NARRATOR: Bristlecone, Company Mess...
MURTAUGH: This mess hasn't seen a meal this good in a long time. Good work you two.
CH'VORTHQ: "If the food is good enough, the grunts will stop complaining about the incoming fire."
LIZ: Shiny.
MURTAUGH: It's the least I can offer for a job well done and expectations exceeded.
LIZ: Wow. Even knowing how it works, it's working on me. That's pretty impressive.
MURTAUGH: Knowing how what works?
LIZ: The presentation of a challenge coin. It's an extension of personal influence beyond extant position power.
MURTAUGH: It's not a power-grab. It's a way to say thank you.
LIZ: "Thank you" is also an extension of influence, but the effect of mere words will fade in the absence of the repeating effect of a memento.
When you presented this to me I felt my own sense of worth go up, I felt an increase in my loyalty to you, and those feelings will be reinforced every time I admire this coin.
LIZ: I can see why this meme thrives in high-stakes, top-down organizational structures.
MURTAUGH: You can ruin a thing by looking at it too closely.
LIZ: If a close look ruins a thing, the thing was already broken.
CH'VORTHQ: Hey, this side says "The company mess and friendly fire should be easier to tell apart."