Marathe & Steeply, the undercover protocols

Marathe asks the question that has no operational answer: "why do they never send you into the field as yourself, Steeply?" The reply is a résumé of stacked personae — a "Haitian" for almost a year, now "Helen" — identity worn as a wardrobe rotated by the Office. "As yourself" has no referent for a man whose deployments are all cover; the self is the one persona U.S.O.U.S. never issues. It's the professional condition 045 and 061 will document as paperwork (the Jarvik-heart article, the false CV): the operative exists only as his current fabrication.