“Ok, I’m tired of you talking about this. I don’t understand what you mean by essentials, and the pools, and backers and—”
“Sorry. It’s how I think of everything when it comes to having power. An essential is someone I need and/or must secure to get into power. In this case, I need certain people in the community to back me and press for votes,” Felix said. He paused to smile and nod to a young Beastkin man who looked up from a pamphlet.
“In this case, I was never going to secure the votes for Humanity First. There was no point in ever trying to get their votes. Now, for the non-human communities, the opposite is now true. I can use them to drum votes in my direction with little or no effort on my part.”
“So… why aren’t they essential?”
“Because with or without my attention, they’ll push for my governorship. This isn’t true for those who respect the police chief. Or those who follow the business leaders of the community. Those are essential for my election, as are their backers. I’ll need their support. So I have to figure out what they need or want from me, and either make that promise, or figure out who I can use otherwise.”
“And that’s why you wanted to know who their replacements and competitors were,” Kit said.
“Yep. Unlike most politicians, I have options available to me. A competitor is a valid piece for me, when it wouldn’t be for anyone else. Hence my need to determine my essentials and backers. It’ll also come down to offering public policies that the general populace want to secure unaffiliated voters.”
“And that’s why you combined the interview with the tour. I think I understand. So… what’s next?”
“We’ve already made promises of education, and are carrying out on that. Above board, cheap, easily readable contract, and a job. Security for businesses would be next. I have some ideas on that already,” Felix said. “We do have some seniors transferring in, don’t we?”
“We do. Their contract for work is only set at a year. Why?”
“Send me a list of everyone interested in security, military, or defense. Both physical and intellectual.”
“I can get that,” Andrea said from his side, rapidly typing into her tablet. “It’ll only be a few minutes. I’ve been thinking about what you were saying the other day. Me, holding down the homefront.”
“Oh? Thank you by the way for getting me that data, Andrea.”
“Yeah. I don’t want to be security anymore. I want to lead a department. Or directing security if I have to stay in that. I’ve been speaking about this to Victoria and Ioana. They’re both on board with it. I’ve been making plans to pull all the Others out and put them into other positions. To learn more about Legion, and be in the know for anything you need. To truly be your personal secretary.”
Felix was a bit shocked at that. Andrea hadn’t really displayed any desire for that course of action previous to this.
What changed?
Calling up her character screen, Felix started to read it over.
Name:
Andrea Elex
Power: Multiple Self Projections
Alias: Andrea, Andie, Lex.
Secondary Power: Partitioned Mind
Physical Status:
Healthy
Third Power: Directed Complete Regeneration
Positive Statuses:
None
Mental Status:
Happy; Determined
Negative Statuses:
None
Strength:
44
Upgrade?(440)
Dexterity:
62
Upgrade?(620)
Agility:
71
Upgrade?(710)
Stamina:
70
Upgrade?(700)
Wisdom:
81
Upgrade?(810)
Intelligence:
40
Upgrade?(270)
Luck:
53
Upgrade?(530)
Primary Power:
31
Upgrade?(3,100)
Secondary Power:
79
Upgrade?(7,900)
Third Power:
50
Upgrade?(5,000)
Nothing appeared out of the ordinary.
Everything was exactly as he remembered it.
“I’m curious. What drove you to this? It couldn’t have just been me asking you to defend to the HQ,” Felix asked. He could practically hear Kit asking the same question over the earpiece.
“I… I spent last night with all of my Others with me. No one liked what happened. That we were given a task that took us away from you. That not one of us could be left somewhere else. None of us liked it. We’re going to change our role to fit what we want. We want to be your personal secretary.
“Now we will be. We have Others in almost every department, and spread throughout the ranks. We also enlisted some of the tech department to provide us with a way to communicate with one another privately. I’m… I’m going to be your Andrea-net,” said the Beastkin, looking up from her tablet and meeting his eyes. “And the Andrea-net won’t fail you.”
There was a soft chime on his wristwatch signaling an incoming email.
“I sent you the list, as well as everyone’s scores, home lives, and potential for hazard-duty assignments. I also put in a list of all business owners who were impacted by the prison breakout, and all those who were close enough that they could have been impacted,” Andrea said.
Felix raised his eyebrows at that.
“Remind me to reward the Andrea-net,” Felix said.
“I figured you’d eventually offer something like that,” Andrea said, looking to her tablet. “I need you to sign this requisition form. It’ll build out a floor specific to my Others and me only. It’ll be the Andrea-net, and where we will gather to consolidate information.”
“I… I see. Alright, sure, I can sign that. It makes sense,” Felix said.
Turning his wrist over he opened his mailbox. Almost immediately a requisition form popped to the top of the list. He opened it and pressed the “approve” button that Andrea had attached to the bottom.
It filled out all the appropriate information automatically and sent it off to only Andrea knew where.
“Thank you, Felix. As a mate, you’re good to me, and as a boss, you’re better. It isn’t simple infatuation. You’re a good man, and you do good things, while protecting our pack. You’re a good Alpha,” Andrea said, peering up at him shyly.
Felix only nodded his head, he wasn’t quite sure how to respond to that. Though he had to admit, it gave him a bit more insight into why Andrea wanted to be with him.
Now to build out a security plan for businesses.
“On second thought. Could you use the Andrea-net to gather up everyone you think would qualify on that list for hazard-duty, after all? I want to have a meeting with those seniors and present them with the opportunity to get into a new Legion business expansion. Security. Probably should get a Fixer in there, too.”
Andrea grinned at him, flashing her bright white teeth. “Nn! Consider it done, boss.”
“Kit, we’ll need time to prep the seniors who volunteer and skill them. In the meantime, could you get me in front of whatever board is in control of the prisons?”
“Of course. I’ll have it set up as soon as possible,” Kit said.
From here on out, there is no backtracking.
And on top of everything else, there’s been no news on the data we stole from the heroes. No news at all tends to mean that there is nothing to report that’s favorable, or they can’t even get in.