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Loop 257 - Part 21
🕑 Added 2024-11-28 22:31:58 +0000 UTC“Then I think it’s clear we need to take some time to breathe and get this place back in order. We can have Scrump continue laying out some gateways for us across the country, Trashcat can join her for better communication once she’s back as well. In the meantime, we need to find just what each of the new kids can do and start working our way through every new guest we have,” Cal said.
“Speaking of new guests,” Lou said, having walked up to drop off more food. “We are good to need a lot more food very soon. I’m trying to keep this quiet at the moment, but we have enough for maybe two weeks with everyone now here. The boys are willing to do some major smash and grabs if we want to go that route, but if there is anything you guys can do it would be a lot easier.”
“Let’s table widespread theft for the moment. I have a contact I can reach out to that I haven’t tapped yet. I’ll have him purchase us a warehouse, and we can have Scrump get a gateway inside of it. Then we just start some deliveries to it, shouldn’t be that hard to maintain it without anyone really noticing,” Harold explained.
“Just saying, if we need to go that route, we’ve already got a plan,” Lou.
“It’s appreciated, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we do end up coming to that at some point, but now let’s go with Harold’s plan. I think we should bring another person into the loop, someone that we have basically no connection to, and that we should move them up to the front of the line with Bug’s friend,” Cal said.
“Their name is Emily now. They worked it out with Bug,” Lou added. Cal was glad Bug had already connected that strongly with them.
“Yeah, that’s a good idea and likely for the best. We are going to have to keep them separate from us as far as ever been seen together outside of the void house. I can start putting together some dossiers on potential recruits,” Harold said, agreeing with Cal.
“Why don’t we just think big? I want a bard anyway, so let’s just get us someone with a ton of clout and no connections at all to us,” Cal suggested. He had some ideas, but first, he wanted to get them sold on even starting the idea before he pushed further.
“Okay, any idea who then?” Harold asked. Cal was glad Harold was biting.
“Yep, in fact, this has been an idea I’ve had kicking around for a very long time. As I said, we need a bard to help control the populace when the invasion starts. We need a beloved celebrity, but we also need who can disappear for awhile when the loop restarts without any issue,” Cal started.
“Really Cal? I know you had a crush on her as a kid, but come on, do you honestly think this is a good idea?” Stan interrupted to question his son.
“It’s a great idea, and I promise that crush died a hundred years ago, if not more. It’s just I know a lot about her. She quits her child career about now, disappears from the public eye for another decade, comes back, and makes her return to become a pop mega star. The Agency would have no idea anything was even amiss if we recruited her. We also then get access to all of her connections as well,” Cal explained, trying his best to justify why her. He was telling the truth, though, and the crush had been long gone. The idea of romance in the time loops had just not been a thing that appealed to him.
“So, I actually agree with Cal. This is probably a brilliant idea, if we can bring her on board. Who are we talking about here?” Harold asked.
“Melody Lamb,” Cal said.
“So when you say megastar, you meant it, alright. Well, since you seem to have been a fan of hers, you’re stuck with the initial contact job and figuring out how to get her into all of this without a disaster,” Harold said.
“That I think I can do, but that’s last on my immediate to-do list. What do we want to do with all the Gryalth?” Cal asked.
“That is a question for the all-hands meeting next week. I think Serilina may have some ideas there,” Harold said.
“I don’t, and she didn’t really grow up with them. Hell, she didn’t even learn they were a problem til people in the Under Library were terrified of her,” Andrew said.
“Still, she may have some ideas, and I’d rather open that up to everyone anyway,” Harold replied.
“Okay, well, my most immediate plan is to go check on the kids. I want to work with Bug and your wife to test every one of them, figure out what kind of powers they have, if they have full mana spirits, etc,” Cal said.
“Thank you. Sarah has a big heart, but I’m not sure she really understands what she’s getting into there,” Glenn said.
“Glenn, you and I are going to go have a long chat after this meeting as well. I need every name and connection you can give me. We need to start running down every bit of information we can,” Harold said.
“Yeah, I figured that was coming,” Glenn replied.
“I’m going back to see the frog. Excalibur and I want to talk to him, and I’m taking Twonger with me,” Stan said.
“Alright, just be careful, we need you here,” Cal said. He didn’t like the idea of his dad leaving, but he trusted the man to do what he thought was important, especially if he needed to do this while his wife and child were in the hands of the Agency.
“I’m going to go check in with Hugo. He should be back for his report unless it’s critical. I’ll just bring all the info to the big meeting,” Andrew said.
“Sounds good, well gentlemen. So far in this war, we are somehow coming out ahead. Let’s keep that up,” Harold said, nodding at each of then.
