Civic Appeal [Community Story Arc RP Thread]

[Terminal]

Civic Appeal

A Community Story Arc on the Everlasting Server

 

 

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Hello and welcome to the Civic Appeal RP thread. Civic Appeal is a Community Story Arc run as an overarching story and plot that is open to anybody and everybody on the Everlasting Server to participate in. Like other Community Story Arcs before it, Civic Appeal is predominantly run and operated on the Homecoming City of Roleplay Discord Server.

 

This thread exists mostly for the purposes of helping keep the Civic Appeal Story Channel a little neater and more compact, as well as serving as a place for participants to make associated IC posts for linking back to from the Discord. This thread is not otherwise intended to be play-by-post.

 

Please do not post in this thread except for Arc-Related, IC content. If you have any questions or want to express interest in the roleplay, please check out the Civic Appeal discussions channel in the City of Roleplay server. If you are not already a member, follow the link posted above and introduce yourself in the check-in thread. You can then gain access to the CSA channels by reacting to the Arc role in the #roles channel.

 

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Civic Appeal has officially begun. Visit the Civic Appeal discussion channel on the City of Roleplay HC Server for more details about the Community Story Arc and how to participate. This thread is now open for general IC posting purposes as convenient to participants of the arc.

 

Edited June 21 by Terminal

[Terminal]

King's Row

The Gish

 

The last few years had not been kind to Lawrence Harken, former-leader demoted to spokesperson for the Citizens for Medi-Porters activist group. 

 

When he had first gotten involved with them, he had thought of himself as a hero, in his own way. Working with his neighbors and friends to make living in Paragon City safer for everybody, not just for heroes and the ultra-wealthy. Protesting in order to stick a thumb in the eye of Medicorp and to save lives doing it.

 

At the time, throwing in with Sergeant Stanfeld of the PPD and his idea to steal the next-generation Medipatch designs had seemed like the right thing to do. Medicorp had refused to budge on their position and had refused to say why, and Stanfeld had seemed like an upright authority figure who promised nobody would actually get hurt. That venture had ended with Lawrence being gutstabbed and left to die in a burning building, only to be hauled out by Field Agent Roy Cooling and sentenced to a months-long stint in the Zigg while undergoing physical therapy to recover from nerve damage from the stab-wound and smoke inhalation. In the end, Citizens for Medi-Porters had not even gotten what they wanted. After Medicorp's CEO had explained the risks entailed with their use, he had authorized their distribution to certain classes of ill and elderly residents of the city, which had seemed like a step in the right direction - only for insurance lobbying to cut their access to the Medicom network less than a year later.

 

He had technically gotten off lightly as far as his stay at the Zigg went - the judge had been lenient in light of his 'noble intentions.' The experience still was not one he liked to dwell on - his cellmates had been a 5th-Column Neo-Nazi who was overly obsessed with physical fitness and getting reps in at every hour of the day, and a Vahzilok surgeon who kept trying to make improvised shivs and had a tendency of staring eerily at people while they slept. When he finally got out, he was walking on a cane and had been informed that having a convicted criminal as the head for Citizens for Medi-Porters 'wasn't a good look,' though they had still kept him on as a Spokesperson in light of his efforts.

 

He had also been forced to find a new apartment since the tenancy management board for his building in Gimry Ridge evidently did have a problem with a convicted criminal renting there. Whatever else could be said about his new residence in King's Row, at least it was cheap - in part due to the killing that had transpired there earlier that year and also due to all the unexplained disappearances.

 

So when Lawrence came home and started scrolling through newsfeeds on his Creyphone, he could not help but feel a twinge of resentment in light of what he found.

 

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A Paragon News Network Story!

 

...an anonymous informant from within the Rhode Island statehouse has disclosed to PNN news of an upcoming Ballot Question that is being structured  concerning a state subsidy addressing healthcare for registered Superheroes! Although the informant declined to provide firm details, they indicated that the tentatively structured 'Question 1' Bond Issue is being drawn up to provide 'common sense' reprieve from a certain longstanding issue with healthcare for Superheroes in Paragon City and surrounding counties...

 

Lawrence could not help but feel a twinge of impulsive anger at the headline. He knew better than most how dangerous being a superhero was, but after all these years, seeing nothing but more and more state and federal laws and regulations drafted for their benefit rather than for the ordinary people they were protecting struck a nerve. Superheroes had the benefits and capabilities to walk off death on a regular basis even before factoring in the nigh-miraculous healthcare they had access to, and whenever any of them actually bit the bullet they usually had statues built in their honor. But if a pedestrian was eaten alive on the sidewalk in King's Row by an actual demon from hell when no hero was around to stop it, that was just too bad, wasn't it? No Medicom network access, no boundless healing powers or force fields, no miraculous resurrection and backing away from death's doorstep at the last moment. 

 

Lawrence took a moment to collect himself and cool down. The memory of the fiasco with Sergeant Stanfeld was still fresh in his mind, even years later, and he could already hear the PR team telling him that holding it against Heroes for all the benefits they received was a misguided position. But he was still going to have to do something - and after all, election season was coming up. If Healthcare for Heroes was going to be on the ballot, why couldn't more substantive healthcare for everybody else in the meantime also be considered?

 

He dialed an old friend currently on the board for Citizens for Medi-Porters less than a minute later. "Russel? It's Lawrence. Check out PNN's latest newsfeed and talk to Ross about sending out a newsletter. I think it's time we made ourselves heard again..."

Edited June 18 by Terminal

[Terminal]

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A WSPDR MEDIA BLITZ!

 

"...And this is John Houston coming to all our viewers in Cap au Diable live with stunning news from the mainland! The Rhode Island statehouse is drafting a new ballot issue - a little something that all the citizens actually get to vote on in the next election while exercising their otherwise curtailed civil liberties. Currently known only as the uninspired 'Question 1,' it's going to address Healthcare for the masked, government-sponsored terrorist vigilantes they have running around maintaining their police-state! _{Wow this script is a little on the nose...}"

 

"The courageous informants who brought us this news from the mainland say that there is not much yet in the way of concrete details, but that there are already strong indications that Question 1 is going to concern Medical Debt! As some of our viewers may already know, one of the only things curtailing the otherwise rampant brutality of so-called 'Heroes' in Paragon City are the fees and insurance rates they have to pay for access to emergency medical care. Healthcare Insurance Providers there are so efficient that they even hike up individual rates for vigilantes if their backs so much as touch the ground, even if they don't wind up having to go to the hospital over it. A sterling example of the benefits and economic dividends of unregulated industry monopolies that even businesses here in the Etoiles could stand to learn from! _...Really?"

