As if we’d summoned him, Deux knocked on the door moments later. He was wearing a white shirt across which he’d crudely painted, ‘Radiation Revolution Radio’, in bold black letters. Over that was a torn up leather jacket and some boots that gave him almost enough added height to look Nico in the eyes.

“Donovan! It’s good to see you still alive. Or at least, as alive as we can be.” He chuckled at his own joke and gave me a firm clasp on the shoulder. Even in my limited interaction with other deadmen, that particular joke was still well tread, and elicited a slight groan from Nico. He took a deep breath through his nose. “Do I smell coffee?” he asked.

Nico nodded, “There’s about a cup left. Help yourself, you’re the one who gave it to me anyway.”

He smiled and made his way to the kitchen, pouring himself a mug before he came back to sit with us. He balanced the mug on his chest and slung a leg over the back of the couch, resting his head on the arm of it. “Played a great set today, really touched on all the greats while managing a song or two from the lesser known ones to bridge the gap. Either of you listen?”

“I don’t like your music, so no,” said Nico.

“I heard the start of it before I got closer to Pott’s. Liked it well enough.” I noticed he hadn’t asked if I was aware of the station, just assumed I would be. He wasn’t wrong, but still.

“So, how was it? What was there? Did you meet any other deadmen?” asked Deux.

“I’ll tell you both what I told the Honored Dead…then I’ll tell you what I didn’t tell them.”

Deux sat up, his smile fading slightly. “What did you keep from them?”

“I’ll get to it. I think it was the right move, but I want both of your advice. I’m not exactly the best at reading people sometimes, and this is one of those areas where I may have misplayed things.”

“Go ahead then,” said Nico, gesturing at me with her mug.

I opened my mouth to start when a notification went took up my screen

Advanced R.A.S.patching in progress [100/100]

Congratulations! You are now registered to vote! You can now participate in the most foundational part of our great democracy! Since the thirteen original colonies threw off the yoke of English oppression for the right to be represented, we have always led the way in Democracy and Freedom!

Voting for the next president will begin once 100,000 Americans are registered.

As I finished reading, I heard a scream from Deux and Nico. They spilled their coffees as they raised their hands to their heads. I stood, watching them with concern, but noticed they were both breathing, and seemed to be looking at a notification. The effect on them seemed to be severely reduced from what the update had done to me.

“I’m guessing this has something to do with your trip?” asked Nico.

“Good guess,” I responded. From there I went through the same description I had just given the Honored Dead, up until I’d encountered Eden, then I deviated, telling them everything I’d experienced with them, including my destruction of their gate, my freeing of their slaves, and my killing of the First.

“Jesus Christ,” said Deux.

“It sounds like you killed a monster, but are you sure that was the right move? People can get dangerous when you remove their stability like that,” said Nico.

“I know, but I couldn’t let things there continue the way they were. It was like a city built to be against Pott’s in every way. Besides, the First said in the end that he was planning on coming here eventually no matter what. It was too dangerous for me to leave him alive.”

“Are you sure you’re the one that gets to make that decision?” asked Nico. “You were representing Pott’s, do you think that’s what we all need? For you to enmesh yourself in their problems?”

“The decision is made. One way or another, Eden couldn’t be left the way it was.”

“Are you sure that it isn’t just that you couldn’t leave it the way it was?”

“Jesus Christ,” said Deux again. “I mean, you two? Brother and sister? That’s crazy!”

“That’s what you’re fixated on?” I asked.

“Yeah. I mean, fuck that guy, he sounds like he needed a bullet in the head. And fuck Eden, sounds like a bunch of fascists. I’ve made compromises before I stopped being an undertaker, bit my tongue, went with the flow to try and bring as many newly dead home as I could, but what they’re doing over there…Fuck ‘em.”

Nico shook her head. “Reckless. Not that that’s new. Based on what you told us about how dangerous the trek is, and the damage you did there… I doubt they’ll be coming this way anyway, even if they do recover and go back to their status quo. I’ll keep quiet about it, I’d say there’s no reason to bring it up right now, especially with how tense things are here.”

I nodded. “I heard the Remnant’s broadcast, and Deux’s, how close to war are we?”

She chuckled without mirth. “The war has already started. The Horde has been raiding edge settlements and testing defenses. The Remnants have been working in the shadows to flip whole settlements to their side within Horde territory. Things only haven’t escalated because they’re still feeling each other out, and seeing what they can get away with.”

“Pott’s hasn’t taken a side?”

She nodded. “No. They’re still focusing on staying neutral, collecting as many newly dead as possible before war breaks out, and trying to get any concessions they can from the Remnants.”

“If it came down to a choice… what do you think they’d do?” I asked.

“Mama would say go with the Horde, Julian would lean toward the Remnants, Solomon and Jim would try and stay neutral and Kit… well the context would affect her choice,” said Deux, before Nico could talk. “The problem is, Nix would want to support the Horde, as would most other Deadmen. They’ve been much better to us recently than the Remnants. Those of us in the rank and file can feel that the Remnant’s don’t want us around. The average Horde goon though? Hell, they’re downright friendly lately. Probably because of you.”

Nico nodded. “It’s true. I was met with respect by the Horde when I told them I’d be acting in your stead. The Remnants… They’ve dealt with me, but I can tell they’re hiding things, keeping things close to the chest. I’ve had to cultivate alternative sources for information from their side.” She took a breath. “That’s actually something I need to talk to you about. My last mission was to visit a contact who was passing me information from a friend of yours in Remnant territory. The last message I received requested a meeting in person for valuable information, but I haven’t been able to meet her. The Remnants haven’t given me a chance, and I haven’t had a reason to go to them myself. If I visited without one, it could burn my source.”

“Who's your source?” I asked. As far as I knew, I had no friends in Remnant territory. Leah, Graves, and the rest of them saw me as a tool, and I saw them as a source of tech and supplies for myself and the other deadmen.

“Mercy, I met her in my initial interactions with the Remnants. She seemed eager to help. I don’t know that she fits in all that well with them.”

I nodded. I suppose I did consider Mercy a friend. Between the siege on the production facility with the rogue marshal, and rescuing her from the Republic, I ‘d certainly prefer that she was alive, which was as close to friendship as I got. “Why would she be a source for us? She seemed fairly content to work with the Remnants up until this point.”

“She didn’t share that with me, but from what I can tell, she’s unhappy with how the Remnants have handled the absorption of the Republic. I tested and verified all her information up until the point. I think we can trust her.”

“Do you think she could be in danger?”

“It’s possible, but as I said I’ve had no reason to enter Remnant territory, it would’ve been very suspicious for me to go and check on her.”

“I do have a reason though. They’re expecting me to deliver them the advanced R.A.S. or at least a summation of the data from the bunker in which it was developed.”

“But if you go there, couldn’t that fuck us in the long run? Giving them what they want like that?”

“Easily, but it seems like the information Mercy has might be valuable, besides which I would be able to collect the payment they owe me… “ I leaned back on the couch and let out a sigh. “Whatever the case, I’m going to wait to see what the Honored Dead say, and what Julian can pull off the data I retrieved. I need to play this carefully.”

Nico took a sip of what remained of her spilled coffee. “That would be a first.”