Part 22.5: Just to Clear Up a Few Details ...
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Director Piggot, PRT ENE
Emily breathed out a long sigh. One small step, as they say. Let's hope we can stick the landing. She leaned back in her chair, trying to wrap her head around what she'd just agreed to do. What she'd just committed the PRT to do, whether they knew it or not. Unpleasant thoughts began to intrude, and she tried to argue against them, but her best logic failed against unforgiving truths.
"Uggghhhh ..." she groaned, sitting forward again. Why me? Reaching for the mouse, she clicked on the 'Compose new message' icon.
Tattletale
Lisa was about to shut her laptop down when a ping indicated that another private message had just dropped into the inbox. "Oh, that doesn't sound good."
"What do you mean, it doesn't sound good?" Annette peered at the laptop. "All those pings sound the same to me."
"It's the timing." Lisa sighed with aggravation. "She just thought of something."
Taylor said nothing; instead, she rolled some dice and scribbled on a piece of paper.
"Are you going to answer it?" asked Danny.
"My power says it can be left until later." But despite the vague conviction that it wasn't hugely urgent, Lisa didn't move the mouse to dismiss the notification.
"Which could be a ploy to make life more interesting later," Andrea mused. "All in favour to answer now?"
"Aye," Annette said, echoed closely by Theo and Danny.
"All against?" asked Danny.
Nobody said a word. Once more, Lisa felt as though she ought to, but when she suppressed her power, the feeling faded away.
"Looks like the ayes have it," Andrea announced cheerfully. "Let's see it."
Lisa obediently clicked the notification, and it unfolded.
PRIVATE MESSAGE
To: Management
From: Director_Piggot_PRT
Subject: I have more questions
One: If we can divert Leviathan away from Brockton Bay by doing this, is there any way we can make him go back to sleep instead of attacking another city? How deep an insight do you have into his motivations and what makes him tick?
Two: Exactly how reliable are Random's predictions in all this? I don't mean to give offense, but we're banking a lot on something I know very little about, right now.
Three: What are your backup plans in case this doesn't work?
Four: Just as a hypothetical, what are the chances of actually ending Leviathan if we didn't reduce the conflict in the city but instead fortified the place with every armament known to mankind, and made it into one gigantic trap?
Five: You are aware that if he sheers off because of our actions, another city is going to take it on the chin, right? How comfortable are you with that?
Taylor
"Called it," I said, picking up the note I'd been writing and dropping it alongside the laptop. Point by point, I'd outlined the gist each of her follow-up questions.
Annette rolled her eyes and bopped me on the shoulder with her fist. "Of course you called it, you dingus. That's literally your job. Now, how best to reply ..."
"That's your call, Mr Hebert," Dinah interjected smoothly. "Old Union man and all."
"Hm. Thank you." Dad stepped forward to stand next to Lisa. "Okay, exactly as I say. Ready?"
"Ready," she reported, fingers poised over the keys.
PRIVATE MESSAGE
To: Director_Piggot_PRT
From: Management
Subject: Re: I have more questions
We have indeed considered all those aspects. In order of your asking:
One: Our Thinkers have been over all available records of Endbringer attacks, which are unfortunately thin on the ground, given that any foolhardy idiot who's pointed a camera at them has usually died. Random has predicted that Athena might get more insights once she has real-time line-of-sight visuals of an Endbringer in action, which would be unfortunately too late to aid in diverting him from wherever he was at the time.
It would be ideal to figure out a way of telling him to go away and leave everyone alone, but our insights into Endbringer motivations do not extend that far as yet. Random says that she can't learn what she needs to know until she learns what she needs to know.
I don't know what that means, either.
Two: Random's predictions are either a percentage number, to five significant figures, or it gives a definitive fact. Her power is so precise about being precise that it literally won't let her lie about predictions she's about to make. I've never seen them go wrong, and I've helped test them quite stringently.