 

"Needless to say, if this ballot issue passes, vigilantes from the mainland may become far more brazen with their unprovoked acts of aggression against the people of the Etoiles, secure in the knowledge they will no longer even need to pay for the mistake of going up against Arachnos after they are sent back home to lick their wounds..."

 

Arbiter Daos paused the video for the large wall-mounted viewscreen in his typically spartan Grandville office - which save for the ornate window providing a spectacular view of the Spider CIty main square and the rich red carpeting, remained as overcrowded with black-metal devices as any other Arachnos facility. He turned to face Viridian and Shadow Spider with a gaze he usually reserved for people he was about to sentence to death or have disappeared, though if the two Spymasters were feeling any apprehension they were hiding it well.

 

"Marshal Brass was kind enough to send me this advance screening of WSPDR's upcoming news cycle. What I found particularly interesting though, is that I first heard of this Ballot Initiative that might eliminate medical debt for Heroes from John Houston several months after I would normally expect to receive intelligence of this nature from either of you. Explain."

 

"...Our contacts in the Rhode Island Statehouse were evidently blindsided by this and only learned of it at the start of today's legislative session." Shadow Spider answered, standing at ease and evidently completely unconcerned. "Most of the house representatives also seemed to have no prior anticipation of the proposal."

 

"Crey also owns most of the house, to boot. Nobody in there has - should have - the nerve to try and pull a stunt like this." Viridian added immediately after, so seamlessly that it might as well have been rehearsed between the two of them. "From what we know, the draft for the initiative was announced on the floor after having been drawn up during closed session, which itself was scheduled in response to a suggestion for review of medical insurance regulations and guidelines earlier this month, though there was no directed action suggested at the time. No indication of who the big movers are on the proposal, and seemingly everybody is in lockstep on this after that same session. Short of picking reps up for a quick talk one by one there is not much to go on just yet."

 

"Crey owns the house? As if we don't also have investments there?" Daos planted his knuckles on his desk as the question was fired off.

 

"Our investments there are less...direct than Crey's." Shadow Spider answered. "Our monitoring of their accounts has also shown no unusual activity. This was either completely spontaneous on their part or was very, very carefully planned out and insulated. My own assets have been running assessments as to whether this is a mind control or subversion op by Nemesis, the Restructurists, the Carnival of Shadows or even the Clockwork. There is zero indication so far of any undue influence at play other than the...uncharacteristic finesse and operational security that seems to have been involved."

 

"I had a word or six with a few of our local Crey Biotech's managers and board members." Viridian neatly picked up the moment Shadow Spider stopped talking. "They're all acting like they've been blindsided by this as well. Their accounting division is exploding over it. I was also able to personally intercept and partially decrypt an excerpt from one of Director 4's now-former couriers which...suggested Malta's leadership might not have been in the loop on this. Meaning whatever the cause, its push did not come from within the federal government."

 

"That is perhaps the only reason I am not asking you these questions inside a cell." Daos' voice scythed through the air to accompany his murderous leering. "Everyone seems to have been caught off-guard by this. Arachnos does not reward you for simply keeping pace with the opposition however. I expect Lord Recluse's servants to excel. You two are supposedly the most feared intelligence specialists on the planet. If you do not get me adequate intelligence on this issue soon, that is going to change." Daos practically spat. "Get out. You had better have results for Arachnos on this matter when next I see you."

Edited June 18 by Terminal

[Terminal]

Rhode Island Statehouse

 

Representative Lewis Michaels, the Vice Chair of the Rhode Island Finance Committee, ducked furtively through the ostensibly secure rear entrance to the statehouse - even around the back the swarm of reporters and paparazzi clamoring to take his comment from beyond the perimeter fence was staggeringly immense. He hadn't ever seen newsreel crowds that large in person before, especially not when they were interested in him - but he found himself too distracted by a certain, different kind of attention to fully appreciate it. Interspersed amongst the crowd at the fence were perhaps half a dozen men and women in black suits and with conspicuous cybernetics. Crey Agents - it was as bad as he had been dreading. His otherwise doting patron was making their displeasure apparent, and there was no telling when the agents would stop staring menacingly and start troubleshooting both figuratively and literally. He needed to find Ruthven, fast.

 

Lewis did not have to search for Ruthven for long. As the chair of the Finance Committee, he had an office in the chambers of the Rhode Island Treasurer, and therein he sat staring out the window and drinking directly from a bottle of scotch.

 

"Ruthven, what the hell is going on?" Lewis hissed as he slipped into the office, snapping the door shut behind him as he did so. "There are cyborg ninjas in the street outside! What the hell happened during closed session?"

 

"...You really needed to have been here, Mick." Ruthven groaned before taking another long pull of scotch.

 

"Just tell me!" Lewis seethed.

 

"About halfway into the closed session we got a surprise video conference call from the Nobility." Ruthven cut him off, tiredly setting down the scotch on his desk.

 

"The Nobility-" Lewis froze as a chill crept across his neck. The Nobility was the inner-circle byword for one of their patrons. It was something of an open secret in the house, but only the Committee Chairs knew their identity. "Personally?"

 

"Personally." Ruthven rubbed at his eyes. "They used a filter, but it was them. The whole ballot initiative was their idea, pitched it to us along with the reminder of election season was coming up and that they imagined there were a lot of prospective campaign contributions at stake. A lot of the others were just thrilled by the suggestion because it's a vote winner and the main opposition to it would have been..." Ruthven trailed off and waved a hand vaguely in insinuation.

 

"The Nobility suggested it." Lewis deadpanned.

 

"Yes."

 

"The Nobility."

 

"Fucking yes, Mick, it was them."

 

"And you're sure this isn't something like-like Arachnos subterfuge, or a Nemesis Plot?"

 

"If only. No. They used the tell, and we called in to verify it mid-session."

