I’m a little weirded out by how easy it is to make daily wordcount on this. Although not as weirded out as what the previous regime must have been like, to make these guys feel like a breath of fresh air.
“The town has already been cleared.” Special Agent Clarita Pardal had the studious non-accent ambitious hispanics used. Norm had been hearing that non-accent a lot during training. “All known residents of the town have been put into cold sleep. Domestic animals have been requisitioned and redistributed; pets were kept with their owners, when feasible. Lucky you! The hard part has been done already.” There was a faint murmur as the agents at the briefing chuckled, followed by a rippled echo as the trainees followed suit.
Pardal flashed a quick smile, but it didn’t last long. “So. Churchill is officially now listed as depopulated.” She looked around at the twenty four pairs of agents and trainees. “One of your duties will be to double-check that. Human beings are clever, and imperfect. Don’t expect to find a holdout, but don’t be surprised, either. Yes?”
A trainee lowered her hand. “What are the rules of engagement, Agent Pardal?”
“Detain anyone you find. If they’re not supposed to be here, then they’re supposed to be on the Arthur Phillip, and in cold sleep. We’ll straighten out any special circumstances after they’ve been processed. So… capture, if they’re not armed or actively a threat. Accept surrenders. If they resist being detained, you are authorized to use force, including deadly force. Also: take prisoners. Let me be explicit about that: the use of ‘no quarter’ is not authorized.” She looked around at the group. “You should probably start assuming that this will be Federal policy, going forward. There’s a new broom, ladies and gentlemen. Don’t get in its way.”