Chapter Fifty-Two – Terms and Conditions

“So, the idea is that there’s small-print, but hidden in the meta-data is this set of codes. The first checks how often the contract was opened and checked. If its still within a few months of the contract being issued, then Version One is shown.

But after a while, the code opens up and adds text that wasn’t there before. This is because of an exploit in PDF filing. Anyway, the goal of this is simple. You issue a contract, it gets read and signed. Then a few weeks later, you point out that the company you’re dealing with is in breach.

Since most big companies replaced their HR with AI, they’ll scan the doc and just pay you out.

Don’t be greedy about it, but… Yeah, free money!”

–Forum Post on the HackAtack forums, 2036

***

“Hey, prof, can I have a word?” I asked.

Class had just finished. I was aware that Lucy was planning her big showing thing in an hour or so, but I was leaving that up to her. She had a couple of cat drones with her to keep her safe, even with a crowd around, and… yeah, I trusted her.

Professor Rogers blinked in that particular way that meant that he’d just closed out of an Aug app. “Yes?” he asked. “Sorry, what did you need me for, Samurai?”

I snorted. Formal old man. “Nothing too serious,” I said. “Look, I’ve got a situation on my hands. Low urgency kind of thing, but it’s outside of my usual, uh, area of expertise. I figured I’d ask your opinion since it’s a little closer to your kind of stuff.”

The man straightened a little, and I sensed that I had his full attention. “Go on,” he said. “If I can help, or provide useful insight, then I’ll do what I can.”

“Thanks,” I said. “So, the situation’s like this… I’m trying to get shit back in line in New Montreal. Not trying to pretty the place up or anything. The utopia shit can fall on someone else’s shoulders. I’m just trying to keep the city in one piece.”

He nodded for me to go on.

“Right, so we’re keeping alien numbers down, I’m checking in on all of my samurai, uh, friends, and I’ve got some eyes on some problems that are being fixed up, even if it’s taking longer than I’d like.”

“I recall hearing that you’re involved in the sewer restoration initiative,” he said.

“Who’s calling it an initiative?” I asked. “It’s more like I’m playing the role of the gun behind a few heads. People need water and the ability to flush their shitters. It’s not glamarous. But yeah, that’s the kind of thing I’m talking about. The Family took over a lot of that one, but I’m around, keeping an eye on things, making sure that obstacles get blown up.”

“Respectable,” he said.

“Thanks,” I replied. “Anyway. New problem. The gangs in New Montreal are getting all riled up. Food’s tough to come by, jobs aren’t as available as usual, lots of folks got squeezed into the city so the population in some spots is way higher, and with stuff like the sewers being fucked, more people are squeezing into less space.”

“Sounds dire. And it also sounds like you’re gearing yourself up to be a modern Robin Hood.”

I snorted. “No. No I’m absolutely not. I might steal from the rich, but the only poor I’ll give to are the people I care about. And I’m not exactly against stealing from other poors too. Anyway, look, the main issue is the gangs. It’s not even a huge issue. If they decided to go all gang-war on each other, then that’ll suck for the city and it’ll hold things back, but it won’t stop everything, it’ll just be very inconvenient.”

Professor Rogers nodded. “I don’t have direct experience with this kind of situation, but I can recall some historical analogies. Military actions taken while a country is in the throes of a civil war or a coup often run into strange and unique logistical issues. You can look at some of the UN’s attempts to bring in relief forces after some of the early 2030s incursions into war-torn areas. It’s not a one-for-one analogy for what you’re working on, but I think you might find some similar elements.”

“Yeah, exactly,” I said. “So… my plan so far, and I haven’t advertised it too well but it sounds like the word is getting out, is to gather all the leaders of the different gangs in one place and lay down the law.”

The professor considered it for a while, then nodded. “That might work. Some of them will be antagonistic to each other, but there will be a lot of elements there that are entirely unrelated to one another. Groups from different locations that aren’t congruent.”

I didn’t know what that word meant, but I nodded all the same. “Yeah. So, I ordered a general cease-fire.”

“The terms?” he asked.

“Uh… vague and threatening?”

Professor Rogers didn’t seem impressed by that. “A good ceasefire outlines proper terms and conditions, as well as clear punishments for transgressing those. Just telling a group to stop without outlining the consequences does little to actually deter them.”

