Blimey. Just coming up to halfway through the month, and I've posted 5 entries? True lunacy, to be sure. Think I'm getting the hang of this regular updating malarky. *cue gasps and fainting from a certain Eleri shaped person in the audience* Bet you a shiny sixpence I won't be able to keep it up.
Now then now then now then. Now that Underworld's done and dusted, I can now start work on my next AGS project. It's something slightly more ambitious, a new trilogy set in Reality-on-the-Norm that could potentially spin out into a new ongoing story. I'll see about posting some backgrounds and sprites in the next few weeks or so. In the meantime, have the next chapter of my other RON project, Back to Reality. Featuring zombies, anthropomorphic personifications, and pioneers of Gonzo Journalism. Politics has never been so smexy.
‘... Which leaves a minor deficit of 1,205 dollars in the construction and maintenance budget for the year ahead. I’m sure with careful allocation any problems with this reduced amount can be overcome. Of course, there may have to be some compromises.’
‘Such as?’ inquired Gower, struggling against ever increasing odds to keep his attention focused on the speaker. He couldn’t understand it. The undead didn’t even get tired, and yet he’d had to suppress at least three yawns so far.
‘Well, we may have to postpone the re-opening of the Reality Museum by at least a couple of weeks’, the Treasurer continued. ‘There’s already been some minor cutbacks in the building materials used, the inspectors will need more time to make sure the foundations are secure. The proposed renovation of the front of the A. Hahn library will also have to wait until year as well; our reports say the original estimates were slightly beneath the final figures. This of course doesn’t factor in the remaining repairs needed for the Reality Hospital; several wings are still out of commission after the chaos two years ago…’
Gower winced at the memory of the events which the Realiser had dubbed the ‘Night of the Kittens’. Many buildings in the town had to be repaired or completely torn down as a result of the rampant horde, and the Reality Hospital had taken it on the chin. The totaled cost of the clean-up had been astronomical. He briefly felt a pang of guilt at his hand in the event, but quickly pushed it from his mind.
He wondered idly if the people on the street ever considered how difficult it was to get Reality back on its feet all the time. Disasters, strange occurrences and things of a random and bizarre nature seemed to befall the town on a regular basis. It seemed odd to him that his citizens could witness the unraveling of Causality in front of their very eyes and seemed to do no more than raise an eyebrow, yet would be the first to complain when the drains packed up, or no one had taken their rubbish away.
Maybe that was just it, he thought. They just want things to carry on as normal, and for tomorrow to be just like today. Never mind how it’s done, or how it works - only that it does.
He was suddenly aware of the silence around the boardroom table, and assumed that the Chief Treasurer’s report on the budget was over. He quickly snapped out of his ruminations and returned his attention to present events.
‘Yes. Thank you for that Roland, it’s good to know the city’s finances are in capable hands. Now then, next on the agenda... ah yes, your new proposal, Thomas.’
Three chairs down from the mayor Thomas Baines, a fairly young politician, perked his ears up at hearing his name mentioned, and his formerly bored expression was suddenly replaced with one of undivided attention.
‘Yes... a most... courageous proposal indeed.’ admitted the Mayor’s campaign advisor, poring over the document in question. Although it was impossible for him to do so, the impression given was that he was raising his eyebrows. ‘Certainly different, I’ll give it that.’
‘It meets with City Hall’s approval, then?’
‘Ha!’ barked a gravelly voice, belonging to newly instated ward councilor Dr. Raoul Duke. ‘Courageous and different? Wise up boyo. When someone says those words in this room, it means ‘dead on arrival!’
Thomas bristled at being spoken to with such blatant contempt, but held his tongue - based on the stories he heard, the former Gonzo Journalist he was sitting across from was not someone he wished to antagonize. Particularly when he was sitting in a room with fire extinguishers close at hand.
