July 20th

Quentin

I set up the radio in my office and tuned into the frequency. “This is Quentin, reporting that my radio is on and I’m ready to assume communications,” I said while messing with a table. Pieces were placed on it to represent two armies. The table had modifications that allowed me to finetune the elevation of different areas and place bodies of water. With some modifications, I set it to the description of the terrain that I got. Ten soldiers were placed down to represent the main squad. Meanwhile, hundreds of avian tokens were kept in a drawer until I had confirmation of where the aliens were.

“We have a river up ahead the forest is clearing, sir,” one of the soldiers said. I got to work, getting rid of the tree tokens on the table and adjusting the position of the river.

“Roger that,” I replied. At this point, there was no more air cover. A bombing campaign, which is a bit too advanced for the aliens, won’t have any trees in the way. However, there was also an unobstructed view of the airs. The squad could see the aliens approaching from the air, allowing them to shoot up at them. With the color of the aliens’ feathers in mind, it meant that nighttime was especially dangerous as they can camouflage against the dark sky. But back to the open plains topic, it was good news for armored vehicles, which could now transport the soldiers easily.

I switched the radio to another channel and asked, “How is the recon doing? Have you found anything yet?”

After a short pause, the voice on the other side reported, “We ran across a deserted village, sir. There seems to be signs of a violent conflict and that it happened before our arrival, sir.”

“Thank you, recon,” I replied as I processed the information. There must’ve been a tribal war before we arrived. But without much to go on, there was no way for me to know if this was a normal one or part of a spree. If it was the latter, Arthur could’ve potentially usurped control over the conquering tribe to retool them to fight humanity. I didn’t get his plan. If he truly cared to create a perfect society, why did he need to start over again with another species? The lack of industry meant that the aliens wouldn’t be able to get close to utopian levels. At most, he’d create a harmonious and simple life, but it’d be a life of hard work and struggle. Granted, he probably saw the Industrial Revolution as the start of humanity’s problems.

There was silence as no new reports came in. It was to be expected, but I didn’t like it. I tapped my foot nervously as I messed with the tables. Seeing as I had to distract myself, I decided to get back to reviewing the paperwork for Eastlake. The first paper was a migration request from the capital. With the new houses constructed by Campbell Enterprises, it meant that we had houses. I signed off on accepting two hundred migrants into the town.

The next proposal was seeking to turn some lakefront land into a commercial zone. I signed off on assigning it, while preserving other parts of the lake for a national park to preserve some of the beauty. Moving on from the lake, I assigned some national forests nearby to make sure they are preserved. Other areas I signed off on for the lumber industry to cut down to replace with farmland.

The next item on my list was to review proposals for a monorail line to be constructed from the capital to Eastlake. I looked over where it was going and made a counteroffer due to its placement not being ideal with the current setup. As for a metro line, I rejected it for the time being while taking into consideration to design the city with mass transit in mind. However, I approved connecting Eastlake’s power grid with the capital.

There was the item of recreational activities in the town, which needed something for the citizens to do or they’d get bored. While the lake activities were being worked on, there was something else I could do. I signed off on creating gyms and recreation centers in town, which should hopefully lower the risk of crime. To help with that goal, I signed off for an Eastlake Police Department to be formed. The other emergency services were also created.

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With my mayoral duties currently done, I walked outside to take in the cool breeze. It was a beautiful day on this planet. With a yawn and stretch, I went for a walk. Passing by the charming neighborhood my wife has had built, I feel a sense of calm and beauty. I could already see one family playing with their children in the lawn. A smile came to my lips as I beheld a baby cradled in the arms of a mother while the older siblings played tag. I saw a Golden Retriever laying down on the porch and a father kissing the mother. Part of me felt like this would be the kind of life Scarlett and I will have one day. A life that was calm and peaceful, filled with small joys.

Across the street, a young couple kissed as they were handed the keys by a realtor. I walked up to the scene and looked at the realtor. “Hey David,” I said, “how’s it like working with my wife?”

David, a middle-aged man wearing a nice suit, looked at me and said, “Scarlett is a sweet woman, even if a fox. She’s better than any previous employer that I’ve had back on Earth. She may be becoming a tycoon, but that’s fine. Other entrepreneurs are entering the market so it’s not going to be a monopoly.”

I leaned against the picket fence and asked, “What does my wife do that’s great?”

David smiled as he said, “Mrs. Campbell-Smith personally threw me a birthday party at the office and gave me a bonus. It may not be the most profitable approach, but she cares for her employees and wants to make sure all of us have good lives.”

“That’s great to hear,” I replied. I knew my wife was a good woman. Checking my watch, I knew I had to go. “I need to start heading out. If I don’t leave now, I’ll miss my lunch.” We waved each other goodbye.

I ran to the small deli that opened up in the town. Pulling out my digital card, I transferred the necessary credits to get a sub sandwich with just the right amount of mustard. The atmosphere in the deli was calming, with a small-town feel to it.

After finishing my lunch, I returned to my office to look at the stack of papers left to do. I picked up the radio and asked, “Any new reports?”

“No, sir,” the voice on the other end reported. “Everything is progressing smoothly. For a terrain update, we’re in a flat plain now with mountains in the distance, but perhaps it’d take a few days to reach it.”

“Good,” I replied. “What have the official generals told you?”

“We’re planning on clearing a path back to Eastlake and creating an outpost at the base of the mountain. We’re considering making that our official border,” the voice on the other side reported.

“Got it. Out.” With that, I set down the microphone and messed with the tables again.

Most of the day progressed as usual, signing or declining proposals and a brief talk with my secretary. However, a new shock came as I was about to learn.

“Mr. Smith? Mr. Smith, are you there?” the voice asked.

I ran to the radio and picked up the microphone. “I’m here, over.” My heart was racing as I feared for the worst. Had the squad been ambushed by Arthur and his native allies? It was a very real possibility. If the ambush was successful, it’d be a major blow to our attempts to pacify the region.

The radio crackled again. “We’ve come across some other people. Human people. I think they were also on the Mayflower.”

My dread was replaced with excitement as I asked, “Are you going to invite them over to Eastlake? This could be the start of an alliance and our first unification!”

“Affirmative, sir,” the voice on the other side replied. “We’re handing the radio to the leader of their squad now.”

A female voice comes in with a slight Mexican accent. “Hello, this is Miranda Rodriguez. Who am I speaking to?”

“I am Quentin Alexander Smith,” I replied as a smile grew on my face. It was time to negotiate. “I’d like to extend the metaphorical olive branch. We’re two groups living on an alien planet hoping to survive. Tell me, have you dealt with an alien attack?”

Miranda sighed at the other end, loud enough for the radio to pick it up. “No, sir. It has actually been worse. We’ve been dealing with some bizarre fox-human hybrids, much like that rich brat back on Earth. At this point, the hybrids have mostly been infiltrators trying to steal information. However, there are reports of a wolf-human hybrid leading them, with her being tall and strong, capable of breaking someone’s back with ease.”

I gasped as I heard the information. Someone managed to get ahold of the Qarri’s gene manipulation tools and was using it to replicate what happened to Scarlett, now on a mass scale. Even worse, they learned how to use it since they made someone resemble a wolf instead of a fox. I grabbed the radio and said, “Come with the squad to Eastlake. Leave your troops at your settlement since you’ll need them. With any luck, we’ll find a way to handle this problem.”

“Got it,” Miranda said, “See you in five days.”

With that in mind, I ran to my computer and emailed Captain Desiree about the meeting that will take place in Eastlake. The only questions I had were who this mysterious wolfwoman was and why did she know the backbreaker. It’s like she learned it from Bane or something.