Unknown:

  My day had just started and I was already regretting my decision to come to work. The repair and maintenance group had been hard at work repairing and replacing the parts of the city destroyed by the monster wave. And, if I had to be honest, they had been working faster than any of our predictions had indicated. Fast enough that I might be forced to give them a bonus.

  Maybe it was time for another round of cuts. Nothing too big, but enough to remind them of who was in charge and for them to only do what they were told to do, when they were told to do it. Only people who were looking to move up in the world pushed to complete jobs early, and I would not allow any of them to even attempt to take my position.

  Sadly, while that was bad enough, it wasn’t what had me lamenting my decision to come in. The report of what the oddball scientists found when they got the antiquated piece of history to work with their new algorithm. According to the data presented, there were hundreds of monsters below us.

  And that was only what the system could make out. According to them, the range of the device was poor. They even highlighted the fact that the system would have issues differentiating monsters if they were too close.

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  As such, they were recommending that someone with a skill to dig through the earth be dispatched. That they be sent to ascertain what the numbers truly were. Yeah, that wasn’t going to happen.

  Not only was it dangerous, as it could give the monsters a fast track ticket through to the surface, but the entire thing would also be career suicide. If there were monsters, the place would be thrown into a panic. People would flee. Trains would be overcrowded. Defenses would be left unmanned.

  Of course, if I told them no, then they could go to someone else and demand that they help. That person would then start asking questions about why I said no.

  The only option with any future for me was to act like I never received the report and to play dumb when asked. It wasn’t like the monsters would be here any time soon. At least, not according to the various projections. I had a month or so to move everything I had out of the city and to position myself someplace safe before they broke through to the surface.

  And if the predictions and scientists were wrong, so what? It wasn’t the worst idea to start branching out. The kids will be looking for jobs soon, so I might as well get a few things ready. Plant a few seeds to smooth their path to power.