by Drew Cordell
“Yeah, let’s go,” I said.
The guard turned and led us down the long hallway to a set of double doors carved from dark wood. We opened the doors and saw Marwin and Grez sitting at a large rectangular dinner table. There was a young woman sitting with them as well; she looked only a few years older than Mary and me. She was pretty and slender with sharp features and short black hair pinned to the side. For some reason, she was wearing a tight, synthetic combat suit most likely fashioned of Nanotech-enabled Nexweave. It was beginning to look like the Harvesters were not limited in technological capabilities, not anymore at least.
Grez smiled when he saw us and motioned for us to come sit. There were six places set with glasses, plates, and silverware. Mary and I took our seats and scooted closer to the table.
“Jake, Mary, I’d like you to meet my daughter, Violet. I thought it would be nice for you to meet her, and I’d like her to be a part of our business dealings. I wanted to wait until you two arrived to start our negotiations, and we will begin them during our meal or after if you prefer. And if you want, we can play a few hands of Elorium. Marwin has told me you two fancy the game, and it’s one of the many vices I brought from Olympus and can’t seem to shake.”
Violet studied us with a flat look as we regarded her. I nodded cautiously. “We’ll see how things go, but we might be up for a few hands of cards.”
Grez nodded to us. “Wonderful. Now, I was explaining our situation to Marwin. I’m sure you’re aware of our previous operations prior to the collapse of society, and I won’t go over all that, but it’s important to me that we go over the past three years. Simply put, the men and women you’ve been fighting on the streets haven’t been affiliated with me or my organization since a few weeks after we lost everything.”
“You can’t seriously be trying to sell that,” Mary said. I placed my hand on her lap, trying to get her to take a gentler tone with the psychopath. She seemed to get the message, taking a deep breath to calm herself.
Grez remained calm. “I understand your hesitation to believe it, but it’s the truth. I consider myself a man of business—I like to exploit an opportunity when I see one. We used to rely on the Undercity to scavenge for our limited industry, but it was also profitable to scavenge your network infrastructure and sell it on the surface to questionable tech vendors. That all changed when everything collapsed. Credits are worth nothing, and our profitable organ market dried up instantly. We lost most of our market for the narcotics we used to produce as well. You can imagine how hard it became to source the required materials we use to manufacture them without a steady supply of government-approved medications to work with.”
Marwin shook his head and laughed to himself. “We’re supposed to feel bad for you that you don’t have anyone to sell drugs to anymore?”
Grez fixed him with a challenging stare, continuing. “Producing narcotics no longer made sense but, unfortunately, a lot of our grunts who had substance abuse issues worked for those drugs alone and lost incentive to continue employment with us. They went off to form their own groups and stole a lot of equipment in the process which is why they probably looked a lot like Harvesters even though they were no longer affiliated with our leadership.”
Grez motioned for the servants to come in, and they walked over to the table carrying platters of beverages. One of them walked over to me and offered beer, wine, and water. I took a glass of water and mug of beer.
Grez took a deep pull of his beer and turned back to Marwin. “We’ve avoided conflict with the Champions since we lost the firefight in the Undercity reactor plants. See, I wanted to rebuild our organization to the point where our past conflicts can be resolved and we could establish mutually beneficial trade. While I don’t have any more informants in the Champions, I have sources in River’s Port which tell me things aren’t well between the Scavengers and Champions. Like I said, I’m a man of business, and the markets I previously relied on no longer exist. When something like that happens, when everything dries up, you have to take extreme measures to restructure your entire organization.” Grez waved over one of the servants who brought him a datapad. “Look at this. It’s my current project. You saw the farms on the base level with traditional crops, but this is what I’m most proud of.” He passed around the datapad which showed a live security camera feed of one of the lower rooms—only there wasn’t a floor. The whole thing was a giant breeding chamber for some sort of sponge-like fungus which grew in bulbous clusters of impressive size. The porous structure seemed to shift and sway, almost like it was breathing.
