Thread: I Trust In Vigilance (Erit and I)

When ADVENT came, it was like a breath of air that everyone thought they wanted, and they sold it well. They didn't want to fight, they said, they wanted to bring peace and harmony to the world, they wanted to change the way we lived and breathed, all they needed to go was give into the comfort and safety of ADVENT, be a prisoner in a gilded cage, read ADVENT news, play ADVENT games, eat ADVENT burgers. ADVENT, ADVENT, ADVENT, ADVENT. The war was over in one month, the destruction was on a scale very few people wanted to live through again. X-Com was over, most of everyone was herded into their perfect cities with their perfect security and perfect little lives. So, what about the people that didn't live in the perfect little world and accepting the perfect little lies? They were the terrorists, the extremists, supposedly. A majority of them didn't even want to hold a gun, let alone fight, but they were against what was perfect control, and ADVENT didn't like anything about 'freedom'. Their villages were numerous, outliers in the contained cities of ADVENT, they didn't have the luxury of running water all the time, or a consistent and steady hygiene. ...Or air-conditioning. Fuck, it was hot . But it was a worthwhile job, one that was needed when you started going into places like north africa. Egypt was a bastion of ADVENT civilization, everything was environmentally friendly and efficient and here Donatella Greco was, wondering how in the hell anyone would want to stay here when they had a million different options to leave, but...she knew better than anyone what it was like to feel like you were giving up on home. Absently, her fingers ran along the jagged scar on either side of her lips, watching the scenery roll by in the worn down van with the jury-rigged solar engine, one good thing about that? No fuel stops, you could keep going and going until the sun stopped shining, and you could keep going longer. Her shaved head was a boon here, even if it was concealed behind a hat and the rest of her wrapped up to protect against the blistering sun. This kind of work wasn't really her usual thing, but it was one of convenience, and she couldn't argue the importance either way. Behind her seat rest about twenty jugs of water, weighing the van down considerably, the entire thing was nothing but seats, armor and the jugs with the driver, who was an older man in his forties, and seemed considerably more relaxed with Jaws along for the ride, she was supposed to meet someone in the settlement they were going to, there was a supply convoy rolling through the area, and they were to tag it and stop it for X-Com. She had to get used to the callsign, you didn't really have a name, or people didn't call you it, it was safer when you did the dangerous stuff. The name came with the...obvious marks, she supposed it suited her, regardless, She was like a shark in bloodied water when the bullets started flying, she knew the callsign was for entirely different reasons, however. I appreciate you coming along, The driver said in relief as he saw the walls of the settlement, a hodgepodge of sandstone, fencing and whatever else they could find, thankfully, this was not the 'nothing but desert' part of North Africa, a small mercy. No problem, Dona murmured politely as she gave a light smile to the guards in passing as the van rumbled in and she slipped out, taking a casual glance around before she fitted an earpiece on. What little communication they had was short range and encrypted, it kept things easier and kept them safer between the people who actually did fight. The package is here, waiting for the customer. She intoned easily, arms crossed as she settled against the van to watch the people pull out the jugs of water in wonderful relief, she offered the children a polite smile, no matter how much the tall, shaven head woman seemed to disturb them. Couldn't blame the kids for smelling evil in the air, her partner would arrive and they would head off as quick as she came, and they would be none the wiser for it.i