 

"Then why the hell are they acting so threatened?" Lewis gestured out the window. "They haven't told anybody else or made any announcements-"

 

"I don't know, Mick, and quite frankly I don't want to know." Ruthven groaned. "I assume they have their reasons. I had a private call with them after the closed session and they assured me none of us are in any danger. Bennet says the Senate is almost certainly going to confirm the Initiative, I can only assume they've also had an audience recently, and from there it's going to be in the people's hands. None of this is going to stick to us."

 

"Do you need your vision checked? Explain all of that!" Lewis fumed as he jabbed at the window.

 

"Look - it's business as usual. People are going to be excited over it for a few weeks and then forget it about it, you know how it goes." Ruthven made an effort at sounding self-assured, but his hand was trembling faintly as he reached back out for the scotch. "The one thing they did disclose was that if we wanted to pass anything like this - doing it this way is the best and safest measure. No forewarning in advance, nobody else tipped off - initiative gets drawn up and voted through first thing tomorrow before anybody can try anything stupid to stop it, and from there it is entirely out of our hands. It was the best way to keep the heat off us."

 

Lewis hesitated as he thought over it for a moment. On its face, it almost sounded reasonable. Coming out with a ballot initiative of this nature without any prior announcements meant no getting threatened or harassed to try and sabotage or sink it before the vote happened, and if the main opposition to it getting passed had actually promised them protection, then there were no downsides he could think of. The only people who stood to lose from the ballot initiative going into effect if the people voted in favor of it were criminal elements.

 

'...and the person who suggested it...!' Lewis' mind raced as he tried to come to grips with the implications. "You realize this means they probably have some kind of ulterior-"

 

"Mick. Let it go." Ruthven cut him off. "Count your blessings. None of whatever might happen is on us. It is going to our constituents to vote on, that's about as bulletproof as we can get as far as policy goes."

 

Lewis hesitated again briefly before uttering a hesitant question: "...Do you have a copy of measure text?" Ruthven wordlessly slid a sheet of paper on his desk across to Lewis to read.

 

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BI - Question 1

Purpose: Issue bonds subsidizing standard municipal medical treatment of registered or otherwise deputized vigilantes, masked crimefighters, and/or heroes (as defined by the Citizen Crime Fighting Act). Revenue for these bonds are to be sourced from the property taxes of licensed hero organizations, not to include hero organizations subsidized according to state or federal guidelines.

 

The actual bond proposal would be well over thirty pages long from what Lewis could guess, but the measure text would be what would actually appear on the Ballot. The very last statement caught his eye. "...How many super groups are there even that are not subsidized by state guidelines?" He asked, a creeping suspicion already in mind.

 

"Exactly one." Ruthven answered. They both spoke the name aloud.

 

"...Crey Corporation's Paragon Protectors."

[Terminal]

A PARAGON NEWS NETWORK STORY!

 

"...and following up on yesterday's news where an anonymous source told PNN of a new Ballot Initiative addressing Superhero Healthcare, the report is now confirmed to have been correct. In a stunningly swift period of time, the Rhode Island House Committee of Finance emerged from Closed Session and immediately called for a vote on the Question 1 Bond Issue, which passed with a staggering 80% majority. The Bond Issue then advanced to the Senate earlier today and was confirmed by another overwhelming majority vote of 76%. Question 1's formal proposal has since been released to the public on the Rhode Island government website, along with a preview of the current text of the measure that will be displayed on the Ballot itself this November. We shift now over to our field reporter Chuck Wendig, who is interviewing Representative Manzini of the Rhode Island House now."

 

The focus shifts to a wide-angle shot of reporter Chuck Wendig standing in Atlas Plaza with Representative Manzini.

 

"...Thank you Anthony, Chuck Wendig here with Representative Manzini who has graciously agreed to answer a few questions and explain some of the nuances of the bond issue. Representative, what exactly is the Bond Issue, how did it manage to get passed through both the state House and Senate in record time, and why has it never been proposed before?"

 

"Well Chuck, the exact measure text, which I'll just read aloud here, is as follows:"

 

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BI - Question 1

Purpose: Issue bonds subsidizing standard municipal medical treatment of registered or otherwise deputized vigilantes, masked crimefighters, and/or heroes (as defined by the Citizen Crime Fighting Act). Revenue for these bonds are to be sourced from the property taxes of licensed hero organizations, not to include hero organizations subsidized according to state or federal guidelines.

 

"...and for those of you watching now who might not be familiar with them, this wording is not particularly unusual for the measure text of a Bond Issue, they are worded to be succinct, straightforward, and to use ordinary, everyday language where possible. So the Bond Issue is exactly what it states, it is a provision to provide money, collected by way of property taxes, to hospitals and healthcare insurance provides for the purpose of ensuring the heroes of Rhode Island will not have to take on medical debt or pay for most forms of healthcare."

 

"So essentially free healthcare for heroes, representative?"

 

"Not quite entirely free Chuck, the bond issue subsidizes standard medical care, but in the case of superheroics and crimefighting that is an impressively broad scope of care that addresses most medical conditions and injuries. There are bound to be a few exceptions here and there, but otherwise it is fairly close to free healthcare."

 

"Right, right, I suppose it would have to be broad given the diversity of metahuman health issues."

 

"Now as to why this issue has never really come up before, it's mostly to do with state revenue. You might note the bond stipulates that the revenue for these payments are being sourced from property taxes, but it does not impose any. So essentially we are just earmarking certain taxes that are already being paid for this purpose, and that has only now become possible due to a little bit of recent flexibility in the state budget as of late due to the fair weather economy we have had over the past year and a half."

 

In the distance, the sounds of chanting become audible, growing closer.

 

"So if nobody has to pay more taxes for this, essentially this is just purely government sponsored healthcare?"

 

"I'm going to have to correct you a little bit there Chuck, it is just government funded, we do not want to get too out of hand with overregulation of private healthcare. In particular we drafted- what the hell?"

 

The camera pulls back in focus, revealing a group of perhaps two-dozen people with picket signs with various slogans, centered around the theme of providing Citizens with access to Mediporters. The figure of Lawrence Harken, a spokesperson for the Citizens for Mediporters group, shoves his way as close to the camera as he can manage with the representative's bodyguards holding him at bay.