Marwin wrinkled his nose—he looked disgusted. “What the holy flying hell is that gunk?”
Grez smirked. “With my former ventures, we had some great scientists and doctors on board our staff. Thankfully, most of them are still around. This is a special, edible fungus that breaks down the waste we gather from some of the river systems running through the Undercity below us. It’s high in protein and calories, and it’s easy to grow with the infrastructure we have set up. Best of all, it doesn’t taste half bad. This is a long-term solution to the food shortages we’re likely to encounter in the coming years as the country’s infrastructure decays.”
“The organ harvesting thing didn’t work out so you're going philanthropic now?” Marwin asked, laughing to himself and shaking his head.
“Hardly. I’m going to profit, and if I do some good while I do it, then I won’t lose any sleep at night. It takes a lot of proprietary equipment and growing techniques to get this type of yield. Not to mention this breed of fungi is genetically engineered. My point is this: I’m not all that bad.”
I joined the conversation. “I don’t understand. What do you want to trade for then? What do the Champions and Scavengers have that you don’t at this point? My understanding, and believe me, I’ve worked with the Scavengers extensively, is everyone is hurting right now.”
Grez took another pull of his beer. “Things are different now. Before the Collapse, we lived in a society with almost unlimited capacity to create anything known to man. Things were only scarce because the Omniscience Engine decided people shouldn’t have them or restricted them behind unrealistic paywalls. It’s called post-scarcity. The surviving people of the Slums and Undercity have yet to establish a new coin of the land in the new world order. We now live in world of extreme scarcity since the Omniscience Engine wiped all its infrastructure and now, currency can’t just be currency. It needs to have function. Food, water, and technology are all that matters, and if I can grow my guild, the three of ours can exist in peace and all thrive. I want to control the new currency of the land, set the interest rates, gain power, all standard stuff, really.”
“So why the interest in the map to Vermont if you’re planning on building your business empire here?” Mary asked, sipping her wine.
Grez’s daughter Violet spoke up. “Tech is everything, and we believe there could be a good opportunity to gather new equipment or setup a new outpost outside of New York to expand our network of trade and resources. That’s why we want the map, and that’s the reason why my father might consider giving the Champions a copy of the map after we’ve scouted everything out and staked our claim, of course.”
“You’re sure it’s not due to the fact the map leads to a weapons lab?” Marwin asked.
Violet scoffed. “I’m sure you know this as well as we do, but when the Omniscience Engine took down the grid on the surface and shut everything down, it fried all its electronics in the Slums. All the expensive manufacturing equipment on the surface doesn’t work, the electronics are no good and that’s the hardest to replicate, even if we make things from scratch. We’re hoping to get some new toys from Vermont, but we’re not in the business of war. Again, the men and women that attacked you over these past three years haven’t been under our command for quite some time. We’ve rebuilt the Harvesters from scratch, and now the only thing we’re harvesting is our crops,” she concluded.
“Cute,” Marwin s
aid, downing his beer with one swift motion. A servant walked over and refilled his mug and topped off mine, which was half empty. “Grez, there are things at play with that box I don’t understand. Jake isn’t supposed to open certain items in the box until a specific date in the future, and so far, the box has been immeasurably helpful in our war against the Omniscience Engine. If you would consider negotiating with the Champions both for our safety and allowing us to accompany you to the weapons lab, we will take our war to Olympus and end this. We can rebuild the country, and we can both quit living in the shadows. As you said, you are a man of opportunity. Imagine the life you can create as we build a new society.”
Grez’s mood darkened. “Let me stop you right there, Marwin. I’m going to make this very simple so you understand some things clearly and there is no room for misunderstanding what I have to tell you. The Omniscience Engine isn’t a threat to me. My men out in the field can handle a few of those fancy assassin bots. In fact, they don’t even seem that eager to kill my people. The Omniscience Engine isn’t after me or my organization, and for me, that’s a big plus. We can build all we want underground and not have to worry as long as we don’t get involved with the Champions in your fight. See, you’re fighting against an enemy that doesn’t plan on losing. You say the map in that box can get you a weapon to beat the Omniscience Engine, but I’m not so sure I want to live in a world where the Champions rule New York. Old grudges die hard, and quite frankly, your guild was technologically superior to mine and probably will be again after you recover from that botched raid you put on at the Docks.”
