Diary of Emma Vance, Liberal Guardian and Commander of the Liberal Crime Squad
January 1st, 2010
We've been moving in a daze for two months. Nobody has any idea why, but we've all been disoriented since the end of October. Some of us have had terrible dreams, Toby and Grimith particularly. I hear them moaning in their sleep, sometimes, but they refuse to talk about it. Even I had visions. I dreamed that we were being killed one by one, with the world coming apart at the seams and reality being warped beyond comprehension. I saw Grimith die. I saw him collapse to the ground, riddled with bullets. I saw it six times before the image of his corpse finally faded. Fortunately, the world died soon after, and I woke up in my bedroll.
It was 4:15 AM. It was thirty-four minutes before I was able to put down my sword and go back to sleep.
Despite his nightmares and hallucinations, which were surely much worse than mine, Grimith has kept us together over the past weeks seemingly through the strength of his will alone. For most of the year each squad operated independently, but after October we were too shaken to do anything productive. Grimith took command again and brought us all back to one safehouse. It's a bit crowded here, but we've all benefited from the presence of other Liberals. Early on we just sat around, enjoying one another's company. It was a cold autumn and we're in the middle of an even colder winter, and none of our safehouses have heating installed, but some of us got a few fires going. By the time it got really cold, the braver among us were on the streets again. Coming home after a day of evading the police and warming your feet by the fire, talking with your comrades... I've never felt more at home. Despite whatever malaise has come over us, morale has never been higher.
Grimith has been indefatigable during this time; cracking a joke here, giving encouragement there, brightening the common room wherever he passes. He is always last to bed and first to rise, though most of us suspect that's more due to a fear of sleeping than anything else. He may not have done much between March and November, but his actions over the past months have made it clear that he is our leader in every sense of the word. I can only wonder at his courage and strength: some of my dreams were enough to render me insensible for hours, and he clearly faces worse every night...
Well, no more. A new year, and a new beginning. The squads will venture forth once more, and no one will stop us. Grimith is guiding our efforts once more, and he has made it clear that there will be no more hiding for now. We will stay and fortify this safehouse. We have more than enough Liberals to defend against any Conservative incursion.
Speaking of which, the Conservative Crime Squad will only grow stronger if allowed free reign. It is time to take the fight to them.
The municipal park. CCS activity has led to an influx of Conservatives from the country, eager to take part in their abominable crusade. Public opinion is extremely liberal at present thanks to our previous efforts, and so it will be even easier to pick them out: just need to find someone with the reek of conservativism on them.
The CCS is pretty stubborn. Have to cripple them first. Meanwhile, our ninjas, as they call themselves, were heading off on a more conventional raid.
And Zangi's squad was doing the same. Neither of the other squads has been much for subtlety lately.
Zangi reported heavy casualties. He took on the task of burying them himself.
January 6th, 2010
The conversion of the CCS lackey is coming along. Toby is our best interrogator, but since he's part of the Liberal Crime Squad, we haven't been able to leave on any missions.
Or it was coming along. They keep a close eye on their minions, it seems. No matter, he may still have useful information.
Ninja Squad has taken to appearing on Conservative television. What the public thinks of a group of men with bloodstained swords and body armour bursting onto the stage, I can only guess. Grimith has been allowing it though, so it's not my place to criticise.
Zangi refilled his squad with a couple of children. I don't know how he thinks they'll survive.
January 12th
Great news! We can finally take on the CCS in their own backyard. The ninja squad requested and were granted the honour of leading the assault. I suppose they are better equipped, since the Liberal Crime Squad wears only tattered clothes in honour of our beginnings rather than the body armour they wear.
January 15th: After action report of the assault.
They cleaned the place out with remarkable efficiency. All that was left for those in support was the cleanup.
They're not very stealthy, those ninjas. Though I suppose I should be thankful they don't talk much, otherwise one of them probably would have said something like 'Yeah, I'd rather kill you' to the guard on the door.
I hate one-liners. It's something of a personal vendetta. The reestablished Liberal Guardian ran a much more detailed report, for those who are interested.
Oh, and Grimith recognized their bravery and skill, and promoted them for their part in this assault. They are now Elite Liberals, which is higher than even himself. Though he's still in command.
January 22nd
Apparently, ninja squad took a corporate CEO captive. I didn't even notice him in the back room. In other news, one of our brownie sellers didn't return. We feared the worst until we received a phone call from the police station.
