InterCons Story Book I (WoF)

C1. Outsourced Stalking in the Dark (Part 1)

"Don't you think this'll all be seen? Why'd they decide for us to set up here?" his friend asked. 

Stanley didn't know the answer to that. After the... incident, they had sailed west along the coast until the rainforest ended, at which point management decided to stop there to establish an onshore base of operations. Being one of the more skilled technicians, as well as having his luck, he was roped into setting up the network infrastructure for it. 

Well, I guess we don't really have any better options, assuming we do actually need an onshore base in the first place. Do we? 

Whatever. It's not my decision to make. 

"I don't know," Stanley shrugged. "I mean, I figure there aren't any better options for the location, but beyond that, I don't know. I don't know why we need this place at all. At least they've put a lot of thought into defense so we're ready for... well, the inevitable." 

"Heh, you got that right. We got enough guns and guys willing to shoot those guns to take on whatever the hell this place throws at us." 

That was certainly true. InterCons had to be one of the most well-defended businesses the world had ever seen--both the world they had come from and certainly the one they were in now. 

InterCons, on top of having well-armed and adequately trained private security officers, made an effort to turn every employee they could into an additional layer of security. The group offered bonuses to employees who carried their personally owned guns on the job, at least where that was possible, and provided advice to employees who were first-time gun buyers. 

Easiest money I've ever made. 

"Aight, that should be a good solid connection now," his friend said, closing the access panel. "So, what danger do these things, uhh... dragons, you said, pose anyway?" 

"They're dragons. What dangers do you think they would pose?" 

"Are they gonna breathe fire on us or sumtin'?" 

"That's a distinct possibility. They could also breathe ice on or spit corrosive venom at us if we're talking about their ranged attacks. It depends on what tribe it is." 

"What now? How'd we get to tribes? They got those?" 

Stanley chuckled, picking up the tools they had been using. "If this place is similar enough to that book series I told you about, then yes." 

"Ah, whatever. Can we shoot 'em?" 

"I'd rather not. They're sentient, y'know. If they do attack us, though, it would be the first test of our weapons against them, and I'm feeling pretty good about how that'd go for us." 

"Ain't we supposed to be able to talk to 'em at some point? That what the eggheads are doin' with that scroll they found?" 

Stanley stopped to think. "Maybe..." 

Information relating to the dragons and the current research into them wasn't technically classified, but very little information had been released about it, and what was released was very vague. That didn't stop rumors spreading across the fleet. Stanley had no idea whether they were true. 

He was about to respond further when his radio interrupted him. "Stanley, could you go to building A3 to assist electrical in diagnosing an issue there? They need access to the information systems room but don't have a key." 

Stanley fumbled to get his radio off of his belt before he said, "Roger," in response. He waited for several seconds for another reply before beginning to put the radio back on his belt.