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Authors: Matt Stephens
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sighed. "Pizza huh?"
Vincent nodded. "Three Pizza Deal."
Gill pulled his wallet. "Get two deals. Five pizzas go further."
"Five?" Vincent took the money with a smile.
"Hey, I gotta eat too, right?" Gill shrugged.
~oo00oo~
The Triumvirate met every week in the Underground. At the highest point of the dome on Level Twelve, at the apex of all the living spaces, was the Throne Room.
The chamber was circular, with three entrances, one to the intersecting Tunnels, one to the Labyrinth, one to the Twelfth Level below it. The Throne Room was large by the standard of rooms carved out of the earth. In the centre of the room was a glass circle twenty feet across, set into the floor, giving everyone who looked into it a clear view of the city Below. It was symbolic of their world being Beneath everything. In the Above, you looked up to see the sprawling city, here you looked down.
The window in the floor was circled by a wooden table, surrounding the whole view like a guard rail. There were over a dozen seats at the table, most of them facing the Big Three.
The meeting began with the Lostkind shuffling around talking to each other, until keeper, Archivist, and Yasi all came in, and took their seats at the forward part of the table. Without a word, the rest of those assembled took positions at the opposite end.
"So." Archivist spoke; his deep bass voice rumbling across the room. "What kind of day has it been?"
"We've been having problems with the Riverfolk." Smithy reported.
"So what else is new?"
"No, I mean they've been sneaking around Twelfth Level."
Yasi sat up straighter in her seat. "The Riverfolk haven't caused trouble at the Twelfth Level in almost seven years." She snarled, more fierce than she should have been.
"Easy Shinobi. Nobody has forgotten your first mission." Archivist chided her gently. "But we all knew they'd reorganize themselves one day. What kind of trouble have they been causing?"
"We're losing convoy's into the Market. So far they've been after food. Nothing we can't replace, but…"
"But it means their numbers have increased." Keeper agreed. "Yasi?"
"I can take a team down to the Lower Levels, clear them out." The younger woman agreed. "My Shinobi haven't had an honest fight for a while. It just seems strange to be coming from Riverfolk. How can they even come up to Twelfth Level?"
"Odds are they can't. They could easily be making themselves sick coming to us." Keeper said. "Which means they're desperate."
"Yasi, don't take that team just yet." Archivist raised a hand. "If there is something happening down there to make them desperate for food or for attention, then we had best find out what it is before we start another battle."
"Do we need to put it to a vote?" Keeper asked.
Yasi shook her head. "No. I'll investigate before we act."
Keeper nodded and moved on. "Surface Reports?"
Silence.
Archivist looked around. "Wotcha? Your report?"
Silence. In the back of the room, a small boy raised his hand. He looked quietly terrified.
Yasi's sharp eyes picked him out in the dark. "Tecca?"
The kid looked terrified of speaking in front of the three Leaders of the New York Underside, but he stepped forward. "She's not… She's not here." He whispered. "There was something… She's not here."
Archivist sent Yasi a look, and the younger woman shrugged. She didn't know what Wotcha was doing either.
"Well." Archivist rumbled. "It'll keep. Security?"
Yasi leaned forward in her seat. "It looks like the Urban Explorers are back in business again. We've had to shoo a few interlopers away from our entrances. The one leading into the Museum of Natural History Subway station may have to be closed for a while."
"Better safe than sorry." Keeper agreed. "Seal it up for now. Gopher, what's the word on Power and Water?"
"New York has raised the cost of electricity, yet again. Our taps on the grid are starting to draw attention. I've had to reroute the secondary electricity feed twice now as a
Vincent nodded. "Three Pizza Deal."
Gill pulled his wallet. "Get two deals. Five pizzas go further."
"Five?" Vincent took the money with a smile.
"Hey, I gotta eat too, right?" Gill shrugged.
~oo00oo~
The Triumvirate met every week in the Underground. At the highest point of the dome on Level Twelve, at the apex of all the living spaces, was the Throne Room.
The chamber was circular, with three entrances, one to the intersecting Tunnels, one to the Labyrinth, one to the Twelfth Level below it. The Throne Room was large by the standard of rooms carved out of the earth. In the centre of the room was a glass circle twenty feet across, set into the floor, giving everyone who looked into it a clear view of the city Below. It was symbolic of their world being Beneath everything. In the Above, you looked up to see the sprawling city, here you looked down.
The window in the floor was circled by a wooden table, surrounding the whole view like a guard rail. There were over a dozen seats at the table, most of them facing the Big Three.
The meeting began with the Lostkind shuffling around talking to each other, until keeper, Archivist, and Yasi all came in, and took their seats at the forward part of the table. Without a word, the rest of those assembled took positions at the opposite end.
"So." Archivist spoke; his deep bass voice rumbling across the room. "What kind of day has it been?"
"We've been having problems with the Riverfolk." Smithy reported.
"So what else is new?"
"No, I mean they've been sneaking around Twelfth Level."
Yasi sat up straighter in her seat. "The Riverfolk haven't caused trouble at the Twelfth Level in almost seven years." She snarled, more fierce than she should have been.
"Easy Shinobi. Nobody has forgotten your first mission." Archivist chided her gently. "But we all knew they'd reorganize themselves one day. What kind of trouble have they been causing?"
"We're losing convoy's into the Market. So far they've been after food. Nothing we can't replace, but…"
"But it means their numbers have increased." Keeper agreed. "Yasi?"
"I can take a team down to the Lower Levels, clear them out." The younger woman agreed. "My Shinobi haven't had an honest fight for a while. It just seems strange to be coming from Riverfolk. How can they even come up to Twelfth Level?"
"Odds are they can't. They could easily be making themselves sick coming to us." Keeper said. "Which means they're desperate."
"Yasi, don't take that team just yet." Archivist raised a hand. "If there is something happening down there to make them desperate for food or for attention, then we had best find out what it is before we start another battle."
"Do we need to put it to a vote?" Keeper asked.
Yasi shook her head. "No. I'll investigate before we act."
Keeper nodded and moved on. "Surface Reports?"
Silence.
Archivist looked around. "Wotcha? Your report?"
Silence. In the back of the room, a small boy raised his hand. He looked quietly terrified.
Yasi's sharp eyes picked him out in the dark. "Tecca?"
The kid looked terrified of speaking in front of the three Leaders of the New York Underside, but he stepped forward. "She's not… She's not here." He whispered. "There was something… She's not here."
Archivist sent Yasi a look, and the younger woman shrugged. She didn't know what Wotcha was doing either.
"Well." Archivist rumbled. "It'll keep. Security?"
Yasi leaned forward in her seat. "It looks like the Urban Explorers are back in business again. We've had to shoo a few interlopers away from our entrances. The one leading into the Museum of Natural History Subway station may have to be closed for a while."
"Better safe than sorry." Keeper agreed. "Seal it up for now. Gopher, what's the word on Power and Water?"
"New York has raised the cost of electricity, yet again. Our taps on the grid are starting to draw attention. I've had to reroute the secondary electricity feed twice now as a
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