Yet another lunchtime rough draft! I’m not sure if I’m getting better or worse at using the smaller keyboard, but readers will notice my mild dyslexia gets a lot worse the further in you go. *sighs* But I’m also polishing up these random ramblings into actual posts which I will start posting later tonight. They are very much out of order (and some of them need a LOT of rewriting), but at least they are much closer to English then they are currently! >.< ;;;

“As you can see, we’ve been pretty effective at breaking up our larger competators, Zoe pointed to the two groups, but that’s because we’ve been getting some help. Brian is actively wokring to foster infighting amoung the various groups, not onlu with those we are in conflict with, but aslo with those we had hoped to use a neutral allies . Although details are sketchy, we know he;’s been funneling weaponry and ammunition to at least seventeen groups, and has been offering funding for local procurment where he can’t ship things in. Thankfully our own suppliers are willing to take a loss and keep our supplies running, but I don’t know how much longer that will last. We need to take out at least three of these groups now in order to keep our pipelines open.’

There is a good chance that Brian knew this, which is why we have to be acareful. there’s no tellingwhat information he’s been feeding them, they may be much more aware of what we are planning and our own strengths and weaknesses than we are of theires.

Which is why I’ve brought you six in, Zoe nodded to the three teams of two. Each of you will receive and assignment, and I expect you to take care of the group in whatever manner you see fit.

Whatever manner? Alec raised an eyebrow, not to be rude, but it’s a little naive to think we’re going to do anything other than kill people. I mean, seriously, he waved a hand at the other teams and Kat. These people are very good at one thing, and that’s making sure the otherside is too busy burrying it’s dead to get in your way.

Actually, that’s not true. John pointed out, My expertise is actually in supply management with a minor in economics. I just like shooting things.

Alec gave him a rather startled look. Wait, seriously?

John nodded, I’m good on the ground, don’t get me wrong, but it’s all in knowing what to attack to cause th emost damage. Death is something al ot of these groups don’t fear, but take away their running water and warm food and they’ll turn on each other like a pack of spoiled three year olds.

Tucker shrugged, I blow stuff up. Demolitions expert, sabotage expert, only I can break things without anyone knowing I break things. Is why my nickname’s Murphy. He grinned, I get what John’s sayin’ but Alec has a point, we’re more likely to take out at least the key leadership and -then- work our magic. Unless there’s something pretty iumpressive between us and them.

And to make things fun, I’m a virolgy expert. Miridian grinned a grin that was not at all comforting. There are plenty of ways to take folks down using the everyday viruses on hand. A flue bug in a contained area is guarenteed to keep folks off the front lines, and depending onthe people invovled there’s a good chance we can get the little buggers to do our killoing for us. On that front, I’m also a good person to have on the home team, since I can keep up from falling to the same things that everyone else is already at risk for.

Kat was looking at her cohorts with new appareciation. And dare I ask what leathal skills you bring to the table? She looked at Keesha, are you a sociologist or psycologst or some sort of propaganda expert that will have them on thweir knees begging to be Good?

Nope, Keesha laughed, I’m actually an FX techie. My job is to scare the living daylights out of them, keep them unnearved and on their toes and ripe targets for the rest of you. Nothing like an enemy that is jumping at shadowsa… not that we aren’t all jumping at shadows at this point. She shivered. on a good note, I’m also really really good at making people feel safe. Give me enough to work with and I can bring a sense of calm to just about any setting. It’s odd what trips people’s subconcious.

So we are saving the world with a quartermaster, a theatre geek, a virologist, a sabatoure, a CEO, and an assasin? Kat was more confused that dissa pointed, but she wasn’t sure she liked the odds… even with the oddly useful skills everyone was bringing on baord.

Yup. Zoe nodded. And we’re going to do it with style— I expect all of you rto honor the commitments you made when you accept these positions. I know not all of your groups are of the same mind as we are, but try and keep the excesses to a minimum.

And by excesses you mean?

Bodies. Zoe gave the six a rather stern look. We’re still the Good Guys, and please keep that in mind. While I’m personally taking responsiblity for leading us a lot friuther into the grey than I’d norlally be happy with, I’m not willing to give you carte blanche to do as you will.

Noted.

So here are your assignemtns, she handed out the packets to the three teams. I’ll let you start your research here, since there’s more room here than at headquarters.

Also better lighting, Alec pointed out.

Right. Well when you want to come back, let the immortal with no name becays I am too lazy to think one up know and he will show you how to use the teleporters to come back again. For the momemnt they only work from these two points, but in the future we may be able to work the system to allow us more freedom. AS with everything connnected iwth the contest, we’ll lose the ability ot use them as soon as the Veil has finished falling.

Well, soonest started is soonish finished. tucker stood up and headed toawards the conference room that they’d passed on the way in. Keesha followed him with soemthing akin to amusement.

John and Miranda headed off into a corner of the balcony, as they apparently prefered to be in large open areas rather than in a smaller room.

