Cody was feeling good, he had a decent plan that relied on the orb's ability to negotiate. Plus, the idea that a contract could be created to maintain BOTH sides was amazing to him.
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Cody gestured, "As you can see here, the machine resembles a basic meat extruder. The kind one might use to make homemade sausage links with, or maybe a meat filling...." his face became slightly disgusted when he thought about the 'meat pies' that his Grandma had made.
The taste was never bad, it's just that someone shouldn't do that to the poor meat.
Cody shuttered as the Mayor watched his little presentation.
She thought, 'He is stalling, he doesn't want to help these people.' and she gave the signal for the others to be ready to move.
"So, basically, you just inject the mana here and it seems to last for 2-3 corpses." Cody was placing his hand on a small indented circle.
She cut him off, "Mr. Colt-" she was cut off, "Ah, it is Mr. Yang, actually."
She closed her eyes and regained her center, "Mr. Yang, please, let this end." she was truly pleading with the young man in front of her.
Cody got the 'ready to go' feeling from the orb.
He responded, "Certainly, let us go over the contract."
Cody brought her over to their small living area and sat down at a bowling alley table, the chairs were murder on the back.
She pulled a chair and sat while the people around just watched in silence.
Cody reached his hand and placed it on the table with the palm facing the ceiling, "Please, place your hand."
She appeared annoyed and looked to her head of security.
They exchanged no words, but he readied his stance ever so slightly for combat.
Cody was oblivious to the actual danger he would be in if this was a trap.
She placed her hand on his and he closed his eyes.
....
…
…
'Come on. I wish to form a contract with this person.' he tried and tried to force his mana into the woman's hand.
As the onlookers watched, they could see the leader holding hands with the fighter from a couple days ago, then light burst from between their hands and her head slumped forwards.
The Mayor's head of security moved to attack Cody and was immediately stopped by Ira who planted the man's ass firmly on the ground.
After a few moments that seemed to stretch on for minutes, their eyes opened and shone golden light, then they both spoke, "We have come to an agreement. This contract will take place for ever more. We shall be presided over by The Consciousness. To all witnesses, we enter this contract willingly and all parties deem it to be fair."
The shining light was clearly enveloping Cody much more, then a golden sheet appeared before their eyes. The content of the contract was written in a flowing text that conveyed all of the information with a single glance. People 50 feet away could immediately grasp the deal reached and sighs of relief could be heard sounding out.
It lightly sank and placed itself on the sticky bowling alley table, getting dried soda on the piece of divine parchment.
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Cody opened his eyes and couldn't remember anything, he could feel the outcome and the parameter agreed upon, but it felt so vague.
Cody slightly remembered the orb taking control of his body within the realm/void/wherever that was.
The woman across from him appeared...concerned with what just happened.
She nodded and left with a frown on her face, he thought about stopping her but noticed something else...
Cody looked at his Papaw who was holding a grown man in a guillotine choke and wearing a smile.
He placed his hand on his head, "Papaw, what are you doing?"
Ira looked like a kid with his hand in the cookie jar, "Just training the younger generation, don't worry about us!"
Cody heard Ira mubble and then Ira let the man go, the guy was pissed, but he knew better.
He stormed off.
Ira stood next to Cody, "Nice deal you made, I just hope you can get them to honor it."
Cody looked down at the golden paper, "Don't worry. If they honor it, we get what we want, if they break it, then we gain a claim against the United States."
Cody smiled, it was genius and completely unfair in normal circumstances.
Ira looked confused but Cody explained, "She is a government official, and this is the FIRST contract made on Earth and inside the USA. It is like a private just negotiated for the whole of the Marine Corps."
Ira's face lit up and he asked, "How...what made you?" then his face was filled with realization, "didn't you say that it can't interfere that much?"
Cody smiled, "Well, it was my plan anyway. The orb just...helped out a little. The food source alone is worth the risk, all they have to do is just NOT betray me, simple." his smile got even bigger, "Wouldn't want a King Cody now, would you?"
Ira was stumped, "I thought it was supposed to be a fair contract? How?"
Cody waved him off, "It is a method of unlimited food supply, in my private ownership, plus, we are in an apocalypse. The value was IMMENSE." Cody laughed, "Don't worry, it should be fine, I don't want to be a King or anything like that. It is just an excellent way to make sure that the government doesn't abuse us."
He smacked his Grandpa on the back and walked off with a goofy gait.
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The Mayor sat with her assistants, "We need to spread the word that we have food. We might be able to set up an interstate supply train so they can send bodies to us." She pinched her forehead and closed her eyes.
Amy Baldwin was exhausted.
A long 13 hour negotiation, with strange rules and incomprehensible value systems.
The assistants were about to carry out the orders when they were stopped, "And one more thing. Nobody. AT. ALL. Will harm, threaten, or even inconvenience Cody Yang. This is something that is unacceptable." The people around her nodded meekly.
She shook her head, "You do not understand. Spread the word. If ANY government employee of standing acts against them, they are committing treason to the United States and will be immediately executed."
She looked at them and slammed her hand, spreading ice over the table, "GO!"
They quickly ran out.
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Cody sat down and was pleased with himself and with the orb.
His master plan of world domination was swiftly being enacted. He giggled and ate some Jelly Beans as a reward.
"So, food, shelter, what about water?" He mumbled with his mouth full.
He got the feeling that water was an easy fix, water mages could easily purify enough plus natural sources of water were likely intact.
This was a lovely apocalypse, but getting food to the other places was going to take a lot of effort.
'How would they survive until they could have some good stuff?'
The orb responded that monsters are edible...but not..very safe as a nutritional source.
Cody felt the restriction on the Orb pushing it back.
They would be okay, they had to be okay. Mom had to be.
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A few people were wandering around and just watched the dog sniff folks.
It was clearly looking for someone after being woken up by the giant gathering.
It went up to different feet and smelled them before immediately dismissing them.
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Cody was just resting and about to fall asleep when his foot got flung. Then his leg was being eaten-no wait.
"OH MY GOODNESS, YOU ARE ALIVE!!!" He was ecstatic.
The giant dog was half on Cody's lap and half on the ground, its tail was a natural disaster with how fast it was swinging.
Cody grabbed the collar from his pocket and tried to place it on the dog.
It magically fit perfectly, and it had a blank nameplate.
Cody fluffed its fur, "We'll decide on a name for you in a bit, okay?" The dog jumped up on Cody and went to sleep.