“I’m not sure how you got those two assholes to cooperate, but they were a lot more receptive today than they were on Wednesday,” Nora said as she stretched out.

  “They weren’t that much better,” I grumbled. “We spent most of the day arguing about semantics, but at least we didn’t spend it talking about the best way to split the seats again.”

  The two of us had just finished another day in the cil room, trying to iron out a few policies to make the geover as smooth as possible. Rather than having everyone in the room at the same time, we’d started taking shifts over the st couple of days. It prevented everyone from getting burned out and, more importantly, let Angeline spend more time with her daughter.

  The meetings were b, and even though I khey were important. I ofte pletely out of my depth. I had absolutely no frame of referenost of these issues and didn’t have a clue how to solve them, but I helped where I could.

  “Hopefully Squiddy and the backstabber finish ironing out the ideas tomorrow.”

  “Evelyn, I know you and Hel aren’t on the best terms right now, but could you maybe hold ba the insults, just a little?” Nora asked awkwardly.

  “Nope, I have exactly two ways of getting my frustration with someo of my system: verbal violence or physical. She’s lucky I’m restrig myself to insults,” I expined.

  “Right. Lucky,” Nora scoffed. “Well, I hope you do get it out of your system, and you make up, before she leaves.”

  “We’ll see,” I grumbled. “What that woman did crossed the line. I know I was a little worked up, but stig a needle into my ned pumping me full s? Even if I didn’t have problems with drugs, that still would have been uable.”

  Nora wi my mini tirade, so I took a deep breath to calm down and ged the subject. “Hopefully we’ll finish our pns for the gover geover in the few days, but that still leave us with one major loose end.”

  Nora sched up her nose. “What?”

  “The Denver military. Their entire military, including half a dozen superheavies, is just sitting there on the east side,” I expined.

  “That’s a lot of hardware… Why are they still here?” Nora asked.

  “Probably because they spent a lot of time and moo start this war and they don’t have anything to show for it,” I muttered. “I’ve threateo e down on them if they start wreg the city again, so they’re probably trying to figure out how to proceed.”

  “’t you just threaten them until they leave?”

  “I feel kind of awkward doing that,” I admitted. “I didn’t want to get involved in the flict, but did because the cil decided to be assholes, and now I’ve kind of fucked up their pns. I don’t actually have any issues with them taking their anger out on the big five, just as long as they keep the rest of the city out of it.”

  “Well, if you want advi corporate-reted matters, you always call Charlotte,” Nora suggested.

  “Maybe I will,” I muttered, befng at the irl. “Do you need a ride home today?”

  “Nope, I’m doing an exhibition today at one of the nearby ventioers! Gonna show them what my legs do!” Nora excimed. She began to bounce up and down on her cyberic legs; even this small motio her a couple feet into the air.

  “Why didn’t you tell me? Or any of the others? I’m sure the kids would have loved to e and watch you,” I pouted.

  “This is just the first exhibition, a test if you will. I wao make sure everythi smoothly before I invited everyone,” Nora expined.

  “Fine, but you better invite us to the one. Issi would never five you if she missed it.”

  “Way to guilt-trip me. Fine, I promise.” Nora muttered before twirling in pd jogging off dowreet. “Later!”

  “So long,” I replied with a wave. When she was out of sight, I quickly desded the stairs at the front of the building and headed towards the waiting Kodiak. I’d been w long hours the st few days, so I was eager to get home, but the trip back did give me time to do o thing.

  “Time to call Charlotte,” I muttered as the hatch closed behind me and the Kodiak took off.

  My augs hummed for a few seds while I waited for the e to be made. When it did happen, it wasn’t Charlotte oher end.

  [Evelyn, what a surprise. What I do for you today?] Mirage asked jovially.

  [I called Charlotte, why did you intercept my call?] I growled.

  [I didn’t. Charlotte has important busio haoday, so her AI is redireg all samurai reted busio me,] he said. [Now, what I do for you today?]

  [I wanted some advice from Charlotte, but as much as I hate to admit it, you’ll do in this case,] I begrudgingly admitted. [The Denver invasion force is still sitting on the East side of the city, and I wao know the best way to get rid of them.]

  [That might be a little difficult,] Mirage muttered. [You see, the problem is that acc to corporate w, panies only decre war on other panies, never a third-party entity. That’s why Advanced System Dynamics decred war on the big five instead of Calgary itself. Now, the goal of a corporate invasion is to either capture the CEOs of the target pany et them to capitute. They ’t do that now that you’ve throwire cil in jail. The big five could eleew CEOs but won’t do that while ASD and their allies are iy; it’s kind of a loop hole in the rules.]

  [So there’s no way to get rid of them? Wonderful,] I grumbled.

  [I didn’t say that, I said there was no way for them to win the war. They always be bargained with, bought off, or threatened. At the end of the day this is all about corporate is.]

  [Well, I don’t know and don’t care about their is. I just want them gone. My friends and I have far too mu our pte right now to worry about Denver’s military fug something up.]

  Mirage sighed. [I could talk to them if you’d like. This is a corporate reted issue, and as the corporate representative of the Family, it is teically my responsibility.]

  [You think you vihem to leave?]

  [Probably not, but I at least discover what they’re after. Once we know that, we discuss if that’s something we actually give up, or if there’s an acceptable alternative,] Mirage fidently expined.

  [Do you holy think we’ll have anything they’d actually want?]

  [You’d be surprised how far some people would go to get a hold of samurai tech,] Mirage grumbled. [Let me talk to them first, find out what’s going on, and I’ll get back to you.]

  [Alright… thanks, I guess,] I mumbled.

  [No problem, I’ll talk to you ter.]

  When he hung up, I just stared bnkly at the back of the Kodiak. Did I just had a civil versation with Mirage? I hought I’d live to see the day.

  As the Kodiak desded into the uy, I prayed that things would settle dowhe few days. Between the refugee camps and the cil issues, I was starting to feel stretched thin. I missed the days when I could solve all my problems by blowing them up.

  Where were the antithesis when you hem?