This is a story set in the Quaranteam Universe created by CorruptingPower. It is strongly recommended that you read at the very least the first half of the original work (and my earlier chapters) or it won't make sense. You should probably just read all his work and only come back when you're desperate for more.
My thanks to CorruptingPower for letting me play in his pool, and to the rest of the QT writers room for their input. Particularly AgathonWrites who has donated way too much of his time and been very tolerant of my stepping on his toes. Check out his QT story; "Quaranteam - The Upstart's Knight"
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++++ Sat 31st Oct 2020 ++++
I was expecting the arrival of a fifth partner by now. The Delphi protocol says I should have six or maybe even seven at this point but delays, Sin's issues, and my own intrinsic lack of appeal have left me behind the curve with *only* four. I'm not bothered in the slightest. Dare I say it? Life is pretty good right now. There are no major crises to worry about and no-one's health is a problem. I'm still concerned by the silence from Averna about whoever interfered with Sin's assignment, but there doesn't seem to be a lot I can do about it. Whenever I try to chase it up I hit bureaucratic brick walls. The best result I've had was "It's against company policy to discuss an active red-case investigation," which did at least confirm that they're treating it as an inside job. Val got warned off from her side and I don't want to jeopardise her job by pushing any harder. Sin's safe now; Whoever it was can't get her and she's safely hidden away from her shitbag ex and I'll have to be satisfied with that. Here in our house, it's just me and my four partners learning to live together. FOUR! How the fuck did that happen? Every now and again the surrealness of my new life hits me and I have to choose between laughing at myself or doubting my own reality. Maybe this is really a long, twisted fever dream? That would make more sense than me sleeping with four sexy women on the regular.
Social media is rife lately with people reporting the deaths of their family and friends, but all the silent accounts might actually be worse. Anti-lockdown sentiments are on the rise, morons are apparently still setting fire to five-g towers and the cross-party non-government we've been left with since Johnson died is taking fire constantly; people are suspicious that there's more going on than they're being told. The official news is still well sanitised though and I've seen no credible leaks of details like the true death rates. We've had a few hiccups in Delphi as the load on the system spikes along with each new phase in the rollout but we've coped better than any other public infrastructure project I can remember. Morale in the team meetings is pretty high. This morning I realised that even without access to the live database I could total up the unique users traffic statistics on the platform and estimate how many people must be vaccinated already or are about to be. It's a lot more than I expected and a lot more than I ever would have believed could keep a secret like this. I'm guessing that anyone who finds out gets bribed to keep quiet, like Sin was, by giving them the vaccine. Who's going to turn down not-dying even if it comes with an NDA? With so many people in the know, surely the lid has to blow off this thing soon?
++++ Sun 1st Nov 2020 ++++
Pixie and Sarge's competitive streak has been back in full swing lately. They argue and snipe at each other, in a not entirely good natured way, to the point where I wasn't sure what to say when Leila suggested playing a game this evening. At their request I've been teaching my new partners some of my board games collection. They're probably just humouring me, but I used to play with friends every week and I've missed it. Sin likes cooperative games, working as a team to beat the game, which contrasts with Leila's surprising affinity for anything that involves brutally betraying her allies when they least expect it. Of the two, I figured cooperation would be safer and picked out a couple of those. Suffice it to say that it did not go well. The world was destroyed and we were all killed, several times each. We'd all had a few drinks and the recriminations were getting progressively less polite with each loss. By the final game, it was getting personal... and loud.
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"Ugh, well done Sarge," Pixie dropped her cards in disgust. "I thought you soldier types could do teamwork?"
"It's a lot easier when your team actually follows your lead," Val snorted.
"I could hardly have followed you when you knew I had no red cards, genius."
"Because you ignored everyone's suggestions to do your own thing as always, Tinkerbell."
"Tinkerbell?! I'll choose to take that as a compliment coming from the jolly green giant!" Pixie sounded genuinely offended.
"It wasn't a compliment, it was wishful thinking! Fairies are quiet and occasionally go unnoticed."
"Quiet? The banshee queen of Alabama is lecturing me about being quiet? Every time you cum I check out the window to see if it was an ambulance siren in the driveway!"
"I don't see how that's my problem! Stop eavesdropping!" They were shouting into each other's faces now, or they would have been if there weren't a two foot height difference. Technically, Pixie was shouting into Val's tits.
"Oh, please! I don't need to eavesdrop to hear you begging for it. Half the county knows when you get dosed."
"So? Some of us aren't so thirsty for pussy we keep track of other peoples fucking. I like to let him know how good it feels and I don't care who else knows it!"
"Maybe you would care if you had any idea how horny and turned on I am right now!" Pixie yelled.
"Ha! You got yourself ploughed just this morning. I'm twice as horny as you, Tinkerbell!" Val bellowed back.