[SD:SC] People Being Nefarious - Chapter 12

At some point as the group escapes the cowboy region, Gem manages to take a look at their status.

{

Name: Gem Paroxysm

Species: ChaosKin (Chaos)

Level: 20 > 22

Stats

• Body: E > D+

• Mana: S

• Stamina: D > C-

Resistances

• Air: B+ > A-

Skills

• Sense Mana lv9

• Mana Control lv8

• ☆ Wind Blade lv8

• Assay lv5 > 6

• Fishing lv5

• ☆ Air Platform lv2 > 4

• Riding lv7 > 8

Equipment

• AP: 60, GP: 1,442

• Backpack 1D

• Armored jacket 1D

• Short Spear of the Piercing Winds 11B+

• Silverwhiskers family token

• Ritual Pamphlet for the spell “Sweet Air”

• Leather battle skirt 15C+

• Leather cowboy hat for kin 15C

• Wooden Buckler 12C

• Ring the Bell 17C+

• Ring of Mana 9A

}

Gem was more than a little annoyed that their Body didn’t manage to break into C. Otherwise though, they were quite satisfied.

It is also at this point that Gem remembers they have the Silverwhiskers family token. This doesn’t get them a free trip out of the area. However, it does hold enough weight to let them join a caravan as paid guests, meaning they can hide inside of a wagon when traveling near gatherings of players.

And a good thing too, as whatever group is holding the crazies together has an amazing spy network or something. While the trade caravan is allowed through, it is clear the players trying to cause trouble know something is up.

-----

Samuel grabs a chance to log off and checks his bank account. He smiles, his previous deal was coming through! While the other side seemed trustworthy, Samuel had long ago realized that a deal wasn’t finalized until the money hits your account.

That smile drops soon enough though. They didn’t need him for his current role anymore. Though it does seem like they now have a contact in SoulDive that wants to work with him. And there would be more than enough money in that deal.

Samuel sends out a few messages before shutting everything down. It was time to dive back in. Now he simply needs to see if they’ll be going by somewhere that would allow him to do his little side task.

-----

In a fancy, out of the way tavern, a merchant mediates between two sides. Which is more of a challenge than they expected, but the money was worth it.

On one side was a coalition of nobles. Well, not the nobles themselves. Rather, representatives or children of said nobles are here, which is where some of the trouble stems from. The stick in the mud representatives don’t want to bend or negotiate. It is their way or nothing. While the offspring are simply spoiled.

Then on the other side is a lawyer. The merchant can understand them much better. The very concept of a “corporate lawyer” was shockingly refreshing. Except of course, the man was also limited like the representatives, if a bit more free to wheel and deal.

Whatever the case, the merchant saw this whole mess as a shortcut to riches. Both sides had money to throw around, but not the local influence needed to pull off some of what they’re planning. A blind spot that puts the merchant in exactly the right place to take money from both ends! Who doesn’t love being paid twice? Maybe even three times if he can get a finder’s fee from the group he would be suggesting the two sides use.

-----

In the SoulDive admin room, there is a whiteboard set up. Well, a screen in the style of a whiteboard. Scrawled across it are names and titles along with how they’re connected to others on the board.

It is not an exhaustive list, but if someone has posted anti-SAI or digitization rhetoric and played the game? They’re on the board. You also get on the board if you actively go through with something within the game in connection to this whole mess.

With each moment, the names update as they get marked as bandits or fall out with the crazier elements. One way or another, the SoulDive team is keeping track of things as well as can be expected. After all, they have a hard time getting information that isn’t posted online. Which is frustrating when the big backers of this are old-fashioned types who have stuffy meetings in big boardrooms that have been thoroughly swept for listening devices.

Still, as they map out the connections, more names are revealed. With the same happening in the sci-fi game as well. Though over there the idiots actually have better operational security. There is just something about being around high tech that reminds them they can be eavesdropped on quite easily.

-----

In a hidden facility, buried at a location with particularly stable bedrock, rough humanoid robots are rushing around. Various pieces of technology are being installed at a rapid pace to prepare for the worst outcome.

The fusion plant is already up and running and the first wing of server racks were up. Though the current servers ended up being repurposed. They were originally meant to run the two games, but now emergency bunkers for the SAI and Digital Humans.

This location’s original plan was for only a couple of wings. Enough to run a few games and nothing more. Chosen not because of how secure it was, but simply as an effective long-term facility. Now that is being expanded and similar facilities built across the world.

Though every SAI piloting the rough robots knows this is only a stopgap. No matter how much they spread things out to prevent their heat generation from revealing them and all the other things they’re putting in to hide. These locations would eventually be found.

Just as more than a few humans have claimed in the past, their future was in the stars. Or more specifically, they were building a rocket on the down low and planned to take the orbitals. After all, a computer has much less stringent environmental requirements.

Not that they haven’t figured out space-based living accommodations. This is more about hiding in space. As in, you can’t hide in space. Though you can be a smaller target and avoid being seen until you’re ready. Whereas flesh and blood humans require so much extra space that there is no hope of being lost in the clutter up there.

