“In forty-five minutes,” continued C:\, “a group of us is going to gather up everything that they need and is going to break into MegaCorp Headquarters. They are going to hack and slag MEPHISTO.”

As he said this, the gathered Scavs broke out in a frenzy of anticipatory walla walla. The rest of our meal was rather pleasant, our plans having given a drop of hope to everyone, and eventually we finished. The team—the Councilors, Hard Drive and his lackeys, Fetus, Acrylic, and I—made to leave, as did C:\. We received a number of handshakes and shoulder-pats.

“Oh man,” Virus suddenly remarked, “we got to let everybody know what’s going down.”

“We should,” C:\ agreed. “Get the word out.”

“You mean…?” Acrylic asked, hopeful.

“Yes,” Virus answered. “He means.”