personnel is never really entirely not under some sort of scrutiny, even if just the routine kind, I think he'd have enough room to walk the world for a spell without being overly interfered with.

Your forgery theory has merit, too. :) It would, for one, solve a discrepancy I got stuck on; namely the inexplicable difference between the royal treatment he received in "Safe." and the idea that he was a dirty ex-cop. Your ID forgery theory offers a plausible way to reconcile the two.

--
"Mei-mei, everything I have is right here." -- Simon Tam

SCHOOLBOYSWINK

Sunday, January 6, 2008 4:45 AM

Good point about the retired Operative concept. I guess what I was thinking was that in order for Book to go from being an Operative to a man of Faith in something other than the Alliance, and to seem at most points to have no great love for them, that he must at some point have had the kind of world-view-altering experience that the BDM Operative had, and not simply taken his gold watch and gone on his merry. But that may be assuming too much on my part.

"When you can't do somethin' smart, do somethin' right!" -Jayne Cobb quotes Shepherd Book

BIONICBATMAN

Sunday, January 6, 2008 4:51 AM

I'll keep my answer short.
The more i think about it, the more i think he was NOT an operative.
When the Alliance patched him up the look at his ID card to show who he was. And just like the Operative from Serenity said, "Like this place, I dont exist." They would not have known who he is then

ASARIAN

Sunday, January 6, 2008 4:58 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by SchoolboysWink:

Good point about the retired Operative concept. I guess what I was thinking was that in order for Book to go from being an Operative to a man of Faith in something other than the Alliance, and to seem at most points to have no great love for them, that he must at some point have had the kind of world-view-altering experience that the BDM Operative had, and not simply taken his gold watch and gone on his merry.

Also, a good point. But I figured that if a person really wanted out, there be not so many roads one can take. It's not like you can walk up to them and say: "Hey, I now think you folks are the bad guys, and I don't wanna play with you no more." :) Cuz that would be inviting trouble he'd never seen before... or worse, had. So Book's age might have been a good pretence for him to not just take the easy way out, but also ensure for himself that he would thereafter actually be in a position to do something worthwhile with his life.

Still, the more I think about it, the more I like your the fake ID theory. :) The stuff Book knows about Womack's little operation on the side, that, to me, is the strongest 'evidence' pointing in the direction of him having been a bad cop. Your fake ID theory would really solve a lot.

--
"Mei-mei, everything I have is right here." -- Simon Tam

ASARIAN

Sunday, January 6, 2008 5:16 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by BionicBatman:

I'll keep my answer short.
The more i think about it, the more i think he was NOT an operative.
When the Alliance patched him up the look at his ID card to show who he was. And just like the Operative from Serenity said, "Like this place, I dont exist." They would not have known who he is then

Possibly you're not recalling the convo in full. :)

WOMAN
Parliamentary override.
Full access.

DR. MATHIAS
Apologies.

An operative of
the Parliament will, of course,
have full cooperation.

I'm not sure what...

I see no listing
of rank or name.

OPERATIVE
I have neither.
Like this facility,
I don't exist.

His ID reveals no name or rank, but DOES state his current status as Operative. Nowhere in "Safe" is it said, either, that the Alliance recognized Book by name. But their reaction, upon seeing his ID is, well, actually pretty much like that of Dr. Mathias. :)

--
"Mei-mei, everything I have is right here." -- Simon Tam

ASARIAN

Sunday, January 6, 2008 5:28 AM

BIONICBATMAN

Sunday, January 6, 2008 5:45 AM

He has Parliament codes to get him access everywhere.

He has no rank or name, but has entry to any facility with his Parliament pass. Book could be the same.

Now back when Book is helped out it could very well be because of his status of a priest or Shepherd.

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