[Author's Note: I'm taking a break from /r/WritingPrompts. Instead, I want to expand/combine a couple of the existing posts. This will continue from from where yesterday (Mo Gets Her Bars Back) left off.]
Arthur spoke up, "Planning is my thing. Even got a degree in project management." Mo motioned for him to keep going. "Well, the first thing is to do a situational assessment. Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats, assets and liabilities. That kind of thing. Let's start with those last two. What are our assets?"
"The clothes on our back," said Mo.
"Yeah," Arthur said. "We have those. Anything else?"
"My car, if we can get to it," said Melissa.
"Right," Arthur nodded. "That's a potential asset. One we may be able to acquire quickly. Anything else?"
"Um," Darren said. "What about our collective connectivity? Is it an asset or a liability? It will let us do all the things we're used to doing and let us get on with our lives, but only at the risk of getting re-apprehended."
"It goes in both categories," said Arthur. "Any other assets?"
Mo raised her hand, looked at it, scowled and lowered it before speaking. "I have a variety of semi-legal software tools that may be able to limit our detect-ability. I'll have to share them to each of you and give you some instructions on using them, but they can probably help."
"Great," said Arthur. "I messed around with some of that stuff in college, but not since. Even if it only lets you on, that can probably really help. What else?"
"What about the virus," said Mo. "The Whole. Is that an asset or a liability?"
Arthur raised an eyebrow. "I think a bit of both," he said. "It is a distributed intelligence which allows it to think very differently from use one-off humans. On the other hand, it's only an asset if we let it connect which may draw others to us."
"I was thinking of it in terms of a tool of distraction," said Mo. "Its bacterial parent can be spread, right? We could infect all of the inhabitants of this park before we leave. In a few hours, the place ought to be a raging Whole-fest. That should really muck with 'their' plans."
"That's not bad," said Arthur. "We need to get a better idea of the infection rate of the bacteria, but it has real potential."
"Isn't that a bit harsh on all of these people?" asked Darren.
"I don't think so," said Mo. "All of these nice folk will get to spend some time indoors with better sanitation and free food. Everybody wins, right?"
"I guess," said Darren.
"In that case, I'll see what the virus has to say about its infectability." said Mo.
"Hold off a second," said Arthur. "We need more of a plan then just a distraction. I think we're through with the assets. Are we missing any liabilities? So far, I've got traceable connectivity and infected with both a virus and a bacterium. What else?"
"Homeless," said Melissa. "Dirty, smelly, no money, no food, nothing to drink. We have none of the basic needs for human survival."
"That's a pretty comprehensive run-down, Melissa," said Arthur. "The only thing I can think to add is that we're being chased by some shadowy, semi-governmental agency." Everyone else nodded, shoulders slumped. "So, we need to tackle some of those basics that Melissa mentioned first: food, water, shelter. Any ideas?"
Mo half raised her hand again before speaking. "I'm pretty sure that I can get access to my accounts without being traced. I don't have much, but it should be enough to get us all a meal or two. Probably not more than that. Maybe bus tickets so that we're not so close to the convention center. That's if we can't get to Melissa's car."
"Good," Arthur nodded. "Getting out of downtown is pretty high on the priorities. But where will we go? As you pointed out to me, correctly I might add, we can't go to any of the places we're all used to going. It has to be someplace were they won't know to look for us. Any ideas?"
Darren spoke up. "If north and downtown is out, and I think it is, then west is probably out too. Which is too bad as the old Elitch Gardens amusement park might fit what we're looking for. South is Cherry Creek. There's an abandoned mall[1] down there. East is the zoo and botanical gardens which might also work[2]. If we can get around downtown, maybe we can find something up at the old Rocky Mountain Arsenal or Stapleton."
"Of those, I vote for the mall," said Mo. She was thinking about the bus routes. All of the ones that went to the arsenal refuge or passed the gardens and zoo were also the ones that led to her apartment. She was sure that they would be watched. "I think you're right about Elitch and the others are much farther." Mentioning the bus issue to these people might lead to telling them where she lived. She trusted them to help with the current situation, but she was not sure how much she was willing to go beyond that.
"That works for me," said Melissa. "But I'd really like to make a try for my car before we do that. I'd feel much better if we had it."
Arthur agreed. "It would be a big asset if we could get our hands on it, freeing us up from the buses and our feet. As for where we head, the mall is as good as anything else we've come up with."
"The mall it is," said Darren. "I also think the car is a good idea. Maybe we should split into teams? Two of us stay here and work on the distraction and the other two go for the car? Then come and get whomever stays and we all go to the mall."
"Good," said Arthur. "Mo, why don't you stay here and work with your software and the virus to see what you can do. Darren, will you stay with her while Melissa and I try for the car?"
Darren shrugged. "Sure," he said. Mo gave him a minor scowl which he either did not see or ignored. She thought that he could have been a bit less unenthusiastic about staying with her.
"Perfect," Arthur said. "Melissa and I will leave now. It shouldn't take us more than..." he looked at Melissa. "Half-an-hour?" She nodded. "So, if you don't hear from us in two hours, it's probably best that you go on without us. Agreed?"
Everyone nodded. Arthur held out his hand to help Melissa to her feet and the two of them worked their way through the crowd to the edge of the park. Darren and Mo watched them go for a second, then he turned to her. "What do you need me to do?" he asked.
"I don't know," Mo said. "I've got to sit here and sort though a bunch of stuff, get some things running and ask our viral passenger a few questions. Maybe see what you can find out from our neighbors? I have no idea what they can offer, but it can't hurt to ask, right?"
"On it," he said. Darren did a slow turn, surveying the area. "I think I'll try over there," he said, pointing to a group standing with their shopping carts pointed at each other. "I'll check back in about ten minutes, all right?"
"Works for me," Mo said. Darren wandered off and Mo turned her attention inward.
[1] Malls, the signature architecture of the 1980s and 90s, had faded from the landscape, the bison of their time. Instead of shooting at them from trains, people had clicked them to death from their computers, smartphones and PTNs, starving them and leaving their exoskeletons littering the landscape.
[2] Zoos and other similar "live action" attractions continued to gather in crowds. Despite the ubiquity of on-line videos and streaming cameras, certain things still needed to be experienced IRL.
