1 00:00:02,640 --> 00:00:06,080 Speaker 1: Hey, everybody, this is Robert Evans, and starting in two 2 00:00:06,120 --> 00:00:10,240 Speaker 1: thousand and sixteen, I wrote a novel UM, and you're 3 00:00:10,280 --> 00:00:12,120 Speaker 1: going to hear the first chapter of it today. We'll 4 00:00:12,160 --> 00:00:14,840 Speaker 1: be releasing the rest of it as a separate podcast 5 00:00:14,880 --> 00:00:17,960 Speaker 1: series and it will be out online for free. UM. 6 00:00:17,960 --> 00:00:21,640 Speaker 1: But given the events of January six I decided I 7 00:00:21,720 --> 00:00:24,800 Speaker 1: might as well put out chapter one right now, give 8 00:00:24,840 --> 00:00:28,480 Speaker 1: people something else to focus on. And you know, I think, 9 00:00:28,520 --> 00:00:31,240 Speaker 1: as you'll understand, it seems a little bit more relevant now. 10 00:00:31,400 --> 00:00:36,040 Speaker 1: So without further ado, After the Revolution, a novel by 11 00:00:36,120 --> 00:00:46,000 Speaker 1: Robert Evans Richardson Republic of Texas, Chapter one. Manny Manny 12 00:00:46,120 --> 00:00:49,040 Speaker 1: smiled at the way the British journalists face blanched as 13 00:00:49,080 --> 00:00:52,000 Speaker 1: the old Toyota hit the pothole. Reggie wasn't used to 14 00:00:52,040 --> 00:00:55,320 Speaker 1: bad roads, cars driven by actual humans, or the way 15 00:00:55,360 --> 00:00:57,840 Speaker 1: the heavy metal of the gun mountain the truck bed made, 16 00:00:57,840 --> 00:01:01,680 Speaker 1: the aluminum frame grown. That was all familiar to Manny. 17 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:05,400 Speaker 1: He'd grown up in Sioda Demut, back before the Lakewood Blast, 18 00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:09,319 Speaker 1: back when people had still called it Dallas. The truck's 19 00:01:09,400 --> 00:01:11,920 Speaker 1: driver veered around the bloated corpse of a large dog 20 00:01:12,080 --> 00:01:14,480 Speaker 1: lying in the middle of the road. Reggie gripped the 21 00:01:14,480 --> 00:01:17,320 Speaker 1: truck bed with white knuckles and eyed the swaying AMMO 22 00:01:17,400 --> 00:01:19,560 Speaker 1: belt of the twenty millimeter cannon like it was a 23 00:01:19,600 --> 00:01:23,800 Speaker 1: coiled snake. The gunner, Manny's cousin, Alejandro, grinned down at 24 00:01:23,800 --> 00:01:27,880 Speaker 1: the journalist the suspensions a little fucked yeah. The Britain 25 00:01:27,920 --> 00:01:30,760 Speaker 1: nodded and turned greener when the technical hit another pothole. 26 00:01:31,360 --> 00:01:33,959 Speaker 1: Many supposed he should offer a comforting word to the man. 27 00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:36,920 Speaker 1: That would be good business, but a louder part of 28 00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:39,480 Speaker 1: him looked at Reggie's brand new boots and thought he 29 00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:42,640 Speaker 1: can stand a little less comfort. The journalist would brag 30 00:01:42,680 --> 00:01:45,880 Speaker 1: about this ride for months once he got home. Escorting 31 00:01:45,920 --> 00:01:48,680 Speaker 1: reporters from the safety of Austin to the sundry hotspots 32 00:01:48,680 --> 00:01:52,360 Speaker 1: of the old Metroplex was not Manny's ideal career. Two 33 00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:54,760 Speaker 1: years ago, he'd been working on a bachelor's in business 34 00:01:54,800 --> 00:01:58,080 Speaker 1: administration from the University of Austin. The plan had been 35 00:01:58,120 --> 00:02:01,000 Speaker 1: to get a job with ages biocist, then charm his 36 00:02:01,040 --> 00:02:03,240 Speaker 1: way into a working visa and a gig in the 37 00:02:03,280 --> 00:02:06,480 Speaker 1: California Republic. But the fighting had started up again and 38 00:02:06,600 --> 00:02:10,320 Speaker 1: ruined all that. The culprit this time was the Heavenly Kingdom, 39 00:02:10,360 --> 00:02:13,880 Speaker 1: a loose assortment of Christian extremist militias. They boiled out 40 00:02:13,919 --> 00:02:16,160 Speaker 1: from the suburbs of the old Metroplex and all but 41 00:02:16,280 --> 00:02:19,920 Speaker 1: broken the Republic of Texas. The autonomous city of Austin 42 00:02:19,960 --> 00:02:22,560 Speaker 1: had stabilized the situation with the help of an alliance 43 00:02:22,560 --> 00:02:26,720 Speaker 1: of leftist Texan militias the Secular Defense Forces. Beating them 44 00:02:26,720 --> 00:02:29,280 Speaker 1: back had cost a lot in blood and time and 45 00:02:29,360 --> 00:02:31,840 Speaker 1: forced Manny to change every plan he'd ever made for 46 00:02:31,919 --> 00:02:35,320 Speaker 1: his life. So he'd embraced the situation and started his 47 00:02:35,360 --> 00:02:39,120 Speaker 1: own business, hiring on some friends as employees. Together they 48 00:02:39,200 --> 00:02:42,120 Speaker 1: built the best network of stringers in North Texas. His 49 00:02:42,200 --> 00:02:45,440 Speaker 1: boys fed him video contacts and news updates, and he 50 00:02:45,560 --> 00:02:48,360 Speaker 1: sold what he could to the big FOURIGN media conglomerates. 