System Initializing

One hour remaining!

"Hi! We're recruiting for a group in the game store half a mile from here. We have a socio-sortitionist political arrangement, a good location, and trade with four hardware stores and a bunch of other useful places. You're allowed to leave. We're left out the gate and then right on the main road, we're also occupying the cellphone store."

('socio-sortitionist' isn't a real term but the point is to intrigue some people and intimidate others.)

She pulls a pen out of her pocket. "Do you have something I could write our info on?"

"I took some brochures from the lobby."

"I'm set, but I'll pass on your pitch." He might actually do it, too - why not.

"Dario, it's time for your jello! How have -"

She opens the door and glares at Marlene and Helene. "You again. I knew you were up to something. Leave."

Dario hates jello time.

This thought had not occurred to him before. Or maybe it had, but he had forgotten. But now, he can remember the last week of jello (strawberry, lime, orange, raspberry, strawberry, lemon, vanilla) and call to mind how each one was disgusting in its own way. He can think the words 'I hate jello'. Keeping his lips still and relaxed, he puts his tongue through the motions of saying those words out loud.

He can remember the blue boxes. He has no idea what they mean but apparently they're responsible for his miraculous recovery?

The young man in his room is a relative of his, who wants to know about the lantern job. Dario doesn't care about the lantern job. He wants to go far away from his family and never see them again.

He bides his time. For the next hour, his abilities exceed his captors' expectations.

He needs to be alone with Dario in one hour. The trespassers need to go, whyever they're here. Flip flip. But he also doesn't want any additional security. Flip. This caretaker person sounds like she knows about the Bonetti family? Flip Flip Flip...

"You can't restrict the information your inmates get, that's censorship!"

"This is private property, ma'am. Leave immediately."

"Or what, you'll call the cops? It's the end of the world!

I mean, behaving reliably is still important, and that includes respecting property rights - I don't endorse automatically ignoring laws even now - but on the other hand, there's no one to investigate you for your elder abuse! So I think we're quite within our rights, morally, to invade your private property a little bit."

No! No police! "I can handle this, thank you." If she knows about the Bonetti family, hopefully she'll follow his orders?

To Marlene: "You make a fine point. Will you be satisfied by writing your information for me to pass around?"

"I guess...eh, no, not really. At the moment, there is time for anyone who wants to travel to come with us, before the game starts. Depending on how slowly they move, though, they need to leave soon. What I want is to go around to at least the common areas and give a talk now. It would also be fine for you to do that."

"I have no objections to that!"

"I do! We can't just let random strangers in here. Some of our residents are very vulnerable - to scams, exploitative journalism, other abuse. The policy is here for a reason."

"Look, all I want is to make sure everyone is aware of all their options -"

"Heard it."

"- and while usually I respect private property, I think this is an exceptional situation. Waiting to talk endangers us. Waiting until there are monsters and traps everywhere endangers everyone who might want to travel then. Deliberately keeping your inmates uninformed until it's too dangerous to travel is basically involuntary confinement. You still want to call the cops?"

Are these people from a rival organization that wants him? That would be just as bad as being back with his own Family. Will their presence make it easier or harder for him to escape? He was already planning to tell the boy where the game board was hidden and then run. If there are two groups, maybe they'll fight each other, or maybe they'll both hit him with restraining magic at once...but if he has the strength to shout and a plan of how to describe the location to an outsider, he likes his chances.

So he should wait until he's ready for that, and the others' strength doesn't matter.

For now, his voice crackling, he wheezes "these ladies... guests. My guests.... Wheelchair."

Well well well! "Uncle Dario!"

Sigh. She shifts Dario into his wheelchair. "You want to go meet them in the lobby?" And starts pushing him to the door without waiting for an answer.

He nods.

He totally messed up just then. Now they know he can talk, he has to make sure not to be alone with either group.

On the way to the lobby he asks the aide to adjust his socks, help him put on his sweater, take off his sweater, and get him some water, so she doesn't leave him with the boy. When the ladies join them, he directs them all to a sitting room with half a dozen residents reading, doing crosswords, and talking.

"Hi everyone! I'm Helene, this is Marlene, we're from a group near here!"

"Left out the gate, then right onto the main road. Look for the cell phone store."

"Yep, left then right. Just like writing, left to right, left first." That's important: if someone goes left and keeps going too far, they'll still make it to Lowe's, but if they go right first they'll die lost in the forest.

"How much do you all know about the game with the blue boxes? Even if you don't want to join us, discussing strategy now might be helpful."