Haze Gray 90

Amy sat astride Taylor for a moment. Then she sighed "So you're running one turbine flat out to make enough energy for communications and the CIC too." She paused "Well come on. Time to test our multitasking, I guess. Trip through to the dock to heal the over nights, a patrol, and then showing face in all the shops and stations."

Taylor nodded "A ton of oil an hour just for electricity generation. I hope this settles soon."

"Imagine what the ships not worked over by the yard are using?"

Hue chimed in over the net "Yeah. Hey, you all are pretty busy."

Taylor blinked as she, the Admiral, and everyone else, froze for a second "Hue? How are you doing this?"

"Fiber optic data link from, erh, some obscure Navy organization? What the actual? Anyway, it goes to an aegis on a shore station out there and is linked to you all's aegis. Wow, I don't think anyone knew it could do this, or that you guys could link to it. Oh! OK, it's for battle command and it's linked all the way to the situation room in the White House and Pentagon.

"Oh wow, the Army and Marine Corps FBCB2 is linked in the same network. Neat!"

Taylor rolled her eyes as she watched Hue playing in the network while she got in the shower. Meanwhile her people were doing a little playing too. Especially on the flag bridge.

Haze Gray

Taylor looked at Lisa, who snorted "You even have to ask? Well, OK, but yeah, you being willing to handle them makes this easy. They aren't anywhere near as careful as anyone else at laundering money, they physically move the actual cash. They have huge sections of the Russian government on their payrolls. Essentially a mafia state. We are probably going to collapse General Motors too, as they are pretty much owned by the Russian mafia.

"That kind of government cooperation and working with the Russian government, Imperial or communist, stuff used to be violently discouraged among the thieves in law. I guess new times so new traditions.

The KGB thinks they are using them, the In laws think they are using the KGB or now the FSB really. It ends up being who is the most ruthless. Putin fits right in there and easily stays on top.

"Pretty much the whole former Warsaw pact is a Mafia state, you can't tell the government from the mafia and if you are talking to or working with one you are talking to and working with the other.

"Probably going to have to kill a couple million of them.

"I'll have a plan in a couple hours."

Taylor nodded "Lean it toward taking their money outside Russia, here in the US, the hard currency, Chinese organized crime at the same time. That should pretty much finish destabilizing them. Then we can let them go at each other while we try to keep the damage to their civilian populations down.

"Ramp up on it slow if we can. Maybe even sell it to local politicians as a law and order thing. Kick them the guns and drugs, keep the real property and liquid assets.

"Forced prostitution gets taken down Friday though."

Kim sighed "Lung wants to help." She handed Taylor a rolled-up piece of very high-quality paper. Taylor blinked. Lisa cackled and rubbed her hands together. Taylor sighed "Dinah?"

"On it Chief!"

Missy chuckled "Might want to read the PRT in?"

"Do that please."

Aisha sighed and looked at Missy "All these fine Cali boys and you got us working."

The day didn't get any less busy and the conveyors never stopped running locked wide open in any of the docks.

Haze Gray

Marquis looked at Max "A singularly costly take over."

Max shrugged "More supplies for the rest of us." He bowed slightly to Glastig Uaine. She was busy training some new members of her court, but nodded her head.

Haze Gray

Barack looked at the cabinet secretaries "So, someone made a mistake. All of you people need to spin up your reserves, it looks like we are going to get some work. Holder, the First Lady will be working with you. Everyone coordinate your investigative assets with the FLOTUSs office please.

"Janet, let's get another USCIS section spun up on Mare.

"Mr. President, the republicans will lose their minds!"

Barack grinned at Hilary "Funny thing about that status those people get. They are non-resident aliens and can legally work and are taxed but they don't get any concessions on citizenship, they still have to get in the que and wait for a slot.

"Brockton Bay's LLC has to do the withholding for them and all the bookkeeping.

"So far they aren't seeking citizenship, they are just paying taxes on income earned here. Pretty nifty."

Hilary sighed "How do you do this shit?" The other secretaries chuckled.

Barack looked at Leon "So Leon, what is DoDs estimate of the situation?"

Leon Panetta smiled "Admiral Painter says," He paused for the chuckling "You laugh, those folks are the most on top of the Kanmusu. Good thing it's a joint office. Anyway, the estimates are that the Kanmusu are going to have words with the Russian Mob and any people and or groups connected to them. Probably non hostile, a cyber war, at first then shortly asset seizure.

