(Virtual Room in NERV HQ)
For once, things were actually going according to plan!
Isaac sighed contentedly as he watched the virtual screens running through
different plot lines and projections that the game’s master AI had been working
on. Finally, something happening without everything going insane!
“All right, people, out in the world it is Friday night, and
I have a date, so I want to run through everything one last time before heading
out.” Looking to his subordinate GMs, Isaac began going through the checklist of
known issues. “What is happening with the rebuilding of the logistics network
in the Empire?”
“Temporary transfer stations have been set up at the
location of the old sites, and things are moving along nicely. Another virtual
year, and the logistics of moving cargo across the Empire should be back to
pre-war standards.”
“What about the planets damaged in the war?”
“Askao VII is still a viable site for a mining colony. The
primary habitation dome has been rebuilt, and new colonists are beginning to
settle there. There’s a monument to the victims of the massacre, including the
last broadcast of the NPC reporter who was covering the attack on the ground.
It isn’t going to be back to pre-war levels for a decade, at least, though, and
even that is only because the industrial nodes were relatively unscathed by the
fighting.”
“The attack on Katcheka didn’t do much direct damage, but
the loss of the station and disruption in logistics networks has caused coffee
prices to spike due to scarcity. A replacement station is being constructed,
but it will take time. There have been ‘coffee riots’ in three systems in
outlying areas of the Empire due to the lack of coffee.”
Isaac shook his head. “Of course. People will ignore a lot
of things, but interfere with their coffee and they get hellaciously pissed. What
else?”
The subordinate GM flipped a virtual page on their virtual
clipboard, and said, “Venus is a total loss, of course. Everything
technological there is gone. Actually, it is more like a blank slate, due to
conditions on the planet. Unlike Jagloth or Earth, the environmental conditions
have quickly destroyed the Greenwave nanites, so Venus would be open for
colonization. However, the number of people who would wish to live on Venus when
there are hundreds of other worlds out there is not large. There would have to
be some new element added to the situation to cause people to want to settle
there.”
Isaac turned, and said to one of the programmers, “Get with
the Story and Design AIs, and start brainstorming possibilities. Perhaps we can
program in a ‘unique reaction’ between Greenwave and the environment, causing a
new power source or something like that? See what we can do to make the planet
someplace to visit again.”
The first GM flipped another page, and said, “Earth… well,
Earth is basically unchanged. Weather patterns are restabilizing after the global
weather control systems were eaten, and the ‘sanctuary cities’ that were hastily
made in the initial strike are still standing. Outside the initial Sanctuaries,
tech is still Industrial Revolution level, at best. Overpopulation in the
Sanctuaries is being solved by increasing recruitment for the military to
replace losses from the war, and for colonization projects to head out to areas
that were damaged in the fighting.”
Another GM chimed in, “Actually, I’ve been watching a group
of Nomads who intend to try and start a new Sanctuary in what used to be
London.”
Isaac raised an eyebrow. “How are they planning to get the ‘fence’
set up and turned on without it getting eaten?”
“Brute force, apparently. The idea they floated to their investors
basically entails setting off several EMPs in the atmosphere to knock out nanites
in a wide area, and then rapidly deploy the fence before they can backfill. It
is one of those things that will either work, or it will fail horribly. But the
people going down are mostly Nomads, and the interests funding it want the acclaim
of saying that they are working to help reclaim Earth for Humans.”
“I’m not liking the sound of that last bit. What do we know
about this group?”
“Well, they are what we’re calling ‘human supremacists’. Basically,
the sci-fi version of your gun-toting militia types. According to the plans the
AI’s shown us, this is a small test, and if it works, they’re going to try and
set up a major compound in North America for ‘training purposes’.”
Isaac winced. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. What about the Nomads
involved? Are they part of this group?”
“Not that we can see. It looks like a case of the Nomads
using the militia’s money to prove their concept, and the militia using the
Nomads as guinea pigs so that they don’t lose any of their people if things go
bad. So it isn’t likely to be too bad, from a PR standpoint.”
“See if we can’t insert something to have in-game officials
keep an eye on them, anyways, just to make sure they don’t do anything stupid,
or so people can jump on them if things go bad.”
“Will do.”
Isaac took a breath, and said, “All right, that should cover
the areas affected by the war. The dungeons are up and running now, and people
are loving it, which makes everything much easier. What is the word on the X’thari?
Have the incursions started?”
“A few small incursions have already begun, in isolated
systems. The X’thari appear to be unsure about what they are looking for, so there
haven’t been any big raids, just scout ships alone or in triads, looking for
prey. Their presence has been masked by the general upsurge in piracy since the
chaos of the civil war started.”
“Pirates are on the move, so ships that go missing are
attributed to pirates. Let that go for now, but keep an eye on it. Don’t want it
spiraling out of control, like some of the previous issues.” Isaac took a
breath, and said, “So, anything else that needs to be talked about before we break?”
When no one answered, Isaac smiled. “Damn, first time that’s
happened since launch! Good work, everyone. See you all later.”
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Be sure to read my published works!
Frozen Soul series (Sci-Fi Supervillain story):
Frozen Soul https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071R125QT
Tales of the Void Traveler https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06ZZ52G37
Rules-Free VRMMO Life (Dark Fantasy GameLit):
Volume 1 - Tutorial
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071VPRNDB
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rules-free-vrmmo-life-stuart-grosse/1128941349?ean=2940161995297
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0774T354X
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rules-free-vrmmo-life-omnibus-i-stuart-grosse/1128953195?ean=2940162052081
Book I - Game Start https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071LT5WGL
Omnibus I - Books 1-4 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077X2KR7Y
City of Champions Online (Superhero GameLit):
Issue I - Origin Stories https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075SHXQS1
Lewd Dungeon (Dungeon Core GameLit):
Book 1 - Welcome to the Apocalypse https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BB34DHF
Omnibus 1 - Books 1-4 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FBPF6HR
The Kalipshae Affair (A First Contact Short Story): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0739V6R6T
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