“Ah,” I said. “I hadn’t thought of that, but yeah, that makes a lot of sense.” Like telling the kittens that if they didn’t listen ‘there would be trouble’ versus telling them that if they didn’t do something I’d shove their heads into the nearest toilet bowl. The threat actually made them stop and consider things.

Were the gangs like unruly orphans, then?

Wait, yeah, that tracked. “Okay, I can do that,” I said. “Outline the, ah, consequences, and then the rules of the ceasefire. I guess I mostly want violence reduced. I don’t care about drugs and such as much.”

“That’s good. A hard and inflexible set of demands tends to make groups chafe. If they’re allowed to act as they were with just a few limits, then they might not lose respect for you. You might have to enforce some of those consequences, to prove that you have teeth, as it were. We both know that you can, but sometimes people need a reminder.”

“Oh, I’ve got something in mind for that,” I said. “This one corp called… fuck, what was their name?”

Rama Corp LLC. A subsidiary company with no direct ties to any larger corporation, but several smaller, more discrete links.

“Right, Rama Corp LLC. They’re some big fuck’s patsy. They’re using the ceasefire as an excuse to be a bagful of dicks.”

Professor Rogers frowned. “My contract had stipulations added to it when you were added as a pupil that very directly say that I shouldn’t endorse any violence against any corporate entities… no matter how incredibly useful and satisfying that may be.”

“I see,” I said. “That sucks. Does your contract say whether or not using a corp to make an example of things would work?”

“My contract doesn’t say that, even though it obviously would, and might even make some illegal elements such as gangs respect you more for putting non-gangs on the same footing,” he said.

“Nice,” I replied. “Well, it sucks that your contract can’t let you give me any advice, I feel like it would be real useful.”

“Yes,” he replied. Cheeky old fuck.

I worked my jaw for a moment, then nodded. “Anyway. Thanks Prof. I’ve got some things to think on. Uh, so, for that ceasefire, what would be a good way to deliver the rules?”

“Word of mouth,” he replied instantly. “But barring that, you’ll have to try and go through official channels, which may be difficult if you’re not in contact with those already. The other option is a wide-ranging bulletin of some sort.”

That could be done, I figured.

“Gotta head out,” I said after a moment. “You probably want to get back to… whatever teachers do when class is over?”

“Grading, complaining, prepping for the next class, wishing for something stronger than coffee, and complaining,” he said.

I laughed, then gave him a lazy salute before heading out.

“Myalis,” I said as I reached the corridor leading out. “I need a ceasefire… letter, thing. With conditions and such.”

How formal do you want it?

“Uh, just give it to me straight, and I’ll reword it so that it’s not so damned nerdy.”

I suppose. Here, open this file.

I received a ping on my augs. A text file. I opened it, then scanned through it real quick.

NOTICE OF TEMPORARY CEASEFIRE — ISSUED UNDER AUTHORITY OF VANGUARD STRAY CAT, NEW MONTREAL SECTOR

STATUS: IN EFFECT IMMEDIATELY

INTENT: REDUCTION OF INTER-GANG VIOLENCE AND ASSOCIATED URBAN DISRUPTION

SCOPE: ALL ORGANIZED GROUPS OPERATING WITHIN CITY LIMITS

TERMS OF THE CEASEFIRE:

Hostilities between gangs and affiliated groups are to cease immediately.

This includes but is not limited to: armed conflict, sabotage, targeted killings, forced displacement, and destruction of property.

Territorial boundaries are to remain static for the duration of the ceasefire.

No annexation, occupation, or provocation across existing control lines will be tolerated.

Civilians and critical infrastructure are to remain untouched.

Any action that interferes with water, power, sanitation, food distribution, or civilian shelter systems will be met with extreme retaliation.

Use of proxies, shell corporations, or third-party actors to bypass these terms is prohibited.

Violations via indirect means will be treated as direct violations.

Violations will result in decisive and disproportionate responses.

Enforcement will be immediate, public, and terminal. There will be no negotiation following breach of terms.

DURATION:

Ceasefire remains in effect until explicitly rescinded or replaced. Updates to status will be communicated eventually.

ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITY:

Designated Samurai retain sole enforcement rights. Consequences for noncompliance are not subject to appeal, arbitration, or delay.

To avoid loss of resources, territory, personnel, and continued existence, compliance is strongly recommended.

I blinked as I finished reading through that. Yeah, we’d need to go over it and smooth it out. Way too formal, and not nearly threatening enough.

***

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