"The timeline depends a bit on Hilary's boogie men getting on board. As the leader of the party you should probably let our people know to get on board. It's a pure law and order play and the republicans will kill us with it if they don't.

"If they get enough politicians on board, and her people are already scheduling phone calls and visits, then the asset seizures will go quick. Like now." Everyone shifted in their seats.

"Admiral Painter thinks she is intentionally going to destabilize Russia and China. Between the Kanmusu and our forces we can keep the Russians out of the US and Canada.

"The Simurgh already turned China into a continental power and the assumption is she won't hesitate to do the same thing to the Russians.

"We should probably start reinforcing NATO and our allies in the Gulf to keep the Russians focus closer to home.

"After that I think we have to wait and provide what humanitarian aid we can.

"Certainly, by Labor Day this will go one way or the other. No body sane wants to get involved in a winter war in Russia, including the Russians."

Barack nodded "And if the socialist brothers can avoid a hot war?"

Leon shrugged and waved at James and Dave "Other people get to be in the hot seat?" The cabinet chuckled, James and Dave ruefully.

The meeting went on.

Haze Gray

Taylor looked at her frazzled yeoman "You alright?"

'Hey' the chief yeoman plopped down on her shoulder.

Taylor reached up and brought her around to a position where she could talk without having to have her head cranked all the way over "Every politician and movie star?"

'Hey'

"Recording artist too."

'Hey, hey, hey'

"Anyone who ever had their picture in the paper or appeared on video." Taylor snorted. "Well, the dock is free? Suggested donation is still what, a buck? I notice we got about a million retired folks working suddenly. If they want to get a checkup in the clinic Calcare, or whatever, gets charged?"

'Hey'

"They all want to talk to me? Why?" The Yeoman just arched a brow and looked at her askance. Taylor blushed and huffed.

Yarnall, also known as Kun Yang, the Chinese Fletcher who had appointed herself Taylor's escort commander for the day, and who carried an eighteen ninety-two Winchester saddle ring carbine in forty-four forty, that she had put a large loop on, along with a cartridge converted Colt Dragoon, and a belt full of cylinders for it, she loved True Grit, the real movie, the nineteen sixty-nine version, and the book. It was complicated, don't ask, looked at Taylor "Hmm, I wonder why the people who depend on popularity would want to talk to the most popular person on the planet right now, or really, be seen talking to her." Taylor pouted at her viciously. Yarnall, or Kun, rolled her eyes like only a young woman can. Taylor narrowed her eyes. Yarnal was unimpressed. She tilted her head until the flat brim of her open crown hat covered one eye and glared. The Chief yeoman facepalmed.

Taylor nodded "Gunnery practice. Some people have entirely too much energy."

Yarnal jumped up on the water and shook her fantail to 'let the bodies hit the floor!' as she raced to the caisson.

The Chief Yeoman fisted her hips and tapped her foot glaring at Taylor.

Haze Gray

Amy looked at the lines coming into the docks and sighed. Her and the other Havens were obviously not going anywhere. It was taking all of them to keep up with the demand. Between them they were billing about fifteen million dollars an hour though. What the hell was with all the cancer and heart disease? Weren't these people supposed to be health crazy or some crap? "Ever eat a pine tree? Well no, I don't want an aneurism Eull thanks though."

Chang Chang snickered "You're so bad. That guy probably had Marfans. And pine pollen is a superfood."

Amy shuddered "Bleck, if you like turpentine."

Lixue, the other Chinese Haven shook her head "Hey, you know they are running a scheduled Angel flight service to here, Tradewinds from Hispaniola, those are direct. C9s and some 777s the bonepickers got, for apparently scrap cost. Those 777s carry nearly as many liters as the Tradewinds. They land at San Francisco International and LCACs pick up the passengers.

"There's a seaplane harbor at San Francisco International. They load there and then drive up on the foreshore over by the entrance to Underhill past the slips. Busses and ambulances meet them there.

"El Cheapo the third took some LCAC 100's, like the ones from our LHDs, and enclosed the cargo deck making them ferries. Those things can handle a full load of wounded off a 777 if you stack them four high. The Tradewinds just drive up to the pier, offload, then go Underhill for service." She rattled off what she was treating her latest patient for and then changed to the next one.

"Tess put in a set of offices over behind the old hospital. Sort of a consulate row. Maria is getting that taken care of.

"The old hospital got run through and is the triage center and waiting place? At least the ground floor for now. Apparently, we are going to take casualties from all over the world."