 

"Justice for the citizens of Paragon City! Mediporter technology could save more lives than even the fastest super-speeding hero, but Medi-Corp has kept access to this essential technology restricted to only the heroes of Paragon City and the Ultra-Wealthy for too long! Even the PPD do not have regular access to this vital tool, despite being on the frontlines of Paragon City's crime epidemic every single day! You ivory-tower politicians with your corporate funding will not continue to get away with your virtue-signaling when the ordinary men, women, and children who live here have to pay for it with their blood-"

 

The focus shifts back to the PNN Studio, where Anthony Wood carries on.

 

"...PNN thanks Representative Manzini once again for volunteering time to have a quick word with us on this topic. According to the Statehouse sources, Bond Issue Question 1 will be on the ballot this November during the general elections. We encourage our viewers to review the full public proposal at RI.gov and to make sure they are registered to vote..."

 

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Civic Appeal has officially begun. Visit the Civic Appeal discussion channel on the City of Roleplay HC Server for more details about the Community Story Arc and how to participate. This thread is now open for general IC posting purposes as convenient to participants of the arc.

 

Edited June 21 by Terminal

[Terminal]

Crey Industries Corporate HQ, Kallisti Wharf

 

Crey Corporation's board of directors had collectively been having a week most charitably described as 'harried.' As they filed into the boardroom, half of them with bags under their eyes or wired on some manner of stimulant - or both - they were all frisked in turn by a stern, cybernetically-augmented agent before being permitted to take a seat at the table. The splendor of the decor was largely wasted on them. The bedazzling windowed panorama of downtown Christie, the varnished wooden floors and the marble-topped desk emblazoned with the Crey Industries logo, the luxurious leather-and-silk highbacked chairs, the decadent array of aged beverages available at the bar near the front of the room: None of it mattered to any of them, as each and every one of them had a net worth greater than most states. What did matter was the conspicuous absence of a certain personage from amongst their number - one who held no formalized position in the Company proper, beyond being one of its co-founders and for whom it was named. An absence that struck everybody assembled there with its portent.

 

Evidently in a hurry to get straight to business, Paget Wertz - the CEO of Crey Industries - took a seat directly at the head of the table and spoke. "Everyone, get seated, let's get right to it. I have called everybody here today to address the completely unmitigated meltdown going on out there."

 

"So it was you who called us here, and not the Countess?" Simmons Arkozan, the President of Crey Industries, asked from the opposite head of the table as he took a seat.

 

"The Countess, while an estimable member of our gathering, was not invited to preside over today's meeting for reasons that will become evident shortly." Paget replied curtly. "To get into what I mean - Jacoby, please share our projected losses with everyone."

 

Jacoby, Crey Industries CFO, had already brought out his Creytop Tablet Computer and hooked into the holographic projector built into the table, using it to draw up a number of graphs and financial summaries. "Based solely on the loss of external revenue from Crey Biotech alone, we are looking at a net loss of tens of billions of dollars in the following fiscal quarter post election. Hundreds of billions over the course of the next year. Between Crey Care Insurance policy writeoffs, expenditures for medicinal fungibles and tools, and private equity turnover of various hospitals and complexes, nearly 12% of Crey Industry's entire net worth is wrapped up in the provision of private healthcare to Metahumans, and 10 of that 12% comes from healthcare for registered superheroes. In regards to our stock, Crey Biotech is now being shorted on the exchange and is down by over a hundred points since the last time we met, and that is expected to triple our losses overall."

 

"Or the short version: She fucked us." Paget practically spat as he slammed a hand down on the table. A number of the boardmembers presently visibly flinched while others had adopted looks of dismayed bemusement. "Let's not dance around this, we all know who is behind this. This is another one of the Countessa's obscene, ludicrous master plan vanity projects that is going to cost us everything in exchange for a whole lot of absolutely nothing. What Jacoby here has not told you, has been that more than a dozen of our facilities in Paragon and the Isles have both been hit in just the last few days alone - entailing a loss of confidential records, information, and proprietary technology that is doubtlessly going to lose us even more as a consequence. Of course, to put a cherry on top of it, my fourth manor was raided by the FBI last night and I expect most of you are on their list as well!" As Paget carried on, his tone grew in volume and in its bitter, underlying acrimony.

 

"Before anybody here says anything else that we all might regret later," Simmons interjected, "Perhaps we should look for a way to play off of this, adapt to the changing circumstances of the market and write-off the projected losses? While the projections are...very nearly unprecedented, I do not see why our standard operating procedures should not suffice here, and I am certain the Countess - if indeed she is even the one who is 'responsible' for these project losses, a remote hypothetical for which I harbor severe doubts - has the best interests of Crey Industries at heart."

 

"Your heart, through your back from where she had your spine surgically removed you twittering imbecile!" Paget sneered. "Countess Crey is not some demoness of out legend. We can put a stop to this - to her and all of her vile schemes - for good. Here and now. We have quorum. All it takes is a single vote of no confidence, simple majority between everyone here, and we can take back control of our livelihoods and go back to being the most respected and prevalent megacorporation on the face of the planet."

 

Everybody sat at the table had gone visibly pale and were finding any and every excuse to look anywhere except at Paget, who tried to force a look with each of them in turn. "Well? What are you all just sitting there in silence for? Nothing intelligent to say? No piercing insights or observations?"

 

"I believe they were waiting for a rebuttal...Mr. Paget." 

 

For a moment a chill ran up Paget's spine, but to his credit he managed to grit his teeth and rise from his seat and stand at his full height as he turned.

 

Countess Crey herself stood at the door to the boardroom. Unlike the rest of the assembled boardmembers, she seemed completely at ease - dressed as though she had just walked off a fashion runway, with skin as smooth and pristine as ivory and the ghost of a smile tracing her lips.  The cyborg agent who has frisked each of the board members on the way in had evidently deferentially opened it for her without any fuss whatsoever. Her personal bodyguard, Hopkins - a gigantic glacier of a man who must have weighed well over eight hundred pounds in pure muscle even before all the discrete cybernetic augmentations - stood like some outlandish sculpted monolith at her side, moving with eerie mechanical precision and scarcely any sound.