‘But Mr. Mayor’ he said, ignoring Duke’s outburst, ‘you cannot deny that it is an issue that we need to resolve. The safety and wellbeing of the citizens of this town was something you vowed to address at your last press conference. All of the problems this town has faced in the last five years can be traced to a group of select individuals. Remove them, and you remove the problems - precisely what this legislation would give you the legal authority to do!’
The shadowy figure of the campaign advisor sighed in annoyance. An impressive feat, considering how he lacked a respiratory system.
‘Mr. Baines, this is not the first time we’ve been over this,’ said Death. ‘I do agree that on paper, the granting of emergency powers to expel troublesome citizens from the town is an attractive proposal, if somewhat extreme. I’m sure there are a number of people each of us wished they didn’t have to deal with,’ trying his best not to catch Duke’s eye as he said so. ‘But this is democracy, not a dictatorship. Who would go? What would precisely constitute “a serious and current risk”, as you put it? And who would make these decisions? I myself would feel uneasy about so much authority being exercised in the hands of one person. That would lead us down the slippery slope to totalitarianism. Take it from me, I’ve seen it happen.’
‘Well, obviously it wouldn’t just be one person, if you’ll read section-‘
‘Give it up, Mao’ seethed Duke. ‘What you’re proposing puts the Enabling Act to shame. This is the grossest breach of civil liberties I’ve come across in my twenty six years of political experience. Nobody with a shred of goodness and purity in them will back this sham of a proposition.’
‘And what, precisely, does a drug addled, gun obsessed failure of a journalist know of goodness and purity, doctor?’ spat Baines maliciously, his patience finally coming to an end.
Duke lunged across the table wildly and grabbed Baines’s tie, yanking him out of his chair. ‘MORE THAN A GRASPING SYCOPHANTIC NAZI EVER COULD, YOU FU-’
‘Gentlemen, please!’ said Gower, raising his hands. ‘Let’s keep this civil, shall we?’ The two stared each other daggers for what seemed like eternity and then returned to their seats, trying to maintain their collective dignity.
‘We clearly have a sensitive issue being raised’ began Gower, trying to restore a semblance of order to the proceedings. ‘While ineloquently put, I can understand Dr. Duke’s objections to the proposition, and I doubt he is alone in possessing them. It is true that most of the town’s more... bizarre occurrences can be attributed to a group of select individuals, several of which I confess to harbouring little regard for. And yes, if they were to be evicted, then I am sure a large number of the populace would sleep a little safer at night. But that is worth nothing if it comes at the cost of our citizen’s rights and freedoms. If we have to sacrifice our basic liberties for safety, then we deserve to have neither.’
‘Hear hear!’ cried Duke, earning a weary side glance from Death.
‘However’, continued Gower, ‘I cannot deny there are several valid points Thomas has raised. People have expressed their displeasure at living with those who have jeopardized their lives and those of others in the past. It does seem that this town has a poor track record when it comes to securing a conviction. Whether or not that is down to our law enforcement remains to be seen, but-‘
‘Lies and slander’ snarled Sheriff Morrison. ‘I do mah job no matter th’ risk. I gave mah leg up just to bring in a chicken, and don’t’cha forget it!’
‘Of course’ assured Gower quickly. ‘The point is, gentlemen, that something does need to be done. The people of this town will not tolerate having their lives continually put at risk. They may even choose to express their displeasure at the ballot boxes next year.’
There was a taut silence as the occupants of the boardroom considered the repercussions of this last statement.
‘So... what are we going to do?’ piped up Magistrate Hartman.
‘I think it is a decision that lies with the people’ decided Gower. ‘If everyone agrees, we’ll organize a ballot in the coming months and let the town have their own say on it. If it is deemed to be important enough to them, then the bill will be passed. How does that sound?’
There were noddings around the table - it seemed a fair compromise. Even Duke shrugged in approval. The only person who kept their opinion to themselves was Baines, but he wisely chose to keep schtum. He simply averted his gaze and glared at the table, clearly agitated by this setback.
‘Then it is decided. Now then, moving on...’