Amy blinked and changed patients "Did you even sleep?"

Chang Chang laughed "We caught the early risers while you were 'sleeping'." She grinned. Amy lifted her nose. Chang Chang smiled "The older folks love to talk and hear everything."

Amy looked around at the shops on the first level, then up and into the shops she could see on the higher levels in the catwalk "The older people who are now running the place? What, did you two do a speed run?"

Lixue laughed "The dock did most of the work. Which is a bit odd, as you and Taylor were only in it together for a couple of hours yesterday?"

Amy nodded "Another strange thing is how much oil I'm burning. Taylor too, we talked about it a little. She has to keep one turbine firewalled and clutched off the shaft just to keep up with electrical demand. All of her turbo generators are running off the steam. I thought it was her flag being occupied but I'm running one just like that now."

Lixue nodded "We are too. Something odd is going on."

Haze Gray

Lisa rubbed her hands together and cackled. She fixed the taps on the cable and fiber optic lines and started her programs running. She watched as the blinking indicators picked up speed then went solid. "Well, that's a little more throughput than I expected. Nice." She turned and cruised back up the bay.

Haze Gray

One of Putin's personal analyst noticed a discrepancy and did some checking. She then got up, caught a bus to her apartment, picked up her go bag and packed her things while calling DHL. Once the men arrived and the shipment was on its way, she left her fashionable apartment overlooking the Nevsky Prospekt metro station and headed to the metro with her carry on.

Sure, the apartment was way out of her price range, at least of her salary, and she should never have been in line for it either, but a girl does what a girl needs to do, and she was twenty-four, brilliant, blond haired and blue eyed, built like a brick shithouse, with a face like an angel. She sighed. She would have to dye her hair like Nikki Parsons. She wasn't cutting it off though. Red maybe, she looked good as a redhead. At least her man had not lost his memory and forgotten her. She had never had a man, only tools.

She4 smiled to herself Her mother had taught her English reading The Bourne Identity to her. Back in the nineties. When everyone thought there was hope.

By four she was on the Air France direct flight to Charles De Galle. Her overnight was booked, she would dye her hair there, where she could by a reasonable dye for a reasonable price, then she would be on the morning Delta flight to New York. Then Katia Elizarova would never be heard from again. She hit return on the laptop starting the process of transferring all of her funds and most of her supervisors and their supervisor's money through hundreds of accounts to one in the name of Lucy Johns. She had paid for the WIFI after all, well, the idiot had. And this laptop would get overwritten with the Russian law library a thousand and eight times then dropped in the trash while she was out buying her dye, a new laptop and perhaps looking at Paris, possible for the last time. Then that credit card would get shredded. A top of the line laptop plus the cash withdrawals would max it out anyway.

She relaxed. She had told them, as soon as the Dominican banks fell, she had warned them this would happen. She was a bit surprised it had taken this long. Her plan had been in place in days and then had only gotten better over the weeks since.

She opened another account and sent her application for employment to the DWU in Brocton Bay. The reason she might not see Paris again. After all, how much would they pay an accountant?

She poked around electronic newspapers attempting to figure out what had set Seawolf off. Oh yes it had to be her, only an idiot couldn't see her infiltrating every market. And only someone who had infiltrated every market could cause the losses of trillions of dollars in days.

The Idiots would never know because Seawolf wouldn't end up with trillions of dollars suddenly, only billions. They wouldn't be able to imagine someone not keeping it all and flaunting it somehow after they stole it. While other people got vast donations and staggering no interest loans on terms that essentially made them donations. That donation to the American Republican Party was hysterical. And certain to launch years of investigations. Seawolf had a nearly Russian sense of humor.

She sent a last official email. Her supervisor was an idiot though and wouldn't even realize she was missing until he decided he needed an escort to go to the club, or dinner, or something. She shuddered, she would not have to be that something ever again. Putin would have him killed in the first stage of the purge that was about to occur.

Maybe she should stay in New York and see about acting? No, she wasn't about to get plastic surgery, and some of those idiots might survive the purge, better to stick with the plan. Young fresh faced Lucy, working her way up the ranks of the accounting department. Her English was perfect after all. A slight north east, well New Jersey but still, accent. Mother did have eclectic taste. Dominic had been her fondest memory too. A chemist working for Pfizer over here, or there rather, doing testing they just couldn't do in America. How a blond haired, blue eyed, over two meter tall, Viking like him had been named Dominic was the question. Who could blame mother really? Her father was beautiful. A perfect counterpoint to her stunning mother. Who was doing what she had to to survive in Russia.

