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Who’s who again?
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There was a certain routine to these meetings now. Everyone was more relaxed. Not being locked up for years and then put into a room with strangers a couple of days later did do something to the air in a room. Zac didn’t put it past them to be actually working them with pheromones. But that was just the pessimist who murdered the realist inside of him talking.
Emergency meeting just didn’t have the same ring to it anymore. That’s all. When you’re involved with people who pretty much committed a megagenocide without criteria, leveling up the term like a Pokemon evolution while doing so, what could possibly be an emergency?
What do you think this is about ?
Goddamnit. Now Roxanne actually sat next to him during the meetings too. Not that her husband cared the slightest. He was probably happy to smell some freedom. Zac made some vague facial expression indicating that he wanted to listen to what was being said, even if the father was still getting his notes ready.
A physical memory of darkness, the crucifix and the slap almost overwhelmed him. What helped him stay grounded was a little trick his mother had taught him when he was little, watching a movie that scared him.
Look around the room, the walls and furniture around the TV. The couch you’re sitting on. Your hands. You’re not there, you’re here.
Zac took several deep breaths. The last one made his back ache. In a good way: it reminded him he was sore from playing basketball with his sons. Still, to be sure, Zac did not look up when he realized the priest had started talking.
… that the water levels are indeed rising. This seems to be happening at an unprecedented pace, although, for obvious reasons, we haven’t been able to confirm it with actual footage.
The obvious reasons being blowing up the existing internet infrastructure and thinking you could snap your fingers to build a new one from the ground up. When there’s not that many people left to snap your fingers at. Well, that and the fact that 99% of the population isn’t used to manual labor anymore.
Zac could comment all he wanted, but he knew he was to blame too - for the last sentence most of all.
We want to be honest with you.
At that, the miniature teaspoon of courage left in him made Zac look up: Since when? he wanted to ask.
This is, of course, not something we planned for or could predict. It seems like some earlier models from the 2030s…
Roxanne leaned in.
That’s the decade of COVID, MAGA and Epstein, right?
Yeah. You forgot AI killing more industries than you can count and changing the judicial system by being able to create any kind of footage.
You sure had a beautiful, secluded house back then. Do you miss it?
I’m sure moving from private jets to limousines to 5 star hotels was really tough for you.
There was nothing flirty about these conversations from Zac’s point of view, although it was a welcome change to be able to talk about the past with someone. Even if that someone was a complete nutjob.
We’re fairly certain that we can move our base of operations anywhere and our plans can continue undisturbed, water or not. We are currently discussing the measures to take regarding the people outside the walls and the use they can be to us. We will let you know about our final decision in the coming weeks.
Zac looked around the room, at the furniture and his hands. He looked at Roxanne, noticing her childish sketch of people drowning.
Table of Contents
Who’s who again?
Previous chapter in this arc
I must see how it ends.