She was an Enlightened, so we had to reach her quickly before she was lost to us. Unfortunately, that meant going to the police station. Our seller lost an arm and promptly bled to to death before having her head explode. At least the small Conservative victory was not without cost. Ninja Belt tells me they killed twenty-eight SWAT officers before he lost count. The Guardian ran an excellent recount of the event. Unfortunately, the ninjas' lack of subtlety means the police station will be heavily guarded for a very long time.
The entire ninja squad went to bury what remained of Ruth, reflecting on their failure. They take these things very seriously.
January 25th
Another brownie seller, and exposure of Conservative operations. We're losing too many Liberals in our fight for freedom.
January 28th
The CEO was enlightened after 14 days. The newspapers had not reported his disappearance. Conservative laxity here is unbelievable.
February 1st
I took a leaf out of the ninjas' book, and got the Liberal Crime Squad on television. I noticed one of my old coworkers on the show. I wish we could have shown him the light as I was shown...
No matter. Such thoughts are not necessary for a Liberal.
We noticed the CCS chasing us. They've grown bold enough to show their hand once more.
None of our sleepers returned useful information this month, but apparently someone in our safehouse had been steadily working away at his computer, hacking into conservative networks. The monthly special edition used some old data, however.
Zangi came back from a routine raid with bad news: the children he adopted have been captured. I told him it was a bad idea to take them along. The police station is crawling with conservatives: not even the ninja squad is insane enough to try to take them back.
Hang on, kids. We'll get you out. I swear it.
Speaking of the police, the ninja squad captured one. But Toby failed to turn him early enough. Our ninjas have also captured some files from the Corporate HQ. They put the safe containing their most valuable items in their entrance foyer, apparently.
February 4th
Another casualty. Our sellers are dropping like flies.
Herbert didn't return from his brownie-selling either. There is no way that the police could have defeated him, even with his blindness. We can only assume he allowed himself to be captured to keep the children in the police station company.
He is the epitome of self-sacrifice. Someday, when the Liberal Agenda is realized and the LCS can come out into the open, stories will be told about his heroic endurance. For now, the only ones that will hear of him are us.
February 20th
A policeman we kidnapped, apparently.
February 24th
Today is the anniversary of my kidnapping! Grimith authorized me to lead a raid into my old workplace in celebration. Toby was busy with another policeman, and Herbert was busy being incarcerated by policemen, but a policeman volunteered to help out.
Just like old times, except with more murder and being chased by the forces of evil. I didn't recognize those two news anchors: they must have been new. An excellent time was had by all, even the policeman, who received a few nasty flesh wounds for his trouble.
And we returned to find that Grimith had Enlightened another policeman before his kidnapping was reported! An excellent Rebirth Day present, although Toby was greatly irritated at being equalled in a contest of psychological warfare. We've been trying to get a police sleeper agent for months: this fellow will be extremely useful in warning us of raids and uncovering police corruption.
February 28th
Today we received no less than half a dozen pieces of information worthy of a Special Edition. Not even Grimith guessed that Conservative corruption ran so deep.
March 1st
Well, barely. It's about 2:30 in the morning, but I can't sleep from excitement. We had an impromptu party when we heard about what happened. Ninja Blue brought in several cases of various liquors from somewhere: the girl could probably lift a tank above her head if she really wanted. Grimith called for several toasts, and for a minute's silence for Herbert, Anna and all the Liberals martyred over the past months. It was one of the few times in my life that I've seen everyone actually observe a minute's silence without any trace of irony or sheepishness or irreverence. Such is the power of Liberalism to bring people together. Nobody spoke of Ted Shew, the other child who our sleeper told us has sold his soul to the Conservatives.
The announcement of Congress' decisions was ordinary enough.
But what was announced afterwards...
Conservativism was actually mentioned by name! The people are casting off their shackles!
We never heard of the vote. It comes from the government being unable to contact you. Our sleepers should probably have told us, though. The people they report to have promised to have words with them.
It's incredible. No Congressman can even make a claim to being conservative anymore. An impeachment for our Arch-Conservative president can't be far behind.
Let's see you use your veto powers to keep Conservativism entrenched in the political system now!
Two Liberals are now trapped in the court house. Our ninjas are prepared to take them back by force. This twenty-eighth amendment to the Constitution of the United States heralds the new dawn I spoke of so long ago.
The Liberal Agenda will be realized. It will take much new legislation, but it will happen.
Author
Topic: Let's Play: Liberal Crime (Community) Squad (Turn 12 Completed) (Read 24618 times)