SW10: Summer of Discontent #2: The Plan

[Scott Eiler]

The Summer of Discontent
Part 1:  The Plan

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WORLD JOURNAL MONTHLY
April 28, 2011

THE PLAN!
Could The Earth Go Back To Its Old Orbit?

Correspondent:  Noelle LaRue

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In a meeting room underneath the Southwick Zoo in the rural town of 
Mendon, Massachusetts, Vice-President "Crusher" Joe Corrigan called the 
Executive Committee on Superhuman Activities to order.  "Alright, this 
should be secret enough.  Fed subsidies keep this place in business, and 
the budget don't say why.

"We got *one* journalist here, but she's not gonna release this story 
'til it's over.  And by the time she tells people where we met, we'll 
have *another* room no one will suspect.  Let's roll.

"News roundup... Dammit, I miss Wyatt.  Ingrid, you got this?"

A Brazilian woman next to Dr. Ingrid Bodil spoke.  "I will brief you. 
And I miss Wyatt also."  Dr. Karla Melhor spoke from her chair.  "Food 
shortages are beginning to abate.  Raspberries and potatoes in 
particular are coming to harvest.  Web sites are offering recipes for 
raspberry-potato casserole.

"But rolling power blackouts continue.  As such, television viewing is 
decreasing.  Soap operas are giving this as the reason for going off the 
air.  Many banks have turned off their electric digital clocks."

Corrigan interjected.  "Food shortage I understand.  But we got *plenty* 
of power still."

"Indeed.  The problem is maintenance of the power grid.  Substations are 
being targeted by the Libertine Party, to protest our trials of 
Nashville rebels.  (http://www.eilertech.com/stories/2010/cauldron.htm ) 
  The ongoing plague and the extensive collapse of the world economic 
system are affecting our ability to repair.  But there's progress on the 
plague.  Scientists say it is actually mosquito-based, not avian-based."

"Mosquitoes...  What have I read about mosquitoes?"

"Mosquitoes were bio-engineered to make the very first strike against 
The Trillions in Russia almost two years ago. 
(http://www.eilertech.com/stories/2009/trillions.htm#trillions ) 
Coincidentally, the plague started in Eurasia after the aliens landed. 
To speak more of aliens...

"You may recall, last summer an alien penetrated blockade around the 
Earth.  (http://www.eilertech.com/stories/2010/deathtrap.htm )  He was 
of course the Alien Beast, member of our Combine.  I am pleased to 
report he has delivered two children."

"Uh, what you mean *delivered*?"

"He was pregnant.  He was bio-engineered to be a hermaphrodite.  Male 
and female together, that is."

"I get 'hermaphrodite'.  And yeah, aww, but does the national security 
really care about his children?"

"Yes, it does.  His species gains superhuman powers under our sun.  But 
it also drives them crazy.  The Beast himself was bio-engineered to be 
sane here.  And a hunter.  He did not have the extra powers, though. 
But his children do.  And they seem to be sane."

"Okay.  Note for the future."

Karla continued...  "Since then, the Beast has returned to the hunt.  In 
Alexandria, Egypt, he has found a plot by the guardian class of The 
Trillions to support the Red China government in a crackdown against the 
South China rebellion."

"Yeah, well, we're *stuck* with The Trillions.  Everyone's grandma is 
signing up for life support in their ships.  So they're part of the 
family now.  But can we do anything about their guardians?"

"If we find which ship commands them, we can hijack their command 
structure."

"So, can we?"

"Perhaps and perhaps.  To find the command ship, we are investigating 
widely.  One Massachusetts crime lord we have recently captured shows 
some promise.  There is considerable argument among villains at present, 
apparently due to a power struggle between Satanists and Eric X. 
(http://www.eilertech.com/stories/2011/villainwar.txt )  Some villains 
of course have contact with The Trillions."

"What about the hijack?"

"Even once we find the ship, we will not know until we try.  We have 
several ideas.  But The Trillions are highly adaptive.  Once we try 
something, it will never work again."

"Okay.  Save the hijack for when we need it.  Like, just before New New 
Year's Day.  You got the info on *that* plan?"

