It turned out there weren’t that many pces to actually put evacuees, even in a mega city as rge as Calgary. Nearly every possible square foot was covered with either mega towers, which were already packed full of their own residents and didn’t want to take in more, or titanidustrial plexes which weren’t fit for human habitation.

  The best we could find were a series of titanic warehouse plexes, which provided shelter but little else.

  “It sounds like the insuranpanies are trying to cim that corporate wars fall uhe ‘force of nature’ cuses, and refusing to provide even the most basic living expenses for the people,” Sharron expined as I unloaded the st group of evacuees outside the already crowded structure.

  “So most of them are going to have to stay here until the fighting’s over? That’s fucked up,” I replied quietly, so the people couldn’t hear me.

  “We’re doing what we . Zetta is trying to ‘Pressure’ a few of the pao release funds, but more than a few of them have samurai backers so ces are that’s not going to happen for most people. Angeline, Nora and a couple others have started setting up tents, porta potties and soup lirying to make this pce livable,” Sharron expined.

  “What about Barricade? and Hel?”

  “Jacob has been h around the outskirts of the flict, ready to swoop in and try to reinforce damaged buildings before they colpse,” a voinounced frht behind me. I quickly pivoted, to fianding there, looking exhausted. “And I’ve been busy trying to locate more pces that ut people. Unfortunately space is at a premium, at least on the surface.”

  It took a couple seds for my brain to process what she was saying. “Oh fuo, you ’t possibly be suggesting what I think you’re suggesting,” I hissed. “These people wouldn’t st an hour in the uy. It took me six months, and a damn army, to make even a small se what I would sider ‘livable’. The gangs would eat these people alive.”

  “It’s either that or beyond the walls, and with all the otioithesis have beore active the st few days. The family has some security forces, but not enough to secure a pound of that size, and if a siithesis mao pee the perimeter…” Hel left that st statement hanging.

  I sighed. “I get it, we’re struggling to provide for their basieeds. Although we’d have the space, we don’t have enough samurai voluo both setup a location, and hunt the rogue antithesis at the same time. I wish I could pull a few bears back from those garrisons outside, but I don’t want to risk losing the city’s food, or power supplies. That would make the situation much worse.”

  “It wouldn’t be so bad if the cil, or other corps for that matter, did anything to help with the situation. Even a few extra guards would be helpful,” Sharron moaned, “but ihe cil is pletely ign the state of the city, tratiirely on the flict, and the other corps have decided to sit bad fortify their own plexes.”

  “To them charity is an iment. They o get more out of the act than they put in. Risking their profits by leaving their property undefended? Not worth it,” I grumbled as I received a ping, “Just a sed.”

  On the far end of the pound a small fight had broken out in front of the newly setup soup kit. I didn’t know what had caused it, but with a quiand I sent a couple moose charging into the area. They’d break things up real quick.

  “These people have been out of their home for just a couple hours and they’re already starting shit,” I reported to the other two.

  Hel shrugged. “Tensions are high. These are just the evacuees from half a dozen buildings, what are we going to do when the flict spreads? Where are we going to put everyone?”

  “As far as I’m ed, the gangs are just as much of a threat to these people as the antithesis. We’re going to need more security no matter what we do,” I said, crossing my arms. “Isn’t there anyone else that could help us?"

  Right ohrough the crowd I spotted a fsh of purple as the people parted, allowing for a pair of exceptionally well dressed individuals, and their bodyguards to step through. I grimaced as the unfortunately familiar pair fmboyantly strutted towards us. . “Shit. I take it back, we’re better on our own.”

  “And, like a hero of old, I arrive at the eleventh hour to give aid to those in need,” Mirage decred as he stepped up troup. Behind him, a woman I’d only met once before, Charlotte LeFluer, AKA Stalking Shadow, nodded politely towards us. The two of them were dressed in expensive suits, and looked like they’d stepped right out of a board meeting.

  “Hero, huh? I expected you to be out there on the front lines, sidering how far your nose the cil’s ass earlier,” I snapped.

  Mirage shot me a disappointed look. “Do you have any idea how delicate the baween the big five is? If there’s even the smallest disruption those ravenous vultures will be at each other’s throats, trying to tear off a bigger piece of a pie for themselves. You have no idea how much work it is to keep them from squabbling.”

  He sighed. “This war will keep them focused on a single, external threat for the time being, but as soon as it’s over I have no doubt they’ll be fighting over the scraps again. Since Charlotte and I refuse to intervene in the flict, and we ’t throw our support around to keep the cil banced, we thought we’d show our support another way.”

  “Please tell me you have empty buildings we house these people in,” Hel said.

  “Unfortunately not, we make very effit use of our facilities,” Charlotte replied in her high css at, “But we may be able to help with your ck of personnel. We dipped into the emergency funds, and tapped into our out of city tacts, all te up a couple extra PMCs to help out. sidering they’re all meized, I doubt they’ll make great security staff, but perhaps they take over from Teddy’s garrison units?”

  “How do you know about that?” I asked suspiciously.

  “Oh, darling, I make it my busio know everything that happens around this city. You never know where the big deal is going to e from, have to keep on top of things,” Charlotte replied with a wink.

  She flicked open an oversized pair of sungsses, and slid them on. “The troops should be arriving in the hour or so, that should help, yes?”

  “Yes?” I replied bnkly, before shaking my head and answering properly. “Yes, thank you.”

  “Don’t I, also, deserve a thank you?” Mirage asked, with a wide smile.

  “Thank you, you have been very helpful,” I mahrough gritted teeth.

  “It was no problem. Charlotte and I have also assigned a ti of our security staff here to keep things under trol until your reinforts arrive,” Mirage said, before cheg his watch.

  “Now if you’ll excuse us, we have a meeting with the Helmar board of directors. They still haven’t moved their forces, so we want to determiheir iions. With any luck we vihem to not do anything stupid. Try ahe city in one piece while we’re gone,” Mirage swiveled in pce, and immediately started walking off, casually waving goodbye over the shoulder of his ridiculous purple suit.

  Charlotte threw a little wave and “Ta ta!” our way before following him a moment ter.

  “I really hate that man,” I growled, hopefully loud enough for him to hear me as he wandered away.

  “You do have to admit though, he came through for us,” Sharron muttered, before turning back to Hel and myself. “So now what? We have the forces, where do we set up?”

  Hel raised an eyebrow and looked my way, it didn’t take a genius to uand she was leaving the final decision to me. I groaned. “Shit, I guess… the uy is the better choice. There’s a huge area outside of the Terminal that used to be a shanty town, but si was one of the focal points of the incursion six months ago it never recovered. As long as we choose the right pce, and eople about the weather, it should be fine.”

  Sharron nodded, but Hel just looked fused. “How bad the weather be? Isn’t it underground?”

  “Hel, my friend,” I ughed, ”let me enlighten you about the realities of living in the uy.”