Marwin sighed, taking a deep breath to calm himself before speaking. “Look, I don’t speak for the entire Council, but we can draft up a contract and we can come back from this. Trust me, you’d like living in a society without the Omniscience Engine. What good is profit if people are still suffering?”
Grez interlaced his fingers on the table, leaning forward and appraising us. “Marwin, I’m going to make this very easy for you. You said the rest of the stuff in the box is confidential. I respect that, I’m a nice guy, and this can work out well for all three of you. You unlock the box, give me the map to Vermont, and you get your box back with the rest of its contents intact. You three come with me to Vermont, help me stake my claim on the new land, and we’ll see if you can bring some goodies back for the Champions. After that, we’ll work on establishing a trade deal, but not until I’ve had the opportunity to take everything and build whatever I want in Vermont. To be clear, we don’t support your war against the Omniscience Engine, but underground trade might be possible going forward. I’m not going to do anything to draw the Omniscience Engine’s attention. This isn’t a war that can be won, and all you’re doing is throwing rocks at the beehive.”
“An outdated analogy, but we’re planning on destroying the beehive with more than just rocks. What you’re proposing could take years; there has to be a defined project scope,” Marwin countered.
Grez sighed. “Fine. One month of your time after we arrive in Vermont, and that doesn’t include the return journey. It’s not just your decision, Marwin. We’ll enjoy our meal, and I’ll give you three some privacy to talk it out and make your choice. I’m going to warn you ahead of time: we may have to have a very different conversation if you don’t take my deal. Like I said, I’m a reasonable man, and you can come out on top.”
His offer seemed too good to be true given the circumstances. We needed whatever waited in the weapons lab, but if we could map it out while traveling or somehow make a copy of the data, then we might be able to take the weapon by force from Grez later. It wasn’t a clear shot to victory, but there was a silver lining, especially if Grez kept true to his word and let me keep the rest of the box after completing our bargain.
“Let’s eat. Oh, and by the way, I have a special guest who will be dining with us,” Grez said. “I think you’ll be quite happy to see him.”
The doors at the end of the hallway opened, and two guards escorted a man inside that lagged behind in a wheelchair. The guards moved to the side so we could see the person, and Leroy moved himself into the light.
6 DECISION
∆∆∆
Mary and I bolted out of our chairs, rushing over to him. It really was Leroy, but it was impossible. At the Docks, the robot’s blade had cut halfway through his chest, and he wasn’t breathing when we were forced to run from his body. How had he survived? Leroy looked beaten and weak, and it was clear he didn’t have full control over his arm anymore. We hugged him gently, careful not to hurt him, but even that pained him. He looked so frail, and guilt swelled up in my chest, sinking down and pitting in my stomach like a block of metal.
“I’m so sorry, Leroy. We thought you were gone,” I said with a shaking voice, helping him move toward the table.
Leroy winced as he stabilized himself on his weakened legs, shambling to his seat rather than allowing us to wheel him up to the table. He seemed determined to stand even though it was clear he shouldn’t have. Mary and I helped him the rest of the way, and he sunk into the chair with a sigh of relief before the rest of us sat at the table.
Leroy smiled, exhaling as he relaxed. “It’s not your fault, Jake. I’m still breathing. Grez saved my life when he and his crew showed up. I woke up sometime after I went down and had lost a lot of blood. I sealed my wound with Biogel and hooked myself up to one of my portable blood bags before I passed out again. I don’t know how I survived, and I couldn’t walk, but Grez and his crew showed up after you were already gone and took me in. The doctor here operated on me and saved my life. It was an experimental procedure, but they think I will be good as new in a couple weeks. Caeldra, is she with the Champions? I heard you were taken directly from Olympus.”