 

"Countess...A pleasure to see you in good health, as always." His words were civil, but his voice nonetheless trembled with poorly concealed rage. "However, I regret to inform you, this is not a debate. It is a simple procedural measure and your input is not required at this time." He then raised a hand and waved to the guards standing in each corner of the room. "Security, if you would be so kind as to escort the Countess from the premises? There is important business to be conducted and I am afraid only official members of the Board of Directors are permitted to be present for it." 

 

Paget smiled savagely at the Countess, who raised a single eyebrow in anticipation. None of the guards moved - none of them so much as craned their necks to look in Paget's direction.

 

"Mr. Paget." The Countess said, her voice chiming with every accentuated syllable she spoke. "I am afraid you have been caught up in the machine of legal fiction they manage for me on the seventy-second floor. You seem to be suffering from the belief that Crey Industries is an incorporated body - a conglomerate of mutual financial interests and industries that all exist for the sake of generating wealth and providing goods and services to a paying society of consumers." She smiled at him - and Paget had to resist the impulse to take a step back as some primal, instinctual impulse of unfettered terror shot through his veins. Sweat starting pouring down his arms and brows. 

 

"That is not the case. Allow me to elucidate: Crey Industries is just a legal name. A contrivance really. In fact, there is simply me, my name, and my holdings - my chattel, if you will. I commend you for your remarkable concern over how recklessly you believe me to be employing them, but, at the end of the day as it seems I must remind you: I am Countessa Clarissa van Dorn. All of Crey's wealth is mine to spend as I see fit. All of Crey's assets are mine to use as I designate...and all of you are to Do As I Say, When I Say, As I Say It."

 

Paget Wertz had come a long way in Crey Industries, and like most of its higher executives he had not done so cleanly. He had done so with sweat and blood (mostly others') and no small number of murders and conspiracy. A sensible person might have backed down then and attempted to save face - but Paget Wertz was not a sensible person. He was one accustomed to the corridors and mannerisms of unfettered power, and when he did not get his way, he was not afraid to press the issue to the fullest measure he could muster. So he then committed to the unthinkable and drew his Crey Security^© Resolver™ Machine Pistol from inside his jacket and pointed it directly at her.

 

"You think you can do whatever you want just because you've got some nerve and the will to use it?" Paget snarled. "The way you'd have it, you're some Queen and everyone here's your slave? Newsflash, bitch, if you don't hide that's it's just all about you, then nobody is going to come to your aid when somebody comes to topple you - just like everybody here is going to benefit once you're out of the picture and not calling the shots. There is no reality where you come out on top here. Everything here says I win! I've got the law, the position, the title, the power - and the gun! All you have is your preening and pretending to be a supervillain when you're really just another stupid, idiot child!"

 

Paget pulled the trigger. In the enclosed space, the report of the shot was deafening - and it did not stop.

 

The bullet, accelerated into a terrifying spin by the rifling in the pistol's barrel, did not stop - it continued to spin in place as it hung in the air in front of the Countess' head, seeming to quiver and radiate wavering heat as she looked down at it.

 

Then, with a simple tilt of her head and a dismissive, annoyed squint - the bullet abruptly reversed its trajectory, flying back across the room and burying itself in Paget's gut, causing him to choke out in shock and instantly collapse, an arc of blood spraying out and splashing across his chair and the boardroom table.

 

"Hopkins?" The Countess practically purred as she looked down at Paget as he writhed in anguish on the floor. "Would you please be so kind as to give Mr. Paget here his Golden Parachute?"

 

Moments later, one of the tempered ballistic glass panes for the panoramic view around the boardroom, rated to stop anti-tank rounds, shattered into thousands of pieces as Paget - screaming - was bodily thrown through it, shattering every bone in his body in the process. The man mercifully went into shock and died scant fractions of a second later before he began the long, long journey down to the ground, more than a hundred floors down.

 

Countess Crey daintily spun Paget's chair around - still covered in his blood - and took her seat at the head of the table, evidently wholly unconcerned with the stains as she lay her sleeves directly on the array of crimson rivulets still running across the table. All of the board members afforded her their full attention: None of them dared to look away, in spite of the mixed terror and awe that had seized upon them all.

 

"Now then - as to the true purpose of this meeting - I am here today to reassure all you fine members of the board that the business of Crey Industries is well in hand. I can see how some of you might be skeptical of why I directed the Rhode Island Statehouse to propose Question 1 and authorized them to vote in favor of it. You might also be wondering why I did not see fit to inform any of you of my decision in advance, or what we might possibly stand to gain from the Initiative if it passes. As a recently introduced business partner of mine might be apt to say: The trick to it is simply to arrange circumstances so that there is no outcome where you do not benefit..."

 

888888888888

 

A PARAGON NEWS NETWORK STORY!

 

"...and in the latest of news concerning the Question 1 Ballot Initiative, in yet another unexpected turn, the Initiative has gained perhaps one of the most unexpected advocates and sponsors. We are shifting now over to our own star journalist Carmine Candor for an exclusive interview with the allegedly reformed former supervillain known as Science Lord Rixis. Coming up next, right after this commercial break."

 

After a five-minute long span of commercials for Ascendant-O's (now with 100% less Xenonite), the new Creyphone 24, and Cage Consortium's new on-the-go breakfast product designed alongside Aeon Corp: Super Triple Fructuse Yum Flavored Nutripaste, the focus shifts to a view of a public office in Atlas Park, where reporter Carmine Candor is sat across from the comically overproportioned humanoid robotic frame piloted by the Nictus entity known as Science Lord Rixis.

 

"Hello again viewers, Carmine Candor here with Science Lord Rixis who requested this meeting and interview. Rixis, I understand you have an announcement of some kind concerning the pending Ballot Initiative?"

 

"That's right, delicious starfish rind!" Science Lord Rixis itself is nothing less than a full-blown, unbounded Nictus emanation, floating just above the control interface for a giant-sized robotic frame rendered with a silver and cyan-blue turquoise scheme. Their voice is entirely electronically synthesized. The projected audio is so loud and bombastic that even through a microphone and a realtime audio playback, it causes vibrations to run through one's teeth. "I am here today to announce that I and my Cimmerian Path are formally sponsoring the Initiative, and over the course of the next several months we will be hosting a number of charity fundraisers and events in order to raise awareness for the Initiative itself and a number of the social issues it addresses, as well as some which it does not but that we hope might be someday soon!"