51 00:02:48,760 --> 00:02:50,960 Speaker 1: In a couple more months, he'd have enough saved up 52 00:02:50,960 --> 00:02:53,120 Speaker 1: that he could fuck off, fly to Europe and apply 53 00:02:53,280 --> 00:02:56,560 Speaker 1: for a refugee visa. My odds are pretty good as 54 00:02:56,560 --> 00:02:59,720 Speaker 1: long as the war doesn't end too soon. The technical 55 00:02:59,800 --> 00:03:01,919 Speaker 1: role to a creaky stop in front of a checkpoint 56 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:04,400 Speaker 1: that had clearly been erected within the last few days. 57 00:03:04,760 --> 00:03:07,960 Speaker 1: It was just a collapsible electronic gate and two sandbag 58 00:03:07,960 --> 00:03:11,120 Speaker 1: emplacements on either side of the battered highway. A street 59 00:03:11,160 --> 00:03:13,720 Speaker 1: sign nearby announced that they were on the edge of Richardson, 60 00:03:14,040 --> 00:03:17,359 Speaker 1: formerly a suburb of Dallas and currently a forward position 61 00:03:17,360 --> 00:03:21,280 Speaker 1: of the People's Protection Army, a local anarchist militia. Manny 62 00:03:21,320 --> 00:03:24,440 Speaker 1: could see the p PA's red black triangle emblem stitched 63 00:03:24,440 --> 00:03:27,639 Speaker 1: onto the jackets of the soldiers guarding the checkpoint. One 64 00:03:27,680 --> 00:03:29,280 Speaker 1: of the p p A men walked up to the 65 00:03:29,360 --> 00:03:32,560 Speaker 1: driver's side window and started chatting with Philip, the driver. 66 00:03:33,160 --> 00:03:36,400 Speaker 1: Phil and Manny's cousin Alejandro were both with the Citizens Front, 67 00:03:36,680 --> 00:03:39,200 Speaker 1: a more or less a political militia from the suburbs 68 00:03:39,240 --> 00:03:42,960 Speaker 1: of Austin. Both militias coexisted under the broad umbrella of 69 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:46,440 Speaker 1: the Secular Defense Forces. The SDF had been organized by 70 00:03:46,440 --> 00:03:49,640 Speaker 1: the Canadian government to lump all of North Texas's palatable 71 00:03:49,680 --> 00:03:53,200 Speaker 1: militant groups into a single package that could be conveniently armed. 72 00:03:54,000 --> 00:03:56,480 Speaker 1: While the first guard talked with Philip, his partner did 73 00:03:56,520 --> 00:03:59,000 Speaker 1: a circuit around the back of the truck. The man 74 00:03:59,080 --> 00:04:02,480 Speaker 1: was big, Ulgian, with muscles so sculpted and prominent they 75 00:04:02,480 --> 00:04:04,760 Speaker 1: had to be vat grown and He moved with the 76 00:04:04,800 --> 00:04:07,320 Speaker 1: twitchy ungrace of a man who had replaced his nervous 77 00:04:07,320 --> 00:04:10,640 Speaker 1: system with circuitry. His weapon was a very old, very 78 00:04:10,720 --> 00:04:13,600 Speaker 1: battered a R fifteen with an M two four three 79 00:04:13,600 --> 00:04:16,640 Speaker 1: grenade launcher below the barrel. The latter was old U 80 00:04:16,760 --> 00:04:19,920 Speaker 1: S military gear. The former had been someone's toy before 81 00:04:19,920 --> 00:04:23,479 Speaker 1: the Revolution gave America's half billion civilian guns a new 82 00:04:23,560 --> 00:04:26,600 Speaker 1: raison debt. The man moved back to the barricades when 83 00:04:26,600 --> 00:04:29,080 Speaker 1: he had finished his lap. Reggie looked up at Manny 84 00:04:29,120 --> 00:04:33,599 Speaker 1: and asked, was he a Was he chromed? Manny smiled. 85 00:04:33,800 --> 00:04:35,560 Speaker 1: That was always one of the first questions. As soon 86 00:04:35,600 --> 00:04:37,640 Speaker 1: as any foreign journal saw a trooper with a large 87 00:04:37,720 --> 00:04:40,640 Speaker 1: enough billed skin with an off shade, or one who 88 00:04:40,720 --> 00:04:43,440 Speaker 1: just moved a little too fast to seem completely right. 89 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:48,240 Speaker 1: Anything beyond basic aesthetic and medical biomodifications were banned in 90 00:04:48,279 --> 00:04:52,600 Speaker 1: civilized countries like the UK. The real chrome, the implants 91 00:04:52,600 --> 00:04:54,200 Speaker 1: that would let a man lift a tank or take 92 00:04:54,240 --> 00:04:56,920 Speaker 1: a rocket to the belly that ship was locked up tight. 93 00:04:57,279 --> 00:05:00,120 Speaker 1: A few national militaries even used the stuff these days, 94 00:05:00,800 --> 00:05:04,640 Speaker 1: not after the revolution. He's got some of that grown muscles, 95 00:05:04,640 --> 00:05:07,280 Speaker 1: Manny said in an offhanded way that suggested such things 96 00:05:07,279 --> 00:05:11,160 Speaker 1: were common aftermarket nerves too. Probably his stuff is low grade, 97 00:05:11,440 --> 00:05:14,679 Speaker 1: that's why it's so visible. Reggie nodded, His eyes stayed 98 00:05:14,720 --> 00:05:16,680 Speaker 1: locked on the big man. He was quiet for a 99 00:05:16,680 --> 00:05:20,320 Speaker 1: while before he spoke again. You just you live right 100 00:05:20,360 --> 00:05:25,440 Speaker 1: alongside them, don't you. Manny shrugged. Everybody's got something out here, 101 00:05:25,640 --> 00:05:27,960 Speaker 1: and the wet wears what lets us hold back? The martyrs? 102 00:05:28,200 --> 00:05:29,880 Speaker 1: They own the whole city if it weren't for half 103 00:05:29,920 --> 00:05:33,080 Speaker 1: fats like him. The journalists nodded, and his gaze stayed 104 00:05:33,120 --> 00:05:36,119 Speaker 1: fixed upon the militiaman until a troubled look crossed his face. 105 00:05:36,400 --> 00:05:41,240 Speaker 1: He glanced back to Manny. Are you a chromed Reggie asked. 106 00:05:41,839 --> 00:05:44,960 Speaker 1: Manny smiled. I don't expect either of us as stock, Sabiana, 107 00:05:45,360 --> 00:05:48,400 Speaker 1: but I doubt I've got anything you don't. Reggie seemed 108 00:05:48,480 --> 00:05:51,559 Speaker 1: somewhat comforted by this. Most of what I've read about 109 00:05:51,560 --> 00:05:53,359 Speaker 1: the really heavy mods says they cause a lot of 110 00:05:53,440 --> 00:05:57,440 Speaker 1: well unstable behavior. That's why that's why this city such 111 00:05:57,480 --> 00:06:00,480 Speaker 1: a ship hole, Manny asked. The journalist had the grace 112 00:06:00,560 --> 00:06:03,280 Speaker 1: to blush many looked away for a moment. His eyes 113 00:06:03,360 --> 00:06:06,160 Speaker 1: landed on the bones of three large public housing buildings. 114 00:06:06,440 --> 00:06:09,159 Speaker 1: A barrel bomb had detonated in the center of the courtyard. 