Mary and I dropped our heads. Mary spoke when I found myself unable to form words. “Leroy, she didn’t make it. I’m so sorry. There was nothing we could do. She gave her life to save me. I can never repay the debt I owe her.”
“Oh,” was all he said before laughing weakly. “I knew she was dead, but I just had to hold on to the hope I was wrong. Hope is all that matters, and I wasn’t ready to let go of her just yet. I’m glad to see you two made it out.”
Leroy covered his face as he started to cry. He was a broken man. There was no way to know if he’d ever return to his former self, but we had all been through too much to return to our normal lives. I felt the sting of guilt for leaving him in the moment, for not taking better care to check if he was alive or not. We had abandoned Leroy at my command, and it was impossible to think about how things could have changed if we hadn’t.
“Leroy, welcome. You’ll have plenty of time to catch up with your friends later. Let’s enjoy this meal,” Grez said, pulling us out of our grim conversation. “Obviously Leroy won’t be going with us to Vermont. He’s in no condition to travel, but I’ve cared for him as my guest since we rescued him. Help me, and he walks away with the rest of you as a free man.” Grez clapped his hands together. “Now, let’s eat.”
Servants brought in steaming platters of food. Some sort of meat, vegetables, and thick slices of the specialized fungus sautéed in a creamy butter sauce. Despite the fact I hadn’t eaten in several hours, I wasn’t hungry at all. I stomached a few bites of my meal, forcing myself to at least eat something for energy I knew I needed. Marwin was doing better than Mary and me and made it through half his plate with no signs of slowing down. He was drinking a lot of beer, probably too much to still have a clear head.
Grez looked completely unfazed by the events from earlier and finished all his food with a heartened smile. Not wanting to get drunk, I switched from beer over to water and finished a glass before a servant came over to refill it. Conversation was sparse, and I limited how much I asked Leroy. He looked as well as he could for being out of surgery for a week, but it was clear he was still in pain, both physical and emotional.
“Thank you for the meal, Grez,” I said, looking down at my still mostly-full plate.
>
“Yes, thank you,” Marwin said.
“Of course, Violet and I will give you some time to talk amongst ourselves and make your decision.” With that, the two of them left to give us the room, leaving and closing the door behind them.
“Jake, I think this is the best deal we’re going to get. Give him the map and keep the rest; it’s almost too good to be true,” Marwin said.
“I agree. But what about the part where we have to help him make it to Vermont? I don’t want to go through uncharted territory without a weapon and armor. It’s dangerous, and we need to be sure we’re well prepared,” I said.
“You’re right, Jake.” Marwin turned to Mary. “Are you good with the arrangement?”
She nodded. “Yes, things could be a lot worse for us. At least this way we might get something for the Champions while we’re away.”
“Leroy, have you been treated well?” Marwin asked.
“Yeah, fine. I owe Grez my life, but this isn’t my decision to make. You’d be the ones going through with it, not me. Obviously I want what’s best for you and the rest of the Champions, and it seems like this is a good deal all facts considered.”
“What do you remember from the Docks? We need to know why Grez was there in the first place,” Marwin said.
“Not much, but I did ask about it. They said our dead are still there, but they scavenged a lot of what they could from the dropships and fallen HKs for scrap. They said they left our EPX suits alone, but I have no way of knowing if that’s true or if the Guild went back already so we could retrieve the dead and our armor.”
“Okay, we give him the map and we help him get to Vermont. After that we try to help the Champions and end this. It might be easier to convince Grez to give us the weapon to beat the Omniscience Engine when we’re there. He’ll negotiate anything, and if the deal is good enough, there’s no way he won’t take it,” Marwin said, standing and walking over to the door. He knocked on it, and Grez and Violet walked back in, taking their seats at the table with us.