 

"Well Rixis, not to sound prejudicial, but when most people look at you and see a member of the Nictus, and somebody who openly identifies as being a former supervillain, why should they want to listen to anything you have to say - about the initiative or otherwise?"

 

"Why, because this is Polygon City! A city of heroes! There are hundreds of heroes just like me who used to be villains but managed to redeem themselves, turning over a new leaf to borrow Human parlance! The summoner-formerly-known-as Desdemona, the fearsome Miss Thystle and the stalwart Blast Furnace just to name a few! That is exactly why this initiative is so important, not only to me, but for everyone. It is about change: The base change necessary for society, for civilization itself, to improve! This is about coming together to improve circumstances for everybody!"

 

"And what would you say to the sentiment from certain groups, such as Citizens for Mediporters, that this Initiative only deepens the divide between ordinary civilians and crimefighters, especially when the provision of medical teleporters should hypothetically and tangibly save more lives, whereas Question 1 is just a 'luxury ballot' to improve the quality of life for an elite class?"

 

"My utterly nonexistent organic vital fluid pump goes out to Citizens for Mediporters, whatever your name is again! Here is an expert take from a real Science Lord for you here: They are absolutely right. It is absolutely something that should be, and that needs to be addressed! The sooner the better! But that is not where we are right now. They are opposing the bill because it does not immediately and perfectly address their concerns, because to them it seems like the very representatives they elect to govern them are not legislating with the best interests of their constituents in mind - but if everybody dug in their heels and refused to walk forward just because the path ahead was not perfectly paved, nobody would ever get anywhere! Sometimes you have to take a path that is a little rougher around the edges, to borrow more Human parlance, to make things a little better incrementally, and to make it possible for things to continue to improve. For that very reason, I intend to reach out to Citizens for Mediporters later this week and invite a number of their Spokespeople to my next upcoming charity event so that we can raise awareness for all of the important, relevant issues surrounding the Initiative, and also to try and reach common ground with them."

 

"It is interesting you should talk about improving how things are for everybody, Rixis - is it not your public stance that Warshades are traitors to your people and that Kheldians are terrorist elements? We have several pertinent clips of you saying things very much to that effect. Wouldn't this initiative benefit them as well? And do you imagine your sponsorship itself, given your views and your continued public association with the Path of the Dark, might in fact drive negative voter turnout?"

 

"...The initiative, and my sponsorship, are about improving circumstances for everybody, starfish rind! EVERYBODY. If there is nothing else your viewers take away from this interview right now, it is that: There is nobody who will not benefit from the Initiative passing come the election this Norwegian!"

 

"This November you mean?"

 

"I do not actually care what its name is, whoever you are! Once again as well, the point of the sponsorship is change - a change for the better. I am a reformist of the Path of the Dark. Ours is a Scientific, Immortalist Philosophy - improving upon life is its entire goal. For too long, my kin within the Path of the Dark - for whom I will make no excuses - have been blinded by the myopic need to conquer and rule the Earth. It is time they all stop living in the past and turn the nobility of our Grand Science to benefit everybody we share this beautiful world with - that is why I am sponsoring the Initiative, and that is why I am asking that you, listeners, reflect upon! Societal change for the better is never painless or without effort, but if you refuse to move forward just because the way ahead is not perfectly clear? You may as well be no different than the radical elements of my people, still lost in the dark, unable to let go of their suffering in the moment."

 

"And what would you say to the argument that while radical changes of this nature might be necessary, that either society or perhaps, more pertinently, the city's technological infrastructure, are not prepared for such shifts?"

 

"Why, whatever your name is, I think you already well know what the answer to that question is! This is the Age of Heroes! Humanity is blessed with genius and talent the likes of which I have scarcely borne witness to since last I fled noble, bygone Kheldia. Back when I was still a supervillain, and even today on a bi-weekly basis when I am accosted on the street by heroes who mistaken believe me to still be a supervillain, I am reminded, at length, verbally, of the boundless and indomitable nature of the Human spirit and your determination as a species to overcome any threat or failing! I have every faith that come this Norwegian-" _{"November." "Nobody cares -} "that, presented will all the information, everybody will make the correct choice! Thank you for having me, remember to check the status of your voter registration, and remember to vote in the upcoming election!"

[Terminal]

A PARAGON NEWS NETWORK STORY!

 

Absolutely shocking news for our viewers today as the city is haunted by the ghost of the Praetorian Invasion. While attending a local protest in Founders Fall by the Citizens for Mediporters group, the hero known as Fire Simian detected the influence of a hostile psychic attempting to compel the protestors to violence! The daring hero managed to track down the psychic and apprehend them before anybody was seriously injured. While a few protestors were detained by the PPD due to hostilities briefly flaring, everybody was later released as the PPD concluded they were not responsible for their actions.

 

The Psychic in question, when questioned by the PPD after they were turned in by Fire Simian, turned out to be a Praetorian Seer who had been freed from Praetor Tilman's oppressive network who then later joined the Praetorian Resistance - and later, joined Arachnos when parts of the Resistance fled the fall of Praetorian to the Rogue Isles. This discovery came at the same time as a release from the Governor of Rhode Island's office indicating they had evidence establishing that Arachnos was intending to interfere with the upcoming November election by using Psychics trained in the manner of Praetorian Seers to influence the behavior of the public.

 

Arachnos was quick to disavow the Fortunata and group who were involved with the incident, claiming that the Arachnos Operatives apprehended at the scene were in fact rogue elements of the Warburg Clique, and was quick to offer Federal Agents supporting evidence and information. Just when it looked like things were about to reach an uncharacteristically cooperative end, an utterly stunning news report was released by the Rogue Isles news organization, WSPDR...

 

888888888888

 

A WSPDR MEDIA BLITZ!

 

...this is Amanda Vines coming to our viewers live in an exclusive interview with none other than Arbiter Daos himself, leader of the Arbiter Corps, following a stunning show of force in Nerva Archipelago yesterday which ended with the world-famous Ms. Liberty herself being arrested and handed into the custody of agents from Interpol by Arachnos forces. Arbiter Daos, would you care to comment on what prompted this to occur?

