ArchivedLogs:Vignette - Budget Cuts

Vignette - Budget Cuts
Dramatis Personae Malthus
In Absentia	2013-08-12 '
Location Undisclosed
"At 1131 hours, a HAMMER convoy transporting three subjects through western Virginia fell under attack by a terrorist assault," Malthus said, his tone brisk and soft. "Six mutants -- two teleporters, one hydrokinetic, one geokinetic, two with armor. Two soldiers were seriously injured; two of the three subjects escaped. One CASTLE was severely damaged -- the other two suffered minor mechanical failures." "How," one of the four generals behind the table said, "the /fuck/ did this happen?" Malthus turned, thumbing the switch in his hand. The wall behind him was lit with the glow of a powerful projector -- it displayed an image of the Lofts, taken from a neighboring building. "While I've yet to receive the intel on the mutants responsible for Prometheus assaults, I believe that when this intel is supplied, I will find some overlap between /these/ attackers and those on the raid -- or those they rescued. I suspect--" "We're not asking who /did/ this, Captain Rogers," a second general said, his own tone scarcely staying level. "We're asking how the hell this happened." "How --" Malthus paused, turning to face the men. "--they knew the location of the convoy?" "How," a third general cut in, "a bunch of fucking /mutant hippies/ managed to fight the goddamn US military--" "--and /win/," the first finished, his rage barely contained. "If it weren't for their training, these boys would've been /killed/--" "With all due respect, sir," Malthus interrupted, his tone cool and indifferent, "that is incorrect. My intel suggests the mutants took great pains to preserve the life of my troops. Another hallmark that leaves me suspecting Loft involvement. The report I supplied--" "--is very informative, Captain," the fourth general spoke. "I read it with great interest. I was particularly fascinated by your decision to change the prisoner manifest at the last minute." The room went silent; none of the other generals spoke, now. Malthus stared at the highest ranking man in the room, his single functioning eye unblinking. Expectant. "Would you care to explain that?" the man finally asked. "I..." Malthus paused. "...thought it prudent to be unpredictable." "Unpredictable." The fourth general pondered this word for a while, before: "Explain yourself." "The attacks on Prometheus labs are being conducted by -- to refer to a superior's comment, 'mutant hippies'. Men and women with largely no military or counter-intelligence training. And yet they are succeeding. Moreso; they seem to possess an /extraordinary/ information network." "Yes," the fourth general agreed, "you've already told us this. Justification for your incredibly expensive implementation of Oscorp's largely untested 'psi-shielding'. You told us this was necessary to block out their information network." "To block out one aspect of it," Malthus agreed. "But -- sir, I am operating blind. Without knowledge regarding the powers of the mutants I am up against, I have no way of knowing what the enemy knows and does not know. And so, at the last moment, I decided... to act on impulse." The fourth general's gaze narrowed. "You anticipated this." /Now/ the other men in the room were as quiet as the grave; Malthus stiffened beneath that narrowed gaze, and then slowly nodded. "I anticipated," he agreed, "the /possibility/." "And your solution," the fourth general continued, "was to unleash a fucking /vampire/." "In retrospect, I see my preparation for this possibility was wholly inadequate," Malthus said. "'Wholly inadequate'. Captain Rogers, do you have any clue how much those 'Castles' of yours cost?" "6.5 million dollars," Malthus replied without hesitation. "That was /before/ the psi-shielding," the general fired back. "Now they're /7/ million." "Ah. My apologies, sir." "/Fuck/ your apologies, Malthus. I want my 7 million dollars back," the general snapped. "Your decision to address the possibility of an organized mutant assault against your convoy by using a /vampire/ just cost us a goddamn stryker. /And/ nearly got your men killed. Worst still? If you're right -- if this was Prometheus all over again? You had the chance to kill off this terrorist cell. And you /blew/ it." "Yes, sir." "You've gotten a lot of slack since this Brotherhood mess opened up again," the general went on. "But we didn't give you this post so you could get to fuck around with your toys and do as you goddamn please. I don't know what the fuck they did with you back in Weapon X, but here? We expect /results/." "Yes, sir." "Expect some serious structural changes in HAMMER's near future. Budget cuts are just the beginning. Dismissed, soldier." Malthus turned to go -- but then paused, turning back to the assembled generals. "Sir?" The fourth general looked up, glaring. "/What/." "With your permission," Malthus continued, "I would like to push for a request to have all the information regarding Prometheus assaults -- both escapees and attackers -- forwarded to my office. It would help," he soon added, "in preventing any more mistakes in the future." Once again, the general narrowed his gaze. "We'll think about it," he finally said. "/Dismissed/." "Yes, sir." Hands folded behind his back, Malthus left the room.