Three: Our backup plans will be evolving as we get more information and can use that to get more information again, but the basics will be: Delay, fortify, protect, divert from vulnerable locations. If I can be placed in charge of the defense of the city, we might even be able to make a good showing of it.
I have just been told that if Leviathan comes on shore, we'll "fight like we're the third monkey on the ramp to the Ark, and brother, it's starting to rain". Which is kind of appropriate, yes.
Four: No. Do not do that. That is a Very Bad Idea. Random has just rolled a bunch of dice, and is looking particularly grim. Tagg in particular will use the entire city (and its population) as a throwaway resource if it will help kill Leviathan ... but it won't. No amount of escalation on the part of the PRT will achieve that. I've just been told that Leviathan is not showing his full strength. None of them are. The very best outcome of this sort of thing would lead to Leviathan breaking off early, but by the time he does that, three-quarters of the population of Brockton Bay will be dead, half the city permanently under water, and more than half the heroes and PRT personnel likewise casualties. And if Tagg gets to use his nuclear mines, a radiation hazard offshore for the next fifty years.
Five: We're aware of it. It's not something we're happy about, but we've talked it over in exhaustive detail. One of the reasons we're going with this is that Brockton Bay is uniquely vulnerable to Leviathan's particular brand of fuckery, so basically anywhere else would be preferable.
Random will be running the numbers on a daily basis, and the moment we get a line on where he might be going instead, we'll be able to provide you with options to feed to them about potentially lessening the impact. Even twenty-four hours will be enough to get most vulnerable citizens away from an area, and a week will allow a city to almost completely evacuate.
Oh, and wherever he chooses to go, our Thinkers and heavy hitters will be coming along to participate. We're not just sending him away for someone else to face.
Hope that helps.
-- Management
Director Piggot
Slowly, carefully, she read through the long message. Parts of it made her raise her eyebrows, especially the part about Tagg and nuclear mines. The man, she knew, would absolutely use them.
Once she came to the end, she nodded and typed three words into a reply post.
Yeah. It does.
End of 22.5
Emily breathed out a long sigh. One small step, as they say. Let's hope we can stick the landing. She leaned back in her chair, trying to wrap her head around what she'd just agreed to do. What she'd just committed the PRT to do, whether they knew it or not. Unpleasant thoughts began to intrude, and she tried to argue against them, but her best logic failed against unforgiving truths.
"Uggghhhh ..." she groaned, sitting forward again. Why me? Reaching for the mouse, she clicked on the 'Compose new message' icon.
<><>
Tattletale
Lisa was about to shut her laptop down when a ping indicated that another private message had just dropped into the inbox. "Oh, that doesn't sound good."
"What do you mean, it doesn't sound good?" Annette peered at the laptop. "All those pings sound the same to me."
"It's the timing." Lisa sighed with aggravation. "She just thought of something."
Taylor said nothing; instead, she rolled some dice and scribbled on a piece of paper.
"Are you going to answer it?" asked Danny.
"My power says it can be left until later." But despite the vague conviction that it wasn't hugely urgent, Lisa didn't move the mouse to dismiss the notification.
"Which could be a ploy to make life more interesting later," Andrea mused. "All in favour to answer now?"
"Aye," Annette said, echoed closely by Theo and Danny.
"All against?" asked Danny.
Nobody said a word. Once more, Lisa felt as though she ought to, but when she suppressed her power, the feeling faded away.
"Looks like the ayes have it," Andrea announced cheerfully. "Let's see it."
Lisa obediently clicked the notification, and it unfolded.
<><>
■
■
PRIVATE MESSAGE
To: Management
From: Director_Piggot_PRT
Subject: I have more questions
One: If we can divert Leviathan away from Brockton Bay by doing this, is there any way we can make him go back to sleep instead of attacking another city? How deep an insight do you have into his motivations and what makes him tick?
Two: Exactly how reliable are Random's predictions in all this? I don't mean to give offense, but we're banking a lot on something I know very little about, right now.
Three: What are your backup plans in case this doesn't work?