Dr. Ingrid Bodil said, "I will address that.  We have a report from the 
Australian ambassador.  Ellipsis has been conducting research there, 
along with the Bride of the Ultimate Darkness.  In theory, the Bride can 
*teleport* the Earth into Darkness, and have it emerge in another 
direction.  Into a new orbit."

"Alright.  I got new orbit.  I got theory.  What about practice?"

"There are two limitations.  One is the Method Man."

"Uh, isn't Method Man some kind of rap star?"

"I do not know the details of 'rap'.  But *this* Method Man is a 
guardian upon the magic powers of humanity. 
(http://www.eilertech.com/stories/2008/reversal.htm#methodman )  He has 
limited the powers of the Bride of Darkness, to only control things 
smaller than cities.

"Vara Hosea has recently contacted the Method Man.  He now says he will 
enable the Bride's full powers, but only if some great mystic sacrifice 
is made."

"Aw, crap.  Vara's not here.  Who knows magic here?"

Another woman spoke.  "She sent me.  You can call me Wenchy the Witch."

"Okay, Wenchy.  What *you* know about great mystic sacrifice?"

"I was with Wyatt Ferguson when he resurfaced in our reality.  He had 
somehow found the power of God.  And he *sacrificed* it, to save us 
all."  (http://www.eilertech.com/stories/2011/britannia_beach.txt )

"... Whatever.  So, is that a good enough sacrifice?"

"Yes.  But only if we find Wyatt."

"How we gonna do that?"

"He got banished by Black Mages into a future.  We've looked for him in 
the probable futures, but he's gone from those parts of the futures we 
could touch."

"Oh, humma humma buzza buzza, I don't wanna know.  Where *will* you find 
him?"

"Maybe he's used his own powers to go to an alternate reality outside 
our future.  Or maybe if he's under a time travel spell, he's in the 
past now.  We're looking."

"Okay... You said one problem.  Magic guardian in the way.  Only Wyatt 
can save us.  Got it.  What's the *other* problem?"

Ingrid Bodil resumed.  "There is a blockade on our universe.  This has 
happened before.  The previous blockade restricted all teleportation. 
(http://www.eilertech.com/stories/2004/passover.htm )  This one is 
looser, but it will still stop the Bride of Darkness from moving the 
entire planet."

"So, how we fix *that*?"

"Mr. Vice-President, you've already made contact with the Council of 
Ordered Realities.  They have a Chancellor who's declared the blockade. 
  (http://www.eilertech.com/stories/2011/deputy.txt )  If you can get 
him to lift it, *then* we might shift the Earth."

"Aw, *dammit*.  The *other* Wyatt.  Why is it always Wyatt?"

Wenchy the Witch said, "If you'd care to know..."

"No!  I *don't* care!  What do we *do* about it?"

Ingrid said, "I understand the main concern of Ordered Realities is The 
Trillions.  Once we execute our strike against them, their concern might 
be addressed."

"Alright.  Let's get back to the plan.  Get to Ordered Realities 
somehow.  Get them to work with us.  Find Wyatt somehow.  Hope he hasn't 
spent his big sacrifice somewhere else.  Find the Trillions command ship 
somehow.  Hope we can take over.  *Then maybe* we can move the Earth."

"Yes, sir, that would be the plan."

"And do it by... when?"

"The fifth of May would be ideal.  So would the sixth of June.  At 
either of those dates, the Earth's position will match the old orbit."

"Okay.  Let's do it."

---

Author's Notes:

I've been considering the Earth's new orbit to be a done deal, because 
it leads to my predeclared apocalypse world of Earth 2022. 
(http://www.eilertech.com/stories/2009/beyond.htm )  But of course my 
characters would consider other options.  And my characters *often* 
drive my story.  Might they get what they want?  Would it be good 
enough?  I guess we'll find out together.

Crusher Joe Corrigan is a character created by Joe Fucile.  All other 
characters in this fiction are copyright 2011, Eiler Technical 
Enterprises.  All this year's stories are online at 
http://www.eilertech.com/stories/2011/.

-- 
(signed) Scott Eiler  8{D> -------- http://www.eilertech.com/ ---------

Turns out I'm an anally-fixated oedipal paranoid with 
south-of-the-border schizophrenic delusions...  But never mind, I've 
found me the ideal job.  I'm going to run for President!

- Major Honey, scripted by Grant Morrison, Doom Patrol #46, August 1991.