Meadowlark Inbox;

[wittingly]

@ian.fowler | ■ ▲ ◌ ▼

Comments

[wittingly]

whenever you need me, take me to where you set up shop
give me access to supplies
I'll work with whatever you guys already have going

[realists]

Now I need more distractions. So far it's just you and Annabeth.

[wittingly]

as in we're the only ones planting them and/or potentially setting them off right now?

[realists]

As of right now

[wittingly]

in that case have you considered timers set to detonate simultaneously across all your target locations at once

[realists]

I have. We've also considered a series of inoperable bombs that Morningstar could "disable".

I'd still prefer more people to set them. Working on it.

[wittingly]

alright, nice
good tactic
I'm not saying you should deliberately injure anyone when I suggest this, so please keep in mind I'm recommending a more creative implementation or an idea for future reputation building:

it might be good press to see them triaging people, too. caring for the wounded. We had something called FEMA back home - Federal Emergency Management Agency, people would come in and set up temp shelters with food, water, blankets, aids, anything like that - with the FEMA logo so there's no mistaking the source

if you already do this and I'm mansplaining after having been here a couple of weeks, please say 'eat a dick Ian'

I have this tendency to get over invested in things
It's a work in progress

[realists]

We had thought of that.

The problem with Morningstar doing that is that Morningstar is illegal. The FEMA equivalent here would be PRESERVE, they do much the same thing. Morningstar is more behind the scenes and Morningstar in New Beijing is already spread so thin.

I'll give them your idea. It's up to them after all they might be bold enough to take advantage of their current support.

[wittingly]

shit
yeah that does make branding a little harder doesn't it

alright, I'm gonna stop making brilliant suggestions until I actually learn what the fuck is going on to some degree

you know how to grab me when you need me

[realists]

It was a good suggestion.

[wittingly]

thanks
you can pay for my bomb services in more commentary like that
I stopped getting year end summary reviews when my work got demolished by fucking aliens so I'm overdue for positive feedback

[realists]

Aliens?

But you're from Earth.

[ WHAT. ]

[wittingly]

yeah, Bad Unlucky Unfortunate Earth
the earth that got fucked
the earth that probably won't be the earth about a decade after when I was before I turned up here

[realists]

That's why you weren't very bothered waking up here.

[ a question that isn't a question. ]

[wittingly]

I was fucking stoked to wake up here
home sweet home

[realists]

I wasn't born on this planet, so that makes me an alien. Promise I won't blow up your job.

[wittingly]

maybe I should start specifying the specific race of alien, considering
but also
I think blowing up the job is exactly why you recruited me so I wouldn't make that promise

[realists]

This planet, however backwater is it, is mine now. I am only blowing things up to save it.

You're right about the species though. I was born on Vallt but I'm not Vallti.

[wittingly]

Vallt, but not Vallti
Is it taboo of me to ask what race or species or whatever the terminology is you are? I am beyond exceptionally unaware of interplanetary etiquette
the 1 other race I have experience with decided we weren't worthy as an entire species so the culture share didn't really happen

[realists]

I'm human.

What did they do?

[wittingly]

I feel like I just got the old bait and switch

they subjugated
only culled enough to shut down any semblance of resistance, then told the rest of the planet they were merciful. put anyone they could find in work camps. you pretty much stay there until you die, volunteer to die, or until you get sick

they don't waste resources on the infirmed or disabled
"mercy killing" for the good of the many

they just started scrapping everything our planet had to offer. ripping buildings out of the ground.
I heard they plan to leave once they strip out everything useful, but who the hell knows

some people live in rural areas, groups of survivors trying to lay low
but that's it, basically
we never got Starbucks again, the end

[realists]

Hollowed out.

[wittingly]

most likely
all minerals
natural gasses
I'll be shocked if they don't rip the fucking trees out of the ground by the end, but their focus has been metal structures so far
anything that can be foraged for their fleet

then just a shell left for anyone unfortunate enough to still be alive by then

[realists]

I've seen planets like that. Tyranny as peace, debt systems no one can find their way out of, forced labor from prisoners, planets stipped bare and abandoned when they can't offer anything else.

[wittingly]

sounds like either we share a neighbor or the broad universe is exactly as irredeemably cruel as humanity has historically been to itself