115 00:06:09,200 --> 00:06:11,800 Speaker 1: All three shared. It had peeled away the walls, some 116 00:06:11,880 --> 00:06:14,600 Speaker 1: of the floors, and the resulting firestorm had burned up 117 00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:18,360 Speaker 1: everything that wasn't concrete, steel, or rebar For just a moment, 118 00:06:18,720 --> 00:06:21,279 Speaker 1: many felt bad about hoping the war hung on another 119 00:06:21,360 --> 00:06:24,640 Speaker 1: six months. The old government blamed a lot on roided 120 00:06:24,720 --> 00:06:28,200 Speaker 1: up veterans with military grade mods. He told Reggie, most 121 00:06:28,279 --> 00:06:32,000 Speaker 1: was just propaganda, fearmongering. People were pissed after twenty years 122 00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:35,479 Speaker 1: of plague, disaster and poverty. Many shrugged. It's true, though 123 00:06:35,560 --> 00:06:37,599 Speaker 1: a lot of chromed up vets turned on the government. 124 00:06:37,800 --> 00:06:39,680 Speaker 1: He can't make men into gods and expect them to 125 00:06:39,760 --> 00:06:43,359 Speaker 1: keep fighting from men, Reggie pointed back to the bulging militiaman. 126 00:06:43,920 --> 00:06:46,680 Speaker 1: I take it muscles there is pretty far from a god. 127 00:06:47,000 --> 00:06:49,320 Speaker 1: Nah Manny laughed. He's just a man with too much 128 00:06:49,400 --> 00:06:53,560 Speaker 1: meat money. Gods don't man checkpoints. The brit was excited. Now. 129 00:06:53,880 --> 00:06:55,960 Speaker 1: These were the questions he'd wanted to ask since they'd 130 00:06:55,960 --> 00:06:59,000 Speaker 1: met yesterday. Do you know what some of those people are? 131 00:06:59,360 --> 00:07:01,960 Speaker 1: Reggie couldnt keep the excitement out of his voice. Could 132 00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:05,400 Speaker 1: we talk to them. Manny didn't have any of those contacts, 133 00:07:05,520 --> 00:07:07,760 Speaker 1: nor did he know any other fixers who did. He 134 00:07:07,800 --> 00:07:10,440 Speaker 1: tried to let the brick down easy. Most of those 135 00:07:10,440 --> 00:07:13,560 Speaker 1: folks live on the road in between the civilized parts 136 00:07:13,560 --> 00:07:17,440 Speaker 1: of Texas and the Federal Republic of California. Oh Reggie 137 00:07:17,480 --> 00:07:20,200 Speaker 1: looked disappointed. The truck rolled past the wreckage of an 138 00:07:20,200 --> 00:07:24,440 Speaker 1: old Catholic school. It bore signs of being fortified, destroyed, refortified, 139 00:07:24,440 --> 00:07:27,960 Speaker 1: and redestroyed several times. The brit was inches away from 140 00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:30,720 Speaker 1: asking another question when the gateman waved them on, and 141 00:07:30,760 --> 00:07:33,800 Speaker 1: the battered Toyota farted its way into drive, belching and 142 00:07:33,840 --> 00:07:36,320 Speaker 1: complaining past a network of potholes until it hit a 143 00:07:36,320 --> 00:07:39,680 Speaker 1: relatively straight chunk of asphalt. Only a few minutes now. 144 00:07:39,720 --> 00:07:43,000 Speaker 1: Hef a. Manny said, the p PA's forward position is 145 00:07:43,040 --> 00:07:45,880 Speaker 1: about five minutes out. You'll be in the ship then, 146 00:07:46,280 --> 00:07:49,800 Speaker 1: or at least shiit adjacent. The journalist's face washed over 147 00:07:49,840 --> 00:07:52,480 Speaker 1: in an even mix of anxiety and pride. One of 148 00:07:52,520 --> 00:07:54,760 Speaker 1: the first lessons Manny had learned at this job was 149 00:07:54,800 --> 00:07:58,880 Speaker 1: that phrases like the ship made rich gringo writers unreasonably excited. 150 00:07:59,120 --> 00:08:01,960 Speaker 1: An excited journey lists always called Manny the next time 151 00:08:02,000 --> 00:08:04,480 Speaker 1: they were in country, giving white kids and keffee as 152 00:08:04,480 --> 00:08:06,520 Speaker 1: a lifetime of bragging rights for surviving a couple of 153 00:08:06,600 --> 00:08:09,080 Speaker 1: days in his home killed manny soul just a little, 154 00:08:09,440 --> 00:08:11,520 Speaker 1: but he pushed down the anger and told himself that 155 00:08:11,560 --> 00:08:13,559 Speaker 1: a chip on the shoulder was a lot less useful 156 00:08:13,600 --> 00:08:16,440 Speaker 1: than money in the bank. The Technical rolled off the 157 00:08:16,480 --> 00:08:19,679 Speaker 1: old highway. Manny could see twenty three in Spring Valley 158 00:08:19,760 --> 00:08:22,440 Speaker 1: Road and blazoned on a weather beaten bullets guard sign. 159 00:08:22,920 --> 00:08:25,360 Speaker 1: The Technical pulled to the right, the guns swayed in 160 00:08:25,400 --> 00:08:28,600 Speaker 1: its mount Many couldn't help smiling as the brit instinctively 161 00:08:28,640 --> 00:08:31,000 Speaker 1: pulled away from it. They rolled up to what had 162 00:08:31,040 --> 00:08:33,120 Speaker 1: once been a strip mall and was now a forward 163 00:08:33,160 --> 00:08:36,560 Speaker 1: operating base for the People's Protection Army. An old laundromat, 164 00:08:36,559 --> 00:08:39,200 Speaker 1: a bookstore, and a half dozen restaurants now had their 165 00:08:39,240 --> 00:08:42,720 Speaker 1: roofs ringed with barbed wire and machine gun emplacements. Many 166 00:08:42,720 --> 00:08:45,120 Speaker 1: could see a line of bullet holes stitched across three 167 00:08:45,120 --> 00:08:47,840 Speaker 1: of the shops. None of the windows were intact, but 168 00:08:47,880 --> 00:08:51,320 Speaker 1: otherwise the buildings had weathered the war rather well. Three 169 00:08:51,520 --> 00:08:53,720 Speaker 1: M one nine eight howitzers were parked next to a 170 00:08:53,760 --> 00:08:56,400 Speaker 1: taco shop that had once served the local college kids 171 00:08:56,440 --> 00:08:58,920 Speaker 1: beer and cheap grub. There was a flagpole out in 172 00:08:58,920 --> 00:09:00,800 Speaker 1: front of the shop, and that hung the blue and 173 00:09:00,800 --> 00:09:03,480 Speaker 1: white starburst flag of the STF and the flag of 174 00:09:03,520 --> 00:09:06,600 Speaker 1: the p p A. Three men in uniforms stood waiting 175 00:09:06,600 --> 00:09:08,760 Speaker 1: as the old toyota rolled to a stop and Manny 176 00:09:08,800 --> 00:09:11,959 Speaker 1: and Reggie disembarked. Two of the men were officers in 177 00:09:12,000 --> 00:09:15,160 Speaker 1: the p p A, Colonel Jacob Milgram and Major Deshaun Clark. 