We are heading out with two additional escorts on our old route. But our mission profile has been altered. Our checks outside the main road had been reduced for the back leg. We’d meet a convoy on the border. Apparently the road was to be closed for the general traffic around noon. Even so we have to turn back about two thirds of the first leg. An intrusion, a strong one, is forming right on the road. This cannot be explained by pure chance anymore. There must be a cluster of intrusions in our district.

P: You said that we’ll be transfered. What makes you think we’ll be transfered together? I would miss you people.

D: Thank you. Frankly when we were accepted for this mission profile we were told that it would likely be permanent for the duration of this crisis.

U: That is, if you do not try to imitate a Terminator again and buy a plot of land at the government’s expense.

P: They’d bury me?

U: Sure. With a little plaque about dedicated service.

P: That is a sobering thought. I’d like to avoid that.

U: Good man.

D: Good. I don’t want to have to play riot police when the food riots come.

P: That, in hindsight, raises a question. Why was nobody protesting the rationing yesterday?

D: They are not yet affected. This is a small town. They filled their larders and freezers while it still was possible.

P: I see. What about now?

U: We will be used to secure the town and the evacuation routes. And then probably some other small town in a true B zone.

P: How do you know we won’t be sent into the A zone?

D: Dude, if you were a politician and something got through there, would you rather be able to blame it on our spooky allies or explain to somebody that you decided to use a guy trained on video games and a week of formal training? We know you are the real stuff. They do not and, worse, cannot show it to anybody, even if they knew.

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

P: Dude, do you have a degree in cynicism?

D: Sure. Well, it is called applied psychology. Remote learning at the university …

My eyes get googly.

D: Man, give up any hope of getting into police work. Anything with people actually. You are a good wizard. You might have made a decent soldier. At least you get basic tactics. But with people … . I was bullshitting you.

I need to find out whether there are rituals you can change the taste of somebody’s breakfast with.

--

Our early return gets us ordered to the helipad as a part of a welcoming party. Some major of the army has been announced to visit this base. The army detachment already brought one, who was also present, so this is odd.

Helicopters are loud. And those straps on the police version of an army helmet do have their function. Yet as I am not required to salute or something as silly, my hands are free to hold it in the position it needs to be in to do its job.

I know these people. Ex-captain, now major Carstens and my wizarding pal Thomas.

--

Led into a meeting room, Major Carstens spoke to me.

MC: I will come straight to the core of the matter. I am hear to offer you a promotion, well informally, I should rather say levelling up, if you excuse the terminology, you won’t be any higher on the chain of command and an extention of your team.

P: Well, thank you, but even I sense a condition.

MC: Yes. You and the gentleman here are in a unique position to operate a new device we have obtained.

P: New device? What does it do? Where does it come from?

MC: Good questions. I will answer only one of them.

I like this man’s sense of humor.

MC: It is sort of a detection ritual rendered into a device, but it needs a special ability to operate.

I am not going to turn this down.