Prehistory 101 [TWS]

push... bye bye oil

You consider MURDER for a moment, but decide that it's against your nature. Instead you opt for...

SUPER-FRACKING
Let's get some seismic activity into motion B]

"Have you heard of the recent developments in superfracking, Kharizard - may I call you Kharizard?"

The Sheik looks up at you with puzzled eyes. "Superfracking? Read an article about it a few months ago..."

"The Russians have taken their own spin on it, as usual. They've reopened Kola - where they got the funding we'll never know - and they're using the borehole to test... well." Your mind suddenly goes blank, and you realize you don't even know how you knew that to begin with. This is just like that bit when you got introspective.

"Well?" The Lady Ardefine is leaning into the conversation, too, you realize. You'd better choose your words carefully.

Your voice grows conspiratorial. "Have you heard of the IMPUlSe project - short for Inter-Mantle Perturbation Ultrasensitive Sensor?"

"Oh my! Not at all, Sammy!" Her voice is beginning to grate, but you're determined not to show it. She's already been dead for hundreds of years, after all.

"The only reason I got wind of this was because of the massive order of heat alloys Blackburn Steel got last year."

"Get to the fuck-ing point, Sam." The Sheik pulls another flute of champagne from a waiterbot, and downs it in one go. Some comes out of his nose.

"My people," yes, everyone talked like this then, in a time where corporate espionage was basically normal, "my people with the Russians have told me that the Kola team are using nuclear charges to vitrify their borehole walls, then pushing a supercritical water/acid solution from the top instead of at the drill head. The development in techniques alone could recoup your oil losses and allow you to buy up the free uranium on the market..." You drone on about cost-benefits of early adoption and how Blackburn Steel would be glad to supply any new demand, but you see the Sheik has already made his decision; as he saunters unsteadily away, he pulls out his phone and begins slurring into it.

"That was very kind of you, Sammy, to give him that help when he needed it." Kind. You have no doubt that the word 'kind' has multiple, contradictory meanings when it comes to Lady Ardefine, but she seems, at least, to be genuinely complimenting you this time. "That we were all so lucky."

"Ah, it served my bottom line as well as his. What's not to love?"

"Well said, Sammy! I think I should introduce you to some friends of mine who have something of the same philosophy!" Her carmine-swathed bulk takes your arm and begins to steer you towards another clot of murmurers on the mezzanine balcony - one of which, you note, is SENATOR KILROY. He doesn't look comfortable at all.

>_