178 00:09:15,720 --> 00:09:19,079 Speaker 1: Milgram was a boring, tight lipped nerdy type, but Deshaun 179 00:09:19,160 --> 00:09:21,520 Speaker 1: was one of Manny's favorite sources. He was an old 180 00:09:21,520 --> 00:09:24,120 Speaker 1: infantry guy, a consummate brawler with a face full of 181 00:09:24,120 --> 00:09:26,680 Speaker 1: scars and three published books of poetry to his name. 182 00:09:27,080 --> 00:09:30,080 Speaker 1: He actually had a base of international fans, mostly in Spain. 183 00:09:30,679 --> 00:09:34,359 Speaker 1: The third man was Hamid Mohammed, an adviser from Syrian Kurdistan. 184 00:09:34,840 --> 00:09:37,040 Speaker 1: The Curds had been giving aid to the Sundry militias 185 00:09:37,040 --> 00:09:40,199 Speaker 1: of the Secular Defense Forces for years now. Manny considered 186 00:09:40,240 --> 00:09:43,720 Speaker 1: Himid almost a local. He shook hands with Jacob, since 187 00:09:43,760 --> 00:09:45,720 Speaker 1: Manny knew Deshaun better. He met the man with a 188 00:09:45,720 --> 00:09:48,200 Speaker 1: full embrace and used it as an opportunity to palm 189 00:09:48,280 --> 00:09:51,160 Speaker 1: the major a packet of his favorite cigarettes. Deshaun gave 190 00:09:51,200 --> 00:09:53,800 Speaker 1: him a wink and a smile. Many shook Hamed's hand next, 191 00:09:53,840 --> 00:09:56,319 Speaker 1: and then kissed him on the cheek. Hamid returned the kiss, 192 00:09:56,400 --> 00:09:59,160 Speaker 1: clapped him on the shoulder, and said, Emmanuel, my friend, 193 00:09:59,320 --> 00:10:01,760 Speaker 1: you really would get out of this business. One of 194 00:10:01,800 --> 00:10:04,120 Speaker 1: these days you'll come up here and it won't be safe. 195 00:10:04,920 --> 00:10:07,000 Speaker 1: Manny frowned a little at the use of his birth name, 196 00:10:07,160 --> 00:10:08,800 Speaker 1: but he didn't make an issue out of the matter. 197 00:10:09,040 --> 00:10:11,200 Speaker 1: There's still a war on, right, he smiled at Hamid. 198 00:10:11,559 --> 00:10:13,840 Speaker 1: You'll get that ship under control, and maybe I'll work 199 00:10:13,840 --> 00:10:16,679 Speaker 1: a straight job again. Not too soon, though, he thought. 200 00:10:16,960 --> 00:10:19,120 Speaker 1: The least this war can do is last long enough 201 00:10:19,160 --> 00:10:22,520 Speaker 1: to get me out of Texas. Hamid smiled back, and 202 00:10:22,559 --> 00:10:26,240 Speaker 1: Manny introduced Reggie to the officers. The journalist was clearly 203 00:10:26,280 --> 00:10:28,760 Speaker 1: awkward in that special way Manny had come to expect 204 00:10:28,760 --> 00:10:31,640 Speaker 1: from new war correspondence. It was the norm for young 205 00:10:31,679 --> 00:10:34,840 Speaker 1: writers to be intimidated by grizzled military men. Some of 206 00:10:34,880 --> 00:10:36,880 Speaker 1: them got over that Manny had worked with the middle 207 00:10:36,880 --> 00:10:39,600 Speaker 1: aged der Schpiegel reporter last week could probably taken as 208 00:10:39,679 --> 00:10:43,440 Speaker 1: much incoming fire. As Major Clark Colonel Milgram led them 209 00:10:43,440 --> 00:10:46,640 Speaker 1: to the militarized taco shop, a brief blast of nostalgias 210 00:10:46,640 --> 00:10:49,840 Speaker 1: squeezed Manny's lungs. The place had obviously been closed since 211 00:10:49,840 --> 00:10:52,800 Speaker 1: the revolution. The drink specials and meal prices printed on 212 00:10:52,840 --> 00:10:55,200 Speaker 1: the wall were given in US dollars, a currency as 213 00:10:55,240 --> 00:10:58,720 Speaker 1: dead as the last American president. Manny recognized ads for 214 00:10:58,800 --> 00:11:01,360 Speaker 1: bands and movies. He remembered it from his childhood. The 215 00:11:01,400 --> 00:11:04,280 Speaker 1: glass facade had shattered years ago. The kitchen had been 216 00:11:04,280 --> 00:11:07,240 Speaker 1: gutted and replaced by wall length mirrors displaying maps of 217 00:11:07,280 --> 00:11:09,959 Speaker 1: the city. At least a dozen uniformed men and women 218 00:11:09,960 --> 00:11:13,120 Speaker 1: milled around the space in small groups. He and Reggie 219 00:11:13,200 --> 00:11:15,439 Speaker 1: sat down at a long picnic table with Hamid and 220 00:11:15,480 --> 00:11:18,640 Speaker 1: the two officers. Reggie set his camera up on the table. 221 00:11:18,920 --> 00:11:21,360 Speaker 1: It was just a small silver sphere, but Manny knew 222 00:11:21,400 --> 00:11:24,000 Speaker 1: it could record everything happening around it at a higher 223 00:11:24,080 --> 00:11:27,440 Speaker 1: resolution in the human eye, and orderly brought in three 224 00:11:27,440 --> 00:11:30,840 Speaker 1: beers shiner box from Austin, and one dark brown tea 225 00:11:30,880 --> 00:11:33,560 Speaker 1: in a glass cup for Hamid. The brit raised his 226 00:11:33,600 --> 00:11:36,600 Speaker 1: glass in a friendly salute, thank you for meeting with me, 227 00:11:37,040 --> 00:11:39,760 Speaker 1: and then he started to ask questions. Many leaned back 228 00:11:39,800 --> 00:11:42,160 Speaker 1: in his chair enjoyed a long gulp of cold beer. 229 00:11:42,440 --> 00:11:45,240 Speaker 1: If he wasn't needed to translate, he generally checked out 230 00:11:45,320 --> 00:11:48,040 Speaker 1: during interviews. He used the free time to activate his 231 00:11:48,120 --> 00:11:49,920 Speaker 1: deck and check in on the two stringers he had 232 00:11:49,960 --> 00:11:53,120 Speaker 1: working right now. Devin Martinez was up in Addison today, 233 00:11:53,160 --> 00:11:55,880 Speaker 1: taking a Californian documentary crew on a tour of an 234 00:11:55,960 --> 00:11:58,839 Speaker 1: STF training facility. He'd messaged Manny to let him know 235 00:11:58,880 --> 00:12:02,439 Speaker 1: they'd gotten through the check It's without any issue. Oscar Allenby, 236 00:12:02,480 --> 00:12:05,240 Speaker 1: his other stringer, didn't have any journalists with him. He 237 00:12:05,280 --> 00:12:07,960 Speaker 1: was embedded with a Republic of Texas police unit, getting 238 00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:11,040 Speaker 1: footage from inside a neighborhood that had recently been liberated 239 00:12:11,120 --> 00:12:14,000 Speaker 1: from the Heavenly Kingdom. There were no new messages from Oscar. 