Friday June, 2026

Daniel released a breath of smoke out, watching it billow up and out into the air. He relished the taste of the cigar and leaned his head back against the red brick building behind him, a satisfied grin on his face. The summer breeze came off the small pond, to his left, outside the building and he watched the birds fly close to the surface of the sparkling water. The wall of trees behind the pond serving as a backdrop to the picturesque view.

He glanced up further up the tall, three-story building and saw the dust covered window, wondering if the view was better from the offices above.

"Aye, D!" A voice cut through his moment and he sighed, dropping his head down so his chin touched his chest.

"Yeah, Jack, what?" He replied and turned his head slightly to look up at the approaching figure from the top of the hill to his right. The sun from behind the man, Jack, forced Daniel to squint greatly.

"Hey, the boys are ready to go?" Jack came to a stop beside Daniel, "'Ey, D, you know those things aren't good for ya." He drawled with a Boston accent, indicating to the cigar between Daniel's fingers.

"We just had a pretty big win here, Jack... I think I deserve-"

"Deserve cancer? Sure, then smoke up." Jack replied sarcastically before snatching the wrapped tobacco out of Daniel's grasp and chucking it into the pond.

Daniel watched it go into the water, floating on the surface while being pulled further in by the current, his eye twitching. "Oh-ho, you..." He cracked his neck, "asshole!" He nodded once in a manly substitute for stomping his foot.

"'s for the best, Boss." Jack winked, his deep blue eyes shining with mischief.

"You'll pay for that, it's not easy to get those anymore! That was worth well over a hundred in gold!" Daniel argued, his face close to Jack's in a form of aggression, his finger pointed outwards towards the body of water- his cigars watery grave.

"D-"

"Wright, Carver, let's go!" Another man came up over the hill and beckoned them up.

"Keep your dress on, Jameson!" Jack called back, waving him off. "Just convincing this dumbass that smokin' is bad for 'im! Just cause we don't have the tech to detect cancer anymore doesn't mean he can't get it!"

"What the hell ever, Carver!" He pointed to Daniel, "Wright, man, you gunna let him talk to you like dat?"

"No more than I'll let you keep calling me 'man'!" Daniel shouted and pushed Jack forward with him as they started to climb the hill.

"Well, shit, Wright, after all we been through?" Jameson shrugged and shook his head in mock disappointment.

As the three of them crested the hill, Daniel looked over the refugee camp. Lines of tents formed an almost flawless 15x12 grid. In the center of the grid was a large, open square where most people congregated, around a massive campfire, to socialize or make public trades. Skirting the edges of the square were smaller tents than those that were used to house the refugees. The small, skirting canvas', were used for small shops where they handed out the rations of slop.

Daniel felt a swell of pride for what they accomplished as a people. Earlier that day these people were captured by Ousia and were waiting in cells to be chipped or replaced dependent on their level of resistance. Now they were free.

Standing at the peak of the hill, the three watched as people scattered around the camp in the daylight, taking care of business before nightfall.

"Where's the rest of the squad?" Jack asked, crossing his arms as he leaned back.

Jameson shrugged before pointing off to the far right corner of the camp, "probably 'celebrating'..."

"If by 'celebrating' you mean, 'getting drunk', I seriously hope you're kidding." Daniel responded curtly and stuffed his hands into his jean pockets.

"Again, says the cancer man." Jack chuckled with Jameson.

Daniel shook his head and turned his shoulder to the camp in order to look at his companions. "I'm serious. We can't stop now." He indicated over the people below them, "If we stop and get comfortable, the Ousia will be on us before we can even say, 'wait'."

"Oh," Jameson made a disbelieving expression, his soft features contorting grotesquely. "C'mon, we just settled here. The people won't like it."

Jack made a sound deep in his throat, his adam's apple dropping and rising abruptly. "Danny's right. We should keep going until we have a more secure location to call home." He pursed his lips slightly and squinted as he addressed Jameson.

"Good, we leave by dawn tomorrow." Daniel nodded, satisfied. He rubbed at his clean shaven face with his hand before replacing it in his front pocket. "Jameson, get the guys moving. We need to get these people packed and ready to go by tomorrow."

Jameson shook his head, "They won't like i-"

"It wasn't a suggestion, Bo." Carver barked.

Jameson sighed in his irritation but didn't have the gall to argue further. He pivoted on his heel and trekked down the hill angrily.

Jack and Daniel sighed in unison before the former spoke, "What's the plan?"

"Find somewhere that we can make a life for over two hundred people... where we can fortify... grow..."

"How about Boston?" Jack grumbled under his breath, bowing his head and casting his gaze to his combat boot clad feet.

Daniel took a deep breath, his shoulders rising and falling with his breathing. "Jack..."

"She's alive, Danny. I know it." His head whipped up as he turned to face Daniel, his deep blue looking into Daniel's soul. "I can feel it, man..." He implored.

Pushing his lower lip over his upper, he met Jack's intense gaze, barely able to hold against the silent begging. "Alright, Jack, alright!" He pulled his hands out of his pockets in order to hold them up in surrender. Jack visibly relaxed but Daniel continued, "but these people cannot make it to Massachusetts. We need to help them settle before we leave."

There was a moment of silence while Jack turned away to think and Daniel waited in anticipation for his reaction.

Jack put his hands on his lips and paced slightly, his lips pursed and eyes narrowed as he looked over the field. Each movement he made was rigid. The grass he treaded became rutted into the ground.

"Jacky," Daniel called to get his attention back.

"How long?"

"No more than a month."

Jack made a breathy sound, his lips parted. "A month." He confirmed and turned to face him, his hands on his hips.

"No longer." Daniel affirmed.

Jack dropped one hand to his side while the other one pushed through his curly hair, "These people better get their asses moving." He laughed breathily as his shoulder slumped slightly.

"Yeah, us too." Daniel chuckled and as he walked by Jack to walk down the hill, he slapped him on the shoulder in brotherly affection.