 

"Amanda, the matter is simple: Longbow is an international terrorist organization, and Ms. Liberty is its leader. On multiple occasions, Longbow has violated international sovereignty in order to invade the shores of Grandville, sending amassed forces to sabotage critical urban infrastructure and to either assassinate or abduct political officials. This is all beyond any form of doubt, as Arachnos possesses a slew of evidence and eyewitness testimony from thousands of different sources - all of which will be admitted during Ms. Liberty's incipient trial. For too long, Longbow has operated under the supposed guise of being a 'private military corporation,' completely beyond and above the laws and regulation of any governing body. It is my position, as well of that of Arachnos at large, that this has been a long time coming."

 

"May I ask how it is Arachnos was able to abd- _ahem- apprehend Ms. Liberty, given she was in Nerva Archipelago at the time?"

 

"You refer, of course, to Nerva Archipelago's status as an American protectorate. Arachnos forces were not involved in her arrest, and from what I have been told a local mercenary known as 'Atrax' was ultimately responsible for apprehending, transporting, and delivering Ms. Liberty into Arachnos custody - which is when we, in full compliance with the outstanding warrant for her arrest, immediately contacted Interpol and arranged for her to be remanded into their custody. Atrax himself appears to have acted based entirely on the writ of the warrant itself as well, and thus the arrest was fully legal even within the laws of the United States. This is for the best, since had they not acted, it is likely the utterly corrupt police state of Rhode Island would have refused to comply with Interpol's request to extradite Ms. Liberty."

 

"Do you truly believe that Interpol will convict Ms. Liberty, given the multiple implications of corruption by the official who drafted and signed Ms. Liberty's initial warrant?"

 

Arbiter Daos' eyes narrow ever so faintly, and he makes the faintest of motions with his right hand. The camera view abruptly cuts out and back to the WSPDR studio.

 

"...Wait, we're li- ah -and there you have it viewers! Justice for the people of the Etoiles at long last for the multitude of atrocities and crimes perpetrated against them and the illustrious regime of our fair and noble ruler, Lord Recluse. We will have more information available for you on this topic shortly as we continue to cover the circumstance of Ms. Liberty's detainment...

[Terminal]

Sharkhead Isle

 

Things had been going well for Operative Vargas recently.

 

He had long been the prospective 'rising Star' in Arachnos - for what felt like over a decade now. He had always been scheming and conspiring, looking for the next big thing to impress the Arbiter Corps with. For all his efforts though, all he ever amounted to was 'merely' another promising candidate to become the Marshal for Sharkhead Isle - always in a few years down the pipeline and when the shoes were vacant and ready to be filled again, and always his accomplishments tended to get overshadowed or forgotten by his would-be superiors.

 

Not this time though.

 

Vargas watched with eminent satisfaction the reports on the latest polling in Paragon City, on a monitor in the dimly lit gloom of the Port Recluse fortress. He had pulled some strings with his contacts and gotten some of his erstwhile accomplices over on the mainland to actually participate in those same polls and to have their associates do so as well - and the results were remarkable. The pollsters were all remarking on the 'unusual' degree of turnout for simple forward, predictive polling - with a 3000% increase in census participation. A sharper and more unexpected swing in voter turnout than had been observed in the state of Rhode Island in over sixty years - and, would you know it, 72% of voters planned to vote against the ballot initiative.

 

All thanks to him - because it was his plan after all. He did the research, he hired the villains to do the dirty-work for him, he coordinated all the criminal groups in paragon City who he had caught up in his web of intrigue, and he had brought the whole thing to the Arbiters, wrapped up in spider silk and with a neat widow's bow on top. They had taken notice - apparently the entire operation had been greenlit and adopted by Arbiter Daos in person, a rumor Vargas was inclined to believe since he had been invited to have lunch with the man later in October (the leader of the Arbiter Corps was always terribly busy), and he had found himself with a new base of operations appointed to him and a pall of new operatives and soldiers under his command. His star was rising in Arachnos alright - for real this time.

 

Vargas was broken out of his self-congratulatory revelry by a priority alert chime from his personal console. He muted the PNN feed on his other monitor and looked to see what the message was - and immediately, his face paled and his gut dropped from out of him in shock.

 

PRIORITY ALERT: ARBITER DECREE

 

By the Will of Lord Recluse, all ongoing operations concerning the Rhode Island Ballot Initiative, Question 1, are to IMMEDIATELY HALT AND WITHDRAW. All Fortunata Augurs present in Paragon City are to be recalled to the Isles. All ongoing communication with assets in mainland groups of interest are to be terminated. Ongoing operations are to be wound up and restructured, beginning immediately. Failure to comply with this edict will result in immediate severance for Contempt of the Master's Will. Going forward from this moment on, it is now considered a STRATEGIC IMPERATIVE for all involved Operatives to ENSURE THAT QUESTION 1 PASSES. The Arbiter Corps will be monitoring the ongoing coordination and management of Project War-Web closely to enforce full compliance.

 

Additional information pertaining to this new Imperative is classified as Top Secret and need-to-know for the eyes of the Patrons and Arbiter Corps only.

 

Additional Decrees to follow. All Project War-Web Operatives are to report ASAP to their immediate handler for new directives.

 

Vargas literally could not believe it. He immediately checked the vitals on his armor's biometric feed to ensure he was not being subjected to an illusion or some form of psychic influence - but no. The metasignature embedded in the decree message was still coherent. If he had been suborned it would have activated and rendered the whole thing illegible. What he was seeing was the real deal. His entire operation had just been torpedoed by Lord Recluse himself with nary an explanation for it.

 

As the shock wore off, it gave way to simmering frustration - and then anger. Vargas snarled. Just when the breakout move of his entire career had been made - something that would have gone into the heavily revisionist history books of the Etoiles - the rug had been pulled out from under him, and now he was being told to fall in line and obey orders without even so much as an explanation? Like hell. 

 

He needed answers - and he was going to get them.

 

888888888888

 

The Shadow Shard

 

Brigadier General Kessel of the Nemesis Army furrowed his brow as he looked at his new orders again, just to be triple certain he was complying with them in full - written on artificially aged ceremonial parchment and inked with golden ink, delivered to him in an engraved, ceremonial brass roller - indicative of an order from Lord Nemesis himself.

 

One of him, at least. Kessel thought idly before banishing the treasonous thought from his mind. Lord Nemesis was not psychic insofar as anybody knew, but he had other ways of ferreting out even the insinuations of doubt. That line of thinking was dangerous even if he kept it to himself - so all the better to make a habit of not thinking such things.