240 00:12:14,400 --> 00:12:16,920 Speaker 1: His last check in had been the night before. It 241 00:12:16,960 --> 00:12:20,520 Speaker 1: was probably nothing, but it concerned Manny nonetheless, when if 242 00:12:20,559 --> 00:12:23,199 Speaker 1: Oscar got a better offer for his footage. He'd always 243 00:12:23,200 --> 00:12:25,240 Speaker 1: been loyal before, but if that funk from the Guardian 244 00:12:25,240 --> 00:12:28,040 Speaker 1: had gotten to him. I'm interested in the Abrams road bombing, 245 00:12:28,120 --> 00:12:30,760 Speaker 1: Reggie told the colonel, and Manny's attention swung back to 246 00:12:30,800 --> 00:12:33,360 Speaker 1: his reporter. That's an odd thing to ask about. The 247 00:12:33,360 --> 00:12:35,920 Speaker 1: bombing had occurred two weeks back. It had been big 248 00:12:35,960 --> 00:12:38,280 Speaker 1: news for a couple of hours. Manny had paid one 249 00:12:38,320 --> 00:12:41,280 Speaker 1: of his contacts in Raza front another local militia for 250 00:12:41,320 --> 00:12:43,400 Speaker 1: a video of a walk through of the wreckage. It 251 00:12:43,440 --> 00:12:46,640 Speaker 1: had brought in about three grand profit. The Abrams Road 252 00:12:46,640 --> 00:12:50,480 Speaker 1: bombing was not a martyrdom operation. Colonel Milgram sounded almost angry, 253 00:12:50,920 --> 00:12:53,319 Speaker 1: terribly sorry. Reggie said, you're right, of course, there was 254 00:12:53,360 --> 00:12:57,640 Speaker 1: no driver, so no martyr right right, Deshaun Clark said. 255 00:12:57,840 --> 00:12:59,720 Speaker 1: He pulled a folded piece of white paper out of 256 00:12:59,720 --> 00:13:02,000 Speaker 1: his pocket, opened it up, and smoothed it out on 257 00:13:02,040 --> 00:13:04,720 Speaker 1: the table. It was a map of the df W area, 258 00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:07,880 Speaker 1: color coded to show the positions of the various militias 259 00:13:07,880 --> 00:13:10,800 Speaker 1: in the region. We operate nine checkpoints on that part 260 00:13:10,840 --> 00:13:13,440 Speaker 1: of the Richardson line, Deshon said, as he pointed to 261 00:13:13,480 --> 00:13:17,000 Speaker 1: each one. Five of them border Republic controlled territory. The 262 00:13:17,040 --> 00:13:19,959 Speaker 1: traffic from there is mostly autonomous, and those vehicles slave 263 00:13:20,040 --> 00:13:22,560 Speaker 1: themselves to our traffic management system before they can enter 264 00:13:22,600 --> 00:13:26,000 Speaker 1: our territory. The other three checkpoints border territory controlled by 265 00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:28,880 Speaker 1: the martyrs. They don't see much traffic, and they're all 266 00:13:28,920 --> 00:13:32,440 Speaker 1: heavily armed. Reggie was quiet for a few seconds while 267 00:13:32,440 --> 00:13:34,280 Speaker 1: he figured out the most polite way to phrase his 268 00:13:34,320 --> 00:13:37,000 Speaker 1: next question. Many can almost hear the gears turning in 269 00:13:37,040 --> 00:13:40,160 Speaker 1: the journalist's head before he finally spoke. Would it be 270 00:13:40,200 --> 00:13:42,960 Speaker 1: fair to say the autonomous checkpoints are less secure than 271 00:13:43,600 --> 00:13:47,760 Speaker 1: Deshaun smiled a thin, quiet smile amid grimace. Colonel Milgram 272 00:13:47,800 --> 00:13:51,880 Speaker 1: responded in a terse voice. The autonomous checkpoints have fewer defenders, 273 00:13:51,920 --> 00:13:55,240 Speaker 1: but they border Republic territory. The martyrs haven't pulled off 274 00:13:55,240 --> 00:13:58,120 Speaker 1: an attack on one in quite some time. Was Abrams 275 00:13:58,240 --> 00:14:00,960 Speaker 1: Road not one such attack? Reggie looked eager now, like 276 00:14:01,000 --> 00:14:04,800 Speaker 1: a hound, following assent. We don't know who bombed Abram's road, 277 00:14:04,880 --> 00:14:08,040 Speaker 1: Colonel Milgram said, No one's taken credit, but we doubt 278 00:14:08,080 --> 00:14:11,880 Speaker 1: it was the martyrs. Why the journalist asked. Many leaned 279 00:14:11,880 --> 00:14:14,280 Speaker 1: in a little interested, in spite of himself, at where 280 00:14:14,280 --> 00:14:17,800 Speaker 1: this was all going to lead. Perhaps, Hamad said, you 281 00:14:17,840 --> 00:14:20,520 Speaker 1: should read a bit more about this heavenly kingdom. They 282 00:14:20,560 --> 00:14:24,600 Speaker 1: reject all autonomous technology. They even use remote human pilots 283 00:14:24,600 --> 00:14:27,240 Speaker 1: for their drones, like it's two thousand and fucking three. 