Haze Gray

"Yes Lung." Johnny got on the phone and got the computer geeks spun up, well, more spun up. Lola had called him about it after all. A lot of reservations were having to be canceled as a bunch of credit ratings collapsed. That was cool though, there was a waiting list for a reason.

The boss not taking off to have some chicken Kiev was good. Keep things professional. Speaking of which, he needed to find a girl to translate this letter to Russian. Bound to be one, right? A lot of companies in the old country were doing business in Russia.

Haze Gray

Taylor came in the dock at lunch and lay face down on it. Amy grinned "Normal service restored then?"

Taylor rolled to her side as the others came in and stretched out "In a big way. Oh! You caught up? You have to see the store here. Its enormous, four floors. You just don't get the impression we are making that many separate items until you see them all together. Not in the catalog, the real items. Its like a department store, but with every possible department. And a huge dock. Vicky did a hell of a job on all that stuff."

"All that time shopping wasn't wasted then." Amy grinned.

"Hey! No, it wasn't though. It wasn't just me. Everybody helped. The only difference between here and Brockton though is this one is all in one separate building, Rather than three. The place has its own rail system, which is a good thing. Full trains coming out of the portal all the time. Two portals really, one arriving and one departing.

"Pretty much just in time supply right now because of the new stores. They haven't gotten their production fully ramped up yet so everywhere that can is running three full shifts on every line that is up. The new places are only running a few lines, we are a bit short of people. These folks will help that I hope." Vicky waved at the still full dock.

Taylor looked at Kathy who shrugged "Illegals, through the baths and off to Brockton Bay to get nonresident green cards. Then off to a store. They get a sponsor from Hispaniola, the whole family. Although ICE has asked for a location here. We can find them a building. The Immigration guys anyway. Customs is already over at the portals; we got a scanner running. Can't put living things through it anyway." Taylor nodded

She turned to Ginny who shrugged "Not citizens but pay taxes. Path to citizenship so the democrats are happy, revenue so the republicans are happy. They don't care about the illegals being here because this is USH sovereign territory. The stores as well. Consulates they decided. Sort of odd that. Helps on the taxes and things though.

"General Dynamics will raise a stink about that as we are seriously underbidding them, but really, we don't have the space to do all the repair and construction work all the services want so it should be fine. Made them sharpen their pencils though. We get Hunters Point and Alameda up and the yelling will get worse. There is enough work to go around though. Especially when all our docks and slips are booked.

"Same deal, not really the slips, dont have the workers to run them all at capacity twenty four seven. Give us a year to train some up."

Lisa surfaced "Got about three hundred dumps and junkyards to mine too. Then brown scape and former oil, coal, and gas production to clean up. That all gets put back in agricultural production. Plus, the state agriculture agencies are steering us to what they call 'marginal production' farmland. When Connie gets done with it it isn't so marginal, or won't be. We are going to need the ten million estimated illegals here, the Cubans, and all of our people. The Illegals and all the unemployed around the stores too.

"We need to do some work though or the workers will take our training and run off. Hard to keep em down on the farm when they are trained and legal to work elsewhere."

Danny swam up "Pay slightly higher than the local average for training and experience. Twenty-five cents an hour would do it. That would be five hundred and twenty bucks a year extra and really wouldn't hurt you. Give paid regular and sick leave. Doesn't cost you much but small businesses can't really do it. Even if they aren't marginal. You need one and a half employees for every job to be able to do it. You can because of your folks in training.

"Plus, you don't shut down to retool, or do maintenance, you do it as needed. So, your managers can stagger the leaves.

"Your employees might not get rich, but it won't be feast or famine either.

"Land on improper behavior from managers publicly as possible and like a ton of bricks. Sucks to be in management should be the general consensus. That's why managers get the big bucks though. "

Taylor nodded "That's why you didn't add guys until you had long term work."

Danny nodded "Those new guys will be training up as they work down the orders and contracts, then the older folks will retire. If the orders and contracts keep rolling in, we can hire a new person for every one that retires. If they dry up, well, we just don't hire more and try to keep our best performers."

Danny got on the floating drydock and pulled over a burger and onion ring barge. A condiment barge was lashed to the burger and onion ring barge. The crane on the port side of the drydock hoisted a Coke into a ring at the edge of it "Cup holders, huh." The girls all looked at him.