Despite my attempts to ease Doc and Juan into attacking websites first before hacking Corpnet, they both pressured me into altering their orders. I felt they were both capable of the job, but I warned them regardless to be careful of who they provoked. Likely, the Squad wouldn't be able to handle a firefight if Conservative forces traced their efforts to our location. Or, at least, that was my reasoning at the time; in retrospect, I find it bitterly amusing I worried so much.
Towards the end of the month, I felt Doc had healed enough to join the rest of
Revenge for an on-site mission. To continue acclimating the Liberals under me to action of all kinds against Conservative forces, I armed them all with simple weapons and disguises before taking them to
Scott Cosmetics. Our objectives? To free cruelly imprisoned animals, acquisition loot, and kidnap Conservatives for Enlightenment.
Our first two objectives were easily fulfilled, but the third required considerable effort. Although we ultimately managed to capture four automatons...
...and distract three others with sexual innuendo...
...we were ultimately discovered and had to make a tactical retreat.
The automatons didn't feel too comfortable in their new accomodations. So, in groups of three, attending to each four, all of the Dozen Liberal Legion - I like the ring of that... - began the re-education process.
Some didn't want to learn as much as others.
Toni Leyden, however, underwent Enlightenment within a week. I sent her back into Scott Cosmetics to act as a sleeper for us, a future resource in the event we needed aid.
Unfortunately, we ran out of time before we could Enlighten Steven and Eric...
During our regular morning meeting, after Hugo had shown the group the newspaper, he turned to me and asked, "What are we going to do, Kurt? They know we were there a week ago, conducting a raid. As ignorant as they are, the automatons can put two and two together. They could find us."
"We're in both a highly defensive and secret location," Cesar stated. "There's no way they could find us."
Juan lifted his eyes from his cereal and countered, "Corpnet is bustling with activity regarding the affair. Murdering their brethren is one thing; kidnapping them for potential insertion into their society is another matter altogether."
"Can't we just release them back into society after we Enlightened them, pretend nothing ever happened?" Selma inquired.
"Negative," Fabio said. "The government will not rest until it relocates and acquires the captured; not out of compassion, but out of fear and a desire for information."
"So what do we do?" Rachelle asked. "Kill them?"
Monica wrinkled her nose in disgust. "We can't kill them NOW, no matter how grotesque they are. We'd be murdering them in cold blood. That's something only the Conservatives would do."
The group nodded in agreement.
"But how do we resolve this?" Doc wondered aloud. "If we Enlighten them, they'll be a liability..."
"...and the longer they stay with us," Issac continued, "the more they'll learn about the Cause."
Kathy sighed. "We have no choice but to accept the risk. We kidnapped them. They're our responsibility now."
"Even though they risk the greater whole of the Cause?" Lisa demanded.
"Then release them, I offered."
Eleven pairs of eyes swiveled to look at me.
"What?"
"ReLEA--"
"You can't be..."
"But then they--"
"Quiet!"Silence reigned. Few of them had ever heard me raise my voice.
"I'm aware of the consequences, people. If we free them from their physical restraints and leave the door open for them, they'll eventually figure out they can escape, no matter how afraid they are of us. And they'll find their way back to their homes, no matter how disoriented they'll be when they leave. Then they'll go to the police. And they'll tell the Death Squads everything. The government will know where to find us. So, trust me, I understand our situation. And it's the best option we have."
Everyone mulled over my words, considering the consequences - and potential gains - of my suggestion. Some were attempting to compose challenging arguments, but Doc was the first to speak:
"I suppose we better prepare our defenses for when they arrive."
I grimly smiled at him. "Yes, we better."
Through the month of August, we got to work on installing a high-powered series of infantry traps within our complex, powered by a variety of means, some not even at all, so they would not lose potency even if all electric systems failed. We also released Stephen, Eric - and Rupert after another missing persons bulletin - from their bonds and waited for them to make their escape. Eventually, they did.
Afterwards, it was only a matter of time before...
"Surrender yourselves to the Judgment of Wisdom now, Liberal Crime Squad, or face summary execution!"In response, I lit a match on the flag before tossing it out of the compound.
"Fuck you, Conservative Scum!"
"They set Old Glory on fire!"
"I wanna see each and every single one of those hippie commies with bullets in their brains before noon!"
They stormed the complex.
"All right, Liberals!" I proclaimed. "This is the moment for which we've been preparing! Grab your guns and stick close to me. We're gonna need teamwork to repel these bastards!"
And so we went to dispense Liberal Justice.
Against the moronic automatons.
Who, for one reason or another.
Had never seen
Return of the Jedi.
I guess I shouldn't be surprised.
RotJ is far too heart-warming for them to watch.
That's not to say they were all incompetent.
Hugo has been without coherent speech since that day.
And all the front liners looked worse-for-wear.
But we all lived to see their tactical retreat.
"This isn't over," Doc noted to me the day after. "You know that, right? For as long as we stay here, they will continue to muster forces to throw against us. We're a long way from winning the war."
"Perhaps, Doc..."
"No perhaps, Kurt. I've got a bad feeling that shit hasn't even considered hitting the fan just yet."
I looked towards him and gave another grim smile. "Then I suppose we should reset our traps before their return."
And so we did.
And so they did.
And so we brought it to them again.
Were soldiers not expected to learn tactical warfare within a solitary complex?
No wonder so many died every day during the Corporate-funded battles abroad.
They couldn't even stop the Dozen Liberal Legion, which relied mostly on heart.
And traps.
Lots of traps.
Into which they so casually sauntered. I wonder if we could find a way to set traps in their downtown buildings without them noticing us. The traps would be so effective there...
Taking everything into account - that we weren't even shot at once - it's no surprise the soldiers beat a hasty retreat, leaving us once more within Vance Health Insurance. We confiscated all the armament that had been left behind, got to work on resetting our traps, and bided our time...
"D'ya think they'll bring tanks next time?" Doc asked me one night.
I chuckled. "They'd be fools not to bring artillery of some kind after their bombastic failures. But I imagine they must have seen our tank traps. Surely they won't try to wheel them in here."
The next morning, after rudely awoken by Conservatives, Doc quipped, "You sure on that, Chief?"
I rolled my eyes and shook my head. "I don't think I'll ever understand them, Doc."
Grabbing his M16, he laughed at me. "At this rate, you'll never need to. They'll all be dead!"
I find it hard, as I prepare to lead the others into battle, to disagree.
Kurt Ross, Audiolog: END.
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Topic: Let's Get On With It - Liberal Crime Squad: A Let's Play Adventure (COMPLETED) (Read 110027 times)