284 00:14:27,640 --> 00:14:30,680 Speaker 1: That's why our skies are always clear. We jammed them. 285 00:14:30,800 --> 00:14:33,200 Speaker 1: Reggie asked, is it possible they found some way to 286 00:14:33,240 --> 00:14:36,840 Speaker 1: hack your defense system? Amid laughed, We bought this system 287 00:14:36,840 --> 00:14:38,880 Speaker 1: from the Israelis. If you're telling me one of the 288 00:14:38,880 --> 00:14:41,200 Speaker 1: Martyr's brigades as a hacker that can crack that, then 289 00:14:41,240 --> 00:14:44,520 Speaker 1: I'm the King of Albuquerque. But something still went wrong, 290 00:14:44,600 --> 00:14:49,240 Speaker 1: Reggie insisted, hamid smile turned cold. This is war, Mr McGhee, 291 00:14:49,480 --> 00:14:52,680 Speaker 1: it's mostly things going wrong. That's where the line of 292 00:14:52,760 --> 00:14:55,640 Speaker 1: questions petered out. Reggie asked them for access to the 293 00:14:55,640 --> 00:14:58,880 Speaker 1: security footage from the destroyed checkpoint, and Colonel Milgram agreed 294 00:14:58,880 --> 00:15:01,080 Speaker 1: to send it over. We'd like to speak to their 295 00:15:01,080 --> 00:15:04,000 Speaker 1: survivors as well, if possible, Manny interjected, not waiting to 296 00:15:04,000 --> 00:15:06,160 Speaker 1: see if the journalist would ask. He knew those men 297 00:15:06,160 --> 00:15:08,160 Speaker 1: were all stationed behind the line now, which would make 298 00:15:08,200 --> 00:15:10,360 Speaker 1: for a safer, easier rest of the day than heading 299 00:15:10,400 --> 00:15:13,240 Speaker 1: up to the wire, of course, Colonel Miilgram said, with 300 00:15:13,280 --> 00:15:15,640 Speaker 1: a smile to Manny. They gave their good byes, and 301 00:15:15,680 --> 00:15:18,080 Speaker 1: then Major Clark walked them out to their waiting Toyota. 302 00:15:18,320 --> 00:15:20,560 Speaker 1: The Texas heat hit like an oven as they exited, 303 00:15:20,640 --> 00:15:22,520 Speaker 1: and Manny was glad they'd be spending most of the 304 00:15:22,560 --> 00:15:25,280 Speaker 1: rest of their day and doors. Dehaun clapped a hand 305 00:15:25,320 --> 00:15:27,640 Speaker 1: on Manny's shoulder as he lit one of his new cigarettes. 306 00:15:28,080 --> 00:15:30,520 Speaker 1: It's good to see you again, Emmanuel, he said, and 307 00:15:30,520 --> 00:15:32,840 Speaker 1: then he smiled at Reggie, and it's nice to meet you, 308 00:15:32,960 --> 00:15:35,480 Speaker 1: my British friend. I'm sorry you've come to the front 309 00:15:35,480 --> 00:15:40,440 Speaker 1: at a boring time. Why, Reggie asked, Because this Deshaun 310 00:15:40,560 --> 00:15:43,240 Speaker 1: gestured at the gun emplacements and loitering militiamen at the 311 00:15:43,280 --> 00:15:47,520 Speaker 1: command post. This is not war, not really. Your job 312 00:15:47,600 --> 00:15:49,840 Speaker 1: is to help your people, children of peace and plenty, 313 00:15:50,160 --> 00:15:53,040 Speaker 1: understand what's going on here. You must teach them the 314 00:15:53,120 --> 00:15:56,200 Speaker 1: language of war. And to paraphrase a dead poet, the 315 00:15:56,280 --> 00:15:59,120 Speaker 1: language of war is a language made of blood. To 316 00:15:59,160 --> 00:16:03,200 Speaker 1: be spoken, it must be earned. There was an awkward pause, 317 00:16:03,440 --> 00:16:05,840 Speaker 1: a little bit of the blood drained from the journalist's face. 318 00:16:06,440 --> 00:16:09,160 Speaker 1: Nutty old fuck, Manny thought, with more amusement than fear. 319 00:16:09,560 --> 00:16:12,360 Speaker 1: Classic to Shaun, he said, and laughed to ease the tension. 320 00:16:12,800 --> 00:16:15,200 Speaker 1: The major bid them both a good day, hugged Manny, 321 00:16:15,320 --> 00:16:18,080 Speaker 1: and sauntered off back to the command post. Smoke from 322 00:16:18,080 --> 00:16:20,160 Speaker 1: his cigarette curled up into the air behind him as 323 00:16:20,200 --> 00:16:22,880 Speaker 1: he walked. Manny's eyes lingered on it for a second 324 00:16:22,960 --> 00:16:25,880 Speaker 1: before he turned back to Reggie. Ready to go, he 325 00:16:25,960 --> 00:16:34,520 Speaker 1: asked Chipper as he could manage. Three hours, a handful 326 00:16:34,520 --> 00:16:37,360 Speaker 1: of interviews, and one short drive later, Manny and Reggie 327 00:16:37,440 --> 00:16:40,880 Speaker 1: arrived at their home for the night. The Richardson Autonomous Project, 328 00:16:41,120 --> 00:16:43,720 Speaker 1: once a walmart, now a twenty two year old experiment 329 00:16:43,760 --> 00:16:47,200 Speaker 1: and sustainable urban living. The project was the furthest island 330 00:16:47,240 --> 00:16:49,760 Speaker 1: of civilization on the sd F side of the Front. 331 00:16:50,240 --> 00:16:53,480 Speaker 1: Its militias steadfastly refused to involve themselves in the region's 332 00:16:53,520 --> 00:16:56,200 Speaker 1: greater conflicts. They'd been targeted a few times by the 333 00:16:56,200 --> 00:16:59,400 Speaker 1: Heavenly Kingdom, though the s d F, by contrast, left 334 00:16:59,400 --> 00:17:02,080 Speaker 1: them alone. So when a fixer like Manny found himself 335 00:17:02,080 --> 00:17:04,560 Speaker 1: on the wrong side of the lb J Freeway after dark, 336 00:17:04,760 --> 00:17:07,679 Speaker 1: he could usually trust the project to provide food, booze, 337 00:17:07,720 --> 00:17:11,879 Speaker 1: and shelter for a price. Of course, sleeping arrangements in 338 00:17:11,880 --> 00:17:14,360 Speaker 1: the project were broadly communal. The bulk of the old 339 00:17:14,359 --> 00:17:17,040 Speaker 1: walmart had been converted into an indoor meadow with grow 340 00:17:17,160 --> 00:17:19,679 Speaker 1: lights hanging from the rafters, and a wide, lush field 341 00:17:19,680 --> 00:17:22,679 Speaker 1: of native grass sprawling across most of the inhabited space. 