Chapter Fifty - Sans But Lucratif

Chapter Fifty - Sans But Lucratif

Chapter Fifty - Sans But Lucratif

Non-profits can be easily split into two broad categories:

Corporate non-profits, which are usually run by the PR, propaganda, or public image department of a company, though the non-profit itself will be its own entity on paper. These exist to make the main company appear more family friendly or somewhat concerned with the communitys welfare.

Community non-profits, which are usually run by members of the local community, and who exist solely to take care of an issue that a few members of the region have decided to champion in their own time and with their own funds.

More often than not, the community based non-profits will fold once they begin to encroach on a corporate non-profit. They cannot be allowed to steal the good image that a corporation is paying large sums to maintain.

--Quote from a Discourse on Challenges of the Modern Community, 2039

***

It took a minute to convince the secretary that yes, I was a samurai, and no, I wasnt at their little non-profit to murder or ortherwise harm Peter. I was beginning to suspect that she had something of a crush on the man we were looking for.

Peters office is back here, she said as she gestured to the back, the bangles on her wrists jingling with the motion.

Lead on, I said.

So, you two both samurai? Like, for real-real?

I shook my head. Just me. Lucy heres my friend.

Yes, Im Cats friend, Lucy said.

I shot her a look, but she was wearing a shit-eating grin that promised future teasing, so I decided that Id wait a while before explaining myself.Fôllôw new stories at novelhall.com

Peters office at the back wasnt anything special. This wasnt someone that had a fancy set up, either because he didnt have the budget for it, or because he didnt want to look like he had the budget. Then again, if Myalis suggested that he was working off of a shoestring budget, then I trusted her.

The girl knocked on the offices glass door. Peter, you have some highbrow guests here.

Oh, Im highbrow now, Lucy said.

Thats good? Peter asked. He was obviously looking for the problem.

Its alright, I said. The problem is the people we saved. We have something like two hundred people that were chopped up and given prosthetics against their will. Were talking two hundred pairs of legs, a load of internals, probably a heap of other medical issues, and a whole lot of trauma, I imagine.

Thats more serious than I expected, Peter said. What do you plan to do with all of them? Are you helping them?

Were doing what we can, but right now were kind of torn. We either try to save these two hundred or so people, and dont get me wrong, we totally can save them. Or we focus on fixing the sewer system before everyone in the entire city has to live without any water and no flushing toilets.

Peter leaned forwards, elbows on the table. Thats going to hit the poor hardest, he said. Everyone in the lower-middle brackets wont be able to afford bottled water if the prices jump, and theyre the ones more likely to rely on public utilities for their water.

Its a pretty big mess, I said. Were trying to get things fixed before it really goes to shit, but it might be a close call. And no, before you ask, we cant really just... samurai the problem away. Or we could, but not well. We just dont have the resources to patch everything.

It was a bit of a sour point, but Id gone over it with Myalis. Even with drones and automatic systems in place, I wouldnt have the points needed to fix the entire sewer system. Maybe if it was just one issue. Some problem with acidic water, or if we needed new filters. There were plenty of smaller issues I could take care of. The machine back home could make the materials to fix some parts of the system, but not at the speed and not at the quantity needed to fix everything.

Maybe Deus Ex could do it, drop a hundred thousand points into something huge to fix everything, but I wasnt there yet, and the more points I spent on this problem, the fewer I had to use in the next incursion.

Ive basically thrown the issue on some up-and-coming political sort. And if he doesnt fix things... I dont know, I guess Ill make him drink sewer water until he changes his mind about fucking with the lives of everyone in the city. We dont need a riot because the waters gone bad.

Peter pursed his lips, then shook his head. Youre overestimating peoples ability to be violent.

Huh? Lucy asked.

People that will be violent will be violent in response to something immediate, something happening in front of them or thats making them angry then and there. But for bigger picture things... Do you know how many dirty politicians were killed in their homes by normal people? Corrupt cops? Theres a cop thats currently on paid leave living two floors up. Hes literally home right now.

Whys he off? Lucy asked.

Got caught touching a suspect inappropriately, after about thirty complaints like that. He also shot and killed some kid a few months back. He was told to do a search of some apartment and he broke into the wrong place.

And no ones done anything? I asked.

People arent inherently violent, Peter said. Samurai are the exception. And... and Im going on a tangent, Im sorry. What did you need help with? This water things going to get a lot of good people killed, Ill do whatever you need me to.

***