"That's... basically what happened. I really can't do anything about it, so I can only ask you to make an exception for us."
Loyalty sat at the computer in his office, looking utterly helpless and exhausted.
A temporary chat window was open on the forum in front of him. Just moments ago, Loyalty had briefly explained to the forum administrator, Brother Fa, what had happened at the "appreciation event" that afternoon. Meanwhile, Murphy was making dinner for Triss at the embassy, splitting his attention between the two.
He chopped vegetables with such speed that his knife was a blur, all while surfing the internet.
What Loyalty told him left Murphy utterly baffled. As he diced a washed carrot, he replied:
"So a whole bunch of industry bigwigs on your side banded together and threatened you, demanding that you let them into the game to see the real thing? Come on, I'm not trying to criticize anyone, but the operations team isn't being very decent about this. Every helmet that comes off the company's production line is already spoken for. Tens of thousands of players are waiting eagerly for theirs. How could we possibly have any extras for these bigwigs to cut in line?
You're putting me in a tough spot here."
"But hasn't Alpha Company always pursued closer exchanges between our two worlds, so that we can become partners and study the Creator's lost technology together? Wouldn't that be a good thing?"
Loyalty deftly shifted the goalposts.
"These bigwigs are all top experts in their fields. Their arrival will help both sides conduct technological 'archaeology' and replication more effectively and quickly. Our people will still have to start with the basics in the Creator's knowledge base when they go over there, but these experts have a different perspective. They've spent