Kat looked over at Alec who was already flipping through the assorted notes that they had been provided. He looked up with a hmm? when she poke him.

“Are we doing this here?”

Alec looked around the now empty room, Zoe had left with the immortal to talk about something or other before she headed bacl. “Suppose so, we’ve got room.” He spread the papers out on the table. “We’ve got the worst of the lot I imagine.”‘

Kat looked athte large snake logo that apapered on most of the paperowk and sighed. ‘Oh great, of all the people to fight we have to get the one with a clue.”

“And heavily armored vehicles.” Alec paged through the files, “And I’m pretty sure they are jsut as happy as ducks in the rain with the coming apocalpyse, fits right into their mindset.”

“Well,” Kat pointed out, “At least it’s not zombies.”

“True, true.” Alec handed her one of the handdrawn maps. “Looks like they are polkanning on setting up in the same area we are. Easy guess what they want us to do there.”

“This is the point where Plan A should including nuking things to space.” Kat mnade a face at the rather impressive looking compound sketcehd out on the map. “Looks like they are already partially dug in, I wonder how long they’ve been out there.”

“Porbably as soon as we got the first hints that something was wrong.”

“Pre-flying squid I’m guessing.” Kat was still not pleased that Evil had gotten a floating castle in the air and a giant flying kraken as part of their arsinel. “Actually, this might not be too bad, it looks like they are still consolidating power in South Dakota, so we’ve got a bit of a distance when it comes to sending reinforcements.”

Alec nodeed, “I’m not sure how recent these notes are either, probably the best things to do would be to check out our respective grapevines and see what we can dig up that’s a bit more timely. I’m not too keen o nthe idea of charging in guns blazing without knowing what we’re up against.”

“Not like you’d go int guns blazing no matter what,” Kat snorted, “You’ll be more likely to go in with a passel of lawyers and zoning regulations than actually lower yourself to shooting people.”

“Whatever works,” Alec sniffed, “If we can bring them down wihtout killing them, it’s jsut as valid as if we did it with orbital nukles.”

“Less fun though.”

“Depends on your version of fun.”

“Whssssssssh-BOOM!” Kat make the approparite hand guesstures to describe total oblivation via things going asplody. “Fun!”

“I’ve been paired with a sociopath, great.” Alec rolled his eyes.

“Unless you are really dense, you really hsould have figured htat out by now.” Kat chided, leaning back in her chair and refoucins gher attention on a series of photographs that had been in the packet. “Speaking of which, I think I have my area of expertise.” She waved the photos at him. “Name rank and serial number, plus these folks are mcuh guarenteed to be hands on for this project.Give me the right planning and I can cut the head of the snake.”

“Hydra,” Alec pointed outm, “as soon as you cut one off, two more take it’s place. These people are too used to violence to have a simple death throw them off their game. Not that it won’t be useful,” he cut off her objection, “we just can’t count on just that to bring them down. Which is probably why they’ve paired us up.”

“I still don’t see how you are going to be useful.” Kat raised an eyebrow. “Unless you plan on undercutting the price on their widgtes, you’re sort of out of your element here.”

Alec just looked at her. “Did it somehow escape your notice that I have a half dozen fiefdoms at the moment, all within useful range of our target?’ The governmnet might be in harge, but I’n the one calling the shost. THere’s an updsaid eto haveing company towns, you know where their loalyites lie. I’m also on very good terms with a lot of thesupply chain, and as John pointed out cut off their supplies and you can cuase a lot of problems. Nothing big enough to catch the notice of south dakota, of course, but little tihngs.”

‘Plus those widgets we make are in just about everytihng.” Alec looked smug, “And don’t think we didn’t build in back doors, becayuse we think long term at MEgaTech. heck, most of our corporate gbuildings can run completely off the grid for five years at fullcapacity. Never tie yourselfd to soemthign you don’t control. Gas prices. Electricity. We’re more or less self sufficent, save for the water supply. And That’s covered by the contingency plans, of which we have almost as many as Zoe.’

“Wait, you have abckdoors in all your products?” Kat was turning over th implications in her mind. Evern the stuff they put in cars?

Well, yeah, Alec forwnes as he thought about it. The car AI systms are run mostly off our chips in the major manufactueres.

And the military manuifactureres? Kat grinned an eviulk grin.

We won that contract five years ago, only lost it two, so yeah ALec joined her in the grinning There’s a better than good chance we can take out a few of their armored vehicles. ALhtough the back doors arent as powerful o nthe military grade equiment, we had ot work a lot harded to hide it.

But it’s something, and between your techie tricks, my head shots, and your economic blackmail wemight just be able to pull thsi off.

Assuming they don;t know wer’e coming. Alec sighed, Brian might have seen three steps ahread on this— we really don’t know what we are walking into.

So, boots o nthe ground and we find out, yeah? Katpushed her pile of papers across the table.

“yeah.” Alec nodded, and begain gaterhing them back into the envelope.

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