Four: Just as a hypothetical, what are the chances of actually ending Leviathan if we didn't reduce the conflict in the city but instead fortified the place with every armament known to mankind, and made it into one gigantic trap?
Five: You are aware that if he sheers off because of our actions, another city is going to take it on the chin, right? How comfortable are you with that?
■
<><>
<><>
Taylor
"Called it," I said, picking up the note I'd been writing and dropping it alongside the laptop. Point by point, I'd outlined the gist each of her follow-up questions.
Annette rolled her eyes and bopped me on the shoulder with her fist. "Of course you called it, you dingus. That's literally your job. Now, how best to reply ..."
"That's your call, Mr Hebert," Dinah interjected smoothly. "Old Union man and all."
"Hm. Thank you." Dad stepped forward to stand next to Lisa. "Okay, exactly as I say. Ready?"
"Ready," she reported, fingers poised over the keys.
<><>
■
■
PRIVATE MESSAGE
To: Director_Piggot_PRT
From: Management
Subject: Re: I have more questions
We have indeed considered all those aspects. In order of your asking:
One: Our Thinkers have been over all available records of Endbringer attacks, which are unfortunately thin on the ground, given that any foolhardy idiot who's pointed a camera at them has usually died. Random has predicted that Athena might get more insights once she has real-time line-of-sight visuals of an Endbringer in action, which would be unfortunately too late to aid in diverting him from wherever he was at the time.
It would be ideal to figure out a way of telling him to go away and leave everyone alone, but our insights into Endbringer motivations do not extend that far as yet. Random says that she can't learn what she needs to know until she learns what she needs to know.
I don't know what that means, either.
Two: Random's predictions are either a percentage number, to five significant figures, or it gives a definitive fact. Her power is so precise about being precise that it literally won't let her lie about predictions she's about to make. I've never seen them go wrong, and I've helped test them quite stringently.
Three: Our backup plans will be evolving as we get more information and can use that to get more information again, but the basics will be: Delay, fortify, protect, divert from vulnerable locations. If I can be placed in charge of the defense of the city, we might even be able to make a good showing of it.
I have just been told that if Leviathan comes on shore, we'll "fight like we're the third monkey on the ramp to the Ark, and brother, it's starting to rain". Which is kind of appropriate, yes.
Four: No. Do not do that. That is a Very Bad Idea. Random has just rolled a bunch of dice, and is looking particularly grim. Tagg in particular will use the entire city (and its population) as a throwaway resource if it will help kill Leviathan ... but it won't. No amount of escalation on the part of the PRT will achieve that. I've just been told that Leviathan is not showing his full strength. None of them are. The very best outcome of this sort of thing would lead to Leviathan breaking off early, but by the time he does that, three-quarters of the population of Brockton Bay will be dead, half the city permanently under water, and more than half the heroes and PRT personnel likewise casualties. And if Tagg gets to use his nuclear mines, a radiation hazard offshore for the next fifty years.
Five: We're aware of it. It's not something we're happy about, but we've talked it over in exhaustive detail. One of the reasons we're going with this is that Brockton Bay is uniquely vulnerable to Leviathan's particular brand of fuckery, so basically anywhere else would be preferable.
Random will be running the numbers on a daily basis, and the moment we get a line on where he might be going instead, we'll be able to provide you with options to feed to them about potentially lessening the impact. Even twenty-four hours will be enough to get most vulnerable citizens away from an area, and a week will allow a city to almost completely evacuate.
Oh, and wherever he chooses to go, our Thinkers and heavy hitters will be coming along to participate. We're not just sending him away for someone else to face.
Hope that helps.
-- Management
■
<><>
<><>
Director Piggot
Slowly, carefully, she read through the long message. Parts of it made her raise her eyebrows, especially the part about Tagg and nuclear mines. The man, she knew, would absolutely use them.
Once she came to the end, she nodded and typed three words into a reply post.
Yeah. It does.
End of 22.5
Last edited:
