“ So Miller, that is our plan. You were there when we saw those bugs. We got a lot of fine-tuning to do, but we can not do it without the army's support. Think you can bring this to your CO?”

Miller looked at David in a casual white muscle shirt and blue jeans and could not help but picture the fully armored Dreadnaught instead.

“ Seriously, me? I was already in hot water when I pulled out of the scouting mission I was given. Those boots to the ground agree with my decision but the gods above I call officers are pissed. Especially, when that hundred-plus bug patrol scouted us an hour later. Scout reports say they are heading right for us now. The only saving grace is that half of them split off and are heading West.”

David turned to his fellow leaders and sighed.

“ You've been told about the dragonkin?”

“ Yea, higher-ups said to stay away from them. Tough SoB who are not afraid of a fight. They carry swords and shit like that, but also have crossbows that can punch a hole through tank armor.”

David could not resist whistling at that. To his guess, he might be able to tank one of those and not be happy about it afterward.

“ Noted, the adventurer boys seem to be playing nice with them. We NGOs have already agreed to keep on good terms with them. Hoping to open some trade and such. Anyways, the plan will cost the Guard almost nothing. We are going to cover the cost of the walls and defenses. We just need to know if you boys are going to stay.”

Miller's face soured and David could already tell his worst fear had come to pass.

“ You got to be fucking kidding me.”

Miller shook his head.

“ Remember, if asked I said nothing about it.”

David shook his head disappointed.

“ Yea, I’ll do that Miller. You and your boys stay safe. And tell Echo team the next time I see them in my suit they owe me a wax job.”

Miller laughed at that and nods with a smirk.

“ I’ll do that. Good luck to you as well. Because I know you are staying”

David raised his hand and Miller took it.

“ Yea, I am. Goodbye Miller.”

With that, David turned to leave and the two NGO leaders watched as David slowly started to walk away, before turning to follow him.

“ Wait, David. Look, I and many of the other lower ranks know you've been recruiting. And we thank you for the kits. Many of us would like to join, but our {Oaths} forbid it. Well, when we were in the white space, the officers kept the guide to themselves while the rest of us were twiddling our thumbs. Anyways, being bored soldiers, we started exploring the menu’s new features while there. That is when we discovered the help assistance menu. You know the submenu that you can get into from the help menu.”

David turned around with a look of surprise on his face.

“ Um no, I didn't know about that.”

“ Well, there is, and I and a bunch of others compiled a list of questions to ask. Most of it was stupid shit you expect privates and corporals to want to know, but we Sargeants filtered that list and took out the stupid but kept everything else, from the possibly relevant to the insane but probable. Here is the deal. This list is not entirely mine, but it has a lot of information on it. A good five hundred pages worth. Well, it cost us over five million credits to make and compile.”

David closed his eyes and knew where this was leading immediately when he said ‘here is the deal’

“ How much?”

Miller shook his head.

“ It's not how much, but what we want.”

Charle piped up figuring it out as well.

“ The {grunt starter kits}.”

Miller nods.

“ Look, we know what game you are running, David. A cruel deal. Making the Guard pay you an arm and a leg. At this point, we do not hold much love for our superiors, but to take away everything our country has built for yourself is evil.”

David closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

“ The kits were always going to go to you and your boys, Miller. My plan was to take everyone in the safe zone with me from the very beginning... or at the beginning at least. If you read the writing on the wall as I did then you figured out the NG is on a clock.”

Miller hummed as he thought about what David just said. By now lots of the soldiers were overhearing the talk. Then David realized they have always been listening. But now they have stopped hiding it.

“ You were going to buy them out wholesale.”

David looked away and scratched his chin.

“ Not everything. That is probably a twenty-figure debt. But to get non-exclusive licensing of every invention made from 1777 till the change. I am guessing a billion and change. In addition to getting you and your boys paid your dues. Then loaded up with appropriate gear. Getting your families. Another billion to hook everyone here up. A third billion in supplies. Food, water, lumber, and such. I already dropped eight billion on land. I have everything I really need except one thing.”

Miller went wide-eyed and looked around at the soldiers listening in.

“ You need people. Fuck me, you were planning on recruiting over ten thousand people in one month.”

David laughed sheepishly.

“ Not that it matters anymore. You all are leaving us behind. Your officers are probably going to declare me and the other leaders of the NGOs a criminal or something to seize our assets then piss off leaving thousands to die.”

David took a deep breath, one large enough to show his chest expanding to everyone before slowly exhaling it. He then offered his hand to Miller again.

“ Again, good luck Miller.”

Miller could not help but smile and he took his hand again. Gave him a much firmer handshake than before.