XPlore Corp Mining Operations Destroyed

It was a late night with an emergency call for XPlore Corp’s Executive Leadership Team to convene in our underground ‘war room’. It was just past 7:03PM when the destruction began in Madison, Indiana. And our meeting began at roughly five minutes after eight o’clock in the evening. XPlore Corp’s operations in the area were entirely devastated.
 
On the drive into headquarters, Jamie’s thoughts wandered…
 
Just a few years ago, we had executed the agreements with city and state leaders to purchase the Magnesite mining operations in Jefferson County. Magnesium alloys are a vital component in our deep space radiation prevention designs. Procurement of this mineral was becoming more costly under Destroyer.
 
And now that operation is gone. The people who lived in the town…gone. And the New Champions were blamed for it. Disgusting.
 
I was in the emergency planning meeting (covering for Aaron) when another distressed plea came over the DarkR web’s open channels…from a resistance cell in Arizona. And then Aaron’s voice was ominous as I closed my eyes and put my head in my hands, hearing both him and our Head of Mining Operations speak about contingency planning. Aaron’s thoughts prevailed for my attention:
 
“Is Sarah with this resistance group?”
 
“I don’t know, Aaron. I haven’t talked with her in a couple of days.”
 
“Did you give her the ring?” He persisted.
 
“Yes, she doesn’t yet understand what it is.”, I thought in response.
 
“I’ll tell her, eventually.” Aaron weakly promised.
 
The strategic planning meeting was wrapping up. XPlore Corp’s Jefferson County mining operations were a total loss. The Public Relations team was planning how to respond via news outlets and other social channels, the Foundation was going to prepare a fund to assist any survivors, and Security Operations would plan to make a covert visit to the site. The Executive Team was of mixed opinions on the reported involvement of the ‘vigilante terrorists’. But everyone agreed that facts were necessary from our team on the ground.
 
And then Aaron’s voice,
 
“We are going to help the resistance fighters in Arizona. Will you join?”
 
“Yes, the ELT just finished meeting. I’ll be in my office.”
 
Runeforce portalled into Jamie’s office and then in moments they were both aboard the invisible XPlore Plane. When the hangar doors opened and the invisible plane departed, it was clear that a NAGA vehicle was parked on the street nearby. Even as the plane departed, an agent could be seen walking toward the empty hangar.
 
“Another warehouse location wasted. We’ll have to find another spot to park.” I spoke half jokingly, but with some seriousness.
 
“Are we OK, Fazer?”
 
“Yes, I’ll just need companies you don’t own to buy a few more warehouses…at this rate, you won’t own more warehouses than actual houses.”
 
Runeforce and Fazer navigate the invisible plane to a site directly above the Homestead base, portalling into the ready-room and then back into the plane once the team was ready to depart. Then, within fifteen seconds, the team was arriving on the scene in Arizona.
 
Runeforce spoke quietly, “Please stay in the plane, Fazer. We’ll be portalling resistance fighters into the cargo bay and they may be in bad shape.”
 
Fazer had grown accustomed to ‘staying behind’. Her unification with the ‘runeforce’ was only partial…whereas Aaron could shift between runes at will, she often experienced tremors and couldn’t stay away from Runeforce or the XPlore Plane for more than a day without exhibiting signs of fatigue and even worse, vomiting and fainting.
 
Remaining in the pilot’s seat, Fazer could still see the battle ensuing below:
 
Lil’Rocket dashed around at breakneck speed, saving the lives of unwitting resistance fighters…Max portalled them into the plane. All the while, Ghost, Sandcrab, and Runeforce went toe-to-toe with countless Black Talons, Destroyer’s hardest-hitting mechs.Even Dragon Lady, a new ally in the fight, was holding her own against them.
 
She thought to herself, “Even though I’m not ‘in the fight’, I still have a part to play. And when the battle ends, we fly away to safety. Just like we always do. Just waiting for another emergency. Another devastation.”
 
On the short trip back to Millennium City, these thoughts turned over and over until the final question came,
 
“But am I doing enough?”