Negotiations » Dr. A

“Yes. We may always keep the ‘cave dialysis’ running, but we will make sure to do enough hours with the clinics to support the current dialysis-patient-per-vampire load”

“What do you think the cost of this 350 acres is?”

“About $10B. Maybe double that including the development and depending on the location. ”

“You are asking for a $10B hiring bonus to go back to work? I believe people will consider that a bit too generous, even in Silicon Valley.”

“It depends on how many vampires that bonus is divided among, and how much each of us is worth.”

“Even if you are each worth $1M, that requires ten thousand vampires to be worth $10B. “

“Yes, or about hundred thousand patients. How many dialysis patients are there in California?”

“You are kidding right?”

“You know me pretty well, I think you know the answer to that. Talk to the pay grades above us, and let me know. I believe you have seven days, although it may be a bit less than that. The wheels of the bus go round-and-round.

It was great seeing you, as always doctor. Take care.”

I turn and the Freightliners start shuffling again. Dr. A is still standing there when the inner doors close.

NEGOTIATIONS » DR. A.

“We could wipe them off the map… — no more containers… no more tents… no more problem. ”

Commander Davis is a bit enthusiastic in the use of force.

“Yes, you could do that. While all the traffic on the 101 watched in horror. And all the videos of the assault streamed live on the internet.”

“We can shut down the 101 and the internet. ”

“Like Russia? I think you have seen how well that works. And this is against Boardwalk that has been on the internet — both visible internet and the dark web — for months now… in spite of our efforts to stop them. We believe they are even using our cell towers to gain access, but we can’t figure out how.”

“We can shut down the cell towers then.”

“Assuming that is the only way they are on the internet, please talk with Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Page, Sergei Brin, Tim Cook, and others before taking down their employees’ cell towers. That might be a problem when the Google busses — for example — have no internet access on their trip down from San Francisco”

“It will just be a short time. It shouldn’t be a problem to employees in the area.”

“Again, commander, like Russia? Boardwalk completely repelled the first assault within minutes without using any lethal force. Do you think a more forceful operation will be quick?”

“Yes. They are non-violent. If we start shooting, they will submit.”

“No. That is not how Mark thinks. You shoot his team, he will nuke the Pentagon — if he can. He is only nonviolent because nonviolence will keep people alive and uninjured. You change that equation and the contract changes.”

“So he shoots back. We are armored and will not sustain significant losses. ”

“Maybe you think that way. Mark thinks «They just hurt my team… I will hurt them, their boss, their boss’s boss, their boss’s boss’s boss.» Hence the nuke the Pentagon. Oh, and give the Joint Chiefs of Staff a heads up also, they might want to bunker-up during this operation.”

“He can’t hurt those people… that would be attacking innocents. ”

“Really? Your boss that allowed you to hurt his team is an innocent? Do you believe that? Will Mark believe that?”

“Fine. He can’t hurt those people… he has no access to them.”