 

BRIGADIER GENERAL KESSEL,

 

By the magnanimous decree of Lord Nemesis, all functional Automaton Doppelgangers are to be either activated, deployed, or else transported to predesignated staging areas in preparation for the dominion of our glorious master. Unlike prior deployments and operations, subtlety and discretion shall not be priorities beyond the bare minimum necessary to preserve the Automatons themselves. Soon, the defiant rebel forces of Eisenhauptstadt shall be made to feel the might of the Nemesis Army!

 

Certain automatons have been marked for immediate special operations and deployment, as listed below:

 

-All Phalanx Automatons not listed as destroyed, including Deprecated Models

-Regulator Automaton 1

-Vindicator Automaton 1

-Arachnos Automatons 3 through 5

 

"All doppelgangers in long term storage? My my. Well, let us quickly consult the inventory..." Kessel muttered as he input his personal code sequence for the mechanical typing board of the nuclear-powered difference engine that archived all the data on the various Nemesis Army automatons. With a rattling series of hissing steam jets and a cacophony of clicking and churning, the difference engine then stamped out the requested information in a rapid mechanical staccato.

 

Quote

Phalanx Automaton 1, 3: Functional, In Storage - WARNING - Deprecated

Phalanx Automaton 2, 5: Destroyed

Phalanx Automatons 4, 6, 7: Functional, In Storage

Phalanx Automaton 8: Functional, Deployed

Regulator Automatons 1-3: Functional, In Storage

 

Vindicator Automatons 1-7: Functional, In Storage

Vindicator Automatons 8, 9: Awaiting Assembly

 

Arachnos Automatons 1, 2: Awaiting Assembly

Arachnos Automatons 3-10: Functional, In Storage

 

Kessel skimmed over the rest of the list, comprising odd Automatons of various civilians and seemingly random Paragon City Heroes and Rogue Isles Villains, which was shorter than most outsiders would have thought - and only the big ticket Automatons at the top of the list were really worth anything. If Kessel had to guess, he imagined that by clearing out the full inventory of doppelgangers, even if they were all destroyed that would set the stage for new ones to be made later after all of Lord Nemesis' enemies were lulled into a false sense of security. And quite a few of them were bound to be destroyed, he had a hunch - probably in some glorious amassed assault and battle with the champions of Paragon City, though he supposed he could be mistaken. It was hardly for him to know the extent of his Master's designs, after all.

 

After triple-checking the list on the provided scroll, Kessel input the sweeping set of serial commands for the difference engine to process, and hit execute. The entire bastion groaned as steam and pressure pumps began to seethe and sigh across the complex - and below him in the storage hall, individual lights turned on one by one, illuminating the all-too-familiar silhouettes of the automatons waiting below.

[Terminal]

A PARAGON NEWS NETWORK STORY!

 

...and in absolutely unbelievable news, a section of the war walls located between Independence Port and New Venice suffered light damage earlier yesterday due to a series of explosions that occurred somewhere within their interior, marking the first instance since the 2004 explosion in Fossburg where the war walls have taken notable damage. State and federal officials have been investigating the cause of the explosion, and today we are receiving a call in live from Andrew Straus, a member of the FSBA who is ready to present an official statement to the public. Mr. Straus, I believe the FBSA has identified the cause of the explosion?

 

...Yes, glad to be able to call in to the show Terrence. A determination has been made by both state and local officials that the explosion was not an act of sabotage, deliberate or otherwise. As many of your listeners probably know, New Venice - otherwise colloquially known as Crey's Folly - to this day still harbors toxic concentrations of hazardous, volatile materials in the atmosphere. From what we have been able to discover, there was a pocket of these gaseous materials that built up in a subterranean gap right below the surface, near the foundations of the walls bordering both New Venice and Independence Port. This gas pocket, which was under immense pressure, was ignited and violently detonated, and the exotic particulates from that gas interacted in an unprecedented fashion with the war wall's power grid, causing a cascading series of smaller detonations until all of the gas was burnt. Local municipal and emergency services were able to very quickly patch the breach in the walls with some help from Crey Industries, and I am pleased to report that no traces of the exotic compounds contained in New Venice leaked out into Independence Port.

 

Would you say there is any risk of reoccurrence for this Mr. Straus, given the abundance of this exotic substance in Crey's Folly?

 

Well while there is always a risk for most thing, Terrence, now that we know this compound might have volatile reactions if exposed to the war walls' power grid infrastructure, municipal services have been briefed on how to prevent a reoccurrence through the use of certain interior climate control mechanisms. I do not foresee a repeat of this incident occurring anytime soon.

 

There has been a lot of talk about how outdated and antiquated the city infrastructure is as of late though, Mr. Straus, mostly arising from discussion related to the upcoming Ballot Initiative and Question 1 specifically. Is the war wall infrastructure and climate control really rated to handle possible exposure to something as volatile as the gasses in Crey's Folly?

 

Well Terrence, although I am not a civic engineer and cannot really speak for the city in that capacity, both me and my team have been told the technology inside the war walls is very robust and works using very well-established fundamental principles that have not changed since the walls were erected. Just do not make them like they used to - the city at least is confident that the war walls, old as they are by now, are rated to handle far more exotic and volatile substances if necessary.

 

Thank you for your comments Mr. Straus - next up in the news: A development in the trial of Ms. Liberty by Interpol! A reliable confidential source close to the investigation has informed PNN that the investigators on both sides of the case have identified a defect with the original warrant that was placed for Ms. Liberty's arrest - and that, barring any surprise revelations, it is highly likely the case against her will be dismissed within the next few days! Just in time for her to make it back home in time for the fundraiser convention being hosted by Science Lord Rixis of the Cimmerian Path in support of Question 1. The reformed Nictus supervillain has invited a large number of prominent figures in the city - including Ms. Liberty, Positron, and of course Lawrence Harken, a Spokesperson from the Citizens for Mediporters civic group. With the number of high-profile individuals slated to attend the event over such a prominent civic issue, several issues pertaining to the event's security have been raised - to which representatives of the Cimmerian Path have assured PNN that every precaution is being taken to ensure the fundraiser proceeds without a hitch...