342 00:17:23,240 --> 00:17:26,360 Speaker 1: Fruit trees, bushes full of berries, cannabis, plants, and copses 343 00:17:26,359 --> 00:17:29,040 Speaker 1: of bamboo lined the edges of the space. The center 344 00:17:29,040 --> 00:17:31,720 Speaker 1: of the field was dominated by a large circular kitchen 345 00:17:31,760 --> 00:17:35,359 Speaker 1: surrounded by a handsome oaken bar. Table tables, gazebos, and 346 00:17:35,400 --> 00:17:38,440 Speaker 1: sundry personal structures dotted the field, along with a pair 347 00:17:38,480 --> 00:17:41,359 Speaker 1: of dance floors. Reggie's face lit up when he saw 348 00:17:41,400 --> 00:17:43,560 Speaker 1: the bar. By the time Manny had dropped off their 349 00:17:43,600 --> 00:17:45,640 Speaker 1: bags and paid Charlie and the driver for the night, 350 00:17:45,920 --> 00:17:48,640 Speaker 1: the journalist was already three beers in the brit wasn't 351 00:17:48,680 --> 00:17:52,160 Speaker 1: precisely drunk or sober, but at that productive twilight in between, 352 00:17:52,520 --> 00:17:55,520 Speaker 1: he'd unrolled a portable screen and had a holographic display up, 353 00:17:55,600 --> 00:17:58,840 Speaker 1: looping four separate sections of the security footage Colonel Milgram 354 00:17:58,840 --> 00:18:02,800 Speaker 1: had sent over. The journalist alternated between typing furiously scrawling 355 00:18:02,800 --> 00:18:05,280 Speaker 1: notes in his journal and taking huge gulps from something 356 00:18:05,359 --> 00:18:07,960 Speaker 1: brown and foamy. He stopped working when he saw Manny 357 00:18:08,000 --> 00:18:11,320 Speaker 1: approach and waved him into the adjacent seat. Hey brother, 358 00:18:11,560 --> 00:18:14,159 Speaker 1: check this out, Manny, pulled up a seat, and the 359 00:18:14,240 --> 00:18:16,800 Speaker 1: journalist directed his attention to a six second loop of 360 00:18:16,840 --> 00:18:20,080 Speaker 1: footage from immediately after the bombing. It showed two man 361 00:18:20,119 --> 00:18:23,320 Speaker 1: size silhouettes standing on top of an old garage. Many 362 00:18:23,359 --> 00:18:26,320 Speaker 1: remembered the building. It stood maybe two hundred meters from 363 00:18:26,320 --> 00:18:29,520 Speaker 1: the Abrams Road checkpoint. One of the silhouettes had a rifle. 364 00:18:29,880 --> 00:18:32,919 Speaker 1: The other held a short squat tube that Manny recognized 365 00:18:32,960 --> 00:18:37,320 Speaker 1: as a camera lens. Notice anything, spotters, Manny said, probably 366 00:18:37,400 --> 00:18:40,159 Speaker 1: trying to get a kill. Count. No, man, look at 367 00:18:40,160 --> 00:18:42,680 Speaker 1: where he's pointed. That Count's not looking at any post. 368 00:18:42,920 --> 00:18:46,040 Speaker 1: He's looking straight back deeper into the old town. And 369 00:18:46,080 --> 00:18:48,040 Speaker 1: I'll bet you he's high enough up to be staring 370 00:18:48,160 --> 00:18:51,960 Speaker 1: right at Colonel Milgram's command post. Manny looked again. He 371 00:18:52,040 --> 00:18:55,119 Speaker 1: thought about the angle. Okay, so what, he asked, You 372 00:18:55,119 --> 00:18:57,200 Speaker 1: think this was a probing attack for some big action. 373 00:18:57,520 --> 00:19:01,520 Speaker 1: The journalist shrugged. Maybe it's something new, is what interests me. 374 00:19:01,800 --> 00:19:04,200 Speaker 1: Two years of Modydom operations that all look more or 375 00:19:04,240 --> 00:19:07,680 Speaker 1: less the same, and now this weird one, an autonomous 376 00:19:07,760 --> 00:19:10,280 Speaker 1: vehicle bomb from a group of fanatics who think autonomous 377 00:19:10,400 --> 00:19:14,200 Speaker 1: vehicles of the devil. Yeah, Manny agreed that does seem weird. 378 00:19:14,840 --> 00:19:17,240 Speaker 1: The bartender walked up and offered Manny his pick of 379 00:19:17,280 --> 00:19:20,520 Speaker 1: the finest liquor in this particular war zone. Many ordered 380 00:19:20,520 --> 00:19:22,760 Speaker 1: a Shiner. It was the one beer a drinker could 381 00:19:22,760 --> 00:19:25,199 Speaker 1: find across both the Republic of Texas and the Austin 382 00:19:25,240 --> 00:19:28,520 Speaker 1: Autonomous Region. He looked back at the looping footage. They 383 00:19:28,520 --> 00:19:31,399 Speaker 1: both watched it twice more. Then Reggie spoke up again. 384 00:19:31,920 --> 00:19:35,639 Speaker 1: What have you heard about Pasta Mike, he asked. Manny 385 00:19:35,680 --> 00:19:37,600 Speaker 1: stiffened a little bit at the name. He'd heard it, 386 00:19:37,640 --> 00:19:41,320 Speaker 1: of course, vague stories of rioting in Kansas, a fundamentalist 387 00:19:41,400 --> 00:19:44,760 Speaker 1: uprising inside the southernmost territory of the United Christian States. 388 00:19:45,160 --> 00:19:47,600 Speaker 1: He hadn't thought much about it at first, but two 389 00:19:47,680 --> 00:19:50,600 Speaker 1: years ago Pastor Mike had moved to Texas, shortly before 390 00:19:50,640 --> 00:19:53,280 Speaker 1: the Heavenly Kingdom had declared itself. It was hard to 391 00:19:53,280 --> 00:19:56,159 Speaker 1: say exactly what role the preacher played within the organization, 392 00:19:56,520 --> 00:20:00,119 Speaker 1: but he was certainly its most visible face. I know 393 00:20:00,119 --> 00:20:02,479 Speaker 1: who he is, Manny said. I know the Republic led 394 00:20:02,560 --> 00:20:04,480 Speaker 1: him in because they thought as followers might provide a 395 00:20:04,480 --> 00:20:07,359 Speaker 1: buffer against Austin's influence. I know that blew the funk 396 00:20:07,440 --> 00:20:10,119 Speaker 1: up in their faces. Manny took a long drink and continued, 397 00:20:10,440 --> 00:20:13,160 Speaker 1: that's an old story around here, the Republic using those 398 00:20:13,160 --> 00:20:16,600 Speaker 1: god fondling Nutfoxx to push back against the leftists. The 399 00:20:16,680 --> 00:20:20,440 Speaker 1: journalist raised an eyebrow, and Manny instantly regretted his crude response. 400 00:20:20,760 --> 00:20:23,080 Speaker 1: He didn't really care about religion one way or the other, 401 00:20:23,320 --> 00:20:24,920 Speaker 1: but whenever he came out to the front, it was 402 00:20:24,960 --> 00:20:28,520 Speaker 1: hard not to get a little angry, especially after a drink. Sorry, 403 00:20:28,600 --> 00:20:32,000 Speaker 1: he said, it's been a long day. Reggie looked down, coughed, 404 00:20:32,040 --> 00:20:34,120 Speaker 1: and took a sip. He looked back at Manny, took 405 00:20:34,119 --> 00:20:37,360 Speaker 1: another sip and said, you know, that's another subject I'd 406 00:20:37,440 --> 00:20:41,840 Speaker 1: rather like to cover. What Manny asked, anti Christian sentiment 407 00:20:41,880 --> 00:20:45,000 Speaker 1: in North America. Manny grunted and looked down at his drink. 