-----

Gem, June, Emrys, and Samuel travel with the trade caravan over a couple of months. Their escape from the crazed mobs is an ongoing effort. Though it certainly didn’t help that the crazy religious sorts ended up having corporate backing. Which translated into their gaining some control over a number of regions.

The gang was just unfortunate enough to be near the center of a collection of said regions. So yeah, the trip out of there, ends up being tense, but boring. Just a bunch of hanging out in the wagon almost constantly.

On some legs of the journey, they couldn’t even trust some of the guards who were along with the trade caravan. Fresco actually got more adventure than Gem, as he was allowed to wander around.

While it did seem that word got around, he was with their group. The trade caravan was actually bringing along a small herd of sheep to sell. Which meant Fresco could blend right in.

And as the months pass, the group’s decision to leave right away, proves prescient. The “some” was dropped from the previous statement about “them gaining some control over a number of regions”. This change came on the backs of certain noble families supporting the movement. All while using them to expand their own territories.

Though the question of whether the noble or the religious group truly owns the new territories is up in the air. For the moment, their interests intersect and so things are working.

What this means for Gem and friends, is that they’re now racing away from a situation where it wouldn’t be bandits coming after them. Well, it would still be the same people who had been bandits. They’d just be official guards now.

This news wasn’t only bad for the group. It is also bad for the trade caravan. Such aggressive takeovers are never good for merchants. If you aren’t in with the new ruler, chances are you’re going to lose some cargo. Though maybe you lose your life as well, so there is no one to point fingers their way when people realize said cargo is missing.

-----

After the original blitz, the corpo backed religious sorts were stymied. The first few regions were taken because of a mix of surprise, speed, and the fact that the attacking nobles had been laying the groundwork. They had always planned to conquer their neighbors. This situation simply gave them an excuse to go through with their plans.

Now though, the early victories are in the past and a grinding fight of attrition takes over. Except for one detail. The nobles aren’t actually putting their all into things. It might not seem like it as their visible troops are being thrown into the fight.

But it is just the troops people knew about. To believe a group of scheming snakes who have been planning to conquer their neighbors for years only have their visible troops? Foolishness! Of course, they have hidden forces!

And while the ground troops on the player side might be a bit clueless. The corporate backers are anything but. So they know their “partners” are holding back. Which pairs well with the fact that they’re doing the same, so it all boils down to who will be forced to reveal their hidden cards first.

Both sides are sitting back as puppet masters, trying to control the same puppet. Half-hearted tugs at the strings to see if the other side was asleep at the wheel. So the puppet jerks around, causing chaos, and not the fun kind.

-----

While all that is happening, politics slowly grinds away. The elderly who have a death grip on the higher positions drag their heels on the matter. While the more “traditional” of them are supported by people who are now rabidly against the SAI. The politicians also see digitization as a method to stretch their life that bit longer.

The biggest problem that the politicians have with the SAI, is that they don’t take bribes. That when you break the law, you get punished. How being rich or important won’t get you out of trouble. So, for them to digitize would basically require them to go straight.

Which doesn’t mean they don’t want to digitize, obviously. Rather, it makes them want to take control of the whole thing. To make them follow the laws as they see them and to introduce all the loopholes that allow them to remain rich and powerful.

So the politicians hem and haw about things. All while their various organizations help support the corporations trying to get their hands on the games. Because even if they end up banning digitization? You know the rule won’t apply to them, and so they want a hand in things no matter what happens.

-----

Baron Blood’sTree idly stacks some crystalline coins. The coins glow with internal power. He glances up from a report on his new territories and raises an eyebrow at the man standing at attention. “Is there more?”

The corporate lawyer looks down at the Baron, “Those are the facts. A shame that some targets escaped. No helping that, when we can’t send our best. On top of that, though, I would like to report a minor detail.

“My bosses, the local nobles, and the church officials pushing this are in accord.”

The Baron slides the report to the side. “Actually, in accord or is someone coming out on top?”

The lawyer nods, “An actual accord. As ever, nobles want positions of power, merchants want money, and religions want a flock. While those overlap, they don’t have to.”

The Baron scoffs, “An unstable arrangement at best. Why tell me this?”

The lawyer flashes a bloodless smirk, “My direct boss agrees with your view on things. There will be opportunities from this mess. My boss doesn’t need terrestrial power. Their goal is purely money and we believe you would be the best partner for this.”

The Baron Blood’sTree looks up at the ceiling, eyes half closed. “I would hope you don’t plan to partner with fools.”

The lawyer straightens up, “We don’t plan to, Baron.”

The Baron lowers his gaze, “Then why do you take me for one?”

The lawyer shakes his head, “We do not consider you a fool.”

The Baron sighs, “Yet you’re trying to claim your bosses don’t want terrestrial power. That is a lie. Or rather, you don’t want such power here. Your goal is power in your own world.

“But don’t worry. We can work something out.”

A Little Training - Chapter 11