I'm not even going to get into what a blank the last few weeks have been because I doubt the details would even be all that interesting from the outside, but I did want to let folks know that Operation BLACKOUT is still a thing. A big, huge, sprawling, possibly slightly out of control thing that may just keep getting longer until it runs into something, like a game of snake, but be that as it may! Here is a piece of a scene which you may find intriguing!

If you were worried that this might be one of those stories where everyone just goes on vacation and has a nice, conflict-free time... well,

don't worry about that.

I'm just sayin'.

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

Shepard flopped into the Daytona From Hell's driver's seat, shut the door, slotted the key, and powered up the vehicle. As soon as the systems were finished booting up, she switched the radio to hyperwave mode and raised the Wayward Son on encrypted emergency band X.

"q, it's Gin Shepard," she said when the connection was established. "I have to talk to MegaZone. Urgently."

"Like roger that, hang on a sec. Zoner! Yo! Mini-Shep on line X."

A moment later, the familiar voice of the WDF's Supreme Commander came on the line. "Hey, Gin. What's up? Why are you on the X-channel?"

"I'm in a situation, Captain," Shepard replied, using her most professional tone of voice. As quickly and economically as she could, using the clinical wording as a way to detach herself from the narrative, she explained what had happened the night before.

"Fuuuck," said MegaZone appreciatively when she'd finished. "Are you all right?"

"I'm maintaining," Shepard said brusquely, not wanting to dwell on the subject.

Zoner picked up on the tone at once and replied in kind, "OK. You're the one on the scene. How do you want to play this?"

"If we make too much noise bringing in firepower, it may tip off whoever's behind... whatever this is. If that happens we'll lose them. There's no time, anyway. I'm requesting Article 17 authority to resolve the situation personally."

"Done," Zoner replied without hesitation. "Your SA ID will be live within a minute. The codename for this operation is..." He paused, waiting for the operations computer to assign one. "... BLACKOUT."

Shepard chuckled in spite of herself. "Apt."

"I'll back you all the way," MegaZone continued, sounding more businesslike than Shepard had ever heard him before. "Keep me posted. Use the direct line. If I'm not available, Gryph, Kei, or Yuri will be."

"Roger that. Thanks, Captain."

"Good luck, Gin. Sounds like you could use some."

"You've got that right. Shepard out."

She commed off, sat behind the wheel for a moment in thought, then hailed another station.

"Hello?"

"Terry. It's Gin. I've got an Article 17 here. Grab your gear and get to Thea as fast as you can, but do it discreetly. Com me when you get to Metropolis and I'll pick you up."

There was a momentary silence while the person at the other end didn't ask the hundred and one questions that flashed through her mind, and then she replied crisply, "On my way. Sterling out."

Shepard closed the link, sat back in the seat for a few moments, then got her ID card out of her pocket and looked at it. Sure enough, as Zoner had promised, it had changed. Where before it had identified her as a Midshipman Fourth Class on the Accelerated Academy Preparation track of the WDF's Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (Rosalind Franklin Memorial High School Company), it now listed her rank as Special Agent and her branch of service as the Rapid Crisis Response Division. The colors of the insignia had switched as well, from the reversed red-on-white of the JROTC branch to the white delta on red disk of the regular WDF.

Cracking a tiny smile, Shepard put the ID away, shut off the car, and got out. She felt better now than she had at any point in the last few hours. It was a relief and a comfort to be doing something. She still didn't know exactly what the hell that something was, but at least now she had clearance to do it, whatever it turned out to be.