408 00:20:45,160 --> 00:20:47,639 Speaker 1: The brit barreled on, You're not the first North American 409 00:20:47,680 --> 00:20:51,560 Speaker 1: I've heard express anger towards Christians, he said, and California, Cascadia, 410 00:20:51,640 --> 00:20:54,560 Speaker 1: the North American Republic, I've just seen a lot of hate. Look, 411 00:20:54,640 --> 00:20:58,520 Speaker 1: Manny interrupted me. I'm a man of peace. I love everybody, 412 00:20:58,840 --> 00:21:01,120 Speaker 1: but this continent has been weren't apart and bleeding out 413 00:21:01,160 --> 00:21:04,080 Speaker 1: for the last thirty years. A lot of people hate Christians. 414 00:21:04,240 --> 00:21:07,159 Speaker 1: The ones that don't hate Christians hate leftists, and everyone 415 00:21:07,200 --> 00:21:11,560 Speaker 1: outside the American Republic hates capitalists. Hate, hate, hate. Manny 416 00:21:11,600 --> 00:21:13,320 Speaker 1: took a gulp of his beer and set it down 417 00:21:13,440 --> 00:21:16,000 Speaker 1: a little harder than he'd intended. He looked Reggie in 418 00:21:16,040 --> 00:21:18,960 Speaker 1: the eye and finished, There's exactly one thing all the 419 00:21:19,000 --> 00:21:22,679 Speaker 1: broken bits of this continent have in common. Hate. The 420 00:21:22,760 --> 00:21:25,439 Speaker 1: journalist arched an eyebrow at Manny and returned the gaze. 421 00:21:25,760 --> 00:21:27,399 Speaker 1: He had the look of a man peering into the 422 00:21:27,480 --> 00:21:31,320 Speaker 1: enclosure of a particularly exotic zoo animal. Manny wanted to 423 00:21:31,359 --> 00:21:33,520 Speaker 1: resent it, but he'd been doing this job long enough 424 00:21:33,560 --> 00:21:35,960 Speaker 1: to know that this was just how journalists looked at people. 425 00:21:36,560 --> 00:21:38,879 Speaker 1: Reggie downed his drink. He reached a hand up to 426 00:21:38,880 --> 00:21:41,720 Speaker 1: signal the bartender, and then looked back at Manny. Can 427 00:21:41,760 --> 00:21:45,320 Speaker 1: I buy you another round? Many shook his head, no thanks, 428 00:21:45,520 --> 00:21:47,359 Speaker 1: I'm tired and I don't want to drag ass at 429 00:21:47,359 --> 00:21:49,880 Speaker 1: the front tomorrow. He downed the last of his beer, 430 00:21:50,000 --> 00:21:52,080 Speaker 1: bid Reggie a good night, and headed over to the 431 00:21:52,119 --> 00:21:54,040 Speaker 1: spot of turf where he'd set up his sleeping bag 432 00:21:54,080 --> 00:21:56,639 Speaker 1: and gear. He popped off his shoes his pants and 433 00:21:56,640 --> 00:21:58,760 Speaker 1: his shirt and rubbed himself down with a handful of 434 00:21:58,760 --> 00:22:01,280 Speaker 1: wet naps. Then he ebbed a night shirt and sweatpants 435 00:22:01,280 --> 00:22:04,080 Speaker 1: from his bag and slipped them on. Many considered cleaned 436 00:22:04,080 --> 00:22:07,400 Speaker 1: pajamas a necessity. He fired up his deck again once 437 00:22:07,400 --> 00:22:09,560 Speaker 1: he was swaddled in his sleeping bag. There was a 438 00:22:09,640 --> 00:22:11,880 Speaker 1: jetting start, and then the corners of his vision were 439 00:22:11,880 --> 00:22:15,720 Speaker 1: populated by a series of small, partly translucent screens. Each 440 00:22:15,720 --> 00:22:19,040 Speaker 1: one bulged with updates, friends asking about his weekend plans, 441 00:22:19,160 --> 00:22:22,560 Speaker 1: spam from his college, notifications about new video uploads, and 442 00:22:22,600 --> 00:22:25,920 Speaker 1: headlines from the local news. Devon had messaged him twice 443 00:22:25,960 --> 00:22:27,880 Speaker 1: more to let him know that he and his journalists 444 00:22:27,880 --> 00:22:30,760 Speaker 1: were headed back to Austin, and then that they had arrived. 445 00:22:31,359 --> 00:22:36,240 Speaker 1: Oscar still hadn't responded. Manny's initial concern was over his loyalty. 446 00:22:36,400 --> 00:22:38,480 Speaker 1: I got that fucker started as a stringer. If he 447 00:22:38,560 --> 00:22:40,280 Speaker 1: sold that video and cut me out of the deal, 448 00:22:40,320 --> 00:22:43,320 Speaker 1: I'm going to But the longer he thought about Oscar, 449 00:22:43,520 --> 00:22:46,520 Speaker 1: the more Manny worried that something might have happened. Oscar 450 00:22:46,560 --> 00:22:49,040 Speaker 1: had been working in Plano today, near a very stable 451 00:22:49,119 --> 00:22:52,000 Speaker 1: chunk of the front, but this far out almost anything 452 00:22:52,040 --> 00:22:55,480 Speaker 1: could happen. Many closed his eyes, sighed, and tried to 453 00:22:55,480 --> 00:22:58,240 Speaker 1: purge the anxiety from his mind. There was nothing to 454 00:22:58,280 --> 00:23:00,240 Speaker 1: do now other than get to sleep so he could 455 00:23:00,240 --> 00:23:03,520 Speaker 1: wake up tomorrow and make more money. That thought prompted 456 00:23:03,520 --> 00:23:05,520 Speaker 1: Manny to pull open his banking app and check on 457 00:23:05,560 --> 00:23:08,520 Speaker 1: the status of his savings account. The numbers glowed fat 458 00:23:08,520 --> 00:23:10,560 Speaker 1: and happy, and the space right in front of his head. 459 00:23:10,880 --> 00:23:13,639 Speaker 1: Another five months in the field, maybe six, Then I 460 00:23:13,720 --> 00:23:16,080 Speaker 1: buy that plane ticket. He started to think about the 461 00:23:16,080 --> 00:23:19,280 Speaker 1: pictures he'd seen of Dublin and Berlin and Barcelona, all 462 00:23:19,280 --> 00:23:21,440 Speaker 1: the places he thought he might live if this war 463 00:23:21,480 --> 00:23:24,400 Speaker 1: could just hang on a little longer. He soon fell 464 00:23:24,440 --> 00:23:27,639 Speaker 1: asleep and slept pretty well until the first mortar landed.